texts: Why grammarly.com did remove comma here "They have just discovered a new fuel - it's half the price of petrol, and much cleaner."

texts:
In "How English Works" page 172, 16 "They have just discovered a new fuel - it's half the price of petrol, and much cleaner."
Why grammarly.com remove comma after petrol:
"They have just discovered a new fuel - it's half the price of petrol and much cleaner."
I ask this question by thinking is there a difference between AmE and BrE in the position of the comma. The book is by Oxford University Press UK and Grammarly.com is American English.


texts: How Americans explain a "x square meters building built on y meters area"?

texts:
I would be thankful if someone could help me with the following question:
Suppose we have a building which is 12000 square meters and an area which is 5000 square meters. How do you AmE speakers explain it:

  12000 square meters structure / building / construction on 5000 square meters substructure / infrastructure / foundation.

I need to know which word is used in this sense in AmE.


texts:
Is there a synonym for the 'every x minutes' construct?
The phrase I want to rephrase is 'the system generates a command every x minutes'.


texts: While I do or while I'm doing (future meaning)

texts:
Please which of the following sentences is correct?

"While I study there, I'll look for a job"
or
"While I'm studying there, I'll look for a job"

I think the second is correct because it has a future meaning with a long action (I'am studying) and a short action happening in the middle of the longer one (I'll look for a job). I think it's a kind of tense simplification (While I'll be studying there, I'll look for a job). Whereas the second is incorrect because of the use of while+present simple which can't refer to a long action in the future. Am i right?

Thank you


texts: What is the word to express "to raise your both arms up and rotate them several rounds from back to front or the other way round"?

texts:
This is a very common warm-up exercise that most people do but I don't know how to say it.
You raise your both arms up and rotate them from back to front or the other way round as shown in the picture.
People say that is "windmill". Maybe, we can say "he windmilled".
What is the general common phrase to say it, for example, "to spin/rotate your arms several rounds" when you talk to a child?


texts: "... that led to a working relationship more than two decades later with Fred's son Donald that was full of intrigue."

texts:
Sheferovsky had a son, Felix(who changed his last name to Sater), who went into the family business but had grand dreams for the future that led to a working relationship more than two decades later with Fred's son Donald that was full of intrigue.

I don't know how to parse the part in bold in the above sentence, hence I don't know the exact meaning.  Any ideas?


texts: Do we need "the" before "English language"?

texts:
I study English

  I study the English language

Is it grammatically correct to drop the:

  I study English Language

Likewise,

  The presentation will be made in French language.


texts: high quality product VS quality product (parts of speech and nuance difference)

texts:
high quality product(high-quality product) VS quality product

parts of speech (I think quality is a noun in 'high quality product' and quality in 'quality product' can be either a noun or adjective; It;s fun the word has exactly the same spelling and form and we classify and divide for the sake of what? There is no answer. If one believes it as noun, it is so and vice versa.

Personally, I feel quality product has more quality than high quality product though I don't know why I had this kind of feelings or images in my brain(Maybe high has no specific range of rating: vague and direct expression tends to give the opposite image of something because too many frauds say disnonest things)

Do you have similar opinion or different ideas?


texts: What does "back up to the top" and "fit past" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I'm reading Michael Lewis's The Blind Side. In Chapter Three, Sean Tuohy's daughter Collins talks about Michael Oher.

  When she tried to pass him on the stairwell, she said, she had to back
  up to the top, because she couldn’t fit past him.

What does "back up to the top" and "fit past" mean? I'm not quite sure.


texts:
I have seen this word DERRR with 3 "R's" and I looked up for the definition on many website but i haven't found like the exact definition
Could you help me and give some examples to understand
Thank you


texts: A.E.I.O That means you. What does it mean?

texts:
Billy Crystal and John Goodman’s song from “Monsters’ Inc.”, “If I Didn’t  Have You”, is closed with the word:

  A-E-I-O That means you Yeah!

What does A-E-I-O mean? Why does it mean “you”?


texts:
How to pronounce "Karl Wilhelm Bücher" in american english?
please use the standard phonetics
Karl Wilhelm Bücher (16 February 1847, Kirberg, Hesse – 12 November 1930, Leipzig, Saxony) was a German economist, one of the founders of non-market economics, and the founder of journalism as an academic discipline.[citation needed]


texts:
What does the "over" joint and what does "look down" mean here?

  The weather in Beijing is less polluted than it was 10 years ago
  before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, but the boiling hot
  city over which the stormy August clouds look down has been
  transformed in the 10 years since that spectacular event.

  Source: The Irish Times

over which. I know it's a clause and takes the preposition to the front.
It means "... clouds over the city"?
What does "look down" mean?


texts:
When a teacher discusses something in the class, is it be okay to use "take up"?

  We'll take up this topic tomorrow.

  We'll take up X tomorrow.

And about "doubts" and "queries":

  We'll take up the doubts (or queries) tomorrow.

Do they sound okay? I think that "take up" is usually used for a particular issue.


texts:
It is from this video. It is at around 2 minute and 25 second. Here is the context:

  Another group of researchers took a look at the evidence out there in 2013, and concluded that habitually eating breakfast did help children to stay on task in school.

Does this mean it helps them to stay concentrated on their task, or it helps them to do it? If I am right, then why was an article omitted before the word task?


texts: I am confused by this definition and example sentence of the entry "split"

texts:
It's from the Oxford English Dictionary.

the entry: split
df: remove or be removed by breaking, separating, or dividing：
eg：[with obj.]the point was pressed against the edge of the flint to split off flakes.

Maybe my English really sucks, but is (are?) the definition and the example sentence a bit confusing and ambiguous? Does it mean the flakes are removed from the flint edge by breaking, or separating, or dividing(They should be flying/spraying/sprinkling away from the flint in my word)? It's somewhat awkward to me!


texts: Is "my heart has been slice and dice for you" grammatical?

texts:
I miss someone so much. Would it be correct to say:

  My heart has been sliced and diced for you.


texts:
Two leaders remain at odds on how to resolve the crisis.

How do you reconcile this idiom to yourself? I myself imagine that two leaders are having a fight and there are odds on them at a bookmaker's, so they are at odds; when they stop fighting, you can no longer make a bet on them, so there are no odds.


texts: Which one is correct? "Otherwise, as mentioned," or "Otherwise as mentioned,"?

texts:
Which one is correct? (for beginning of a sentence)

  Otherwise (or However), as mentioned, this model has higher accuracy comparing to that model.

  Otherwise (or However) as mentioned, this model has higher accuracy comparing to that model.


texts: Perfect vs past simple when relating to personal experience

texts:
It seems to me that if somebody were to ask me:

  Yeah, how do you know what war is like?

The most fitting response would be:

  Because, you see, I have fought in a war.

But if someone would ask me why I am so sure about ominious experiments conducted by one company, I reckon my answer would go:

  I know it, because I used to work for that company.

The past tense sounds better to me, as it seems that the perfect tense would imply that I still work for them. Or would it?

Now, why is that? Or perhaps you have some other point of view, and I should have used the perfect tense or the past tense in both instances?


texts:
...Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this - no doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favorite - but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different - and probably more accurate - view of Potter's behavior. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing - and see if you can spot yours truly!

  Harry Potter and the Order of  the Phoenix

What does "spot yours" mean? Especially, what 'yours' refers to?


texts: Is there an English word for a dedicated collector?

texts: Is there an English word for a person who "voraciously" collects objects of his or her interest?


texts:
the party, I snuck to where everyone put their shoes. My heart was
  thudding, not only from the anticipation of what I was about to do,
  but also fear of getting caught. There they were! Her UGG boots in all
  their beauty. I carefully treaded over and for a few minutes I was
  scared to approach.


texts: When two classes are held simultaneously

texts:
I was wondering which sentence below sounds more idiomatic in AE when two classes coincide with one another:

Oh, no! My math class ......... with biology class!
a) is in conflict with
b) conflicts
c) coincides

I have already read the similar thread, but unfortunately I didn’t find it helpful.


texts:
My graduate education enabled me gainfully employ everything from the
  basic laws of physics, Maxwell’s equations, lumped circuit
  abstractions, amplifier abstraction, and from there into the digital
  domain as combinational logic, clocked systems, instructions set
  abstraction, high level language, operating systems, software
  abstractions, and into the analog domain as operational amplifiers,
  oscillators, power supplies, rotating machines, power transmission and
  distribution

I would want to fit this into a single sentence.

There is a list of courses, I would like to mention here, that starts off from the basic laws of physics, dividing into two branches at the amplifier abstraction as the analog and digital domain. How should I write this ?

To get rid of jargon, I've structured it like "my lessons start from foo, bar, baz and from there into one stream as wibble, wobble and wubble and into the other stream as blep, blah and blup.

I'm not sure if this is correct sentence formation and if it really conveys what I intend to. How should I write this ? Please suggest the right punctuation, conjunction and sentence structure.


texts: Does 'can' express definite possibility?

texts:
Consider a sentence

  Scotland can be very warm in September.

Here, does it mean that Scotland will surely be very warm in September or does it mean that Scotland may or may not be very warm in September?


texts: Why there is zero article in this sentence?

texts:
Does Hotbit Account Required Registration?

  yes, registration is required on Hotbit and registering on Hotbit is quite easy, you just
  have to land on the homepage, and then click the “Register” button at
  the top-right corner of home page.

I have no idea why the last two words "home page" hasn't been written without "the"?

I think It should have been written "the home page" because it has become known for the reader.

Source:
https://steemit.com/cryptocurrency/@farhan.sidiqui/hotbit-exchange-beginner-s-guide


texts: What is the female equivalent of playboy?

texts: I want to know the female equivalent of playboy person, Can we say playgirl? and can we use it for a person aged over 25.


texts: "what" or "which" when no prior range is given

texts:
Which of the following sentences are natural? If the context didn't name a range of hotels, would it be okay to use "which"?

Location is one of the factors I would consider when deciding on which hotel to stay at.

Location is one of the factors I would consider when deciding on what hotel to stay at.


texts: Is there a more natural way of saying "piss while standing up"?

texts:
It sounds too convoluted. I thought about "piss on their two feet", but not sure this is more common than "piss while standing up".

"Men piss on their two feet."

"Men piss while standing up."

Is there a way to get rid of the while. It sounds unnatural.


texts:
Is the written sentence correct?

  He woke up completely and was feeling like reading a book, but the only one book to be read in the room was the Bible.


texts: "I often buy fruits when I go to the supermarket" – illogical?

texts:
I am an English assistant and I often hear my non-native students say:

  I often buy fruits when I go to the supermarket.

I think it is wrong logically because "go" means "to move or travel from one place to another" (source). I am not sure whether it implies "you are already there"

Should we change to:

  I often buy fruits when I am at the supermarket

but it does not say that "I go to the supermarket".

How do native speakers express that idea?

Note: when could mean "after", so, I often buy fruits when I go to the supermarket=I often buy fruits after I go to the supermarket


texts: What are the difference between following sentences?

texts:
What are the differences between the following sentences?

What does depression feel like?
What does it feel like to have depression?
What would it feel like to have depression?

Also, what are the differences between the following two sentences?

What does it feel like to stay abroad?
What would it feel like to stay abroad?

Please clarify.


texts: They kill as many people as not: what words are omitted?

texts:
I found the following sentence:

  they kill as many people as not.

In this case, they account for success and fame in publication.


texts:
I have been studying English with pop songs.
And now the song is "Ariana Grande - Break Free ft. Zedd "

She sings "tried to (hide it)", that sounds to me "/trάɪ də .../"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=TLLpCqPomlzPU&v=L8eRzOYhLuw&feature=player_detailpage#t=36

I can't tell it's "tried to" or "try to."

Is there difference between the pronunciation of  "tried to" and  that of "try to"?
If so, please help me to understand the difference.


texts: Meaning of "living" in "people living in its shadow"

texts:
Let us consider this news title :

  Taal volcano eruption poses deadly dilemma for people living in its shadow

What does the expression "people living" mean here?

1) The people who live in its shadow

2) The live of people, in general, in its shadow

And please tell me about the reason, because the use of gerunds disturbs me a lot.


texts: "Was in labour" versus "went into labour"

texts:
Who can tell me what the difference is between the meaning of the following?

She was in labour for 3 hours.
She went into labour.


texts:
I've stumbled upon a sentence:

  We can use it until better alternatives will have become available.

Although it sounds valid to me, I believe it conveys the same idea as

  We can use it until better alternatives are available.

Am I missing something? Or is the former a more complicated way to express the latter?


texts: 'Crime by someone' v. 'crime committed by someone'

texts: Can I use the preposition 'by' after a noun that describes some action skipping a verb? For example, can I say 'human rights abuses by paramilitary groups' instead of 'human rights abuses committed by paramilitary groups'?


texts: "He's tired because he had been running."

texts:
So, according to all the lessons I've been watching online, they all seem to say that when talking about cause and effect, you use the past perfect continuous or past perfect.

He was tired because he had been running.

Now, what about if you start the sentence off using the present?

He's tired because he had been running.

Naturally I'd say "He's tired because he was running"


texts: What is the meaning of cool metallic panic

texts:
I read this in Word by Word by Kory Stamper:

  It will be 3 p.m. on a Wednesday in April; you will glimpse preternaturally sunny weather through the silver of window near your desk; the shouts of children walking home from school will sound both alien and familiar; cool, metallic panic will slide down your gullet and wave up at you from your stomach.

I couldn't find any definition of "metallic" fitting into this context. I also don't understand what "wave up" and "silver of window" means here. Could anyone help me out?


texts: I found the following statement here in one of the comments on the accepted answer: "You feel so strongly about bubble sort that you did not even read the code." Is it correct to say "feel so strongly"? I mean... feel what? I would have said "You hate bubble sort so strongly that..." Is my version correct? Is his version correct?


texts:
From an article in "The Hindu":

  But Netzer’s piece is nicely based on the premise that we are crooked timber. We are, to varying degrees, foolish, weak and often just plain inexplicable — and always will be. As Kant put it: “Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.”

What does "crooked timber" mean here?


texts: I remember there was an adjective for this kind of dogs, but I forgot what it was. It sounds like "scavenge", but it doesn't start by "s". I have the word on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember it. A dog without a owner roaming the streets.


texts: The statement: 'I go to France every year'; is this present progressive?

texts:
Am I right in assuming 'I go to France every year' is present progressive?

As opposed to: 'I went to France last week' I assume is past simple tense.


texts: "The only one fooled" vs "the only one being fooled"

texts:
What's the difference between the two? Is one of the ungrammatical? Example:

  At first I thought he was the victim. Then I realized that, no, the
  only one  fooled was me.

  At first I thought he was the victim. Then I realized that, no, the
  only one being fooled was me.


texts: How should I use "will / would" and "tomorrow / today" in reporting yesterday's conversation about an action today?

texts:
I am talking with my friend, I want to tell him about the meeting with another friend who borrowed some money from me.

what I said him:

  “when I met him yesterday, he told me, he will give my money today”

or

  “when i met him  yesterday, he told me I will give your money tomorrow”

Which is correct ?


texts:
Which sentence is usable in English when you are going to clap your hands in order to show your approval for instance when you enjoy the performance of a football player:

  The coach clapped for him.
  The coach applauded for him.

I think both verbs are used improperly here. I would be thankful if you could suggest me the correct verb in the proper grammatical structure or a fix expression which customarily is used in this sense.


texts: Should I be using "me" or "I" in this sentence?

texts:
There are my father, mother, grandparents, me who was seven years old, and my brother who was five years old.

The above sentence is used to describe a photograph. Is the sentence correct? Will it be "me" or "I"? Thanks


texts:
Atlantic Ocean has a deeply/deep indented coast line which facilitates
  trading and other mercantile activities.

My understanding says deeply would be the appropriate choice. But I'm not sure.


texts: Regular sized text vs regularly sized text

texts:
I wonder which form(s) are correct amongst the following:

A regular sized text
A regular-sized text
A regularly sized text

Example of context:

  Short text classification is much harder than text classification, as a short text contains fewer clues than a regular sized text.

I know I could use some post-nominal forms such as a text of regular size, but I am curious to know whether there exist some prenominal solutions.


texts: I don't have it /have it with (I have it/with me)

texts:
If someone asks someone that if someone has something,  what will be natural:

  I don't have it.

  I don't have it with me.

And:

  I have it.

  I have it with it.

Socegat do you think?


texts: Can an “if-clause” be used as an extraposed subject?

texts:
When a subject is a whether-clause, it can be extraposed:

  [Whether (or not) he comes] makes no difference.　　(basic version)
  It makes no difference [whether (or not) he comes].　　(extraposed)

The logical subject is "extraposed", pulled out of its basic position and moved to the end of the sentence.  Since the sentence needs a grammatical subject, dummy it appears in its place at the beginning.

Can an if-clause be used as an extraposed subject, too?

  *[If he comes] makes no difference.　　(basic version)
  It makes no difference [if he comes].　　(extraposed)

Is the extraposed version okay?  It's unclear because the basic version seems to be ungrammatical.


texts: Do I need to add the preposition 'of' in this context?

texts:
My friend: I sent you the the lecture notes.

  I: I'm not sure if all (of?) the 3 topics are there.

Should I add the preposition 'of' in this sentence?


texts: The use of an article before a possessive proper noun - The late Michael Jackson's old home

texts:
I was pretty confirmed of not using any article before a proper noun that shows possessiveness.

  The Maulik's car -incorrect  Maulik's car -correct

But then, I came across this piece of news on PopDust

  The late Michael Jackson’s old home, Neverland Ranch, renamed back to its original name of Sycamore Valley Ranch, is up for sale for a reported $100 million.

Explain please.


texts:
Could somebody explain to me what means "Brass tack secret" in the phrase?

The column was regarded for revealing the brass-tacks secrets of research and showing home-based experimenters how to make original discoveries using only inexpensive materials


texts: Is this a proper usage of passive voice in citing an academic paper?

texts:
I have come across the following sentence in a paper that I'm reading:

  More information on those functions can be found by Li et al. (2013).

I'm fairly new to the world of academic papers, but this construction "can be found by Li et al. (2013)" doesn't sound correct.

Should it be phrased as follows:

  More information on those functions can be found in the paper written by Li et al. (2013).

or

  More information on those functions can be found in (Li et al, 2013).


texts: On Friday morning, at night....but what about on\at Friday 9 AM?

texts: Should it be on Friday 9 AM or at Friday 9 AM?


texts: when I check a condition what tense should I use?

texts:
this post (https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/did-you-finish-vs-have-you-finished.1189126/) gives these explanations about present perfect and simple past.

past ---->now = have you finished?
past ---->end of exercise<------now = did you finish?
Means have you finished (now or yet)? Implies they are nearly out of time.
Means did you finish (at all)? Implies that the students were out of time in the past.

My son and I made a deal, which is, when he finish his homework, he is allowed to hang out with his friend. no deadline.

Hours passed, he is trying walk out, what tense should I use?


texts:
Does "over" word add any additional meaning to the below statement?

  Your room is on the first floor. Take the lift. It's over there.

Does the meaning of the sentence change?

  Your room is on the first floor. Take the lift. It's there.


texts: "To be (cold/hot)" VS "To feel (cold/hot)

texts:
I have read the similar thread on the forum, but still I somewhat hesitate about this topic. Let me sum up my take on it in the following way; please do me a favor and correct me if I'm wrong:

  I'm cold/hot ("To me they mean:" = It's so cold/hot in here.)
  I'm cold/hot. (= I have a low/high libido.)
  I feel cold/hot. (= Possibly because I am ill --- I have a clod / I am feverish.)


texts:
a. If you haven't done any of the assignments, I can give you extra time to do them.

Can this sentence mean two things?

If you have done none of the assignments, I can give you extra time to do them.
If there are some of the assignments that you haven't done, I can give you extra time to do them.

Many thanks.


texts: "I have lived..." talking about the past

texts:
My student said "My sister has lived in China", and of course I thought she still lived there, but then he said "but now she lives in England".
I replied, "But you said she has lived in China, which means she still lives there", to which he replied, "Well, I was just talking about her experience, she indeed lived in China some time back, now she doesn't, but that's her experience, that's why I used Present Perfect".
And honestly I'm a little confused. Does it make sense?


texts: What is the difference between "next to, beside, by, and near"

texts:
I'm wondering if there is any difference between these prepositions especially in expressing position
Thanks in advance


texts: Meaning of '...some people recover from severe pain while others have long-term pain.'

texts:
I feel in a sense that it is a comparison, but 'severe pain' is not 'long-term pain' and accordingly the end of the sentence is extra. So I find this as a strange comparison. Could you clarify what's the point to end the sentence with - 'while others have long-term pain'.

  The NIH (National Institutes of Health) is interested in discovering
  the biological markers that let some people recover from severe pain
  while others have long-term pain.

US Health Agency Wants to Measure Pain
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/us-health-agency-wants-to-measure-pain/4739047.html


texts:
I am going to have to use it quite a lot today.
  I am going to use it quite a lot today.

If both are correct, when should I use to have to use and when to use?


texts:
In an answer in the Spanish site about the use of timbre in European Spanish I tried to say that there is a specific meaning of the word that I know but very infrequently get to use, so I wrote this:

  I also know and seldom use the meaning of the word in the context of musical instruments.

Today my answer got edited by a user who speaks US English, and ended up like this:

  I also know and very occasionally use the meaning of the word in the context of musical instruments.

I usually trust the corrections this person makes to my answers in English, but this time I got a little puzzled about the reason of the change.

Is seldom a word that is seldom used in English? (Yes, pun intended.) Did it just get changed to another, more frequently used expression?
Did I use the word in a wrong way? What would be the proper way to use seldom in that sentence? Following the comment left when the text got changed, is it just that seldom produces a negative feeling and I just had to write "I also know BUT seldom use..."?

Yes, I know I just have to ask this person, but I would like to get a broader opinion about this.


texts: Act/Identity of Hurtling in "A runway car came hurtling towards us""

texts:
A runway car came hurtling towards us.

Here hurtling is a ________?


texts: Does "could not [verb]" imply that attempts were made?

texts:
He had a clear idea – he needed seven years of peace and quiet in order to work. (1) In America he could not have it. (2) In America he could not have had it. So he went back to Russia.

Does could not have it (the first form) imply that he actually tried to attain peace and quiet? In the second form it is clear that he did not, because the full thought would sound "if he had tried to have it, he could not have had it."

But does the first form say that some attempts were made, or it states that if they had been made, they would have been futile?


texts: I have learned what "home truth" and "home thrust" means. But what is the meaning of "home question"? Thank you very much in advance.


texts: Is a briefing considered to be a notification?

texts:
briefing

  : an act or instance of giving precise instructions or essential
  information

notification

  : to give notice of or report the occurrence of

I am wondering if a briefing a subclass of notification, or both are completely different, or whether a briefing could sometimes be considered to be a notification and vice versa. From the definitions, it seems they are completely different.

  I wasn't briefed, but I was notified.


texts: Word choice in an acronym definition: (for/in short/shorts) or (shortly)

texts:
Suppose you have the following acronym

  Meaningless Random Words Acronym (MRWA)

Which one of these expressions is the most accurate?

Meaningless Random Words Acronym (MRWA, for shorts);
Meaningless Random Words Acronym (MRWA, for short);
Meaningless Random Words Acronym (MRWA, in short);
Meaningless Random Words Acronym (MRWA, shortly);
(something else?).


texts:
Why is height pronounced as hi, but weight is pronounced as wei?

Someone suggest me a good book to learn such pronunciation rules in English so fast, not a huge book please.


texts: Our Guests have arrived/arrived.They are sitting in the garden

texts:
Our Guest _____________.They are sitting in the garden.

options:

a)arrived b)have arrived c)had arrived.

MyApproach:

a)I am confused between a)arrived  b)have arrived

  Which Tense usage is used in this Example?


texts: Tamper or Tamper with. Which one is correct?

texts: Why do we need to say "He tampered with the ball" than just saying he tampered the ball?


texts: The soft part inside a fruit's stone/pit

texts:
What do you call the soft part inside a fruit's stone/pit? For instance, when you break an apricot's stone/pit you can see a soft and tasty piece that's edible.

I would also like to know which word is more common a stone or a pit of a fruit.


texts: Is it correct to use "respected" to salute in formal written English?

texts:
Is it correct to use Respected to salute in formal written English?. For instance:
Respected Suan Scholarship Committee


texts: "He looks very Spanish" - is this sentence correct? Does it mean the same as "He looks like Spanish"?


texts:
Introductory clauses are dependent clauses that are often found at the
  beginning of the sentence (although they can be moved to the end of
  the sentence, too, without confusing the meaning of the sentence).

Source

Any examples of an introductory clause moved to the end of a sentence ?

Also, what is the difference between  an introductory sentence to open a paragraph on an essay, and  an introductory clause in terms of tone/suitability/effect? Is one better suited to a certain essay/article  over another ?


texts: Error in : "This would encourage us to come up with more such content as these."

texts:
If you like our content and appreciate our efforts please press the G+
  button and recommend us. This would encourage us to come up with more
  such content as these.

"This would encourage us to come up with more such content as these."

Is there any grammatical mistake in the above sentence? Is the sentence structure correct? Should it be rephrased in any other way to make it better?


texts:
Here are some sentences:

Can I use 'May' for wishing someone? For example:

  May you get success in your goal.

OR,

Is it compulsory to use the word 'wish' for wishing someone ? For example:

  I wish you get success in your goal.

  I wish you succeed in your goal.

  I would rather you got success in your goal.


texts: what is the meaning of the two sentences

texts:
Flowers are planted in the garden. [planted: past participle, past tense of plant]

  Flowers are planting in the garden. [planting: present participle of plant]

What is the meaning of the above two sentences?


texts: Is "team e-mail" an idiomatic expression in native English?

texts:
Just as the title already suggests, could you please tell me if "team email" is something that natives actually use, especially in business environment?
The specific context: What is meant here by "team email" is a shared group mailbox used by all our team members, ie. this is the "outside" e-mail address provided to our customers, so that no matter at what time they send the e-mail, someone who's currently on the shift, will be able to see it.


texts:
I see two pictures where 'since' are used as 'when'

  'Since the beginning, it was just the same. The only difference, the crowds are bigger now.'

https://izquotes.com/quote/elvis-presley/since-the-beginning-it-was-just-the-same-the-only-difference-the-crowds-are-bigger-now-148532

  'Since my childhood, I saw my elder brothers playing cricket and that is what built my passion around it. I was enrolled in school but all my attention was on cricket.'

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1563531


texts:
I received your feedback form, and I completed the changes and sent it
  back for your review again.

  I received your feedback form, and I have completed the changes and sent it
  back for your review again.

The three actions (received, completed, sent) are done sequentially in the past. Are the tenses used in both sentences correct?


texts: What does it mean? "She is the last person who you would have down as a cheat."

texts:
I have seen this sentence on a newspaper. It is about a case in which a husband is worried about his wife cheating on him...".  Here is sentence:

"...I love her so much. I honestly thought she was my rock. She is the last person who you would have down as a cheat...."

I did not quite understand the relative clause and am confused about the usage of "would have down" in the sentence, because it does not seem like any other structure of conditionals. And I have never seen such a usage of "WOULD HAVE DOWN".

It seems like conditionals type 3, but then "down" should be a verb. And if it is conditionals type 2, then "to have down" should be a verb, which I don't think is true. So, I am confused.

What is the verb in the sentence? Is it "to have down" or is it "down"?

In other words, what does "would have down" mean here? Is it something like:

1-  "If you had come to the wedding, you "WOULD HAVE SEEN" John. ("see" is the verb here. So does "WOULD HAVE DOWN" in the sentence have the same function as "WOULD HAVE SEEN" in this sentence?

2- Or is "DOWN" an noun such as "We WOULD HAVE DINNER together, if you had come to the restaurant yesterday." (So is "WOULD HAVE DOWN" the same as "WOULD HAVE DINNER" in this sentence?

Shortly, what does the sentence mean and is the "WOULD HAVE DOWN" structure a conditionals 2  or a conditionals 3 ?

Regards

Here is the link I have seen the sentence: https://www.thesun.co.uk/dear-deidre/8338205/fiancee-raped-drunk-pals-brother-invited-wedding/


texts:
Can I use "it's with a plural noun?
"We have many disasters in our country. In the summer, it's fires and in the autumn it's floods."


texts: Meaning of the phrase "as close as one get"

texts: Here is the context: "Millenia ago astrology was as close to science as you got." Does thr sentence mean that people nowadays consider astrology to be a science as they considered in the past?


texts:
If I organise an event and allow only people who bought a ticket, how do I construct a sentence with "require" and the subjunctive mood to express the requirement?

We require that everybody bought a ticket.
We require everybody to have bought a ticket. (Well, this is not really a subjunctive mood as far as I concern, so I would like to avoid this style. Nonetheless, I'm interested how correct and natural it is)
We require that everybody have bought a ticket.
Another option?

Does the answer change if the requirement changes into "people who have ever been to Czechia"?


texts:
What image does one get if they read the phrase 'unveiled person'?

A human without dress?

Or a human without necessary parts of dress?


texts: Your child likes to play around with his food. Is it natural to say "could you eat seriously?"?

texts:
This is what Vietnamese parents often say to children in Vietnamese "eat seriously" (literally translated from Vietnamese to English) when the children like to play around with his food without paying attention to their meals.
Is it natural to say "could you eat seriously?"?


texts: Which possessive pronoun for an antecedent 'man' in the generic sense (="humankind") — 'its' or his'?

texts:
In a translation I have said "I feel the vigour of man", and a bit later I have to refer to the creator of "man", but I am unsure whether I should say

  his creator

or

  its creator

I take the term translated man to have the general sense "humankind" in this passage. For humankind I guess I'd use its, but I am less sure with man.


texts: Using "wouldn’t" instead of just "didn't"

texts:
I’m really confused with using the word would sometimes. Such as this example:

  We didn’t get the polling research because apparently when the delivery came someone wouldn’t sign for it.

Why wouldn't sign is used instead of didn't sign. Is it because apparently was used and it seemed like a speaker wasn’t sure about things happened this way?


texts: If conditional that expresses two of what you think will happen

texts:
Is it okay? For example you are talking to someone sad, and you want him to wear a happy mask, you'd say

  If you wear this mask, you will seem like you're happy, but you're crying inside.
  If you wear this mask, it will silently kill you, but you'll still choose to hide.

In 1, I expect that he will seem like happy but will still be crying under the mask.

In 2, I expect that the mask will silently kill him eventually figuratively, but I also expect that he'll still choose to hide.

Are these grammatically correct? And did I punctuate them correctly? With commas before buts.


texts:
I'm self-studying English and in an exercise I'm asked to correct the errors in perfect tense of a series of sentences. One of them is the following

  Supposing they would have got married, wouldn't the day have come when they got bored with each other?

The solution is:

  Supposing they had got married, wouldn't the day have come when they got bored with each other?

I have two questions about this.

Does "they had gotten married" work in the first part? Assume I'm trying to fix it by using American English.
I'm confused by the second part, specifically "got bored". I feel like "when they would have gotten bored" segues much more naturally from "wouldn't the day have come" than "when they got bored". Do both versions work? Do they say the same thing?

I don't really know grammar. I speak correctly for the most part, but I don't know the rules of grammar explicitly, nor the technical terminology, so please try to adjust your answers as much as possible.


texts: Which is correct - 'what was going to happen when we {meet/met} the next time?

texts:
It's 31st of December today.
I'm meeting someone on the 4th of January.
Whilst talking to her the next time, do I say:

  "I was worried thinking what was going to happen when we meet the next time.(which is in 5 days, the 4th)."

or do I say:

  "I was worried thinking what was going to happen when we met the next time.(again, the 4th)"


texts: What’s the difference between ‘William Shakespeare’ and ‘Shakespeare, William’?

texts:
What’s the difference between William Shakespeare’ and ‘Shakespeare, William’ ?

Thank you!


texts:
Are there any difference between two use of adjective in diffrent places in two sentence below ? Does these sentences have different meaning or one of these is wrong?

  New house was sold at ten thousand dollars cheaper price.

  New house was sold at price ten thousand dollars cheaper.


texts: What tense is a certain part followed by

texts:
"Has it happened to you that..." what tense is this part usually followed by, the past or the present?

Has it ever happened to you that you're in your home alone, and you start hearing footsteps?

Has it ever happened to you that you were in your home alone, and you started hearing footsteps?


texts: The differences between "to make a stink" and "to make a fuss"

texts:
Hi I think these idioms have similar meaning but is there any difference between them in terms of meaning, usage and strenght.

Thanks


texts: The methods are considered most general/generally

texts:
sentence in question:

  The methods that are suggested by Paul and Gerald are considered most general.

In the sentence, I think that "most general" is very odd. Then, I adjusted it to "most generally" from "most general". But my teacher changed the word back to "most general".

Question: Is "most generally" incorrect? And, is "most general" correct?


texts:
'Sorry! It's all right,' said Una, rubbing her nose. 'How many rabbits
  did you get today?'

  'That's tellin's,' the old man grinned as he re-hoisted his faggot. 'I reckon Mus' Ridley he've got rheumatism along o' lyin' in
  the dik to see I didn't snap up any. Think o' that now!'

  They laughed a good deal while he told them the tale.

This is from "The Tree of Justice" in "Rewars and Fairies" by Kipling.
http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/RewardsFaries/treejustice.html

I do not understand the meaning below.
'That's tellin's' "
Is this mean 'I have got many rabbits'?

I ma glad if somebody kindly teach me.


texts:
The man went to the door and tried to open it, but couldn't as Phil was holding the door from inside.

Is the meaning of "holding the door" clear here?

Is there something I could write instead to avoid any unclarity?


texts: Can Present perfect continuous and Simple Past be used together in one sentence?

texts:
Take a look at these sentences:

  I knew that something terrible was happening to my daughter and husband.

  I knew that something terrible has been happening to my daughter and husband.

Which one would be correct?

Also, in this sentence:

  At 21 years old, a little voice inside his head told him to fight harder than he had ever done before in order to get healthy.

Why is it "Had ever done before" instead of "Has ever done before" ?


texts: Is 'need' a verb or noun in this sentence?

texts:
In an address to the UN, Greta Thunberg said: "Everything needs to change -- and it has to start today."

I was wondering, is 'need' a verb in this sentence? Or is 'change' the verb?


texts: Meaning of "so much for" and "for the love of"

texts:
These phrases might be easily understandable for others, but I find them difficult to grasp, perhaps because English is not my mother tongue. I have been searching for answers for quite some time, but got even more confused every time I tried to learn the meaning of them, and when and where they are used.

What do these two phrases mean?


texts: Is "flip your glove inside out" idiomatic? I know that the expression is "turn your glove inside out", but sometimes I see "flip" being used, but it doesn't seem to be standard, idiomatic or even correct, because Google gives very few results, especially for "flip your glove inside out".


texts: 'To close an area to public OR for public'?

texts:
While reading the entry of cordon off something, I came across Cambridge Dictionary's page.

It reads

  cordon off something: to close an area to people and vehicles

I wonder the preposition; 'for' is what I'd expect there.

Say--

  He's the boss! For him, the gate is open. For you, it's closed  For police, the restaurant is open, for general public, it's closed  Admission is closed for the general quota. Student belonging to the backward class may now proceed.

And thus...

  to close an area  to for people and vehicles

Like...

  The border is closed for Syrians.

Further confusion.

  [something] open to all - seems very common

But...

  "[something] closed for all" seems better over "...to all"


texts: What's the meaning or synonym of "as a matter of convenience"?

texts:
What's the meaning or synonym of "as a matter of convenience" in below sentence?

  In the computerized system that most companies have today, accounts are maintained on magnetic tapes or disks.
  However, as a matter of convenience, accountants still refer to the all-inclusive group of company accounts as the general ledger, or simply the ledger.


texts:
I forgot to file my taxes. I got an email that, in the subject line, said something like:

  Your student grants might be converted into loans.

This worried me, because I thought it was saying that my grants were possibly already converted into loans. (ie, present tense). When I opened the email, I learned that they meant that my grants might be converted into loans at a future date, if I don't hurry up and file my taxes very soon.

If I try to put this sentence into the future tense, by replacing "be" with "will be", I get:

  Your student grants might will be converted into loans.

which doesn't sound right.

How do I convert "might be" into the future tense?


texts:
I look for a construction to start a sentence about previous studies on something, something like

In the field of reading comprehension, some studies investigated the effect of visual structure on reading comprehension.
In the topic of reading comprehension, some studies ....
In reading compression studies, some studies ....
In the ground of reading comprehension, some studies ...

I don't think that is a field. So what are other alternatives for  it? Also I am not certain about the proposition "in" for topic.

update: Regarding comments, I gave you more context

There are numerous  studies on extracting the main content from web pages.  .....It also enables end users to access the web more easily ....
....
Some other studies focus on the readability enhancement on the user interface level .....
......
In the case of small screen devices, some attention has been given to using dynamically altered presentation of text.
............
Some studies investigated the effect of text signals and visual structure on reading comprehension


texts:
I heard the following phrase in a podcast:

  Credit cards are a bit of recipe for a disaster.

I want to know if this phrase "recipe for a disaster" is formal enough to use it in a formal writing? Or what formal words or phrases do you suggest as a replacement?


texts:
I am not sure which one is correct.

  He is one of the best thinkers in American authors.
  He is one of the best thinkers among American authors.


texts:
I've been told that I should use simple past in reported speech when the direct speech is in simple present such as
I **am** the best   ~>   He said he **was** the best  but what happens for imperative mood direct speech

  "Mom said dont trust strangers"

Or

  "Mom said didn't trust strangers"

I think I should maintain the first form. But I'm not sure. And I'm not even sure this relates to the sentence mood.
I need the best choice and a further explaination for this :)


texts: usage of 'nor' in the beginning of the sentence

texts:
Consider a situation where Jonh and Amanda (They are friends ) go to a restaurant. John has never been here with a girl before and Amanda has never been here with any male friends.
Now John says" I have never been here with a girl". Then Amanda says" Nor have I been here with a boy".
Is the sentence said by Amanda correct ?


texts:
As a native speaker, how would you change following speech?

  Being under control of my parents I won't go to the party tonight.


texts: The correct usage of the phrasal verb "mean for"

texts:
Many of the notes are meant for readers with some formal
  training in mathematics or physics.

I was wondering is this the correct usage of the phrasal verb "mean for", as my dictionary shows that it must be followed by a "to do" part:

  mean for somebody to do something


texts:
does "at the height of his manhood" is metaphorical or it simply refers to his age?

Some of these photographs are in the author's possession, and surely
there is no more wonderful impression upon any plate than that which
shows Crookes at the height of his manhood, with this angel—for such
in truth she was—leaning upon his arm.

https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/sir-william-crookes-spirit-katie-king


texts:
Nomination courses will be visible only for the enrolled participants.
  Nomination courses will be visible only to the enrolled participants.

When I want to suggest that nomination courses will only be made avalible to enrolled students, which preposition should I choose?


texts: What is the part of speech of “a little” in these sentences?

texts:
Here are my guess:

I can speak English a little. (adverb)
I can speak a little English. (here “a little” can be adjective describing English or it can be adverb describing speak)


texts:
An ELU post says

  You wouldn't generally call a building high.

I believe that is correct for most of the case. For instance, this one is correct

  The Statue of Liberty is as tall as 93 m

while this one sounds unnatural.

  The Statue of Liberty is as high as 93 m

However, Ngram Viewer shows both "high" and "tall" could be used for building.

Some of the Google search recommendations are

Why is that?


texts: "legal protection" vs "legal protections"

texts:
The following is an example from the Cambridge dictionary:

The proposed law is intended to provide legal protections for farm workers.

What would be the difference between "protection" and "protections" in the above example? "Protection" is generally used uncountably in such contexts, then what does "protections" suggest here?


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence: Her architectural wonders cause the people...?

texts:
Source

  Her architectural wonders cause the people in the dream -- projections of Cobb's subconscious -- to search for the intruder -- Ariadne -- like white blood cells drawn to a virus.

There are so many hyphens.

What is the meaning of the whole sentence?


texts: I don’t get the exact nuance of this sentence

texts:
I’m an English learner and I saw yesterday tv soap opera ‘Smallville’ season 7 episode 5.  From there, I heard an sentence but I don’t get the nuance of that.

  “After all these years of reading these articles, you would think I would have figured it out.”

Would you please tell me the meaning of ‘After all these years of ~‘ and ‘you would think’?

Context:

  Lana: I know. You were already asleep when I got home from Nell's. And you looked so cute, I couldn't bear to wake you. [ Chuckles ] But even heroes need their beauty sleep. After years of these articles, you'd think I would have figured it out.

  Clark: I guess people only see what they think is possible.

  Lana: Well, I, for one, am glad I've seen the light.

  Clark: And I think the spotlight is better suited in Hollywood. I add these lines to get you more easily understood..I saw these dialogue maybe a hundred times but I couldn’t get the exact meaning.. It’s so sad


texts: What is the difference between "deployment / placement" and "location / position"?

texts:
Actually, in my language, they are exactly same.
Thus, it makes me crazy when I am writing a formal paper (e.g., graduation thesis).

Let me give examples:

  The problem for placement of nodes at appropriate locations is studied by him.

  The problem for placement of nodes at appropriate positions is studied by him.

  The problem for deployment of nodes at appropriate locations is studied by him.

  The problem for deployment of nodes at appropriate positions is studied by him.


texts: What does it mean "discharged return anticipated"?

texts:
Forgive my poor understanding. I was just reading the document of MDS. Although every words can be recognized by myself. But when they combine together ,I totally had no idea about what does it mean. Please help to review it .Thanks.

discharge: to allow (someone) to leave a hospital, prison, etc.

anticipate:to think of (something that will or might happen in the future)

  When a resident is discharged return anticipated and the resident
  returns to the facility within 30 days, the facility must copy the
  previous RAI and transfer that copy to the new record. The15-month
  requirement for maintenance of the RAI data must be adhered to.

note: RAI means Resident Assessment Instruments in the MDS 3.0. Thanks.

My updated:

I agree with Andrew's answer.

The original document explain some for these words in the following chapter.Thanks.

  Discharge refers to the date a resident leaves the facility. A day
  begins at 12:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. Regardless of whether
  discharge occurs at 12:00 a.m. or 11:59 p.m., this date is considered
  the actual date of discharge. There are two types of discharges –
  return anticipated and return not anticipated. A Discharge assessment
  is required with both types of discharges. Section 2.6 provides
  detailed instructions regarding both discharge types.


texts: "is an equal number" vs "are equal numbers"

texts:
This sentence is correct:

There is an equal number of girls and boys in the class (Oxford Dictionary)

My question is:
Can I use: "There are equal numbers of girls and boys in the class."
Are nouns after equal always singular?


texts:
I have this question about the interchangeability of "fall into" and "go into":

  The airplane fell/went into a tailspin.
  The economy fell/went into a decline.
  He fell/went into a depression.
  He fell/went into some bad habits.

Is "fall" or "go" not appropriate in some of the sentences?


texts:
Can we use 'barely' or 'plainly' in this sentence?

  The chairman needn't even count the number of people who just raised their hands, as they were ______________ the majority.


texts:
I know that "so" has many different meanings, so in the following context, which is the correct answer and why? I think it is (a) or (b); it just feels like they are both correct.

  He suffered severe injuries; [Your Choice], he made a complete recovery.

  (a) so that
  (b) consequently
  (c) unless
  (d) nevertheless

Thank you.


texts: Just now a fellow user used this "For the life of me" in an answer to my question. I'm not aware of this phrase but it seems incorrect to say "life of me". Shouldn't it be "life of mine"?


texts: “A person who always pays their debts late” VS “Someone who always pays their debts on time”

texts:
I was wondering if there is any word / idiom / expression to define someone who borrows money from relatives and friends and pays them always late.
I know the words:

Deadbeat
Welcher

But they tend to indicate someone does not want to pay back at all, while I need an adjective etc. which is used to imply that they pay back, but just (a bit late =/= on time.)
Also, I am looking for the antonymous word / expression which is used to define someone who always pays his debts on time.
Example:

I won’t even lend Sam a penny! He’s a / an..........
However, I’ll give my whole life to his sister. She’s a truly reliable person; although she’s jobless now, but if she borrows you can rest assured that no matter how, she’ll pay you back. Everybody knows that she’s a/an............


texts:
Use of the dashes is for information not integral to the sentence or for emphasis.

The first example below feels as if it has to be set off from the rest of the sentence as apposed to the other example which sounds correct both ways.

  The thought of it – the anniversary – still manages to twist the knife.

vs:

  The thought of it the anniversary still manages to twist the knife.

Is this dash optional? What about this example?

  The president – and his assistant – traveled by private jet.

as opposed to:

  The President and his assistant traveled by private jet.

Is there a term for when the element set off from the sentence requires it as opposed to it being optional?


texts:
Then, when this dog of marvellous wind saw that his foe was dead, he gave him no second glance, but set out at a lope for a farm four miles across the snow where he had left his master when first the wolf was started.

(Ernest Thompson Seton's 'Bingo' <1986>)

In above sentence, the wind could be understood as 'a dog with sweeping force' ?

In the dictionary, wind has a meaning of 'any sweeping and destructive force'.

Or are there any other meaning?


texts:
The following is taken from PEU1 339.8:

  May/might have ... can sometimes refer to the present or future.

  #1 I'll try phoning him, but he may have gone out by now.

  #2 By the end of this year I might have saved some money.

For #2, I think it would create ambiguity without context:

It could refer to my expectation that I am likely to have saved some money by the end of this year. I think this is what it's intended to mean here.

But it could also stand for a hypothetical situation where it would have been possible for me to save some money by the end of this year if I hadn't spent a lot on my new Audi.

Is my understanding correct?

If my understanding is correct, then is it possible to substitute could have for might have with meaning unchanged?

  #3 By the end of this year I could have saved some money.

Is #3 also ambiguous without context? It could refer to an attainable expectation or a possibilty that will not be able to come true.

Or, to put it another way, can could have be used to express factual possibility without time restraints just like might/may have in #1 and #2, both meaning "by the end of this year I will possibly have saved some money."?

1. PEU = Michael Swan's, Practical English Usage.


texts: Collocations of string/wire/cable + intrasitive verb meaning "cut"

texts:
I was playing a game with my little children to find out that I got stumped to describe what could happen to a string below

  If you pull a wire/cable/string so hard it could (intransitive verb
  meaning cut)

I managed to go around that but I still want to know the verb/s that could go above.

I though of verbs like rip/cut/break! and used a thesaurus for ideas but nothing beats asking our people for help, our fellow members.


texts:
According to the dictionary definitions, "complex" and "complicated" almost always can interchange when it comes to "difficulties" that you deal with in a situation or problem. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that the two nouns "complexity" and "complication" should also be nearly the same things. But perhaps they are not!

Complexity:

The state of having many parts and being difficult to understand or find an answer to.

Complication:

Something that makes a situation more difficult.

To elaborate my meaning, I would like to raise two examples here:

  The complexity of urban life is increasing day to day.

Ngram shows that, the word "complication" cannot be substituted for "complexity" in this sense or it is used very rarely.

For more clarification, let me bring up another example:

  The complexities of human relationships have become a quite significant and serious issue today.

Again, Ngram reveals that these two cannot be replaced or at least "complication" is not used much in this sense.

Now, I wonder if it is a matter of formality where Ngram cannot look up informal cases, or it is a matter of fixed phrases?
Please do me a favor and help me with this question.


texts:
If someone claimed asylum, did he necessarily receive it?

I'm asking this because the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives the following sense of "claim," among others:

  to gain, win or achieve something

  E.g. She has finally claimed a place on the team.

In context, it would be unsurprising to find confirmatory evidence that the person got a place on the team. But I'm wondering whether that justifies listing the "to gain, win or achieve something" sense for "claim." After all, it is equally likely to find texts where "John asked for something" coexists with "John received something," but we wouldn't say one of the senses of "ask for" is "receive."

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Synonym for "Motive:" Reason or Intention?

texts:
Are there any rules to be followed while choosing the correct synonym of a word?

In a test I was given the word motive and I had to find its synonym.

I had confusion in two options, options were

Intention
Reason

I chose reason as the correct answer but it was wrong. I looked up its synonym on internet but it listed both reason and intention.

Which one is correct?


texts:
When should we be using "to me", and for what occasions are "for me" better?

Take for instance the following sentence:

"It's a no-brainer to/for me that schools should be subsidized by the government."


texts:
I think the word "murdere" is masculine and the word "murderess" is feminine.

Is that right to say:

     She is murderer.

Or:

     She is murderess.

And does it make difference if both are correct?


texts: Putting "foot in mouth" or "foot in it"?

texts:
I know the expression putting foot in ones mouth and I'm not asking about its meaning. However, as I was verifying that I got the idiom perfectly correct, I stumbled upon the following example sentence and I'm surprised by it.

  I put my foot in it by telling John's secret; he found out.

Is it also a proper way to use the idiom or is it a mistake?


texts:
Which sentence below uses the correct sentence structure?

  I'm at the Hearing Officer's convenience.
  I'm at the convenience of the Hearing Officer.


texts:
Could I use the phrases below? Do they have the same meaning?

in 2010

vs

in the year of 2010


texts:
I took the expression from the picture.

  Stay low key. Not everyone needs to know everything about you.
  —via (Quotes 'nd Notes)

Can't understand the expression "Stay low key." Please explain how a native English speaker understand this phrase.


texts: What is the meaning of "in the red corner"?

texts:
what is the meaning of "in the red corner" & "in the blue corner"
. In the red corner, Mr. Trump has refused to tone down his abrasive rhetoric against women, Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans and the differently abled ...


texts:
And I think really especially thinking back to when we were living on Molnár  Road in Kelowna with that house, we actually had a yard as well, and we had to sweep,  mop and vacuum in the house.

It would be a really tiny thing but I'm just curious about that. I think 'in' sounds more natural than 'with'.
It's really hard to express what I understood about 'with' in English... but as far as I know, it's like:

"I met up with my friends"
"a professor with expertise teaches me"
"I broke up the machine with a hammer"

and such things like these. Anyway,
Why was 'with' used instead of 'in' in this sentence?


texts:
I heard phrases like "place nice" and "place safe" several times during watching series and movies and each time I was wondering why an adjective stands after a noun while they teach that adjectives go strictly before nouns.
Unfortunately, all what I gained with simple googling is that it could be a set phrase like "Princess royal". And I already checked a similar question which doesn't answer my question because in this case I see no difference between "a place safe" and "a safe place".
Examples:

We always have to go to, you know, someplace nice.

Is there any place safe for her?


texts: Usage of present perfect tense with other tenses

texts:
A : How are you feeling ?

B : I have been feeling better since ............

a) the doctor has come
b) the doctor will come
c) the doctor had come
d) the doctor came

So which option is right and why?

Thanks


texts:
I read this in dictionary.com:

  as can mean in the manner (directed, agreed, promised, etc.)
  She sang as promised.
  He left as agreed.

I don't understand how as has been used in the manner in above sentences. Could you please make it clear to me? Is it the same as "Like agreed, like promised"?


texts: Question about meaning of the word "across"

texts:
A U-turn is turning your vehicle around in the street to go back the way you came. To make a U-turn, signal and use the far left lane or the center left turn lane. You may make a legal U-turn: Across a double yellow line when it is safe and legal.In a residential district:If there are no vehicles approaching you within 200 feet.Whenever a traffic sign, light, or signal protects you from approaching vehicles.At an intersection on a green light or green arrow, unless a "No Uturn" sign is posted.On a divided highway, only if an opening is provided in the center divider.

When saying across, does it mean on the line / over the line or after a finished line?


texts:
35% down the page under Point 2:  Gray writes:

    Unlike the best of the colonial administrators, some of whom were deeply versed in the languages and histories of the peoples they ruled, [Richard] Dawkins displays no interest in the cultures of the African countries where he lived as a boy. It is the obedient devotion of those who served his family that has remained in his memory.

    . . . The tone of indulgent superiority is telling. Dawkins is ready to smile on those he regards as beneath him as long as it is clear who is on top.

How do you determine/deduce the right definition of indulgent? Please explain the steps, thought processes; I’d like to try to resolve this myself in the future?

Does 1(.0) imply that Dawkins is too ready to be generous to or lenient with being superiority?

Or is it 1.1, which implies that Dawkins acts superiorly because he is self-indulgent?


texts: How can I remember the difference between "loose" and "lose"?

texts:
Although both words can be found in dictionaries, I'm constantly forgetting which one is which.

Are there any mnemonic rules that would help me remembering them?


texts: What is the meaning of this future perfect sentence?

texts:
Sentence: By The end of thirty years, I will have travelled to Europe?

After 30 years, What is the exact location of me?


texts: What are some incorrect usages of the word ironic?

texts:
"Saying Donald Trump is orange is ironic, because he's not orange."

Is the above sentence correct?

Is ironic the opposite of literal? I doubt it's the case.


texts:
A student I volunteer with started his essay in the following way:

For solving this problem we need to do more recycling.

I corrected him as follows:

To solve this problem we need to do more recycling.

This form  (to solve) sounds more direct and natural to me.

I know that you can use for solving in other contexts, but it doesn't sound right at the beginning of a sentence.

I'm wondering if I was right to correct him and if so is there a technical or grammatical reason why for solving is less acceptable or is it just my bias?


texts: What is better "lives up to his name" or "just like its name"?

texts:
What of this two sentences is better and doesn't sound weird?

  "Transverse foramen", just like its name, says that the foramen moving across this bone.

  "Transverses foramen", its name lives up to his name, and says that the foramen moving across this bone.

If you have a better option, please, kindly let me know it.


texts: when a sentence starts with words 'As stated by the law'

texts:
Is it acceptable in English grammar, when a sentence starts with such words like:

As stated by the law No , in the process of registration.... one should
As provided by the chapter No ..of the Code of Ethics, you are required to...
As prescribed by the intercompany rules and regulations, the entities should

I am interested to know whether the rules of English grammar allow for putting non-principal parts directly after a comma rather than principal parts (the grammatical subject and the predicate) like in my first example?


texts: This is important "to learn" or "to learning"?

texts:
From VOA Special English:

  Scientists are also sharing work on crops in standing flooding. Mr. Ismail says this is important
  to learning about what will help farmers use the wet soil of flooded fields for other crops such
  as maize, wheat and barley.

Why is it "this is important to learning" instead of "this is important to learn"?


texts: How correct it is saying: "I don't ever go to work by bus" instead of "I never go to work by bus" Does the meaning of these two questions change?


texts: grammar / meaning “The surprise attack sent the enemy running”

texts:
Does “Running” in this sentence mean “ongoing activity” or “initiating an activity” Or other meanings?

1)  The surprise attack sent the enemy (moved the enemy quickly) so that it made them start running (“on going activity” or “initiating activity”).

Can I believe that the following examples mean same as (1)?

  After his four years as governor, the voters sent him packing.
  Her screams brought the neighbors running.
  The explosion sent glass flying everywhere.
  When Jesus sent the disciples out fishing to teach them about obedience,

Otherwise Does “Running” in this sentence mean simply “and they ran” or “so that they ran”?

2)  The surprise attack sent the enemy (moved the enemy quickly) and they ran / or so that they ran.


texts:
He has not to cook rice.
He does not have to cook rice.

Which negative form is acceptable?
Thanks in advance.


texts: Can "will have you doing a double take" be rewritten as "will make you do a double take"?

texts:
These adult film stars will have you doing a double take when you see them without any makeup on.

Source: http://www.lolwot.com/10-adult-film-celebs-without-makeup/

I would like to ask whether there is possible to rewrite this sentence without a change of the meaning in this way:

  These adult film stars will make you do a double take when you see them without any makeup on.


texts:
I'd like to know what "be picking up the phone" means in the following. Does it mean a person is holding the phone, or is about to pick up the phone?

John is picking up the phone.


texts: the meaning of the phrase 'pricked off on a list'

texts:
...  among them he moves softly, plain Thomas Cromwell, a greeting
  here and a word there, spreading reassurance: the Crown’s case is in
  order, no upsets are expected or will be tolerated, we shall all be
  home for supper and sleep safely in our own beds tonight. Lord Sandys,
  Lord Audley, Lord Clinton and many lords more, each pricked off on a
  list as they take their seats:

  -Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Does this mean their names are marked on an attendance list by someone?


texts: "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now"

texts:
While reading "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", I came across the next line, said by Hermione Granger:

  'If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. <..>

But, according to the rules, the sentense should have been like:

  If they hadn't found me, I would've been dead by now.

Am I wrong?
What is the difference between these two sentences?


texts: Can you please simplify the highlighted part of the paragraph please?

texts:
In the following paragraph taken from the story of “The Women” from New Yorker magazine it is hard for me to understand this part, maybe I cannot get the grammar used here or something. Can you paraphrase it in the most close to original form please? Is it saying that she was whispering to herself that even if they get less when they were there, it is still a big thing because they did not expect all that? And she was not aware that it should be?!!! Should be what?

Miss Keble, sensing these thoughts, kept the subject going, marvelling that so little achieved should seem so much a triumph, yet understanding that it should be. She would not easily forget the faces of the girls, their voices, too, and how politely they stood back, respecting strangers. All of it was impossible to forget.


texts: What's the difference between fork out/over/up?

texts:
Fork over / out / up is defined on Dictionary.com as:

  to hand over; deliver; pay: Fork over the money you owe me!

What's the difference between the usages of over, out, and up? Are different particles used in different situations or are they all can be used in the same situation? For example, is it correct to say:

  He forked over $200 for front-row seats.
  He forked up $200 for front-row seats, or
  He forked out $200 for front-row seats.


texts:
I have this senetence marked as a mistake "might waste their children time", and it should be "children's time".  I looked for a grammar rule, but I was not able to find it. Is there a solid way or rule which can be used to choose between possessive and adjectival noun? for example:

For School bag or College student: adjectival nouns are used, and I cannot imagine that possessive is possible here.
People’s behavior or people behaviour : I think both are correct and they are the same thing.
Children time is wrong: But what about "dinner time"? If the dinner can be modifier for the time, why children cannot?

Help!


texts:
What I mean is getting rid of stress is good and necessary when we want to live happily. But when I mean it in another way using 'way', I get it mixed up.

Getting rid of stress is the best way for living happily.

Getting rid of stress is the best way of living happily.

Getting rid of stress is the best way to living happily.

Which one is right? And for the sake of making sure that I understand it fully, could I ask difference?


texts: Having problem comprehending "need to be used occasionally"

texts:
I cannot understand the exact meaning of this sentence in the following:

  Remember, too, that the words "I love you, I like being in a relationship with you. ..." are not demands and need to be said occasionally in any relationship.

In particular, I am ambivalent about the meaning. Does it implies some obligation for saying the words (even occasionally) or it tells the reader to relax and only expect these words to be said occasionally. I appreciate if you provide a grammar hint that would be useful for me in the similar sentences as well (probably something related to need to).


texts:
I was answering a mail from tech support and wanted to tell them that I had already sorted out the problem I intially told them about. I also wanted to emphasize that I had tried the solution suggested in their mail before writing them.
Given that situation, which of the following sentences is correct?
"I have tried that", "I had tried that" or "I did try that"? Note that I'm referring to something that happened before something else that's also in the past, so I guess I have to use ... past perfect?
Please explain to me which of the sentences above is correct and why. It would also be nice to know if, in this situation, it makes a difference whether I am writing about something that I tried or something that I tried before writing the first email. Thanks in advance!


texts: When -s is used with third person singular. What's its use in this context?

texts:
During a conversation

My friend wrote •shrugs•

Why shrugs not shrug?

She was the one who did it then why third person singular form?


texts:
I was typing an email and reviewing it. I cannot decide if I used also correctly.
Can anyone help me?

  "I am pleased to attach herewith my application form, for your kind consideration. Also, the documents are attached includes certificates as requested.

  Thank you for your consideration.


texts: "left everything to" or "left everything on"?

texts:
Wich of the two sentence is the right one? why?

a) He never tried to mend things on his own and left everything to her
b) He never tried to mend things on his own and left everything on her


texts:
Which one is correct if I am asking about a group of people that someone is going to meet?

I know that the it should depend if the following word is on singular or plural, but on this case I am not sure as "who is going to the PLACE A" has no indication of plural or singular.
Who is going feels right.... but I might be wrong.


texts:
My original statement was

  The data that can be easily gathered from mobile devices open new research opportunities which could not be possible to be developed with existing built-in systems.

A native speaker corrected this to

  The data that can be easily gathered from mobile devices can open new research opportunities which would not have been possible develop with existing built-in systems.

What is wrong with my original sentence? Why isn't it developed but develop? Isn't it a passive sentence?


texts: Meaning of "it is" at the end of sentence

texts:
I was googling but I couldn't find any answers:

What is the precise meaning of the words 'it is', when they are used in a way

  Are we going to the cinema on Friday or Saturday?
  I don't have any time on Friday.
  OK, then Saturday it is.


texts:
a. All we have is two cans of beans. It isn't a lot to eat, but it will have to do for now.
b. All we have is two cans of beans. It isn't much to eat, but it will have to do for now.
Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
I suppose normally one would say 'It isn't a lot/much, but it will have to do for now.' But I want to see if 'a lot/much to eat' works


texts: "Roll over to the next month" or "roll over into the next month"?

texts:
Could you tell me if use to or into in the context below?

Any unused mobile data will roll over to/into the next month?

Are both prepositions correct and natural in the context?


texts: Does "upset victory" mean "a victory that people are not happy about"?

texts:
I'm reading a book Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder. When it comes to the word acme, the author gives the following example:

Last Saturday's upset victory over Michigan may prove to have been the acme of the entire season.

I'm confused about the word upset here. Generally, when a team won a match, people should be happy instead of upset. I can't find an example usage of upset victory in several dictionaries. What does it mean here?


texts: A word for "all the great attributes or achievements of you and/or your family"

texts:
When Arabs talk about how great a person is, relative to others, they talk about the person's family (birth or descent, or nasab) and the person's or his family's achievements or attributes (hasab). So, someone who belongs to a great family with bright doctors and judges, for example,  is said to be of noble descent. I'm struggling though to find an English word for hasab, i.e. for "the achievements or attributes of the individual and/or his family or ancestors".

The word can be used to shorten such a long question as: What qualities or great achievements do you or a family member have or had? One could answer: "I have a PhD, my father is a successful politician, and my great-great-grandmother was the first person to establish an orphanage in my town".

Hasab is derived from another word meaning calculation or counting. The idea was that Arabs, a long time ago, would compete against each other in terms of whose hasab was greater than others, and the competition involved each one of the competing group counting or listing all the things they prided themselves on.

Today, the pair hasab and nasab is most likely to be seen or uttered when a man asks for a woman's hand in marriage. The family of the woman would investigate or even ask the man directly about his hasab and nasab.

Some people would translate hasab as status. I think this translation may capture the essence of the Arabic word, but it misses the whole story.


texts: Single word for `Number of times of use`?

texts: I need to created a database column to define Number of times of use, is there some single word for this? If not, what's the common word for this? numberOfTimesOfUse ?


texts: The use of "very" and "so" in the "that-clause"

texts:
I'm very sorry that I can't join you.
  I'm so sorry that I can't join you.

Which one is grammatical and correct? Thanks in advance.


texts: Do we say "you need to strap or fasten the canopy after folding the umbrella so that it won't unfold"?

texts:
strap somebody/something + adv./prep. to fasten somebody/something in
  place using a strap or straps

  He strapped the knife to his leg.

  Everything had to be strapped down to stop it from sliding around.

  Are you strapped in (= wearing a seat belt in a car, plane, etc.)?

  fasten [transitive, intransitive] to close or join together the two parts of
  something; to become closed or joined together SYNONYM do up

  fasten something Fasten your seat belts, please.

  Emma shivered and fastened the top button of her coat.

  fasten something up He fastened up his coat and hurried out.

  fasten (something) with something The garment is fastened with a
  sash.

  fasten + adv./prep. The dress fastens at the back.

  a short yellow skirt which fastens up the side.

  The gown fastens down the front with Velcro.

After you fold your umbrella, you see a strap on the canopy as shown in this picture

Then, we have to "strap or fasten the canopy so that the umbrella won't unfold" as shown in the below picture

What is the generic way to express it?

can we say "you need to strap or fasten the canopy after folding the umbrella so that it won't unfold"?


texts: What's the difference between "annualised" and "annual"?

texts:
Both "annualised" and "annual" function as an adjective.

What is the difference between them?


texts:
I was wondering if you could help me to fill in the blank below using the proper preposition. Meanwhile I need to know the reason(s) of using one over another (In case one of these choices has privilege upon the other one.)
- I went to a French course from the 18th..........the 30th of July.
a) to
b) until


texts: Verbs or adjectives that go with "notebook"

texts:
I have used up all pages in my notebook, so I need a new one. How should I put this in English?

I (verb) my notebook. I need a new one.

or

My notebook is (passive verb/adjective). I need a new one.


texts: 'Manhunt for three gunmen' vs 'womanhunt for three gunwomen'

texts:
Some time ago, Paris police launched a manhunt for three gunmen.

But, what if there are three women who carry guns, shoot and escape, is it still appropriate to say "manhunt for three gunmen"?  Will it have to be "womanhunt for three gunwomen"?


texts:
Is 'pair of dress' more correct than 'dress'?
Is it syntactically correct if I say 'I donated 20 pairs of dresses'?


texts: What are the words for when I mean something that is 'standard and also affordable'?

texts: I am finding the right word for a commodity that got potentiality, good functionality/technicality and also is in affordable price in relation to other similar product.


texts:
What is the difference between these two:

1- It seems water.
   2- It seems to be water.


texts: Is the word "peer" correct for a generic professional connection?

texts:
I am thinking this word for a long, I have visited synonyms, but I am not able to figure out if "peer" can be used to show a connection between two professions, they might belong to different roles or even different industries. I am looking for that kind of word to replace the Word "Connection", as it doesn't suit many places where we show an association between these two entities. Any help to find that word will highly appreciated. Below is some more description:

  Connection can be made between two Persons.
  Person might be Student or Working Professional or Retired Professional.
  Professional would be from Different roles and Industries.


texts: Like something done / like something being done

texts:
Which version should I use? Is there a difference in meaning?

  1) He was captured like a rat caught in a trap. (a rat which is caught in a trap)

  2) He was captured like a rat being caught in a trap.

I think both versions can be used, but I am not sure.


texts:
What's more natural or idiomatic regard to the combination of feel+miss or longing?

I feel I miss her a lot.
I feel I'm missing her a lot now.
I feel longing to her now.


texts: Would it be considered controversial to describe a character in my script as "black"?

texts: Don't know if this is the wrong forum for this. I'm writing a script and I have described a character in it as "a tall black dude". Would that be considered controversial in the US?


texts:
A dictionary says "or otherwise" in the following is a British usage. I'd like to know whether Americans also use it.

The truth or otherwise of this diagnosis would be revealed in the future.


texts:
I just found a formal phrase do sb the honour. And one of the examples of how it's used is:
would you do me the honour of dining with me?.
is that sentence synonymous with would you mind dining with me?. If they're not, please afford me the closest sentence to it. Thank you.


texts:
“An incredible shot from Ronaldo” said the commentator.

I think it should be ‘by Ronaldo’ but I’ve heard a lot of people use the words interchangeably.
Which one is correct?


texts: Would it sound strange to use the adverb "dreadfully" in (North)American English?

texts: I was reading about "grading" and "non-grading" adverbs, came across with the adverb dreadfully. Surprisingly, I found that there are two sources mentioning the adverb as chiefly British [1], [2]. However, there are other sources that do not mention similar thing. That motivated me to ask about this adverb.


texts:
I came across this sentence below:

Judithe Hernandez’s art career began in Los Angeles during the socially and politically turbulent 1960s

I know that adverb is mainly used to modify verb or adjective or adverb but in this case I don't know what it modifies


texts: Using "hardly" and "no sooner" constructions

texts:
I have got one task on translation:

  They'd hardly come into the house when the storm broke out.
  Hardly had he opened the window when the strong wind scattered the papers on the floor.
  I had hardly reach (had approached) the corner of the street when I heard someone's steps behind me.
  Hardly had I said good-bye to them when the train started moving.

Although constructions "hardly" and "no sooner" both almost have the same meaning, they are slightly different in meaning (when we are translating them), and as a result it would be better not to use "no sooner" instead of "hardly" in the sentences above.

Am I right?


texts: Swatting an insect and the meaning behind it

texts: I need to know whether when someone swats an insect like a fly, it would allude that the person has already killed it or it is considered as only an attempt to kill the insect which based on the context/speech content can either indicate the insect has been killed or it has flown away?


texts: "Would you like to go on a holiday together?" -- is this correct English?

texts:
One person asks another person:

Would you like to go on a holiday together?

or

Would you like to go out together?

I take it that "with me" or "with us" is implied.
Is that use of "together" (with a singular subject and without "with so.") correct English? Is it slang? Regional? Or not correct at all?
I tried to find this on Google, there are definitely examples of use, but not a lot, which could be due to the fact that it's not a sentence that you would normally write on a website.
One example I found was a song called "Do you want to die together?", and an entry in the jargon dictionary, but I'm still not sure if this is a common or correct way to put it.
To clarify, I'm not looking for better ways to say this, I have heard this and I'm asking if this way to put it would be considered correct and in use, or if it's incorrect or slang.


texts:
Is it the recipe of a dish?

Here’s a Pacific Rim recipe for success. Start with a newly arrived immigrant to the U.S. from Beijing—whose visa was rejected the first eight times he applied. Have the young man take a job at a California startup with fewer than 50 employees, whose two founders were from Beijing and Mumbai. Next step: get Silicon Valley giant Cisco to buy the young company, WebEx, whose service is videoconferencing.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/richkarlgaard/2020/09/16/why-zoom-is-booming/#dd763d3d33b3


texts:
I am writing a short article on the subject Today's World. I want to express the fact that – for example – there is the world of poor and the world of rich and successful and so on.

I would like to ask what is the better choice of usage of present tense in this sentence?

  There is not one world where we live in now.

or

  There is not one world where we are living in now.


texts: Difference between the words "to cross" and "to x"

texts:
I know that there is the word cross out, with the meaning like to draw a line on something written that is relevant no more. And we cross out something in lists, etc.

But could we use just the verb cross to express the meaning when we draw a cross on smth (like to X), but it still relevant to us in its changed condition (being crossed).

I need to put it in such context

  After erasing the sticker must be crossed with red lines.

We cannot crossed out the sticker because it still will be stick on smth. I have this feeling that it cannot be "out". So can we use just the verb cross for this? Or maybe I have the wrong feeling.

Please, help me to understand it.


texts:
The following dialogue is taken from the subtitles in the first-person shooter video game -- Crysis Warhead:

  SIERRA 1: Command, Sierra lead, bearing 270, angels 7, target is 16
  and closing.

  JTAC: Copy, Sierra lead. Be advised. We’re experiencing significant
  radio interference. Suspect KPA music. (KPA: Korean People's Army; music: radio interference)

  SIERRA 1: Copy that. Beginning final approach.

  O’NEILL: Oh yeah. Finally get to see some action on this trip.

  SIERRA 1: Fangs away, Sierra 2. This is strictly hit and run. You
  copy? (Sierra 2 is O’NEILL)

  O’NEILL: Yeah, I copy.

  JTAC: Sierra team, command. Be advised: Raptor will be your ACM on
  this mission.

  O’NEILL: Raptor? I don’t suppose I have a choice in this, do I?

  PSYCHO: Fucking hell… I knew it, Sean O’Neill.

  JTAC: Sierra lead, deploy seven, over.

  SIERRA 1: Roger that.

I've checked Multiservice tactical brevity code and Acronymfinder for Military and Government.

But these three bold phrases just fall outside them; I failed to google the terms out.

Help to explain these military phrases.


texts: Shouldn't there be used a plural pronoun in this phrase?

texts:
I was watching Westworld TV series first episode yesterday and encountered this phrase at 3:20-

  It was the best two weeks of my life.

I am confused if the dummy variable "it" is really appropriate in this situation because this, I believe, has been spoken by a native speaker.


texts: Does 'expose' always have a negative connotation?

texts:
I went through several dictionaries and checked the meaning of the word. I'm also familiar with the headlines in dailies; for instance, Someone exposed as his servant reveals the truth. or Someone exposed her curvacious body in a dark brown gown on the red carpet.

But then, can it be used this way?

  2013's Best HGH Supplements Exposed - Check meta title of this page.

Note: I know such websites are not reliable for their language in content. But I'm just asking, is it possible to use the word exposed to mean revealed? Here, the author wants to say that The list of best HGH supplements in 2013 revealed.

Can anything be exposed positively? If I go by books, it is possible but then my mind does not believe it!

The word exposed is influenced by Latin expositus meaning 'put or set out' and in this sense, I can certainly expose top 10 software companies of the world. But does it mean I revealed a bitter truth about those fraud companies or simply revealed the companies those were not known before?


texts: What is the function of the word 'happy'?

texts:
I woke up happy today.

In the sentence, what is the function of the word 'happy', an adjective or adverb and is the verb 'woke up' considered as a linking verb?

I'd like to know some verbs that can be followed by adjectives although they are not linking verbs.


texts: "He wore a trailing arm from someone" What does this mean?

texts:
I was watching/reading World cup soccer live updates and read following sentence.

"Lichtsteiner is down holding his face. Replays show that he wore a trailing arm from Miranda. He’s up now and seems to be fine."

What does "he wore a trailing arm from someone" mean? It sounds like it means a player was hit by another player's arm. Maybe this sentence also suggests the hit was an accident since the word "trailing arm." Am I correct? why do we use the word "wear" in this case?

Thank you.


texts: Any necessity in not using the preposition "for "?

texts:
In a practice (American English File 4 - 2nd Edition - 1 A - Work Book ) I'm asked to write the proper form of the question,

" - How long have you been learning English for?
 - For about three years. "

The answer in the manual is "How long have you been learning English? ". I just want to know that, is using "for" here necessarily wrong?


texts: Help me understand this sentence: "It was a smooth, flat part of the mountain-side, steep as a wall."

texts:
The beetle was walking up the mountain to go home.

  "Indeed it would have taken a monkey or a bird to climb the place which the beetle was now walking up. It was a smooth, flat part of the mountain-side, steep as a wall."

This content is from a novel "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle"

I couldn't understand this sentence. And what shape is this mountain? The author said it was smooth and flat but steep.


texts:
To be talking about the dimensions of faithfulness as mediated by religious symbols is to be doing theology, not the practice itself.

(Source: Robert C. Neville: The Truth of Broken Symbols)

I failed to analyse the bold part, and what does the part in italics mean? And what is the tense of the bold and italic parts? Or rather, why has such a tense been applied there?


texts:
Is this sentence correct when I am narrating a past event using the present tense (historical present)

  "I remember the first time I spoke to a hot girl (English native speaker), it was completely intimidating, my mind was kinda feeling numb, and while she was talking, I was concurrently self-talking saying 'is this really happening? Is this really happening?!''

My introductory clause is in present tense (I remember the first time), then followed by past tenses as I go on storytelling. Did I do correctly?


texts: usage of time and place in the cleft sentence

texts:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/pronouns/it

In this link, I found the sentence '' It is August that you are going on holiday''.

I wonder why it is not ''in August''?
I think the sentence '' It is in August that you are going on holiday'' will be sound.

The second question is ''Can I use where/when in it-cleft sentence?''

  E.g,
  It was the market where I met her.


texts: What is the difference between "My PC needs repairing" and "I have to get my PC repaired"?

texts:
If I want to say that my PC needs/has to be repaired by someone else, could I use the sentences below?

  My PC needs repairing.
  I have to get my PC repaired.

If not, then what is the difference between 1 and 2?


texts:
I've come across it in the 7th episode of the 6th season of the Walking Dead. Here is the context:

Glen: The herd broke
through the walls?
Enid: What herd?
Glen: The walkers.
They broke out of the quarry early.
We got on them, but that sound, the air horn,
what was that?

Sidenote: in one of the previous episodes they tried to draw zombies away from the place place the are staying in.


texts: One of the students whose mobile _missing(is or are)

texts:
Usage of "one of" if a relative pronoun whose is used in the sentence what will be the verb?

  One of the students whose mobile (is/are) missing


texts: "Has been" can this be considered Present tense

texts:
My daughter wrote

  Sarah has been reading books about gardening.

I am a little confused as to how to categorize this. Can it be considered Present tense? Is this sentence acceptable?


texts: Could [“ought” + perfect infinitive] refer to the future, when such future is not obligatory?

texts:
The following text starts by explaining that Niggle (“he”) is unable to make up a plan how to complete his job. His job is to fix a magical country, to complete it as far as possible. The text is from a short story by Tolkien, “Leaf by Niggle”.

  He sat down under a very beautiful distant tree – a variation of the Great Tree, but quite individual, or it would be with a little more attention – and he considered where to begin work, and where to end it, and how much time was required. He could not quite work out his scheme.

  "Of course!" he said. "What I need is Parish. There are lots of things about earth, plants, and trees that he knows and I don't. This place cannot be left just as my private park. I need help and advice: I ought to have got it sooner."

The bold part might refer either to the past or to the future, as far as I can see. So, either it means “I should have understood it earlier”, or it means “I hope to get help as soon as possible”.

I like the second meaning better: if he regrets that he didn't do enough to know how to do his job, he could not work, yet he starts to work right away; contradiction. But this guide says that the second meaning is linked with some kind of expectation, which is non-sensical in the country: its gods know better whether to send Niggle help or not. They did send him Parish, as the story says later, but there was no requirement (from Niggle's point of view, as he seems to say later).

So my question is: if Niggle does not expect anything, could he still use this construction in reference to the near future? Did he use it in this way? Obviously, if the answer is “no”, then I must rethink what I think of the story. Perhaps Niggle did have an idea of the laws by which the local gods abide…


texts:
I wanted to send an email to politely remind the recipient (a client) of some work that I'd done which they needed to to review. This was the top email, while the rest of the body of the work was in the attachments/body.

  Hi Recipient,

  Just wondering if you've had a chance to review this please?

  Kind regards,

  xxxx

The 'please' was added to make the request a bit more subtle as this is the second follow up, however the more I look at it the more wrong it seems. Is there a better way to phrase this please?


texts: Is it okay to say "15 minutes of four" in English?

texts:
Is it okay to say "15 minutes of four" in English meaning "3:45"? Or would it mean "4:15"? Or is it totally incorrect to say that?

(I heard once a native speaker said that, but I am not sure if that was him just playing with words or that was an acceptable way of saying the time in English)