texts: Why don't we hyphenate conjoined words, pronouns specifically?

texts:
Recently I've been stuck on the idea that some words that are joined together should actually be separated, as if they are contractions.

Another = an other = an-other.
Something = some thing = some-thing.
whatever = what ever = what-ever.
into = in to = in-to (same with ''unto'').
So on.

The rule on hyphens is to use one when it makes a clearer case but I'm too literal for that.

And what about prefixes and suffixes—actually, they are examples of their own:
pre-fix or prefix or pre fix / suf-fix or suffix or suf-fix. But specifically:
Re-start or re start or restart / re-evaluate or re evaulate or revaluate.

Confusing me here. I do prefer hyphenating the words but not sure if it is the correct thing to do, regardless if it will win any popularity contests.

Edit: There are also varying rules on whether to hyphenate stretched words, like ''heeeelp'' but it usually isn't done. So why is, say, laughter like ''ha-ha-ha'' hyphenated as such, at least in most stuff I've seen. Specifically it was ''he-he'' but...


texts:
I was reading a book and came across the following sentence:

  The question of the value of the chattels on the land in the present
  case might, as my brother Windeyer point out, arise and have to be
  decided in a variety of circumstance apart altogether from the deed of
  15 July 1995.

I never heard this phrase before and wondered what it meant.


texts: are there two predicate verbs in the sentence?

texts:
Designers, or visual design communicators ,as they  are referred to in the profession,
 got on board the web medium rather late and ,in their initial efforts,
created many "online brochures".

as they are referred to in the professionis a modifier, we can omit it and do not affect the whole sentence

Designers, or visual design communicators , got on board the web medium rather late and ,in their initial efforts,
created many "online brochures".

1.what is the meaning of  got on board in got on board the web medium rather late?
2.created many "online brochures and ot on board the web medium rather late are all predicate verbs?


texts: What sense of 'make' has been applied in "made the most of the last few hours"?

texts:
They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of ...

"They made the most of the last few hours" sounds like an incomplete statement. I have gone through the definitions of the word "make" to get one that can fit for this context, but none of them seems to suit. What sense of 'make' has been applied in this sentence?

-- From Harry Potter.


texts: "Leave something for later" vs. "leave something for later on"

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning betweeb leave something for later and leave something for later on? For example:

When you run the distance, don't go all out right away. Leave some energy for later.
When you run the distance, don't go all out right away. Leave some energy for later on.


texts:
What is meant by the emboldened part

The pictures that the world sees of the latest outbreak are not pleasant and many in India are pained by what the TV channels are carrying daily into their bedrooms. Nationalism cannot be the permanent carapace of conscience.

[Indian Express]


texts: Is there any difference between "sit next to someone", "sit beside someone" and "sit by someone"?

texts:
Is there any difference between sit next to someone, sit beside someone and sit by someone? For example:

  You can sit next to me if you are not comortable there.

  You can sit beside me if you are not comortable there.

  You can sit by me if you are not comortable there.


texts: In past tense which is right, 'I make them write' or 'I made them write?'

texts:
I want to know which is the correct past tense

  I make them write

or

  I made them write


texts:
I asked this question at English Language and Usage sites before but I was suggested to ask this question here instead.

I'm learning about conditional sentences now. This is the site that I'm using for reference. http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/conditional/

I got confused on how do I write the type 2 conditional sentences if I use the past tense since the beginning.
For example, first, I have this example of the zero conditional sentence.

  If I stick my hands on the fire, I will get burn.

Then, if we use the past tense since the beginning, for example, in the narrative story when we tell about something from the past, it'll be like this, won't it?

  If I stuck my hands on fire, I would get burn.

But then, what about the type 2 conditional sentences? This is where I got confused. For example.

  If I were him, I wouldn't buy that car.

Should we let it as it is or should we change it if we use simple past tense from the beginning?


texts: is the following sentence grammatically incorrect - should conditional

texts:
I am seeking some clarity on the usage of "should" as a conditional verb. I saw the following sentence online and could not figure out what exactly the person was saying.

scenario: a user posted this sentence online

"My apology if I should change the default setting without consulting the forum admin"

as the user was indicating a past event, the sentence should be a past hypothetical. Thus, the correct sentence should be "My apology if I should have changed the default setting without consulting the forum admin" since the user had changed something without consulting anyone. Is this correct ?
if the user intended to use "should" as an auxiliary verb for emphasis, the user could have and should have used "did" as in
"My apology if I did change the default setting without consulting the forum admin" "should" is not the correct auxiliary verb for emphasis. Is this correct ?


texts:
I am not to be blamed
Many accidents were blamed on the snow
be to blame
If a ship sinks, the captain is to blame
The increase in crime is a sad reflection on our society
The increase in crime is, sadly, to be blamed on our society

I am wondering about how is the function of applying the verb blame, that is, I cannot differentiate when to use it as an intransitive, or passive verb.
Furthermore, I am wonder if the bold parts might mean the same thing or not.


texts: If XXX, the system will do A rather than "do"/"does"/"doing" B?

texts:
If XXX, the (software) system will do A rather than do B.
If XXX, the (software) system will do A rather than does B.
If XXX, the (software) system will do A rather than doing B.

Which one is correct or better?

Update:
If there is a comma before "rather than", such as:

  If the system is overloaded, the task scheduler will fall into a
  "conservation mode", rather than unconditionally
  follow/follows/following the user-specified rules.

Which one is better?


texts: When indicating participants (as in a picture), which is correct; "This is Fred and me." or "This is Fred and I." ? (And, I know my punctuation is incorrect here.)


texts: On application I write "I,  Sushanta Majhi, a student of your school state that" so is it correct,  should am be used as helping verb in-place of a.


texts: Can I use present perfect in this context?

texts:
After finishing my homework I will check for the mistakes that I have made

I'm skeptical about if I can use present perfect in this context and
besides with conjunction can present perfect be used for future?


texts:
If children go to pediatrician and olders go to  geriatrician. what is the one between these two (children is called in English? I thought about 'adult' but I'm not sure since adult includes older.

  Children should go to pediatrician and olders should go to geriatrician and (......?) should go to GP.


texts: Do native speakers say "you're way too late" in real life?

texts:
Google gives About 663,000 results for "you're way too late", some comes from lyrics, some are in a story. Do native speakers say it in real life?

Imagine that, it's 8 o'clock AM. My son is still sleeping who is supposed to wake up at 7 o'clock AM. So, he is late for school. I am waking him up:

  Hey, get up, you're way too late!

Is it natural and commonly acceptable to say it that way. Is there any situation in real life where people say it?


texts: What does it refer to in the passage? Does it mean

texts:
Does it(line12) mean 'people using the phonograph to communicate with friends and using the telephone to listen to music'?

For some reason, sound technology seems to induce a strange sort of
deafness among its most advanced pioneers. Some new tool comes along
to share or transmit sound in a new way, and again and again its
inventor has a hard time imagining how the tool will eventually be
used. When Thomas Edison completed Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville’s
original project and invented the phonograph in 1877, he imagined it
would regularly be used as a means of sending audio letters through
the postal system. Individuals would record their missives on the
phonograph’s wax scrolls, and then pop them into the mail, to be
played back days later. Bell, in inventing the telephone, made what
was effectively a mirror-image miscalculation: He envisioned one of
the primary uses for the telephone to be as a medium for sharing live
music. An orchestra or singer would sit on one end of the line, and
listeners would sit back and enjoy the sound through the telephone
speaker on the other. So, the two legendary inventors had it
exactly reversed: people ended up using the phonograph to listen to
music and using the telephone to communicate with friends.

How We Got to Now: Six Innovations that Made the Modern World
By Steven Johnson


texts: What do they mean by "how moist the air is" in this definition?

texts:
Relative Humidity indicates how moist the air is

How can the air be moist (wet) if it is in gas form? That doesn't make any sense to me, but I am misunderstanding something.  If anyone wonders what my source is I found it on this website.


texts:
I work on some natural language processing resources, I encounter some weird sentences like this:

  Meanwhile, september housing starts, due Wednesday, are thought to have inched upward.

What is the meaning? is it an example of sentence scrambling where constituents of the sentence are scrambled?


texts: The amount added to a student's actual score on paper for no reason

texts:
I'm not sure if where you're from students beg for extra points after taking their tests. I see this very often around here right after the test where the teacher is collecting the papers and students keep asking her to add a couple of points to their final score. What do call these extra points and what is it that the teacher does if she complies with the request?

Here's the context,

  Students: Please consider some [mercy points]!

  Teacher: I see you didn't do well on the test. I will [grade your papers with mercy] to some extent. But I should say I'm a bit disappointed.


texts: What's the meaning of "substance-fuelled" in this sentence?

texts:
I have two questions about the following sentence:

"A child star's shelf life is now shorter than ever, with many only making headlines for their substance-fuelled antics on the descent from acclaim to celebrity and obscurity."

The meaning of the 'substance-fuelled antics' is not clear for me.
In my understanding, the writer says that child actors, after a while, lose their position.

Why  does he say "descent from acclaim to celebrity"? Isn't 'celebrity' a higher position comparing to 'acclaim'? Or I don't understand the meaning of this sentence well?


texts:
I wrote:

  A treebank may be created for a specific purpose using a specialized annotation scheme.

I couldn't find another word to relate the "treebank", which is a linguistic corpus, to the "annotation scheme", which is a model for annotating sentences.

First, what is the proper preposition? Can "using" be used in such cases? or it just should be in cases where we really use something to do something?


texts:
(1) That is, it is not the lack of technical solutions (pumps, reservoirs, dams, etc.) that is the main obstacle explaining why they lack access to safe water.

  (2) That is, it is not the lack of technical solutions (pumps, reservoirs, dams, etc.) that is the main obstacle in explaining why they lack access to safe water.

Which sentence of the two is correct?  I think sentence (1), the one with no in, is correct since I see the phrase "the main obstacle" as the subject for explaining.   Could you help me clarify it?


texts:
The knowledge of regional languages is necessary for bank officers because they are to understand what their customers say.

I tried google for meaning/usage of the phrase they are to as used in above given sentence but couldn't find anything relevant, I doubt if any such phrase even exists. To my hears using have instead of are sounds better. Please tell if the phrase they are to used in above sentence is correct ? If yes, Does it imply the same meaning as using have instead of are ?


texts: "When this battle will be finally over" - shouldn't it be "When this battle is finally over"?

texts:
I read something in the manga:

  When this battle will finally be over... take me out to eat some tasty yakiniku.

"when...will be" seems strange to me, isn't it better saying "When this battle is finally over"? Since this is translated from Japanese, I am not sure whether its grammar is correct or not.


texts: How do you read this, "to staff a 100 bed"?

texts:
The health provider will get $20 million from the Abbott Government to staff a 100 bed hospital in Sierra Leone. (here is the audio) (from Aussie ABC)

I don’t hear clearly how the presenter is saying this number, 100. ‘a-hundred’ or ‘hundred’. I hear the latter. But the presenter might be saying ‘to staffa a-hundred,’ not ‘to staff a hundred.’ How do you read the number, 100? ‘A-hundred’ or ‘hundred’? If it was 200, would you read ‘to staff a two-hundred’?


texts: what is the sentence structure of the bold sentence in the passage?

texts:
As the US has raised concerns about drones, DJI has increased the
  kinds of security and data controls it offers its customers. We are
  not in the business to control data, but we want to give the tools to
  the operator to say how the data is being stored or processed or
  transmitted. And those pieces are in place.

  Fremont fire but someday
  to have hazardous material sensors on its drones, to know the dangers
  of a situation before sending in people. And maybe one day autonomous
  drones will go out to a scene to take a look before first responders
  arrive. Drones are only going to become more important to the agency.

  In the next 10 years, it will be as common as seeing fire hose on the
  back of the engine. You’re going to have a drone in there, because the
  intelligence gathered by a drone is you know irreplaceable now. It
  really has become an everyday tool in everyday technology that saves
  lives, but has also caught up in suspicious between two tech
  superpowers. Michele Quinn VOA news Fremont California.

The above passage is from VOA news. As for the bold sentence, I can understand its meaning. However, I don't understand its structure. For example, what is the subject and verb of the sentence?


texts: puzzled with the meaning and sentence construction

texts:
From http://ieltsliz.com/ielts-agree-disagree-essay-sample-answer/

  The growing number of overweight people is putting strain on the health care system in an effort to deal with health issues involved.

I can't understand the sentence after the word 'system', and what it is referring to.


texts:
After waking from a coma in an abandoned hospital, police officer Rick Grimes finds the world he knew gone - ravaged by a zombie epidemic of apocalyptic proportions. Nearby, on the outskirts of Atlanta, a small encampment struggles to survive as 'the dead' stalk them at every turn. Can Rick and the others hold onto their humanity as they fight to live in this terrifying new world? And, amidst dire conditions and personal rivalries, will they ultimately survive one another?

I just can't seem to understand what survive one another means.


texts: Does this noun phrase denote the result of the verb?

texts:
“I think I’ll be a clown when I get grown,” said Dill.  Jem and
  I stopped in our tracks.  ‘Yes sir, a clown,” he said. “There
  ain’t one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so
  I’m gonna join the circus and laugh my head off.” (Harper
  Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird)

Is ‘my head off’ the result of the action of ‘laugh’?


texts: What is the right preposition when you write about limiting choices

texts:
Is this the right way to write about choices limitation.

  Students' choices should be restricted\limited to\in vocational
  courses.

Or

  Your choices are limited to\in the following options (a or b or c)


texts: How to parse 'if, at what moment and on what terms they become legally bound'?

texts:
O'Sullivan & Hilliard's The Law of Contract (2018 8 ed). p 15.

  • If the purpose of the principle is to allow B to rely on A’s apparent intent, it has
  been suggested that it should be necessary to show that B has relied in some way:
  see Atiyah (1986a). English law has generally not explicitly required this (although
  see The Hannah Blumenthal (1983)) and it is submitted that its stance is correct.
  In the commercial world particularly, it is extremely important that A knows if,
  at what moment and on what terms they become legally bound. Accordingly, it is
  undesirable for A to have to keep B’s actions under review in order to be able to
  spot if and when B has relied, and so tell if, when and on what terms a contract
  has been formed with.

The lone comma after if fazes me.

I'm guessing that the sentence means: 'It's important that A knows if + he becomes legally bound + at what moment and
on what terms'. Yet this still sounds wrong; at what moment and
on what terms sound too vague to conclude a sentence.


texts:
mouthful [countable] an amount of food or drink that you put in your mouth at
  one time

  She took a mouthful of water.

  Thank you, but I couldn’t eat another mouthful.

  He talked eagerly between mouthfuls of salad.

  sip: a very small amount of a drink that you take into your mouth

  to have/take a sip of water

It seems "a sip" is used for drink while "a mouthful" is used for food and drink.

I am not sure if we can say "I took a sip of rice / soup".

Also, "a sip" is a small mouthful of drink in your mouth while "a mouthful" is a maximum amount of food & drink in your mouth.

In addition, we can say "to have / take a sip" but "to take a mouthful". I am not sure if we can say "to have a mouthful"

I am not sure if my guess is right.

What are the differences between "a sip" and "a mouthful"?


texts: A word to describe someone who inherited something

texts:
There are three actors in a basic inheritance process: the current possessor of the asset, e.g. Alice; the future possessor, e.g. Bob; and the asset itself, e.g. a house.
We can say the Bob a heir of Alice (or inheritor). We can say that Bob inherited a house from Alice.
What is the correct way to describe Bob as the one who inherits a house? The sentence "Bob is a heir of the house", in my opinion, implies that Bob will inherit something from the house, and not the house itself, isn't it?

Originally I wanted to address my future colleague who would maintain the project after me, like "The heir of this project should ..." (kinda vulgarly poetic tone is intentional).


texts: The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment - why do we need the article in front of kimono?

texts:
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono

  The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment.

Why is it the definite article the and not the indefinite article a? What is wrong with saying "a kimono is a Japanese traditional garment"?


texts: "I'd seen it happen before" -- usage of 'before' in this sentence

texts:
I'd seen it happen before.

Is this sentence correct? I have mentioned the word 'before' which gives an idea about the past event. Is it enough for the sentence to be considered as complete?


texts: as much memory {as / as is } absolutely necessary

texts:
Example:

  Explicit variable declaration speeds up the execution of your procedure. Since Visual Basic knows the data type, it reserves only as much memory as is absolutely necessary to store the data.

If I got rid of is and rewrote that sentence like this:

  Explicit variable declaration speeds up the execution of your procedure. Since Visual Basic knows the data type, it reserves only as much memory as absolutely necessary to store the data.

Would the sentence be still grammatically correct and equivalent in meaning to the original one? If so, why then did the author who wrote that sentence opt for including is?


texts: Is it "on chat" or "in chat" or "over chat"

texts:
Normally, I always use on chat when referring to something another user said/commented about in the past. But recently, two or three other users have sometimes corrected me saying that it should instead be in chat.

A sample example of chat:

[08:44:04 PM] <hjpotter92> as if he's gonna tell his name :P
[08:44:08 PM] <hjpotter92> on mainchat
[08:44:37 PM] <silk> *in

After researching a little bit more about prepositions, I think that using either of the three, on, in or over chat is correct depending more on the context instead of a generalized usage.

Is my research correct?

  Over chat: It'll be used when I am referencing to some comment in the past from a user.
  On/In chat: Exchangeable regarding usage.


texts:
Which is correct use with 'and'
New and used tires sales and services.
Or
New and used tire sales and services.

I want to know whether the tire is singular or plural in above sentences.


texts:
When I'm saying the sentence

  She is my would be wife

Can I say "she is would be my wife"?

Would be my wife


texts:
Where there's an alternative, are they (ie euphuisms) still necessary? When? I referenced this.
I'm not asking about technical terms (ie polysemy), because they inherit accuracy that would otherwise be lost. A colleague maintains that this 'elevation of diction' evidences learnedness and 'erudition'. Really?

For examples, are there any valid reasons to prefer or need:

'brook' or 'countenance' over "endure"?
comport + with > agree, accord  + with?
conduce' over 'aid' ?
desideratum > (pre)requisite
disquisition > discourse
expostulate > rebuke ?
importune > harrass or solicit (in a lewd sense)
obnuilate > cloud, obscure
otiose > 'impractical', 'useless' ?
pellucid' over 'lucid' ?
pretermit > omit or abandon (whichever is relevant).
recrudesce > recur
vituperative > bitter/abusive


texts: What are the differences between "there" & "in there".?

texts:
I couldn't find any source on the internet that explains the differences between "there" & "in there".

It seems that "there" emphasizes locations in general & "in there" emphasizes the inside of something.

Ex1: Don't go in there. It's too cold.

Ex2: Don't Go There! (a travel guiding book says that)

It would be great if you showed me a reliable source that mentioned this.


texts:
Is it grammatically correct and should I start an interview saying this:

  “Thank you for the precious time that I have been granted.”


texts: "In fact" or "As a matter of fact" as a linker

texts:
Is it appropriate to use "in fact" or "as a matter of fact" as a linker between the two sentences? If neither is suitable, which one should be used here?

  The comedian who primarily performs on TV directed his first movie last month. In fact, I had high hopes of seeing this film when I heard about it.


texts: Diversified product and diversified person

texts: Is it ok to use the word "diversified" for a human the same way we use it for a product? For example is it correct to say "he is a diversified person" or "he is a diversified specialist"? Does it sound natural?


texts: Are "would" and "used to" the same when describing repetitive actions?

texts:
What is the correct form of the following two sentences?

  Tom used to live/would live in the house at the end of the street.

(I think that both answers are possible, because they both mean Tom lived in the house at the end of the street but now he doesn't live there any more).

  She would/used to be a doctor.

(Here probably could be 'She used to be a doctor', I'm not sure if the first form with would is correct).


texts:
"They said they felt sorry for women who had one-night stands, that
  they were lacking something in their lives and if they had not simply
  lost control through drink and drugs they were seeking emotional
  rather than physical connection." (The Telegraph)

  "They sound like fun, and often are (but sometimes aren't). Caroline
  Kent explains why we make one night stands a lot more complicated than
  they need to be. (The Telegraph)"

Is there any difference between "one-night stand" and "one night stand"?


texts: Columnists sometimes lay an egg, but Martin has laid an ostrich omelette. (why means 'fail'?)

texts:
Columnists sometimes lay an egg, but Martin has laid an ostrich omelette.

Q1. why 'lay an egg' means 'fail'?
Q2. what's the meaning of 'lay an ostrich omelette'?


texts:
When asking someone questions about the future, would you ask Will you not? or Will not (won't) you?

For example, of

   1. Will you not go to school today?
   2. Will not you go to school today?
   3. Won't you go to school today?

which are grammatically correct?

It's very confusing to me.


texts: Using the phrase "By no stretch of the imagination"

texts:
I would appreciate it if someone could let me know which one of the following choices would sound natural in my self-made sentence below:

  By no stretch of the imagination........................an astronaut.

  a) can Jim become

  b) Jim can become

Based on dictionary examples, I guess after the phrase "By no stretch of the imagination" we have to use the verb and subject in a replaced form. So I think the correct choice grammatically should be 'a', but I'm not sure.


texts: Should I use "have been", "has been" or "being" in this case?

texts:
The project requires more people than being put in because it is extremely difficult.

  The project requires more people than has been put in because it is extremely difficult.

  The project requires more people than have been put in because it is extremely difficult.

May I know which of these is correct and the reason behind it?


texts:
Which is correct:

  Only I have access

or

  Only me have access?

I found similar questions but couldn't really figure out what is correct.


texts:
Examples:

Thankfully, though, Hitchens' score-settling asides to the believoisie don't take up the bulk of Mortality.

It has something to do with a litany of grievances against the believoisie so rote that it might well (or ironically) be styled a catechism.

Even Urban Dictionary doesn't know it, but nevertheless, it seems to be a quite known slang word in certain circles. I guess that it roughly means believers, but what are the implications? Is it a portmanteau word?—if so, I can't discern the second part.


texts: It is believed that learning collocations is an effective way to enhance fluency. I wonder if there are any tools that, when provided with a text, can highlight its collocations? It would be great if it also can show degrees of words cohesion using different highlight colors.


texts: How to call the "host" and "sender" of an embassy?

texts:
Let's say Algeria builds an embassy in Benin.

When speaking about this embassy,

How to call Algeria? (the country that runs the embassy and has the staff)
How to call Benin? (the country in which the embassy in built)

I am creating a table which has these "host" and "sender" columns, for each embassy of the world. A better, yet short and unambiguous name would be great. Other columns will be Address/Phone/etc.


texts:
Several studies demonstrated that older crop varieties typically have
  lower yields but substantially higher nutrient levels than modern
  varieties. For example, some researchers found that breeding to
  “improve” wheat varieties over the past 130 years, during which yields
  of grain per acre have tripled, had reduced levels of iron
  by 28 percent and zinc by roughly a third. Similarly, milk from modern
  Holstein cows, in which breeders have managed to more than
  triple the daily yield since 1950, has considerably less
  butterfat and other nutrients than that from older, less “improved”
  types of cows.

If the choice of each tense is awkward how would you change it?


texts:
I asked a question just now.

  Could someone help to listen if the speaker is saying ...

Is this expression "Could someone help to listen ..." polite and clear?


texts:
Difficulties faced by poor populations such as starvation or having no access to advanced educational resources touch young people’s hearts and drive them to use their talents to help those in need.

I read these Punctuation rules, and wondering whether I should change the sentence into this

  Difficulties faced by poor populations, such as starvation or having no access to advanced educational resources, touch young people’s hearts and drive them to use their talents to help those in need.

If I should, is it because of rule 7b or rule 5, or both?


texts: How do English speakers ask about something or someone's position in a series?

texts:
For example the US presidents, how do you ask about Obama's or Washington's positions in the order of presidents without having to mention 1st or 44th.

Do you say:

Obama is what president of the US?


texts: "present perfect continuous" vs "present continuous" with 'So far'

texts:
Could anyone please tell me whether I should use present perfect continuous or present continuous tense with 'so far'? I have seen native speakers use both tenses with 'so far' like "How's your day going so far?" Please tell me Which tense is more correct and what's the rule?

Here are some examples:

My car is/has been running good so far.
England are/have been playing good cricket so far.


texts:
The machine will start automatically in ten minutes.

  The machine will start automatically within ten minutes.

What's the difference between the two sentences?


texts: How to change a reported speech into a direct speech, in Magic's song 'Rude'

texts:
In the words of Magic's song "Rude" there is a following sentench.

You say I'll never get your blessing 'til the day I die.

Which will be correct, if this sentence is put into direct speech?
(a) You say, "You'll never get my blessing until the day I die."
(b) You say, "You'll never get my blessing until the day you die."


texts:
Which pronoun should be used with "everything"?

I tend to believe that the following is correct:

  I will do everything as soon as it can be done.

but the following also makes sense, considering that "everything" implies "more than 1":

  I will do everything as soon as they can be done.


texts:
What do you mean?
Whatever do you mean?
Which one is correct?
I have a confusion about these two sentences.
I just hope I will be satisfied.


texts: Why is it "excite" instead of "excited" in this sentence?

texts:
Please look at this sentence from "The God of small things" written by Arundhati Roy.

  The news didn't perturb him as much as excite his curiosity.

Shouldn't it be excited his curiosity?
I'm confused by the usage of excite in the sentence.


texts: What is the meaning of "shell lot" in the sentence?

texts:
I was reading a short story, and I have no idea with the expression "shell lot" in the following sentence. Can anyone help me figure out the meaning?
Thank you.

  There was a shell lot in front of eight white cottages spaced out along a tiny creek running diagonally through the property. These were the cabanas, she figured.


texts: Is it "open to" or "open for" a discussion?

texts:
I want to say

  I would like to  thank my office mate Felix who was always open for a long discussion at the
  black board.

Someone told me it has to be

  I would like to  thank my office mate Felix who was always open to a long discussion at the
  black board.

However, it does not sound correct to me. What would you suggest to use?


texts: better than kingship for you OR for you better than kingship

texts:
Where should we place the complement 'for you' in the predicative? Such as in this:

  It is better than kingship for you.

Is the right construction? Or, 'for you' should initiate the sentence? Like in this:

  For you it is better than the kingship.

Please note that in the two constructions, my concern is to find myself sounding more natural.


texts: Incomplete sentence without linking verbs

texts:
The cat [was] sitting by the stairs.

Why is this sentence incomplete without the verb was.


texts: Is it correct to say "my son often stages a sit-down to get things he wants or insist you to make it up to him"?

texts:
There are 3 common situations:
1st, some children often sit on floors, cry and kick their legs when their parents don't give things they want like cake, candy or some toys.
2nd, when they hurt themselves (trip over a chair, for example) a little. The hurt is not too big but they still cry and cry loudly for a long time.
3rd, you promised to buy your children some cake, but you forgot. Then, they keep crying until you make it up to him.
Do we have an everyday common English verb for these 3 situations?
For example, "my son often stages a sit-down to get things he wants or insist you to make it up to him"
or "my son often throws a tantrum when he wants to get things he wants or insist you to make it up to him"?


texts:
"From figure 1, we can see that A is higher than B, and from the data in table 1, it could be illustrated that A is 5 times higher than B."

My gut feeling is that the "from" is naive, which I want to say that combining figure 1 and table 2, we can suggest that A is 5 times higher than B. So how to alter "from" by another conjunction phrase which could make the sentence more idiomatic?


texts:
While looking at the answer given to the question: "I live on 7th Street and 8th avenue. What does it mean? How can you live on two streets?"

I read:

  “34th and Vine” will pin things down for anyone who knows the city and wants to know what neighborhood you live in, or how to get there and how long it will take.'

No I wonder  what “and Vine” stands for? I cannot find it on any NYC plan. Can anyone tell me?


texts: Ace of sky, ace of skies, ace of the sky, which one is correct? I've googled it and apart from some games, there isn't much of that expression. Is it common (at all) or is it common just for combat pilots? Could it be said in affectionate way to airline pilot (or any kind of pilot) especially if that person is someone close, e. g. husband, brother... ? Is there better expression for pilots? Thanks.


texts:
I wonder if it is correct to say:

  Twenty added by two equals twenty-two.


texts:
Should I use the defined article 'the' before the names of examinations?
For example, should it be 'IELTS' or 'the IELTS'? 'SAT' or 'the SAT'?


texts: People can see how people from different places live their lives and compare it with their own lifestyles

texts: Does this sentence look natural to native speaker? Is there any other better way to rephrase this sentence. I feel my sentence is a Little redundant


texts: What noun describes the state of an accident survivor? Infirmity, or weakness?

texts:
I cannot think of a proper noun to describe the physical state of someone who survived an encounter with a bear.

He is walking with a severe limp, and has wounds in his back, and his calf.

Therefore, could his condition be named an infirmity or rather weakness, decrepitude, feebleness? I know that these are mainly used to refer to long time illing people or elders who only stay in bed.

I appreciate any suggestions!


texts:
[TLDR] Why is the "I am seeing a lady" phrase mean that the guy who's saying this means that he's dating her, that it is not only at the moment of saying it, that it happens every day and why do I feel like I should say "to be dating" instead of just "to date"? [/TLDR]

Like "I'm dating somebody" instead of "I date somebody"?

And yes I just checked it in google and the first version is correct.

I kind of learned English on practice so I didn't know any rules and tenses (their names) and stuff like that. But now I am learning all that stuff and sometimes rules don't display how things actually are. For example I've just seen in the "Ocean's Eleven" movie how a guy says "I am seeing a nice lady".

But the rules say that "I am seeing" should mean that He is seeing at that moment and only at that moment, or He is willing to see her. But if he sees her every day, he should say "I see a nice lady". But again, as I feel, "I see a nice lady" has to mean that he's explaining his feelings at this moment, the feelings of what his eyes look at and see.


texts: What do you call the document that pilots get and contains the technical details of a new plane?

texts: What do you call the document that pilots get when they have to pilot a new plane? I am wondering if there's a specific word for it or you can use any general terms such as "technical documentation", "pilots' manual", "pilots' booklet", "technical manuscript". What's the official word for it and does the document contain specifications for the components of the airplane and not just how to pilot it? Because if it doesn't, then probably it's not the word I am looking for unless pilots don't ever get briefed or informed on the components of the planes. Think of the pilots before piloting the Boeing 737.


texts: Non-valid and invalid is there difference?

texts: Non-valid and invalid is there any difference? What should I prefer in which case?


texts:
This is a sentence meaning question:

  Steve jobs is here a couple of weekends a month.

What does this sentence mean? Is this every weekends, accumulated weekends monthly? Etc... (p.s: in case if you would like to ask, this is an excerpt from Nat. Geo. I only changed the subject coz he is the person I look up to)


texts:
"Hey, Hank," said Bass, after word came back of the successful outcome."Great news, we got the loan.Just one thing.How are we gonna pay it back"

Is the normal word order  same as below?

  "Hey, Hank," said Bass, after word of the successful outcome came back."Great news, we got the loan.Just one thing.How are we gonna pay it back"


texts: It's a good idea for somebody to do something?

texts:
It's a good idea to do something

We use this for giving someone advice about what they should do

My question is:
can we add a prepositional phrase (e.g. for + an object pronoun) to be specific about the person we think should do that thing? Or it's a fixed expression and it's used just for you and not other persons?

e.g.

  It's a good idea for us/you/him/them to leave the car outside.


texts: "Economic recession" Vs "Economic downturn"

texts:
How do these terms differ:

Recession

  is a period when the economy of a country is not successful and conditions for business are bad:
  - The country is sliding into the depths of (a) recession

Downturn

  is a reduction in the amount or success of something, such as a country's economic activity:
  - the continuing economic downturn

For me, they both mean the same thing, but I needed to ask about it.


texts: "he floats off down the river" -- what does it mean?

texts:
I understand the most of this Madness' song but those two words together (off and down in floats off down the river Nile) get me confused -- I do not know whether the oarsman's boat got stuck on the banks of the river Nile or just the opposite.

  As he [the oarsman of the Nile boat] reaches his last half mile
  The oar snaps in his hand
  Before he reaches dry land
  But the sound doesn't deafen his smile
  Just pokes at wet sand
  With an oar in his hand
  Floats off down the river Nile
  Floats off down the river Nile

What does that verse mean?

Thanks


texts: I read the news and I saw this: "The government has said it will not accept blackmail." Should it nobe like: the government has said it would not accept blacmail.


texts: positioning of "a" when an object is long

texts:
For a description of a hotel offer, is the following sentence grammatically correct?

  This deal offers complimentary a Video On Demand ticket.


texts: Should I use "getting lost" or "becoming lost"?

texts:
Which one is better

getting lost (e.g. I warned her about getting lost in the maze)

or

becoming lost (e.g. I warned her about becoming lost in the maze)

Or are they equally good, and, in that case: is there a difference between them?
As always, I'm very gateful for any help I can get :)


texts: "The culture that/in which we inhabit..."

texts:
The culture that we inhabit shapes how we think, feel, and act in the most pervasive ways.

  The culture in which we inhabit shapes how we think, feel, and act in the most pervasive ways.

Is either of them wrong in some way?


texts: Is it a correct to establish a new concept " retired president"?

texts:
Today on satellite I heard someone say Kharzai is a retired president.  The reporter actually made it correct but I did not get the word.  Perhaps "retired president" is not lexically correct, is it?

What do you usually call a president who is not going to be in power after the new election?


texts: "All of us had a good 'time' or good 'times' "?

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

  All of us had a good time.

or

  All of us had good times.

"All" is more than one people, so I was wondering if "time" should be plural as well.


texts: Is there a way to not mix up these words

texts:
I often mix up these words when I writing some short text quickly.

than and then
their and there
this and these

I also have some hesitation about usage of 'than' and 'then'.

Is there a way that do not confuse these words?


texts: "Sample collection params" vs. "sampleS collection params"

texts: I'm developing a piece of software which collects some sort of "samples". Which of the following is correct: "sample collection params" (note singular "sample") or "samples collection params" (note plural "samples")? Or maybe both? This has bothered me many times already (with different subjects of course).


texts: What's the meaning of "Good thing he has you"?

texts:
Is "good thing he has you" authentic?

Can I rephrase this sentence as the following:

  It's good thing that he has you.


texts: "Why would anyone lock the door?" -> meaning of would

texts:
If someone says that sentence in the title when they are fumingly slamming the nob, then would "would" in the phrase mean three things below at the same time?

I really want to know what were they thinking when they lock the door.
Why do some people would always try to lock any door?
Why do these kind of people who lock every doors even exist in the world?


texts: Clarity on the word blur, blurred and blurry

texts:
Which one is correct:

  The phone camera is blur.

or

  The phone camera is blurred.


texts: Using 'had risen' instead of 'rose', 'was growing' instead of 'grew'

texts:
The question asks me to use the correct tense in the blank.

By 2007, UK household wealth ________(rise) from XX to just under XX billion Pound.

My answer: Rose ||
Correct answer: had risen

At the same time that the wealth of the govt and the household ___________(grow), the wealth of businesses declined.

My answer: grew ||
Correct answer: was growing

I am not able to pinpoint what mistakes I made here, grammatically.
Can someone please tell me what is my mistake and what area of grammar should I practice/study more to avoid this kind of mistake in the future.


texts:
Usage example with a context:

  Putin, like Hitler, lives in a mental time-warp that was outmoded already in 1914 — see his strangely 19th century views on diplomacy — and would be laughably obsolete now, were it not so dangerous. Moscow’s imperial experiments past all failed, thanks to the limited appeal of the Kremlin’s political program to millions of non-Russians, and this one will too, eventually.

Is the word past used here as a postpositive adjective? So, that basically means Moscow's imperial experiments that happened in the past all failed?


texts:
Could there be an error here:

  link
  About 80 percent of South Africans are of black African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, nine of which have official status.

The use of "divided" seems to suggest that some external agent divided 80% of the south africans into ethnic groups.  Yet, it is the different ethnicity that cause the existence of such different groups.   Am I reading this wrong?


texts:
In addition, figure in the $1580 a year your cash investment would have been making had you left the money in a conservative investment like a government bond.

Which way is nicer to parse this sentence to translate into other language?

In addition, (figure in) (the $1580 a year) (that) your cash investment would have been making / had you left the money in a conservative investment like a government bond.
My teacher said another way is rather correct.

(Sorry but I forgot my teacher's answer)

So, is there a nicer way to syntax-parse (interpret) this sentence for understanding meaning of this sentence?


texts: Is "in residence" acting as adjective in this sentence?

texts:
Could you please tell me if "in residence" is acting as an adjective in this sentence? Is this similar to when we say "She did an in-residence program"?

"My neighbor's son has to go to rehab," he said.

"Okay," she replied. "In residence?"

"Maybe. We don't know that yet."

Should there be a hyphen with "in residence" here and is it an adjective?


texts: Which is the best sentence out of the given words ? Is the use of 'and so' advisable?

texts:
My friend and I are struggling with this question from our English textbook:

  Choose the best sentence that can be made from the words given:
  we / dependent / nature / cannot survive ourselves / without wildlife
  a.  As we are dependent on nature and we cannot survive ourselves without wildlife.
  b.  We dependent on nature and therefore cannot survive ourselves without wildlife.
  c.  We are dependent on nature and so cannot survive ourselves without wildlife.
  d.  We are dependent on nature and cannot survive ourselves without wildlife.

We can clearly see grammatical mistakes in a. and b., but we are not sure if both c. and d. are correct. Or is the textbook wrong?


texts: If your little child didn't want to wear his bottoms, what would you say: "You're so ashamed" or "Shame on you" in a form of joking?

texts:
I am teaching my little child to speak English, but I am not a native speaker. So, Sometimes, when I face a situation, I may use structures or words that are weird. Native people wouldn't say like that when they were in the similar situation.

Ok, my child sometimes just wants to be naked, he doesn't want to wear any bottoms and I just want to give him some jokes.

what would I say in that situation? "You're so ashamed" or "Shame on you"?

I don't mean it literally.

  shame on you, him, etc.

  (informal) used to say that somebody should feel ashamed for
  something they have said or done

  ashamed (adj): feeling shame or embarrassment about somebody/something
  or because of something you have done

  ashamed of something She was deeply ashamed of her behaviour at the
  party.

  Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of.

  ashamed of somebody His daughter looked such a mess that he was
  ashamed of her.

  ashamed of yourself You should be ashamed of yourself for telling such
  lies.

  ashamed that… I feel almost ashamed that I've been so lucky.

  ashamed to be something The football riots made me ashamed to be
  English.

  You act as if you’re ashamed to be seen with me.

  Note:

  I know that in Western culture, everything is so clear-cut, "yes"
  means "yes", "no" means "no". But in Asia, sometimes, people blame
  someone just for the sake of joking, they don't mean it literally, nothing is so serious. If you live in Asia (China, Korea, Vietnam etc) long enough you will notice it. Do you
  have that kind of joking expression in this situation?


texts:
There is a major objection to the argument from Fine Tuning. Imagine
that you have bought a ticket for a national lottery. There are,
perhaps, many millions of tickets, but only one will win. It is
statistically highly unlikely that you will win. But you might. If you
do, however, this doesn’t demonstrate more than your good luck: it
doesn’t follow from the fact that, from amongst all those millions of
losing tickets, your winning ticket was chosen that this must have
been the result of something more than a random selection.

[Philosophy: The basics - Nigel Warburton]
What does the word "that" mean in the sentence? I find it too complex to understand.


texts: Is “have you found” grammatically correct?

texts:
I am reading one example of present perfect tense:

  Have you found your keys yet?

To form the present perfect tense join have or
has to the past participle of the verb:

have + past participle
has + past participle

So past participle of found is founded.

Can anyone clear my doubt?


texts: What is the meaning of "...drunk on sensations"

texts:
we were almost drunk on sensations.

I couldn't find any translation for this phrase drunk on sensations.


texts: “Lend someone a hand” x “Give someone a hand”

texts:
I have seen many uses of “lend someone a hand” and “give someone a hand”, and despite the fact the use of the second one seems to be more common, it always seemed to me that they both have the same meaning.

In fact this can be confirmed here: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pt/dicionario/ingles/give-someone-a-hand

But I found the text below in a book where apparently these expressions are used as if they had different meanings:

While this book may lend you a hand in the journey to greatness, in the end it is you who are going to have to lend yourself a hand - and give yourself a hand when you deserve it.

I’m really confused about it. I they really have the same meaning, as I suppose they do, why the use of both expressions in the same sentence as if the had different meanings?


texts: What does "Smell the silent judgement?" mean?

texts:
In the movie "Avengers: Age of Ultron", Tony Stark says:

  Smell the silent judgement?

to Clint Barton before he tries to lift Thor's hammer. What does this mean?

Thanks.


texts:
"Be going to" form is called Simple Future in some English Grammar websites and books.

  Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to" English Page

  The Simple Future Tense has two different forms in English, will and be going to. Contextual English

I had discussion with a very good English user (I don't know if she is a native speaker or not) about this form. and she said
she had never heard of "Be going to"  described as Simple Future.

So, Is it common to describe "Be going to" form as Simple Future?


texts: Using "however" at the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Can I rephrase this sentence

  Our school only has Apple computers; however, some students are more
  familiar with PCs.

to this one without changing the meaning?

  However, our school only has Apple computer; some students are more
  familiar with PCs.


texts: Is this sentence true: there isn't any more space in my suitcase. In this case can we use space in plural or it remains as a singular form.


texts: What does "... have done with ..." mean here?

texts:
As for us, we have really had enough of repeating every day, that neither true freedom nor true emancipation of the world of labor, nor 'he true society, nor the new culture -- in short, that no real Socialist value can be achieved by means of a centralized "State apparatus" actuated by political power in the hands of a party. Is it not time to have done with this subject, in the hope that, tomorrow, life itself will make this truth (basically so simple) known with perfect clarity, to all the blind?
link: http://www.ditext.com/voline/271.html


texts:
I'm a bit confused about something that looks like a modifier/adjective.

  "I meant to send you this draft instead of the one I sent you."

Does "I sent you" modify (like an adjective) the "one", so to speak, or is it actually a verb tense? If it is a verb tense, should I be using "the one I had sent you"?

  "I’m emailing you about the one you sent earlier. I checked it and saw that it was the wrong attachment."

Does "you sent earlier" modify the "one", or does it actually specify time? If it does, should I say "you had sent" since "checking" and "seeing" might have happened after the sending?


texts: Question about difference between "rent" & "hire" & "take"

texts:
I want to rent a car.
I want to hire a car.
I want to take a car. ( Taxi )

What is the difference between these sentences in meaning? I need to say here I am not sure to have chosen the right word in the last sentence.
Thank you do much in advance.


texts: What does "they could not quite picture to themselves" mean?

texts:
I try to expand my vocabulary by reading books, but always find difficult sentences like this one:

  And this appeared very strange to most of my Western friends. They could not quite picture to themselves how a man of Western birth and upbringing could have so fully, and apparently with no mental reservations what-ever, identified himself with the Muslim world[.]

The Road To Mecca, by Muhammad Asad


texts:
They denied that they had stolen the money.
They denied stealing the money.
They denied having stolen the money.

My textbook says I can use the second and third sentences instead of the first one. So to shorten the sentences are we using the method that is called "reduction of relative clause" like we use in that example?

  The man who is sitting next to you is my cousin

to

  The man sitting next to you is my cousin.


texts: How many syllables are there in "world" in American English?

texts:
How many syllables are there in the word "world" when pronounced in American English? I know it depends on the speaker but I don't have any specific pronunciation I can show. But generally, most Americans pronounce it as if it is a two syllable word. Like /wə.rəld/. I have heard that the R makes a syllable on its own. Does it happen in the word "world" when pronounced in American English?
Merriam Webster Dictionary gives the transcription \ˈwər(-ə)ld/, it shows two vowels (2 ə) and two vowels often mean two syllables. And if you listen to the pronunciation, it sounds like two syllables.


texts: "From the study of... something" vs "By studying something"

texts:
Say I'm stating a conclusion based on previous studies I might have done. Consider the sentence

  From the study of "something" we can conclude that...

vs

  By studying "something" we can conclude that

Are they equivalent? Are there any differences? Are they both grammatically correct?


texts:
“I bought him in Palermo”, says the American lady from “A canary for one” by Ernest Hemingway. Why does she use a masculine pronoun talking about the canary?

Maybe it is coherent with using “she” for the ship?


texts:
In the sentence below-

  Since 2001, the JeM and Azhar have claimed responsibility for several terror attacks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocent persons, including, most recently, the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama.

Is most recently used properly? I think it is wrong and one must use The most recent one. Help me clear this doubt.

Thanks in advance.............


texts: How to console someone whose sister has gone travelling?

texts:
Someone told me that her sister had gone to another country and she is kind of sad about this. What can I say to console her? Does "I hope she returns soon" or "I hope she comes back home soon" work?

Do you have any other suggestions?


texts:
does "entail" here means "cause"? does "a change of name" put him to trouble?

Had she
merely asked for it back there is little doubt that Home's delicate
feelings would have led him to return it, even though he had been put to
much trouble and expense over the matter, which had entailed a change
of his name to Home-Lyon, to meet the woman's desire that he should
be her adopted son.


texts:
According to the rule, 'today' changes to 'that day' in direct-indirect speech conversion.

For example,

  "Sharon must go to the bank today', said Albert."

should be changed into

  'Albert said that Sharon had to go to the bank that day.'

However, considering no time lag, wouldn't the phrase

  'Albert said that Sharon had to go to the bank today'

also be correct?


texts:
Epithet is an adjective or adjective phrase appropriately qualifying a
  subject (noun) by naming a key or important characteristic of the
  subject, as in "laughing happiness," "sneering contempt," "untroubled
  sleep," "peaceful dawn," and "lifegiving water."

  Source: https://course-notes.org/english/rheotical_devices/epithet

I have a hard time understanding all the epithets here.

"laughing happiness" someone is laughing with happiness?

"sneering contempt" someone shows contempt in an open way?

"untroubled sleep" someone sleeps without being interrupted?

"peaceful dawn" dawn that gives you a sense of peacefulness?

"lifegiving water" water that makes you refreshed?


texts:
I'd like know what is the correct meaning of this sentence: I've got to know

I don't know that sentence means like "I just understood", "I had to understand", or other...

Thanks in Advance!


texts: Is it correct to ask "In which bank you deposit your money"?

texts:
I want to ask person , where does he deposit the money

  In which bank you deposit your money.

Also, I want to check following

  form which bank are you going to withdraw money.

are these correct sentences. I feel something wrong with it, But I am not quite getting it.


texts: Expression to differentiate between listening problem and understanding problem?

texts:
If during conversation, I face problem in understanding what the other speaker is saying, I may come with following polite statements:

"Sorry...?"
"Sorry, could not get you..."
"Pardon me..."
"Come again please..."

But my inability to understand can be due to two reasons. 1) "I could not hear what you said" and 2) "I could not understand what you said."
But as far as I know, the aforementioned statements can't help differentiating between the situations. So my question is Is there any polite expression out there which can explicitly tell for what reason I could not understand you?
If such expression/phrase exists, the speaker can understand the reason and take necessary step accordingly i.e. either elevate his voice or rephrase what he is saying.


texts: What is the difference between "seldom" and "rarely"?

texts:
I would like to know the difference between seldom and rarely, Here are some examples:

  I seldom play chess.

  I rarely play chess.

Which ones I've to use and when?


texts: Difference between "until" and "up till"

texts:
I'm stuck on a very simple phrase. A friend said "I won't be there until september". Wouldn't be better to say "I won't be there up till September"?
The same question about present: "I'm not here until september" or "I'm not here up till september"?
When is it better to use one or another? Is there really any difference besides fact that one might just sound more natural?


texts: "No one would understand which kind of products I'm talking about." -- is it correct?

texts:
I do not trust products that claim "all natural ingredients" because this phrase can mean almost anything*.

[that claim "all natural ingredients"] is essential because if it is not stated, no one will understand which kind of products I'm talking about.

Is the sentence "No one will understand which kind of products I'm talking about." correct?

Should will be change to would?
"which kind of products I'm talking about" Is this a noun clause and is it correct, what kind of structure does it have?


texts: "we need a password" or "we need the password"?

texts:
Suppose you and your friend are trying to log in someone else's computer (you are trying to hack someone else's computer) and the screen prompts you to enter password.

Would you say "we need a password" or "we need the password" to your friend?

In the series Archer one character says "we need a password" while trying to log in someone else's computer. Is this correct?


texts: Need help with "federal and provincial governments refused state support". What does this actually mean?

texts:
That individual distress as such would not elicit any substantial government
   succour became clearer than ever during the hard-hitting depression of
   1913-14. Public debate and investigation was still about all the federal and
   provincial governments had to offer.

Governments were then unwilling to provide any financial support to the unemployed. In my version below, I am not sure if the part "governments refused state support" is conveying the correct meaning. It could mean that government refused to accept any help (may be from another state, unlikely but technically could mean this) or that it refused to provide help. I could use "refused to provide state support" but I don't want to use that. What are some alternatives to this?

  Unemployment soared during the 1913 depression, but federal and provincial governments refused state support, and argued that responsibility for relief should remain with the municipalities (Pal, 1988; Sautter, 1980).


texts: term for reading non-fiction for enjoyment even though you don't believe it

texts:
Is there a term that means, "reading non-fiction for enjoyment even though you don't believe it"?

For instance, reading conspiracy theory/UFO books for enjoyment even though you don't believe in these things.


texts:
This sentence is from a Japanese book for English language learners. It's a transcript of a public announcement recording. I was asked whether the sentence is correct.

I am not a native speaker and to me, it sounds like something is missing. I would most likely say: "In order to help us serve you better..." or even "In order to help us to serve you better..."

Is the sentence correct and is it a common way to use it during a public announcement?


texts:
To the Mall’s polite formality--   its “tulips all in a line,” in House’s words-- has come a contrasting presence: a wetland visible from the Capitol sprouting cattails, wild rice and about 1,440 waterlilies.  (From ACT)

I simplify the sentence as following:

To the Mall’s polite formality has come a presence.

I don't understand the subject of this sentence, "to the Mall's polite formality"?


texts: (Making oneself / getting) (dusty/soiled)

texts:
Suppose a mother takes her kid to a park. Mother lets her child go and play and the child gets the playing started. The mother begins reading newspaper for a couple of minutes. The mother turns her head and sees that her child is playing in a dusty place and getting soiled.

Soil as a noun means:

  The material on the surface of the ground in which plants grow.

And

Soil as a verb means:

  To make something dirty, especially with solid waste:
  soiled nappies/underwear/sheets.

What should the mother tell her kid?

  Get out of there; you're soiling yourself/your clothes.
  Get out of there; you're making yourself/your clothes soiled.
  Get out of there; you're making yourself/your clothes dusty

Or

  Get out of there; you're getting soiled.
  Get out of there; you're getting dusty.


texts: What means: "Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn."

texts:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This sentence: "Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn."
I don't understand because of words: "unaffected scorn" because of explanation in Cambridge online dictionary
unaffected = not influenced, harmed, or interrupted in any way:
scorn = a very strong feeling of no respect for someone or something that you think is stupid or has no value
We have double negation:
not influenced
feeling of no respect
This "feeling" additionally make me confuse.

"not influenced feeling of no respect"

Can you explain to me with your words what means: "Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn."

Does it means "Gatsby, who represented everything what I don't respect."


texts: Is "polluted" considered to be an adjective?

texts:
A. Water is polluted.
  B. Polluted water is harmful to health.

Can we say "polluted water" considering "polluted" as an adjective


texts: What do we call a person who seems to always correctly predict unfortunate things?

texts:
You know, the friend that everyone in the room will shut his mouth before he finishes his sentence knowing that it will very likely to become true.
Tom: I don't think this nice weather will last very long.
Everyone: Shut up, it will rain now if you say that.


texts:
I have a question on preposition ‘to’.

When we use verb after ‘to’ we use either infinitives or verb in ing format but my question is:

will the word ‘to’ be a preposition in both the case? also,
verb in ing format is Gerund right? and
is infinitive a verb?


texts: Word choices - stretched/extended - snapped/burst/broke

texts:
She started running across the room when suddenly her sock caught on a nail in the floor. The sock stretched/extended... and snapped/burst/broke, sending her hard to the floor.
Which of the verbs would work here?


texts:
Here's the context I'm asking about:

  "My dad was funny. That was one of the reasons all of my childhood and college friends loved him (and man did they love him)”.

I understand that "did they love him" here is an exclamation rather than a question. It means "wow, they really loved him”, or does it mean something else?

Also, is there a name for this grammatical rule? I couldn't find anything on google and I want to learn more about it.


texts: I do not really get the full joke from a video clip

texts:
Who was in fact the woman in the image below?

Was she a (Russian) prostitute or agent sent by Vasily Valishnikov or a character in an (unfinished) screenplay written by that man exasperated by her negligence or something else? I am especially not clear about the meaning of the last line.

See the video here

I watched the video a few times and finally this is what I understood:
(I mention that I usually barely understand the dialog in a movie in English.)

Man: [You was so sexy.]

Man: What the f**k are you doing?

Woman: What?

Man: That was my favorite shirt. You just popped all the buttons of my favorite shirt. I am not going to be able to find those buttons. I heard one land way over there. You do realize a buttoned up shirt is function-less without buttons. Right?

Woman: Sorry, just [.....] a moment, I guess.

Man: It is all right.

Man: Wait, wait.

Man: Oh, there is a problem.

Woman: What, what did I do.

Man: That was my screenplay. [....], now it is [....] the border. I am missing page 79. Do you have any idea how long did I spend on page 79? That was the end of act two.

Woman: [....] sure to [....] somewhere?

Man: You know, forget it. It was a try concept anyway.

Woman: Listen, I am going to go.

Man: No, no, no, do not go. It is collateral damage, it happens. Let's just make our way to the bedroom.

Man: My lamp. My door now.

Man: Be careful in here. For the last two years I have been playing chess with the Russian grand-master Vasily Valishnikov and I am one move away from check mate.

Woman: Call me.

Woman: Vasily, it is done [dawn].

Vasily: He was two moves away from beating. What about the screenplay.

Woman: You would not believe the twisted up [turn].


texts: "a chance to meet" vs "a chance that we meet"

texts:
Please let me know if there is a chance that we meet somewhere in or outside Chicago.
  Please let me know if there is a chance to meet somewhere in or outside Chicago.

Which one between these two sentences is correct?

Context: Depending on the availability of a friend, I want him to let me know if there is a chance that we can meet (or to meet) somewhere. The complete sentence is: "Depending on how far you live from Chicago and your availability, and knowing that I won't be available on the 4th of December, please let me know if there is a chance to meet somewhere in or outside Chicago".


texts:
Can someone tell me if your dad and my is correct in the following question?

  Today would have been your dad and my 40th wedding anniversary.

Thanks much.

CG


texts:
The question comes from an English Exam test, TOEFL

  The Dewey Decimal System, currently used in libraries throughout the world,_______ all written works into ten classes according to subject

  dividing
  divides
  it would divided
  was divided

The solution is 2. divides

why the answer isn't dividing ?


texts: What does "Besides being the simple thing to do" mean in this paragraph?

texts:
I have a paragraph as follows:

  When you accept yourself as you are, you will be less prone to jealousy, worry, blame, guilt, regret, lies, insults, and even compliments. Thus, you will appear more certain (you will be more confident). For example, hearing compliments or insults from somebody else will not make any difference if you know yourself or trust your own opinion the most. So when you notice someone who reacts strongly to other people’s remarks, even compliments, they are nonconsciously admitting their lack of confidence and self-esteem.
  Besides being the simple thing to do, there are more benefits of accepting yourself unconditionally. Once you have good relationship with other people without having relied on any external value for your attractiveness, you also know for sure that they like you instead of your external value.

Can you explain the meaning of expression "Besides being the simple thing to do? Thank you!


texts:
"Sorry for putting you to so much trouble"
"Sorry for putting you through so much trouble"
Some sites on the internet say it's put sbd to trouble and some say it's put sbd through trouble. Are both right? Is the first sentence grammatical?


texts: What would be a well understood opposite for "honorable mentions"?

texts:
As "honorable mentions" is defined to be

a commendation given to a candidate in an examination or competition who is not awarded a prize.

What would be an expression used for the opposite of that? My guess would be something like "dishonorable mentions", but I haven't really heard anyone use that expression before. I assume the meaning would be understood nonetheless, but is there a commonly used variant for such an expression that I'm not aware of?


texts:
What does "were to" mean here?

  Indeed, I do not believe she could carry on a deception if she were to try, and if she did she would certainly be found out very quickly, for such a line of action is altogether foreign to her nature.


texts:
1. An IQ higher than 145 to join the group is required.

2.The score to enter the university is low.

3.The altitude to be able to fly drones is below 100 meters.

4.The height to be able to get on the rollercoaster is above 130cm.

5.The height to be allowed to get on the rollercoaster is above 130cm.

6.Researchers say organisations like Mensa need to rethink their membership - they currently require an IQ higher than 148 to join

I'd like to know whether all the six sentences are correct English.

In this case, I used "to infinitive" to describe the quantities IQ, score, altitude, height.


texts:
See your Emperor! He fears these arrows and spears no more than would an anvil!

My guess is that this means: "an anvil does not fear arrows and spears, because anvil is so strong that beating arrows and spears on an anvil does not hurt the anvil in any way, your emperor also does not fear this arrows and spears, because he is so strong too (in the same way)".

Is that right? Please explain the structure of the sentence a bit.


texts: Help needed: I just can't interpret this bold-faced sentence grammatically or literally

texts:
I came across this sentence when I read The Economist:

  When the time comes for year-end accountings, both the accomplishments and the cock-ups tend to be judged the offspring of lone egomaniacs or saints, rather than the joint efforts that characterise most human endeavour.

I just can't quite understand or punctuate the bold-faced sentence. I need help.


texts:
I am wondering if there is any difference between these in meaning?

water of

water from

And , what does  "water of life" mean?

Thanks


texts: Is it appropriate to use "pre-covid" in a formal situation when talking about COVID-19?

texts:
I found people use "pre-covid" to refer to the days before COVID-19 spreads.

Of course, it makes sense. The question is whether it is appropriate to use the term in a formal situation, something like business meeting. Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts:
Most of the times,  I see into as preposition after plunge but oxford says plunge in is also used.

For instance

  All my hopes were duped and I was plunged in deep sorrow.

This sentence is grammatically correct according to my book.

I am very confused whether to use in or into with plunge.


texts: would you show me usages of the verb should in conditional type 2 and third –

texts:
My profs. has told me the fact that we could use the verb should as to conditional sentences" second and third", that is, probable and impossible sentences:

So, would you show me these, using the verb should?


texts:
I'm wondering which preposition to use in the following. If both are acceptable, what is the difference?

  Our officers have to concentrate 100 per cent on the task at/in hand.

  Peter turned his attention to the task at/in hand.


texts:
I use the expression "at the beginning" a lot. And Google Ngram gives this plot

So, is "at the beginning" more idiomatic than "at the start"?


texts: Is it wrong to omit object pronouns in these sentences?

texts:
I asked (him) to clean his room.
I demanded (him) to take me to the hospital by car.
I told (him) to make up with his friend.

I think it isn't grammatically wrong to omit "him", because we can see clearly it's not "I" to clean, take, and make up by context.

Q1) Would native speakers omit objects if context is clear even if it's not grammatically correct?

Q2) Are those sentences grammatically wrong if him is omitted?


texts:
“Angels & demons” (03:53):

"The church is at a crossroads - so riven by change and dissent - its ancient traditions threatened by a modern world."

What meaning might the narrator be trying to convey by using “a” instead of “the”? Is it grammatically sound? Can zero article be used here(I hope not)?


texts:
"I lost my eye in the line of duty. What do you think of that?" he
  said with a pride that made me all the angrier.  "I don't give a
  damn how you lost it as long as you keep it hidden." (Ralph
  Ellison, Invisible Man)

  Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone
  laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry
  as Seeker next.   (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

In the two how-clauses, it seems that ‘how’ takes an adverbial function in the clause and the whole how-clause has the nominal function as the object and the complement of preposition respectively. In this case, do you think these two functions at a time when you read these, or anything else process happens in your brains? (For my better understanding, would you let me know the ‘how’s’ meaning in the contexts?)


texts: "on the verge" Vs "on the edge" Vs "At the edge" Vs "at the verge"

texts:
I know this can be flagged as off topic, because it a bit broad, but let me give it a try. Is there any difference between these phrases:

on the verge of
on the edge of
at the verge of
at the edge of

  Suppose that you want to say, something is at the boundary of two opposing states, like the country was at the edge of chaos.

I've checked the dictionaries and I honestly think all of them are interchangeable. However, it seems "on the edge of" is far more common among the four according to Ngram:


texts: What are the verbs for trash in a littering? Throwing away or dumping a trash? Thank you! I have looked it up in Merrian-Webster dictionary but find nothing.


texts: How to understand "cares an insane amount"?

texts:
From here:

  Nestor Gomez is one of the best professors I've ever had and cares an insane amount, holding multi-hour office hours every day and always being available to answer questions.

insane means mad., but what does cares an insane amount mean? Amount of what?


texts: As about - I was reading an article in that magazine. It was as about the new government policies

texts:
I know this usage

  With prepositions, as has the general sense of as far as, so far as, and thus restricts or specially defines the reference of the preposition; e.g. as against, as between. as anent, as concerning, as for, {as to}, as touching (Fr. quant à), have all the sense of ‘as it regards, so far as it concerns, with respect or reference to.’ [Source - Oxford]

And from this usage note I am pretty sure that one can construct "as about", just like "as to" or "as against".

So I wrote a sentence using "as about", and I think I am right about it. Here is this sentence -

  I was reading an article in that magazine. It was as about the new government policies.

I searched Google, and found the following sentence -

  Questions lots of kids as about their skin, hair, and nails.

But I failed to find out any other examples from web. So I guess it's very rare.

Please comment on this type of usage of "as about"


texts: Responding to ‘Is the price negotiable?’

texts:
I have been selling some stuff on Gumtree, and nearly every potiential buyer has messaged me asking if my prices are negotiable. What are some common, idomatic responses native speakers use to communicate that they are open to negotiation?

Are the ones below natural?

What’s your offer?
How much are you willing to pay?
How much do you want the item for? (Not too sure about this one)

Thanks in advance


texts: The second most popular way of making journeys is on foot

texts:
I'm checking this chart's description:

There is one sentence that sounds odd
The second most popular way of making journeys in Canada is on foot.

I think that way of making journeys doesn't sound natural.
Would it be better to write
The second most popular means of transport in Canada is on foot?

I'm also not sure about on foot here. Is on foot ok in a sentence like this?
It's an IELTS writing task, so the style should be academic.
Will appreciate any clarifications.


texts: how to express the following: increase the portion of something

texts:
I wanted to suggest the team to increase the portion of something. e.g increase it from 10% to 70%.

and I want to find a phrase that has "weight" in it.

I have searched for weight in, weight on, put weight. but it seems to me that they are not what I mean.

Can anyone please help out? Many thanks


texts: Does she say "nodding off" or "nodding no"?

texts:
During this clip, at 1:24 is she saying

  I went from nodding no to nodding yes...

Or does she say "nodding off"? Because I don't think you can nod no, can you?


texts: how to describe "this much" for countable noun

texts:
I could say "I have this much of time"
But for like on Facebook, i supposed it's countable: 1 like 2 like.
How to say "I have this much of likes?"


texts: Looking for a word to describe someone who always 'agrees' to their bosses

texts:
In India, there are many grannies' tales that describe a bunch of people around the King who always say, 'yes, your highness, yes'. No matter how worst that idea or opinion of the King is. Let's build a context.

The King is planning to dig a well on a mountain!

  I'm planning to dig a well on a mountain nearby our palace. So, whenever I'm up there for my leisure time, I can have water whenever I want. What do you say?

A bunch of [this is the word I'm searching for] replies:

  Oh, yes, why not?

Now it's pathetic and foolishness to have a well there. But since they are ____________, they'll say 'yes' to whatever the king says.

A very important note: I know the word 'flatterer'. This is not what I'm looking for. Because these guys don't praise. They just say, 'yes, yes' to anything that the King says.

A typical flatterer will keep on praising the King.

  Oh King, what a nice sword you have (though it's rotten!)!

Again, I'm finding a word for those who don't praise/say nice things, they just 'AGREE' whatever their bosses or kings say.

To my mind comes another word: 'flunkey'; but do natives use this that way?


texts:
Word or phrase to suit the highlighted part better? Also is 'chicness' correctly used here?

  Intrigued by the chicness/exoticity of her rugs, I was
  lucky to meet her.


texts:
I don't understand the bold part. What does this mean?

The hush is only more touching for being a parody of itself.
What does the author want to say here?

  Wimbledon is the rare hallowed site that exceeds its reputation for
  grandeur. Hydrangeas line the walkways. The hush is only more touching
  for being a parody of itself. Demonstrating the English flair for
  imposing class systems where informality might otherwise flourish,
  badges dangle from the lapels of men in panama hats, identifying them
  as debenture holders, or non-voting investors in the All England Lawn
  Tennis Club, which was founded in 1868 as a croquet association.
  (Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, who brought tennis to the club,
  originally tried to call the game Sphairistiké, alluding to a Greek
  word for “ball.”) The place where the line judges eat is called the
  Officials’ Buttery.
  (Source)


texts:
These....views of your desktop allow you to group applications together.

A. separate

B. separates

C. separating

D. separated

Which should I choose option?


texts:
Instead of "Does this store sell/have X" or "Has this store got X?", can it be:

Has this store kept X?

And for someone who wants to open a store and isn't sure as to what he should sell (or have in his store), can it be:

What can I keep in my store?

(What can I have in my store?/ What can I sell in my store?)

List of stuff you can have in your store:

I'm directly translating it, but I have a pretty strong feeling that "keep" doesn't sound natural here. Am I right in thinking so?


texts: "I end up studying English" vs. "I end up to study English"

texts:
Why is it that we have to use the gerund form for the first example? I have been told that it is not grammatical to use the infinitive form.

For some verbs, it's okay:

  I wanted to study English.
  I had to study English.
  I needed to study English.
  I tried to study English.
  I traveled to study English.

But, for some verbs, it's incorrect:

  I ended up to study English.

Why is that the case?


texts: The sentence wherein 'Resent' is not 'Resent' - the confusion about a wonder verb

texts:
It really surprised me reading the verb resent that I thought and the verb resent that a dictionary explained to me!

resent (v) - to feel bitter or angry about something, especially because you feel it is unfair

But then resent also means something sent again! Consider this conversation between me and my employee

I am still waiting for the document, Vicky. ~ But I had sent it to you.
That one was blank and I asked you to resend it ~ True sir, but then I resent it on the very next moment.*

When I open any dictionary, resent means what I wrote up there, the first thing. But is this use of resent means resent the way I want in my employee example?


texts:
I have this sentence:

  I completely believe that teenager working is the foundation step for any child to rely on him or her self.

Is this correct? Should I instead say “himself or herself”?


texts:
"Severus marched on Rome, ousted Julianus, and was proclaimed emperor. He then built himself a strong army that would protect both him and his empire.

As I found from my web search is that "would" could mean ( anyone can correct me here)  "used to" thus the sentence could mean that the army used to protect the emperor. ( some armies just used to protect their dictators) The word also could mean "was willing" thus the army was willing to protect the emperor.

Which meaning is correct and how could we know ?


texts: The word for something which you can tell/guess just by seeing

texts:
What is the word for something which you can guess/tell just by seeing?
Example:
Person 1: I got these tattoos when I was young.
Person 2: It’s...(the word) without being told. Now they are fading.


texts:
He was bitten by mosquito.

He scratched the spots.

  "Don't scratch. The more you scratch the more itchy."

  "Don't scratch. The more you scratch the more itches"

What word best suit in the sentences above?


texts:
I'm having trouble to find the appropriate antonym of "utmost" or "uttermost". Dictionaries recommend "mild" and "moderate" but they sound awkward.

She has the utmost chance of getting hired for the job while he has the _____ chance.

I want to make a comparison.


texts: What does 'commission' mean in this context?

texts:
Ashley works at a nearby electronics store. She makes a commission of
  7% on everything she sells. If she sells a computer for $329.00,
  how much money does Ashley make in commission?

I have searched the idiom in many dictionaries.. but i can't understand perfectly..
How should i understand the idiom in this context?


texts: "This book got me interested in Buddhism." Can I change this sentence to "This book made me interested in Buddhism."      "This book got me thinking about my future."  Can I change this sentence to "This book made me think about my future." If there are any differences in the nuance, could you explain it? "Get" is a very common word, but it's very difficult to use it properly.  If I say "I got my car repaired.",I can also say "I had my car repaired." To me it seems to be much easier to use words other than "get". That's why I wondered if I use "make" instead of "get" in these sentences.


texts: Why are we using "interested" instead "interesting" in the next phrase

texts:
I am learning English and I am having a question.

Look at the phrase:

  I have been interested in painting since I was ten.

I do not understand why we had used interested instead interesting. The phrase is in the Present Perfect Continuous or is not it?


texts: "I was an intern during / for 2 months"?

texts:
On my resume I want to say that I was an intern then an employee in the position description:

  'Intern for/during 2 months then employee'

Which one should I use?


texts:
I am unable to understand the meaning of following sentence:

About Fran, she can call in to see your grandmother, can't she?

Thank you.


texts: Is it correct English by "all them long words"

texts:
I came across this sentence in Oxford dictionary on my phone. Here is the entry from Oxforddictionaries.com:

  anyways
  adverb
  North American
  informal, dialect
  ‘you wouldn't understand all them long words anyways’

I feel all them long words isn't correct. Instead, all those long words looks more correct to me. But as it's in the dictionary, I have to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Is it really correct?


texts: build the culture of something/ culture building

texts:
In my native language when we want to mean educating people to do/think the right thing and persuading them to do so in different ways such as advertising, punishment, encouragement, rewards, shaming etc., mostly done in a broad scale, we say things like these

  It's necessary to build the culture of wearing seat belts.

  We should wean people off plastic bags and make them use cloth bags instead. I know we can't really force people into this, but we could atleast start its culture building in our media!

  The necessary culture building must be done first before letting the immigrants into the country. People could be really unkind to them because they'd think they came here to take their jobs away.

Interestingly, I can get results for culture building, but it seems there's a difference between what I think it should mean and what's there to mean. Do the sentences above read natural to you? If not, is there such a word/phrase to mean that in English? How do you rephrase my sentences?


texts: How does 'such as' mean 'of the kind or degree that' and 'the kind of (person or thing) that?

texts:
such as {prepositional phrase} = 2. Of a kind that; like
   3. (archaic) Those who

  [OED] 7.  a. With correlative as pron. (see AS conj. 17), Middle English also as that, taking the place of Old English swelce, swá.
  such as = Of the kind or degree that; the kind of (person or thing) that.

This ELU answer helped explain definitions 2 and 3 by interjecting (ellipted?) words between such as (exemplified in this other ELL question).

My Problem: 6 months after asking this question, whenever encountering the above definitions of such as, I still must suspend reading to perform the interjection above, which  betrays some mental defect in my understanding.
I wish to surmount and to be cured of this dependence on interjection.
So what have I missed or failed to understand? How can I naturalise the definitions above?


texts: Relative Pronoun "Which" in a defining clause

texts:
I've seen topics regarding this subject and people said "which" can be used in a defining clause - which is very odd to me. That's why I'm asking whether this usage is okay.

Examples:

  The soda which I drank had a strong smell. (Instead of saying: "The soda that I drank [...]")

  The subject which I wrote about is of such importance. (Instead of saying "The subject that I wrote about [...])


texts:
"They’ve worked there for three years but they still got sacked" or
  "They'd worked there for three years but they still got sacked"

(I had read the first version in the article but I don't know why the second text was not used)


texts: What does "Sorry, that didn't make sense" mean?

texts:
What is the meaning of the phrase Sorry, that didn't make sense?

When I apologized to someone, she said that to me.


texts:
I don't mean "one and a half hours", but I mean "one point five hours" when I talk about duration like when I say

  I've been here for one point five hours.

  My kids spend like one point five hours to finish there lunch.


texts:
What does 'to get nowhere fast' mean and why 'Unfortunately'?

  A quick course in how to get nowhere fast on social media.
  Unfortunately, I've seen them all:

source:
https://www.artbusiness.com/artists-how-to-hex-your-online-profile.html


texts:
If I am going to do X, what would the cost of doing Y be?

Is this sentence grammatically correct? I want to imply that now that I have to do X and doing X is inevitable, I think doing Y is not that much costly anymore. I’ve used ”would” because I don’t necessarily need to do Y, and I can choose whether or not I want to do it. So I’d like to say that doing Y wouldn't be that much hard anymore if I decided to do it.
Also, do you categorize my first sentence as a conditional sentence? It certainly doesn't lie among classic conditional categories (first to third conditionals). I personally think that maybe it’s not a conditional sentence, and the if-clause acts as a normal subordinate here, because I can somehow substitute ”when/now that/because” for ”if” in the sentence. (e.g. Now that I’m going to do X, what would the cost of doing Y be?)


texts: Asking for a person: "Could I speak 'to'/'with' Kristina?"

texts:
If one is asking for a person, what should s/he say—1 or 2?

Could I speak to Kristina?
Could I speak with Kristina?


texts: Error correction : The chancellor was present on both occasions

texts:
The chancellor was present on both occasions.

Is the above sentence grammatically correct ? I thought it to be error free but then to confirm myself I googled for the sentence  and found varying answers, somewhere its written to use at both occasions and somewhere I found to use both the occasions. I am pretty sure former correction is wrong but what about the later one ? Do we need to use article the here or its fine not to use it ?


texts:
I struggle with the rules related to not using the definite article with the superlative.

I know the following - the definite article is NOT used in these cases:

Possessive pronouns (My best friend)
Alternatives of the same thing (Tea is best when served..)
Who,which,what..+be in sentences such as "I know what is best for you"
Adverbs (He runs fastest)

However, none fits to the following:

  Ok, if you think that's best.

  It was a perfect example of all that's best and most admirable in our
  system.

What is the reason in these sentences?


texts: My phone is low on power,it has low power

texts:
If my phone's  battery will die soon(run out of juices), what should I use(if any of the sentences below sound natural)

  My phone has low power.

  My phone is low on power.

So either of those sentences sound natural? If not then what are the natural alternatives?

So what would natives use when the phone is going to switch off?


texts: Which is correct, "the metaphor is in line 23" or "the metaphor is at line 23"?


texts: Usage of 'the' before American/African etc

texts:
Is the usage of 'the' correct in the sentences below?

  The taco was spicier than the American one.

  The sushi was less expensive than the Japanese one.

I was asked by my friend why are we using 'the' here when we are comparing it with general tacos or sushis. I'm unable to explain it. We both are non-native English speakers.


texts:
I was reading one article and could not understand the following part in bold.
Tha article is basically about the BCCI refusing to take the recommendations of supreme court and so have to pay the price of defiance.

  It was therefore inevitable that the court would seek to send out a message that it will not brook any wilful defiance. Despite the court making the Lodha panel reforms binding on the BCCI through its July 18 verdict, the BCCI appeared to defy it.

My questions are

For 1st part, does it say that the court will not let any kind of disobey to its recommendations happen?
What binding is thw author talking about? Also, how did the BCCI defy it?

I read the article from the following link:
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/The-price-of-defiance/article16979003.ece


texts: Are "as of yet", "as yet" and "yet" all synonymous?

texts:
This comes from Paradise Now from April D. De Conick:

  But if there be any as yet unfit to be called a son of God, let him
  press to take his place under God's Firstborn, the Word, who holds
  eldership among the angels, an archangel as it were.

I stumbled upon "as yet" and found it to be a bit perplexing and it seems to mean the same thing as "yet", which is a bit confusing. Are all three phrases synonymous 100% of the time?

The above seems to mean "But if there was anyone yet unfit to be called a son of God, let him be called God's Firstborn's son, the Word, who holds eldership among the angels, an archangel so to speak."


texts:
I have passed the final exam at university. My father has already promised to pay me a holiday to London if I pass/passed.

Should we use "pass" or "passed" here?


texts: What's the difference between "reach out to", "drop in on", and "call on"?

texts: What is the difference between "reach out to", "drop in on", and "call on" in terms of meaning? Do they mean the same?


texts: How to understand "for" in the sentence?

texts:
The baby is named for his grandfather.

I know that "to be named for someone means to be given the same name as them". But I can't figure out the meaning of "for".


texts:
Besides a brief fight with Vietnam, the entire post-World War II
  period for China has been peaceful.

Source

I think here it should use "except" or "except for".


texts:
I found an example using the word, "cherry-pick":

  In this era of post-truth politics, it's easy to cherry-pick data and come to whatever conclusion you desire.

Is it a positive term? Is it idiomatical? How would people use it? Could I use it in conversation?


texts: What is the difference between "wear out" and "be worn out"

texts:
For example,

1)
My shoes wore out.
My shoes have been worn out.

Are they both correct? If so, what is the difference and which one is more common?

2)
My patience began to wear out.
My patience began to be worn out.

Are they both correct? If so, what is the difference and which one is more common?


texts: The usage of "in + past tense of a verb"

texts:
Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the
  little pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him. When the
  little pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water,
  and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down,
  took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig put on the
  cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and
  lived happy ever afterwards.

This is from "The story of The Three Little Pigs" in English fairy tales.

I think "in fell the wolf" means "the wolf fell in the pot" but I don't know the usage of "in + a past tense of a verb" like "in fell". The usage like this is commonly used?


texts: Is it possible to say "No one knows what sort of weather is to be expected" or will it be better if I say "No one knows what kind of weather to expect"?If the first variant is wrong, why?


texts: What's a word for the act or practice of creating new words?

texts: is there any word in English that refers to the act or practice of creating new words? There are certain disciplines and some particular persons who practices those disciplines which are all the time creating new words, does this action have a name?


texts: What is the meaning of "a host file was created that mapped"

texts:
What is the meaning of "a host file was created that mapped~" in the following sentence?

  On early computer networks a simple text file called a hosts file
  was created that mapped host names to IP addresses.

(Source:  Understanding DNS – Beginners Guide to DNS By steve )

Does " a host file was created that mapped host names to IP addresses" mean " a host file was created so that a host file was mapped host names to IP addresses" ?

If so, what grammar did these sentences (verb + that + verb pattern) apply to?


texts: If you're talking about doing something in the future, do you say "somewhere down the road", or "sometime down the road"?


texts: Is it incorrect to use 'There is ~' in reference to a single proper noun?

texts:
Is #1 wrong?

  There is Mt. Everest on the border between China and Nepal.

and should it be #2,

  Mt. Everest is on the border between China and Nepal.


texts: on the way / on one's way - what's the difference in meaning?

texts:
I'm on the way to where you are.

I'm on my way to where you are.

What's the difference in meaning?