texts:
Sanderson has used extensive reading and clinical experience to
  develop a resource that will help counsellors, and I suspect their
  clients, to work with shame, rather than avoiding it.

From Counselling skills for working with shame - One In Four UK

What does "work with" mean here?

I have checked this thread: The use of "work with" vs. "work at/on"

  Phrasally, it means to (A) use X, typically toward completing a task
  or project, or (B) rely on X for assistance with or make sure X completes
  a task or project.

But here I think shame is not a tool and not something that a therapist relies on for assistance.


texts: What is the difference between "breathe" and "flash"?

texts:
The power indicator breathes/flashes when the machine is being
  charged.

Does "breathe" mean flash softly/smoothly? Dictionaries doesn't define the meaning that fits in this context. What does "breathe" exactly mean in the example sentence above?


texts:
From: http://www.no1starwoman.com/ParentingArticle.htm

  The AQUARIUS Parent: This parent will want their child to be as independent as he or she is, and will support the most modern educational techniques. They may also attempt to "force an old head on young shoulders", they will be friendly, rational and kind.

What's the meaning of "force an old head on young shoulders"?


texts:
Does "un-self" mean "objective/realistic"?  Is the phrase "This might be the most un-self aware book cover of all time" a bit sarcastic?

Sam Harris liked
Shadi Hamid tweeted:

This might be the most un-self aware book cover of all time.


texts:
I often confuse myself choosing words among of 'no', 'not', "don't".

For example:

  You don't say => You not to say => you no say (?not sure)

  don't need your money => your money is not needed => No need your money

  Not required => don't required => no ?

From the examples of confusion sentences above, can anyone show me the actual mistake here and share your tips on how these words should be used properly.


texts: Can we use by the way after the new mentioned sentence?

texts:
I met my friend in school

I asked him 'Why were you ignoring me on instagram'

He said 'I was not. It's just that my internet wasn't working'

I replied

No, you had seen my message and I'm not using instagram now, by the way

Can i use by the way this way

Wont it leave the listener in doubt?

By the way what?

Or should i say it this way

No you had seen my message
 ,by the way, I'm not using snapchat now


texts: When should we use "these ones" vs "those ones"?

texts:
When we are talking about things we can say "these ones" or those ones". What is the difference in fact?

For example if I want to point with a index finger on two things, should I say "those ones" or "these ones", the same question about a case in which I am talking in front of students as a lecturer and I want to say that "those/these who want to get more marks should know a bonus chapter in the book".


texts: Why was the simple past instead of the present perfect used?

texts:
I have found the following sentence in Michael Swan's grammar book.

  From his earliest childhood, he loved music.

So far as I know, present perfect is used to talk about actions that have just completed (such as "He has just/already come") or if the action is still continuing and which began in the past ("He has lived in the house for the last five years.")

On the other hand, the  simple past is used to talk about completed actions in the past, such as "He saw the film yesterday," or "Columbus discovered America".

Why did the author use the simple past instead of present tense? Is it a grammatical rule, or usage?

If I change the sentence  into present perfect and present perfect continuous,will they be grammatically wrong and unidiomatic?

  From his childhood, he has loved music

from his earliest childhood, he has been loving music


texts:
With the earth cut away from his feet, oliver resumed his aimless drift
along the continent.

In this sentence, I understand the last clause. But not the first.
The translator said it is "Lose foothold", but I don't understand what it means.
What does "cut away from his feet" mean?
Is it a phrase or slang?


texts: What's the difference between "reason for x", "reason why x", and "reason that"?

texts:
What's the difference between

  reason for x
  reason why x
  reason that

Some examples are:

The police asked her the reason for her visit.
The reason why so many people caught the disease is still not clear
The reason these cars are so expensive is that they are largely built by hand


texts: What's the purpose of "at" before "the heart"?

texts:
Come on, it's all about patterns and variables. Oh, wait, stick with
me.  I'm gonna take you back to sixth grade with this, okay? Godzilla
attacks when  provoked, that's the pattern. Pensacola is the only
coastal Apex hub  with an advanced robotics lab. That's the variable.
And add them up  and your answer is that Apex is at the heart of the
problem.

What's the purpose of "at" before "the heart" ?
Source: Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)


texts: difference between He is and he's as answers to questions(or she is and she's)

texts:
I have been wondering if there is any difference between He is and he's as answers to questions.Please consider the following sentences:

A:How old is he?
B:he's five years old.

Why is it not common to answer such questions with the "is" preceded by pronoun?

I and other people who have this exact question in mind would be very appreciated if someone provides an answer.


texts: What is the difference of "take the test" and "do the test"?

texts:
Most of the cases I read is "Take the test".
But today I found an Australian government website saying do the test:

You do the test in the privacy of your own home.

And another one

Do the test when it comes in the post.

Is this saying only works in Australia? What is the difference between Take the test? Can anyone explain in detail. I am so confused.


texts:
Within us, the people of the United States, there is evident a serious and purposeful rekindling of confidence.

This sentence is from "Jimmy Carter inaugural address: Jan. 20, 1977" shown here.

What does the there-clause mean, and how common is this type of construction?


texts: What prepositionshould I use "in/on/at"? Is it correct to use a preposition here?

texts:
What preposition should I use in this sentence: "He played 2 games in the last - 20th day". In this sentence last day means that this is the 20th day of the season and it's his last season in football. Should I write in the last day or on the last day"? Would it be correct?
Howto write it correctly.
P.S. Sorry for my english I'm trying to lern it but it's so confusing sometimes.


texts:
I know we can say offer somebody something. In this case can we use gerund insteas of “something” like

He offered me living together.

Isn’t living together noun? If it is noun can it be correct if it is not correct does this sentence have a meaning?


texts: "To treat someone as property" or "to treat someone as a property"?

texts:
"He treats his dog as property."

or

"He treats his dog as a property."

I suspect that the former is correct, is it?


texts: Why can't i use "I haven't known" someone in English

texts:
A few days ago, I read this sentence in "English grammar in use" by Raymond Murphy:

  We don't know where we're going for our holiday yet.

I thought present perfect must be used here as: we haven't known...yet. But when I searched on the internet, everyone says that I can not use present perfect "I haven't known" here.

Can someone please explain this to me?


texts: How to describe I am one of only two people on the team with engineering background

texts:
I am trying to write a self-motivation letter to apply a position, but I am not sure what is the better way to describe one of my past experience. I am trying to describe that there are only two people on a competition team with engineering background and I am one of them with engineering background.
Originally description I wrote was

As one of only-two people with engineering background on the team, I
taught how to model our system based on differential equations by
myself and learnt how to collaborate with other team members from
biomedical disciplines.


texts: I don't understand clearly the meaning of the sentences in parenthesis?

texts:
When Sebra became aware of the coming (of what would have been, had she belonged to the chosen species,) a blessed event , and told Proudfoot about it, he snarled,"Growp." He had now learn to talk to his mate in code, and "growp" meant " I hope the cubs to grow up to be xylophone players or major generals."

It is better to explaine that the name of this story is: "The Tigress and Her Mate" came from " Discovering fiction Level 1"
Sebra is a Tigress and his mate Proudfoot is a Tiger.


texts:
Can you expain to me why author is using "he'd come throw rocks at me" instead of "he'd come to throw rocks at me" or "he'd come throwing rocks at me". It looks like gramatical error for me. The text is:

  I was afraid Jessie wouldn't come out and I'd be waiting here until dark. Or worse, that she'd tell Boo and he'd come throw rocks at me. But a few minutes after I'd climbed the tree, Jessie came bounding out of the house.

By the  way, there is the very simmilar gramatical text  which has correct gramatical form - "Jessie came bounding out of the house".


texts:
As an ESL, I only know that when the road your travelling on is rough, I describe it as "bumpy".

  Road in provinces is usually bumpy.

Compared to:

  Road in provinces is usually bone-rattling.

Is there any differences between the two? Or is "bone-rattling" just an advanced english vocabulary?


texts: Is it necessary to add "one" after "same" in this sentence?

texts:
And we headed home. It wasn't the same (one) we once had, but at least it was a safer one.

My intuition tells me that I can remove it ... but to make sure, I searched for phrases like:
wasn't the same I on Google Books. And didn't find any similar results.


texts:
My teacher said that "stop to do" had two meanings: quit doing present work to do next work (which is following after the word "do") and pause for a while then continue. I have searched a lot about its meanings but what i got just about the first meaning. Is the second one true?

For examples:

I stop to play games.

First meaning: i stop doing something in order to play games.

Second meaning: i pause playing games for a while then i continue.


texts:
How is correct to say:

This book was written by the French author Michel Hope.
This book was written by French author Michel Hope.

I know that that is called restrictive appositive, but I have observed that some people drop the definite article before names of people with some modifiers, and others don't.

For example: "Psychologist Mike Manson phoned me this morning," or "The psychologist Mike Manson phoned me this morning."


texts:
I would like to express that restricting the subject in front of the sentence.
What would be the best expression?

The sentence I would write is as follows.

Talking only about something, it seems A doesn't occur when I changed B to C.

Please correct me!


texts: What are synonyms of 'circus' that I can use in this context?

texts:
When I came back from work, I noticed that there were tons of people gathered around in the corridor. There was so much noise and hustle and bustle, it felt like a circus.

Is circus an appropriate word in this context, and can anyone suggest any synonyms that would be more appropriate?


texts:
The season of strikes seemed to have run itself to a standstill.
  Almost every trade and industry and calling in which a dislocation
  could possibly be engineered had indulged in that luxury. The last
  and least successful convulsion had been the strike of the World's
  Union of Zoological Garden attendants, who, pending the settlement of
  certain demands, refused to minister further to the wants of the
  animals committed to their charge or to allow any other keepers to
  take their place.

  from The Unkindest Blow, a short story by Saki

Which does "in which a dislocation could possibly be engineered" modify "Almost every trade and industry and calling" or "calling"?


texts: Should I use "hold on," "hold out," or just "hold in the following sentence?

texts:
Tom held (on/out) long enough so Mary could have an orgasm.

What's the correct alternative and why?


texts: Grammatical number agreement in a complex phrase using singular "they"

texts:
Answering another question, I used the following phrase:

  Your reader is [...], but they are a busy person.

I have two difficulties here:

In the first phrase, a reader, being singular noun, certainly implies is;
In the second phrase, they, being a plural pronoun (regardless that it refers a single person), still requires are, but are implies the plural for busy persons which sounds awkward (a reader ⇆ persons);

Obviously, if I used "...but he is a busy person", everything works fine, but I'm trying to use a gender-agnostic form.

What is the proper number agreement here?


texts: Should I use 'find the attached document' or 'find attached the document' ?

texts:
How to say that there is an attachment in the mail??

  Please find the attached document

or

  Please find attached the document

I have seen these both are being used in different places. Which is grammatically correct? What is the correct way to say this?


texts:
You don't want your child to hold the balloon by holding itself because the balloon may get burst and it is not convenient.
You don't want your child to hold the handle of the balloon.
Is it correct to say "hold the balloon by its handle, not by itself"?


texts: Describing the fact that the mentioned subject is not in the area of your responsibility

texts:
-- What can you tell me about Johnson's progress? Is his professionalism growing?

  -- How can I say anything about him? On the very second day of his employment, you moved him to the sales department and I have never
  seen him since that time. His progress is out of the scope of my
  reference.

Is "out of the scope of my reference" idiomatic?


texts:
Whenever I read advanced grammar articles I come across these two terms quite often : be and to be.
What is the difference between these two and how to identify the difference between these two? Please give some examples also.
Wikipedia about be : The English copular verb be has eight forms (more than any other English verb): be, am, is, are, being, was, were, been.
If this is be then what is to be. Please explain with examples. Is it possible to change 'be' in a sentence to 'to be'?


texts: Using an infinitive-with-to after an Auxiliary verb in a UN official code, permitted?

texts:
We are not permitted to bring an infinitive-with-to after auxiliary verbs. However, in the following it seems this rule has been broken. You see after should, to recognize has come. Is this right?

  Stakeholders in tourism development and tourists themselves should observe the social and cultural traditions and practices of all peoples, including those of minorities and indigenous peoples and to recognize their worth. (Source)

Would someone please explain what has happened here?


texts: Which preposition to use here?"Of" or "among"?

texts:
I came across a blank in a sentence which was:

The peacock is perhaps the most beautiful _____ male birds.

What should I fill there? Of or among?


texts:
Let's take, for example, such a sentence: I'll have him check all the locks.

What are the possible passive counterparts of this sentence? I'll have all the locks

a) checked by him.

b) be checked by him.

c) to be checked by him.

Is there any difference in the meaning if more than one is possible?


texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct one in the following context?

  "What for?"

or

  "What is for?"

Context:
Someone sent me message and asked me to be a follower on Instagram. What of the above sentences is more accurate to use?


texts:
"If he had come yesterday, he might have seen his sister."

This sentence implies he didn't come yesterday and didn't see his sister.

  "If he has come YESTERDAY, he may have seen his sister."

İ know that i cannot use this sentence with YESTERDAY to imply that i don't know whether he came or not.

Why is it possible to use it with past perfect,  when I know that the action didn't happen and I imagine an unreal situation about this past action ?


texts:
The bat roost microclimate measurement.

The measurement of the bat roost microclimate.

Which one is easily readable?


texts: Can you paraphrase this part of this paragraph please?

texts:
What does it mean when it says reminders it held of foreign places?

The landscape Miss Cotell was unaware of, while she dreamed instantly forgotten dreams, faded into winter dusk. Miss Keble failed to interest herself in a newspaper someone had left behind and instead thought about the house they were returning to, and the rooms in which their two lives had become entangled over the years, for which furniture, piece by piece, had been chosen together, where childhood memories had been exchanged. Miss Keble, as she sometimes did when she was away from the house for longer than usual, saw as if in a vision the reminders it held of foreign places where there’d been holidays: the Costa del Sol; the beach at Rimini; Vernon, where they’d stayed when they visited Monet’s garden; and the unidentified setting where an obliging stranger had operated Miss Cotell’s Kodak, allowing them to pose together.


texts:
When and how should I use the phrases “suddenly realized” and “suddenly realize” ?

What are the differences between them?
Thanks a bunch!


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the phrase "at the end of" in this wikipedia article:

  During World War II, the Wehrmacht lacked necessary supplies, such as winter uniforms, due to the many delays in the German army's movements. At the same time, Hitler's plans for Operation Barbarossa actually miscarried before the onset of severe winter weather: he was so confident of a quick victory that he did not prepare for even the possibility of winter warfare in Russia. In fact his eastern army suffered more than 734,000 casualties during the first five months of the invasion before the winter started.  On 27 November 1941, Eduard Wagner, the Quartermaster General of the German Army, reported that "We are at the end of our resources in both personnel and material. We are about to be confronted with the dangers of deep winter."

Is "at the end of our resources" nonstandard English?  Could it be the original quote was in German, and the translation was sloppy?


texts:
"Will flex for food". What does this phrase mean? I know that the second meaning of flex word is

  showing off your valuables in a non-humble way

but it doesn't make sense for me anyway.
This phrase is often printed on clothes:

Could anyone explain the meaning of this phrase?


texts: Why do we say "little damage," and could the word "little" be substituted for a synonym?

texts:
For example, let's take the following sentence:

  It wasn't a bad crash and little damage was done to my car.

It's a question from Cambridge test. I made a mistake here; I put "small damage." My guess is as follows: we should probably use "little" and not "small" because 'damage' is an uncountable noun. I did not realize it at first. But it's only an assumption. Am I right? And can we somehow substitute the adjective "little", e. g. can we say "slight damage"?


texts:
An answer to the question (With the meaning of "not involving anything else", could "just" and "solely" be used interchangeably?) says

  For example, you could say "he's just a baby", meaning he's not yet anything more than a baby with respect to age, growth, intellectual capacity etc.

Is it suitable to call a baby a "thing"? If yes, how old is a baby when he/she should not be called "thing"?


texts:
Let’s say that my friend saw a mouse in the house . After catching it would it be grammatically correct if he said sentences below  ;

  Do you think there is any of it ?

  Do you think there is one more of it ?

  Do you think there is any other of it ?

If  all of them are incorrect , what should I say by using “it”?


texts: When I don't know whether I should put the article 'the' in a sentence should I put it (might be excessive) or omit it?

texts:
I really have hard times with the article 'the' because in my native Russian language there's no such thing.
So, often when I'm speaking of something I have to decide whether I should put the article 'the' in a sentence or not.
And there are moments when I just don't know what would be grammatically correct so I just choose at random.
So a question arises, at those moments every time when I'm not sure if an article 'the' is needed I better to put it or not?
In other words is it better to have an article 'the' where it is not needed or no article where it is needed?


texts:
Based on your explanation, I have come up with a few example sentences that I have tried to understand. Please tell me if I understand it right or not.

The United States is not a direct democracy, in the sense of a country in which laws (and other government decisions) are made predominantly by majority vote.

Here does it mean US is not a direct democracy in the manner of way a country X is? I mean for example like Switzerland. So does it mean to say US is not a democracy in the manner that Switzerland is?

Germany was not a democracy in the British sense.

Germany is not a democracy in the way Britain is? Right?

As Jean-Jacques Rousseau highlighted in The Social Contract, democracy in its political sense can only be efficient when the general will of the people is the same as each and every individual will.

Does it mean democracy as understood politically or democracy in a political manner? Also, what would democracy in a constitutional sense mean?

Time in a philosophical sense and time in a scientific sense.

Does it mean time as understood by philosophers or on the basis of philosophical writings? and time as understood by scientists or on the basis of scientific writings? Am I right?

When we say love in a religious sense and love in a modern sense.

Does it mean love as prescribed by religion and love as practiced in modern times?

Please help me with the above sentences.

Thank you.


texts: 'take advantage of' or 'taking advantage of'?

texts:
I have the following sentences.

The cars underwent fast changes from the application of mechanical technology to digital that currently take advantage of artificial intelligence.

The cars underwent fast changes from the application of mechanical technology to digital that currently taking advantage of artificial intelligence.

I am not sure, which sentence is correct?
Thanks!


texts: UK young engineers' conference OR UK's young engineers conference

texts:
Which is more correct?

  UK young engineers' conference

or

  UK's young engineers conference

to denote a conference of young engineers in the UK and

a conference of young engineers of the UK and.

Also why?


texts:
From The Godfather, by M. Puzo:

  For a moment he debated to recruit another man but decided against it.
  Here he followed basic reasoning. In years to come a situation might
  arise where it might be profitable for one of his partner to tesify
  against him. But the word of a second accomplice could swing the
  balance. No they would stick to procedure.

I couldn't get the point of such using of they. I'm sure it isn't a unisex they, because he was talking about the concrete man. So what is the reson to use they here?


texts:
If we cut a cloth a have a bit cloth left, will it sound idiomatic to use "leftover" or will it be more natural to use "scrap" or "extra cloth"?, Actually it a cloth is clised and a part of it is cut off and what's left after using it is used again.

Like:

  We can make something crafty with the leftover cloth.

  We can make something crafty with the cloth scrap.

  We can make something crafty with the extra cloth left.

Is "leftover" used in day-to-day conversations? (Like: "leftover food" or is it called "extra food", for example: "We can use the leftover food later on" or "We can use the extra food left later on")


texts: one sentence from the article on history

texts:
Without "normalizing" the Great Purge or denying its unprecedented character and still unexplained origins, we are now in a position to view it in a broader historical perspective than was possible earlier; perceiving more clearly its place in the larger patterns of Russian and world history.

Will you be so kind and explain to me why is not used in the above sentence "it" in this part:  …than (it = subject) was possible earlier.


texts:
How would you understand if I say

He is not a teacher.
He is no teacher.
He is not any teacher.


texts:
Is the definite article necessary in both the following sentences?

a. I forgot to bring the book to the school today.

b. His home is only two blocks away from the school.


texts:
The two pertinent words are easy enough to understand:

suit: thing that covers people or maybe animals, like clothes
armour: surface which by design is hard to penetrate and so protects what's inside.

But the thing that has me feeling uncertain is that google images or whatever of "suit of armor" shows some ridiculous ancient clattery thing which I cannot picture in use on a modern-day battlefield. Can you describe what these men are wearing as a suit of armor?


texts:
Maria unnecessarily picked a quarrel with Rani and left the party hurried.

Is this sentence OK? I think hurriedly should be used instead of hurried. Isn't it?


texts: Why is the word "former" dropped out when referring to a former vice president?

texts:
Context: In the recent (first) US Presidential Debate 2020, Chris Wallace (Moderator of the debate) referred Joe Biden as Vice President a number of times despite the fact he doesn't hold the office currently.
Is this the standard usage? (assuming ellipses) Isn't more apt to call him former VP?


texts:
There's a sentence in my textbook:

  My sister got A's in her final exam.

Shouldn't be As instead in this case?

Can 's also be a kind of stylish for the plural?


texts:
Which is more used and proper than the other?

Happiness is ___ name of a feeling. (a/the)

previous line:
Money can't give happiness.


texts: Comma and Antecedant Questions from Example Text

texts:
"In her lonesome cottage, by the seashore, thoughts visited her such as dared to enter no other dwelling in New England; shadowy guests, that would have been as perilous as demons to their entertainer, could they have been seen so much as knocking at her door."

What is 'that' indicating in the sentence?
Is 'they' indicating 'shadowy guests'?
Why are the two commas used there? Are they just for pause? not for grammatical reason?
Why is 'the position of could' inverted ?I mean it should be "they could have been seen so much as knocking at her door." Is there any reason?

Here is the sentence in context:

  Much of the marble coldness of Hester's impression was to be attributed to the circumstance that her life had turned, in a great
  measure, from passion and feeling to thought. Standing alone in the
  world--alone, as to any dependence on society, and with little Pearl
  to be guided and protected--alone, and hopeless of retrieving her
  position, even had she not scorned to consider it desirable--she cast
  away the fragment of a broken chain. The world's law was no law for
  her mind. It was an age in which the human intellect, newly
  emancipated, had taken a more active and a wider range than for many
  centuries before. Men of the sword had overthrown nobles and kings.
  Men bolder than these had overthrown and rearranged--not actually, but
  within the sphere of theory, which was their most real abode--the
  whole system of ancient prejudice, wherewith was linked much of
  ancient principle. Hester Prynne imbibed this spirit. She assumed a
  freedom of speculation, then common enough on the other side of the
  Atlantic, but which our forefathers, had they known it, would have
  held to be a deadlier crime than that stigmatised by the scarlet
  letter. In her lonesome cottage, by the seashore, thoughts visited her
  such as dared to enter no other dwelling in New England; shadowy
  guests, that would have been as perilous as demons to their
  entertainer, could they have been seen so much as knocking at her
  door.


texts: Are some schools teaching "They" as genderless singular?

texts:
I've read this article in The Atlantic saying that in English schools in Europe, teachers have started teaching pupils the new "they" used as a gender-neutral or genderless singular he/she/it.

They can write what they wants.
When they needs help they gets it.

Is it true? Does this come from having any strings leading into deep history of English where this existed?


texts: Is "preferred" used correctly in this sentence?

texts:
If yes, does it mean "very much liked by people"?

"I'd like to sell 3,000 GDRs of Samsung Electronics preferred."


texts:
Someone said

  "Losing a child is a horrific thing if you are a parent."

Does that mean that he isn't a parent?  Is "if" always used in a questioning context? Should he have used "when" instead if he was talking as a man who was a parent?


texts: Copper as an adjective to refer to something made of copper

texts: According to the dictionaries, "copper" aside from that is the name of a reddish-brown soft metal, as an adjective means a reddish brown color too. I need to make sure if it can be used as an adjective to refer to something like a dish, etc. which is made of copper or I have to use copper made?


texts:
I was writing a letter to a colleague and noticed that when I switch my spellchecker to "English (UK)" the word "internship" is highlighted.

I mostly communicate with US and Indian colleagues, but this guy is a Brit, so using a proper British word would make sense. What is it? "Training"? "Apprenticeship"? Something else?


texts:
Special use of might and could1 [58]

  i  You were mad to drive so fast: you might/could have been killed.
  ii  We could/might be in Africa. [knowingly uttered in France]  (Perhaps somewhere long abandoned in the south of France. I add this. Correct me if I'm wrong.)

  These do not fall into either of the above major categories: there is no implicit condition, but the preterite conveys much more than a slight element of tentativeness.

  In [i] the (circumstantial) possibility existed but was not actualised: you weren’t killed.

  [ii] can also be regarded as unactualised circumstantial possibility, but differs from  [i] in that there is no element of cause and effect (as your being killed was a possible result of your driving so fast); it can be glossed as “It is as though we were in Africa — we’re not, but judging from appearances there's no reason why we should not be”.

I'm more interested in the application of case [ii].

Suppose I am eating an ice-cream cone, and it tastes like caviar, can I say "I could/might be eating caviar."? (Apparently I'm not)
Suppose I forgot my laptop's password, but my sister somehow inadvertently got it cracked, can I say to my sister "You are so smart. You could/might be a Russian hacker."? (Apparently she's not)
Suppose I'm watching Luis Suarez biting his Italian opponent, can I say to my sister "Suarez could/might be a cannibal. Don't be a fan of his."? (Apparently he's not)

Would my remarks correspond with the context?

1. Page 201, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, aka CGEL.


texts:
I watched a funny video Mufasa x Hypeman spreading good vibes around the world- Bag Raiders- Shooting Stars but I couldn't understand what exactly was said in the 3-rd sentence (2-d second of the video).

  Hey Mufasa!

  Ugh?

  ??? spread your vibes?

  Spread them where?

Does anyone have a clue what was said here - "??? spread your vibes" exactly?


texts: Is there another special word for a small hourglass which is not for one hour but for a less period of time, 10 minutes or even 30 seconds?


texts: What is the meaning of "we must have missed you"?

texts:
I was missed from agenda list of minutes of meeting, hence I requested for including my name in the list.

But the chairperson of the meeting replied saying "we must have missed you".

I am confused? Is he saying, he missed me deliberately?


texts: what is the meaning of "defy neat racial divisions"?

texts:
"People's multiple identifications defy neat racial divisions and unidimensional political alliances."
what does it mean to "defy neat racial divisions"? and how to understand the meaning of "neat' in this phrase?


texts:
We expect people to monitor machines, which means keeping alert for long periods, something we are bad at.

something is "monitor machines" or "machines"
something is "which means keeping alert for long periods"


texts: A complete sentence + a period + Not + another period

texts:
I read several sentences in different positions that have this structure: (A complete sentence. Not.) which is said when someone wants to praise a person s/he hates, but in the same time doesn't want for that compliment to sound real. So s/he say Not as a following and complete sentence that supposed to negate what s/he said before.

An example: You look beautiful. Not.

Is that structure common and correct grammatically?

If so, can I use it like this: It was on purpose. Kind of.? (I know it would be a different case, but I'm asking about its structure.)


texts: Should I use "at the end of" or "in the end of" in this sentence?

texts:
Am I writing this sentence correctly?

  At the end of the month I hardly ever have any money left.

Or should it be in the end of? I know that in the end means "finally", but I've sometimes seen the use of in the end of and I got confused.


texts: What do you call a giant aquarium? I found the term aquatic museum, but I thought there was a single word for this. I can't remember what it was though.


texts: When some naughty students mistake their school with a circus

texts:
Suppose you are a principal of a school. One day when you hear lots of loud laughter and screams from a classroom which has no teacher for some reasons. You go there to find out why those children are shouting. When you get there, you see two children have sit on their chairs and are screaming and clowning around! You're shocked and want to find out the reason of such a silliness. Do the self-made sentences below make any sense to you? If yes please let me know if they are natural in English. If not, please tell me what would the principal say in such a situation to indicate the same message:

  Have you mistaken here with a circus?
  Have you mixed up here with a circus?
  Have you muddled up here with a circus?


texts: What is the subject and object in this quote by Pablo Picasso

texts:
I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

Is this a good sentence construction?

The subject is "I," but is there more than one subject in it?


texts: None of my friends live near me. vs None of us speaks Italian

texts:
As I see from my grammar book both sentences are correct, but I don't understand why in first one is "live", but in second - "speaks"? Could you explain this difference?

  None of my friends live near me.

  None of us speaks Italian.

TIA


texts:
Could someone please tell me what it's wrong to use the infinitive instead the gerund in these examples? Why Can't I do this? To me is sounds better with the infinitive.

  "Thieves broke into the house, but didn0t take anything. There was
  nothing worth to steal.

  "I had no trouble to find a place to stay."

  "Did you have a problem to get a visa?"


texts:
I would like to paraphrase the following statements

  They have little social experience beyound its boundaries

  The influence of the peer group climaxes in adolescence

Could you please help me

The context for first statement is :

The family is where children establish their first close emotional ties, learn language, and begin to internalize cultutral norms and values. To young children the family is all-encompassing. They have little social experience beyond its boundaries and therefore lack any basis for comparing and evaluating what is learnt from family members.

For second one :

The influence of the peer group climaxes in adolescence, when young people are apt to form a distinctive subculture with its own tastes, dress, jargon, symbols, values and heroes .


texts:
That's the original sentence.

  This is one of the hardest books in the world to understand.

What do you think the function of "to understand" is ?

I think it is connected to a whole noun phrase "the hardests books" and

this sentence is the same as

  This is one of the books in the world that are the hardest to understand.

Do you agree? Thanks.


texts:
Which is right?

A black bird with a small white patch eats to its fill the fishes in t he pond.
A black bird with a small white patch on it eats to its fill the fishes in the pond.

I kind of think, "on it" is implied and can be skipped. My friend says, it cannot be skipped.


texts: Is it acceptable to say "to accuse for doing something"?

texts: Is it right to say "She accused him for breaking her glasses" or we should always use the preposition "of"(She accused him of breaking her glasses")/Thank you


texts: Is this pronoun a dummy-it or referring to something?

texts:
“D’you think he meant you to do it?” said Ron. “Sending you your
  father’s cloak and everything?” “Well, ” Hermione exploded, “if
  he did — I mean to say that’s terrible — you could have been
  killed.” “No, it isn’t,” said Harry thoughtfully. “He’s a funny
  man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I
  think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I
  reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of
  stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don’t think it was an
  accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It’s almost
  like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could…”
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Is ‘it’ refer to something preceding or is it a dummy-it and ‘like-‘ clause is the semantic subject?


texts: Can the long clause modifying the subject be placed at the end of sentence because it is too long?

texts:
These interpretations affect the adult's behavior, all of which may be more closely related to the adult's filters than to the child's actual behavior.

Is it ok to place the bracketed clause below at the end of the sentence as shown in the sentence right above because it is too long?

  These interpretations, [all of which may be more closely related to the adult's filters than to the child's actual behavior], affect the adult's behavior.

Could you help me clarify it?   Thank you always.


texts: How to make phrase sentence about availability for a meeting

texts:
I am writing a formal email to inform my availability for a meeting. I want to write that I am available all week except on Monday morning and Friday morning. Which of the following is correct?

I am available all week except on Monday and Friday morning.
I am available all week except on Monday morning and Friday morning.
I am available all week except on mornings of Monday and Friday.

For option 1, it sounds like I am not available on entire Monday and morning of Friday.
For option 2, using morning twice is repetition.

I would appreciate if someone can comment on or rephrase these options.


texts:
Native speaker vs. Mother tongue speaker meaning
What are the differences between these  two  expression?


texts: “The group of fifty people {is / are} going to arrive Thursday” - which is preferred?

texts:
Isn't the following sentence grammatically correct?

  The group of fifty people are going to arrive Thursday.

What's wrong with it? Someone said it should be

  The group of fifty people is going to arrive Thursday.

Why? People is plural so why is people is better than people are?


texts: Is the verb "violate" idiomatic for "right"?

texts:
I have right to know that information. But they violated my right to
  that information.

When someone does not satisfy someone's right, could we say they violate her right? Is that verb idiomatic in such context?


texts:
I was filling a funny test and this was one of the questions:

Which dance move are you totally down with?

What does "totally down with" means?

Is it positive or negative?


texts:
What's the correct order in the following context? A place nearby,  or a nearby place?

  a) "Please,  recommend me on a place nearby where I can buy socks…"

  b) "Please,  recommend me on a nearby place where I can buy socks…"


texts:
Here's part of an article:

  The bleakest charge, heard in political speeches, in academic discourse and from community campaigners, is that American schools and neighbourhoods are resegregating along "racial lines", in mockery of King's legacy. (the last sentence of paragraph 4th)

I suppose the "charge" here means accusation or criticism. So do the "racial lines" here have the same meaning of "a colour line" mentioned earlier in the middle of paragraph 3rd? Do they mean an actual line separating the then black and white races for some services like transportation?


texts: "arrive" Vs. "reach" what are the differences if any?

texts:
In the past I've been told that there is a difference between the usage of these two verbs: "arrive" and "reach", But I've never understood it. Today Iv'e checked it in the Cambridge dictionary and I found that they are considering synonyms:

  Reach: to arrive at a place, especially after spending a long time or a lot of effort travelling.

  Arrive: to reach a place, especially at the end of a journey.

But By googling I've reached / arrived this site, which the writer there write the following things:

  REACH and ARRIVE are very similar, they imply you made it to the final
  destination. I reached my goal, I arrived home.

  REACH implies you were farther away and you finally reached the destination. Often it is used in a context where there were
  difficulties in the way. But not necessarily. It implies the goal is
  achieved, you reached your destination. e.g. "Despite the storm on the sea we reached the shore safe and sound."

  ARRIVE means you got there. It is used also in a context of
  transportation, like planes, buses, trains. e.g. I arrived at 10 / The
  bus is scheduled to arrive at 10.

Now, my question is if based on that they are synonyms, can I use them interchangeably or they are not synonyms and I have to use each one of them in a certain context. Very often I find myself thinking about If I should use "arrive" or "reach". So far, I have no really clear information about it.


texts: The ways to say something is not necessary

texts:
In the sentence I wrote, I am thinking what is the proper construction and tone to relate two clauses of which one is about necessity of something

  1) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and he doesn’t need to provide the word definitions.

  2) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and he is not needed to provide the word definitions.

  3) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and he is not required to provide the word definitions.

  4) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and he is not obliged to provide the word definitions.

  5) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and it is not required that him to provide the word definitions.

  6) Note that the teacher only prepares a list of words and it is not necessary to provide the word definitions.

.....


texts:
I'm trying to improve my English by Reading books and I have chosen this book to read (First they killed my father ) Do you think that reading books is a good way to improve my English . My English Level is upper mediate . I'm in the beginning of the book . and I have faced these sentences which I can't understand exactly what they mean .
This is the text:

  Sometimes on the way to the market with Ma, I catch brief glimpses of these poor areas. I watch with fascination as children with oily black hair, wearing old, dirty clothes run up to our cyclo in their bare feet. Many look about the same size as me as they rush over with naked younger siblings bouncing on their backs. Even from afar, I see red dirt covers their faces, nestling in the creases of their necks and under their fingernails. Holding up small wooden carvings of the Buddha, oxen, wagons, and miniature bamboo flutes with one hand, they balance oversized woven straw baskets on their heads or straddled on their hips and plead with us to buy their wares. Some have nothing to sell and approach us murmuring with extended hands. Every time, before I can make out what they say, the cyclo’s rusty bell clangs noisily, forcing the children to scurry out of our way.

rush over: I have looked up in dictionary for it and found the rush means hurry.
and I have looked up for rush over and couldnt find its meaning so I supposed it means run at. They rush over with naked younger siblings bouncing on their backs. Does this mean that they were running at carrying their younger sibling on their shoulder?


texts:
Can someone make me understand the meaning of this sentence:

"I'm sick to death of all of you!"

What is the speaker trying to express? What does the phrase sick to death mean?


texts:
This passage is from "Macmillan English Grammar in Context" by Michael Vince.

"They are still examining the wreckage of the high speed train. They don't believe the accident involves driver error. We expect to publish an inquiry into this accident quite soon", a spokesman announced yesterday."

Should I use "expect" or "Are expecting"?
And in this sentence

"Thanks for your email. I hope/ I am hoping to get back to you very soon."

The book says the progressive is less definite. What does it mean?


texts: An adjective for a law that is currently operating

texts:
But what does the current Constitution of the state say on that matter?

In the question above I want to add more meaning to the word "current". I am not fully satisfied with "current" because it means mainly "latest adopted", but doesn't underscore the idea that the Constitution in question was fully  functioning and being well-observed in the state besides just having been adopted. So, is there any better word in English that I could use here instead of "current"?
EDIT: I do realize that "current" also implies "functioning" in this case, but I would really want to emphasize the fact that the law hasn't been compromised and has been operating well in the country.


texts: Which is correct? "Get an answer by him" or "get an answer from him"

texts:
I am confused with below expression.

  You might get a correct answer by him.
  You might get a correct answer from him.

Which is the correct expression?


texts: Why does "I would enjoy to [verb]?" sound so awkward?

texts:
I was journalling, and I typed the following:

  I would love to learn how to program in Haskell and Rust.

But then I realized that "love" is too strong a word. It's only true that I would enjoy learning to program in Haskell and Rust, but it's not true that I would love doing it.

So, I replaced the word "love" with "enjoy":

  I would enjoy to learn how to program in Haskell and Rust.

But then I realized that this sounds awkward to my English-as-my-first-language ears.

But, it seems like the verbs "to enjoy" and "to love" should work the same? They do work the same in the following:

  I enjoy line dancing.
  I love line dancing.

But they don't seem to work the same in the following:

  I enjoy to line dance. [this sounds awkward]
  I love to line dance.

Is there a grammatical reason that "I enjoy to line dance" sounds so awkward to me?

Edit (after I accepted that this question is an exact duplicate of a different question) :

I might note that the following does sound fine to my ears, though:

  I would enjoy very much to tell my boss that he can go f*** himself! I hate him so much!


texts: What's the difference between “crisscross" and “cross"?

texts:
I read the following caption:

The narrow gauge train often crisscrosses the street

What's the difference between “crisscross" and  “cross" this context?


texts:
I'm a bit confused on how to use " as much/many as" structure..

here my sentences..I would like you to check them if they are ok please

  1.The factory A consumes electricity as much as the factory B does.

  2.The factory A consumes  as much electricity as the factory B does.

  3.The factory A consumes as much electricity as 10 times the factory B does.
  (For me this sentence mean The factories A and B consumer 10 times
  more than usual.)

  4.The factory A consumes as much electricity as 10 times than the factory B does.

  5.The factory A consumes as much electricity as 10 times more than the factory B does.

  6.The factory A consumes electricity 10 times more than the factory B does.

  7.The factory A consumes 10 times  as much electricity as the factory B does

  8.Ths table takes up 3 times as much large as the old one.

  9.This table takes up 3 times as much as the old one.

  10.The diameter of the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon's


texts:
By the time data on whether they met the targets are made public, Mr Trump could be long gone.

i) The verb "are" takes which subject ?
ii) How to understand/ find out the subject in this type of sentence?
iii) what kind of sentence is this and what is the meaning of second clause?


texts: Expenditure allocation management is the correct word in excel table header?

texts:
I need to give two name for table header column but I'm not sure whether both naming is correct.

1. Expenditure Allocation Management
Meaning : This is the allocation provided for managing organization
2. % Expenditure Progress
Meaning : This is the percentage of how many that allocation has been used for managing organisation.
Are the two name is correct?


texts:
What does "not much to it" adds to a sentence? Is it something like "it was nothing, there wasn't meaning to it" kind of thing?

Context: "Me and her hung out a few times shortly after mom passed away, but there wasn't much to it"


texts: Can "that is" be elided in defining attributive clauses?

texts:
With the introduction of computed tomography(CT) followed by other
  digital diagnostic imaging modalities in the 1970's,and the increasing
  use of computers in  clinical applications , the American College of
  Radiology(ACR) and the National Electrical  Manufacturers
  Association(NEMA) recognized the emerging need for a standard method
  for transferring images and associated information between devices
  manufactured by various vendors.

I think that the words 'that is', are elided from the bold section like this:

the introduction of computed tomography (CT) that is followed by other digital diagnostic imaging modalities

And the sentence means that CT was introduced in 1970's, and the other modalities followed CT.

Is it right?

Now I'm getting a little confusion about the word 'followed by'.
I thought it should be 'Be followed by'.And that is what my learned before.

But I searched 'follow by' on Google.Then I found this sentence :

"To follow by faith alone is to follow blindly." -Benjamin Franklin

So the word 'follow by' here is a ... fixed phrase?It's not a ... passive voice?

And more importantly, what comes first ?


texts: they are a traitor or they are traitors?

texts:
Which one is correct :  they are a traitor  or  they are  traitors ?

I read "they are a traitor" on reddit

  According to some people on this Subreddit and in South Africa if a White South African leaves they are a traitor, racist and trying to destroy the country.


texts:
I am Korean Enlish learner:)

I want to know the difference between "on campus" and "at campus" .

I'm not sure when to put preposition 'on' and 'at' before ' campus'.

I am curious about the usage becuse my teacher said we can use both "at" and "on" with the word "school".


texts: What does "Pull up a bit of grass" mean in this context?

texts:
... ...

  "Pull up a bit of grass, Barry," said Ludo brightly, patting the ground beside him.

  "No thank you, Ludo," said (Barry)Crouch, and there was a bite of impatience
  in his voice. "I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians
  are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box." ...

I think in this context Ludo was asking Barry to sit beside him. The phrase "Pull up a bit of grass" is pretty close to "Pull up a chair". But does Ludo mean that Barry literally pulled up a bit of grass and sit beside him? How should we understand it in this context?


texts: Are nominalized verbs to nouns (Un)countable?

texts:
This case always gets my head dizzy everytime I want to write sentence in english, and each of articles I read on the internet didn't discuss this part.

movement
reaction
refusal

And especially those which are in the state of gerund.

Running (I do some runnings? Or some running?)

I could just go to dictionary site to check these 3 words whether they are countable or not, but I think it would be wise if I just ask. Because I have feeling that, it is either (just like normal/pure noun) ?


texts: meaning(metaphor) of the sentence: "putting my fireproof suit on"

texts:
I saw the Q&A few weeks ago,

A: Are you watching the walking dead
B: No."putting my fireproof suit on"

so, does it mean afraid or angry or something?

THANK YOU :)


texts:
Comcast plans to walk away from Time Warner Cable deal. Comcast could announce as early as Friday that they will ditch their plans to buy Time Warner Cable. Regulators plan to nix the $45 billion proposal which would consolidate the nation's two largest cable companies. The post-merger company would have had access to nearly half of the Internet market nationwide. Consumers and advocacy groups have vigorously opposed the deal, arguing that the deal would give one company too much clout in video and Internet access.

Could you simplify the meaning of "post-merger" and "pre merger" in simple English in this context?


texts:
The dictionary definition of emasculated is "(of a man) deprived of his male role or identity." or "made weaker or less effective"
So, I'm a guy, and I'm not entirely sure what it means to be deprived of a man's role or identity. Does it mean to not feel manly? Does this word have to do with gender norms? The reason I thought the word was sexist is because it says "man's role".
I found a sentence example saying, "He was worried his pink pants would emasculate him a bit, but he wore them anyway." See it seems like it's talking about gender roles.


texts:
My version is the following: Whom was this book written by?
But I heard a few times that usage of 'whom' is very weird or obsolete in English, although all my teachers taught me to use it and most Internet sources recommend the mandatory usage of 'whom'. I never had an experience to have a living English conversation, so I know very little about live English (spoken language).
Would it be better to say in spoken English:
Who was this book written by?
or maybe
By who was this book written?


texts: What is the difference between these sentences-usage and structural?

texts:
There are no tanks to draw/take the water.

  There are no tanks to draw the water from.

  There are no tanks from which to take the water.

I want to know what is the difference between the usage of these, especially 2nd and 3rd. Another same type:

  No teachers to take the result from.

  No teachers from whom to take the result.

(There are has been omitted).


texts:
A collective noun is a word which we use to define a group or collection of people, animals or things.

Which is/are right?, or are these sentences right?

Singular:

a pack of wolves is ...

an army of ants is...

a set of buttons is...

Plural:

a packs of wolves are ...

an armies of ants are...

a sets of buttons are...

PS. What do you call the 'packs' and what do you call the 'wolves'? Is it identifiers?


texts:
I have written a text about a motorbike. I would like to rewrite it converting into passive voice. I know how to do it grammatically. But I'm not sure the change I have made sounds right or not.

  A few days ago, somebody stole Keith Dunn's motorbike. Keith had left
  his motorbike outside his house. Keith reported the theft to the
  police. The police told him they would try to find his motorbike. This
  morning, the police called Keith and asked him to go to the police
  station. They had found his motorbike. The thieves had painted it and
  then sold it to someone else. The new owner had parked the motorbike
  outside the police station. The police arrested the thieves.

And after voice change I rewrote the text as:

  Keith Dunn's motorbike was stolen a few days ago. His motorbike had
  been left outside his house. The theft was reported to the police. He
  was told a police would try to find his motorbike. This morning, Keith
  was called and asked to go to the police station. His motorbike had
  been found. It had been painted by the thieves and then had been sold
  to someone else. The motorbike had been parked by the new owner
  outside the police station. The thieves were arrested by the police.


texts:
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/probe-heads-towards-historic-comet-landing-092723386.html

  It has enough battery power to provide about 60 hours of work, but can continue until March with a solar recharge.
  It accounts for about a fifth of the mission's total expected data haul from the marathon mission.

How do you understand this phrase?


texts:
into has a lot of meanings. I normally use it when I mean to go inside:

  into: to the inside or middle of a place, container, area, etc.

  Let's go into the garden. Cambridge Dictionary

I saw the following example on one of Oxford conversation videos

  I don't fancy of driving back tonight. Why don't we stay near here then we can go straight into work tomorrow.

We don't go inside the work, we go to the work.

So, Is it common to use into with work?

Google books - Ngram:


texts: “Just tell a little” vs “Tell just a little” or

texts:
“Tell just a little lie that your heart feels unhappy without me. Once let my heart get pleased then you weasel out again!”

“Just tell a little lie...”

I am making a strong request to him tell a little lie that your heart feels unhappy without me.
Which one “Just tell a little lie...” or “Tell just a little lie...” does imply a ‘strong request’ to ask him to do that?


texts:
Is "either ... or ... or" used properly used in the following?

  When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, or let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.


texts:
I know that "which" or "that" should be used to refer to entities, and "who" to people. However, I have come across "who" being used to refer to companies and agencies in a UK ESL textbook for the second time.

So is the following sentence grammatical in UK English?

  An agency or a company who will help you ...


texts: It's naive of you to believe that. vs It's naive for you to believe that

texts:
It's naive of you to believe that.

Why do we use 'of' and what's the meaning of 'of' and why can't we use 'for'?
There are some cases that we use only 'of' such as "kin of you, nice of you, etc.

It's naive for you to believe that.

This one is wrong as per my knowledge. If I use 'for', what does ist sound to natives?


texts: "exam supervisor" or "exam superintendent"?

texts:
1.He has a duty of an exam supervisor.

  2.He has a duty of an exam superintendent.

Which word is suitable for exam, supervisor or superintendent?


texts: Looking for a date to/for my opening tomorrow

texts:
I am looking for a date to/for my opening tomorrow.

Note: Here “date” means “a person to go on a date with”. And “opening” means “the inauguration of a shop”.
Are both prepositions correct in the example? I believe “for” is appropriate here.


texts: "On a par" means 'equal to' or 'of same value'?

texts:
Source

The UK's "labour productivity per hour-worked" is currently on a par with the average for the old EU

Now which comes closest in meaning to the phrase "on a par" ?

i) equal to

ii) of same value

Now , only one has to be the correct answer and I think both actually work in the given context because average  is a number and being equal to it or being of the same value would not be different.So both option i) and ii) mean same to me but that is not correct right? So ,how do I get  the closest meaning ?

EDIT: This is from a test question, and the question says only one is correct, so I am confused.


texts: Splitting "X verbed Y into Z" statements into question and answer

texts:
Are these responses grammatical?

  Speaker A: What did John force Mary to do?
  Speaker B: Her into buying the house.

  Speaker A: What did John talk to Jim?
  Speaker B: Him into believing the news.

The original sentences of speaker B are as follows:

John forced Mary into buying the house.
John talked Jim into believing the news.

And, if I give some context for them, is it possible to understand? such as:

  (Context: John wants Mary to buy the house, and then he has insanely talked to her for his goal.)

  Speaker A: What did John force Mary to do?
  Speaker B: Her into buying the house.


texts:
Can anyone please tell me if I can leave the word the out in the following sentences? Can any teacher on anyone who has good grasp on the language please explain it to me?

1- Nothing is impossible in this world. Everything can be achieved. It depends on the mindsets of people how they cope with tough situations in their lives and how hard they work to reach their goals.

2- The teeth of tigers are very sharp.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Which sentence is the correct one, or are they both correct?

I am going to the post office in 2 hours. Shall I post the letter for you?
or
I will be going to the post office in 2 hours. Shall I post the letter for you?


texts: for fear of -- why do we not use an article if front of "fear"?

texts:
Example with a context:

  The Senate bill—dubbed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act—must still be approved by the White House, which has so far been reluctant to provide direct military assistance to Ukraine for fear of being drawn into a proxy war with Russia.

Do you think it is possible to have the article the placed in front of fear of or it should always be the way it's written above in the example, i.e. for fear of without the article?


texts:
I understand that you use "has" when it's singular, and "have" when it's plural. However I've always heard "has the materials I ordered arrived?"
In this case, is it "has the materials arrived?" or "have the materials arrived?"


texts: Is it OK to use two “them” meaning different things?

texts:
I made cookies for Mike and Jack. They will come to my house to eat them.

Doesn’t this sound strange?


texts: Using the indefinite article after the definite article with the same object

texts:
I came across an ESL short story with an unusual usage of articles:

  Jake was a keen fisherman and at the weekends he often took his boat
  out to the middle of the lake to relax and recover from the hustle and
  bustle of the working week. One day, Jake was sitting in his boat,
  enjoying the tranquility of the place. The sun was shining and he was
  listening to the gentle lapping of the water around his boat.  He
  noticed a woman walking along by the side of a lake. The woman stopped and called out, ‘Hey! You! Are you thinking out there?’...(the full story)

Could anybody help me to understand the usage of the articles with the word "lake" in the passage? Isn't that the same "lake" in the both sentences? As I thought we should use "the" with the object which has already been mentioned. Maybe there is another rule in this case?


texts: When someones does everything he is asked to do (expression)

texts:
Is there an expression to use when someone does not do something or does something, because, for example, he does not want to offend that person or upset him.

For example, your close friend asks you to do something. You don't really want to do it, but you do it, because you think if you don't, he will get upset.

Is there any expression defining the act?
Or is there one that describes the type of relationship between you and your friend? Describing a relationship in which one side finds it really hard to refuse the other's request fearing he might get upset.

  A: She asked you to do her homework and you did it again?!
    B: Well,
  yes. I didn't want to upset her. (Something that B can say about himself and the way their relationship is)

I'm not sure if saying the person is "constrained by reserve" can fit the context. Cause might sound weird if B says "I'm usually constrained by feelings of reserve in my friendship with her."


texts:
1- I come across with below sentence written by a professor from the US in a paper:

  All amorphous material are actually in states which are configurationally frozen, a particular configuration being specified by its partial distribution.

it seems, here, a reduced relative clause was used, right?
Why "being" was not eliminated?
I mean that the sentence should not be like:

  .... a particular configuration specified by its partial distribution.

I mean I expect something like this we should have:

  The car, which was purchased in Seattle, was a vintage Mustang.
  The car purchased in Seattle was a vintage Mustang.

2- Additionally, I found below sentence in a grammar book:

  The fruit was expensive, being imported. (The fruit was expensive because it was imported)

They used participle clause, here. To the best of my knowledge, we can rewrite above sentence like below,

  The imported fruit was expensive.

which is thanks to leaving one word after reduction. Now, what if we have something like below,

  The fruit was expensive because it was imported + (from a few countries by some cartels OR a clause)

to exercise participle clause for above sentence, which one is better, and why?

  1- The fruit was expensive, imported from a few countries by some cartels.
  2- The fruit was expensive, being imported from a few countries by some cartels.
  3- Imported from a few countries by some cartels, the fruit was expensive.
  4- Being imported from a few countries by some cartels, the fruit was expensive.


texts:
When we wear something with the part that is usually inside facing out, we say:

inside out

  You've got your sweater on inside out.

When something faces to the ground we say:

upside down.

What do we say when an object is placed in its usual position?

For instance, there is a shoe with its upside towards the ground, we'll say:

  The shoe is lying upside down.

What would we say for the following picture?

  The shoe is placed upright.

Is it correct?


texts: Can infinitives be used as Subject Complements and Object Complements?

texts:
Infinitives in sentences are qualify verbs, nouns, adjectives etc. and can be replaced with adjectives, adverbs.

Is it possible to use infinitives as object or subject complements in sentences?
Please consider these sentences. Here I've used passive past infinitives as subject complement of each verb:

  He appeared to be punished for what he did.
  He is to be received the money.

Also, here infinitives are used as complement of its object:

  I allow him to go.
  I found this question to have been solved by someone.

Again, can we use infinitives as this way in sentences? I'm little confused about infinitives and the ways its usage in sentences.


texts: Expression choice between 'an English teacher in China' and ' a Chinese English teacher'

texts:
I am writing my essay for graduate application. This is the question that puzzles me.
Which one is better, 'as an English teacher in China'  or 'as a Chinese English teacher' or 'as a bilingual teacher'?

What I want to express here is I am an English teacher in China (I am Chinese).  BTW, I am a senior college student.


texts: What's the difference between 'go to work' and 'get to work'

texts:
I'm just wondering between 'go to work' and 'get to work'.

Today, I was working and one of my coworker was talking to me.

But I was so busy so just told him 'go to work~'

and he said 'I'm already here, you have to say 'get to work'.

because he knows I'm studying English so he tries to teach me English sometimes.

Anyway, what's the difference between them? Could anybody explain meaning of 'get to' in this sentence?

And I also want to know some other sentences using 'get to' to fully understand.


texts: "...anyone who should suggest..." — does "should" differ from "would"?

texts:
The following piece is from 1984:

  For the moment he had shut his ears to the remoter noises and was listening to the stuff that streamed out of the telescreen. It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it. Parsons swallowed it easily, with the stupidity of an animal. The eyeless creature at the other table swallowed it fanatically, passionately, with a furious desire to track down, denounce, and vaporize anyone who should suggest that last week the ration had been thirty grammes.

What does should suggest exactly mean here? If we were to replace should with would, would the meaning of the sentence change in any way?


texts:
Our house has been around about 40 years.

Or

  Our house has been around 40 years.

Which is correct, grammatically?


texts:
I'm planning to buy some items from online shop on the internet, but I couldn't find their refund policy on their web-site. So I want to send them an email to check if they guarantee the refund in-case that I don't receive the item.

what tense should I use, all tenses sound well. So I'm not sure.

  If I don't receive the item,  Do you guarantee the refund?
  If I haven’t received the item,  Do you guarantee the refund?
  If I won't receive the item,  Do you guarantee the refund?


texts:
to end up in the army (dictionary.com verb, end #30)

‘End’ denotes ‘reach or arrive at a final condition, circumstance, or goal (often followed by up)'. Then if it, end up, is followed by prepositional phrases, participles, adjectives, does ‘up’ denote ‘into the following state’?


texts: Best interpretation of "everybody has an angle"

texts:
Of late I have learned about the sentence "everybody has an angle", which I cannot recall for now where I came across it. I have no idea about its meaning, usage, and so forth.

I think what I look for is the best interpretation of this sentence.


texts: looking for a word meaning "crouching carriage"

texts: When some one always has a crouching posture what is it called? For example a beggar walks towards you and his body is kind of bent all the time.


texts:
I would like to compare  the  following two sentences in terms of meaning so as to see how replacing modifiers can cause to change the meaning completely.

  He earned nearly $100.
  He nearly earned $100.

For me, the first sentence has a sense that he earns  an amount  close to $100  or almost $100. However, I could not figure out if the second sentence has a misleading meaning or  it does not just make a sense.


texts:
If I'm talking to someone at a party, can I suddenly say: "So, what do you say, is it time we hit the dance floor?" Is the use of "what do you say" natural in that context?
Could I also use it if I have just asked someone if they want to do something but they are hesitant, so I ask: "What do you say?"?


texts: In this sentence: "Mountains and lakes are typical of the landscape(s) in Switzerland." landscape should be used singular or plural? Why?


texts:
I received this in reply and I do not get it whether he is being bossy, rude, neutral, jerk or normal or what??????

  Exactly you will need physically pull it out and put it in an excel sheet… I have give you the heads I need it in its going to hard manual work

What does he mean by 'give the heads'? Is there any phrase "give the heads up"?


texts:
Ghee is used to cook the curry in.
  Ghee is used to cook in the curry.

Which one is more common?
Are there different meanings between these two sentences?


texts: When you say someone is cheeky and funny under a kindergarten setup, is that generally understood in a positive way?

texts:
My daughter comes back from kindergarten and says one of her friend is funny and her class teacher is cheeky.

The dictionary assigns both positive and negative meaning to those words,

Funny can be humorous, but also silly, dishonest, or unfriendly
Cheeky means slightly rude or showing no respect, but often in a funny way

As a foreigner I can't grasp the subtleties of the words, so I'd like to check if these words are generally interpreted as positive under kindergarten context? Would I offend others if I use them?


texts: Grammatical validity of an article title: "What price conformity?"

texts:
Context: "What Price Conformity?"
I found an article on the internet with this title along with some 23 pages more, and it confused me. You can easily google it; it's the first among the results. Can anyone explain what it means? Is it a set phrase?
I think "price" may act as a verb here, but the traditional way I would have used, "What Price Is Conformity?" or "What Prices Conformity" (if we use present indefinite).


texts: What do you call a device that lets you talk telepathically with other people? I know that this doesn't exist yet, but it does in the realm of science fiction. Such a device that connects your brain to other people brain, what are they called? I presume there might be fictional coined terms, but I would like to have a generic word I can use in almost any context.


texts:
Should I use the article before the word "word" in the question :

  How do you describe the word "tissues"?


texts: "behavior" gets an article while being single?

texts:
Does the word "behavior" get an article while being single?

The context is:
Do these changes make (a) negative behavior or (a) positive behavior?


texts:
He lived there for 10 years;
  He has lived there for 10 years;
  He has been living there for 10 years.

If 1. means the person may very well not be living there anymore now and 3. means he is still living there at the moment,

What does 2. mean having to do with the present situation？
What is the difference of it between the other two sentences(esp. 3.)?


texts: Should this sentence use “is ambitious” or “is ambition”?

texts:
Which one of the following two sentences is correct? and why?

In my opinion, The characteristic that best describes me is ambitious. (adj.)
In my opinion, The characteristic that best describes me is ambition. (n.)

It is supposed to be the answer for this question:-

"what personal quality describes you most accurately?"

if we rearrange the sentences, we get this:-

Ambitious is the characteristic that best describes me?
Ambition is the characteristic that best describes me?

which form of the word should be used, noun or adjective?


texts: What is the the meaning of "…in what is delivered and implemented…"

texts:
I'm translating a book into Persian. Please help me understand the meaning of "in what is..." in bold below.

  But within the equivalence of equality there is a recognizable difference in what is delivered and implemented both interinstitutionally and intra-interinstitutionally.


texts:
For example When I buy something from my supplier  he allow me to make payment after 30 days .In this case which verb should I use in sentence below?

  My supplier provides a payment term of 30 days for me.

  My supplier enables a payment term of 30 days for me.

  My supplier procures a payment term of 30 days for me


texts: I remember when... two different usages?

texts:
I remember when he left the room.
I remember when she was young.

The first sentence is probably talking about the time when he left, but when you asked a question like the second one, you would not answer like 5 years ago.
I feel a bit weird in terms of the grammar. Maybe some words are omitted between remember and when like "I remember the day when she was young. And the sentence may be informal.
Can anyone explain the usages with the grammar?


texts: When "much" is used as an adverb, can it be used to modify a verb? Does "We all love him much" make sense to you, native speakers?


texts:
I was wondering about sentences such as, for instance, "I am going to be hugged."
I assumed "hugged" is a passive verb in this context, but what about the verb "to be"? Is it considered active or passive?
I'm not asking about the sentence, but specifically about the verb "to be". I'm clear on the sentence as a whole being phrased in passive voice, and on "hugged" being a passive verb in context; but "to be", specifically, is weird to me: the aforementioned "to be" feels close in meaning to "acting the part of a person who is currently being hugged", which is quite an active interpretation of it. It feels strange to me to say that "being" something can be passive. I am actively being that something; it is me who is "doing the being", while someone else is "doing the hugging", so it seems to me as though the former should be active while the latter should be passive.


texts: She will have been working vs she will be working

texts:
By ten o'clock , she will have been typing for three hours

  By ten o'clock , she will be typing for three hours

First one is Future Perfect Continues
Second is Future Continues

I cant understand the difference between these two


texts: How to understand "in line" and "in groups"? Are they adverbials of means or adverbials of place?

texts:
(1) When he got to the bus stop, there were already many people there. They
  were standing in line.

  (2) The students sat in groups.

Are they adverbials of means or adverbials of place? Can you describe the scenes for me?


texts:
My question is about how to address to people but let me explain the situation.

Tomorrow a visiting professor is giving a talk in our school. I am a chair in his speech. This is my first time to be a chair. I have found some tips from YouTube how to open the ceremony and how to introduce the presenter but unfortunately I have no idea how to address our dean, deputy dean etc and also I have no idea what should I say before singing the National Anthem and University Anthem.

Could someone advice me.

Thank you.


texts:
What does the expression push and pull mean in the following article from The New York Times?

The Push and Pull of Gender for Muslims at the Hajj


texts:
I've come across with the sentence below?

  Old tasks become easier the second time around, but it doesn’t get
  easier overall because now you’re pouring your energy into the next
  challenge.

I don't know what the reference of "it" is here. The tasks? the process? or anything else?
So could you please tell me what the reference of "it" is here?

The full text is:

  Usually, this minor dip in performance is no cause for worry. [...]
  The less energy you spend on trivial choices, the more you can spend
  it on what really matters. However, when you want to maximize your
  potential and achieve elite levels of performance, you need a more
  nuanced approach. You can’t repeat the same things blindly and expect
  to become exceptional. Habits are necessary, but not sufficient for
  mastery. What you need is a combination of automatic habits and
  deliberate practice. Habits + Deliberate Practice = Mastery To become
  great, certain skills do need to become automatic. Basketball players
  need to be able to dribble without thinking before they can move on to
  mastering layups with their nondominant hand. [...] But after one
  habit has been mastered, you have to return to the effortful part of
  the work and begin building the next habit. Mastery is the process of
  narrowing your focus to a tiny element of success, repeating it until
  you have internalized the skill, and then using this new habit as the
  foundation to advance to the next frontier of your development. Old
  tasks become easier the second time around, but it doesn’t get easier
  overall because now you’re pouring your energy into the next
  challenge. Each habit unlocks the next level of performance. It’s an
  endless cycle.

Atomic habits by James Clear


texts:
I saw a phrase of the song of LP which contains 'em

  So smoke 'em if you got 'em

  Cause it's going down

  All I ever wanted was you

Lost on you - LP- lyrics


texts: "Do you take...?" vs. "Did you take...?"

texts:
My teacher has an exercise that's complete the sentences with the correct verb tenses.

The sentence: This is an excellent photograph. You/take it/yourself/?

  My answer: This is an excellent photograph. Did you take it yourself?

But my teacher said that it was wrong. Her answer was:

  This is an excellent photograph. Do you take it yourself?

Who is right?


texts:
Imagine that I am speaking to a friend who is meeting the president tomorrow.
Would it be correct if I said to him:

If I met the president tomorrow, I wouldn't sleep this night.

Should I say "If I met the president tomorrow..." or "If I would meet the president tomorrow..."?


texts:
If it's pluralized (increases), should the stress still be on the first syllable?

[IN-krees]
[IN-krees- es]


texts:
It is from Crash Course US history. It is at 13 minute and 3 second.

  And in light of this, Bartleby just stops working, saying "I prefer not", when asked, well, pretty much anything.

I cannot get whether Bartleby asked anything he wanted or he was asked.


texts:
If I hear someone say "As for the economy, we should talk about America", can I ask "What should we talk about America as for?" ?
I'm curious if we can ask these sorts of questions.

What should we talk about America as for? We should talk about America as for the economy.
What day does our contract end as of? Our contract ends as of June, 3rd.
What should I continue to improve regardless of? You should continue to improve regardless of your past failures.
What did you feel bad prior to? Prior to seeing her again, I felt bad.

Are these questions grammatically okay?
I think they are.
Thank you.


texts: I have finished the job vs I have the job finished

texts:
He had a hot shower when he had done his exercises.

  He had a hot shower when he had his exercises done.

Which sounds strange?


texts:
1.He is the very image of sophistication( he has all the qualities of sophistication)( extracted from the inside reading book 3)

2.This is the very much the story of a story

I am wondering if the concept or meaning of the bold parts are the same.

Any help would be appreciated


texts:
Jane got pregnant from Tom. I mean Tom will be a father. I am not sure if "from" is a proper word in that case.

And the second problem. Tom got to know that he would get to be a father. Or would become a father. Any common expressions or idioms for that?


texts: What does the phrase "if I am anything to go by" mean?

texts:
I have come it across in this program. It's at 1 minute and 18 seconds. Here it is:

Presenter A: So my question is: what percentage of people in the UK has less than 1000 pounds in savings? Is it a) 5%, b) 15%, c) 30%?
Presenter B: If I am anything to go by, I'd say c) 30%.


texts:
"They echo the way they know the average juror speaks and thinks".

How to understand this sentence? "The way" seems to be the object of the verb "echo". But I cannot understand how " the way" is followed by a senetence directly.

Is this sentence correct grammatically? And if this is correct, how to understand the sentence?


texts: We are aware of that we are short on time

texts:
I'm a S. Korean so eager to learn English.
My friends and I keep practicing English,
and we often run into sentences native speakers might find awkward. Please take a look at this. This is what my friend wrote.

  1) We all are aware of that we are short on time.

I believe the word 'of' is followed by 'nouns', not 'subjects and verbs', right?
So I suppose this needs to be rewritten,

  2a) We are aware of the fact that we are short on time. OR
  2b) We are aware that we are short on time.

Would you please help me know which one sounds okay?
If none of them looks natural, would you please show me a good one?


texts:
Shut up

I heard a lot of native speakers saying this phrasal verb with their friends. But what I noticed, though, was that they didn’t mean it literally.

What meaning does it give when it doesn’t mean to **stop talking”?


texts: A comparison between the verbs: "attain, "achieve", obtain", "acquire" and "gain"

texts:
Please suppose an employee has proved himself as a very valuable and hardworking talent in a particular field such as computer networking within his 5-year presence at a company. Because of some reasons, he decides to quit the team.

When it comes to say goodbye, the boss calls him and says:

  You have ............ a lot of positive things by associating with the team and now you can work independently and even incorporate your own company. I wish you every success in your future career.

I would appreciate it if you could let me know whether all the following choices work naturally in the sentence bellow or not. If not, which one and why:

  a) attained

  b) achieved

  c) obtained

  d) acquired

  e) gained

According to the dictionary definitions, they all should work properly, but another question is that supposing that all of them work in this particular case, whether each one of them cause any difference in the general meaning of the sentence or not.

Bringing up this question, I was going to discover the semantic nuances between the listed words above.


texts:
I am kind of confused about the meaning of the noun "numbers" in this piece:

  Some anxiety that had built around the protests ahead of Wednesday, a holiday to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China, eased as the day wore on and protests in many parts of Hong Kong took on a festive tone, with some demonstrators offering free haircuts and massages. As on other days, numbers shrank in the midday heat and swelled again as evening approached.

I've already checked dictionaries, but I cannot quite pinpoint the correct definition of "numbers" to use.


texts: Where would you like something picked up

texts:
And where would you like the box picked up from? (This is a section of a dialogue between a customer and an agent from a shipping company.)

Is it a reduced sentence? If it is, what is the full version of it?

  And where would you like the box to be picked up from?

Is that sentence above full version?


texts:
As a non native speaker of English I'm having difficulty in understanding the exact meaning of this sentence. What I have understood I will write it down. The paragraph goes like that

Dirty games are sick, and the outcome of screwed up developmental history, of neurotic, unfair, unfeeling upbringing -- in the family, in society, in the midst of cultural monstrosities that institutionalize abuse and maintain it as a norm.  People grow up twisted and starved for love -- but because they are twisted and have no other frame of reference for human relationships, the way they seek love (or reject it in favor of unfeeling stances) also comes out all distorted and abnormal.  "All is fair" only in psychopathic or sociopathic consciousness.  Not in love and not even in war.

What I understand is that - Dirty games develop out of bad upbringing and after that I cannot understand till the word norm. After that I understand the other lines. Can anybody simplify the sentences?
in the midst(middle) of cultural monstrosities(huge/evil) that institutionalize abuse(?) and maintain it as a norm. It's what I tried.


texts: What does the word 'it' refer to in the below sentence, and is there any ambiguity?

texts:
Could someone confirm what the word 'it' refers to in the following sentence?

Put the red ball under the table and look at it.

Am I correct in thinking that 'it' refers to the red ball and not the table? How would you structure the sentence if you wanted 'it' to refer to the table, and is there ever any ambiguity in this? In other words, is there ever a time where 'it' could refer to either of the nouns?


texts:
I would like to compare the words virulent, pernicious and detrimental in a certain contexts in terms of meaning so order to make sure I use them correctly.

From the definitions on dictionaries I can say that the words detrimental and pernicious overlap more in a sense of something harmful, while virulent has a sense of something poisonous or deadly. It is not hard to see virulent reminds of the noun virus. However,  apparently being used in certain context, virulent still conveys a sense of something harmful because viruses are harmful or detrimental.

I will give some examples and would like to ask if they sound correct.

  Being exposed to second-hand smoking in public places is as virulent
  as active smoking.

  Being exposed to second-hand smoking in public places is as
  detrimental as active smoking.

  Being exposed to second-hand smoking in public places is as
  pernicious as active smoking.

However I am less sure about these following examples:

  Being exposed to violence at early ages is likely to has virulent
  effects on children's psychological developments.

  Being exposed to violence at early ages is likely to has detrimental
  effects on children's psychological developments.

  Being exposed to violence at early ages is likely to has pernicious
  effects on children's psychological developments.

Virulent also has a meaning of stern or harsh as in "virulent/harsh criticism/remarks" or  can be said to imply that you have negative feelings or you are disapproving. Do other words work in the following sentence as well?

  Virulent individualism can cause fall apart relationships in a society.

  Pernicious individualism can cause fall apart relationships in a society.

  Pernicious individualism can cause fall apart relationships in a society.


texts: Is it wrong to say "How beautiful a girl she is!"?

texts:
Is it wrong to say

  How beautiful a girl she is!


texts: Did you know...? Where does the question mark go?

texts:
Where does the question mark go in 'Did you know...'?
I am trying to punctuate:

Did you know...
1% of the population xxxxx
7% of the population xxxxx
16% of employers xxxxx etc. etc.

showing a long list of facts.
Do I:

Put the ? after the ellipsis (...)

Put an ellipsis at the start of each fact and a ? at the end of each fact (some are very long though)

Not have a question mark at all


texts: Can I use the present tense "don't" when referring to a past event?

texts:
I would like to know if this sentence is correct:

  I don't love you anymore after you left me.

I am wondering if it should be "didn't love anymore", as the second part after after is in the past tense.


texts: Do they have different meanings: a class, class, and classes?

texts:
I am going to make up three similar sentences below.

  Do you have a class today?

  Do you have class today?

  Do you have classes today?

I think (1) doesn't make sense because I haven't heard of anyone saying that. (2) is correct because you are talking about the class you are taking right now. (3) is also correct because you are thinking about all the classes you are currently taking. Is my interpretation correct? What is your opinion?


texts:
I came across the following definition:

  A/an and the are articles. They are a type of determiner and they go
  before a noun.

(https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/determiners/a-an-and-the)

Consider the following examples:

Stuart is an intelligent boy.

That was an excellent meal.

Here intelligent and excellent are adjectives. I don't understand why we have used "an" before an adjective. I mean the definition says that "an" go before a noun.

Kindly clarify.


texts: "requires a detailed scientific justification" or "requires detailed scientific justification"

texts:
The use of a different reference drug requires a detailed scientific justification, as well as additional documents and data.

The word "justification" is marked as both countable and uncountable in dictionaries, and I'm not sure whether a is necessary here.

Maybe it works both ways, with or without "a"? I feel like with "requires" it works both ways, while with "calls for" it feels like "a" is necessary.

  The use of a different reference drug calls for a detailed scientific justification, as well as additional documents and data.


texts: Usage of adverb of time (for instance daily) in past and present time sentences

texts:
He plays this game daily.
He played this game daily.

According to grammatical rules, verb should be simple present tense if time of the action is not mentioned specifically if it has an adverb of time describing a regular action (daily in the above sentence).
My question is sentence no.2 correct? If so, can someone pleas explain why it would still be correct to use daily in a sentence with a simple past verb?


texts: Repetition of a proper noun in journalism

texts:
In a recent article about a youtuber named Felix Kjellberg (also known as Pewdiepie), I came across this sentence:

  In Kjellberg's most recent edition of Pew News, a semi-satirical series where Kjellberg offers his own take on news events [...], he dedicates [...]

The very close repetition of the name really surprised me, I'm 100% sure if I did that in an essay in my native language I would get a remark from my teacher. The writer could have easily avoided it by using he the second tim. Repeating a pronoun is really not as bad.

Does it look normal to you? Is it a thing related to journalism writing style maybe?

Another thing to note is that in the whole article, Pewdiepie is never referred to as something else than "Kjellberg", except when the writer is quoting someone else. Not even "Felix", or "the youtuber", just "Kjellberg".

Is it common practice or lazy writing?

(I don't want to link the article but it's easy to find)


texts:
What does it mean in this sentence please?:
 "They head down to the local pet store and have a look around."

Thx for your answers ;)


texts:
What is the fixed expression which can be said by an unlucky person to show their disappointment after a bad outcome / happening in English?

In Russian people have the slang: "ёлки-палки" which is a curse that is normally used when one wishes to express their vexation.
I know there are dozens of ways to show you don't like something that is going on like: "Oh my god / gosh / goodness / lord" or simply in a ruder way: "damn", "shit" or "fuck"!
But But I am looking for an informal, (not rude) expression which blames the bad luck of the person!

I found the expressions:

  Some luck!
  What luck!
  Tough luck!
  Bad luck!
  Rotten luck!

in some translation pages, but either I cannot find a reliable source to make sure if they mean what I need or I don't find them similar to my needed expression.

Like Longman says:

Tough Luck
(British English) -> used when you feel sympathy about something bad that has happened to someone:

You didn’t get the job? Oh, tough luck!

I am wondering whether there is an expression you could suggest?


texts:
Suppose you are the leader of a team, and you want to ask about the progress made so far. Which of the following sentences is right, if any?

How many percent of the work is done?

How much percent of the work is done?

What percent of the work is done?


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texts: Will it be correct if I would say "This house is selling" meaning that someone is selling the house? Or I should only say "The house is being sold" to be understood right?


texts:
"I know north from south" means I know everything or I know a lot of stuff or I have been to Norht and South, so I know a lot (context: people thing about me I do not know anything, but I know north from south.)

Ever since I loved you. "Through the springs and the summers" means all the time or since then up to now or I love you no matter what?
Thank you for the answer.


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When my daughter played with her friends in our house, they used an IKEA laundry hamper and a few blankets to build a "pretend pirate cave", as they mentioned.

So far as I know 'pretend' is a verb.  But in this case, sounds to me it was used as an adjective.  Is that a legitimate usage?

Thanks.


texts: Should I say "coming week" when it is weekend?

texts: Today is Saturday and the date is May 8th. I want to say I'm available at 3 PM for all the days for the coming working days. That is for the date May 10 - May 14. Should I say: "I am available at 3 PM for all days in the coming/this week?" I am confused about whether I should use coming or this.


texts:
Why do we use definite article with "street"?
When i say

  They found a wallet on the street

I don't mean any specific street, so shy do we use "the" , I've never heard anyone saying

  I found a wallet on a street


texts: “Should not have been” vs. “Should have not been”

texts:
I am wondering if there is any difference between the following sentences with different-placed not.

  I should not have been here today.

Vs

  I should have not been here today


texts: Do we say "strip me by eyes" or "strip me by the eyes"?

texts:
Do we say:

  You strip me by eyes

or

  You strip me by the eyes

?
The sense I intend to get is something like, a person undressing someone else just by looking at him.


texts: What are those sets of pages called which a user can see when not logged in?

texts:
I'm creating a website and I need to keep the code organized by correctly labeling some parts of the code.

For this, I'm looking for a way to put "the set of pages which a user can see when not logged in" in a very succinct way. The less words the better, but keeping the clarity is also necessary. Ideally it would be a 1-2 words label.


texts: Where to put punctuation - "The happiest people are those who are too busy to notice whether they are or not.”?

texts:
“The happiest people are those who are too busy to notice whether they are or not.” - What? Happy or Busy?

It is not clear whether the proverb talks about happiness or being busy. Where should the punctuation marks be put in order to remove any ambiguity?