texts:
There is no strong theoretical or empirical motivation for the view
  that grammatical competence is any more or less crucial to successful
  communication than is sociolinguistic competence or strategic
  competence.

After than, it seems to be an inversion, isn't it? Could you check If the ensuing parsing is right or not?

  There is no strong theoretical or empirical motivation for the view that grammatical competence is any more or less crucial to successful
  communication than sociolinguistic competence or strategic
  competence is crucial to successful communication.


texts: How to express that you "do the work first, and only then write an invoice"?

texts:
I would like to tell a potential client that there is no need for any prepayment and that he will simply receive an invoice after the work is completed. Is there a way to express this succinctly? In German, you could say "Wir arbeiten auf Rechnung", which translates to "We work on invoice"... but that doesn't sound right.
Thanks for any suggestion!


texts: What is the difference - 'I am asked' vs 'I get asked'?

texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

  I get asked that question a lot.

  I am asked that question a lot.


texts: How to understand `each time to you hit a page`?

texts:
A sentence in http://www.cs.montana.edu/~tosun/phpvsjava.pdf page 2:

Even Administrator chroots  (each time to you hit a page) for security.

The to adjectives here confused me ,why don't omit it ?

Even Administrator chroots  (each time  you hit a page) for security.

Or write it as :

Even Administrator chroots  (each time when you hit a page) for security.


texts:
An engaged, informed workforce is a big competitive differentiator in today’s service economy. However, conventional intranets—even those with the latest search technologies and social 1.0 features—aren’t delivering a competitive advantage. Most employees still struggle to find information and experts, and nearly 70% remain unengaged.2

I have problem in the meaning of unengaged here. it means some one that is doing work? and so  unengaged  means not do work?


texts: How shifting stress works in written English?

texts:
Please consider this scenario: I would like to tell someone that if he uses a certain word in his sentence, he would fail to make that sentence absolutely perfect. More specifically, that word would have an adverse effect on the preciseness of the sentence. That said, I also want to assure him that deviation would be so subtle and negligible that he has really got no need to worry about that. So, I tell him this while stressing the word "little":

If you use that word, you would lose little precision.

In another scenario, I would like to tell a person that a word she is to use would make the exactness of the sentence suffer. I want to admit that caused fault of itself is not that significant, but since losing the preciseness is a horrible thing she needs to be worry about that! I finally manage to tell her the same thing I came up with in the previous scenario, but this time, I put stress on the word "lose" or "precision".

If you use that word, you would lose little precision.
If you use that word, you would lose little precision.

Now, my question is that does shifting the stress change the meaning of the sentence in the way that I described? If so, how can I illustrate stresses in the writing?


texts: "mixing in the 1:1 proportion" or "mixing in the proportion of 1:1" or..?

texts:
How does one go about decribing proportions?

  The blank solution was prepared by mixing an aliquot of water with 2-mercaptoethanol-containing loading buffer in the 1:1 proportion.

Or

  The blank solution was prepared by mixing an aliquot of water with 2-mercaptoethanol-containing loading buffer in 1:1 proportion.

Or

  The blank solution was prepared by mixing an aliquot of water with 2-mercaptoethanol-containing loading buffer in a 1:1 proportion.

Or

  The blank solution was prepared by mixing an aliquot of water with 2-mercaptoethanol-containing loading buffer in the proportion of 1:1.

Or somehow else? Maybe it is "in a 1:1 ratio"?


texts: What is the verb for "to wake up from anesthesia"?

texts: Is there an English verb meaning "To become aware after surgery, to wake up from anesthesia (sedation)"?


texts:
While writing a term paper, I came across the sentences "So the Ramages were lost to white society. Lost to everyone but Dr. Cox." ("Ramages" and "Dr. Cox" being names of figures in the story).
I'm not exactly sure what is meant by that. I've tried googling it, but all I could find was the meaning of "to be lost on someone". My two interpretations are:

The Ramages have succumbed to/affiliated with white society and/or adopted their code/morals/traditions/etc.
The white society/everyone but Dr. Cox has given up on/disowned the Ramages

For context, the short story is called "Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers" by Jean Rhys, and the Ramages were a white man and his freshly married black wife, so I think either interpretation could make sense. Does anyone have an idea which one makes more sense, or is there an even better 3rd interpretation I've missed? Thanks so much in advance for all the answers :)


texts: Asking to get an item in the shop just to check how it works

texts:
I am wondering how people ask if they can handle a particular item in a shop, to check how it works or look at it more closely.

My guess would be "Can I watch it?" but it is probably not so good.


texts: Word for results after a long period of time?

texts:
Sometimes you want to act in a way to achieve immediate effect.

Other times, such as raising children, you want to choose a pattern, behavior, or action that will provide the best long term outcome.

I'm looking for a word suitable for use as a tag that embodies the idea of looking out for future interests.

Outcome is close, but feels like it doesn't cover a long enough period, requiring time modifiers.

Long-term-development

Success-as-adult

These are the themes I'm trying to capture.  Any words or very short phrases that would do this?


texts:
She is not a person who you can count on.

or

  She is not a person whom you can count on.

Which one is correct and sounds more native ? Please give an explanation for your answer


texts:
Could you guys give me another examples which share the same meaning as below?

The same could be said 'of' other cases.
God will ask some hard things of you.

Thank you


texts: Is evolutive equivalent to evolutionary?

texts:
While doing a Profiency practice test (not that I have the level to pass it), I came to this question:

Use to word evolution to form a word to fill in the gap:
Their adaptability in  such a short period in [...]  terms has greatly surprised scientists.

The answer was evolutionary, but would evolutive be a correct option?
I've seen that many dictionaries don't include evolutive as a word (except Merriam) and Google gives by far more results for evolutionary. So is  evolutive just a wrong translation from Spanish/French?


texts: There is a book named What is life worth written by Kenneth Feinberg.  Is this a gramatically phrase? Or it must be what is life's worth?


texts: Complex Sentence: word order in dependent part

texts:
Let's start with example:

I asked John, when Bill is coming back from London?

and another one:

Jane asks, where is her cellphone?

Why in the first sentence direct word order sounds better, while in the later - reversed w/o is in place.


texts: Does my sentence structure and the vocabulary make sense?

texts:
Helpless I screamed in pain, clenching the ground beside me, as my mind thought back to the moment that led me to my unknown fate.

Does this sentence make sense and have good structure?


texts:
The pioneers left a blazing trial of courage and chivalry.

In this sentence, does the word pioneer mean explorers, inventors or settlers? It is answered as settlers here.

But I think it ought to be explorers, because the word left in the sentence sounds like the pioneers left something for the subsequent visitors.


texts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBLdQ1a4-JI

Sometimes, people don't really scream, but they sing-scream, but I don't know if there's a verb for that. Is there? Because saying screaming is not precise enough in my opinion, so there must be a better more precise way of expressing it. If you don't know what I am talking about, watch the video above.


texts: Should I use "did" in the following question?

texts:
What (did) scared(scare) him more? If his date wanted to be serious or if she
  didn't?

Do I need a did there? Why or why not?


texts:
"He likes sleeping."

This is a simple present tense but my question is sleeping act as a object in it ?If not then why verb is with ing (I know it is gerund).

Because as far as I know sleep is a verb.

And simple present tense structure is like Sub + verb (s or es) +object.

Sorry,If I used bad english.(I am beginner).


texts:
Does "payoff" here mean "the return"? Or "the result"?

From Vaccine Nationalism to Vaccine Equity — Finding a Path Forward
The global effort to develop safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines has yielded remarkable results, owing in part to early, decisive investments in clinical discovery through efforts such as Operation Warp Speed. These achievements highlight the payoff of stable, long-term support of basic research and immunology: our scientific community was prepared to act.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine


texts: Is there a term for how young children talk? (Say, 3-year-olds to 7-year-olds?)

texts:
Is there a word or short phrase for the distinctive way(s) that young children speak English?  Native speakers of English between the ages of 3 and 7 tend to have limited vocabularies.  When talking to such children, adults sometimes make a point of using the child's vocabulary and grammar.  This helps the adult be sure that the child understands what the adult is saying.

"Baby talk" is a short phrase for the hard-to-parse vocalizations of infants and toddlers, and for the inarticulate pseudo-words that many adults use when talking to infants and toddlers.  Thus, "baby-talk" does not describe the (actual English) speech of 3 to 7 year-olds.


texts: Meaning of "I don't know anything about music. In my line, you don't have to."

texts:
"I don't know anything about music. In my line, you don't have to."

  -- Elvis Presley

What does "In my line" mean? What does this quote mean?


texts: What is the meaning of 'playing hard to get'?

texts:
Today I heard the phrase 'playing hard to get'.

What is its meaning?

Is this phrase commonly used in English speaking countries?


texts:
In my English book, there are 2 pictures:

1- The man is on/over the floor.
(Description: The man is touching his feet on the floor and lingering there)

2- The man is over/on an armchair.
(Description: He is sitting on an armchair, like someone usually do)

Which one is the right preposition for each case?


texts: What does here "was revered to commit" mean?

texts:
His will to do good was used against him and was revered to commit the worst acts possible. Source

How can it be interpreted in easier words?


texts: "poster" vs "display". Can display be used to refer to an informative paper like a poster?

texts:
I was wondering if it's correct to say

  We can put a display on the glass part of the door to improve the room's privacy. This would look interesting from the outside, too.

As far as I know, I haven't seen display being used for referring to a piece of paper.

However, I found this in Oxford Dictionary

The event will include displays from wine producers, whisky distillers and champagne tasters.

Isn't "poster" a better choice? Is there any difference between poster and display in this context?


texts: the meaning of the phrase: "she sucks badly at it"

texts:
What does the phrase: "she sucks badly at it" mean?

My hypotheses are:

She doesn't like it
She is bad at doing it

It is a passage from the Emily Giffin's book "Where We Belong".

If you need more context here it is:

  "My dad typically picks up the story from there, telling me how he cut himself shaving, his hands shaking so much that he almost let my mother drive to the hospital, something he never does because she sucks so badly at it. Then he skips ahead to the papers they hurriedly signed, and the moment the lady from the agency returned with a baby—me—swaddled in a pink fleece blanket."


texts: "For which kind of conjunctions we need comma?"

texts:
For which kind of conjunctions we need comma before or after them?

"I went to the baker, and then I went home."

"I can eat my cake now, or I can eat it later."

"I am listening to music, while reading a book."

Is the comma need in those sentences or not?


texts: Have I well understood the difference between present continuous and going to in a future event

texts:
Here is the situation

I am my own boss, and I want to take some vacation next week

What will I say:

"I am taking next week off" or "I am going to take next week off"

I think the second  one is better  because as I am my own boss it is not an arrangement with somebody else I am only involved in that decision and it is only an intention .

Now imagine that I already booked a hotel  for this vacation , I will say "I am taking the next week off"


texts:
I have a question about the meaning of "all day", because "day" could mean both "daytime = until 1800 hours" or "24 hours".
Let's say it started raining this morning and it is now 8 pm and still raining. Can I say: "it has been raining all day" or do I have to use a different construction like, for example, "it has been raining since this morning" because it is now evening and daytime has ended?


texts: Meaning of "no more than" in the sentence

texts:
What does 'no more than' mean in this sentence?

  No more than European society before 1848 felt the revolutionary atmosphere enveloping and pressing it from all sides - source here.

Is it...

No other society felt as much pressure as the pre-1848 European society.
No other society felt as much pressure as the post-1848 European society.


texts: Why do we use capital letter in this sentence?

texts:
I am not too sure why we use capital letter with the word ‘Site’

here is the context
The Kellers’ caravan is on Site 24.

I did some google research but I did not find anything!


texts: What are the rules of forming structures with 'no'?

texts:
I cannot find information on the rules of forming structures with 'no' as in There is no milk ('no' + an uncountable noun). Thare are no bananas in the fridge ('no" + a plural countable noun).

I have been told that sentences where there is a singular countable noun after 'no' should be avoided as they aren't grammatical as in 'There's no banana in the fridge'.

I have checked 'Practical English Usage' by Michael Swan (3rd edition) and 'The Teacher's Grammar of English' by Ron Cowan (Cambridge) but failed to find anything on the matter.

A reference to a reliable source is highly appreciated.


texts:
Is it correct to use "grounds-up" (intended meaning: "done from scratch", contracted from the expression "From the ground up"), as an adjective?

E.g.,

  "This is a grounds-up implementation of the back-end server."


texts:
I know that most of the people use "I belong to ABC" but I have seen "He is hailing from Mardan". So, Is there any difference?

Also, can I say "I belong to Swat"  or "I belong to Mingora"?  Swat is the name of my district while Mingora is the city where I live.


texts:
I stumpled upon this text but I did not understand what it means with:" the lines of the artist"

  The girl on my left enjoyed the lines of the artist standing at the corner.


texts: Can you please tell me the meaning of highlighted part given down below?

texts:
I tried searching the meaning but I couldn't make sense out of it.
In 42 attempts Ronaldo had never managed to score a free-kick for the Italian side, a run of misfortune that has had little effect on his otherwise excellent numbers - Saturday saw him reach 25 Serie A goals for the season - but gnawed away at the notorious perfectionist as each effort went awry.


texts:
I wonder if i can use ''with'' in sentence below:

  As the other firms , we sell with VAT of %20.


texts:
More interaction in public places and human traffic on the sidewalks would increase surveillance of the places where people now fear to go. Link

As far as I know, the sentence above can be changed into:

  More interaction in public places and human traffic on the sidewalks would increase surveillance of the places to which people now fear to go.
  More interaction in public places and human traffic on the sidewalks would increase surveillance of the places which people now fear to go to.

In most cases, an antecedent like "place" can be omitted, but in this case, it is impossible because "the places" serves a role as an object.

  More interaction in public places and human traffic on the sidewalks would increase surveillance of where people now fear to go. (wrong)

Also, I was wondering whether the following sentence is grammatically possible.

  More interaction in public places and human traffic on the sidewalks would increase surveillance of the places people now fear to go.

Please verify my variations of the sentence.


texts: Difference between Pr. Simple and Pr. Continuous

texts:
During one of my recent English lessons I have faced some problems with the strong understanding when to use the present simple or the present continuous. There are some examples of what I have met and what I've been puzzled by further.

"Aren't you reading newspapers?"
I want to express the thought that some important political events are taking place in a state at the moment, and in spite of this somebody aren't reading newspapers. So a person who asks is surprised. Is this phrase grammatically correct?
"The only reason you feel ashamed about having psychological problems is because you imagine that no one else is having problems".
I wonder why the author uses the present continuous form in the phrase. They mean that somebody is having problems at the moment, not in general? Or that this is some kind of a process, of an action in progress?
"Are you enjoying every day of your life?"
The most complicated example for me. Why is the present continuous form chosen? Is there some kind of a process again? And isn't this a mistake to use the present simple form? Is there any difference in meaning?

I'll be very grateful for all the explanations.


texts: How do I choose between "as to", "on", "of", and "about"?

texts:
I know that "as to", "on", and "of" are synonymous with "about", but I also know these words are not always interchangeable.  I was wondering if there are rules for picking between these prepositions.

There is still no news as to whether he will leave the company. (all four can be used with no change in meaning)
I don't know what you are talking about.  (only about and of can be used)
I heard of that from Jim. (only of and about)
The speaker spoke on the issue of liquidity markets. (all four?)

Thanks for the help.


texts: How to compose a sentence for possession? Apostrophe or preposition?

texts:
I would like to know the difference between these sentences:

  I have never seen any of his father's cars (I think it's correct).  I have never seen any cars of his father (I think it's wrong).

In my opinion this is definitely incorrect.

  I have never seen his father's any cars.

What is the commonest way to write the sentence? What's better? An apostrophe to show the possession or a preposition?


texts:
I have written the following sentence that I am unsure wether if it is correct:

She is a red-headed and good-natured girl.

I have decided to hyphenate the words ‘redheaded’ and ‘goodnatured’.
Is there a rule that could help me know when I ought to be using a hyphen or not?


texts: use the word “abandoned” in a sentence following a verb

texts:
I want to say “we go on with life with feeling abandoned” is it correct?
does it sound like you’re feeling abandoned?
Or does it sound like our feeling is abandoned?


texts:
Here is the quote I'm wondering about:

  Only by having enough knowledge is a person able to conceive great ideas.

Searching different sites did not help me to see whether using a form of "to be" in this inversion is right. The examples I see are using intransitive verbs only.

I want to say:

  Only when a person has enough knowledge that he/she can conceive a great idea.


texts: What do “torment” and “rough up” here means?

texts:
torment means torture either physically or mentally?
Rough us up means beat up physically?

Freed rebel fighter Denis Balbukov said: "I want to eat fried potatoes and talk to my relatives."

But he added: "I will go back to fighting. It was all right once we were moved to the detention centre, but to begin with, they really tormented and roughed us up."


texts: "The pills might have helped him, if only he'd taken them regularly" necessarily means "he" didn't?

texts:
Below is the sentence I am asking about.

  The pills might have helped him, if only he'd taken them regularly.

I think the sentence has a structure typical of a subjunctive.
So does the sentence necessarily mean that in reality he had not taken the pills regularly until the moment of the crisis in the past and failed to overcome the health crisis well?

Or, is there any way that he had actually taken the pills regularly so he survived the crisis without huge trouble due to it?

I am asking whether that sentence is necessarily based on the opposite statement of the fact the speaker currently knows happened, or whether there can be a case the speaker doesn't know the exact facts and is just stating his or her own opinion.


texts:
I'd be very happy if there is someone who will help me solve these causative with relative constructs:

  1) I don't want dwarves get (got?) killed by elves

means that: elves make somebody kill dwarves and I don't want it. If it doesn't, how can I build this sentence?

  2) I don't want dwarves (to be?) killed by elves

means that: there is dwarves which is killed directly by elves and I don't want it. If it doesn't how can I build this sentence?

  3a) I don't want elves making hobbits kill dwarves
  3b) I don't want elves to make hobbits kill dwarves
  3c) I don't want elves killing dwarves
  3d) I don't want elves to kill dwarves

Which one is correct?


texts: Correct structure of "...as....as" sentence

texts:
Which is the correct structure when I use......as....as in a sentence?

No poet is as renowned as William Wordsworth is.
No other poet is as renowned as William Wordsworth is.

My grammar books says and many websites also say that 2 is grammatically correct though I have seen both are used in daily conversations by both native and non native speakers. Can anyone please explain If 1 is grammatical and if I can use both?


texts: Can I start a sentence with "By any chance"?

texts:
I've heard a lot of sentences like this:

"Do you know where is the church by any chance?"

Always using "By any chance" in the end of the sentence.

My question is: Can I use "By any chance" in the beginning of the sentence to start  a conversation?

Something like this:

"Sorry, by any chance, do you know where I should check-in"?

Is it correct ? Or how strange does it sound?


texts: Difference between "go down to" and "get down to" (some location)

texts:
Consider these two expressions:

  I have to go down to the ATM.
  I have to get down to the ATM.

Is there any difference between them?


texts: I need a noun to describe a person taking part in a chat conversation. Using dictionary I found interlocutor, but it is so rare and formal.


texts:
Can the word 'sagged' be used to describe how a person's body relaxes when he realises he isn't late? For example:

When Kenneth woke up from his sleep, he thought he was late. When he checked the time, his body visibly sagged and he went back to sleep. He had plenty of time to get ready for the meeting.

Thanks.


texts: agreed to vs agreed on. Are they interchangeable?

texts:
Collins:

  The warring sides have agreed on an unconditional ceasefire.

  All 100 senators agree to a postponement.

According to the definition, "agree to" implies "something to do", but they used "on" with the ceasefire example although both parties will stop shooting at each other which is an action. Also Google Ngram suggests that it is "agree to an arrangement" NOT "agree on an arrangement" although an arrangement does not imply an action by necessary, it is more like an agreement on a contract or something.

It gives an impression that "agree on" and "agree to" are interchangeable. Is that correct?


texts: in order for I to do something -- "for I"? why not "for me"?

texts:
Example:

  In order to make use of the database, we need a way to perform what are called CRUD tasks. That is to say we need a way to create new data items, read and find existing data items, update data items with new information, and delete outdated data items. This is the responsibility of a database engine. A collection of programs that are able to sift through the database items and perform the required tasks. And in order for you, or I, or any other end user to access the database engine, we need to go through some sort of database application.

I don't understand why the script writer opted for I instead of me. Is this grammatically a better way to say that? I think that me in the following example sounds a lot smoother than with an I plugged in instead: "in order for me to help you with your homework, we're gonna have to find someplace quiet where no one will disturb us"?


texts: Can we use present perfect with a specific time?

texts:
For example, if I say "Today I have washed the dishes" or "Yesterday I have walked the dog", it comes off as wrong. This is why I understand that present perfect doesn't go with specific times. Past simple should be used.

But then, how come "I have washed the dishes today" does sound right?

Thank you.


texts:
This comes from The Company Man from Herman Melville:

  "Have you no charity, friend?" here in self-subdued tones, singularly
  contrasted with his unsubdued person, said a Methodist minister,
  advancing; a tall, muscular, martial-looking man, a Tennessean by
  birth, who in the Mexican war had been volunteer chaplain to a
  volunteer rifle-regiment.

I am wondering what the phrase "has been X to a Y" mean. Does it mean "was all manner of things from X to Y" or simply "had been X and then later Y"? I never heard the phrase "had been X to a Y" before.


texts:
My University wrote me that they

can conform [my] account is currently in credit - £136.60.

Does this mean I have to pay them 136 Pound?


texts: 'People can be trapped in their cars' means...?

texts:
I've got a paragraph and a question following:

  ...Snow can cause damage too. It can cave in the roof of a building. A
  heavy snowstorm can delay airplane flights and cause automobile
  accidents. Farm animals sometimes die in snowstorms, and when country
  roads are closed by the snow, people can be trapped in their cars and
  freeze to death...

In the passage, "people can be trapped in their cars" means:

a. they are caught in a trap
b. they are stuck in their cars
c. they can't go out of their cars and drive away
d. all are correct

The dictionary tells that a 'trap' is 'an unpleasant or difficult situation'. Therefore, I choose d. since all answers seem to be correct. However, the solution is only c without further explanation.

Could you explain why the solution is c. in this question?


texts: Can any one explain to me what is the meaning of “Science of Stupid aired on the National Geographic Channel” and “ to hit your wits”?

texts:
Here is the Phrase which I am Reading

  There is absolutely no dearth of insane people, and their snaps clicked right in time by some people who are always ready with their cameras.

  The famous show, Science of Stupid aired on the National Geographic Channel exposed us to many such hilarious acts. So, we too tried to bring some of those pictures to hit your wits.

And Here I am having one question whether National Geographic channel slams the science of stupid show or the show slams National Geographic Channel.

I searched in Google for the meaning of air of someone or something means to express or to expose. Here in this context what does "Science of Stupid aired on the National Geographic Channel" mean?

And I didn't found any Idiom meaning of "to hit your wits" in Google.


texts: what (color hair vs. hair color) do you have?

texts:
My hair color is black, and the question should be what is your hair color? or what hair color do you have?. However, it turns out surprisingly to me that the question with do is: what color hair do you have?, and if I were to ask about shoe size, I had to say: what size shoe do you wear?

Now I am confused because I am not sure if I am right asking about: some abc tool's shape, a pipe's length, some xyz solution's temperature and whatnot.

Are size and color exceptions, then, what tool shape do you make? or a rule, and so: what shape tool do you make?


texts: "It was raining" vs. "It rained" -- When to use which one?

texts:
Do the sentence "It was raining" and the sentence "It rained" mean the same thing?

Another example: "I walked to the park" vs. "I was walking to the park" mean the same thing? When to use which?

Another example: "I was walking to the park, then it rained" Or "I was walking to the park and it was raining"

To me, all the above sentences have the same meaning.

I am learning past progressive right now and my brain is telling me that it must be different otherwise why have simple past and past progressive. I know how to identify or detect what simple past is and what past progressive is because of the sentence structure. Past progress is easy to identify because Subject + was/were + verb in present progressive form. But I don't really understand when to use it.


texts: Introductory Participial Phrases with no antecedent

texts:
I asked a question similar to this before and did not receive a suitable answer so I am going to try again.

In the business world where people often create unnecessarily complicated and poorly phrased sentences in an effort to avoid common ways of phrasing things to sound more formal, sentences like the following seem common:

  Reviewing the work plan, the verbiage needs to be reworded.

Whenever I encounter such a phrase, I rewrite it to remove the leading participial phrase which I was taught is not grammatical (not to mention how horrible it sounds to my ears). I was taught that if the introductory participial phrase does not have a stated word that it can modify, it is not acceptable and called a "dangling modifier". In such sentences, the modifier is the unstated person who is implied to have reviewed the work plan.

Someone replied to my previous question that it is acceptable and called a "non-finite gerund-participial clause functioning as a supplementary adjunct". I have never heard of a supplementary adjunct and can't find anything about it. Does anyone happen to know if such phrases are acceptable in formal English.

I want to stress, I am not looking for ways to rephrase the sentence to remove ambiguity. I am explicitly interested in the grammaticallity of it as stated and if it sounds foolish to use that phraseology.


texts: Can I use the phrasal verb "come over" to ask someone to come to my home who lives in another city?

texts:
Can I use the phrasal verb come over to ask someone to come to my home who lives in another city? For example:

  My friend lives in York. I sometimes ask him to come over.

Would it be more natural to say any of the following?

  I sometimes ask my friend to come to me.

  I sometimes ask my friend to come to my home.


texts: Why does this test question use "to Verb-ing"?

texts:
The question:

  She is attending the seminar with a view to _______ more qualifications.

  A. acquire
  B. having acquired
  C. acquiring
  D. being acquired

And the answer is C. I don't understand because we uasually use to {infinitive} or just {V}-ing. Is this answer wrong or it is other grammar?


texts: Whst is the difference between "Has" and "Has had"

texts:
Please explain the difference between the following sentences:

Tom has a busy day so far.
Tom has had a busy day so far.


texts: Difference between general truth, fact and permanent situation in Present Simple

texts:
I've been confused recently between general truth, fact and permanent situation in present simple.
 I happen to mix things up when I'm asked to tell the function of using present simple in a sentence. Can you tell me the "decisive" differences between these 3 cases? How can i decide which function is present simple used for in a sentence among these 3 analogous functions?

Examples of each:

Earth revolves around the sun. (Fact)
US people like fried food. (General Truth)
I like fried food. (Permanent situation)


texts:
a) He counted the cards again carefully.
b) He counted the cards again**,** carefully.
c. He counted the cards carefully again.
d. He counted the cards carefully**,** again.
The question about each of the above sentences is whether he had counted the cards carefully before or is it possible that this was thr first time he counted them carefully?


texts: Present Perfect Simple with (after) instead of (since), grammatical?

texts:
This one with since is fine.

  The situation has become worse since [the last accident/that
  meeting/the breakdown].

But if we use after, can it still be grammatical? if so, is it okay, awkward, etc.

  The situation has become worse after [the last accident/that
  meeting].

By the way, does the sentence below sound natural (in whatever common contexts such as personal health or fixing a vehicle)?

  The situation has gotten worse since [the last accident/that
  meeting].

In any case, if you cannot decide but you know of a specific scenario where any of the above could be used, then please write away.


texts: What is the function of "that" in this sentence?

texts:
A touch of a spurred heel made his horse first start and rear, and then bound away; the dog rushed in his traces; all three vanished-

  "Like heath that, in the wilderness,
  The wild wind whirls away."
  (Jane Eyre)

If there's not that, the example makes sense to me. Why is that put?


texts: What does "ground" mean in this sentence? And what is the sentence saying?

texts:
I am not sure about the meaning of the verb ground in this sentence from an online article.

  Accessories were kept polished and stylish with taupe suede Manolo Blahniks grounding the look and simple diamond stud Adina Reyter earrings for subtle sparkle.

Does ground mean connect with the ground, place on the ground, or give theoretical basis to? None of the dictionary definitions seem to work here. What does the sentence mean? Manolo Blahniks supposedly refers to a pair of shoes designed by Manolo Blahniks, but how do shoes ground a look?


texts:
I came across the following sentence in a textbook:

She'a laid-back girl. She never minds others.

It sounded odd to me. I looked up the meaning of the word "mind" in Longman Dictionary and the dictionary says:

to feel annoyed or upset about something

When talking about a person, the same dictionary gives the following definition:

to take care of a child while their parents are not there
SYN look after
"My sister minds the baby while I’m at yoga"

Which of those definitions is applicable, if any? And does the sentence sound natural as it is?


texts:
I can see the baby sticking out of mummy’s belly. I can't actually make out what parts they are.

  I can see the baby poking out of mummy’s belly. I can't actually make out what parts they are.

Do “sticking” and “poking” have the same meaning in this context?


texts:
Are all these sentences grammatically correct? And which is better to use in a formal speech?

when did you see him last?

or

when did you last see him?

or

when did the last time you see him?


texts: Which is grammatically correct/ appropriate? Help. Just want to use the one that is good to hear

texts: I keep one from every bouquet Jonathan has ever brought me. OR I kept one from every bouquet Jonathan had given me.


texts:
Is "deem" punctual or stative? Does this verb express a momentous action or a state of being?

I was taught that "when" goes along well with punctual verbs, while "after" goes well with stative ones. For example,

  When he was able to crack the Trident code, that was [quickly, right away, immediately] deemed by many as his major achievement in his deciphering career. (punctual,
  the action of deeming took place almost momentously)

  After he was able to crack the Trident code, that was deemed by many [for many years after that, in the following years] as his major achievement in his deciphering career. (stative,
  the action of deeming was lasting for a long period of time after that
  point)

So, should I use "when" or "after"? In other words is "deem" here expressing a momentous action or a lasting state?


texts: The different positions of "only" in the same sentence

texts:
Is there any difference in the following sentences?

  This rule only applies to students
  This rule applies to students only
  This rule applies only to students

If you don't mind, please clarify the  differences in meanings of the above given sentences.


texts:
Sam took a photograph of me when/ while I was not looking.

It would be appreciated if someone please shine a light in if there is any difference between the two.


texts: Which part of speeches "enough" can function as? I looked it up in Longman dictionary and it states that it can function as “pronoun”, “determiner”, and “adverb”. Then I looked it up in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary and there it’s stated that it can function as “adjective”, “adverb”, and “pronoun”. So, my question is, why is there that difference? And what part of speeches can it function as?


texts:
I am trying to reach out to someone on Twitter to ask their opinions on a product they bought.
Does it sound natural & grammatically correct to say "I wonder what your thoughts on it"?
How about "I wonder what your thoughts are about this product"?


texts: Is it correct to say: It is my brother's car. or should I say: Is my brother's car

texts: Is it correct to say: "It is my brother's car".   or should I say:  "Is my brother's car". and why. As usual, the "it" is for Spanish speakers, a kind of nightmare.


texts: Deal, compromise, get along vs reconcile

texts:
Based on this definition compromise can be used for reduction of your demands or changing your opinion in order to reach an agreement with someone (not something). Is it possible to say something like:

  You have to learn how to compromise with the lack of money.
  You have to learn how to compromise with this condition / situation. (here, as far as I know the best choice would be "deal")

Where the object in my question is not a person but something other that an alive individual?
If not then please let me know if the verbs "get along", "reconcile" or "deal" work or not?

This is not a 'yes' or 'no' question. I am looking for the best word for many cases just asking this question and clarifying their usages for myself. I may ask about some more related examples, but whereas in each thread we won;t be able to bring up more than one specific case, then I may make another similar question.


texts:
According to statistics and Google Ngram "widely spread" is dying out, and is being used less and less often while "widespread" is becoming popular.

There's also "spreads widely" that is also correct but becoming less popular.


texts: Usage of "your " and meaning of below mentioned sentance?

texts:
I have come across with below mentioned sentance.
Q1)Is bolded word replaces with you or is that correct?
Q2)is that sentance means

  my father is not agree to people smoking cigarettes in the house, but he would allow you to do.

Sentance:
my father is averse to people smoking cigarettes in the house, but he would not be averse to your smoking a cigar.


texts: Is this sentence grammatically correct? (in less than ... since)

texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  The man died in less than a month since the start of his fast.


texts:
This mineral has been discovered recently.

This mineral was discovered recently.

Which one is correct?


texts: How does 'ask something of somebody' mean 'to expect or demand something'?

texts:
I was reading Meaning of “ask of” when I lighted upon this issue:

This meaning of ask (definition 7) is mentioned in the OALD:
7. ask something of somebody =
[transitive] to expect or demand something ...

Question 1. I ask not about the definition which I tolerate, but about how to decompose/derive/parse   it?
How does the juxtaposition of ask and of effect/imply/induce definition 7?
Update 2014 Jan 17: I wrongly guessed ODO's Definition 3 as the definition of of here. Proof removed.


texts:
Consider the following two sentences:

John always play football.

John always plays football.

Which of the above two sentences are correct? The first sentence seems right to me since there are too many 's' in the second one. Is "always" acting as a modular verb here? Thanks for any help.


texts: Using "as" or "than" in comparison constructions

texts:
1- It turns out that someone in the high risk group has twice the risk
  as those in the low risk group

  2- It turns out that someone in the high risk group has twice the risk
  than those in the low risk group

Do these two sentences mean the same thing?


texts:
The hourglass was made of glassbulbs.
  The hourglass  was made with  glassbulbs.

Which sentence  is more common?
I am so confused with their usages.


texts: When someone is deviating the main subject of a discussion

texts:
Imagine a person who is part of a discussion changes the focus by starting a train of thought considered irrelevant and in this manner deviates the route of the discussion into other / irrelevant subjects or tangential comments. You want to ask them to focus on the point of the discussion and restrict their comments to the point at hand.

Bringing up this question I am going to find the closest verb which can be used when you want to ask someone not to "deviate" the topic at hand.

Note: I do not need any idiom. I need a natural verb for the case meaning "deviate". [I don't know whether the verb "deviate" works here by itself or not.]

I found the verbs bellow. Please let me know which one in natural in this sense and of they both mean something else, then please tell me what is the most natural one:

  Please don't deviate the subject of the discussion.
  Please don't wander away the subject of the discussion.
  Please don't wander off the subject of the discussion.


texts: Ambiguity, accusing someone on social media or threating someone on social media?

texts:
Ocasio-Cortez has accused CBP agents of making threats to her life on
  social media —  saying a “secret Facebook group” of 9,500 officers
  discussed making a GoFundMe to harm her and the other Dems during
  their visits Monday.

It's

  She has accused ... on social media

or

  CBP agents threated her on social media

?


texts: Is it necessary to use preposition before gerund?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  I'll come by looking for you.
  I'll come looking for you.

If I don't use preposition 'by' will it be fine?


texts: Meaning of "we are well beyond the days" and "heads of leaders"?

texts:
In 2014 we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders.

(from Euronews)

Does it mean it is not possible for democratic leaders to redrawn borders of countries any more?

I checked in dictionary but still have my doubts what the words "head" and "beyond the days" really mean.


texts:
Can an adjective be followed by of that regarded as possessive but not the one that is a part of adjective.

  1) Do you know the dangerous of smoking cigarettes?

Usually I read always such as this following structure.

  2) Do you know the danger of smoking cigarettes?

However, i have noticed such aforementioned sentences (1) in books.

The real text i Read was for Sigmund Freud

  through the satisfying of sexual instincts...


texts: The use of the indefinite article with uncountable nouns after the phrase "more of"

texts:
I came across it in this article.

  Chloe Foster, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma in London, says shyness in itself is quite common and normal and doesn’t cause problems unless it develops into more of a social anxiety.

Why is there an indefinite article before social anxiety? Anxiety is an uncountable noun, and I had always seen social anxiety as a mental disorder being used as uncountable. Does these all mean that after the phrase more of we need to use the indefinite article before uncountable nouns?


texts: Can you explain the lyrics of "Hold on" by Jonas Brothers?

texts:
Source

  'Cause an empty room can be so loud
  It's too many tears to drown them out

They mean to say hold on because an empty room can be so loud.Right?
What is them?

  When it falls apart, and you're feeling lost
  All your hope is gone, don't forget to

If I am not wrong, then it is referred to love.


texts: which one is the correct one in colloquial sentences?

texts:
so a friend of mine asked me a question in how to say that "i were just about to finish up the game" but he got confused in how to say it in a colloquial sentence. so which one is the correct one ?

i just about to finish up the game
i just about to finishing up the game


texts: What does "any more" mean in a sentence without having "not" ahead?

texts:
The novelist devotes so much time to avid descriptions of his characters’ clothes that the reader soon feels that such sartorial concerns, although worthy of attention, have superseded any more directly literary aims.

Q: I looked up about the meaning of "any more", but I've noticed that it's usually like this "not...any more". So I don't really know how to interpret this sentence when it doesn't put "not" with "any more". Why is that? Does "any more" in this sentence still mean "still, from now on"?

Thanks!!


texts: what does "not for" mean in the beginning of a sentence? And a sentence sans a main verb?

texts:
Silks, satins and brocades, elegant plumes and gemstones—details like these give Lievens ample scope to show off his flashy handling of his medium. Not for him the fastidious, enamel-smooth surfaces of the Leiden Fijnschilders—“fine painters,” in whose meticulously rendered oils every brush stroke disappeared. Lievens reveled in the thickness of the paint and the way it could be shaped and scratched and swirled with a brush, even with the sharp end of a handle. This tactile quality is one of Rembrandt’s hallmarks as well; there are now those who think he picked it up from Lievens.

First, what does "not for" mean? Is it a set phrase or indiom? (which I cannot find on dictionary) And I find this whole "sentence" without a main verb, "Not for him the fastidious, enamel-smooth surfaces of the Leiden Fijnschilders—“fine painters,” in whose meticulously rendered oils every brush stroke disappeared."


texts:
This is a one line description about how I am trying to describe my work. However afraid the grammar is not correct and can't find anything about it on the web.

"Empowering teams toward efficient & pragmatic digitalization"

What do you recommend?

Thank you.


texts:
There are several dishes that are best served cold.

But, does this usually mean the "normal room temperature", or cold as in "frozen", or as when the food just comes out from a freezer or a fridge?

The latter is my default understanding.

So, one of our answers saying "Ketchup is usually served cold." made me curious because it sounds more like "room temperature".

How cold is a dish that is served cold?


texts: 'Your point of view' vs. 'the point of your view'

texts:
Could you please let me know why we can say "What's your point of view?" is correct, but "What's the point of your view?" is wrong.

I was told  "What's your point of view." is correct.
But, "What's "the point of your view." is wrong since it's a phrase, it's just unnecessary to add "the."

But, I think we can say these five possibilities:

"the point of view"
"the point of the view"
"the point of a view"
"a point of view"
e.g, "World Stories are tales told from a local point of view.
"a point of a view"

So, if we are gonna replace the articles with "your", we'll get:

"your point of view"(I am certain it is correct)

"the point of your view"(I am certian that is correct.)

"your point of a view"(I am unsure)


texts: Does "race origin" mean somewhere one was born?

texts:
this wiki page says

  He is the first person of Asian origin to receive the ACM Turing
  Award, in 1994, the highest award in computer science, for his work in
  the field of artificial intelligence.

Does "race origin" (Asian origin, in this case) mean somewhere (India, in this case) one (Reddy, in this case) was born?


texts:
Could someone please let me know whether we can call someone "a real human" as a complement about his human values (like: kindness, forgiveness, faithfulness,  generosity, sacrifice, etc.) (I am not quite sure whether "human values" is an idiomatic collocation).
Example:

He’s a truly compassionate individual. He always help others without expecting them to return his favor. I definitely know if he faces someone in need, will overlook his own needs and donates whatever he has in order to help that person! You know, "he’s a real human."

Also, I have found some internet sources which indicate that this sentence might be idiomatic, but the problem is that I am not quite sure if they have been uttered by native speakers.
Example:

Sometimes it takes a real hero to become a real human being. Source

If it is not a natural and idiomatic way of expressing it, I wonder how shall I say that.


texts: Why is 'God forbid (that)' followed by a 'should' clause? What is the grammatical explanation? Does it have anything to do with the Subjunctive Mood again? In which sense is the word used?


texts: How to understand and parse the phrase in bold?

texts:
Do you think some of these factors you mention, like attention paid to
  copyright law, might seem like rather small problems for such an
  extreme, potentially expensive solution?

  Actually, I think the real
  extreme and the real expense problem is what’s going on now.

What does the sentence in bold mean? I think that "the real extreme and the real expense problem" should be "the real extreme and expensive problem". I don't know how to parse it.

The article is from:enter link description here


texts: "If I was" vs "If I am" vs "If I become" vs "I would be"?

texts:
Which sentence is better to use?

"Please active my trial, if I was happy, I'll switch to paid version."

"Please active my trial, if I am happy, I'll switch to paid version."

"Please active my trial, if I become happy, I'll switch to paid version."

"Please active my trial, if I would be happy, I'll switch to paid version."


texts: Have you been to London before / were you in London before?

texts:
Is this your first time in London or have you been to London before?

vs

Is this your first time in London or were you in London before?

situation: a local is taking a tourist for a city tour. What should he ask him?


texts:
The LDOCE5 states that "notation" is

  a system of written marks or signs used to represent something such as music, mathematics, or scientific ideas

It mentions that this word can be both countable and uncountable but does not say when to use which one. Could you give some example on the difference between notation and notations?

I want to write a paper and I don't know which one of the following expressions is better for the topic of a section:

Notation and parameters
Notations and parameters
Notation
Notations


texts: A verb for getting in pose of stubborn confrontation

texts:
What verb could I use when a person is getting in the pose of stubborn confrontation? Kind of aggressive, but restrained, the same way when a bull is frozen, waiting for an attack to start?
For a man, it would be a pose with straightened shoulders and jaw moved forward, with a slightly lowered head.


texts: Is it OK to say "The old" instead of "Old people"?

texts:
I noticed that in my essay I have used the word "people" more than 10 times. I want to cut it down. For example I decided to change the following sentence:

Old people may run out of money in their pension pots and thus have to depend on their families for financial support.

to this sentence:

The old may run out of money in their pension pots and thus have to
depend on their families for financial support.

Could you please tell me if it is correct to say so?
I would appreciate if you give me other alternatives to remove the world "people", as much as possible.


texts: I was told that another alternative for 'a few minutes ago' is 'a short while ago'.  Let's say I am a student of a 20- minute English phone class and my teacher asks me questions which I answer during the first 10 minutes of our class.  On the second 10 minutes she corrects my sentences.  She says, "A while ago you answered, 'I go to work yesterday'.  It should be 'went'.  Past tense."  Is it correct to use 'a while ago' and not 'a short while ago'?  The situation is very clear.  We never talked before the 20-minute class.  It means that she refers to the period of time within the 20-minute class.  Thank you.


texts: What does the sentence "He all but demolished the G.O.P. in the election that followed" mean?

texts:
He all but demolished the G.O.P. in the election that followed.

I believe that I found this in a random book I was reading; and I just took note of it in my notepad since I didn't know what it meant. I'm  only struggling with the phrase "all but ..."; I used to think it meant "except for", which no matter how much I try to, I can't make it make sense within this particular sentence.

(I'm always looking to improve on my English, so I'd greatly appreciate it if you would point out any grammatical mistakes I've made in describing my question)


texts: Which of the two words (At & By) should be used in the expression below

texts:
In my lesson plan, on the objectives I wrote:

  By the end of the lesson, the students should be able to...

So when my first supervisor came he said that the word 'by' should be replaced with 'at'. When another came he said otherwise. Now I am confused which of them is correct.


texts: Past Perfect Tense or Simple Past Tense for two Independent Clauses

texts:
They had searched through the big trunks in the attic and found clothes for them to wear.
This sentence contains two independent clauses:

They had searched through the big trunks in the attic.
They found clothes for them to wear.

In the first sentence, the past perfect tense is used, "had searched." In the second sentence, the simple past tense is used, "found."
Is it possible that the word had is just omitted in the second sentence? Can we say:
They had searched through the big trunks in the attic and {had found} clothes for them to wear.
Or the second sentence should just have a simple past tense? Thank you.


texts:
Hume first of all analysed the evidence that we have that any
particular law of nature holds. For something to be accepted as a law
of nature – for instance, that no one ever rises from the dead – there
must be the maximum possible amount of evidence confirming it.

Philosophy : The basics
In the bold text, did the author mean that Hume analysed the evidence of any particular law of nature? I am so confused to understand it.


texts: We usually say "that's it" in English. I was curious to know can we also say "it's it"? Is it used in English?


texts: Why are auxiliary verbs omitted in informal English?

texts:
In informal English i see people to say and text

1: you married?

2: he told to not come

3: you done?

4: the paragraph written in informal English

So on

How the sentences make sense without any help of auxiliary verb?

It's OK to write the way informally?


texts: Do I have to use "the" before the names of army branches when talking about serving in a particular army branch?

texts:
Could you tell me if I have to use the before the names of army branches when talking about serving in a particular army branch? For example:

John's dad served in (the) artillery, but John serves in (the) infantry.


texts: Using commas between a verb and its object

texts:
When another words take place between a verb and its object, should I use commas?
1- Do you understand as a British person what I tried to say?
OR
2 - Do you understand, as a British person, what I tried to say?

3- I will sell for 25 dollars the ring I bought 2 months ago.
OR
4- I will sell, for 25 dollars, the ring I bought 2 months ago.
I know I can place them at the first clearly but I'm curious whether I should use commas or not for this structure.


texts: The second and the third conditional, what's the difference?

texts:
The title speaks for itself, i can't understand the difference.

Let's take this example:

  Type 2: If she fell, she would hurt herself.

  Type 3: If she had fallen, she would have hurt herself.

For me both are correct and both are usable when you saw a girl jumping on the edge of a building in the past.
Rules are saying that type 2 describes an unreal situation, but the girl jumping on the edge is real, and the possibility of her falling off is real too.


texts: What is being "loaded in" in this sentence?

texts:
Here is a quote from "Chapter 3:  Processes" of the third edition of "Understanding the Linux Kernel:  From I/O Ports to Process Management" by Bovet and Cesati:

  The steps performed by the [__switch_to_] function are the following:
  …
  4. Loads in the Global Descriptor Table of the local CPU the Thread-Local
  Storage (TLS) segments used by the next_p process; the three Segment Selectors are stored in the tls_array inside the process descriptor (see the section "Segmentation in Linux" in Chapter 2).
  cpu_gdt_table[cpu][6] = next_p->thread.tls_array[0]
  cpu_gdt_table[cpu][7] = next_p->thread.tls_array[1]
  cpu_gdt_table[cpu][8] = next_p->thread.tls_array[2]
  …

In the bolded text, is the "Global Descriptor Table" being loaded into the "TLS segments" or are the "TLS segments" being loaded into the "Global Descriptor Table"?


texts: "Neither of which applies" or "neither of which apply"?

texts:
While typing a question, I became unsure of which form to use for a verb.

  That would be the first time a morph has disappeared (except for Sario
  Rips and allergies, neither of which apply here.)

Should it be "neither of which applies"?

Logic tells me it should be "apply", because it's plural (two objects, "Sario Rips" and "allergies".)

But, instinctively, I feel that "applies" sounds better.

Which one is correct?

Would it matter what the verb was? So for example, if the answer is that it should be "applies", should then any verb be in single form in this sentence? (Like "Neither of which does", "Neither of which has", etc.)


texts: What is the English word for Indonesian word "gemas"?

texts:
In the Indonesian language, there's a word called "gemas", which roughly means either:

The feeling when you see something so frustrating you that you want to "choke" it so badly.
The feeling when you see something so cute that you want to "choke" it so badly.

When used in context, it kinda looks like this:

Ugh, I feel "gemas" when looking at that one single printer that keeps breaking, so much that I want to throw it out of the window.
Awww, I feel "gemas" when looking at your cats that I want to squiiiiish them in my hug.

So this is kinda like some build-up feeling inside your chest, either quickly or slowly built up, and you feel the need to "release the steam" by doing some excessive force to the object. Is there any word in English for this? Maybe if the scope is only the first one, I think it's identical with "frustration". When I tried the google translate, it translates to "exasperation", which also fit for the first definition. But the second one is not "frustration" for sure. But I can't find any English word that fits with just the second definition either.


texts:
In the following situation, which of the three prepositions would you use?

A friend of yours makes you listen to a song that you like so much you say:

  This goes straight on my playlist.

Now my question is, is on the right preposition to use here? Or should be onto or to?


texts: would rather hadn't stayed / not have stayed

texts:
I think there is difference between these two sentences, but can't quite feel it. Could anyone tell me if there is indeed some distinction.

1) He would rather hadn't stayed for dinner

2) He would rather not have stayed for dinner

thank you in advance!


texts: What's the meaning of "buzz" in this sentence?

texts:
Here is a sentence from an article of Economist:
"No religious symbols or Hebrew script identify its exterior. Visitors must be buzzed by a receptionist into a vestibule through double doors."

I checked "buzz" in the ED, but the meaning of "be buzzed" still confused me, does that mean visitors must accept inspection of the receptionist? I have no idea...


texts:
I don't understand how to use much and more as a noun here.

Kimchi soup is a little more of a challenge.
Doing too much of anything is not good for anyone.

I'm familiar with situations where two of them is used as a modifier, but I don't know how to understand it here. Much and more is representing a part of challenge and anything? If that is the case, my opinion is that challenge and anything is too abstract that I refer to a part of them. How can I understand them?


texts: "Photos of Someone" vs "Someone's Photos"

texts:
In facebook, in the photos page, you will see:

I know the difference in facebook, the first tag "Photos of Someone" will show photos you are tagged in, the other tag "Someone's Photos" will show the photos you uploaded.

Is there a difference in English between "Someone's Photos" and "Photos of Someone"? or was facebook out of words so they just used this?


texts:
This reflects deep tensions within the secular variant of the
  workmanship ideal itself: it presses relentlessly toward a kind of
  moral determinism that its very terms suggest we ought to be able to
  deny

  The Moral Foundations of Politics by Ian Shapiro.

My question is about the word deny. What we ought to be able to deny?
Does author mean this some way?


texts: "Mail something", "Send something in the/by mail"

texts:
Are the following phrases correct?

To mail a package

To send something, other than an envelope, in the mail

To put something, other than an envelope, in the mail for someone

To send something, other than an envelope, by mail

I don't know where I've gotten the idea that mail is usually used for envelopes, and packages are normally shipped.


texts: What if `started` were used instead of `began` in this sentence?

texts:
The below sentence is from a fairy tale book.

  "Gretel began to cry."

I would like to know if using started instead of began there is also okay.


texts:
We can say:

  I know such a good place

I heard we could also say:

  I know a so good place

OR

  I know so good a place

Is it true or not and how would it be if not and if yes and so on=)


texts: Is it once-great or once great in the context of something of declining or former glory or status?

texts:
I am writing a story. A peer gave me the suggestion to change the "once great" to "once-great". Here is the sentence:

He was tall and his body frame showed the signs of stoutness of once great youth.


texts: The "surpassing" or "surpass" of X over Y?

texts:
I would like to know if I should use surpassing or surpass to refer to a situation when a quantitative indicator has surpassed another in a certain time period, such as in the following sentence:

  The surpassing / surpass of birth rate over mortality rate in the past
  decade is a landmark in the demographic transition.


texts: Difference of meaning in sentences below

texts:
Are there any meaning difference in sentences below? I used a phrase both before adjective and after adjective . If there is any difference Can you please explain why?

  Constructor built a one feet taller wall than constructional project required.

  Constructor built a wall one feet taller than constructional project required.


texts: What should I use a or the to talk about something in general?

texts:
When should I use "a" or "the" to talk about something in general?

The first example:

  The computer has revolutionized

  A computer has revolutionized

The second example:

  The computer is an important research tool

  A computer is an important research tool

Can someone explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences?


texts:
1."It is not always necessary,however, we use it to link two parts of that instrument".

‘However’ can be used to join two simple sentences to make a compound sentence.

But in (1) there is a mistake while using the punctuation "however", and the comma after "necesssary".

This is corrected by using semicolon and comma like this

  "It is not always necessary; however, we use it to link two parts of that instrument".

This is OK to me, and I have no doubt here.

2."It is not always necessary, however, when we use it to link two parts of that instrument".

I think there are two mistakes here. The first is, using comma before necessary and the other is after conjuctive adverb a subordinate clause is used.

Here is my question. Can we use a subordinate conjunction after the conjunctive adverb?


texts: Similar sentence/omission of preposition

texts:
I'm in the same class you're in.

I'm in the same class you are.

I'm in the same class as you.

Are these sentences grammatically correct? Is the sentence in the middle, with the omitted preposition, correct as well?


texts: What is the historical background of "too chicken"?

texts:
In a comment I found the sentence:

  …are too chicken…

I'm native Germany and quickly looked up the meaning.

Still, I do not understand the "chicken" association.

My question:

Why is "chicken" being used as a synonym for cowardly/gutless/sneaky?


texts: Can we use present perfect in "She has packed my things when I was away"?

texts:
I was wondering if it is possible to write this

She has packed my things when I was away

I don't think so because "when I was away" refers to the past and "has packed" refers to the present (it began in the past but ended in present), so I think it is not possible. Maybe it could possible if she ended packing my things after I was coming back, but I am not sure.


texts:
Can we use "What/such +a/an + noun" without an adjective between "a/an" and "noun"? Because I've heard the sentence "What a beauty you are."

For example:

  What a dress
  What a hamburger
  Such a pair of shoes
  Such a girl you are

And what if the noun was a plural noun or an uncountable noun? Can we still use this structure?

For example:

  What beauties (you are)
  Such men
  Such furniture


texts: "Oxford Guide to English Grammar" says "lime" is a pronoun. But I think it's a noun

texts: Oxford Guide to English Grammar; John Eastwood; Oxford University Press 1994-09


texts: Suppose I want to withdraw money from a card through a cashier in a bank via cash advance and to deposit the money to another card. What's the most natural way to ask for this? I think "can I withdraw $800 from this card via cash advance and deposit it to this card?" sounds unnatural.


texts: Can we omit "as possible" in "as many X as possible" in informal speech?

texts: I just got out of a photo studio to get some pictures for my passport and I told the photographer "Do you have a ten, I am trying to collect as many ten." It sounded more natural to end with "ten" than with "as possible", but on second thought I don't think this is even correct in informal speech. What's your opinion on this?


texts: Should we add "to" after the word "host" or not?

texts:
The first sentence:

  Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been host to many of the most memorable, world-class artistic performances.

The second sentence:

  Which country is going to host the next World Cup?

Both the two sentences are correct. But I notice that the first sentence has a word "to" after "host", yet the second doesn't have. So when should I add "to" after "host"? Are both the expressions right?


texts:
Put the toys in their right place.
Put the toys in their right places.
Put the toys in place.

Which version is correct?
Do these have different meanings regarding toys?
If so, how are they different?


texts:
The day after that, Christmas Eve, he went and bought four bicycles, one for each of his three kids, ages 16, 14 and 12, along with one for himself. He put them under the tree, a father's promise that the future would be better. "The kids are why I'm alive," he says. "God knows what lessons I'm teaching them. I don't know, but I know I'm giving them hard shells."

(Beyond the Breach 08/24/15 • ESPN the Magazine)

What does "hard shells" mean here?


texts: Difficulty in understanding the meaning of a newspaper heading

texts:
There was a section of a news article with heading:

Will the focus on multiple disciplines not dilute the character of single-stream institutions, such as IITs?

From the heading I concluded that it is asking whether the transformation of a single-stream institutes into a multi discipline institute, will it not impact(negatively) the discipline for which the institution was build in the first place.
IITs are engineering institutes, so if humanities get included in the IITs then will not this affect the quality of IITs as an engineering institute.
My friend on the other hand do not agree with what I have concluded. He is saying that the heading means the following:
Till now an engineering student only learns about engineering and from now on the students of engineering will also learn about different subjects, so will this dilute the capability of a student as an engineer?
My friend pointed out the article following the heading that see here the director is saying that an engineering student must learn about different fields.
Both of us cannot be correct so please clarify the doubt on whether I or my friend is correct.


texts:
I am curious to know if you would use "few staff" in a sentence. I find it very strange, but have found some examples for the construction when I googled it. I have always thought that "few" could only be used with countable nouns ("few staff members"). I now that you can say "a few fish" (with "fish" also being an uncountable noun, at least partly), but I cannot understand the grammar rule behind "few staff."

Thank you very much in advance for your answers.


texts: "tariff hike on $200 billion of imports " VS "tariff hike on $200 billion in imports "

texts:
The US agreed to postpone a tariff hike on $200 billion of imports from China until March 1 as both sides try to strike a deal over issues such as the alleged theft of intellectual property and technology, trade barriers, and the trade deficit.
  The US agreed to postpone a tariff hike on $200 billion worth of imports from China until March 1 as both sides try to strike a deal over issues such as the alleged theft of intellectual property and technology, trade barriers, and the trade deficit.
  The US agreed to postpone a tariff hike on $200 billion in imports from China until March 1 as both sides try to strike a deal over issues such as the alleged theft of intellectual property and technology, trade barriers, and the trade deficit.
  The US agreed to postpone a tariff hike on imports worth $200 billion from China until March 1 as both sides try to strike a deal over issues such as the alleged theft of intellectual property and technology, trade barriers, and the trade deficit.

I have saw, or precisely speaking, roughly recalled the above four ways to express the same thing. I am thirsty for an answer to the question of which one is right, as this has puzzled me for a long time.


texts:
I heard this line in a film's audio description:

  As Nick plays his guitar, he looks out into the audience and sees Tris is among the hedon throng.

This scene shows Nick playing guitar onstage and Tris standing in the an audience that is enjoying and bobbing to the music. From what I heard, I can't think of another word that might be what precedes "throng". But as far as I know, "hedon" is a rare word and not an adjective.

I am not sure if I heard it wrong. I am putting a recording clyp here for context.


texts:
Tommy is in a fight with a man, ending with Tommy knocking him out. He then flees out of the restroom and collides with a security guard, who's heard the turmoil.

I don't which word I can use here? Does "turmoil" work perfectly? (I have consulted a dictionary, but I'm still not sure)


texts: Tense of the phrase using 'familiar with'

texts: The phrase 'I am familiar with' (brand/style/speech/opinion) etc doesn't seem to follow the tense/verb rules.  It appears to start off with present continuous but it doesn't use a present participle (ing) so I'm doing a lot of headscratching...and staring blankly...can anyone help please?  (Soon...I need to explain to a student!!)  Thanks.


texts:
Source

Rather a with a noun is more common in formal language than in informal language, particularly in writing:

It was rather a surprise to find them in the house before me.

Rather + verb
We can use rather to emphasise verbs. We use it most commonly with verbs such as enjoy, hope, like.

I was rather hoping you'd forgotten about that.
He rather liked the idea of a well paid job in the japan.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/rather

No 1. says that we use rather a+noun in formal writiing.what's the meaning of rather when we use it in this way? Are there other adverbs or words to replace the use of "rather" in 'formal' writing and in informal (spoken) language?

No 2. says we use rather with verb to emphasize verb. What does this mean? Does rather still carry the meaning of "more than average" or "to some extent" when we use rather with verbs ?


texts: appropriate and polite response to "Thank you"

texts:
The examiner asks for checking the identification of the student, then returns it back and says "Thank you".

What is the appropriate and polite response the student should give?


texts: what's the meaning of the word stereographic?

texts: does anyone know what is the meaning of the word stereographic? like stereographic projection? I want to translate it into another language and I want it to be accurate. it's like drawing something that gives you a 3D-sense? because it's composed of two words. stere- usually means "solid" or "three-dimensional" and graphic means "relating to visual art, especially involving drawing, engraving, or lettering". am I getting it right?


texts: The alternatives to em hyphens in this paragraph

texts:
Reading this paragraph,

  Before requesting information from a graduate school, consider the nature of the information
  you seek — is it administrative or academic? The Office of Graduate Admissions at a
  graduate school is an administrative office that receives application materials and
  sorts/redistributes them to academic departments where the actual admission decisions are
  made — by professors. The Office of Graduate Admissions may have answers you seek related to general administrative matters, such as the application process, deadlines, and test score submission — although most of this information is available on the admissions
  pages of a graduate school’s website. That said, the Office of Graduate Admissions probably
  will not have answers to academic/research-related questions, such as what are the research
  interests and expertise of the faculty within an academic department or what the application
  procedures are for teaching/research assistantships within an academic department.
  Answers to academic/research-related questions are found either on the academic
  department’s website (where faculty often post their research) or by contacting the individual
  faculty members directly — by e-mail.

I was wondering whether I can use other punctuation to replace these four em dashes. and I would like to hear how native speakers think.

My speculation is

could be replaced by a comma or a pair of parentheses

...,consider the nature of the information you seek, is it administrative or academic?

...,consider the nature of the information you seek. (Is it administrative or academic?)

no
could be replaced by a comma or a pair of parentheses

...The Office of Graduate Admissions may have answers you seek related to ..., and test score submission. (Although most of this information is available on the  website.)

...The Office of Graduate Admissions may have answers you seek related to ..., and test score submission, although most of this information is available on the  website.

no


texts:
Would it be appropriate to reply to someone saying "I'm going to the dentist" with "Good Luck"? I think it's slightly odd...
What would be a natural reply for that?

Thanks in advance. :)


texts: Sentence structure - what 's role of "WITH"?

texts:
Here's a sentence written on my textbook. And I'd like to reorganize this sentence to make sure I understand more deeply.

  At work it's common for colleagues to go to a restaurant for lunch, with some eateries going to great lengths to atrract customers by handing out flyers in the streets and having special offers at lunch time only.

I know the sentence that include 'with' backs up the first sentence. However, I'm not familiar with using 'with', both when listening and when speaking. So, I put it like the following.

  At work it's common for colleagues to go to a restaurant for lunch. Some eateries actually go to great lengths to attract customers by handing out flyers in the streets and having special offers at lunch time only.

What do you think is more common or easy to speak and listen?
Exactly what's role of 'with' ?
Am I right to reorganize this way?


texts:
There is this beautiful poem I heard on "The Fall" (british tv show).

  There was a man of double deed,
  Who sowed his garden full of seed;
  When the seed began to grow,
  'Twas like a garden full of snow;
  When the snow began to melt,
  'Twas like a ship without a belt;
  When the ship began to sail,
  'Twas like a bird without a tail;
  When the bird began to fly,
  'Twas like an eagle in the sky;
  When the sky began to roar,
  'Twas like a lion at my door;
  When my door began to crack,
  'Twas like a stick across my back;
  When my back began to smart,
  'Twas like a penknife in my heart;
  And when my heart began to bleed,
  'Twas death, and death, and death indeed.

What does "man of double deed" mean? I guess it has some negative connotation, like a person leading double life, being double-faced, hypocritical, etc. But maybe I'm wrong.

The assumption is based on the fact that the poem is cited by the double-faced antagonist of the show.


texts:
Let's say that there is an event scheduled to take place in the near future and I would like to express that I think that it really shouldn't. Which one is correct:

A: I wonder whether it'll take place. I'd prefer it didn't, because of the virus.

B: I wonder whether it'll take place. I'd prefer it won't, because of the virus.

Based on my gut feel and this question I'd say that A is correct.

Are there any circumstances in which B would be correct? If I was talking about past event instead, I'd say "I'd prefer it hadn't happened"?


texts: Inversion rule in conditional sentence type 1

texts:
As you know, we can use inversion rule in  conditional sentence type 1: for instance:

  If you should need something, please call me.
  → Should you need something, please call me.

Now, can I apply this rule to the following sentence?

  If there is any question, please do not hesitate to contact me.
  → Is there any question, please do not hesitate to contact me.


texts: go to bed / go to sleep / fall asleep / sleep

texts:
I think like this:

Go to bed : action of going to one's own room and lying down on the bed.
Go to sleep : I'm already in my room and lying down on my bed. And at some point I fall asleep.
Sleep : in the state of being in dream. this is not a point but duration.

With this, I made a story.

I usually go to bed around 10 but go to sleep(fall asleep) about an hour later. And I sleep for about 8 hours.

Am I right to think this way?


texts:
I can not understand the usage of being in this sentence

  He again protested about the work on the event of the planning being rejected by authority.

How is being used? Please explain grammatically in detail. What kind of phrase is the usage of being?


texts: Why does the definition of ingratiate say "gain favor WITH somebody" instead of "FROM or FOR somebody"?

texts:
Ingratiate

  verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts

  Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.

I find the meaning a little vague even after searching multiple sources.

My doubt is that we gain favor from someone not with someone by putting efforts. We do favor for someone not with someone.

What is the clear meaning of this word is still unclear to me?


texts: Meaning of "a higher form of war" in The Avengers

texts:
Thor : (To Fury) Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war.
STEVE : A higher form?!

What does "a higher form of war" mean? Could you explain for understanding?

STEVE : I’m sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep...
TONY : Wait-Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?
STEVE : I'm sorry, isn't everything?

Please try and guess Steve's uncompleted line and complete sentence.
"Stark would be neck-deep in big trouble" or "Stark would be neck-deep a bundle of paper money (Stark buried in the money)". Which one do you think makes sense?
And Steve said "isn't everything?" What does that mean?


texts: Is "what we're going to do is + verb" grammatical?

texts:
The lecturer is saying

  What we're going to do is translate the understanding about gradients that we saw in the previous video into ...

What we are taught at school is "be + to + verb" or "be + verb + ing".

It seems that "be + verb" is NOT grammatical.

Although, I heard a lot people say "what we're going to do is + verb", even college professors. So, in particular, is "what we're going to do is + verb" grammatical?


texts: Subjunctive mood sentence about busyness setting up a question

texts:
Which sentence from the following is correct?

  Suppose you were very busy last night. Would you have watched this film?

OR

  Suppose you had been very busy last night. Would you have watched this film?


texts: Are terms of endearment such as "honey" or "darling" seen as old-fashioned or archaic?

texts:
Often times when we're overwhelmingly beclouded with love and want to put up a petting habit, these words would be a way to show it.

  Honey,
  Darling,
  Sweetie,
  Mine,
  Sweetheart, etc

I was wondering whether they are old fashioned, as I hear it from almost every couple. Are there newer or more recent terms I could use?


texts:
What do you call the process of unwinding a piece of adhesive tape? Like so.

Can I use the verb uncoil. For example:

  Please uncoil a piece of the tape, but don't take it off.

What is the most natural way to say that?


texts: what's the difference in the meaning "I am assuming and I assume"

texts:
There’s a Funky Frankenstein tape so I’m assuming anything else that was in that package is here.

why the progressive here, first reason is that it is happening right now but does the progressive imply that it is only a strong possibility not 100 per cent sure instead of "I assume" which is stronger more as a fact

my question is different because only one person is invoved, the writer and he is not starting  doing  something


texts: Why does a continuous tense verb not take '-times' word?

texts: What is the problem with 'I'm jumping twice'? I don't understand why it is wrong...


texts: What does sentence with "from ... to ... to ..." exactly mean?

texts:
The whole sentence is:

  Instead of handing down text-based documents from product managers to architects to design engineers to test engineers, and so forth, all of the people involved in the development process can access the data they
  need transparently. (System engineering for dummies)

Does it mean "pass documents from manager to architects, and then from architects to engineers, and then from engineer to test engineers" OR it just mean "pass document from manager to everybody else"?


texts:
Let today be monday.

1.We will have finished the work by Friday.

2.We would have finished the work by Friday.

3.We can have finished the work by Friday.

4.We could have finished the work by Friday.

5.We shall have finished the work by Friday.

6.We should have finished the work by Friday.

7.We may have finished the work by Friday.

8.We might have finished the work by Friday.

9.We must have finished the work by Friday.

I want to know all of the sentences can be used to describe future perfect expectation.


texts: Are those alternatives exactly equal to what they replace: "very + adjective"?

texts:
Thanks to this cool webpage, I got the following rich adjective vocabulary list:

 Furious —> Very angry
 Gorgeous —> Very beautiful
 Massive —> Very big
 Dull —> Very boring
 Deafening —> Very noisy
 Destitute —> Very poor
 Stingy —> Very cheap
 Spotless —> Very clean
 Brief —> Very short
 Arduous —> Very difficult
 Arid —> Very dry
 Rapid —> Very quick
 Awful —> Very bad
 Intelligent —> Very smart
 Sorrowful —> Very sad
 Distraught —> Very upset
 Freezing —> Very cold
 Forceful —> Very strong
 Colossal —> Very huge
 Serene —> Very calm
 Hideous —> Very ugly
 Petite —> Very small
 Hilarious —> Very funny
 Hushed —> Very quiet
 Wealthy —> Very rich
 Costly —> Very expensive
 Filthy —> Very dirty
 Towering —> Very tall
 Effortless —> Very easy
 Soaked —> Very wet
 Sluggish —> Very slow
 Excellent —> Very good
 Idiotic —> Very stupid
 Ecstatic —> Very happy
 Exhilarating —> Very exciting
 Hot —> Very warm
 Frail —> Very weak
 Tiny —> Very little
 Luminous —> Very bright
 Swamped —> Very busy
 Cautious —> Very careful
 Obvious —> Very clear
 Vibrant —> Very colorful
 Perplexed —> Very confused
 Innovative —> Very creative
 Bustling —> Very crowded
 Cherished —> Very dear
 Profound —> Very deep
 Desolate —> Very empty
 Thrilled —> Very excited
 Lavish —> Very fancy
 Obese —> Very fat
 Amiable —> Very friendly
 Overjoyed —> Very glad
 Terrific —> Very great
 Leaden —> Very heavy
 Starving —> Very hungry
 Battered —> Very hurt
 Huge —> Very large
 Indolent —> Very lazy
 Extensive —> Very long
 Slack —> Very loose
 Exact —> Very accurate
 Fearful —> Very afraid
 Intelligent —> Very clever
 Adorable —> Very cute
 Tedious —> Very dull
 Keen —> Very eager
 Wicked —> Very evil
 Quick —> Very fast
 Ferocious —> Very fierce
 Luminous —> Very light
 Animated —> Very lively
 Very lovely –> Adorable
 Cruel —> Very mean
 Slovenly —> Very messy
 Kind —> Very nice
 Frequently —> Very often
 Ancient —> Very old
 Transparent —> Very open
 Ashen —> Very pale
 Flawless —> Very perfect
 Compelling —> Very powerful
 Beautiful —> Very pretty
 Pouring —> Very rainy
 Petrified —> Very scared
 Chilling —> Very scary
 Grave —> Very serious
 Keen —> Very sharp
 Gleaming —> Very shiny
 Timid —> Very shy
 Basic —> Very simple
 Skeletal —> Very skinny
 Sleek —> Very smooth
 Downy —> Very soft
 Apologetic —> Very sorry
 Exceptional —> Very special
 Certain —> Very sure
 Thoughtful —> Very sweet
 Gifted —> Very talented
 Delicious —> Very tasty
 Parched —> Very thirsty
 Constricting —> Very tight
 Minuscule —> Very tiny
 Exhausted —> Very tired
 Expansive —> Very wide
 Eager —> Very willing
 Blustery —> Very windy
 Sage —> Very wise
 Distressed —> Very worried

I'm concerned to know if all those words are exactly equal to "very + adjective". For instance I wonder if "very + lazy" exactly equals to "indolent", or similarly if they're "synonyms" for all those words. And if they aren't exactly equal what is the slighlty difference for those which aren't?

Improving my question thanks to the relevant comments

Many thanks to @FumbleFingers, @Bee, @Jonathanjo

What would be the best interpretations of those adjectives since each sequence of words is never equal to another different one? In what are they different from their "very+adjective"?


texts: use of word "Like" in the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Like smaller companies, the larger companies, continue to be impacted
  by the advancements in technology.

Can anyone help me understand what function the word "Like" has in the sentence? Is it a preposition or an adjective or something else?


texts: which sentence fits this definition of “when”?

texts:
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English has the following definition of "when":

used to introduce a fact or statement that makes something seem surprising

I'd like to know which of the following sentences better fits the definition:

a. Why does she steal things when she could easily afford to buy them?

b. When you consider that the airline handled 80 million passengers last year, the accident figures are really very small.

Does the fact that the airline handled 80 million passengers last year make the accident figures surprising or unsurprising in sentence b?


texts:
I have never been so sure about anything in my life before.

  I have never been so sure about anything in my life.

  I have never been as sure as I am about this than anything in my life.

Are all the above sentences grammatically correct?
Do all of them convey the same meaning?


texts: Allegory: 'a grain of sugar in your eyes'

texts:
Source: ‘by Andy Greenwald BA (Brown University), 2015 Mar 26

  But to watch The Americans is to be forced to sink deeper and deeper into uncomfortable truths. To borrow a phrase from Betty, the doomed widow in the machine repair shop, it’s impossible to watch this show with even a grain of sugar in your eyes.

1. Am I right that this is an allegory? If not, what trope is this?

2. I ask about the figurative meaning, and NOT about the literal meaning. I guess that sugar  means a Polyannish or saccharine or sugary mentality, but why mention the eyes? This mention seems contradictory, because any foreign physical object that contacts the eye, hurts. How


texts:
Which is the correct option in cases like these:

  My hands felt the silky texture of fabric.

  My hands felt the silky texture of the fabric.

Or they mean different things?


texts: Which prepositions needed for "long or short term" when used as a noun?

texts:
I need help with this particular example:
-I will study the effects of the drug at / at the / in / in the short and long term/terms.
Can someone tell me which is the right option and why?


texts: What is correct- 'starts from' or 'starts at' when we talk about the cost of something?

texts:
I know Grammarly is not a much reliable source for all things grammar. So when I see the mistake of punctuation in the marketing copy, I decided to ask about the same here.

Here is a sentence:

  During this festive season, our app development cost starts from just $10000.

Here, Grammarly shows 'at' instead of 'from'. Is it correct? I am perplexed because I have an impression that when we talk about the price range, it is correct to use 'from'.

What's your take on this?


texts: Is there a more formal way of saying "let's get down to business"? I am not sure if I am mistaken, but the expression "let's get down to business" sounds quite informal, so I am wondering if there's a more formal or at least a more polite expression meaning the same thing or at least something highly similar.


texts: is it right to say 'Let's saunter after dinner' or 'Let's go for a walk after dinner' or other?

texts:
If after having a dinner with friends then I hope to walk outside with them.
how can i say?

is it right to say 'Let's saunter after dinner' or 'Let's go for a walk after dinner' or other ?


texts: Apart from "psychology" and "pneumonia" are there other words in which "p" is not pronounced?

texts:
Apart from "psychology" and "pneumonia" are there other words in which the letter "p" is not pronounced?

I've tried to get examples of some of them apart from these two words, but I didn't find any.


texts:
How to say past imagination in English language?

Please explain to me whether the examples below are correct.

I want to say to my friend that he speaks English very well because he was trained by a good teacher.

“He was trained  by good teacher” I want to say this as imagination/Hypothesis.

How would I say this?

“Your English is good because your Teacher would have been good in English.”

Or

“Your English is good because your Teacher would have taught you good English.”

Or

Anything else?


texts: WIP (work in progress) is a commonly used acronym. But what is the correct way to pronounce it? Letter by letter seems clunky.


texts: How to providing English translation of foreign terms used in a English text?

texts:
I'm a non native English speaker writing a dissertation in British English. In this text I'm referring to some methodologies whose names are in other languages. For example one of the methods is called "Tien Stappen Plan" (dutch methodology). This literately means "Ten Steps Plan". Should I provide this English name so reader can more intuitively understand the text? If so how would I do this? What markings should I use, if any? Should I use capitalisation?

Below is an example line from the text, is this clear and correct?

  For this aspect the "Tien Stappen Plan" ([APA citation here]) or “Ten Step Plan” was used.


texts: Becoming much more fluent than what I am already am?

texts:
I have just watched a video on how to improve my english communication skills. And a phrase caught my attention which says:

  ...''That is why I'm helping you guys becoming much more fluent than your(or your're?) already are."

What if I changed it into me as the speaker specifically:

  Becoming much more fluent than what I'm already am.

Is this correct? and there are 2 ''am" in a sentence? Oh man :(


texts: "That would be John" vs. "That will be John"

texts: When I hear someone knocking on the door, and I think that John is behind the door. should I say "That would be John" or "That will be John"?


texts: Adjective meaning "belonging to a certain category"

texts:
I am struggling to think of an adjective suitable in the following example.
(I want to say products that belong to these categories to indicate the product types.)
Products (       ) to custom order, quick shipping or delivery in person.
Can I say "applicable to" or "subject to"?
Thank you


texts:
I still don't understand this 'by which' in this sentence.
In my perspective this sentence make sense without 'by which'.
Is there a difference between the two sentences below?

There is no objective standard by which to measure it
There is no objective standard to measure it


texts: What is the meaning of the phrase "it is to put on someone"?

texts:
I have found that phrase in a lingohack from the BBC. Here it goes:

  Skin displays developed by Japanese reserchers that show your vital signs. It is to put on patients, so that doctors can monitor their progress.

It is quite understandble from the context that the technology will be put on patients, but I cannot understand why be was left out, for example:

  It is to be put on patients.


texts:
I came across this sentence in a test:

The first computer was built in 1943, but since then the computer technology has developed a great deal.

My confusion is can we use has been developed instead of the active form of present perfect? If not, can you help me clarify this?


texts: What does "We’re away from next week for the rest of the year, and then for a month" mean?

texts:
Just a very quick note – we’re away from next week for the rest of the year, and then for a month soon after we get back, so utterly completely submerged in getting organised and working through several business issues.

What does the sentence in boldface mean?


texts: Difference between "on my way to be 25" and "on my way to being 25"

texts:
Set 1:

China is close to be the centre of world trade.

China is close to being the centre of world trade.

Set 2:

I am on my way to be 25.

I am on my way to being 25

Which is the correct form, the first or the second? What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?


texts: Adjectives to describe rectangular and round objects?

texts: What is the adjectives to describe rectangular and round objects? For example, cars come with variety of shapes. Classic cars from 80's years tend to be rectangular, with edges and corners. On the other hand, modern cars are always built in more-round shapes for aerodynamic efficiency and nice appearance. How to describe these two types of appearance? Thank you!


texts: "on opposite sides of" vs. "on the opposite sides of"

texts:
From Chemguide:

  The most likely example of geometric isomerism you will meet at an introductory level is but-2-ene. In one case, the CH3 groups are on opposite sides of the double bond, and in the other case they are on the same side.

Would it seem strange to a native speaker of English if I used the there:

  The most likely example of geometric isomerism you will meet at an introductory level is but-2-ene. In one case, the CH3 groups are on the opposite sides of the double bond, and in the other case they are on the same side.

.. or would it still be okay?

According to this Ngram, the use of "on the opposite sides of" has been on a decline relative to "on opposite sides of":

An example of "on the opposite sides":

  Even at present, by comparing the differences of the inhabitants of the sea on the opposite sides of a continent, and the nature of the various inhabitants of that continent in relation to their apparent means of immigration, some light can be thrown on ancient geography. (Darwin, The Origin of Species, Chapter 14)


texts:
1.He has been watching TV.

What does this sentence mean?

Does it mean that the person started watching TV sometime before and still watching it or the person started watching TV sometime before and has stopped watching it? does it mean something else rather than my options?