texts: Meaning of sink in the following sentence

texts:
What is the meaning of sink in the following sentence

  Her head sinks on her shoulder.

Meaning of sink is to fall or move to a lower level

Does this mean her head fell on her shoulder?


texts: Independent clauses and comma use in contrast

texts:
An independent clause is a unit of grammatical organization that includes both a subject and verb and can stand on its own as a sentence. In the previous example, "I went running" and "I saw a duck" are both independent clauses, and "and" is the coordinating conjunction that connects them. Consequently, we insert a comma.

Why don't these sentences require a conjunction grammatically:

God is watching over you, I know because I asked him to.

God will open doors that no man can shut, you just be ready to walk through them

Put the book in the head, not on the head

The above are  independent clauses so I would always put 'and' for example. The comma can represent contrast but it can do this with the conjunction also. What does the ommission represent gramatically.


texts:
Joe who had been invited comes to party.

  Joe whom had been invited comes to party.

Which relative pronoun is suitable, who or whom for subject of the passive sentence.


texts: "How many months old" or "how old is your baby"?

texts: Which one is correct between How many months old is your baby? and How old is your baby?? Which one is generally used?


texts: What's the difference between "the city" and "a city"?

texts:
Here is what I've learned:
"I like living in a city."  This sounds like it doesn't matter which city I live in -- any one will do.
"I like living in the city." This is a more common thing to say. People say "the city" to mean not "the country". These are two set phrases,  representing two concepts/lifestyles. (Of course, if there is a context, "the city" can mean a particular city.)

Group A(more common): I like living in the city. Transportation is easier in the city. Life in the city is convenient. In the city things change all the time.

and

Group B: I like living in a city. Transportation is easier in a city. Life in a city is convenient. In a city things change all the time.

Is it always better to use Group A? Can you provide a context where it is better to use Group B?


texts: Is there a name for the part before the theme song in a tv series?

texts: I've noticed that most tv series have a short part, usually 1~2min, before the theme song comes in. Is there a particular name for that? Thanks!


texts:
Why is there an article in the first example and not in the second?

Oxfordlearnersdictionaries says that:
[countable] a particular aspect or detail of something

  He felt a grudging respect for her talents as an organizer.

and

  He treats his grandparents with (a) great respect.

etc.


texts: Can we omit the subject of second sentence when they relate to each other

texts:
I am having the following construction.

  1: The figure demonstrates that the most frequent rmse falls within the
  range of 0.3m-0.6m. The deviation is approximately equal to the
  resolution of data.

Is it possible to omit the subject of second sentence and join like this.

  2: The figure demonstrates that the most frequent rmse falls within the
  range of 0.3m-0.6m which is approximately equal to the
  resolution of data.

So, I want to know whether my second sentence is correct or not. thanks


texts: Grammar : Adverb Or Adjective (noticeably or noticeable)

texts:
Jack steadily progressed, noticeably through increased eye contact and a louder voice.

In this sentence, which one is grammatically right, 'noticeable' or 'noticeably'?

Here, I'd like to express that I noticed his progress and change from our increased eye contact and his louder voice when he gave a speech in English. He is an English language learner who is at beginner level. And I am his English tutor.


texts:
A VOA tutorial says

  In English, only certain kinds of words come before nouns. Often, the word that comes before a noun is an adjective.

There are some different types of words would come before nouns, e.g. to be, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, etc, which could be "certain kinds of words" that tutorial mentioned.

Therefor that tutorial uses "kinds of". In this kind of situation, it has to use "kinds of" rather than "kind of", as there are many kinds.

Is my understanding right?

In phrase "kind of" mainly has 2 meanings, "category" and "to some extent", please have this post focus the former meaning.


texts: Definite article for things with a name/label

texts:
In an article I describe a series of items with their name:

  ExtractionCommand: Extraction command is used to extract data from the matching node.

Should I write it as:

  ExtractionCommand: ExtractionCommand is used to extract data from the matching node.

  ExtractionCommand: the ExtractionCommand is used to extract data from the matching node.

  ExtractionCommand: The extraction command is used to extract data from the matching node.

However it is a name, but in the sentence I tried to use it as a compound noun, but don't know if I can/should do that or not! and if it needs the?

Extraction command is a simple command like

Include
Exclude
Include as story

It tells the algorithm to include or exclude the content of a node in/from the output... or use a tag (story) for them...


texts:
I have a question about the differences in meaning, if any, between writing the following sentence as:

"In other words, I have personal experience with some of the anxieties many tennis players go through when having to decide between products."

versus:

"In other words, I have personal experience with some of the anxieties many tennis players go through when deciding between products."

Do both sentences say the same thing? Is one better than the other?

Thanks in advance for your help!


texts: prepositions + somebody/something + being or - + done

texts:
I just don't understand when to use "being" in those situations? What is the logic being them?

  1- An earlier draft of the law proposed in August 2011 sparked
  widespread criticism for allowing such detentions without families
  being informed.

  2- An earlier draft of the law proposed in August 2011 sparked
  widespread criticism for allowing such detentions without families
  informed.

  3- I've been surprised how much they can achieve without me being
  involved.

  4- I've been surprised how much they can achieve without me involved.

  5- Send the email with the file being attached.

  6- Send the email with the file attached.

  7- My boyfriend and I had lots of arguments as a result of me
  being stressed about my workload.

  8- My boyfriend and I had lots of arguments as a result of me
  stressed about my workload.

I made out 2,4,5,8 and took the rest from the internet to understand the issue. I can give the sources: for the 7 (https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/jul/26/live-breathe-charity-work-but-burnout-wake-up-call), for the 3 (https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/31corner.html) , for the 1 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-17296145)


texts: Rearranging modifiers in this introduction

texts:
for questions which a dictionary cannot answer asking the meaning of a particular expression.

This is the definition of the tag expressions on this site, and as far as I am aware, which a dictionary cannot answer and asking the meaning of a particular expression are both modifiers to questions.

But, could the introduction also be changed to one of the following alternatives?

  for questions which a dictionary cannot answer that ask the
  meaning of a particular expression

  for questions asking the
  meaning of a particular expression which a dictionary cannot
  answer

  for questions that ask the meaning of a particular
  expression which a dictionary cannot answer

And finally, my second question is, does any of the alternatives sound unnatural?


texts: What's the correct pronunciation of the name Geoff? Is it like "Jeff" or more like "GEE-off" or something else?


texts: "bring something down to the reception" or "bring something down at the reception"?

texts:
Tell me please which preposition is appropriate in the following context.

  After you leave the room you have to bring the keys down to the reception.

  After you leave the room you have to bring the keys down at the reception.


texts: using two prepositions 'at' one after another

texts:
For the following sentence:

  Jack and Jenny arrive at school at 3:00 pm.

If I wanted to ask a question about Jack and Jenny's particular place of arrival at specific point in time, which is 3:00 pm, would it be ok to form the question this way?:

  Where do Jack and Jenny arrive at at 3:00 pm?


texts: Can I use overdue to identify a task finished behind schedule?

texts: I'm translating some labels and messages of a web system to English. In the context of learning, there are activities that must be finished on a specific date, like in a classroom with teachers and students. I want to know the word teachers usually use to define a task that is finished behind schedule, is it ok to use "overdue"?


texts:
It's common to hear words protagonist and antagonist. And based on the way they sound, and their opposit meaning, I always thought that they should have the same etymon, with pro and an being prefixes that change their meanings in regards to one common meaning of tagon for example.

Then one day I checked them out, and to my huge surprise, they are completely irrelevant.

Coming from the world of mathematics, I can't simply accept the probability of these words having different origins, yet having a lot of similarities in spelling, meaning, and usage contexts, annd also being opposite of each other.

My question is, how can we make sure that our etymological analysis is correct? Because after all we've seen that we were wrong in many scientific fields.


texts:
Do you know who she looks like?

or

Do you know whom she looks like?

I have no idea I have tried every way I can think of.


texts:
A: I don't remember much, though.
B: Just try to give me as much details as you can remember.

I feel like something is wrong in B's sentence. I've never heard people say something like this.


texts: Is "I could not thank you enough." just the past tense of "I cannot thank you enough." or what?

texts:
My quick Google search for "I cannot thank you enough." returned a lot more results than for "I could not thank you enough."

I cannot thank you enough.  (6,030,000 results)
I could not thank you enough. (448,000 results)

My questions are:

Is "I could not thank you enough." just the past tense of "I cannot thank you enough."?
If the answer for the above is No, then when do you use "I could not thank you enough." rather than "I cannot thank you enough."?


texts: "Review," "preview," "ask," or "request"?

texts:
if the worker asks to review

  if the worker asks to preview

  if the worker requests to review

  if the worker requests to preview

Which sentence is better? Is there any better way to say it?


texts:
This scientific thing is not scientific.
This scientific thing doesn't have a state of being scientific. (This scientific thing isn't without a state of being scientific).

Do verbs of these sentences make a state of being scientific negative?
I'm confused because even though a subject means something because of a verb the subject becomes a negative as in 'this scientific thing doesn't exist.' So does the sentences above have the verbs that negate a state of being scientific of the subjects?
Context
A: Earth is flat
B: This is not scientific
I want to express the opinion of B with the sentences above.
It's not metaphorical but literal.
Similar example:
'a red ball is not red'
'blue sky has no blueness'
'there's an unfortunate fortunate man'


texts: Is there any more 'respectful word' than 'beggars' for these wonderful guys?

texts:
In India, beggars don't do anything and ask for money. But here, I see this specific practice to ask for money (in foreign countries).

Check this guy

he works harder, shows his skills and asks for money

Well, it's not limited to playing some instruments. At times, they do better job than professionals.

See this video

https://www.facebook.com/SithTV/videos/938035186241723/

My question is, morally, I feel that the word 'beggar' for the latter ones is quite offensive. What do native speakers call them? Are they still beggars? If so, I'll still need some better alternative to separate them from our beggars in India! I will never call them beggars (because, being an Indian, I have a different image of a beggar). In fact, I respect them more than many professionals I find around me!

Note: no charity from the beggars/money-seekers is involved in any case.


texts: "If you don't listen to me, you were ruined."

texts:
If you don't listen to me, you were ruined.

Is the above-mentioned sentence correct? The speaker is sure that if the listener doesn't listen to him, the listener will be ruined. What perplexes me is the tense clash i.e. present in 1st clause and past in the 2nd; while the speaker is referring to FUTURE.
Que 2: Can we have PRESENT STATE, instead? As in:

If you don't listen to me, you are ruined.

Note that we're talking about certain future. We are SURE that not listening to us will cause the listener to be ruined.


texts:
Sunday is a fun day for many students.
Sunday is the fun day for many students.
Sunday is a fun day to many students.
Sunday is the fun day to many students.

Do we have to use 'for' or 'to'? Do we have to use 'a' or 'the'? Does the fun day mean the only fun day for many students? There are several fun days for many students. So, 'a fun day' for many students means one of the fun days for many students. Am I right?


texts:
Does it refer to thousands of situations in the previous sentence?

"Dreyer's hospital is enthusiastically embracing the potential of AI to transform radiology. They've bulked up their computing power and are organizing their data to train algorithms. But there's a long road ahead. Artificial intelligence will need to be able to respond to thousands of situations to match the image interpretation that a radiologist does. Right now, Massachusetts General Hospital is focusing on 25 of them."

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2017/07/14/technology/business/radiology-doctors-artificial-intelligence/index.html


texts: "Did she imagine for a second that he did not regret his expulsion from the team a hundred times more than she did?"

texts:
"Yeah, I know," said Angelina, pulling out her wand and flexing her arm. "But she's pretty good, actually. Nothing on you, of course," she said, throwing him a very dirty look, "but as we can't have you ..."

  Harry bit back the retort he was longing to utter: Did she imagine for a second that he did not regret his expulsion from the team a hundred times more than she did?

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I'm not sure if I got that sentence in bold correct. Did Harry think she should have imagined that he did not regret his expulsion or something? How should we understand it? What does it try to convey?


texts: This sentence reads somewhat queer, but I can't tell exactly where is not correct.

texts:
It's in a composition written by my son. It reads:

  Our campus ought to combine its environment with the nature other than those reinforced concrete buildings now we see.


texts: Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories #2 The Enchantress Returns

texts:
I am reading the first chapter of this book and I don’t understand a sentence which is in a scene Alex remembered her bad dream she had many times.
‘Was this was an actual sighting or just her imagination getting the best of her?’
Why does it use ‘was’ twice, not saying ‘was this an actual sighting...’? Is there any grammatically reason?


texts: Sentence structure with "if" : How to avoid the repetition of subject in the clauses

texts:
What is the grammatical and correct structure for "if"?

For example which of the following structures are valid?

If they are black, then they should be selected.

vs.

If they are black, they should be selected.

vs.

If they are black, should be selected.

Is specially the last one correct? or has any application?
If not, how can I avoid the repetition of subject in clauses?


texts:
I would like to inquire about the correct usage of "still". I understood and I am not sure if I am correct, that we use still when an action or situation continues to the present. That means a continuous present tense state. Having said that we should add "ing" to the verb after "still" for example:

I still reading the article

Do all the verbs after still need "ing" for example which sentence is correct?

I still review the article
I still reviewing the article


texts:
It is ok to say "I have been buying cakes at this shop for 10 years"? because I can buy cakes many times at that shop.

But what about buying just 1 thing?

is it wrong to say "I have been buying this house for 10 years"?

Case 1: I paid off the house price completely 10 years ago.

Case 2: I have paid the house price by installment since 10 years ago until now.

Can that sentence be right in any cases?


texts:
The following is from "The Lewis Man" by Peter May.

  The Solas daycare centre was to be found on the northeastern outskirts
  of Stornoway in Westview Terrace, a modern, single-storey building
  angled around car parks front and back. It stood next door to the
  council-run Dun Eisdean residential care home for the elderly,
  surrounded by trees and neatly manicured lawns.

I've looked up the dictionary for "angle" but still can't figure out "angled around." I know there are parking lots front and back of this single-storey building but their detailed arrangement is lost on me. Is it something to do with 'in a different direction'?


texts:
Here is the line from an Indian daily [photo caption text],

  Argentina's forward and Lionel Messi prepares to kick the ball to score his team's second goal during the World Cup match against Bosnia Hercegovina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. (AFP Photo)

I understand the meaning of the noun forward

  forward - The person who plays the position of forward in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey.

But how does the former sentence take forward and...? Shouldn't it be Argentina's forward Lionel Messi... Not sure whether forward can go there as an adjective though.

Am I missing something?


texts: "future time" vs. "the future"; "past time" vs. "the past"

texts:
From Cambridge Dictionary

The modal verb "would" is used to refer to future time from the point of view of the past

Does the following sentence mean the same thing?

... refer to the future from the point of view of past time

In other words, are "future time" and "the future" interchangeable in this particular context? Are "past time" and "the past" interchangeable in this particular context?
According to Ngram Viewer, both "view of the future" and "view of the past" are common while the other two are not in use.

Another Ngram Viewer shows "refer to past time" and "refer to the past" are interchangeable when talking about grammar, so are the other pair.


texts: How do you specify which pair of sides in a discussion?

texts:
There are two pair of sides on a bus: the front and the rear, and the left side and the right side. The question is how do you specify which pair of sides you are talking about without sounding like an alien from Mars? I am thinking "short side", but I am not sure if that's any good. It sounds horribly vague and I am not even sure you can call it the short side, or short sides.

For example:

  He was looking at the guy on the other side of him, on the short side
  of the bus.


texts: please give me some explanation about this paragraph

texts:
Please explain me the parts of following paragraph:

Such products may dominate a market if the price is reasonable, but they must to a degree meet competition. They invite substitution. They are naturally classified with other products which have like ingredients, so the price must remain in that class.

What's the meaning of meeting competition? Please explain the meaning of substitution? Please explain the last part of that paragraph.
Thank you very much.


texts: How is "he'd better get used to it" different from "he should get used to it"?

texts: I'm trying to understand the phrase "better get used to it". I know it basically means "he should get used to it", but is there a small difference between them? Is one more encouraging than the other?


texts:
Is the usage of who correct in the following sentence

  The account was confirmed by an administration official who also on condition of anonymity.

Is it a contraction of who also spoke on condition of anonymity?

 Link


texts: How to understand "that has sent economic forecasters the world over..."?

texts:
This is the original sentence:

  [...] that has sent economic forecasters the world over scurrying to revise down their predictions.

I want to know what "send sb the world" means, and what does "over" mean.

Why does the sentence use "over", and what does "revise down" mean. And I also want to know how to understand this sentence. My understanding is "because the dates economic forecasters have forecast are wrong, maybe overestimated, so that scurries economic forecasters to revise their forecast dates to fell.


texts: Definite article in "Being human, the computers were fallible."

texts:
From "Creative Blocks" by David Deutsch:

  Babbage came upon universality from an unpromising direction. He had been much exercised by the fact that tables of mathematical functions (such as logarithms and cosines) contained mistakes. At the time they were compiled by armies of clerks, known as ‘computers’, which is the origin of the word. Being human, the computers were fallible...

Could we omit the before "computers"? After all, he means "computers generally", as a category of workers, and plural generic noun phrases do not take the: "apples are sold throughout the world", "pirates were dangerous", "hoplites were used in the phalanx formation".


texts: He closed the door CAREFULLY or He CAREFULLY closed the door

texts:
Which is considered as grammatical and better?

  He closed the door carefully

Or

  He carefully closed the door

This is about the adverb of manner (carefully), grammar rules indicate that the adverb of manner should be after the main verb (close).

But can I also say it the other way particularly using sentence  #2? (I can't ask this in a grammar book of course)


texts: What is the difference between an adjective before the noun and after the noun?

texts:
For a long time I'm having trouble understanding the difference between two kind of expressions like those below in terms of meaning, not grammar:

  Excited people are looking forward to seeing this event.
  People excited are looking forward to seeing this event.

EDITED TO USE CLEARER EXAMPLES:

  "All navigable rivers are being patrolled."
  "All rivers navigable are being patrolled."

As a native speaker, how do these expressions in bold sound to you? Is there any difference in meaning between examples #3 and #4? If so what is it, and why is this so?


texts:
I'm looking for words that capture the meaning: being mentally divided or split. The feeling of "I'm not sure", insofar as one is heavily weighing the pros and cons of an idea on a intellectual or emotional level.

For example, you could write: "The question challenged his beliefs - suddenly he was divided." I feel however "divided" or "split" doesn't capture the implied meaning of moral compromise here.

I struggle to find a better word here, though I am sure it exists.


texts: Is it correct to use two adjectives before the phrase "as always"?

texts:
I put the caption "Outspoken and candid as always" on a video I posted for Riz Ahmad in the Trevor Noah show. But I'm not sure if it sounds correct because I have always heard sentences where it's always "something as always" not "something and something as always". Should I remove one of the adjectives? Or is it fine?

This is the caption: "Outspoken and candid as always."


texts:
This guy needs to keeping writing such stuff.

I heard this in the first time. As far as I know, it should be used "to keep writing" in this sentence.

Is this because of the gerund-related rule?


texts:
That restaurant can't be very good.

  No, it's always empty.

If the second phrase is an agreement, why is there "no", but not "yes"?
I'm thinking it's possible to use both, but "yes" seems more correct.

I didn't find enough examples to understand it.


texts:
He is eating.

  He is eating for a long time.

How do I say he takes a long time to eat lunch? Would it sound awkward?


texts: Position of "neither" in the following sentence

texts:
Is this variation of neither acceptable?

  He could neither clearly identify the man who attacked him nor he could name the weapon with which he was attacked.

To my ears, this sentence sounds eccentric due to wrong position of neither. I think He could neither should be replaced by neither he could because nor is used before the subject he. But I'm not pretty sure. Please clear my doubt.


texts:
What is the difference between

I have not been to Scotland for 2 years.
I have not been to Scotland in 2 years.


texts:
a. The conflict claimed about two hundred lives on all sides.

b. The conflict claimed about two hundred lives on the three sides.

Do those mean

all in all there were two hundred lives lost

or

there were two hundred lives lost on each side
?

=========================================

=========================================

c. The feud claimed ten lives on both sides.

d. The feud claimed ten lives on the two sides.

Do these mean

all in all there were ten lives lost.

or

there were ten lives lost on each side
?

Many thanks.


texts: How to change "I am glad that we are not going to face X" to a less certain expression

texts:
Consider this:

  I am glad that we are not going to face Germany in the WorldCup.

I think this means you already knew that you will not be playing against Germany in the WorldCup. Right?

However, if I want to rephrase this so that it sounds like I am not sure what will happen in the future and the fact that I just prefer not to face Germany. I wrote:

  I hope that we are not going to face Germany in the WorldCup.

Is that correct? Does it mean the same thing?


texts: There's no wrong answer. double negative

texts: A dictionary says wrong means not right, then does there's no wrong answer have a double negative?


texts:
This noun appears in a song and it is clearly a instrument, but I didn't find any reference about this. The only meaning to this word is concrete in French.

  "The cymbals flash, the drums they crash
  the trumpets rise the song
  the brass beton plucks its diamonds
  from a glittering wall of almost dawn
  The crystal chords they slash the wind
  in humble majesty
  and the velvet voices all shall join
  the singing"

Here is the complete song:

Velvet voices by Townes Van Zandt


texts: In the morning, I ask somebody "what will you have for lunch?" or "what do you have for lunch?" which one is correct

texts:
In the morning, I ask:

  what will you have for lunch?

  what do you have for lunch?

which one is correct?


texts: '''There are several days'' vs ''it is several days''

texts:
Context;

İt is December 20 and I want to talk about the period of time until following

christmas.

Which one is the proper way to make that sentence or are both OK?

Sentence a)

İt is several days before Christmas.(I have seen that kind of sentence

several times)

Sentence b)

There are several days before christmas.(This sentence looks better to me)

Are these sentences same in the meaning ?

Are both idiomatic?


texts: What does the word "as" mean as in the following sentence? " shall be made as will... "

texts:
What does the word as mean in the following sentence?

  Such preparations shall be made as will completely obscure all Federal buildings and non-Federal buildings occupied by the Federal government during an air raid for any period of time from visibility by reason of internal or external illumination


texts: What is the difference between I was there, and I have been there?

texts:
I was there twice last year.
I have been there twice in the last year.


texts: I am a English learner from Poland. One thing confuses me often while reading in English. It is the sentence "can never". Does that sentence mean that one will never be/do something 100 percent? Or it means it is possible that one will not do something but it is not 100 percent (can never do this, but also can always do this)?


texts: "Performing one's working duties" or "Pulling one's weight"

texts:
I wonder whether as for an employee who neglects their working duties we can say:

  1- He doesn't pull his weight --> I doubt if it works in this case, while according to the dictionaries "pull one's weight" is used when someone doesn't do his share in a teamwork or when everyone has their own certain task.

  2- He doesn't perform his duties. --> too me "duty" is too formal-sounding or something associated with military jargon.

I don't know what is the most common idiom / expression/ verb in this sense. I wonder if you could help me with it.


texts: How to say "I finished my working day" in a simpler way?

texts:
How do you say I finished my working day just now.
(When the clock strikes five, and you try to message your family you are ready to set off from the office)?
Does the below sound fine?

I am off now, I will be home in no time.
I just got off, I will be home in no time.


texts:
I am going to apply this concept.

  I am going to applying this concept.

  I am going to be applying this concept.

These are correct and mean the same?


texts: To be obliged" Vs "To be obligated" in AmE

texts:
I was wondering if an AmE native speaker could let me know the semantic nuance between the two sentences caused by using similar verbs "obligate" and "oblige" in my self-made the examples below.

  I’m obliged to do this.
  I’m obligated to do this.

For me, they both mean the same thing, but perhaps they have some serious semantic differences.
P.s. I've already read this thread, but I couldn't get much of it.


texts:
Which one is right/sounds better:
"The shot men drop to the floor."  or
"The shot men drop on the floor."
I am trying to imply they are either dead or heavily injured.
I am not a native speaker, but enjoy writing. Thank you!


texts: What does “which” refer to in 'an aspect of the article which we think is positive'?

texts:
Question about

  an aspect of the article which we think is positive.

Which noun phrase  are we thinking is positive? Is  article positive, or is an aspect of the article positive ? Thank you in advance.


texts:
I have four questions regarding classifying phrases complementing adjectives. I start with some examples:

  (1) She was hesitant to tell her parents.
  (2) The boss was anxious to promote sales.
  (3) Are you afraid of spiders?
  (4) We were shocked by the news.
  (5) I was delighted that she was chosen.
  (6) I am curious what color it is.

For (5) and (6), because of that- and what- clauses, I classify them as Noun Phrases. If there are any Conjunctions such as where and when, the phrases that containt them will be considered Noun Phrases?

For (1) and (2), I am wondering whether or not should I classify them as Verb Phrases or to-Infinitive Clauses instead?

For (3) and (4), except for to, any prepositions showing up on these phrases will help me to identify them as Prepositional Phrases. However, is there any possibility that some of them might belong to another group of phrases?

Please help me.

I forgot to post the last question. I will post it when the three first questions are answered.


texts: a long plumed distance/a white sailing sky

texts:
Down come the cardinal's hunting scenes, the scenes of secular
  pleasure: the sportive peasants splashing in ponds, the stags at bay,
  the hounds in cry, the spaniels held on leashes of silk and the
  mastiffs with their collars of spikes: the huntsmen with their studded
  belts and knives, the ladies on horseback with jaunty caps, the
  rush-fringed pond, the mild sheep at pasture, and the bluish feathered
  treetops, running away into a long plumed distance, to a scene of
  chalky bluffs and a white sailing sky.

(Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel)

I looked up the dictionary but can't make out the meaning of the two words in the  phrase. Is "plumed" supposed to be "clouded"? What kind of sky is a white "sailing" sky?


texts:
Example:

  Q: Is any of the vegetable fresh?
  A: No, none of it is fresh.

Can we use none of with a singular noun?


texts: That or which? Which pronoun to use for things?

texts:
For example:

That book which is on the table is mine.
That book that is on the table is my book.

Are there any rules when to choose that or which?


texts: Is there a future in the past for the subjunctive?

texts:
A) If I have a sentence like this:

  "He suggests that she buy this book.",

how should I transform it, if the action happened long ago?

I have two versions but I am not sure about them:

  1) In 1905, he suggested that she buy that book.

  2) In 1905, he suggested that she should buy that book.

B) I know I can not say "He suggested to her that she buy the book.", but how can I stress the fact that the suggestion was made to her and not in general?


texts: "begin + 'infinitive'" vs. "commence + 'infinitive'"

texts:
Also, this marks Goodall’s 35th year as what she herself calls “the chimp lady,” for it was in summer 1960 that, as a young woman with no formal academic training, she trekked into the wilds of Africa and commenced to live among and study mankind’s closest relations.

As an Italian I would be happy if “commence” were normally used as a synonym of “begin” because this verb is rather similar to the Italian “cominciare”, but I observed only a few occurrences of it.

However, setting aside whether “commence” and “begin” are perfectly synonymous, the question is: Is “commence” a correct choice if, as in the example above, this verb is followed by an infinitive?


texts:
what is the meaning of "brace or scale" and "tier" in this context?

"He was next asked:
"Do you perceive any plan by which to expedite the art of writing?"
"Yes; I am almost moved to invent an automatic psychographer—that is,
an artificial soul-writer. It may be constructed something like a piano,
one brace or scale of keys to represent the elementary sounds; another
and lower tier to represent a combination, and still another for a rapid
re-combination; so that a person, instead of playing a piece of music,
may touch off a sermon or a poem."


texts: Hanging preposition (if it's how it's called)

texts:
Consider this, for example:

Given the country's strong cultural ties (with) and economic dependence on Russia, many candidates tried to gain Moscow's support.

Do I need that 'with'?


texts:
I'm reading an american novel, written last year. A woman is talking about a patisserie which is very popupular between teenagers; she says:

  Its cakes were so popular that locations were popping up across the city, a sugary coup.

Does it mean that store were opening across the city? And what's the meaning of "a sugary coup"? Given the context, it may be ironical, but I don't understand the exact meaning.


texts:
I would like to know why the article "an" is used in the title:

  An End, Once and for All
  (a song title off a video game soundtrack)

However, The Beatles have a song called The End.

And is there a rule or it depends on the creators?


texts:
Usually stories are told in Past Tense: "So Froggy put on his socks, pulled on his boots, put on his hat, tied on his scarf, tugged on his mittens and flopped outside into the snow - flop, flop, flop."

Given the pictures of this story, pointing to one of them I would describe it to my child as: "Froggy is putting on his socks." Describing the next picture would be: "Froggy is pulling on his boots." So, picture by picture, it sums up to a story telling in Present Continuous.

In other languages, there is often a possibility to use a Present Tense to tell a story. Is a Present Tense one of idiomatic choices for story telling in English? If yes: which one - Simple or Continuous/Progressive? Or maybe both?

In case of the example above, could I rephrase the story as: "Froggy puts on his socks, pulls on his boots, puts on his hat..."?


texts:
I'm a little confused about the correct way of using tense in clause.

For example, I was writing descriptive text about a skiing experience with my friend, which goes:

  So, to help her, I gave her my kneecap, gloves, hip pads, which
  are all designed to alleviate the pain when you fall.

Since the purpose of the protective clothing is to alleviate pain, which is a general truth, my use of "are" in the relative clause is correct?

  More importantly, both the instructor and I told her that the only
  way to really master the skill  is  to bravely and decisively execute
  the actions, and to feel the subtle shift of weight within your body.

Should I use "is" or "was" here? I don't think the words that I told her is a general truth, but only a mere personal claim. So, according to the rule, if the independent clause is in past tense, the subordinate clause "that the only way..." must be in past tense?


texts:
why is the preposition of disapproval in the sentence "Although they said nothing, she could sense their disapproval of her suggestion." is of? Not for instead?

Also for the verb disapprove, the preposition used after the word is also of , as in "I strongly disapprove of underage drinking." why is that?


texts:
We estimate that iron loss for a period of 6 months is in the amount of 105 mg.

  We estimate that iron loss for a period of 6 months is in the quantity of 105 mg

  Additional information on domestic processing and use must be reported for chemicals manufactured in amounts of  300,000 kg. at a single site.

  Additional information on domestic processing and use must be reported for chemicals manufactured in **quantities of ** 300,000 kg. at a single site.

What is the difference between quantity and amount? Do sentences above have different meanings because of different words?


texts: Missing articles in "like teacher or nurse"

texts:
I have a paragraph in power point slides:

  Women only allowed certain jobs, like teacher or nurse

I don't see articles in "like teacher or nurse," as I expect countable words such as teacher or nurse should have articles or in plural forms.

Is this allowed in general for presentation purposes, or is this a simple mistake?


texts: How to pronounce an abbreviation/acronym

texts: I found that English native speakers just speak out the letters when saying i.e., e.g. (the abbreviations). Are there any abbreviations or acronyms that you'll naturally say it in its full pronunciation instead of the initial letters?


texts:
I came across this sentence :

  "many a man has shot himself on finding himself in such a position"

. I am not getting what is apt meaning of the phrase 'many a man' if a singular term - 'himself' is used in this sentence.


texts: Who is frowning in the sentence "Daisy looked at Tom frowning"?

texts:
I read this sentence from The Great Gatsby:

  “Plenty of gas,” said Tom boisterously. He looked at the gauge. “And if it runs out I can stop at a drug-store. You can buy anything at a drug-store nowadays.”

  A pause followed this apparently pointless remark. Daisy looked at Tom frowning, and an indefinable expression, at once definitely unfamiliar and vaguely recognizable, as if I had only heard it described in words, passed over Gatsby’s face.

Which one of the following interpretations is correct?

Daisy looked at Tom.  At the same time, she was frowning.
Daisy looked at Tom, and Tom was frowning.

If 1. is correct, what do I say to mean 2?


texts: WHY “they must have listened" and what does it mean this sentence?

texts:
I understand the whole context and the words meaning, but am confused with why "they must have listened", and particularly what does "something" refer to in the sentence? My guess is "some professional, different types of music"? But then it leads back to why "they must have"?? (my guess of "they" probably referring to the orchestra players they have just listened to )

Here is the context:

  We sat in silence, gazing at the castle. Normally, at night, it was
  bathed in a kind of orange glow from the lights dotted around the
  fortress wall. But tonight, under a full moon, it seemed flooded in an
  ethereal blue.

  ‘What kind of music would they have played there, do you think?’ I
  said. ‘They must have listened to something.’

  ‘The castle? Medieval stuff. Lutes, strings. Not my cup of tea, but
  I’ve got some I can lend you, if you like. You should walk around the
  castle with it on earphones, if you really wanted the full
  experience.’

The context is :
The two people sitting in their car chatting, just coming back from a concert which they both enjoyed, still lost in the remembered music.


texts: 'The' with noun expressions containing personal names

texts:
It is often not clear whether to use the definite article when a personal name is used.

  Tolstoy's books. — It is John's property. — Somewhere in Steinbeck country.

but...

  The Poincare conjecture. — The Higgs boson. — The Locke's argument.

I was told that you use the when it is a title for something. Anyway a more rigorous explanation is needed. Even [the?] Murphy's Grammar doesn't explain this usage.


texts: "Peters tips the number" What does "tip" mean here?

texts:
I read in an online article:

  The Eagles didn’t draft an offensive lineman last year. In fact, they’ve only drafted three – Seumalo and Vaitai in 2016 and Johnson in 2013 – in the last five drafts. The Eagles had arguably the best line in the league last season, but the projected starting lineup will be an average age of 30.4 by the opener.

  Peters tips the number, but center Jason Kelce (30), guards Stefen Wisniewski (29) and Brandon Brooks (29), and even Johnson (28) aren’t spring chickens anymore.

It appears that tip means to reach as the highest point here. Am I right? Strangely I just checked Google dictionary (a simpler version of the ODO) and Merriam Webster, and there's no definition of tip related to this usage.


texts:
Does "Interesting take" mean "Interesting scene"?
jason@calacanis.com tweeted:

Crypto and #stimmy checks are giving us a great preview of what a world with UBI will be like
Swaths of people passing on going to work, restaurants unable to find servers, robotic companies being asked to “go faster!”

Sam Harris replies:

Interesting take. Get @AndrewYang on your podcast to discuss.

Source: Twitter


texts: Article selection before the first appearance of a term

texts:
I am in the process of writing a documentation for a software project. I would like to understand what would be the best article to use at the beginning of the first sentence in the description of a software library.

For example, consider the following hypothetical (first sentence):

  The report presents an outline of a/the C++ class library named LIBNAME that provides a unified interface for encapsulation and automation of execution of a variety of algorithms.

What would be the best article to use in this case?


texts:
What I know about Will and Would both are auxiliary modal verbs. Will we use for definite statement and Would we use for asking permission or in a request statement.
Keeping that in mind is the below statement is correct grammatically or not?

  It would be great if you can change my date of interview at the end of
  this month.


texts: Is it correct to say "to save on the electricity bill" instead of "to save money on the electricity bill"?

texts: I heard both phrases, but the first seems to be wrong, but I am wondering if the omission of the word money is allowed in the English grammar, and why is it allowed? Is it allowed in British English and is it considered to be part of informal language?


texts: Because me and my family or because I and my family

texts:
What is correct?

  Because me and my family all lived our whole life in America and we just make visits.

or

  Because I and my family all lived our whole life in America and we just make visits.


texts: What does "book-wise" mean in this context?

texts:
I stumbled upon an online quiz and one of the questions is

  Do you consider yourself intelligent, book-wise?

What does "book-wise" mean here?


texts: The use of the word "extend" with the preposition "to" in context

texts:
Tell me if it is correct to use the preposition and the word together in the following sentence.

  Kate extended her hand to me to greet me.

I feel that the sentence sounds correct, but I doubt because I couldn't an example sentence with the word and preposition in dictionaries.


texts: Is the given sentence grammatically correct? What difference does the insertion of comma where it's been inserted make?

texts:
I almost had a heart attack, not finding the money where it was supposed to be.

Does the above sentence mean - I almost had a heart attack (out of shock) because I couldn't find the money where I had kept it?
Is it grammatically correct?
What difference does how there is a comma where it is make?


texts: Why is the phrase "a hell of" or "one hell of" always followed by "a"?

texts:
Here's some examples of the phrase "a/one hell of a" from a dictionary:

  ‘They have asked Santa for bikes because they have a hell of (a lot of) cycling to do.’

  ‘Assuming we get any takers at all in this mad scheme, it should be a hell of (a lot of) fun.’

  ‘With these aircraft coming to the end of their lives, the cost of replacing them is a hell of (a lot of) money.’

  ‘Even its biggest advocates would have to admit that it really is one hell of (a lot of) hot air blowing slowly round the internet.’

  ‘It would need one hell of (a lot of) earthworms to digest that sort of quantity, and the beds and borders aren't getting any fuller.’

  ‘It will take time and effort and money too, though a hell of (a lot) less than buying one legally.’

  ‘And I have to admit that there is one hell of (a lot of) good source material I could be using.’

  ‘The reason the girls are outperforming the lads is because they work a hell of (a lot) harder.’

As shown in the dictionary, the expression is "a/one hell of a...", and indeed "a/one hell of" is always followed by "a".

In all the examples cited here, "a/one hell of" is followed by "a lot of"/"a lot" which is then followed by an uncountable noun, a plural noun, or even an adjective.

I have excluded those examples where "a/one hell of" is followed by "a" and a countable noun. And I have bracketed "a lot of" or "a lot" to see if you can remove the phrase without making the sentence ungrammatical.

Does any one of these examples work without the bracketed "a lot of" or "a lot"?

If not, I wonder why is "a/one hell of" always followed by "a", be it part of "a lot (of)" or of a noun phrase containing a singular noun?


texts: Help to understand "held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about" in this context?

texts:
Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. ... ...

I feel "fussing about" is a noun phrase and Pomfrey's indicates the ownership. Maybe it's better to write it as "fussing-about"? Is my understanding correct? If not, what would be the correct way to understand it?

-- Excerpted from Harry Potter.


texts:
In this video about a 1980's British home computer, at the offset 1:14, the inventor's face appears and the voice sings:

  it made a generation
  who can code
  a bubble before proper consoles
  who all know
  that the games we get today
  they might be very flash
  but they'll never beat the thrill of getting through Jetpac

And a link in case you're wondering what Jet pac is.

I feel like I'd understand that whole section of verse were it not for that one line.

What does "a bubble before proper consoles" mean?


texts: Experience in/ with / no preposition. Do we have to use a preposition after "Experience"?

texts:
She doesn't have any experience loving someone.

She doesn't have any experience with loving someone.

She doesn't have any experience in loving someone.

Are all the above sentences grammatically correct?
What's the difference in their meaning?
Is it necessary to use a preposition after the word "Experience" .


texts: Fragmentary though it is or though it is fragmentary

texts:
We can take some comfort from the knowledge that what has survived of Anglo-saxon poetry, fragmentary though it is and arbitrary sample though it may be, is of earliest date than any extant poetry of the other Germanic literatures.
-A critical history of English literature - David Daiches

We can write "though it is fragmentary and though it may be an arbitrary sample" but author chose to write "fragmentary" and "arbitrary sample" before the Subject and verb.
Is there any grammar rule for doing this....and when to do and how to do it?


texts: subject + to promise + pronoun + infinitive verb

texts:
I would like to ask if the following sentence is grammatically correct.

  My parents promised me to buy a new car.

I searched it and found out that  some native speakers find it acceptable but some not. On the other hand, I couldn't see this structure given as an example in any dictionary I checked out. Longman dictionaries especially warns not to use in this way in its grammar anecdotes.

Google Ngram "promise me to be"

So what do you think and if it is grammatically wrong, why?


texts: What is the subject of "My favorite place is Disneyland."?

texts:
My favorite place is Disneyland.

What is the subject of this sentence?


texts: not only A of W but also { B, C, D / X, Y, Z}

texts:
From this article I found this sentence -

  The achievement includes not only the great wealth of the planter aristocracy but also American and British manufacturing, commerce and the financial institutions of modern state capitalism.

I doubt the placement of the great wealth of there. I think it has to have the great wealth of before not only. Or you have to include the great wealth of after but also.

The way the original sentence is written it seems like the achievement includes the great wealth of the planter aristocracy and American and British manufacturing, commerce and the financial institutions of modern state capitalism. (not the great wealth of American and British manufacturing, commerce and the financial institutions of modern state capitalism.)

Isn't it unlikely?


texts: "the human psychology" or "human psychology"?

texts: I want to know why we cannot use the former. I have been told that only the latter is correct but I want a more definite explanation of this. Why is it that we can say "the human mind", "the human body" but not "the human psychology"?


texts: Difference between 'make your own' and 'make on your own'

texts:
I came across sentences like this a number of times, and every time this very question I am asking now came to mind. Now, here goes...

Example:
Let's say in an elementary physics book you are taught how to make a siphon, and then the last sentence goes like this sentence given below. For those eager to know what siphon is, please don't bother, answer the question at hand ;-)

  ... and then you can make your own siphon

Does this sentence mean something like this?

  ... then you can make a siphon which will be your own

To me it sounds silly and I don't think this is what the sentence means anyway. What I understand from the sentence is something more like this

  ... and then you can make a siphon on your own

Meaning that you have learned how to make a siphon and you can now make a siphon by yourself. It does not say anything about who will possess the siphon you make once you make it. This is the sense I take from sentences like this. My question is am I right to take this meaning, or the first meaning is to be understood? Thank you.


texts: English equivalent of the French article "Les"

texts:
I am a native French speaker, and learning English got me wonder about this question.

Since there are only two English articles that I am aware of ("a" and "the"), is there something else people used for plural nouns?

In French, it's "les", but does or did English have something equivalent?


texts: Must a kid in an English speaking environment learn phonics?

texts:
According to wiki: Phonics is a method for teaching reading and writing of the English language by developing learners' phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes—in order to teach the correspondence between these sounds and the spelling patterns (graphemes) that represent them.

In my words, the ability to spell it when heard the word, or pronounce it when saw the spelling. such as, 'o' in 'dog' has a different sound as in 'code'.

But if a kid is already in an English speaking environment, such as mine, the pronunciation will be rectified by ppl around him, the spelling will be picked up as the everyday exposure, does he/she still need learn phonics?

I personally takes English skills need learning as

basic

vocabulary and phrases, this is the foundation
grammar, this is hard to summarize by a kid himself

advanced

understand the subtle difference of synonyms, as in mood, social identity of speaker and audience etc
write properly for different contexture

For the phonics part I take it as important for kid not in an English speaking environment, so that to derive on his/her own, but not necessary for one who is already immersed in.

But surely I have no idea on education, I must be ignorant somewhere as it seems now in the last year of kindergarten (K2) and first year of primary school (P1), phonics are taught, for 2 years! Pls kindly correct my blindspot?


texts: Is "envisaging" a gerund in this context or something else?

texts:
Context:

  The government is working to build 175 GW (giga watt) of renewable energy capacity by 2022, envisaging an estimated investment of $175-180 billion.

Is "envisaging" word used here is gerund or present participle form?


texts: Is it wrong to ask someone "Call me something" if you do need the requested thing?

texts: I'll try to make myself more clear. For example, as I know, we can say: "Give me a book", "Send me a message", "Buy me a flower", "Bring me the cat" et cetera. So if I, for instance, need a fuel truck, could I say: "Call me a fuel truck, please!" If it's not good or, worse, absolutely wrong, then can you please explain why? Thanks a lot in advance. English is not my first language.


texts: The meaning and role of "have" in "Are you prepared to bear the risks but have the seller ogranize the transportation?"

texts:
Are you prepared to bear the risks during transportation but have the
  seller organise and pay for transportation to the agreed place?

What is the role of "have" in this sentence? I do not understand meaning of the second part of the sentence because of it. To which part of the sentence "organise" refers?

Why "organise" does not take "s" if it refers to "seller"?


texts: Which sentence is correct--tense and 'while' problem?

texts:
Our ticket queue has been backed up while we work through the hardware
  issues that has taken place.
  Our ticket queue has been backed up while we have worked through the hardware issues that taken the place.
  Our ticket queue has been backed up while the hardware issues we work through has taken place.


texts:
He's been described as "an inspiration" to jihadists the world over, but this morning 29-year-old Australian man Musa Cerantonio is languishing in a jail cell in the Philippines. (Aussie ABC)

What does the highlighted phrase mean? Does it modify the previous noun, jihadists, and meaning: in the world that is over there?


texts:
The new law gives authorities a responsibility to provide aids to the disabled.

I searched the meaning of "provide" in Longman dictionary. It says "to give someone what they need, or to make sure they get it" and "provide something for/to somebody"

I don't really understand what the sentence want to express. Does it mean "Authorities have to provide/give aids to the disabled ? "

It looks so strange.


texts: A single word that encompasses natural and juridical persons

texts:
I am trying to find a single word that encompasses natural persons and juridical persons. But must be in the context of comercial transactions.

So, for example, Maria buys a computer from Amazon.com. Maria is the customer and is a natural person, in the order side, Amazon is the seller and is a Juridical person.

From Wikipedia, a Party is a person or group of persons that compose a single entity. But this is in the law context.

From the next phrases, which is more correct in a commercial/fiscal context?:

Here is a list of parties that have paid more taxes.
Here is a list of persons that have paid more taxes.

So, my final question is:

Can I use the word Party/Parties to describe any kind of person (legal/natural)? Or is it better to just use Person/Persons?

Update

Definition of a natural and juridical person in Wikipedia.

Natural person

  In jurisprudence, a natural person is a person (in legal meaning,
  i.e., one who has its own legal personality) that is an individual
  human being,

Juridical person

  A juridical person is a non-human legal entity, in other words any
  organization that is not a single natural person

Update 2. Where I want to use the word party?

First, I am not writing a contract.

I have a list of persons (humans) and companies, where any of then can be part of a comercial transactions and I need to give a name to that list. But the name must be a single word.

I was thinking to add the name taxpayer, but not all of them pay taxes (This list is not necessarily of peoples and companies from the US).


texts:
I saw the sentence like 'pass the lips of native speakers'.
What is the meaning of 'pass the lips of native speakers'?


texts: "One of THOSE days" vs "one of THESE days"

texts:
I don't know exactly when we'll go but we really must visit them one
  of these  / one of those days.

When should we use "one of these days" and  "one of those days"?


texts:
Until now, I knew that regulate and control are synonyms and hence they can be used interchangeably. But now I am confused about it because of the following sentence:

  Production,distribution and sale will stay  in private hands, but the government  will control and regulate the whole process.

Please explain how we can use control and regulate as given in the above sentence. Is there  any difference  in their meaning?


texts: "which+to be" can be deleted after comma?

texts:
The method, used in this study, shows the climate change effects, which can be applied to other scientific studies.

Question: Is it correct not to place "which is" is after first comma and before used? if yes, when will it be grammatically correct to remove "which is" after comma? for example; "which can be" after third comma above can be deleted in this situation?

I want to understand if after comma I can use past participle of verb without adding which+to be.


texts: Dropping auxiliary verbs when asking questions

texts:
I hear many native speakers dropping auxiliary verbs when asking questions. For instance, I hear them saying "How you doing?". Another example that came up to my ear recently: in the gym, I hear many native speakers say: "How many sets you got?" To ask about how many more sets you need a machine. This question doesn't sound well-structured. I think native speakers drop the "have", so the question was "How many sets have you got?" don't they?

How and when native speakers drop/not drop these auxiliary verbs when asking questions? Do "educated" native speakers speak like that also? Because someone told me that this language is used by noneducated people, but I'm not sure if this is true.


texts: Is "present perfect" more common with special verbs?

texts:
I wrote this sentence

  We have implemented the proposed system as a visual tool for wrapper generation.

Maybe I could say:

  We implemented the proposed system as a visual tool for wrapper generation.

Because I feel, maybe "implementation" is not something that needs to be continued to the present.

Are there some rules here?


texts: What is the meaning of "nine-tenths of the law" in this sentence?

texts:
Context: Druken Ghost Therapist taking to 3 Caspers about the House Owner.

  I'm gonna tell that lady you ain't going anywhere.It's your house.
  You're haunting it. Possession is nine-tenths of the law.

I know It is the expression in English, But I what clear explanation on this expression.


texts:
Could someone please explain the sentence structure of this sentence for me.

"Advertising revenue funds development of products and services these competitors provide to users at no or little cost, competing directly with our revenue-generating products."

Should "competing" be replaced with "compete" instead?


texts: Should I use "her" or "herself" in the following examples?

texts:
She shared snippets of her/herself with him.
He was doing fine, even better than her/herself.

Should I choose "her" or "herself"? Why or why not?


texts:
I am not a native speaker of English, and I'm having a hard time learning "Passive voice." Please help me. Thanks!

It is known as the black star.
It is used as an adhesive.

Are they both in Passive voice form or can they also be:

It was known as the black star.
It was used as an adhesive.


texts: What is the meaning of "unfurling" in the context?

texts:
I was checking the definition of the word "tenebrous" that I saw this example:

  The crew bunks in a decaying hotel with infinitely unfurling tenebrous corridors

What does unfurling mean in that sentence? Why does the author use that word? I mean I know the definiton of the verb "unfurl", but I cannot get the exact and intended meaning of the sentence.


texts: Does article THE in "made in THE usa" legal?

texts:
Today in Google I notice a song "Demi Lovato - Made in the USA". All my life I thoought that the correct form is "Made in (COUNTRY)". For example: "Made in China". Many products has that title)

So, why is "THE"?


texts: How do English speaker know if a sentence is ideal?

texts:
For example,

"Because the parents didn't have spend money on a lot of children, the parents could spend more on fewer children."

I think the ideal sentence should be:

"Since the parents decided not to raise many children, they could spend more on the few children they had."

I don't think this sentence is perfect. If you can make a better, please tell me.
But, how do you know if a sentence is bad? I can still understand what the first sentence is trying to say. Is it because it is too ambiguous? Most people would say the first sentence is weird, but what exactly is weird?


texts:
I have an information technology terminology which is "rule". each rule consists of a premise, which is the part before the equal sign, and a conclusion, which is the part after the equal sign.
Example:

  If temperature is low then the weather is cold.

the premise is "temperature is low", while the conclusion is "weather is cold".

My question

I wrote this:

"temperature is low" is the first rule's premise.

should I use a hyphen ("-") between "first" and "rule"?


texts:
I was issued the lunch card for the canteen.

I heard this in a listening test, but I think it is wrong: "issue" cannot be used in the same manner as such verbs as "give" and "teach," as in "give A B," and "teach A B."

So, "...was issued with the..." is correct, in my sight.

Am I wrong on this?


texts:
The fan is stopped.

  The fan has stopped spinning.

Do they sound natural and grammatically correct?


texts: exception in the past tense clauses sequence rule?

texts:
As all of us know as a general grammatical rule,the verb tense in second clause which comes after a simple past tense clause must be in one of the past tenses.

For example:

  She knew she had made the right choice.

  I touched the baby's head who was crying.

But I wondered when I saw this sentence.

  I heard a little boy waving his hands above the water.

  I saw a little boy drop his ice cream

Shouldn't it be:

  I heard a little boy was waving his hands above the water?

  I saw a little boy had dropped his ice cream.

Are there any exceptions to this grammar rule? If yes,what are those specific verbs ?


texts: Can "tied to" be replaced with "bound to"?

texts:
Atonement is not tied to suffering alone. It's much more complicated than that.

  Atonement is not bound to suffering alone. It's much more complicated than that.

I want to convey that to atone is not dependent on suffering alone.
Are any of the examples above correct in expressing that meaning?


texts: Is there a word for 'Simultaneously, but slower'?

texts:
I am looking for a word to describe two events which occur at the same time and based on the same cause, but one event takes more time than the other to complete. I want to use this word for technical documentation of a process.

For example:

  The first module changes in response to a stimulus. The second module
  changes [simultaneously, but slower].


texts: How can I tell someone that they are not allowed to express their opinions, in English?

texts:
Imagine you are discussing about a matter and someone else interferes and takes the side of the second person you were discussing with. Although it would be blunt, but I need to know the precise equivalent of this in English. Here are some translations of mine:

  You don’t have a voice in this matter.
  You don’t have the right to an opinion in this matter.

Both of them get any specific hit rate neither in Google nor Ngram.

The second one is exactly what we say in our language.

So are they correct and natural in English so that I can substitute them with a better alternative?


texts:
Now that your baby can roll over independently, dont’t be alarmed if
  you put her to sleep on her back...

In this sentence is that the demonstrative determiner or some kind of pronoun?

Because if it is not the determiner, I would start this sentence Now, when your baby...


texts: Do native speakers really hear the lyrics in rap songs?

texts:
I have been learning English and using English in school for many years and one thing I am still struggling with is hearing lyrics.
The song "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion is everywhere on social media and when I tried to listen to it I could barely hear 20% of the lyrics and I often mishear words.
The way she pronounces words are very unusual e.g. I am sure she pronounces "acting" as "acking".
I just wonder if native speakers can really hear what she is singing the first time hearing it. And if they need to check the lyrics?


texts: Is this a special/peculiar use of "as interesting as"?

texts:
I have come across this use of "as interesting as" the meaning of which I am not sure about. The context is that I sent emails to several drainlayers explaining a one-off job that I would like to get done and asking if they would be interested to take it. One of them replied he is not interested in this way:

  Thanks for the offer Eugene but I will have to turn down the offer, as
  interesting as it would be to do.

I have two ideas what that "as interesting as" might mean but not too sure either way:

althought it would be interesting to do the job you offered, I have
to decline
the job is not interesting therefore I have to decline

Can someone please enlighten me on the subject?


texts: How to use two IF conditions in one sentence?

texts:
Please help in framing sentence using two If condition. I will form sentence using below if conditions.

if zero conditional.

"If I change this data and again someone change this, which data should I consider"

If Second conditional/imagination.

"If suppose I changed this data and again someone changed this, which data should I consider"

If Second conditional/imagination. (2nd version)

"If suppose I changed this data and again someone changes this, which data should I consider"

If Second conditional/imagination. (3nd version)

"If suppose I change this data and again someone changed this data, which data should I consider"

please help me if all my versions are correctly formed as per english grammar rules.


texts: "On the shoreline," "at the shoreline," "by the shoreline." What's the difference?

texts:
Example:

  He was standing on the shoreline.

  He was standing at the shoreline.

  He was standing by the shoreline.

What's the difference between the three?


texts: Is there anything missing from the original sentence?

texts:
All the kings and queens of the day were invited to the wedding feast, as well as all the immortal ones who lived on Mount Olympus – all that is, except for one, for no invitation was sent to Eris, the goddess of strife. Now strife is when people argue, and it was generally thought a bad idea to invite strife to a wedding party, in case she caused the happy couple to quarrel

i think this sentence must be this way: Now strife is when people argue, and it was generally thought being a bad idea to invite strife to a wedding party, in case she caused the happy couple to quarrel.


texts: How to say cut in line in British English

texts:
I heard in UK "queue" if more often used than "line".
Then how can I say "to cut in line" in British English?

"to cut in queue" or "to cut in line"?

I also found a expression "jump the queue", but I couldn't find out how popular the expression.


texts: Is "two to two" a correct way to say "13:58" or "01:58" for time?


texts: Use of the word 'direction' / 'in direction of'

texts:
For the picture added, which of the following fits best:
a. He is facing the direction of the hill.
b. His face is towards the direction of the hill.
c. He is facing the hill.
d. His face is towards hill.

If we see these in Oxford dictionary:

The terrace faces south.

Most of the rooms face the sea.

Which direction are you facing?*

I think C & D are correct.


texts:
I'm reading an article that talks about Yankee English and it quotes the following paragraph written by Thomas Chandler Haliburton:

  "...you are a careless kind of a man that way, and let your shillin’s
  desart oftener than they had ought to. But what would I have been, had
  I been so stravagant? and as to passin’ bad money, I see no harm in
  it, if you have given valy for it, and received it above boord
  handsum, in the regular way of swap, trade, or sale."

In this quote, "above boord handsum" sounds like "above board handsome" to me. But this doesn't seem to make sense. What does "above board handsome" mean? Is he saying this or somehing else? Can anybody give me some ideas?


texts: paying a tip on a service or for a service?

texts: Is it grammatical to say "pay a tip on a service" or should I use "for" instead? Which one is more grammatical? Also, do you say "pay a tip on the 20$"? If it's for? Then how do you say "pay a tip on the 20$ for the service provided"? It sounds weird to say "pay a tip on the 20$ on the service provided".


texts: "Leave me message as you get free" Is this sentence grammatically wrong?

texts:
it sounds weird to me when my friend texted me "Leave me message as you get free" because I always say "you're free".

I hope to get second answer instead of the answer from Speaking English - Bravenet.com. Thanks.

  "Call me when you will get free." Is this a correct sentence?

  No. "Call me when you're free." = Call me when you have time. "Call me
  when you get free." = Call me when you are out of prison (or some
  other type of confinement). That one word "get" changes the whole
  meaning of the sentence.


texts: "worse than it was" or "worse than what it was"

texts:
Don't blame me. I didn't make it worse than it was.

This sentence sounds fine to me, as it looks analogous to another utterance I know to be idiomatic "It's worse than it looks". But I wonder if question words can also be inserted after "than". Does the meaning change in the following sentences?

  Don't blame me. I didn't make it worse than what/how it was.

  It's worse than how it looks.

Also, it seems to me the past perfect tense here would be more logically/grammatically sound. Is the past perfect needed here? Does it change the meaning?

  Don't blame me. I didn't make it worse than it had been.


texts: Usage of The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree (only for look / face)?

texts:
I have checked lots of dictionaries, but each of them has a slightly different meaning. Can I use this idiom or phrase as to mean that the parent and son have similar:

   (1) look
   (2) behavior
   (3) job
   (4) voice
   (5) personality
   (6) qualities

Here are my researches:

  (A) Wiktionary says behavior and in physical
  characteristics

  (B) Urbandictionary says actions and behaviors

  (C) Idiomeanings.com says love shopping (hobby?)

I personally think that (1) look is the best fit but none of these websites have the definition of it. Plus, I came across a site that father and son are doctors. Thanks.


texts:
There is this fixed phrase - to catch a cold. I wonder if I'm mentioning the same cold one more time, should I say "The / this / that cold" or just "cold"?

I caught a cold when I was walking around the town in the rain;
now I am lying with fever under the blanket, suffering from the
cold and taking medicine for cough.


texts:
I have the following exercise on translating sentences. I've written the next sentences:

By the time they finish talking, the lesson will have been over,
Nick will have had a shower and will have been ready to go back home
with his mother.
Nick will have done his homework in two hours and will be quite
free.
When I arrive to them Nick with his parents will be  having dinner.
We'll be playing computer games after dinner.
Mrs. Collins will have made coffee by the time we finish (have finished) playing.
We will be sitting in the hall and drinking hot coffee. Then I'll go back home.

The keys for the 1st, 5th and 6th are:

will have finished their talk, will have been over, will have had a shower, will have been ready;
will have made, have stopped;
will be sit and drink.

I'm stuck with some questions:

for the first sentence it isn't acceptable to use future perfect (will have finished their talk) - it's a time conjunction as far as I know, don't I? And could I say "will have taken a shower" instead of "will have had a shower"?
Could I say "will have prepared coffee" and does "stop / have stopped" sounds awkward?
Why Future Simple for the last questin in the list?
Does the 3rd sentence have a correct structure (or "will be having dinner with his parents")?

I've written all of them in one topic because each is connected with one another and can't be get from the context.

P.S.: I'm not a native but really want to know my mistakes if there are any.


texts: Is it correct to have a comma after "so" when "if" comes right after it? Example: "I visited California for a week. So[,] if you were wondering where I was, there's your answer."


texts:
What's the difference between the meaning of the following sentences:

  Since leaving** school, he has had three jobs
  Since he left** school, he has had three jobs.

Do they mean the same thing being different in terms of the sentence structure?

source http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/since


texts: What do you call the bottom part of a ballroom dress?

texts: What do you call the bottom part of a female ballroom dress? I am referring to the part that extends out of the waist and may touch the floor.


texts:
I used this link but i didn't get the meaning of "vehicle" in this sentence.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/vehicle?q=vehicle

  The checks consisted of finding out whether one or more subsidiaries of the corporate group is listed on the Financial Secrecy Index (a system that ranks jurisdictions according to the secrecy of their offshore activities); seeing whether the group has participated in any financial scandals; looking to see whether the group has published its most recent accounts; asking whether the group has published information on who the beneficial owners are of all its legal vehicles; and requesting to see whether the group has committed to employee protection.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/19/coronavirus-eu-countries-deny-bailouts-to-firms-linked-to-tax-havens.html


texts:
I looked up the passive voice of "Do not open the door." and got two answers which are:

"Let not the door be opened."
"Let the door not be opened."

However, I find both of them rather suspicious. I expected the answer to be "Let the door be not opened." because in english, we generally use "not" after an auxiliary verb. So, in this, is it a rule, or an exception, or something like that?


texts:
As you know glass is a transparent (or translucent) substance, however can opaque glass make sense? I don't use a metaphor but I want to talk about a literal sense.
For another example, can the orange in the picture above be called 'blue orange' even though 'orange' means orange color fruit?


texts:
a critical account of how the publications submitted address the
  guiding research questions

I have encountered this requirement, but I could not find a definition for the phrase 'critical account'. I think it means 'justification'? or does this phrase have deeper meanings?


texts: Meaning of "want of a received nomenclature"

texts:
James's prefaces to the New York edition of his work (1907-9) offer plain-speech terms like "picture," "scene," and "center of consciousness" to describe the compositional effects he most valued. This rough vocabulary only whets the appetite of percy Lubbock, James's most influential follower, who almost twenty years later is driven to write "The Craft of Fiction"(1921) because of his felt "want of a received nomenclature" (90) in the Anglo-American study of fiction.

I want to know the meaning of " want  of a received nomenclature" and to know "his" in the cited sentenc refers to whom. Because I think in this sentence "felt" is verb.

Dose "his" refer to the work of James?

Correct me if I am wrong.
Thanks in advance.


texts: Is it possible that by "the ancient city of London" Twain refers to the Square Mile?

texts:
The phrase appears in The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain:

  In the ancient city of London, on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century, a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty, who did not want him.

So, is Twain just saying that London is very old or is he referring here to the Square Mile?


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence,

  "Not all sentence-equivalence questions are so vocabulary dependent but you can expect quite a few to require knowledge of very advanced words."

I could guess the meaning of the sentence, but I have no idea why the writer uses “but” while the former sentence is not in contrast to the latter, and “a few to require” is used.


texts:
I was sending a mail to a dealer regarding some issue, and I typed a letter, then my friend corrected it stating that I should use Constraint instead of Constrained.

The Context:

  While other dealers are waiving off LBT charges and also providing aforementioned freebies with many other when my colleagues approached for enquiry about the same. Therefore, I also expect the same scene else we may be constraint to change our mind to cancel the booking.

What should be used here? Constraint or Constrained?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between credit and accredit?

texts:
'his account had been credited with $500' OR
  'his account had been accredited with $500

  Which of these is correct?


texts: When does one drop the article after "with"?

texts:
This question was already asked here, but didn't receive a proper answer.

In a book on writing papers in english, one reads that the article is omitted "in some expressions describing a noun". The fact is illustrated by a few examples:

an algebra with unit e; an operator with domain H2; a solution
with vanishing Cauchy data; a cube with sides parallel to the
axes; a domain with smooth boundary; an equation with constant
coefficients; a function with compact support; random variables
with zero expectation

But

Let В be a Banach space with a weak symplectic form w.
Two random variables with a common distribution.

What is the rule?


texts:
Will you stock this book?
I will be getting copies of it.

My question is, why future continuous tense? Is it equivalent to the present continuous, "I have arranged it and I am getting them pretty soon", or is future continuous being used because it will take a long time to get them?


texts:
What is the meaning of factor in the following sentence?

Some also count built-in inflation as a third cause. This factors
people’s expectations of future inflation. When prices rise, labor
expects an increase in wages to keep up. But higher wages raises the
cost of production, which raises prices of goods and services again.
When this cause-and-effect continues, it becomes a wage-price spiral.

Source of the sentence: https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-inflation-how-it-s-measured-and-managed-3306170


texts: Have I read the novel if I've forgotten the story?

texts:
Imagine the following scenario:

I read a novel two years ago. Today I cannot remember the story of the novel any more, I've forgotten the story. Somebody asks me:

  Have you read the novel?

What should be my grammatical correct and natural sounding answer?

  Yes, I've read it but I've forgotten the story.
   Yes, I had read it but I've forgotten the story.
   No, I had read it but I've forgotten the story.
   No, I read it but I've forgotten the story.

My uncertainty is due to the grammar explanations that Present Perfect indicates a state in the present. According to my Grammar book the following text is correct:

  Tom is looking for his key.
  He has lost his key.
  This means that he doesn't have it now.
  Ten minutes later: < picture of Tom holding the key is his hand >
  Now Tom has found his key.
  He has it in his hand now.
  Has he lost his key?
  No, he has found it.
  Did he lose his key?
  Yes, he did.
  He lost his key but now he has found it.

The present state of having read a novel is to know its story. But if after having read the novel I have forgotten its story then I am no more in this state although I was in this state before because I read the novel in the past.


texts:
I'm asking my readers to read a blog of my friend Kevin and his wife's celebration of their daughter's life.

Should I say:

  I've met Kevin awhile back. Read about he and his wife's amazing story.

or

  I've met Kevin awhile back. Read about him and his wife's amazing story.

Which one is correct?


texts:
I know the brother of Ram who loved Rani.

In the above sentence what does it mean? Who loved Rani?? Ram or his brother??
 Because we use the word 'who' just after Ram. But it might be different as here the preposition 'of' before Ram.  I am totally confused about it.


texts: Difference between "free now" and "now free"?

texts:
What is the difference between "free now" and "now free" ?

For example-

"It is free now"
"It is now free"

What is the differences between these two sentences verbally ?

Some say, "now free" is used for long period and "free now" is used for limited period.

Some say
"now free" for exclamatory or surprised sentences and in other hand "free now" is use in normal present condition.


texts:
The U.S Department of Education tries to ensure that school playgrounds do not violate any of the engineering standards set for child safety, but it doesn't give input on public parks.

I am wondering which one of the following is more more sufficient:

input on

input into

Thanks in advance


texts:
(1). He has been running his own business since graduation.
  (2). He has been running his own business after graduation.

I don't know the difference between "since graduation" and "after graduation" when referring to time.

Without given any date in each sentence, which of the above sentences implies that he has run his business at an earlier time? (1) or (2)?


texts: What is the meaning of 'They are the Decorated Persons'?

texts: An article in New York Times read 'The players involved in the complaint are among the most prominent and decorated female athletes in the world: the co-captains Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn, forward Alex Morgan, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and goalkeeper Hope Solo.' Can anyone please explain the meaning ?


texts:
If you're standing next to a field gazing at it, do you gaze at it/out at it/out over it?

What's most natural?


texts:
I know, that question is simple, but i can't understand past perfect clearly enough.
There are part of text with gaps:

  The chart shows the percentage of people aged 65 and over in the US
  between 1900 and 2000. In the year 1900 just over 4% of the population
  was aged over 65. However by 1960 this figure had doubled.

Why this sentence "However by 1960 this figure had doubled." can't be in past tense? for example "However by 1960 this figure doubled".
I think, this text in right chronological order. But my book disagree with me=(


texts: Is the usage of "am" without "I" allowed?

texts:
For years, I got uncomfortable whenever I see non-question sentence/phrase begin with "am" instead of "I", such as:

"What are you doing?"
"Am eating."

Or

#amwriting

The problem is, that last word (or hashtag) is written by a tweet account that focused on English writing.

@AdviceToWriters

  Engrave this in your brain: EVERY WRITER GETS REJECTED. You will be no

  different. JOHN SCALZI #amwriting #rejection #writerslife

Now I become a little bit confused. Does the standalone "am" usage without "I" is actually normal? Should I actually accept this and learn this as normal? Or do I need to always mark this as incorrect? If this is normal, when is the appropriate context to use this? I mean, rather than #amwriting hashtag, I think a more appropriate hashtag would be #iamwriting or #iamawriter. I mean, why sometimes people deliberately leave "I" on those phrases?


texts: expressing uncertainty on a definitive statement containing "can"

texts:
In math or computer science there are a lot of definitive statements that can be formulated with "can" / "cannot".

Examples:

  "If the last digit of a natural number is 0 then it cannot be prime."
  "A natural number can only be even or odd."
  "If I divide an even number by 2, the result can (still) be even."

I am looking for ways to give such a statement some uncertainty to express the following: If I did not make any mistakes, then it definitely must be that way (because it follows from some irrevocable laws / logic / axioms...). But I am not sure that I did not make any mistakes, so please, dear reader / listener, check it yourself and correct me if I am wrong!

Are there compact ways to give the "can (only) / cannot be" a touch of uncertainty in the above sense?

In my native language - German - I could just add a "should (be)" and reorder some words to get that effect.

I think - please correct me if I am wrong - that this is usually possible in English, too, but with normal (non-auxiliary) verbs. E.g.:

  person A: "Is she painting the wall now?"
  person B, certain: "Yes, she is painting the wall now."
  person B, uncertain: "(I'm  not sure, but) she should be painting the wall now."

But in my ears, using a combination of "can" and "should" sounds wrong. So what options do I have?


texts: Some questions about Inversion sentences

texts:
Source: https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/inversion.html

I found this, and it says "We only use inversion when the adverb modifies the whole phrase and not when it modifies the noun."

What does modifies the whole phase mean?

Take the two sentences below for example:

    Not until I saw John with my own eyes did I really believe he was safe.

The word "Not" modifies the phase "until I saw John with my own eyes", right?

    Only when we had our lunch would we go to work.

The word "Only" modifies the phase "when we had our lunch", right?

What about sentences like below? Is inversion required?
Inversion is required only when adverbs like "only", "never", "not".... modify the whole phase, so sentences like below are not the case, right?

    When he only eats chips, he gets fat.

    When I only do simple things, I can concentrate.

    When a man only thinks of himself, he loses his friends.


texts:
Consider two phrases:

  In real life, there are no superheroes.

  There are no superheroes in the real world.

Are they grammatically correct? Can I say "in the real life" or "in real world"? With and without "the", what is the difference?


texts:
In a comedy series a mother is buying her children (two kids) some shoes. They're too big for their feet.

Here's the conversation

Mom, these are at least two sizes too big
Perfect, you'll grow into them
When?
Oh, you're both way overdue for a spurt.

What does the last sentence mean?


texts: Should I say "I had a fever" or "I suffered from a fever" or "I experienced a fever"

texts:
If I want to tell my teacher the reason for my absence, which one of these is preferable? I feel uncomfortable when I am sick and down with fever.

I had a fever.
I suffered from a fever.
I experienced a fever.


texts: Can "annular" mean both rectangular ring and circular ring?

texts:
Some dictionaries define the term "annular" as ring-shaped.
So, I think both shapes shown above can be described as an annular shape.
If it is necessary to distinguish the two shapes, the left one may be described as a rectangular annular shape while the right one may be described as a circular annular shape.
Is my understanding correct?


texts:
It is from this video. It is at around 5 minute and 11 second. Here is the context:

  While the lats, you know, serve a very important role of stability, shoulder health, they are not the prime movers of the bar and should not be accounted with the training of the prime movers, chest and triceps.

I understand what the speaker means from the context, but I cannot get what account with means exactly.


texts: Is it acceptable to speak of "acute" and "chronic" exercise?

texts:
Today, I was attending a scientific conference, and the presenter (likely an ESL speaker) used the phrases "acute exercise" and "chronic exercise" to refer to short term and long term exercise in experimental mice.

Is this usage valid, or is it merely a malapropism?


texts:
How do grubby and grimy differ?

Definition of grubby by Dictionary.com:

  dirty; slovenly:
  children with grubby faces and sad eyes.

Definition of grimy by Dictionary.com:

  covered with grime; dirty:
  I shook his grimy hand.

Definition of grime by Dictionary.com:

  to cover with dirt; make very dirty; soil.


texts: Find a verb such that " 'the verb' you this much" is the opposite of "cost you this much"

texts:
I would like to find a verb such that " 'the verb' you this much" is the opposite of "cost you this much". My intuition is that "give" would be such a choice, but I would like to see if there is a better option.

If an example regarding context is helpful, it would be like:

  "doing this could make you earn 1000, but it also would cost you
  1000".


texts:
I have some questions about "sleep in".

Do you use the expression "to have a lie-in" in the US, Canada and other English-speaking countries?
Can I use "sleep-in" as a noun like "lie-in"? "Have a nice sleep-in" is correct?
If "sleep-in" can't be used as a noun, is there any noun in American English like "lie-in"?


texts:
Consider the following example:

Some of these technologies are as recent as three months old.

I the above sentence correct, and is it a normal way to convey the meaning in English.


texts: Difference between "how do I get to" and "how can I get to"

texts:
I'm struggling with these questions.
What's the difference between them?


texts: Is it common to use "gonna" in written English and even in business English?

texts:
Gonna is a short form of going to.

That sounds a little bit like slang. Is it common to use it in written English and even in business English?


texts:
I saw someone post a tweet with a gif animation (a rock star singing something). The tweet itself is about some stock's price going up or down.

Every comment under that tweet is talking the stock price. And I want to post a comment to ask who is that rock star and which song is him singing.

Well, I want to ask with a little sense of humor.

Can I say,

  "Am I the only one who wants to know what music video is in this gif?"


texts:
Source: p 126, If I Was You..., Lauren Sussman, 2014

  The third type of complement used with a transitive verb is an indirect
  object. It comes before a direct object and answers the question to whom? or
  for whom? after the subject and verb.

I ask not about the meaning of an indirect object, about which I've read, but about the rationale behind the nomenclature. Wikipedia's explanation is too feeble (as it concedes itself); how's he (as represented by him) only indirectly affected? He received the present, so the sending affects him!

  Indirect object   |     Entity indirectly affected by the action   |  She sent him a present.


texts: Usage of "got" as "to have" in an informal American English sentence

texts:
Is it correct to use this kind of ebonics structure?:

John: I have some tickets here for the tonight film that you want to watch.

Jennifer: How many do you got?

Is it o.k to replace the verb "got" instead of "have" here like in the possessive structure "have got"?


texts: To follow a prepositional phrase with an imperative one

texts:
Except for Louisa, who’s away in Berlin this weekend, we’ll all be at the party.

The first sentence is from Cambridge dictionary and hence I know it is correct.

Fruits: Except for apples, eat them only on Thursdays.

I'm wondering whether the second one OK. Is it grammatically correct and idiomatic to follow a prepositional phrase ("except for apples") with an imperative one ("eat them only on Thursdays)?
I don't actually care about apples and Thursdays, of course. This is just an example.


texts:
Is this sentence correct grammatically?

  Could they confirm which account they have refunded to?

Grammarly picks that it is incorrect but not sure why it is incorrect?


texts: Practice makes perfect: is makes an intransitive?

texts:
Practice makes perfect. (James Joyce, Ulysses)

Is makes an intransitive or transitive verb?


texts: Why don't the vowels in "northern" and "eastern" get short like "southern"?

texts:
As you have probably seen the very recent question Why are “south” and “southern” pronounced with different vowels?
The only (excellent) answer suggests that it is because of "Trisyllabic Laxing". (explained there in detail)
My question is: if the so-called trisyllabic laxing shortened the vowel in "southern", why doesn't it shorten the vowels in "northern" and "eastern"?
They also have the suffix "ern" and they would also be three syllables words in Old English (like "southern" was).

North = /nɔːθ/

East = /iːst/

Northern =  /ˈnɔː.ðən/

Eastern =  /ˈiː.stən/

They have long vowels in their corresponding words "north" and "east" too. Is this irregular or there is an explanation for this?


texts: Can I use the word "forgive" to mean to stop being resentful towards someone who has done something right even though I am upset about it? if not, what is the appropriate word to use?


texts: Formally say "thank you for taking the time and effort in doing something"

texts:
I hope the question is not too silly, but I think it may help others too.

I want to thank the professors that are writing reference letters to me. I thought I'd put this at the end of my email requesting the aforementioned letters:

  1) Thank you for taking the time to write this letter.
  2) Thank you for taking the time and effort in writing this letter.
  3) Thank you for dedicating your time and energy into this.

Are these options acceptable? What would be a more natural way of saying this stressing not only the time they took to write it, but also the pains they took, having to lose time writing this?

I think this question has the benefit of being useful in other cases. I just realized I don't really know how to thank people for something like this formally in English.

Related questions:
How to say thank you for the ....?
'Thank you for taking your time writing' or 'Thank you for taking your time to write' ?
Should I say "Thank you for your kindly attention" or "Thank you for you kind attention"

EDIT: I should have emphasized this better, but I felt it was very important to thank the referees for the effort (not only the time spent) put into writing the letter. So I wanted that the answer to this question could highlight this desire. And thank you for your answers! All of them are excellent, it's a shame I can pick only one as the correct answer.


texts: Word order in: "Some things I couldn't distinguish..."

texts:
The standard word order of a negative sentence:

S + AUX. VERB + MAIN VERB

The sentence:

  Some things I couldn't distinguish; consequently I....

Is it kind of inversion or just wrong?


texts: What is the relationship name of my in-law's sister/brother and their children?

texts:
I want to know how to call few relations like:  my

  brother-in-law's sister

  brother-in-law's sister's son/daughter

  sister-in-law's brother

  sister-in-law's brother's son/daughter


texts: Can we say 'The ecological pressures have reduced. "?

texts:
I came upon this sentence in a translation:

"The ecological pressures resulting from traditional livestock rearing practices will reduce while continuing to meet people's nutritional needs."

However, I felt that 'reduce' is a vt and this sentence should be written as 'the pressures will be reduced' instead.

Also in the dictionary , reduce is defined as
1 make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.
2 bring someone or something to (a worse or less desirable state or condition).

So it doesn't make much sense to me to say the pressures 'make itself smaller' or 'bring itself to a smaller amount'.

Can anyone help me with this? Thanks a lot.


texts:
Should there be "the" in the blank space below or not? And why?

Not having a car in LA is not really an option since there is no public transportation system to speak of. As a result, _____ traffic is just awful.