texts: Can the structure "let + Noun + adverb / preposition" be used with any preposition or adverb?

texts:
Say, the structure "go + adv./prep" can be used with almost any preposition or adverb.
For example, I went into the house / up the hill / on the bank of a river / through a tunnel / over the bridge / ...
My question is that
Can the structure "let + Noun + adverb / preposition" be used with any preposition or adverb like the structure "go + adverb / preposition" or is it restricted to some limited usages?
For example,
These are idiomatic: "let me in", "let me out", "let the rope down", "let the hair down", etc.
However, it doesn't seem idiomatic to say "try not to let crumbs on the table" and people suggest me to say "try not to let crumbs fall on the table".
Why "let crumbs on the table" doesn't work, but "let crumbs fall on the table" works?
But why people just say "let me out of here" and don't need to say "let me get out of here"?


texts:
Something that damages productivity is counterproductive.

What would be the word for something harmful to your learning process? For example, teaching you wrong, so that later you must first unlearn the wrong knowledge before you learn it right?

Say, a book for little children contains some words badly misspelled for humorous purposes, but since it's the first contact of the children with these words, they learn them that way, thinking this is the correct spelling, and later they have trouble learning the right spelling at school.


texts: What does "expected" and "go with" mean?

texts:
The hotel is definitely dated but it was expected as this building
  seems to go with the historic look of the neighbouring buildings.

What does the bold part mean? I know that "expected" means "anticipated" and what "go with" means, but I want to be sure if my understanding is correct. Does the bold part mean:

  the hotel being dated is expected, because there was no difference
  between this building and other nearby buildings in terms of look
  (appearance)

I read this somewhere from a review website. It's not clear where I read it because it's been a while. I didn't understand it clearly then, so I wrote it down and I'm asking about its meaning now.


texts: What are the nuances in the difference between the meanings of these words? When is it okay to consider them interchangeable? In what cases one of them is clearly more valid than the others?


texts: What is the opposite phrase of "ALL CAPS"?

texts:
As far as I know, we say that the words in which every letter is in upper-case as "ALL CAPS".

Then how can we say for not "ALL CAPS"?

Something like "Not all caps".


texts: How to write on an academical essay that a certain professor helped to do it?

texts:
What's the common way to write on a academical work / essay / research / thesis / PhD that a certain professor helped me to write it? Would the word "directed" is normal in such context?

  Directed by Prof. John Doe.

Or are there other or better possibilities?

Normally to any academical work there is a professor that functions as an instructor / guide that guides or instructs the students how to do the work. I'm not sure about the correct and exact terms. But many times it's used to be in the title (except for the reference to him or giving thanks to him inside in the introduction).


texts:
In the question below, the answer is clearly A; however, it is indicated C, somehow.

Question:

  But in many respects, the vaunted role of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Bretton Woods rules specifying fixed exchange rates was a convinient mirage.

  As used in line 2, "fixed" most nearly means

  A.stabilized
  B.repaired
  C.fastened
  D.corrupted

Is there any chance that option C might be correct?


texts: Will the meaning change if I change "when-clause"?

texts:
do these sentences have different meanings?

When she was back, I decided to do my homework.(Can this one have two meanings?)

I decided to do my homework when she was back.(Can this one have two meanings?)

When she was back, I was going to do my homework.

I was going to do my homework when she was back.


texts: "The waiting is over" or "The wait is over"

texts:
I got into a small argument with a friend, and couldn't find a conclusive answer.
Is the sentence "The waiting is over" legitimate? Is it more commonly used as "The wait is over"?


texts: which preposition should go with attractive

texts:
Normally, people say "I'm attracted to her", "She is attractive to me" to convey that "she is an attractive person". Not that the two words are all that closely related, but attractive seems to be used with the word 'to' often.

But, it arose to me that when there is an attractive option its usually for someone. For instance, "Cultural relativism is an attractive option for people in a time when tolerance is dominant." But when you change the word into to, it sounds awkward. "...is an attractive option to people". Is there something wrong with this or is it just me?


texts:
It's as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall

I think sentence below is correct one

  It's as long as the Eiffel Tower tall


texts:
I had been calling her after she left for home.

  I had been calling her ever since she left home.

Both actions are completed in the past. Generally Had been is used with the 1st event. But in the above sentence, it is the 2nd event. I am confused with the sentence formation. Lets say someone has asked me what I had been doing at that time. My answer is as above.


texts:
Which should I write:

  Successive rules are separated by semicolons
  Successive rules are separated by a semicolon
  Successive rules are separated by semicolon

In fact after each rule there is a semicolon. Here I don't know successive rules points to two rules separated by a semicolon or multiple successive rules separated by semicolons? or maybe it doesn't matter!

What about The rules are separated by semicolons? I think in this case I certainly can't say The rules are separated with a semicolon. right?


texts:
Can I write:

  They aren't by the lake, they are by the hill.

My son had task in workbook to continue sentence

  They aren't by the lake, they are by the ....

He wrote in such way

  They aren't by the lake, they are by the hill

but his teacher told him that this sentence don't have meaning. I am not agree with her opinion. But maybe it's not right to use "by" with "hill". I have find answers on tasks on workbook and there was written:

  They aren't by the lake, they are by the pond

What's difference between "hill" and "pond" in this sentence?


texts: A word to describe a person who can’t voice their ideas

texts: I need a word to describe a person who is reluctant to express what they’re thinking. For example, I suggest a plan and ask for that person’s opinion. He or she will say it’s ok, although they’re not really satisfied with it, maybe because they don’t want to object to my idea or they don’t have a better idea. But then when we carry out the plan, they will express their opinion at the point when they can’t stand the plan anymore.


texts: "Farm policy" or "farming policy"? Is it an AmE/BrE thing?

texts:
In the USA, demand for corn to fuel ethanol plants has boosted prices, and federal farm policies designed for an era of grain surpluses have kept millions of acres of farmland fallow. (USA Today)

  U.S. agricultural policy—often simply called farm policy—generally follows a 5-year legislative cycle that produces a wide-ranging “Farm Bill.” (USDA)

I have seen farm policy several times. "Farm" here apparently is an attributive noun. Intuitively, it appears farming would be more apt as it refers to the act of agriculture, not simply an area of land/an establishment/a building. I googled farming policy and at least a great number of results appear to be from BrE sources.

  Once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape future farming policy (Gov UK)

  As we leave the EU, we have a historic opportunity to deliver a farming policy which works for the whole industry. (Gov UK)

  At the same time it has allowed farmers to employ unecological ways of increasing production, such as the indiscriminate use of fertilisers and pesticides, with serious environmental consequences. However, a total re-focusing of the payment scheme in 2004 now puts the environment at the centre of farming policy. (Wikipedia article on an EU policy)

  Labour has today set out new proposals for an overhaul of UK farming policy, including plans to reform post-Brexit subsidies in order to "move away from intensive factory farming and bad environmental practices". (Business Green)

Why is the noun farm used attributively in some texts over farming? Is it a BrE/AmE thing?


texts: Should with two different meanings? If and in case?

texts:
1) Have a first-aid kit on hand should you cut yourself. = Have a first-aid kit on hand in case you cut yourself.

Take heed that (1) doesn’t mean - Have a first-aid kit on hand if you cut yourself.

2) Contact an exterminator should you see fire ants in your yard. = If you see fire ants in your yard, contact an exterminator.

Hence we have the “should” in sentence 1 meaning – in case, and the “should” in sentence 2 meaning – if.

Do you agree with the correctness of my analysis? How do we distinguish the difference in meanings? Do we do it only with the help of the context? Or are their some grammatical tools (like syntax etc.) which can help us?


texts:
Is it correct to say "I had a friend visiting me in my dream"? If it is, what is the difference between this phrase and this one - "A friend visited me in my dream"? I understand that I can use "I saw a friend in my dream" or any other similar phrase, but I was just wondering if it is possible to use this one.
Thank you!


texts: what is the meaning of "buzzing with posibilities"?

texts:
I want to know the meaning of "buzzing with posibilities" for example in a sentence like this:

  The Richmond Coliseum was buzzing with pre-game possibilities Friday.


texts: "Me either" or "Me too" - what's the correct reply?

texts:
My friend, she texted me ' I"m just glad no cougar or bear approached you.'
 And I said ' Yeah, Me either'

I mean 'Me too'
Is this correct reply..?


texts: He was working or worked for my father in the 1990s

texts:
Tom, who was working for my father in the 1990s, is now living in Ohio.

Is it correct or should it be in Past Simple? I think it is correct because it is an action which was in progress in the past and also we have the "1990s" expression which refers to a duration.


texts: I don't understand the exact meaning " It might be that~"

texts:
Finally, sharing an experience is appealing to more adventurous travelers. It might be that walking tour of street art in San Francisco.

I don't know exactly what "It might be that" is meaning.

Is there any different meaning when I use "It is that walking tour~" instead of " It might be that~"?

Also, in "It might be that walking~", is it right to use 'the' instead of that?
if I can or not, what is different between them.


texts: The concise way to express the idea "I don't know Python" within a sentence

texts:
I want to say that I don't know Python (a programming language), whose precise meaning is that I have zero knowledge on Python. I want to say it in a concise way, i.e., using it as a construction part in a longer sentence, e.g., something along the form of I am Python-agnostic or I am Python-blind, is there something like these?

UPDATE: My choice is "python illiterate". To use it in a sentence --

  He has turned himself from Python illiterate to Python expert.

Any other answers just can't beat this.


texts:
I know when to is preposition, we can use any word except verb after ‘to’

for example: going to school → here ‘to’ is a preposition.

When acts as ‘to infinitive’ there will be always verb1 form after ‘to’.

Is there any chance of having any other verb forms like ‘verb2’ or ‘verb3’ after ‘to’ in any situation either past or presented or future or any?


texts: How doesn't a comma between a long subject and verb, improve readability?

texts:
Source: Rebecca Gowers. Plain Words (2014 ed). p. 247 Middle.

Foreword: The title instances one such use of the comma.

  (6) The use of a comma to mark the end of the subject of a verb, or the beginning of the object. (See also chapter 9.1.)

  It cannot be said to be always wrong to use a comma to mark the end of a composite subject, because good writers sometimes do it deliberately. For instance, one might write:

    The question whether it is legitimate to use a comma to mark the end of the subject, is an arguable one.

  But the comma is unnecessary; the reader does not need its help.

But am I the only one who judge such commas to help separate a lengthy subject from its verb? Otherwise I'd need reread the sentence thrice. p. 175 Top of Legal Writing in Plain English (2013 2 ed.) agrees with Gowers:

  1.8. Don’t use a comma between a subject and its verb.

    The use of the terms “irrebuttable presumption” and “conclusive presumption,” should be discontinued as useless and confusing.

    An insurance carrier or a union or union inspector, may be held liable under traditional tort concepts for the negligent performance of such an inspection.


texts: what is the meaning of ""I should think not"" in this sentences---- "‘He didn’t give the waiter a tip.’ ‘I should think not, after such bad service"


texts: What does an airport do with flights? "Receives"/"sends"? Maybe, instead of the first word, "accept" should be used, shouldn't it?


texts: what preposition should I use for website visitors?

texts:
Assume I am not a registered user and browsing ell. So I am just a visitor. what preposition should I use to express this meaning?

I am a visitor of ell.

or

I am a visitor on ell.

or

I am a visitor for ell.


texts: "Will" vs "Maybe I will" and "I think I will"

texts:
Almost every English grammar book I`ve studied claims that "Will" is used to talk about plans decided at the moment of speaking. Sentences like "I will help you" or "I'll wait for you" give a strong impression of spontaneity. My question is the following:

When modified with "Maybe" or "I think" , does "Will" convey the same meaning? Or perhaps it shifts the meaning into something that's more concidered and deliberate? Let me give you a few examples:

"I think I'll watch a movie this evening"

or

"Maybe I'll read a book"

Do those sentences sound like a plan made before or at the moment of speaking?


texts: Why "The pump don't work ..." correct here?

texts:
"The pump don't work 'Cause the vandals took the handle."

  -- Bob Dylan

I came across this sentence in a book. It looks like the author quoted that sentence written by Bob Dylan -- who might be a famous person I guess.

I feel "The pump don't work" doesn't look right because pump is a countable noun and it should take a single verb form, doesn't.

On the other hand,  the sentence seems pretty straight forward and I don't understand why it's so famous that deserves to be quoted by the author. Maybe, there is a underlying meaning, which I haven't gotten yet?

P.S. The book's name is The Long Walk, by Stephen King.


texts: Can we use 'may' instead of 'might' in this case?

texts:
Saturday. (Beginning perhaps amended.) I know it is madness to keep
  this journal but it gives me a strange thrill to do so; and only a
  loving wife could decipher my microscopic script. Let me state with a
  sob that today my L. was sun-bathing on the so-called “piazza,” but
  her mother and some other woman were around all the time. Of course, I
  might have sat there in the rocker and pretended to read. Playing safe, I kept away, for I was afraid that the horrible, insane,
  ridiculous and pitiful tremor that palsied me might prevent me
  from making my entre with any semblance of casualness. (Lolita,
  Vladimir Nabokov)

The event time of ‘might prevent’ exists since the time of ‘kept away,’ and so ‘might have prevented’ would not be possible, I think.
But, when we shift the reference time of ‘might prevent’ from the past to speech time (the present), we could say ‘may prevent’ instead of ‘might prevent,’ without breaking semantic order. (Of course, though ‘might prevent’ is able to denote present tense, I’m asking for the use of ‘may.) Is it possible or is there some problem?


texts: You can still contact me "through" your phone vs. "via" your phone?

texts:
You can still contact me through your phone though.

or

  You can still contact me via your phone though.

The question is simple. But I am having problems with the answer, so which one is "correct"?


texts: Isn't there any student of the same height as Tom in the class if "Tom is the tallest in the class"?

texts:
If Jim is the same height as Tom, and other students in their class are not as tall as them, then can we say

  Tom is the tallest student in his class.

? Or, Should I say

  Tom is a tallest student in his class.

? Or, Should I say

  Tom and Jim are the tallest students in his class.

?


texts:
I was walking down the street when someone suddenly whistled at/to me.

Are both okay? If yes, is there a difference between them? Which one is more natural? Thank you.


texts: Could ever imagine and could ever have imagined

texts:
Please tell me the difference between the following sentences and also when to use them.

That was the best thing I could ever have imagined.
That was the best thing I could imagine.
This is the best thing I can ever imagine.

Thank you.


texts: Understanding the present participle - "I am happy to see you" versus "I am happy, seeing you"

texts:
I am happy to see you.

It is grammaticaly correct sentence, ok.
I want to make little alterations to the sentence as below.

  I am happy, seeing you.

Note that I intend to use "seeing you" as a present participle phrase. I want to be informed whether this is correct usage of participle phrase.

Secondly what is the difference between two sentences in terms of meaning? What different meaning could participle phrase impose, replacing "to see you"?


texts:
I was watching a movie And a cop said to a man "5 years ago you make a smart move" .

I think it should be "5 years ago you made a smart move"

Which one is right ?

Update

Because deolater asking for more context

This conversation is from movie "Gone in 60 seconds"

  Cop : Come here, Come here Randall And take those glasses off, Please Do me a favour.

And then cop said

  Cop : Six years ago you make a real smart move


texts:
Which of the two is correct?

I went to see two films today but did not like any.
I went to see two films today but did not like either.


texts: does the phrase"as to be offensive" refer to "so contrary"?

texts:
I am reminded of a Yiddish saying:

    If hard work was so wonderful, the rich would have kept it all for themselves

  It’s true that many wealthy people work long hours. But to imply that poor people need to “work harder” is so contrary to the facts as to be offensive.


texts:
What is the meaning of the following sentence?

Vaccinating the nation, however, is less a race than a slow and steady process.

Does it mean vaccinating a nation is less than a race but more than a slow and steady process?


texts: I am asking ...you know... but what is it if it is not 'dysfluency'?

texts:
I did not know what dysfluency is before I asked this question and got an answer.

Well, now I want a term for a special phrase or words that people keep on repeating when they speak. The most common words are "...you know..."

  When I was a kid...you know... I was very shy. My father...you know...was an outspoken person. He always insisted me...you know...to be brave and straightforward...

The best example is here, a Sunder Pichai video. Worth noting that there's dysfluency as well!

I lost counting the number of 'you knows' in his speech! :)


texts:
Which one is correct?

  "The government and the opposition accepted to the Vatican as a mediator"
  "The government and the opposition accepted the Vatican as a mediator"


texts: Do monosyllabic past participles used as adjectives follow the comparative and superlative rules about adding -er/-est suffixes?

texts:
This question showed up in my Writing part of F.C.E. test when I wrote

  TV is the most bought electric household appliance

In that moment, I wondered whether boughtest is the correct form instead of most bought.


texts:
How weird would it be if i asked for your number knowing that we haven't been talking for long.
How weird would it be if i asked for your number knowing that we hadn't been talking for long.

Are both the above sentences grammatically correct?
What's the difference in their meaning?
And could you break the sentences to what they mean, maybe that way it'll be easier for me to understand what meaning i want to convey.


texts: Why is "that"/"which" omitted in this sentence?

texts:
In the sentence:

  All the information you need is in these folders.

I would have expected to find:

  All the information that/which you need is in these folders.

Why are those omitted?


texts: Why do the natives of the English language not use a definite article before "silent mode" while saying, "My cell-phone is on silent mode."?


texts: Usage of "Make easier", together or apart?

texts:
Are the following sentences all equivalent and valid? which is more fluent?

  As is shown later, these changes makes it easier to create queries in XQuery syntax.
  As is shown later, these changes makes easier creating queries in XQuery syntax.
  As is shown later, these changes makes creating queries in XQuery syntax easier.


texts: apply to four universities vs apply for college?

texts:
I applied to four universities and was accepted by all of them. (http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/apply)
Many high school students have begun applying for college.
(http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/apply)

The two sentences are cited from Webster dictionary and Longman dictionary respectively. I am confused with which preposition (to or for) should I use if I want to say "to request admission to a university". I think "to" is a proper preposition. Why does the second sentence use "to"?


texts:
Source

  Scores of scruffily dressed teens take up position along north Kashmir's Baramulla-Kupwara highway , sharp stones and rocks on the road in front demarcating their “zone“. Barely 200 meters away , policemen wielding batons and cane shields stare back.

The bold part , as seems to me, is not connected with the sentence with any verb or connector.For eg, with sharp stones and rocks on the road in front.Is it correctly used?


texts:
I am looking for a specific word that can be used in the following situation:

You are in a auction, and want to buy it, so you "place" a price.


texts: Can two "it" in a sentence refer to two different nouns?

texts:
I am studying English, and I came across this example.

"It would hardly be fair for the meatpacking industry to blame
regulators for the harm that it has inflicted upon itself in the
sub-prime meat sector."

I have a "Placeholder" it, which refers to "to blame...meat sector", at the beginning of the main clause; then I have another "it" in the subordinate clause ("it has inflicted upon itself in the sub-prime meat sector ").
My question is: How do I know that the second "it" refers to the industry as well as the reflexive "itself"?
It's just a matter of semantic?
Finally, is it correct saying that in a single sentence the personal pronouns should all refer to the same noun?


texts:
Here is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJK_yWFR5UM&feature=youtu.be&t=16m02s

He said, "Her mum agrees to help out, just like ...". I cannot make out what he said here. It sounds to me like 'at hart', but of course it does not make sense.


texts:
In the Dictionary, Self-indulging = characterized by doing or tending to do exactly what one wants, especially when this involves pleasure or idleness.

I can't understand the term by just reading its definition. I want to understand the term through the context, probably in a sentence or phrase.

Can anyone give an example that can help me to understand that term clearly?


texts:
Your dental habits are awful, but if you brush and floss every day, you probably won’t get cavities or gum disease.

The conjunction is 'technically' joining a conditional clause followed by a independent clause. "But" is being used as a contrast. Can the other conjunctions be used in this way with the conditional clauses? Any rules etc.


texts: Any there other pairs similar to "advise/advice" and "devise/device"?

texts:
I was wondering if there are other similar pairs for "advise/advice" and "devise/device"?
Updarte: I found this useful tip here

(b) remember that 'ice' is a noun and therefore the words with '-ice'
at the end are also nouns. This works for the nouns 'advice' and
'practice', but with 'licence' you look for the shortened '-ce' at the
end for the noun.


texts:
Is the construction in bold correct in this sentence:

  It was changed just a month after you had joined, so you couldn't have got used to that too much.


texts: Phrase meaning "Got more than I deserved"

texts:
I'm missing out on a word that I recently read in an essay. It meant more than what the receiver deserved.

  Used in context :

  The doting professor gave me the {{Insert Word}} title of The Next
  Stephen Hawkings. Of course I was flattered but I did not believe it to
  be true.

PS: I've been told "generous" might be the word. But I think it was different and caught the essence of the matter well.


texts:
The posters are going up all over the town.

Is "going up" used more commonly in this context?

Or is this one more likely to be said:

  The poster are being put up all over the town.

So which one is used more?(in both BrE and AmE.)


texts: What is the meaning of "exactly see assisting"?

texts:
In Biography English movie Marie Antoinette (2006), There is discussion about American Revolution.

  French Economic Man: The Americans are asking for help in their
  revolution.

  Louis XIV: Well, I can't exactly see assisting those who are rejecting
  their sovereign.

  French Economic Man: But it would make a strong statement to England.

  Louis XIV: Can our finances take the strain?

  French Economic Man: Oh, taxes will be raised slightly. I recommend we
  help our American brothers and  show the rest of Europe our strength.

  Louis XIV: All right, then. Send funds to America.


texts: How do you use 'come' and 'go' and how different are they?

texts:
I read in a book that the following sentences involving 'come' and 'go' have different connotations.

  Are you coming to the party tonight?
  Are you going to the party tonight?

I learned when you use 'come', you are approaching your goal, whereas 'go' makes you go away from where you are.  So No.1 sentence is used when you also attend the party and you are asking whether he/she also attends the party with you.  And No.2 sentence is used when you want to ask if he/she attends the party and it doesn't matter whether you attend or not.  That shows using 'come' shows a little more kindness to him/her than 'go'.

That's what I learned at school.  Is the usage above understandable?


texts: seek clarity of the English grammar on the expression "following a/the discussion,"

texts:
Not well versed on the specific jargon in English grammar, I seek clarity on the usage of the expression "following a/the discussion, ...", as I vaguely remember some "rules" about not mixing different subjects in a sentence.

The following examples seem to use the expression "following a/the discussion" in different manners,

Example 1

Following a discussion of disability policy, we explore global concerns and initiatives

The sentence is constructed using an active voice and there is only one subject we -

We first had a discussion of disability policy. Then we explored global concerns and initiatives.

Example 2

Following a discussion of this four-system framework, the fascinating clinical phenomenon of unilateral neglect or hemi-inattention is discussed

The sentence is constructed using a passive voice. As a result, there are two subjects. Subject 1 is a four-system framework and subject 2 is a phenomenon. Both subjects were discussed in the chapter/paragraph/book.

Example 3

Following a discussion of the merits of the various notations, the reader is introduced to the ubiquitous Gauss' divergence theorem.

It appears that this sentence is constructed in a mixed active-passive-voice manner and as a result, there are two different subjects embedded in this single sentence. First, a paragraph/chapter discussed the merits of notations (active voice). In the next sentence, the reader is the subject but is expressed in a passive voice.

Are all 3 examples considered grammatically correct or would the 3rd example be considered unnatural and incorrect because the sentence mixes two verb voices and use two different subjects, as opposed to (a) a single subject with an active voice or (b) two subjects with passive voices, which can be converted into an active voice sentence by using another single subject that exerts an active voice on the two subjects as objects?


texts: What are the small round flat batteries that you use in small devices such as watches, timers etc. called? Are they called the same in British and American English?


texts:
Which paragraph sounds sort of a native one and is grammatically right ???

Note : I put the Sentences needed to be checked between brackets.

1-It is true that we can't go out and we can't travel like before, (but think about it the other way around). We get to spend more time with our families and do a lot of things together.

2-It is true that we can't go out and we can't travel like before,( but on the other hand), We get to spend more time with our families and do a lot of things together.

3-It is true that we can't go out and we can't travel like before, (but, on the contary), We get to spend more time with our families and do a lot of things together.


texts: He started off as......and/but ended up (becoming) successful

texts:
"He started off as an ordinary entrepreneur but/and ended up (becoming) one of the wealthiest man in town."

Q1)I'm sure 'and' is used in such context, but can 'but' be used in this context as well?
Q2) Sine we say "he ended up broke" can becoming be omitted?


texts: won't instead of using' wouldn't' is possible?

texts:
I had asked a question How to ask for someone's name and where they are from politely or indirectly? in which@Jay also answered.But
He used "wouldn't" in the following sentences while answerimg my question:

Here, you wouldn't say, "May I ask you what is your name?" Though we break this rule for questions sometimes
Well, someone might say that in informal speech, but you wouldn't write it or use it in formal speech.
"May I ask you what's your name?" is awkward; a fluent speaker wouldn't say that.

I had asked Use and meaning of "wouldn't" in "you wouldn't" and "a speaker wouldn't" question in ELL and I have also received answers for it. But there is one thing that I'm still confused about.

Do the meanings of the sentences above change if we use 'won't' instead of using 'wouldn't' ? can we use 'won't' in the place of 'wouldn't' without changing the meanings of the sentences above?

Note:This question is all about wouldn't vs won't or are they interchangeable or not)


texts: In error correcting, "Most of the magnesium used in the US comes from the seawater."

texts:
Most of the magnesium used in the US comes from the seawater.

I said there's no error in here. But the teacher says "the" (from the seawater) is redundant. But I think it's necessary cause the US don't take from all the seas in the world but only the specific seas accordingly. So we are specifying some specific seas. Not in general like seawater is salty and like that. So is there any error in the sentence? Is "the"( from the seawater) redundant or necessary?


texts: Why isn't "On the bottom of the MetroCard are three arrows" written "On the bottom of the MetroCard THERE are three arrows"?

texts:
Recently I found this sentence:

  On the bottom of the MetroCard are three arrows and little white letters that say "Insert this way/This side facing you."

This sentence is correct, but I do not understand why it is.

I thought an object of preposition can never be a subject. The object of preposition in the sentence is :

On the bottom of the MetroCard.

I think we should add "there" just after the object of preposition above to make the sentence correct, like this:

  On the bottom of the MetroCard there are three arrows and little white letters that say "Insert this way/This side facing you."

May I know some grammar rules regarding this?


texts: Is it correct to use either and neither like this?

texts:
Suppose someone asks me:

Do you prefer A or B?

either (I like both.)
neither (I do not like both.)

I like that shirt.

Me either (I like that shirt too.)

I don't like that color.

Me neither (I do not like that color too.)

Do I understand correctly?


texts:
I have this sentence:

It is too hot to handle.

How do I rewrite it using enough in place of too? Is the following right? Is there some other possibility?

It is not cold enough to handle.

What is the grammar behind this conversion? Is the antonym always present in the enough version?

PS: I learnt this a long time back at school in English grammar and remember only vaguely.


texts:
Today I went to the the Japanese consulate general in my city and applied for a visitor visa. The application process was like, we would get a number and wait for our numbers to be called and then we can come to a designated window to proceed with our application.

I wanted to chat with the person sitting next to me, like asking what the number he or she got.

Can I simply say "what number are you?" in this situation?

Also, if you understand and have experienced the application process I just described. Can you please help me rephrase so that I can better describe the situation?

Thanks,


texts: uncountable noun used with countable noun

texts:
The controller controls power supplied to the PCs.

Does the sentence above imply that each PC will be supplied with an equal amount of power? If so, does the following make sense when each PC may be supplied with a different amount of power?:

  The controller individually controls power supplied to the PCs.

  The controller controls power supplied to each of the PCs.


texts: "in class", "in the lesson", "during the class" or "during the lesson"?

texts:
I usually speak very loudly in class.

  I usually speak very loudly in the lesson.

  I usually speak very loudly during the class.

  I usually speak very loudly during the lesson.

I don't see much of difference in these four sentences. What's the best out of these four options (in case there is no other better than these four) to describe the fact that I usually speak loudly when I am in the middle of the process of studying at school. Dictionary doesn't help much in choosing the best phrase here.


texts:
I know the difference between good and well. If we want to say "more good," we use "better." What about if we want to say "more well?"

Example:

  The soup tasted good, but the salad tasted better.

  The singer performed well, but the dancer performed [?].


texts:
Here's the sentence I get mixed up.

  Until a year ago, I never got around to meeting the people.

I'd like to know if this means "I couldn't meet the people because I don't have enough time or something" or "I didn't want to meet the people"

I'd like to know what "get around to" implies


texts: The meaning of "Having done my homework I will go home."

texts:
Having done my homework I will go home.

What does having mean in this sentence?


texts: Do both of these modify the previous noun phrases?

texts:
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to
  tell me why you're here, of all places?"  "I've come to bring Harry to
  his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Do he has and left both modify the previous noun phrase, as an adjective clause and a participle, respectively?


texts: Why an extra 'experience' from the experience?

texts:
[5th last para on the page:] Being dead, versus not having been born
Some people say that being dead is no different from not having been born yet, and nobody makes a fuss about the bad time they had before they were born.
There is a big difference - even though being dead will be no different as an experience from the experience of not having yet been born.

Why's there an extra experience? The article contrasts 'being dead' with 'not having been born yet', so experience A against another experience B, NOT experience C from experience B?


texts: How do British & American people use the word "class" (class= a group of students or the time they study together)?

texts:
I am a bit confused.

In dictionary,

  class (countable noun): a group of students who are taught together

  We’re in the same class for chemistry.

  My class are going to the science museum.

Because "class" is a countable noun in this case, so we don't use singular "class" with no article in  this meaning

But "He always comes to class late" is not wrong & "class" in this case is a countable or uncountable noun?

  But "class" [countable, uncountable]: a period of time during which
  someone teaches a group of people, especially in a school SYN  lesson
  British English

  I missed Bible class last week.

  in class (=during the class)

  No talking in class!

  He was injured in a science class.

  I will see you after class

So, do British people say?

  I missed Bible lesson last week.

  in lesson (=during the lesson)

  No talking in lesson! (sounds strange to me)

  He was injured in a science lesson.

  I will see you after lesson


texts: Should I do not use "ing" in these situations?

texts:
There are certain sentences in which I am not sure whether to use "ing" or not. The sentences are:

Why don't you do something else rather watch(watching?) TV.
Why don't you do something else than watch(watching?) TV.
Why don't you do something else rather than watch(watching?) TV.
Keep(keeping?) that in mind I designed this rhyme to explain in due time.(source-verse one, third line)
There are certain sentences in which I am not sure whether to avoid using(use?) "ing".
But his disillusionment with the party saw him move(moving?) to Tinmod Congress in 2010 before hitting the headlines during the assembly elections... (Source: 'The Indian Express' News paper)
'Boma' starts with an early morning explosion on january 29, 1908 and a sequence that shows a group of revolutionaries mount(mounting?) an abortive attack in Deoghar to kill a British official. (Source: 'The Indian Express' news paper)

I think this much of sentences are sufficient to tell where I am getting problem. My question is, what is the grammar rule that decide whether ther should be "ing" or not. As far as I understand "ing" is used for a continuous action but in certain cases, for example, in the first sentence I can't decide whether watching TV is continuous or not because I remember the original sentence used watch instead of watching, but I don't remember where I heard this sentence.


texts: meanin of the phrasal verb "come off" in context

texts: Although I know all the meanings "come off" has, I still cannot figure out what it means in the following sentence. Here goes: "The president is coming off of a party Congress where he was elaveted to the status of the most powerful leader."


texts:
An answer post to Why does "Debut" represent the date they played their first match? says

  If you meant to suggest "DoB" and "debut" might have some connection due to the common D and B, the answer is a firm no. The fact that two words have a few letters in common is not an indication of similar meaning or common origin. This is no less true with acronyms.

I googled this phrase and got

  "no less true" means the same thing as "not any less true".

which does not even give a bit more information.

So, what does "no less true" mean?


texts: "in more better way" vs "more in better way"

texts:
I am new to English. I have two sentences below. I want to know which has better grammar and is preferable for use.

  They can help in more better way.

  They can help more in better way.

Context:

I am working on support. When a user sends a request, at that time I have to decide whether I should deal with this request or pass it on to another Support Team. At that time, to escalate the issue, I have to write something to the user (requester). For this I have to chose one of the above sentences to say that another support person may have better knowledge in the requested technology.


texts: the opening volley of a war between - what deos that mean?

texts:
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-know-todays-apparent-confrontation-191340560.html

  But whether that amounts to a full-scale battle — the opening volley of a war between the Russian and Ukrainian states and a serious escalation of the current fight between Kiev and Moscow-supported separatists in eastern Ukraine — isn't entirely clear at the moment.

How do you understand the phrase the opening volley of a war and specifically the meaning of opening volley?


texts: What is the correct way to express my thought about something I discovered was not easy?

texts:
Let me give you a context.

I go to a Zumba class thinking it would be easy compared to Gym n all and find my body is tired and I am completely exhausted within one hour of Zumba. So not easy for me. I walk up to someone want to say it was surprisingly not easy.

What is the correct way to say this and what category of sentences this falls into?

declarative sentence (statement)
interrogative sentence (question)
imperative sentence (command)
exclamative sentence (exclamation)

Who thought Zumba would be difficult ( because now I know it is difficult).

OR

Who thought Zumba would be easy (because I thought it was easy and throwing a sarcasm now).


texts:
It makes you consider the  difference between riding down that road in
  a car, versus driving down that road on a bicycle.

What do we call these type of clauses, where they have a comparative meaning/contrast?

Is the comma here accurate or optional; what is the main clause?


texts:
I've noticed recently that many people from the US used to count hundreds instead of thousands although thousands do exist there. For example the number 2618 would be called: "twenty six hundreds and eighteen" instead of "two thousand, six hundreds and eighteen" (see an example here: at 45:31).

Then my question if it's common in the UK as well as in the US?
I am afraid to use it in the UK and to be sounded weird.


texts: What's the difference between "go", "go to", and "go to the"?

texts:
I want to apply for a job in the US in one or two years and now I'm trying to learn English grammar. I remember that I once read in a book the following sentences:

I'm going home.
I'm going to school.
I'm going to the airport.

Could you explain to me please when I should use "to", "to the" or none of these? It was also explained that "the" is never used with home or school.

Also, please correct me if I made mistakes somewhere in the above text.

Thank you very much!


texts: Function of "the most recent" in a sentence

texts:
“Depending on the type of dance (round dance “for nearby and tail-wagging dance, with variable tempo, for further away and how far), the other bees can work out where this newly discovered feast can be found. Doesn't this ability of the bee to indicate a location some distance away mean that bee communication has at least some degree of displacement as a feature? Yes, but it is displacement of a very limited type. It just doesn't have the range of possibilities found in human language. Certainly, the bee can direct other bees to a food source. However, it must be the most recent food source. ”

I am wondering what the bold sentence could mean?
 What is more, could you please take an example like the very function of using the most above?

Extracted  From: George Yule. “The Study Of Language.” iBooks.

Any comment would be appreciated

Cheers,
 nima


texts:
The following quote is from the Inception movie:

  Fischer: All right what's in the safe?

  Browning: Something for you.Fischer: Maurice always said it was his most precious
  gift to you. A will.

  Fischer: Maurice's will is with Port and Dunn.

  Browning: That's an alternate.

  Browning: This would supersede the other if you want it to.

A can't get the point of that will using as noun and Port and Dunn. Any ideas?


texts: Can I say "You always use my car." as exaggeration for "You sometimes use my car."?

texts:
Suppose that somebody uses my car, and I don't like that. When I find him sitting in my car and starting the engine, can I tell him "You always use my car." as exaggeration for "You sometimes use my car, and I don't like it"?

Suppose that somebody does something unconsciously, and I tell him "You always do [X]." Would be that taken literally or understood as "You sometimes do [X] and I don't like that."?


texts: What is "to nick" in "to nick a comment"?

texts:
On ELU I found the following comments under a one-line answer (names have been omitted; emphasis mine):

  A: While I agree with you, answers which just offer one man's opinion, and no data to back it up (e.g. nGrams or expert opinions or whatever) should be offered as comments, rather than answers proper. I didn't downvote you, btw.
  B:... Nor I (one is enough here) but I've nicked @A's comment.

A's comment had three upvotes the last time I checked, so my supposition is that "I've nicked A's comment" is "I upvoted A's comment". However, "to nick" isn't defined in such terms in any dictionary I've checked. This is the most complete dictionary entry I've found for "to nick":

Nick (v):

.
1.1. To cut a nick or notch in.
1.2. To cut into and wound slightly: A sliver of glass nicked my hand.
To cut short; check: nicked an impulse to flee.
Slang To cheat, especially by overcharging.
Chiefly British Slang
4.1. To steal.
4.2. To arrest.
informal (often foll by: off) to move or depart rapidly
(Horse Training, Riding & Manège) to divide and reset (certain of the tail muscles of a horse) to give the tail a high carriage
(tr) to guess, catch, etc, exactly
(Agriculture) (intr) (of breeding stock) to mate satisfactorily
nick someone for slang US and Canadian to defraud someone to the extent of

[The Free Dictionary]

I don't see how any of the definitions cited above fits the sentence given.

Is "to nick" being used figuratively? What does "I've nicked A's comment" mean?


texts:
In the phrase "Like father, like son" what part-of-speech is each "like"?

Just in case somebody asks, I am aware of the meaning, thank you, I'm interested in the grammar.


texts:
When to use the former and when to use the latter? For example here:

  You're only a slave (for) today. Don't worry.

Should there be an for? Why or why not?


texts:
I found these sentences from a passage "Ann rides her bicycle. Ann rides her little bicycle to work. Ann rides her little, red bicycle to work every day"

I don't think those adjectives are coordinate so they should not be separated by a comma.

I wonder why we need to put a , (comma) between these adjectives (little and red)?

Thank you!


texts: Do "I ate many noodles today" and "you should eat many vegetables" sound wrong?

texts:
According to dictionary "noodle" is a countable noun and often in plural form

I learned that we can use "many" before countable nouns.

Does "I ate many noodles today" sound wrong?

In addition, "vegetable" is also a countable noun

Does "you should eat many vegetables" sound wrong?


texts:
I need your help.

is there a difference in meaning between

  May I use your bathroom ?

and

  Can I use your bathroom ?


texts:
Is it possible to say or write ?

Now, I am wearing my contact lenses from time to time.

or is it better to use present simple

Now, I  wear my contact lenses from time to time.

I've chosen continuous because it is a new habit  before I wore them full time.


texts: Is "I don't want him coming" grammatically correct or not?

texts:
I'm not really sure about this expression  i found many times but never on grammar books:

  I don't want him coming
  (Want  + sb/sth + verb+ing)

Is it formal, informal and is it better to  use it in everyday speech or writings?


texts: "I texted you on...", "in...", or "by..." – which preposition do I use?

texts:
Which of these prepositions is correct in these sentences?

  I texted you on WhatsApp.
  I texted you in WhatsApp.
  I texted you by WhatsApp.


texts:
Do the words "otherwise" and "or" mean the same in the following context?

Are they both correct?

Here is the examples:

John, you should follow the instructions that teacher said, or/otherwise you will not be able to complete the project.


texts: Is being would be a right replacement for is?

texts:
English is not my mother's language.  Yesterday i started to read Charles Dickens' Great Expectations and stumbled on the very first sentence.  Here it is:

  "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,
  my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more
  explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called
  Pip."

I wander whether it would be appropriate to replace the word "being" with "is" so it would not spoil the sentence as a whole.


texts: How do you cite a scholar as in agreement with an argument?

texts: I've noted your conversation regarding the Latin pace, meaning "not in agreement with." Doesn't cf mean the same thing? What terms is appropriate when citing a scholar who is, in fact, in agreement with the stated argument?


texts:
"In the common law provinces(in other words, all provinces except Quebec) and in the territories, judge-made rules play an important if diminishing role in the whole body of the law."
what does " if dinimishing" means in this sentence? I guessed it is a grammar mistake.


texts:
Alan, Bob, and Carl are chatting. Bob is a little busy with something on his screen, so Bob only partially engages in the conversation.

  After chatting for a while, Alan says to Carl, "You remind me of James."

  Bob hears this but is still busy with something else. The chat continues.

  After a while, Bob says to Carl, "You also remind me of James.".

It is unclear what Bob's true intended meaning is. It is possible that Bob intended one of the following meanings (M1 to M3):

M1: Bob said that to second Alan's opinion
M2: Besides other things that Carl reminds Bob of, Carl also reminds Bob of James
M3: Bob had a mixed feeling of M1 and M2.

Which one of these following sentences (S1 to S6) could Bob say to more precisely convey M1 or M2? (Or both--because too and also can always be ambiguous?)

S1: You also remind me of James.
S2: You remind me also of James.
S3: You remind me of James also.
S4: You, too, remind me of James.
S5: You remind me, too, of James.
S6: You remind me of James, too.

In each of the possible choices, is there any stressing (when speaking) that Bob should take care of especially? (Given that you and me are generally unstressed.)

Also, in writing (suppose that I want to write it in a novel), are those commas necessary?


texts:
I hoped you won't mind when I told you the truth.
  I hoped you wouldn't mind when I told you the truth.

First of all, I would like to know what differences do the use of won't and wouldn't make in any sentences. And secondly, which one of the above sentences is correct?


texts: what are the differences between using " It's said that"  vs  "It said that" ?


texts:
Do "Which do you appreciate the most" and "Which do you appreciate most" share the same meaning and both are correct?

Which do you appreciate the most, politicians or scientists?


texts: Indefinite Article: Why "a agreement" rather than "an agreement"?

texts:
My teacher reviewed an exercise, and corrected something I didn't understand.

This is a piece of what I wrote:

  It took some time until they could reach an agreement, but it finally...

It made sense to use an since agreement starts with a vowel.

My teacher, however, gave me this feedback:

  Article: You said "...reach an agreement..." You should say "...reach a agreement..." because indefinite article, "an" is used before a vowel sound, "a" otherwise, so I changed a word 'an' to 'a'. e.g., "It took some time until they could reach a agreement..."

So I'm confused. Why should I use a rather than an in this case?

Unfortunately this is an online course and a random teacher is designated to review, thus I can't talk back to my teacher and ask (which is unfortunate).


texts: About Door Anatomy. Is it called a door frame or a casing?

texts:
casing

  2 : a frame around a door or window

  door

  a : a movable piece of wood, glass, or metal that swings or slides
  open and shut so that people can enter or leave a room, building,
  vehicle, etc.

Look at this pcture

Is it  called a door frame or a casing?


texts: Sentence Transformation: ... enough ... to ..... so ... that

texts:
Tu Pee was hungry enough to eat a horse.
  Tu Pee was so hungry that he could eat a horse.

I'd like to know whether the two sentences are exactly the same. Thanks a lot.


texts: Transformation of sentence from compound to complex

texts:
I tried but bit confused in applying the rules to transform the following sentences from compound to complex.

GIVE ME MONEY AND I SHALL SPEND IT.
WORK HARD AND YOU WILL SUCCEED.


texts: "How rude are you" vs. "How rude you are"

texts:
I want to know about this two sentence whether both is correct or wrong.
If both is correct then where can I use this sentence?


texts: Are these two sentences equal in meaning?

texts:
I want to know if the following two sentence are equal in meaning. If not, what is the difference?

  The sparrow was the highest bird of all

  The sparrow was the highest of all the birds


texts: Idiom - eliminating criminal's associates

texts:
Imagine the following situation. A criminal committed a crime (for example a robbery) with several associates. Then he found out that his associates may have been investigated and arrested and they might have informed on him. So he took action and killed his associates to silence them.

Is there any idiom or collocation used for this action - for killing fellow criminals? I think it may exist because I heard in on a TV years ago but I was not able to find it.

EDIT: I found out that the detective in the show used the idiom tie up (some/a few) loose ends, which is quite general and can be used on plenty of others occasions. Answers presented below may be more suitable to the story.


texts: Is "Your voice was not audible for a sec" wrong in a corporate setting?

texts:
Today I was speaking to someone from HR. Due to some disturbance over the line, I could not hear her voice for a second or so. So I told her "Your voice was not audible for a sec" and asked her to repeat the last question.
Is "Your voice was not audible for a sec" wrong English, especially in a corporate setting? Would "You are not audible, could you repeat your last question" be better?


texts:
I am offered a place at Cambridge under the condition that I pass IELTS with a 7.0 out of 9.0 score on each part (reading, listening, writing, speaking). I have studied three years on a college in the Netherlands where the instructional language is English. I write papers in English and I feel like the language I use in those papers is quite good and mature. However I still find speaking English a bit unnatural. I want to know how hard IELTS is and whether or not I should study a lot for it. I know that I should get myself acquainted to the way they ask questions, this is not what I mean with studying.

On the internet I found no really useful information on how hard this test is. I am really in the dark here (also I am also quite confident that in principle after three years of studying in English I should be able to cope with the required level).


texts: with a medium to large enterprise -- not sure what that means

texts:
Source: Sams Teach Yourself Networking in 24 Hours, 4th Edition by Uyless Black (2009)

Example:

  If you and your design team are associated with a medium to large enterprise, it's likely you’ll need to become familiar with subnetting. This term refers to the partitioning of a network into smaller parts. One reason for subnetting is to divide the traffic such that Ethernet packet collisions don't create throughput and bottleneck problems.

Not sure what that part really means. What exactly does the author mean by a medium to large enterprise?


texts: Sentence construction using went, did go and had gone

texts:
Which one sentence is correct to say? Please explain the situation where I can use below sentences.

a) Where you went, I have been looking for you.

b) Where you had gone, I have been looking for you.

c) Where did you go, I have been looking for you.


texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between "so much" and "so many" in the following sentences?

  We don't exchange gifts so much for Christmas in Japan.

  We don't exchange so many gifts for Christmas in Japan.


texts:
Could you please tell me whether this conversation is grammatically correct or not.

A : Where were you last week ? or Can I ask like this "Where have you been in the last week ?"

B : I went to Swiss on a holiday trip. I have just got home. or can I just answer like this "I have been to Swiss."

A : With whom did you go ?

B : I went with Harsh. I first planned to go with Harsh and Chris but as Chris has been to that place many times, he was not interested and didn't join with us.

A : What about your dad ? I can't see him anywhere. Where did he go ?

B : He has gone to Australia on business. He will reach home at weekend.

A : When did he go ?

B : He went yesterday.

I had some doubts on "have been", "have gone". I searched more about it and learned the difference. Now, I framed up this conversation using those words. If there are any mistakes, please let me know. Thank you!


texts:
In the following sentence:

  The governor's assistant claimed to have unique psychic abilities
  enabling him to read people's minds.

How can we know to use a verb with ing form? Like "enabling" in the above sentence. Why we cannot say: "... psychic abilities (that) enable him ..."?


texts:
The players all had taken a card
  The players had all taken a card

Please can you explain the meaning of above sentences and
why changing the position of "all"?


texts:
I'm trying to write a sentence but can't decide which is the correct form:

  For anyone who didn't notice,  he is tall.
  For anyone who hasn't noticed, he is tall.
  For anyone who hadn't noticed, he is tall.

I think the third one is incorrect because there aren't 2 actions happening the paat one after the other.

I am doubting between the first two. There is no specific time so "hasn't" should be correct, but I can't see why "didn't" isn't correct either.

Truly, I have no clue how to decide.

More Context:

If it matters, the context is a friend wants to post a pic in twitter of a group of friends, and jokingly say on one of the friends "For anyone who didn't notice, he is tall".


texts: When do i use an definite or indefinite article instead of nothing after the word "of"?

texts:
I hear it's not correct to use an indefinite article after "of". But i don't know exactly in which cases it's correct and in which not.

And also, maybe it doesn't only apply to the word "of". Maybe there are other words like that after which people don't use articles.

The question is: when do i use an article, and when not, when it comes to such
a word as "of"?

And also, do i use it correctly in this sentence?

  Search by the name of a form of study


texts:
I will use colors blue, red, and yellow.
I will use blue, red, and yellow colors.

Do these sentences make sense?


texts:
As a German speaker, I'm surprised to hear by myself/yourself/himself... or on my/your/his... own where I would have expected the word alone or myself/yourself/himself... (without by). Meanwhile, I even started to doubt if I ever should use the word alone in English. But on the other side, the English word alone exists, so it must be idiomatic in some cases.

So, my question is:
When to use the word alone?
When to use by myself/yourself...?
When to use on my/your... own?


texts:
“Indonesia has likened Australia's spying efforts to a Cold War tactic and says it would like an explanation within a couple of days. (ABC.net.au)”

It’s not easy for me to catch the /w/ sound in general. And I wonder if would in the audio was pronounced with /w/ (strong form, CGEL p1613) or not (weak form). I’d like some tips on how to pronounce the sound and catch it. (Even though I myself tried with BBC Learning English and so forth, it’s like sailing through without foghorn on dimly lit routes.)


texts: appropriate tense for “No matter how many times ~” sentence

texts:
I understand that the sentence "I never get tired of this movie no matter how many times I see it"(present tense) is perfectly acceptable.

My question is whether or not I can use present perfect as follows:

"I never get tired of this movie no matter how many times I have seen it."

Is this not natural or acceptable? If this is not OK, please let me know why.


texts: What's the meaning of "in all of creation"?

texts:
The following is a passage from this article:

  It took them a while, but Applebee’s has finally figured out a way to make eating in its restaurants even less charming. The restaurant chain announced Tuesday its intention to install “100,000 tablet computers in its more than 1,800 locations nationwide by the end of next year.” Soon, there will be tablets on every table and at every bar in every Applebee’s in all of creation, enabling diners to peruse the menu, pay the bill and play games. Chili’s, Uno’s Chicago Grill and California Pizza Kitchen already use similar devices, and plan to roll them out into even more of their own restaurants in the coming year.

What does in all of creation mean said above? I understand what 'create' mean, but I have no idea what creation mean when used in that phrase all together.


texts: What does the "same positive emphasis" mean?

texts:
I read about the consumption of milk here.

  The federal government’s dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that adults and children consume three cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or reduced-fat dairy products, with milk getting the same positive emphasis as fruits and vegetables and whole-grains. But Ludwig said those recommendations may have been influenced by the US Department of Agriculture’s strong relationship with the dairy industry.

Does it mean that while we drink three cups of dairy products, we have to also pay attention to eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains?


texts:
I'm unable to interpret a sentence though searched and read multiple explanations.

  “GOD is real, unless declared integer.” a Fortran-based witticism

Real is real number,
What's the idioms it refers to ?


texts:
I want to express in that something has applications in a related field.

Is applications to partial differential equations correct or is is necessary to change the preposition?


texts: Does “one” always imply a number, or can “one" function as an emphasized “a"? Examples: Take a cake, take one, a nice one! Take ONE (implying a number less than two)! In the first example, "take one" is pronounced with almost no pause between “take" and “one”. Am I correct in suggesting that “take a cake” and “take one” means exactly the same?


texts:
I asked her to send for a doctor. (daum.net)
For ‘my’ asking, do we need three persons (I, her, and a person who’ll deliver my asking message to a doctor)? For the interpretation of the following sentence of this, ‘we sent for the doctor’, someone interpreted on the same website as if it needs not any go-between; while other interpretations seem to need the go-between.
What is the meaning of ‘send for’? Does ‘send for’ have two meanings?
One, ‘send for’ is direct requesting from A to B.
Two, ‘send for’ is indirect requesting that needs a go-between between A and B.
(In latter case, does the verb, send, have the followed meaning?: “send someone or communication tools, e.g. telegraph, for summon someone)


texts: What is the difference between invention and discovery?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning or connotation of 'discovery' as compared to 'invention'?  I think invention is the result of targeted search and discovery may be accidental.

One definition in The Oxford English Dictionary, edition 1971, of 'invention' is:

  "I,1. The action of coming upon or finding; the action of finding out; discovery (whether accidental, or the result of search and effort)".

The OED has labelled  this definition as 'obsolete and archaic'. Still, I wondered whether I might use 'discovery' in translating from Dutch to English in a text where 'invention' had already been used in abundance, just for the sake of variety.


texts: Does the professor say "under the six" or anything else?

texts: At 31:50 in the video, the professor said "It is under the six. It is absolutely impractical." And later at 31:54 he told a joke where he also mentioned "under the six". But I have searched the google and the Wikipedia, only to find that such a phrase doesn't exist. Thus I think I recognized the speech wrongly. Could anybody who can recognize it correctly(or has the knowledge background to recognize that ambiguous speech correctly) please tell me what it exactly is?


texts:
Supercars are for the rich anyways so why cheap out by not having a
  roll cage with harnesses?

cheap out - don't spend lots of money, or what does that mean?


texts: Usage of "to set the timer" and "to time"

texts:
I am going to cook. I need to set a (or "the"?) timer for half an hour as I started roasting.
Can I say "I need to time the roast for half an hour"?
How do you usually say to express that idiomatically?


texts:
Is this sentence the expression "what was at the time" in the following sentence correct?

  At the end o my goal was to increase my knowledge in X and what was at the time one of the most exciting fields in Y


texts: Verb describing an action of a vehicle turning its wheels but not moving anywhere

texts:
What's the right verb in English to describe an action of a vehicle turning its wheels but not moving anywhere due to muddy or icy road?

For example:

  We drove Jack's car over the woods having not paid due attention to
  the fact that it had rained the night before. The path was rather
  muddy and, soon enough, our car _________________.

(a past-tense verb or verb phrase in the blank)


texts:
He died fighting for a cause, allowing generations of people to live free from oppression.

Here, allowing is a participle that introduces a participial adverbial clause.

  The key to my glossy hair is not drying it too much, leaving hair mask on.

Why doesn't leaving work the same way in the example?

You can say: Leaving it shiny and clean, but not: leaving hair mask on.


texts:
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary gives the following definition of airtime:

  the amount of time that is paid for when you are using a cell phone

And it goes on to give the following example:

  This deal gives you 180 minutes free airtime a month.

I'd like to know why "free" is used at all. Does "free airtime" refer to time that is offered to the phone user as a gift?
If not, why is it used at all?
(By the way, shouldn't "of" have been there to connect "180 minutes" to "free airtime"?)


texts: What the demand is going to be like for it in the future

texts:
Efforts by the Treasury to sell bonds due in more than 30 years would face obstacles as the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates from a record low, according to dealers that underwrite U.S. debt sales.
  The Treasury Department asked the Fed’s 22 primary dealers today to comment on demand for such securities. The question came amid a bond rally this year that surprised traders who began 2014 forecasting higher yields as the economy improved.
  “They really have to think about what the demand is going to be like for it in the future,” said Thomas Simons, a government-debt economist in New York at the primary dealer Jefferies LLC. “That’s anybody’s guess.”
  ...
  “It doesn’t sound like there would be tremendously aggressive demand” for 50-year securities in a period where yields are rising, Simons said.

  -- Source

I'm wondering why the demand for it is split by is going to be like.

Would it be possible to use when in place of where there?

Are these just stylistic choices?


texts: Difference between "progress hopefully" and "hopefully progress"

texts: I understand from context that both are different, but what rule applies here? Is there a general case where you change the word order and you change the meaning?


texts: Is it correct and natural to say "speak at a normal tempo" in the sense of speaking neither fast nor slowly?

texts:
Is it correct and natural to say speak at a normal tempo in the sense of speaking neither fast nor slowly? For example:

  Kate always speaks at a normal tempo even when she is anxious.

If it doesn't sound good, would be natural to say the following?

  Kate always speaks at a normal speed even when she is anxious.


texts: Since..of - used when the month name is absent

texts:
In Russian it is very common to speak about days of the current month without mentioning the name of the month. In English, as far as I remember, it is necessary to include the month.

He was absent since the 4th of July. (Now is the 7th of July)

Can we rephrase that without mentioning the month? Something like:

He was absent since the 4th day.
He was absent since the 4th of current month.

Something informal would be great.


texts: Seemingly unnecessary verbs in comparisons

texts:
I've come across a strange habit in comparisons that seems to be pretty popular. Instead of saying (what I think to be correct):

  He runs faster than Robert.

Sometimes I hear or read:

  He runs faster than Robert does.

What is this? Is it a "colloquial but not perfectly correct" form like "try and do" instead of "try to do"? It feels so unnecessary and redundant to me.


texts: Difference between 'The police arrested a man' & 'The police have arrested a man'?

texts:
The police arrested a man.
The police have arrested a man.

I don't know the difference between these two sentences. Could someone please explain?


texts: Book Recommendations Re: accessible English Tenses System

texts:
I would like to know some of the best books (or other accessible materials) out there with a thorough treatment of English tenses and in particular the perfect state. The book should be accessible to advanced learners* of English language.

I've found @StoneyB's article of great help, but I would like to check out more. I like/am interested in the descriptive approaches to English grammar. The following quote from StoneyB's article caught my attention:

  Recent studies look at how rather than what the perfect means and
  suggest that meaning is not expressed by perfect constructions but
  inferred by hearers/readers from both the prior eventuality introduced
  and the larger discourse context.

Update:

Re:@Jim's comment below, advanced learners = with a CEFR C2-level.


texts:
Source

  Two faces familiar from the series are no longer aboard, but we meet
  them later: the "companion"

what does series mean & aboard on what?


texts: have to be able to swim / were to be able to swim

texts:
You have to be able to swim to attend the pool.

This sentence is grammatical.

  If all were to be able to swim, all could attend the pool.

This sentence is not. But how to explain it from the grammar standpoint?

P.S.

Could it be that the latter sentense is grammatical but not equal in meaning to

  If all were able to swim, all could attend the pool.


texts: How should I reply when I answer some question on Stack Exchange sites, people thank me and say it helped?

texts:
In order to be polite and answer in a social way I have had some hesitation to choose which phrase I should use.

You are welcome. I'm glad it helped.
You are welcome. I'm glad I could contribute.
You are welcome. I'm glad that I could help.
No problem. I'm happy that I could help.

If you have better phrases, please add, since it's fun to learn more.


texts: We live on earth. The earth moves round the sun

texts:
We say that we live on earth but we say the earth moves round the sun.
When earth is a planet and we use the definite article the before the names of planets, why can't we say we live on the earth and say on  earth.  Most people say we live on the earth knowingly or unknowingly.
So is it wrong to say if we say I live on the earth instead of on earth?


texts: The Western 'State of Gujarat'? Shouldn't it be 'The Western 'State of India'?

texts:
I read it somewhere in an authentic news (I think from the BBC). It was about recently elected Mr. Narendra Modi. He's the next Prime Minister of India.

I surely remember the sentence that said...

  The chief minister of the western state of Gujarat.

For clarification, I'm uploading the map here.

Check the position of the state of Gujarat. It's in the west of India, the west-most corner I mean. Ahmedabad and Rajkot are the cities of Gujarat State. India has 28 states and Gujarat is one of them. There's no county, province etc. It's clear Country-State-District-City.

Now the question:

Shouldn't it be...

  The chief minister of Gujarat, the western state of India? OR The chief minister of the western state of India?

Can't the former one mean that Gujarat is country and not the state because it already mentioned 'state of'

Note: I'm aware of calling London city as The city of London, Chicago city as The city of Chicago. But then using it this way would certainly create an ambiguity.

The western state of Gujarat or western state of India!


texts:
Explain, pls, in other words what she does, what is written in bold, and what exactly the word "self" here below means:
"Story about Rock Star"
Rock Star Amy Lee brings her goth girl self to the table and to the recording studio, no questions asked.


texts: Should the name of a lowercase Greek letter in a proper name also be capitalized when the lower case is important?

texts:
Continuing Should the name of a capital Greek letter also be capitalized when the upper case is important? with the answer https://ell.stackexchange.com/a/109096/37810, which did emphasize the importance of the capitalization of proper names, should we still write Little Omega (alternatively, Little-Omega for the the hyphenized variant) when speaking about

ω: (ℕ→ℕ)→(ℕ→ℕ),

f ↦ { g: ℕ→ℕ | ∀ c∈ℕ ∃ n∈ℕ ∀ m∈ℕ: m≥n ⇒ g(m) > c f(m) }

?

By the way, this definition of ω is fixed for the whole complexity theory.

Or, perhaps, be satisfied with Little omega (alternatively, Little-omega for the the hyphenized variant)?


texts: Do the meanings of statements in both pairs differ?

texts:
I am being visited by my grandchildren in two weeks.
  I am going to be visited by my grandchildren in two weeks.

and

  The museum is being visited by millions of people next year.
  The museum is going to be visited by millions of people next year.


texts:
He had remained president for 20 years and he had done nothing for the benefits of people.
  He had been remained president for 20 years and he had done nothing for the benefits of people.

Are both the sentences correct? Anyone please tell me the difference between these two.


texts: Should you put an "a" before some words?

texts:
I read this on a website:

  A skilled customer service provider must develop abilities to effectively assess a situation, establish rapport, defuse anger, and work with wide diversity of customer cultural backgrounds.

I wonder why there is an article a before the word situation but not also before rapport, anger or work.


texts:
A very strange question is why do we pronounce give as [ɡɪv] instead of [gʌɪv] like in hive, dive, wife, life, knife?

Or should it actually be [jʌɪv] by the grammar standards?


texts:
I want to say that, I liked my job, but because of some personal problems I left it. To do so, is using my inner soul in the the following sentence correct? if not, any suggestion (in formal English)?
Despite my inner soul, I had to leave my job and come back to my home town.


texts: The best friend a mother could have or anything for that matter

texts:
What is the meaning of sentence below?
Oh, my sweet daughter, who is not only my daughter but my best friend, the best friend a mother could have, or anything for that matter.
Source of information: https://youtu.be/O8_xIj0Nzx4?t=1688


texts:
Can the object of "graduate from" be "the department of history," for example?
Does it have to be "university" or "college"?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Usage of "ratio to" when talking about proportions

texts:
In my application, the fonts are automatically resized to stay proportional with the window. I am trying to describe it with this sentence:

  Font sizes are dynamically calculated in order to maintain a given
  ratio to the size of the window

Is that correct? Especially the part "ratio to", I am not sure about that at all.


texts: Which is correct, "The carpenter repaired the legs of the tables" or "The carpenter repaired legs of the tables"

texts:
The carpenter repaired the legs of the tables.

  The carpenter repaired legs of the tables.

It's a quiz from my grammar book(written in Chinese), and it claims the legs of the tables is correct because of the tables modified legs which we should use the in that case. I'm not so sure, if a plural noun has a modifier then should we always use the? How about that:

  Many good students will buy that book.

I think The many good students will buy that book. is definitely wrong....

So, could any one give me some hints about that? I'm just confused with in which case should we use "the" before a plural noun and which case not...


texts: sort out the problem by giving your opinion on "opinion on/of/about"

texts:
I am very confused about the use of opinion on/of/about.in which case which is used, please sort this problem once for all.

please also explain the problem given below.

My opinion ________ this film is that it will buy the Oscar award.
Options:
1) on
2) about
3) of
4) no improvement
Correct Answer given in my book : about


texts: Sentence construction with 'although', 'though', and 'despite'

texts:
Which sentence is grammatically right?

  Although it was very warm in the room and the examination seemed so long, but the students tried to do their best.
  Although it was very warm a room and the examination seemingly long, but the students tried to do the best.
  Though it was very warm and the examination was seeming to be long, the students were trying to do the best.
  Despite the fact that the room was very warm and the examination seemingly long, the students tried to do their best.

So I'm sure the the first option is wrong because the word but is used in it and since the sentence starts with the word Although this usage of but is wrong.

I'm Also sure that the second option is wrong since the "it was very warm a room" sentence should actually be "it was a very warm room".

The Answer Sheet says the answer is option 4 but the "examination seemingly long" phrase dose not appear to be correct for me and I think it should actually be "the seemingly long examination".(Same  reason for the option 2 as well)

About the option three, I see no problem in it, though I'm not totally sure if the verb seem can be used with the simple past continuous tense. But still it does not seem to be a significant problem.


texts:
I am not sure about the meaning of the adjective "large" (or its superlative form) here:

  link
  China is the world’s largest source of international students, but the rate of growth in outbound students is slowing.

Does "largest" refer to the physical size of China?


texts: Had to have happened or Must have happened

texts:
I wonder what is the difference here:

  It had to have happened today.

  It must have happened today.

To me the meaning is the same.


texts: the correct way to use "who" in sentences

texts:
I'm little bit confused with these sentences

  People who dont have purpose are prone to addictions.
  People who dont have purpose prone to addictions.

Which one is correct?

  People who always late are idiots.
  People who are always late idiots.

Which one is correct ?


texts:
From Grace Dent on Television: Harlots, Housewivs and Heroines - a 17th Century History for Girls, BBC4 | The Independent:

  They branded Diana, and still do, an hysterical, diva-ish and paranoid woman, but Diana wasn't paranoid about Camilla and the royal unspoken code of marriage, she was absolutely slap, bang on.

What does slap mean in this context?


texts: I have several questions about the sentence "now to her left over the rooftops to where" from the novel "Waterland" by Graham Swift

texts:
Source (Waterland, by Graham Swift.)

I have several questions about this sentence:

  "For fifty-four years she will sit on a blue velvet chair before the window in an upper room (not the room once shared by her husband but a room to be known simply as Mistress Sarah’s room), staring now straight before her down the cluttered thoroughfare of Water Street to the Ouse, now to her left over the rooftops to where, in 1849, the tall chimney of the New Brewery, on its site by the Ouse wharves, will rise."

Does the word "to" in the phrase "to the Ouse" mean "toward"?
Does the clause "staring now straight before her down the cluttered thoroughfare of Water Street to the Ouse" mean "Sarah Atkinson stared straight along the cluttered main road of Water Street toward the River Ouse"?
Does the word "to" in the phrase "to her left" mean "toward"?
Does the word "to" in the phrase "to where" also mean "toward"?
Does "now to her left over the rooftops to where" mean "Sarah Atkinson stared straight toward her left place on the top of the rooftops and stared straight toward the place where the tall chimney of the New Brewery will rise in 1849"?
Is the clause "where the tall chimney of the New Brewery will rise in 1849" an object clause in the containing clause "now to her left over the rooftops to where, in 1849, the tall chimney of the New Brewery, on its site by the Ouse wharves, will rise"?


texts: 'conclusion can be reached' - sentence structure problem

texts:
I have a problem with sentence structure, when I use 'conclusion can be reached' in this context.

I have the following sentences:

  When reviewing [Name of Bank] reports, can be reached to conclusion that ...
  When reviewing [Name of Bank] reports, the conclusion can be reached that ...

I am not sure, which sentence is correct?

Thanks!


texts: Is "stove element" a common name for this object?

texts: I read in a book it's called a oven stove element, and I used this word. But it might sound formal, is there another more common name for it? If not, what else is it called?


texts:
Source: Assembly Language Step by Step—Programming with Linux, 3rd Edition by Jeff Duntemann (2009)

Example:

  The question that kept gnawing at me was exactly what sort of beast RAX
  (the computer’s wonderfully appropriate name) actually was. What we had
  were ram-charged typewriters that RAX controlled over phone lines—that
  much I understood—but what was RAX itself?

Not sure at all what that means.


texts: "I wished I could take her to Turkey" Is the tense correct?

texts:
I know that wish + could/would is used to refer to future. Now, if the job of wishing took place in the past, do we still use could/would or we change it?

  I wished I could take her to Turkey, when I looked at her excited
  face.


texts:
"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else ... Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular. (22.28-30)

Could you explain what the bold sentence means in this context? I assume Harry asked how Ron was going to find his partner among the girls but don't understand how this sentence expresses that meaning. Thanks in advance :)


texts: A new look on the "possessive+ gerund" vs "objective pronoun + gerund"

texts:
Today I asked a question on this issue and my intention was to know more about the difference between the two sentences that I provided in the question, but it was marked as a duplicate of this and this.

Although I didn't ask whether those examples are grammatically correct, I accept that it's a potential duplicate since my examples were not chosen carefully.

Let's get back to my problem with such sentences. Suppose that you want to say something in a comment (like facebook) and there is not enough context to rule out some options. Consider the following examples:

  He liked the manager signing the paper.
  He liked the manager's signing the paper.

In nutshell, I think

First sentence means he liked that specific manager who was signing the paper.
Second one means he liked the way that manger signed the paper.

Would you please tell me your opinion on this?


texts:
Wikipedia says:

  Noun adjuncts were traditionally mostly singular (e.g. "trouser press") except when there were lexical restrictions (e.g. "arms race"), but there is a recent trend towards more use of plural ones. Many of these can also be or were originally interpreted and spelled as plural possessives (e.g. "chemicals' agency", "writers' conference", "Rangers' hockey game"),[2] but they are now often written without the apostrophe, although decisions on when to do so  require editorial judgment.

  There are morphologic restrictions on the classes of adjunct that can be plural and nonpossessive; irregular plurals are solecistic as nonpossessive adjuncts (for example, "men clothing" or "women magazine" sound improper to fluent speakers).

Regarding this I'm still not sure which set is correct:

student welfare officer  or students welfare officer
student union  or students union
student loan  or students loan
sport center or sports center

Can you please provide some guidelines?


texts:
It indicated that eating food varied significantly with animal size, whereas drinking water did not varied significantly with animal size.

Is adding two conjunctions (that and whereas) in one sentence correct?


texts: As / The way / In the way - all possible and the same meaning here, right?

texts:
A customer asked for the posters to be laminated on the front side and he also asked for the posters to be ready by today. But,

I didn't to it as he'd asked us to do.
I didn't to it in the way that he'd asked us to do.
I didn't to it the way that he'd asked us to do.

PS. here, ask and request are interchangeable without changing any meaning?
And which one would you prefer to use between he'd and he had


texts: Can you clear my grammar doubts in these sentences?

texts:
Source

I was reading about the meaning of "stand by".Then in an example, I encountered these:

  And will they go beyond the usual GOP standbys, like tort reform and selling health insurance across state lines?

I think it should be torting.

  Mohamed Sabual used to stand by silently as he (used to/had) heard classmates and other youths mocking Muslims.

I think sentence has omissions. Should the sentence be better with those in the bracket?


texts: Any addition which appeared or have appeared in recent times

texts:
Yavanika is one of the latest additions to good drama which appeared/have appeared in recent times.

If I saywhich appeared in recent times,  will that be considered wrong?  As far as tense of the sentence is considered, I do not think there will be any error by using only appeared. But my book says that have appeared is correct.  But I believe have appeared is only changing then tense of the sentence not meaning. Suggestions please.


texts: What word/expression to describe non-outdoor spaces?

texts:
I am looking for a word or an expression (or a way to describe) all spaces that are not outdoor or in open air, such as:

buildings
tunnels
caves
mazes

Basically anything with walls :).

Options I considered:

indoor -- suitable mostly for man-made spaces and it doesn't go well with natural tunnels or caves.
confined spaces -- it is too restrictive; I want to convey the idea of a space you can explore.

Is there such a word or expression ?


texts:
Larry and Tom own a hardware store.  To me there are two possible ways to use the possessive form:

  Larry and Tom's hardware store.

or

  Larry's and Tom's hardware store.

The first speaks and reads better - and I think is correct due to elision. (?)

Is the second grammatically correct ?  It just sounds too clunky to me.

I'm a native speaker and write a lot, but this one's bugged me for years. It's probably a dupe question (sorry), but I can't find the answer here or in style books.


texts:
The following is a part of Donald Trump's remarks on Vegas shooting.

  In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one -- and
  it always has. We call upon the bonds that unite us -- our faith, our
  family, and our shared values. We call upon the bonds of citizenship,
  the ties of community, and the comfort of our common humanity.

Does the idiom phrase 'call upon' here mean 'produce, utilize' or 'appeal to'?


texts:
Well, these two words drive me crazy every time I try to chew the cud in order to draw a clear line between them. ANY and SOME. Please consider the following:

If you have any/some money, please let me know.
Do you know anyone/someone here?
If anyone/someone knocks at the door, what will you do?
If you talk to anyone/someone, stare into their eyes!

Which ones are right, guys? If there is a sentence in which those two are acceptable, please tell me the reason.


texts: "At the corner of the bar" or "In the corner of the bar"?

texts: By bar, I mean the wooden rectangle (the counter) not the establishment. In that case, should I say, "to sit at the corner of the bar" or "to sit in the corner of the bar"?


texts:
Early in the morning our house was surrounded by cars.

What does the adverb "early" modify here? Does it modify the phrase "in the morning", or the phrase "was surrounded", or is it a sentential adverb, thus, modifying the whole sentence?


texts: What does "How do you like it?" mean in this context?

texts:
A friend of mine, who was born, raised, and still lives on Long Island, had asked me How do you like it? when I ate something she prepared. I always replied I like it. or It's very good. as if the question were Do you like it?
Is that what I was asked, or is How do you like it? different from Do you like it? or Do you enjoy it? in this context?
I am asking because, in Italian, we would ask the equivalent of Do you like it? The equivalent of How do you like it? wouldn't be an usual question, as we also tend to answer I like it very much. to Do you like it? when we like it very much.


texts: May I use "naive" to mean "inexperienced"?

texts:
Sometimes I may use "naive" in sentences like

  I am naive in writing this type of articles

To say "inexperienced"

I would like to know how common this word is among native speakers of English, or in which situations they use it (through some examples please).


texts: What is the difference between "three of them" and "the three of them"?


texts: Meaning of auditing in the context of computer programming

texts:
What is the meaning of 'auditing' in programming?

For example: "Audit the code you've performed"


texts:
Are the following sentences grammatically correct?

He asked me if I was depressed the day before.
He asked me if I had been depressed the day before.

Please explain. Thanks!


texts:
Which examples are correct and why?

The staff is welcoming, and is very easy to contact them by phone.

vs

The staff is welcoming, and it’s very easy to contact them by phone.

Contacting the staff is not required, but is recommended.

vs

Contacting the staff is not required, but it’s recommended.

I like to dress nice, and is great when I get compliments for it.

vs

I like to dress nice, and it's great when I get compliments for it.


texts:
It is correct:
1) I do hope you will consider me for the job.
2) I hope you will consider me for the job.

If they are both correct is there any difference?


texts: Is "hails from X" only used for saying someone was born in X

texts:
I see "hails from Harvard" often, but the official definition says:

to come from or to have been born in a particular place:

but I have no idea what come from can mean. Too vague to make any sense.


texts:
If the allegations(made?) against him are found (to be?) true he could face rigorous imprisonment.

Is there any difference if I use or don't use made in the clause allegations against ?

Also when to use/not use to be after found in such  sentences ?

With these two doubts I'm able to form four different versions of above sentence but don't know which one is correct.


texts: concerns on this passage regarding "barely" , "bright blue and fat" , throb

texts:
“I wanted the blue one!” Tania screamed. “The blue one with the gold rim! The blue one! The blue one!”"">
Her voice rose so high that I kept an eye on my cup, hoping it would break, the way cups sometimes did in movies when somebody screamed like that. But then I realized that it was far more interesting to watch Tania. She had fair skin, covered with pale freckles. She had turned tomato red, but her freckles had stayed the same color—I’d never seen anything like that. She closed her eyes, and squeezed her hands into fists, and a vein throbbed on her temple, bright blue and fat . Everybody else in the room fell silent. Our teacher was very young  barely out of college  and she had no idea what to do. But Tania’s mother simply stood up and smiled and said that she’d go home and get the blue one. She was a tall woman, with a large soft body and a fair complexion like Tania’s. Even her hair was the same color as her daughter’s, only hers was fixed in a bun on the back of her head, and Tania’s was plaited into a thick braid.

Does the word "throb" here refer to "palpitating" or " sudden pain" ? I am asking this because according to Longman Dictionary the word "throb" has to do with just having a feeling of pain in a body part that regularly starts and stops. But in my opinion this does not fit this context.

Could you simplify "bright blue and fat" ?

It is really hard to find a substitution for the adverb barely in this context. Could you help me with that please?


texts:
Let's say you are describing a newly built building in your hometown. You say it is amazing:

  The new building has a finesse architectural design.

An American say it is wrongly used. But an online dictionary define "finese" as:
description click here. I doubt what the American said, help.


texts: Phrasal verbs - account to is use in USA? and how?

texts:
I am studying phrasal verbs in English and i found this  account to in the website i found they saying its meaning is:

To answer to; to be responsible to.

they gave us a example :

My boss is the only person I must account to.

but i did not understand yet, someone could explain me this pharsal verb and where could i use this?
i wrote some example:

you are my wife and you must account to from our babies


texts: Permission to stay home by doctor because of having an illness

texts: What is the name of the paper that a doctor writes for someone letting his/her school, workplace, etc know that he/she has been sick for a period of time and needs to rest (off from work or school)?


texts: "room 7" "page 44": Why no def. article "the"?

texts:
Can anyone simply explain why the following expressions do not take the definite article “the”? I know (as a native speaker) that no article is needed; just looking for the precise grammar functioning here.

  Room 7

(Bob is in Room 7)

  Page 44

(Please open to page 44.)


texts: What is the meaning of "Him up the road"?

texts:
Gus & Dave jogging, Dave stopped & met a guy who ready to start the car.

  Dave: Didn't you work at Harrisons afore it shut down? Ah! I thought I
  clocked you! I were ont' floor with Gaz. Him up the road.


texts: "What do I start looking at?", "Where do I start looking at?" or "Where do I start looking?" When I am trying to find articles in the library

texts:
When I am trying to find articles in the library.
What should I ask in an appropriate way?
A) "What do I start looking at?"
B) "Where do I start looking at?
C) "Where do I start looking?"


texts:
So I thought about phrase "I'm 17 years old and I'm already having existential crisis" - is it correct to use "I'm already having" on the scale of 17 years? Because it is a pretty long period of time.

If talking about existential crisis, then it's implied that I had it a week ago, I have it today, may be I'm having it at the moment (like a panic attack) and I will have it in the nearest future.


texts: What does "with their own command" mean in the context of playing a sport?

texts:
What does this "play with their own command" mean?

  Captain’s Cup Navy Sports Week
  Monday-Friday, September 30 – October 4 • 0900 Various Locations
  Participants must play with their own command. Events are softball, flag football, soccer, volleyball and basketball. Commands must register by 1700 Wednesday, September 26 at the Fitness, Adult Sports, and Deployed Forces Office. Coaches/Captain’s meeting on site before each event at 0845.


texts: "This time there is nothing unsafe about my footware"

texts:
What does this mean?

  ... and for all the safety critics out there this time there is nothing unsafe about my footware. —from this video


texts: If I say 'amazingly beautiful' or 'amazing beautifully' does the adverb or adjective come first?

texts:
If I want to describe something and I say it looks amazingly beautiful
or it looks amazing beautifully.

What should come first adverb or adjective in this example?


texts:
What is history but a fable agreed upon

A famous quote by Napoleon Bonaparte, but how does it mean history is a set of lies agreed upon.

Being non-native, to me the "but" in the quote seems to be replaced by "is". Is using "but" correct here or just put absurdly for effect?


texts: What is the difference between both the sentences?

texts:
Say "I love you"

Say you love me

what's the difference between these two sentences?