texts: Which meaning of 'all but' in 'all but unheard of?

texts:
What does '‘end of the Eastern Bloc’ suggest? - Test 3, Q21, p 143 reveals another English issue:

The 95 Theses were written in 1517 and by 1521 [Martin] Luther had developed
these ideas and burned the Book of Canon Law and the Papal Bull Exsurge Dominie.
Four years in the C20 would be considered relatively quick for the weakening of an
established order. The end of the Eastern Bloc did not happen overnight. In the C16 such
an occurrence was all but unheard of. However, on closer analysis, arguments against
this approach can be forwarded.

How do you determine which definition of all but applies? Please explain the steps or thought processes; I’d like to try to resolve this myself in the future? The Oxford online dictionary lists two meanings:

1 Very nearly: the subject was all but forgotten
2 All except: we have support from all but one of the networks

What are the similarities and differences between these two meanings? From that other question, I think a different meaning applies; it seems like all but just intensifies how 'unheard of' it was:

In the C16 such an occurrence was ... unheard of.

Source: p 142, Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law, Mark Shepherd


texts: How to call periods for which a decision has been made?

texts:
Scenario

A clerk reviews one's case regarding a temporary treatment or reimbursement (say welfare or treatment). Then, they make a decision to extend said period (by three to six months). After that, a new review is scheduled. This process can continue for years, sometimes even the rest of one's (working) life. Officially, the aim is to get a subject up and running but that's usually not the case, regrettably.

In order to provide statistics over such extensions, we have introduced a term period. However, "her period will last forever" or "when will the period end" sounds, well... you get the point.

So we called them decision periods.

Is there a better way to refer to such entities? It's supposed to sound dry, bureaucratic and official.


texts:
Say, you turned your face away and when you turned back, you found that your phone was gone. That was because your child took it.
Is it colloquial to say "she took my mobile in just a blink of an eye" or "she took my mobile in a flash" in everyday conversation?


texts: Should I use 'is caused by' or 'was caused by' here?

texts:
Functional extinction of northern white rhinoceros is caused by two major factors which are excessive poaching and loss of habitat

Can anyone help me to determine if the 'is caused by' is used correctly, or should it be 'was caused by'?


texts: Who said "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.", and why?

texts:
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything -- I can explain -- Sirius is not here to kill Harry --"

  "Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming
  fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes
  this.... He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...
  a tame werewolf --"

  "You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an
  innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

  BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and
  twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he
  overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of
  rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight
  between Black's eyes.

  "Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I
  swear I will."

  Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face
  showed more hatred.

  Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to
  believe. ...

I don't understand, in this context, who actually said "Give me a reason, ..." (Snape or Black?), give a reason to do what and I swear I will do what?


texts: Actually I was wondering about the literal meaning of the word "dashed" , somewhere along the way I learned that "dashed hopes" meant "shattered hopes" but a dashed line isn't really "shattered" since dashes aren't all over the place , so is there an accurate way to describe this word ?


texts: X is the major conference in our domain next to / beside / alongside Y

texts:
X is the name of a conference. Y is the name of a conference.

I wonder which form(s) are correct amongst the following:

X is the major conference in our domain next to Y.
X is the major conference in our domain beside Y.
X is the major conference in our domain alongside Y.

I would also be interested in alternative formulations (if possible, without significantly altering the sentence structure).

The intended meaning is as follows: there exist many conferences in our domain, X and Y are the two major conferences, and X is on a par with Y.


texts: What does the phrase "developing proper driving habits" imply here? Actually what does "habits" refer to?

texts: So today we want to talk about the subject of defensive driving. And the way I define defensive driving is, the ability to develop the proper driving habits, so that we can compensate for pretty much anything that goes on out on the roadways and that we can avoid a crash at any level.


texts:
He still is a boy.

He is still a boy.

Is there any difference between the two sentences? How about,

He is a boy yet.

He is yet a boy.

What are the differences?


texts: What is the difference between "will" and "would"?

texts:
“This system Would largely benefit the numerous migrant beneficiaries such as labourers, daily wagers, blue-collar workers etc. who frequently change their place of dwelling in search of employment or for other reasons across the country,” he said.

I have taken this from a newspaper. Can I use will instead of would here? If so, what is the difference in their meaning?


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence

"we did not know about national skinheads; they did not exist yet"

Why is it not  :
 " We did not know about national skinheads; they had not existed yet "(it was going to happen pretty soon)

the first sentence does not mean that it was going to happen, I think the second would better


texts:
I don't know why I have problem with saying a label:value consturction in English:

What should I write:

In R2, the attributes tagName and className are used to identify the main article of the web page.
In R2, the tagName and className attributes are used to identify the main article of the web page
In R2, the attributes of tagName and className are used to identify the main article of the web page


texts:
In a manner confuses me in terms of use. Sometimes if i can’t find correct adverb i use adjective before manner . For example is it correct to say:

  My steel cylinder was delivered in a manner coated with aluminum.

  She was sent there in a compulsorily manner.


texts: Troubles understanding "ascribe to" in a sentence

texts:
Taken from The Guardian

‘I think we have an obsession with diets. With fad diets.” This was Ella Mills, the food writer behind Deliciously Ella and bestselling author of arguably the most successful fad diet cookbook series in recent years. Her eponymous first book was the UK’s fastest-selling debut cookbook ever, and she has since gone on to launch two central-London delis, create her own range of “energy balls” and even release a skincare range in collaboration with Neal’s Yard. Speaking on last Friday’s Today programme, the blogger was keen to distance herself from so-called “clean eating” and, cleverly, from the crescendo of criticism surrounding the trend.
“I’ve never described myself as ‘clean’,” said Mills, nimbly shadow-boxing with a litheness that probably shouldn’t surprise us, coming from a 25-year-old yogi. She described her frustration at being dubbed the “queen of clean”, and was quick to point out the moralistic overtones that language such as “clean eating” ascribes to food. It was a smart move, preempting the backlash that would come from that evening’s premiere of the BBC documentary Horizon: Clean Eating – The Dirty Truth.

I think that "ascribe to" is just another phrase for "due to". But here in the bold sentence, what does it mean? Mills was quick to point out the moralistic overtones that language such as "clean eating" due  to food? I don't think I can grasp the meaning of it, could anybody help explain this to me? Thank you very much.


texts: What is a person that works with make-up called?

texts:
I have a friend that studies make-up in College and she is already a professional that works with it. What is the name of this professional?

For example, a person that works with architecture is an architect.


texts: What does "to bump up for reassessment" mean?

texts:
I saw this expression in the computer game Viscera Cleanup Detail: Santa's Rampage on a time clock:

Attention: Do not put gum on or around the device. Any and all perpetrators will be bumped up for reassessment.

And in the dictionary (Macmillan), I've found only positive meanings for bump up:

to increase something

to move someone to a better position or job

But this meaning here seems to be negative.
I understand reassessment simply as assessing again. The developers are from South Africa.


texts:
Today, it is fairly common for people to take in more calcium than years gone by

I found this sentence but I thought it should be than in years gone by

What do you think? Is it still grammatical?


texts: How to say grammatically "something which if it matters.."?

texts:
I'd like to say things in this way, is it proper? For example

  He went to see her which I don't know if was the the right thing to do..

Is it right? If false what makes it so? How can I express the same thing the most conscience way?

Thank you..


texts: noun phrase or not subsumed into the word snow

texts:
Do you say (1) "There was three feet of snow" or (2) "There were three feet of snow"
when referencing the amount of snow and NOT three-feet made of snow!
I.e. is the phrase "three feet of snow" plural or singular and is it describing the snow or is the snow describing the three feet?
Of course it would help if you could explain why this is so, and of course a source reference.


texts: Correct usage of "has been" and "had been"

texts:
I would like to know whether any of these sentences are correct:

  Yesterday, I found out that all the money I had in my bank account
  has been stolen from me.

  Yesterday, I found out that all the money I had in my bank account
  had been stolen from me.

Or should I just use "was" in this case?
Thanks!


texts:
A person whom/ who i admire
A person i admire.
What is the difference between these 2 setences with regards to the  usage of whom/who?


texts:
In my book there is the text:

  A ladybug crawled up a blade of grass in front of me. I wondered if it was really a female. What would you call a male ladybug? Funny what you focus on when your life is about to end.

I can't understand question in bold. Can you give me answer or answers to that question so that I will be able to understand it, no matter it will be funny or not funny answers.


texts:
A cramped Brooklyn outlet of Barnes & Noble, a book chain, requires strollers to be left in a designated parking space on the second floor.

I don't know how of is used in that sentence. Could someone make other combinations using of in the same way?


texts:
In this passage from Bertrand Russell's The History of Western Philosophy:

  Various forces have put an end to this state of affairs. First, democracy, as embodied in the French Revolution and its aftermaths. The cultured gentlemen, as after the age of Pericles, had to defend their privileges against the populace, and in the process ceased to be either gentlemen or cultured.

Are these two instances of as pronouns or conjunctions?


texts:
Is there any rule that regulates the word order in the negative infinitive form?
If the infinitive follows certain verbs in a sentence, it's clear that it should be 'not+to+inf'. For example, We decided not to go to Paris.
But in some dictionary explanations we can see a different word order: to + not+inf.
Are these patterns interchangeable?


texts:
The sentence I'm having trouble with is:
Show the class how to perform the activity by having one student act as the giver and you acting as the receiver.
Should it be "you act as the receiver" or "you acting as the receiver"?


texts: What is the opposite action of "You fought with your sister over the toy": "you sacrificed the toy for your sister."?

texts:
fight [intransitive, transitive] to struggle physically with somebody

  My little brothers are always fighting.

  He taught me how to fight with a sword.

  fight with somebody Riot police fought with demonstrators.

  He sometimes fights with other children in the playground.

  fight somebody She fought her attacker, eventually forcing him to
  flee.

  fight over something Children will fight even over small things.

  dogs fighting over scraps of food

  fight somebody over something They were fighting each other over a
  toy.

  fight (somebody) for something Paris offers to fight Menelaus for
  Helen's hand.

  fight against somebody/something She fought hard against his strong
  grip.

  sacrifice [transitive] to give up something that is important or
  valuable to you in order to get or do something that seems more
  important for yourself or for another person

  sacrifice something for somebody/something She sacrificed everything
  for her children.

  The designers have sacrificed speed for fuel economy.

  sacrifice something Would you sacrifice a football game to go out
  with a girl?

  sacrifice something to something In her writing, clarity is sometimes
  sacrificed to brevity.

The below picture shows that the 2 children are fighting over the toy

Now, how to express a child is willing to give up his toy for his sister when his sister wants that toy. It is the opposite action of the above one. Look at the picture

DO we say "you sacrificed the toy for your sister."?


texts: "Once I finished" or "Once I have finished"?

texts:
Someone requested me doing something. I would reply him that

  "I'll do it once I (have) finished it."

Which is correct?


texts:
Does it sound natural to use present simple in some situations where present perfect has been used?

A: "There has been a rumour that the president is ill" - Can i say: 'There is a rumor that the president is ill"

B: "There has been a mistake" (if the mistake has just happened) Can i say: "There is a mistake"

C: "He has been taken to hospital" - Can i say: "He is taken to hospital" (if he is still in hospital)

D: "I have been on a holiday for two weeks" Can i say " I am on a holiday"

Are present perfect an present simple interchangeable,if the starting point (of current state in present perfect) is not mentioned(has not been mentioned)?


texts:
Which one is correct

  Compared to another countries

  Compared with another countries


texts: Prepositions at the end of arbitrary sentences

texts:
I know about the possibility to reorder words in special questions so that sentences like "For whom...?" become "Who... for?".

Wonder can this rule be extended to the other sentences? Could one say in English like:

"The first date of the period to delete events from". // I expect it to describe a form field on a website.


texts:
A student of mine is taking part in an English competition and one of the multiple-choice questions she got read:
Try these shoes or those ......

a. ones
b. one
c. shoe
d. shoes

Which answer would you say is correct? Any replies appreciated. Thanks!


texts: How to say the similarity in a specific property

texts:
I wrote

  OXPath allows node and form field selection based on visual features by exposing all CSS properties via a new axis called style, which is absent in XPath. (In this respect / .....), CWrap also uses CSS properties ...

I want to say the CWrap also has the same feature. What are the suitable phrases for the blank in the parentheses?


texts:
He was washing the dishes and my son came beside me.

"Step back.

  You will get splash by the water.

  You will splash by the water.
  "

Should I add "get" behind "will"? Can I omit it?


texts:
A: So you really are a good friend?

B: I am. Have I given you another/a different impression?

What is correct here "another" or "a different"?
Is it a common expression/question?


texts: How would "Have a good one." be understood in this context?

texts:
I was replying to somebody who said to be going to eat something and rest, and said "Have a good one." I was not understood, and asked what I meant by that.

Isn't "have a good one" used instead of "have a good afternoon" or "have a good evening"? Even if that is not the standard meaning, should not the phrase be understood as "have a good eat" or "have a good rest" at least in the context I used it?


texts:
e.g. It's very interesting.
     => I'm very interested.

But it sounds odd to me. I'd always use
I'm interested very much. instead.

I'd like to know if it's ok to say that.


texts:
These two seem to stand for be quick to the uptake:

quick on the draw
quick to draw

Can they be used interchangeably?


texts: If anyone cares to join me, (they are /he is?) most welcome

texts:
If anyone cares to join me in this campaign, either now or in future, (they are/he is) most welcome.

Which is the correct form of pronoun to use with anyone? The sentence I read had they are but since anyone is singular isn't it better to use he is?

Also is it better to use whether in place of either?


texts: Is "was" correct in "What was the questions?"

texts:
I saw a poster/plaque with this writing:

  Wine is the answer. What was the questions?

Is it grammatically right?

My doubt is about the use of was: indeed, if someone asked me to translate in English a such sentence, I would have used the plural form were because we are talking about questions, that is plural!


texts: "one of [something]" for multiple cases?

texts:
Let's say there are two tables of specs of two different products and each of those products is from its respective product line.
So, I want to say
-The two tables are for each product
-Each product is one model of their group (A and B)
This is the sentence I come up with:
The tables above are for the two products that are
[one / ones]
[of / from]
Product Series A and Product Series B each.

I would like to know if it's one or ones and of or from in the sentence and if there's a better-constructed sentence.


texts: What is the word for a guy who is from a village and ignorant because of it?

texts:
How should I describe a guy who moves to a city or urban area, but does not know much about how things work in those cities, and make an ass of themselves?

The closest word I came up with is unsophisticated, but it is a broad term.


texts: Can this sentence only mean that "he" went to a different place to live or can it also mean that "he" went away from "me" at that moment (by walking) and not in the sense that he moved to a new place.


texts: Which preposition should I use with "consultation" to express relation with a "topic"

texts:
I'd like to describe an act of consulting some topic and have touble figuring out the right preposition.

My "gut" candidates are:

  topic consultation
  consultation about topic
  consultation over topic (similar to discussing)
  consultation on topic

Or is it something else? I look for a noun, something like "I've had a very informative consultation on/over/about topic with Bob."

I know it can be rephrased using a verb form, but I feel that e.g. for a title, or something similar a noun form looks better.

Embarrassingly I could not find an example of such usage in any dictionary. Maybe it's not correct at all.


texts: Which verb form should I use with word "Prefer" related to the following sentences?

texts:
They prefer to go (or going) for a walk to watch/watching The game.

My question is should I use 'watch' or 'watching'


texts:
This example comes from a textbook on programming (Java For Dummies by Burd, 2011):

  End-of-line comments: The text //I? You? in Listing 3-6 is an end-of-line comment. An end-of-line comment starts with two slashes and goes to the end of a line of type. Once again, the compiler doesn’t translate the text inside the end-of-line comment.

How do you understand that?


texts:
Do we need of in the following:

This room is of a comfortable size. or This room is a comfortable
size.
This word is of a masculine gender. or  This word is a masculine
gender.
This car is of a red color. or This car is a red color.

Any logic?


texts: How you can say “Happy New Year” formally?

texts:
Good afternoon,

I have to send an e-mail to my future traineeship's menthor and I don't know how I can write to her today in a formal way a Happy New Year's greeting.

Thank you for your help.


texts: What's the meaning of "to" in this sign?

texts:
On my way, I saw a big sign saying

  No to death penalty. Stop killing.

What's the meaning of to? The meaning of the sign is obvious but is it correct grammatically?


texts: How do we split a two-words verb in a sentence if the object is a bit descriptive?

texts:
Let's see these two-word verbs first -

  Wake up,
  Kick off,
  Pull out, and many more...

Now, I'm adding an object there...

  Wake me up after an hour.
  I'll kick him out.
  You see a thread there? Pull it out.

A twist-

The above-mentioned examples sound okay (at least to me!) as the objects are just one word (me, you and it in these cases) but then when the object is descriptive, splitting of those two-words verbs appears weird.  Check these now -

  Go in the hall, and wake the person wearing shorts and a red tee up.
  I'll kick that arrogant and annoying dull employee out.
  Do you see many threads there? Pull the white, shining, powder coated warm wire out.

The question -

When the object is descriptive, should we keep those two-word verbs together? Say...

  Go in the hall, and wake up the person wearing shorts and red tee.

And so on for the rest of examples?

If yes, is the sentence 'I'll kick him out' incorrect as it puts the object (him) between the two words of verb (kick & out) that otherwise come altogether (kick out)? But then again, I'll kick out him does not sound as good as I'll kick him out.


texts:
What does 'to rip into' mean in the following sentence?

  Georges Haussman ripped into poor neighborhoods, replacing them with
  museum, apartments for the bourgeoisie, brownstones, architectural
  wonders, wide and straight boulevards, etcetera.


texts:
What's the difference between these two examples:

1."Your father would be proud of us."

2."Your father would have been proud of us."


texts:
$18 for Express Delivery Service(overnight)

Does the overnight here mean they will delivery the package on next business day?

or

It means the package will be delivered at night?


texts:
I'm doing a grammar exercise and I have to complete the sentence underneath

  A cup of tea is the most refreshing drink of all.
  There's.................as a refreshing drink.

The given word is  'match'

The answer key says 'There's nothing to match tea as a refreshing drink.'

Can somebody explain this structure, it looks weird to me, especially the preposition 'as' used with 'match'


texts: Usage of "your goodself" and "your kindself" in place of simple "you" to refer to a high-ranking official

texts: I have seen people using "your goodself" or "your kindself" in place of simple "you" to refer to a high-placed official. They use the expressions just the way the expression "your Honour" is used. Is it grammatical to use "your goodself" or "your kindself" in place of "you"?


texts: A comparison between the verbs "sweep", "wear" and "comb"

texts:
Imagine someone who has combed their hair back or to the side. How would you normally describe it [using which verb from among my list below:]

  Her hair was long and.............back / to the side.

a) combed

b) wore

c) swept

I didn't find any reliable link or result on google (Ngram).


texts: What do you call it when you have a number multiplied by 10?

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  This number is the initial value multiplied by 10.

Context: Tabletop roleplaying games. I'm deriving a number from a statistic inherent to a character, with said number being ten times the statistic in question.

While it covers what I want to say, I'm not entirely keen on the "multiplied by 10" part, as it seems rather unwieldy. So I'm looking for a word that covers what I am trying to say here. I've considered the following:

  This number is the tenfold the initial value.

But this seems a bit archaic and a bit silly. Another reason I prefer not to use tenfold: I'm not entirely sure on how to use it correctly. Is there another way to say this?


texts: What's the right adjective to describe a joke that is not the greatest?

texts:
What's the right adjective to describe a joke that is not the greatest, that is, not as funny as other jokes are?

For example:

  Usually, Jack reacts with a lot of laughter even to the smallest
  of my jokes.


texts: In "With money in his pocket, he set off", what is "in his pocket" modify?

texts:
By comparing these two sentences:

He has money in his pocket.
With money in his pocket, he set off.

It seems that "in his pocket" is modifying "with" in the sentence. Is it true? If so, it means the adverbial prepositional phrase is modifying a preposition?


texts: I am sorry if this question is not appropriate for this site, but I am confused with the following sentence. "First settle your balance then try again in 24 hours". My question is, does the sentence advise to try After 24 hours or Within 24 hours. When shall the user try again? Is it valid to try before 24 hours is elapsed?


texts:
There is this stair-case in a building, possible for emergency. On the door out (which can be open only from inside) I read

  Emergency exit only. Trades observed using this exit will be back-charged lock-up time. Use West Doors Only.

What does it mean?


texts:
He keeps turning things over in his mind.

I've come across with the phrase above in a novel.

I don't understand the meaning. I wonder which one is  the phrasal verb?

Could you please explain it to me?

The full text:

  James reels with shock and grief. He keeps turning things over in his
  mind. He remembers how a couple of years ago Bradley had begun dealing
  drugs. He thought he’d seen an opportunity to make some easy money,
  but it hadn’t turned out the way he’d expected. Suddenly, James shakes
  off his apathy, and springing up out of his chair, cries, “Who did
  this? Which of you killed my son?” He feels an overwhelming grief and
  rage. “Why? Why in God’s name would anyone kill my son?” His voice is
  wild, accusing, as he looks at each of them in turn. He can see that
  he has frightened them.


texts:
Before a vaccine was finally discovered by an American scientist Jonas Salk in 1955, more than 80% of polio patients received help from the foundation.

I was given options of a) keeping the bold part as it is or b) changing it to "scientist, Jonas Salk,". I had chosen a) without hesitation, but apparently, b) is correct. However, I don't understand why because isn't Jonas Salk an essential information here?


texts: What's the difference between "For once" and "At once"

texts: Please show me the meanings,when to use and can it be allowed to misuse these two ? (Also greetings from VietNam!)


texts: Why is "... how it's to be a child" incorrect?

texts:
It is easy to forget _________ to be a child.

(A) how it`s
(B) what it is like
(C) how is it
(D) what does it feels like

The answer is (B). And I know (C) and (D) have grammatical errors. However, I don't realize why (A) is faulty. Is the fault just that the contraction can't be allowed, or something?


texts: I don't understand a passage that includes the line " “This puts the ball in the hands of the ‘national political parties’

texts:
Reading this article,, there are passages, reading,

And whilst the 25th Amendment of the constitution sets out how a vice-president assumes power when a president is incapacitated - what happens when a presidential candidate becomes ill or withdraws is lesser known.

-->OK

Should Mr Trump be unable to continue as the Republican nominee, New York University law professor Richard Piles told the Washington Post in May the Republican national committee would assume control.

-->Alright

“This puts the ball in the hands of the ‘national political parties’, which for this purpose means the legal entities known as the Democratic and Republican national committees,” said the professor.

-->I'm sorry I'm not sure about this passage, after reading the latter, reading as,

In this situation, an emergency Republican convention would be held where members from each state or territory vote on the new nominee - casting the same number of votes as they are entitled to at an ordinary convention.

So from the 2nd passage, should Trump be unable to act as the Republican nominee, the Republican national committee would assume control. But the passage in the question reads that "for this purpose" some entities including Democrats sounds like to be set. Yet, the latter passages says, "In this situation, an emergency Republican convention would be held where members from each state or territory vote on the new nominee"
So what role would the "some entities" including Democrats after all play? In what way am I reading wrongly?
Thank you in advance.


texts: "do it themselves" or "do it by themselves"

texts:
‘Marvellous idea!’ Peter said. ‘They will do it themselves!’

Could I use "by themselves" here?

  ‘Marvellous idea!’ Peter said. ‘They will do it by themselves!’


texts:
For example, tag questions with “correct” and “right”:

You have 3 brothers, correct?
You know it, right?

Here are my possible answers:

  Yes, I do.
  Yes, it is (correct).

And here’s another one:

He has been here before, right?
Yes, he has.
Yes, it is (right).
Yes, it has (been right).


texts: "simply can not be" or "can not simply be"

texts:
I am looking into adverb order in sentences and came across the following one;

  There are things in this world which simply cannot be expressed in the form of words.

I think the above should better be like;

  There are things in this world which cannot simply be expressed in the form of words.

I wonder if the later is grammatically correct.

Google-ngram gives the following trends; source

Are both the positions of the adverb simply fine, or only one of them is correct?


texts: The use of the adjective "slippery in context

texts:
Is it natural to say it is slippery meaning that roads, sidewalks and what not is covered in ice. For example:

  You had better put on boots with good traction as it is slippery today.


texts: What is the contextual meaning of the word 'Offers' in the following sentence?

texts:
You are new to the area. If you go alone, the land agent tries to take
  advantage of you and offers you an expensive price?

Does 'offers' stand for 'demands' in this case?


texts:
I understand "our daughter is scared to come home" as "our daughter is scared, (and so she) comes home." Am I on the right track?
The problem for the question is that it could be read in two ways:  It could either mean "our daughter is scared, so she dares not come home" or mean "our daughter is scared, so she decides that only home is safe and must come back."  I am not sure.

In Israel, bombs fall, our daughter is scared to come home, hatred festers

Source: USAToday


texts:
What does mean "unparalleled run" in context of publication of books?

Context:

  Unknown Dimension is what you might call a Specialist publishing house-- we traffic in the weird, the ahead-of-its-time, the lost-but-not-forgotten-by-a-small-but-dedicated-group-of-plugged-in-bibliophiles type of out-there mass-market-shunning visionary expression that refuses to be taken on anything but its own terms. We've had an unparalleled run since our inception four years ago, unearthing and reviving, Christ- (or Zombie-)like, timeless works such as N.N. Bestman's Message of the Snakemen, IT'S INSIDE ME! by Jens Keller, and Emil Krieger's oft-banned Venusian Fleshtraders.


texts: Expressing uncertainty - "It was not clear if ..."

texts:
Is it correct to say

  It was not clear if he wanted to as A or B.

this "is not clear" is what I am not sure about. I want to express that something was uncertain.

It is a rather direct translation of the German

  Es war nicht klar, ob er A oder B sagen wollte.


texts: Difference in meaning between "Into the house leap the children" and "The children leap into the house

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between "Into the house leap the children" and "The children leap into the house" ?

I have learned that "Into the house leap the children" mean "The children leap into the house".

By the way, if it were interpreted in English order, i suddenly think that the meaning of each other seems to be slightly different.

Does "Into the house leap the children" mean "The children walk into the house before the children leap" ?


texts:
Verb with ing and ed, if we use  such sentance " I have seen existing location which is at city mall"
"I have seen existed location which is at city mall"
Which of these sentences is correct. Are the either sentence correct if used as participle or will be different meaning.


texts: What's the meaning of this sentence that contains "the help of a guiding hand as far as the bathroom"?

texts:
What's the meaning of this sentence?

  Much as I disliked the sponging process, and useless as it had been to suggest that the help of  a guiding hand as far as the bathroom could eliminate it, its failure to occur was highly disconcerting.

I run into it while studying for the FIRST exam.

Specifically I don't understand the "as far as the bathroom" part.

The sentence comes from a book called the "The Day of the Triffids".
Here you can see the sentence in context:

http://www.randomhouse.com/highschool/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780812967128&view=excerpt


texts: Can page be used synonymous for section in webdesign?

texts:
On some freelancer pages, webdesigner are payed per section of a webpage. However, I found many webdesigner who use pages or screen synonymously for section, especially non-native freelancer from Sri Lanka / Pakistan / Bangladesh. I wonder, is this correct usage? Or is this a  common non-native English speaker issue?
Example: One webpage with 3 sections:

Some examples of webdesign offers on freelancer page:


texts: Would you please help me to understand the following sentence?

texts:
On page 187 of Peter Benchley’s Jaws I came across the following sentence:

“If you’d testify, you might be able to slap a loan-sharking rap on these guys.”

I can’t get the meaning of the expression in bold.

I thank you in advance for your help.


texts:
If I had won the lottery, I would be travelling the world.

OR

If I had won the lottery, I would have travelled the world.

Which one of these is correct?


texts: May I tell someone, in the imperative, "Always be using X"?

texts:
I was recently criticized for the statement

  If I could offer you a piece of unsolicited advice, it would be this: Always be using the Oxford comma.

I would like to know whether this is grammatically incorrect and why.


texts: "The funnier the post, the tireder I get"

texts:
“The funnier the post, the tireder I get."

Can that sentence, which has been written by a native speaker, be good English?

I ask in reference to how 'funnier' and 'tireder' are used, obviously.


texts: "it's not that somebody + verb" construction

texts:
I often see this construction "it's not that somebody + verb"  and just wish to clarify whether I'm understanding it correctly.

It's not that he doesn't like coffee that he doesn't want it now, he loves coffee but the doctors said he shouldn't drink it very often.
It's not that Alice hates cat's it's just that she's allergic to them. (should there be a comma before "it's")

So the construction basically inverts the meaning, "not that he doesn't"="he does" and "not that Alice hates" = "she doesn't hate". Is it some kind of a double negative inversion?


texts: What is the difference between awarded and rewarded

texts:
I want to know what is the difference between awarded and rewarded.

sentence with awarded:

No marks will be awarded if the student cheats in the examination

sentence with rewarded:

He rewarded the dog with a treat


texts:
Assuming that two poles stand upright.  Then does this:

  A rope was hung between two poles.

necessarily mean that the one end of the rope was attached to one pole and the other end of the rope was attached to the other pole?  Could it also mean that the rope was situated between the two poles, but was hung on something else not mentioned?


texts: When to use the plain form of a verb without "to"

texts: To know when to use a verb with or without "to" depends always on the verb that precedes it? I am aware that after modal verbs and in imperative sentences the verb is used without the "to", Are there any other reasons for using the verb without "to"?


texts: When someone says: "I'm deep in the mountains", does it mean that he is on a high mountain? because I don't think that going inside a mountain is possible.


texts: How can two people leave "together, alone"? Don't "together" and "alone" mean opposite things?

texts:
Another question (the meaning of "set off" in context) asks about the following two sentences:

  Jaspers even records a dream in which, during a tense conversation with some of Heidegger's critics, his friend suddenly approached and addressed him for the first time with the familiar du. The two then set off together, alone.

This is the last part of the 13th paragraph in this New York Times excerpt.

The original question asks about the meaning of set off (which is depart), but as I read that sentence I wondered how could two people could depart together, alone.

And I figured I might not be the only one to stumble over this combination: I mean: don't alone and together mean opposite things: without anyone (alone) and with someone (together)?

So if the two men set off alone (each by himself), how can they do that together? Or if they set off together, how can they be alone? Or is there something else going on? Perhaps another meaning of either or both words is being used? Perhaps the author has chosen his words poorly? What's going on?


texts: Why "I hadn't noticed" instead of "I didn't notice"/"I haven't notice"?

texts:
I see that I hadn't noticed is commonly used by native speakers, more than the pair I didn't notice and I haven't noticed ,in the following example

People are being more careful nowadays, don't you think?

I hadn't noticed that!

Is it a rule or is it just preference? And could I use that said pair as well (didn't/haven't noticed)? Or they differ?


texts:
What preposition I should use after the verb "register" in this context:

  Students registered in/at the course.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Can 'take off' means 'start driving a car'?

texts:
I have heard English speakers say 'take off' about leaving (starting to move) on a motorcycle sometimes. It's interesting to me that the expression which is used when an airplane is leaving the ground is used for motorcycle too.
But I'm not sure if the same expression can be used for cars (four-wheel automobiles).
Do native English speakers say 'take off' in a sense of 'begin to drive a car'?


texts:
What is the word to say that something is located so close to something different, that there is no real distance between them?
Example 1: Three houses that are built with no physical distance between them. You know they are different houses and not the single one just because they are built in different styles.
Example 2: Two cars that are parked at a distance of one centimeter.
Google Translate suggest back-to-back, but:

It sounds colloquial, and I suspect that there are more formal ways to say it.
When I hear back-to-back, I think about something like a scene from Conan The Barbarian movies: there are two warriors who are fighting back-to-back against dozens of bad guys, and of course, win. In other words, back-to-back sounds wrong when we talk about more than two items.


texts: "as essential a part of the weekly shop"

texts:
To the Dutch, milk and cheese are staples, as essential a part of the weekly shop as rice is for a Chinese shopper or teabags are for an Englishman.

This is a sentence from an article on CNN. I don't understand why it is not "an essential part of the weekly shop".

Can you tell me about any rules or grammar in this phrase, please?


texts:
Do you know the famous song named "staying alive" by Bee Gees?
I want to know how to translate the sentence.

I think there are two ways of translating this title of the song.

First, while you are staying alive (adverb phrase)
Second, staying alive is ~~ (gerund)

How can I tell the meaning of the sentence out of the two above when I meet "ing" form at the beginning of the sentence?


texts: A comparison between "story" and "floor"

texts:
According to the nuance between a floor and a story (AmE) what sentence would be correct when you're going to ask someone about the number of floors/stories of a building?

  How many floors does that building have?
  How many stories high is that building?

I know that using the words "story" and "floor" are different, but whereas I have read so many pages and a similar page on stackexchange, I found out that the usage of these two words are different; so when I search on google I bump into many webpages containing both constructions above snd this is why I cannot make sure which one would be correct to be said?


texts: "He gave the order to abandon ship." - why no article?

texts:
The entry for "abandon" in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary contains the following example sentence:

  He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking).

I wonder why this sentence does not go:

  He gave the order to abandon the ship.

Especially on the background of the parenthesis "to leave the ship ..." and on the background of a grammar rule regarding the usage of the/a(n) by the Oxford Grammar app:

  You cannot use singular countable nouns alone. You need a/the/my etc.

So, does this rule in actuality not always apply?


texts: Can I use 'forces' in a political context? If not, what can I use instead?

texts:
I doubt I can use the word 'forces' in a political context (neither Lexico nor Google News supports this view). How can I substitute it? 'Parties' is too narrow. Parties, voting blocs, and whatnot — how do you describe it collectively? As in

center-right/center-left etc. forces


texts: How to express this action in English? Could you sit further to the side?

texts:
OK, look at this picture

The man is sitting in the middle of the sofa & you want to sit next to him on the right (as depicted in the picture).

  out of the way   no longer stopping somebody from moving or doing something

  I moved my legs out of the way so that she could get past.

  I didn't say anything until Dad was out of the way.

How would you say to him?

-Could you sit further to the side?

-Could you move further to the side?

-Could you move your body further to the side?

-Could you move out of the way? (is it rude to say like this?)

-Could you move your body out of the way? (is it rude to say like this?)


texts:
I need to write a sentence, and I have problems with whether I need to use "an" or not.

I use the text of books to search for similar sentences, since i'm a beginner and I have problems with grammar.

The sentence, which I need to write:
Surgeons can plan (an) operation.

The problem is that I don't know if I should necessarily use "an"? I have found in books both a variant with "an" and without. And that makes it difficult for me to understand.


texts: Structure of "All that is needed to do something is something"

texts:
All that is needed to participate is access to an Internet
  connection

I don't know why I am confused when I see this structure. I see the part " all that is needed to do something" is subject but seeing two linking verbs like is in the same sentence makes me feel that it sounds unnatural. Is there any alternative ways to rephrase the sentence ?

I would expect to be written the sentence as follows:

  All that (which is) needed to participate is access to an Internet
  connection.

Because it is grammatically correct  to say :

  All that he wants is another toy.

  All you need to participate is access to an  Internet connection.


texts:
Could it be that a broad view, a large view and a wide view the same, as in these sentences:

  He took a broad view of the situation.
  He took a large view of the situation.
  He took a wide view of the situation.

Are they different?


texts:
The second sentence causes me problems. I have seen it somewhere. For me it looks like the verb to be is used twice (is / being). Is it grammatically correct? If yes, what does the second usage give to the meaning?

  1) The toaster is on the stand.

  2) The toaster is being on the stand.


texts: "what do you say you we meet up for a cup of coffee" or "what do you say if we meet up for cup of coffee"?

texts:
Tell me please which sentence sounds grammatically correct.

  What do you say we meet up for a cup of coffee sometime.

  What do you say if we meet up for a cup of coffee sometime.

What I am trying to say is I am asking if the person would like to meet up for a cup of coffee.


texts: "It's of allergic reason" Vs. "It's from allergic reason"

texts:
The patient has allergic inflammation of the skin, thus he shouldn't get antibiotics which are for infection, treating the presence of bacteria.

Now I'm going to explain this phrase:

  Here it's written that this inflammation is of allergic.

Or should I say:

  Here it's written that this inflammation  from allergic.

What is correct to choose?


texts:
Please help me choose the correct verb tense with ever:

  William Shakespeare is the best playwright  who ever lived/has ever
  lived.

  William Shakespeare was the best playwright who ever lived/has ever
  lived.

  William Shakespeare is one of the best playwrights who have ever
  lived/ever lived.


texts: Can we use prepositional "Of" at the beginning of a sentence?

texts:
I take my coffee with milk and sugar.

=) With milk and sugar, I take my coffee.

But

Today is the first day of the month.

=) Of the month, today is the first day.

He is the son of Bill.

=) Of Bill, he is the son.

I know Nb1 is correct, but inside Nb2 and Nb3 three there may be problem starting with preposition OF. what do you think?Can we use preposition "Of" as all other prepositions.


texts:
They live in a big house.

How can I ask a question for "big"?

  What kind of house do they live?

OR

  What kind of house do they live in?


texts: I’m working on / at / for: Which should I use?

texts:
I’m doing this project for a company I’m working on / at / for.

Which one should I use?


texts: I always need this when I buy stuff from the market. So, I need to know the real name for it. I always call it "bag" but it seems that it is not the correct name.


texts:
I saw the following sentence at the start of an e-mail. While it is grammatical, I'd like know if it is natural.

  Dear Mr. Smith:

  The reason I'm writing this e-mail is to inform you of a change to our August schedule.


texts:
I am reading H. G. Wells‘s "The wonderful visit" and struggle to understand the expression "Primitive" minister, which appears without much context, unless it is to be given later. The passage reads:

  And Sandy Bright went to talk the matter over with Mr. Jekyll, the “Primitive” minister, and the ploughman told old Hugh and afterwards the vicar of Siddermorton.

I suspect it is some pun on "prime minister", but I don’t see it. It is the first mention of Mr. Jekyll and nothing has been said of his primitive nature or occupation.

The full ebook is available here, free of charge.


texts: Does 'would have choked' mean she had the bread?

texts:
. . . ; she [Helen] brought my coffee and bread.
  “Come, eat something,” she said; but I [Jane] put both away from me, feeling as if a drop or a crumb would have choked me in my present condition. (Jane Eyre)

There’s no mention that Jane had what Helen had brought in the book, yet the phrase ‘would have choked’ implies that Jane took those things without choking, doesn’t it?


texts: Sentence for saying that something is further ahead

texts:
I am looking for a sentence that tells someone that something is further ahead.

For example: if I want to tell a reader (currently reading page 20) about a topic that is further ahead (say on page 50) without mentioning the page, how will the sentence be?

Would it be something like: The topic is further ahead.

Also, please mention different ways of saying this. I want to learn different ways this sentence can be structured, for the sake of variety.


texts: Is there an idiom that means that an item of clothing fits perfectly?

texts: I am pretty sure there has to be some sort of idiom that means "fits perfectly," since trying on clothes to see if they fit is something that everyone does. Is there any such expression?


texts: Difference between "on the fringe" and "on the fringes"

texts:
The Longman Dictionary seems to suggest that on the fringes can be used either literally or figuratively, while on the fringe refers to something actually physically away from the center.

  on the fringes (of something)

  a) not completely belonging to or accepted by a group of people who share the same job, activities etc

  a small group on the fringes of the art world

  b) (also on the fringe) at the part of something that is farthest from the centre SYN on the edge of something

  Nina remained on the fringe of the crowd.

The Free Dictionary, on the other hand, seems to only have an entry for on the fringe and defines it both in literal and figurative usages.

  on the fringe

  Lit. at the outer boundary or edge of something. He doesn't live in the city, just on the fringe.
  Fig. at the extremes of something, typically political thought. He is way out. His political ideas are really on the fringe.

Any differences? Or is it something that has not reached an orthographic consensus?


texts: Why is there the word "so" after "doubly": "it's a delicious dessert, doubly so when you use cream instead of milk."

texts:
"it's a delicious dessert, doubly so when you use cream instead of milk"

I know the word "doubly" means "in two ways" here. But why there is a add-on "so"?


texts: Are these corrections correct with respect to possessive noun?

texts:
My grandmother, whose 75, still goes swimming every day. (original)
  My grandmother, who is 75, still goes swimming every day. (correction)

  We have a dog which name is Groucho.  (original)
  We have a dog, whose name is Groucho. (correction)


texts: What preposition goes with "audiovisual media"

texts: As in the sentence I create content to be displayed [in/on] audiovisual media.


texts: “At the first of the month” or “on the first of the month”?

texts:
I'm writing documentation for a computer script I wrote. I'm wondering which I should say:

The script should run at the 1st of every month.

The script should run on the 1st of every month.


texts:
We can control floods by creating .........next to rivers.
a. lakes
b. dams
c. seas
d. bridges
I believe that the correct answer should be lakes. What do you think should be correct?
PS: Please provide your answer with explanation, thanks.


texts:
I have a sentence that I am reasonably happy with, and it reads:

  I pray that your honest efforts pave the way for your success.

Why shouldn't it be:

  I pray that your honest efforts paves the way for your success.

It seems to be alright if I use:

  I pray that your honest effort paves the way for your success.

What part of grammar do I need to learn in order to remove such confusion when forming sentences?


texts:
SOURCE (Anne Lamott - TED talk @04:56)

  By the end I was deteriorating faster than I could lower my standards

  what is the meaning of the phrase above?


texts: can't understand in what situation to use want vs wants

texts:
I have a sentence "Creative mind that want to develop in every possible way"

I reacted to the word "want" and thought it should be "wants" but I don't really know why, or if it's even correct to change it?

I tried to search for an answer but it isn't making my situation any clearer.


texts: Implied connotations of "I hope you will show a tiny amount of good behavior"

texts:
Consider the following situation: Bob is planning to visit Smiths. Alice says to Bob:

  I hope you will show at least a tiny amount of good behavior there. (1)

In my language (Ukrainian), when Alice says to Bob, I hope you behave well there has a connotation that Alice is almost sure that Bob will not behave well, but due to the reasons of politeness (usually, a pretended, false politeness), says it in a pseudo-neutral manner.

To emphasize the above, imagine if Alice says to Bob:

  I hope you will not steal silver tea spoons from Smiths. (2)
  I hope you will not sleep drunk with your face in a salad plate.

Or, worse,

  I hope this time you won't steal silver tea spoons. (3)

This phrase, being wrapped in a polite form, is still "passive aggressive" against Bob. Especially if there's no evidence Bob has ever stolen spoons. Again, I'm talking about my language.

So, the question is, Is it the case in English?
Is there any hidden "passive aggressive" connotation in phrases (1), (2), and (3), or all they are absolutely polite? Let's limit the context to a situation when Alice has no evidence of Bob's prior misbehavior.


texts: What's the difference between having a 'terrible time', and having a 'very bad time'?

texts:
I need to explain the difference between having a 'terrible time', and having a 'very bad time' to non-native English speakers, but I expect these expressions to be used interchangeably.

Is there a difference?

How can I explain it in very basic language?


texts: Do we say " comb of bananas" and "a bunch of bananas"?

texts:
I saw some websites (written by a Vietnamese English teacher) saying that the following picture is "a bunch of bananas"

And the below picture is "a comb of bananas"

Is that correct?


texts: What does "recounting your exploits of the night" mean?

texts:
The text says:

Well, some of the other questions about, things like, "What do I do with myself in the waiting room." This is one of my favourite questions. Again, that's very insightful, because here are things not to do. In this cell phone culture in which young people seem to think that the world is their phone booth, a thing not to do is to be sitting there recounting your exploits of the night before in full...in full earshot of the receptionist, who may go back and report to her boss on what she just heard. And it's over for you.

It is an excerpt in a conversation about some tips on job interviews. What does recounting your exploits mean here?


texts:
I wrote:

  While there are cases where the context is better specified in a reverse order, but since the HTML structure and the content structure of most websites is top-down, this strategy can be effective in most common scenarios.

I am not sure if I used "While ..." structure correctly. Because it is almost used as "While this is true, this another thing is also true" where there is no "but" or "since"


texts:
Can I move you from this list to the other list?

A few kids were making a list. (On paper) They'd written the name of a child on one list but later on wanted to strike his name off this list and write it down on the other list. Is the use of "move" fine here? I mean they couldn't actually "move" the name as in a computer.

Thank you.


texts: What are the differences between cake and other bakery products?

texts:
It seems that native speakers loosely refer "cake" as something that is rather big with cream on the top

And what do we say other forms of bakery products
Can we say "a timtam" a cake or a cookie, if not what should we call it?

What do we call this "stick-formed cookie" a cake or a cookie in general?

What do we call some "traditional cake" from other countries like this one?


texts: I don't quite understand what exactly is meant by sad to relate as it's used in the following picture:


texts:
Mona was driving toward the hospital, beside herself with worry for her husband.

Mona was driving toward the hospital, out of herself with worry for her husband.

Is the phrase "beside oneself with" used naturally here?

Is the second sentence also possible (to mean the same)?


texts: Is it rude to call my husand's nephew that way?

texts:
One of my friends keeps calling the son of the sister of her husband her "husband's nephew".

This is correct but it seems rude to me. It sounds like she is trying to put some distance between her and that teenage boy. She is Korean and in Korea has lots of words to describe the exact relation between people, so I guess she does it by habits. She s actually quite fond of the boy and they meet regularly.

It sounds wrong to me. If the husband of my aunt (my mother's sister) was speaking about me as "his wife's nephew", instead of "my nephew", I would feel offended. I am French so not a native English speaker but I believe we have the same cultural norms on that point.

Is calling your husband's nephew that way, instead of "my nephew", considered as rude ?

Note: this happens in casual situations, not when blood relations would actually matter (genetics, inheritance,...)


texts: What's the difference between "wipe" and "wiped at"?

texts:
Example sentence:

  Maria wiped (at) her purple cheek powder. It didn't come out.

What's the difference between the two?


texts:
I thought I understood their difference. But then I went to this website (YourDictionary.com) with the following example sentences:

  Immediately after delivery, infants immerge into a world of bright
  lights, cold medical equipment and lots of strange voices.

Hm, I would have thought that infants emerge but ok, maybe they dive into this new world. But I saw then the following example

  In recent years, studies began to immerge about the health benefits of
  wine, including cardiovascular system improvements and decreases in
  certain types of cancer.

That must be wrong, mustn't it?


texts:
Another phrase-usage question, can you say :

These issues pave the way for new opportunities in several markets.

and does it sound sexy or weird ?


texts:
Is this usage properly grammatical?

People returned home as soon as it being evening.


texts: What do you call the act of projecting gradually or not gradually something?

texts:
The shadow of the moon crept in on the vast valley.

  The shadow of the moon _____ the vast valley.

Is there a verb for saying that? I am thinking "projected its shadow onto", but it's a mouthful. The first one is ok, but it's kinda metaphorical, so I want a verb that actually says it non-metaphorically. Also, I am wondering if there's a verb that says the same thing, but without the idea that it's a gradual thing. For example, crept seems to signify that it's gradually projecting its shadows onto the vast valley.


texts: What do you call government inspectors who inspect food establishments?

texts: What do you call government inspectors who inspect food establishments (like cafes, food courts etc.) on whether they follow legally mandatory food safety guidelines (it's clean, chefs wear gloves, no insects, etc.)? Each country, I assume, has its own official name for such agencies, but what is the generic term, what do you call those food safety inspectors and these official bodies generally?


texts:
I've a sentence which I doubt if it's grammaticality correct or not. Can you take a look?

  She wasn't succesful on her english exam because she forgot to ______ her sources.

  a) cite
  b) resight
  c) sight
  d) site

I had done it as sight. It makes a sense to me, doesnt it?


texts: Difference between "materially" and "substantially"

texts:
I am learning the word "materially".

  Materially:
  3. To a significant extent or degree; substantially. (thefreedictionary) https://www.thefreedictionary.com/materially

What is the difference between "materially" and "substantially"? Since I see "materially" used a lot in legal/accounting contexts, is "materially" more formal than "substantially" ?

Here is my research, but it is in a legal context.

  The difference between 'substantially' and 'materially' would need to
  be tested in the courts. We could end up with a bit of a process in
  the courts, in the making of that determination. Although Senator
  Xenophon says that 'materially' is understood to be a lesser threshold
  than 'substantially', there would be a legal argument as to whether
  that was the case . From
  https://www.australiancompetitionlaw.org/legislation/2011ccla.html

Here are a few sentences containing "materially' from The Corpus of Contemporary American English

  Red Hat said the transaction should not materially affect results of its second quarter, ending August 31,
  but neither moonlight nor the strong twilight of this season will materially affect the observation of these brilliant meteors.
  spending money to influence the outcome of referenda unless the issues involved in the referenda materially affected the corporation's
  property, business, or assets.
  We said so when Apple did it last year, and nothing has materially changed to alter the facts for HTC.


texts: What is the meaning of "Between Anne and Jack's house there is just one vacant house"?

texts:
Between Anne and Jack's house there is just one vacant house.

Does it mean there is just one house between Anne and Jack's house and it is vacant, or
does it mean that there may be more that one house between Anne and Jack's house but only one of these houses is vacant?


texts: "Started at the bottom" or "Started from the bottom"

texts:
From wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Serling#Radio

  Serling started at the bottom, with no writing credits, no published
  work and no hands-on experience.

But I have always heard

  started from the bottom

and not

  started at the bottom

E.g. in this popular song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA

Which form is correct?


texts:
Look what you've done this time.

Look at what you've done this time.

Now, is using the preposition wrong here?
How does one know when to follow look with at, and when not to?

What about these constructions :

Look (at) how much damage you've done.
Just look (at) how good my car looks.


texts:
I just want to know a synonym for the phrase(?) "Non-existent/Non-existence."

I am trying to find a word that expresses the idea that an idea/object never did exist, so I am trying to avoid the word "extinct." The sentence I had in mind goes along these lines:

  "Today, the Idea of God's existence is as unbelievable as the idea of
  God's non-existence."

I want a technical/philosophical term.


texts: US President Donald Trump has recently described the murder of a journalist in Saudi embassy in Turkey as being committed by "rogue killers". I first came across rogue in the context of rogue planets, which seem to be orbiting no mother star. I've looked up the word rogue in multiple dictionaries and yet I couldn't confirm what he meant by rogue killers, that's when I thought, "maybe a bit of etymology could help decode the word." One etymology theory links the noun rogue with roger “a beggar pretending to be a poor student”, but that doesn't explain why a a rogue elephant or planet came to mean living apart, separate, unusual and/or dangerous. Does rogue killer mean a dishonest killer, an uncontrolled killer (perhaps rogue killer robots?) or something else?


texts:
I am watching 13 Reasons Why with Korean subtitles, and have a question about a pharse, end up.
These are the lines:

  A:I had this friend, Amy. I told her everything, including my series of embarrassing sex dreams featuring various Avengers,including Scarlett Johansson. Then one day, you know,the moving trucks come. I'm like, "Bye! Don't tell anyoneabout that Scarlett Johansson thing!"But she posts about it because that's the only communication you have anymore.

  B:And it ends up getting around your new school.

  A:And gets completely twisted.

  B: So you end up That Girl.

  A: I am so That Girl.

  B: I'm That Other Girl.
  show=13-reasons-why-2017&episode=s01e02

I would like to know what does "end up" mean here.

Does it mean "end up with"? or "end up as"?

I think it seems like "so you became That Girl" (so you end up as that girl),

but the subtitles say "so you finished the relationship with that girl".
But since the next line says "I am so That Girl", it seems weird.


texts:
is the use of comma appropriate in the following sentence

The UK had the highest amount of tea import, at around 80,000 tonnes.

or should I write it without the use of a comma?

The UK had the highest amount of tea import at around 80,000 tonnes.


texts:
That mailing list is the first place you're going to hear about limited versions, new records on the label and more.
Why" going to "here not will: can we consider that the  mailing list is a plan/ intention? or is it to express that it will happen very soon as in "the bomb is going to explode ?.
I would say that the first should be more plausible .However I think it is only a plan/intention for the writer and the people who have decided to subscribe, not for the others that they are not going to subscribe .
May be  should we understand the sentence  as " if you choose to subscribe,you will be on the mailing list and you are going to hear....... ". In this case it would become an intention / plan . Am I right ?


texts: "What is the work you can't not do", is this can cause different understanding?

texts:
I mean different understanding about "What is the work you can't not do".
   a. what's the work you deeply wanted?
or b. is there a work (maybe you're doing) you must to do?

What's the difference between these sentences below?
Are these be like we always saying?
Are these mean same thing?

What is the work you can't not do ?
What is the work you can't not to do ?
What is the work you can not do ?
What the work is you can not do ?
What the work is you can't not do ?

Please give more advise about grammar and understanding?
Is this right "thinging less, follow the formats" ?


texts: An example from the OxfordDictionaries using the preposition 'from' - can it be written differently?

texts:
I was reading about the prepositions on OxfordDictionaries and encountered this sentence as an example there.

There’s no necessity to ban prepositions from the end of sentences. Ending a sentence with a preposition is a perfectly natural part of the structure of modern English.

The boldfaced phrase looked a bit unnatural to me. I understand that you ban someone 'from' something but then that preposition (from) is followed by the phrase the end of the sentence which is actually a place. In such cases, it follows the preposition 'at'. Tell me the last letter 'at' the end of the sentence is far too common over Tell me the last letter 'from' the end of the sentence
May I adjust this sentence to fulfill my dogma!

There’s no necessity to ban prepositions from using (them) at the end of sentences. Ending a sentence with a preposition is a perfectly natural part of the structure of modern English.

Your inputs are welcomed.


texts: 'simply’ is posed before a negative when whose meaning is absolutely?

texts:
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard
      Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."
      It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Before reading on RHD that simply is posed before a negative when whose meaning is absolutely, I thought simply is the different expression of at all, which is in the same sentence. In my eye, ‘the Great Hall didn’t open on to the heavens at all’ is natural in the context. Doe it not have the meaning and have the sense of just/only, simply not being posed before a negative?


texts: Is the expression "without barely" correct?

texts:
It seems natural to me to use the expression "without barely X" as a translation from Spanish of "sin apenas X". But I have found very few instances on Google, which seem to be mostly translations. "With barely X" seems slightly more common, but not that much.
Do they sound sound natural or are they "correct"?


texts: English equivalent for French “Culture générale"?

texts:
The French expression “Culture générale" is deeply entrenched in philosophical and humanist ideas:

  Le projet d’une culture générale est intrinsèquement lié à des
  réflexions à propos de l'humanité, qu'elle soit conçue comme nature
  humaine ou encore comme dépassement de la nature par la culture (ou
  « seconde nature »). Durant la Renaissance, elle forme l'idéal de
  l'« honnête homme ». La problématique de la culture générale est au
  cœur de ce que l'on a pu appeler la « crise de l'éducation » (La crise
  de la culture de Hannah Arendt).

Wikipedia translates the expression into General knowledge, but General knowledge sounds much wider than Culture générale. Is there any better translation?


texts: 'Less salty' / 'not salty enough'-- which is more idiomatic?

texts:
I hear native speakers say:

The soup is a bit too salty.

But I have never heard the opposite from them.
Do they say, less salty, not salty enough or something else?
Which one is more natural?


texts: "for a walk to the seashore" or "to the seashore for a walk"

texts:
Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? Are both grammatically correct?

  I sometimes go out for a walk to the seashore.

  I sometimes go out to the seashore for a walk.


texts:
Let's imagine today is Thursday. Which should I say:

  I haven't eaten anything since this Monday/since Monday.


texts: Grammatical function of "for you" in this sentence

texts:
The best thing would be for you to tell her.

Could you please help me identify the grammatical function of "for you"?


texts: What does this mean: "bull queers take by force?"

texts:
In the classic movie The Shawshank Redemption, Red says, "Bull queers take by force." What does it mean, and is it an idiom or phrase?

Movie Quote DB has more context:

  Red: No? Wait a while. Word gets around. The Sisters have taken quite a likin' to you, especially Bogs.
  Andy: I don't suppose it would help any if I explained to them I'm not homosexual.
  Red: Neither are they. You have to be human first. They don't qualify. Bull queers take by force. That's all they want or understand. If I were you, I'd grow eyes in the back of my head.


texts:
See these 3 sentences:

  I bought it today.

  I will buy it today

  I am working today.

I am not sure I can say like that.

So, can "today" be used for present, past and future?


texts: Using "it" to refer to a person in "The suspect is not... It is..."

texts:
a. The suspect is not the man who was talking to John. It is the man sitting next to Sally.

b. The suspect is not the man who was talking to John. It is the person sitting next to Sally.

c. The suspect is not the man who was talking to John. It is whoever was in the room before they entered it.

Are the above sentences grammatically correct?
Could one replace 'it' with 'he' in (a)?
Could one replace "it" with 'he or she' in (b) and (c)?
Here, 'it' refers to a person. That's what bothers me.


texts: in a casual conversation, can "crayons & colored pencils" be the same?

texts:
crayon: a coloured pencil or stick of soft coloured chalk or wax, used
  for drawing

In the dictionary, a crayon can be a coloured pencil or a stick of soft coloured chalk. But, when searching on the internet, it seems that people do distinguish crayons and coloured pencils.

The left ones are coloured pencils and the right ones are crayons (soft coloured chalk), see the picture.

In a casual conversation, can "crayons & colored pencils" be the same?

And if we talk about them technically, they are different, aren't they?


texts: What is the meaning of "very near the surface"

texts:
What is the meaning of the "very near the surface" in the following sentence:

At first, I found her gravity rather intimidating; but, as I saw more of her, I found that jocularity was very near the surface.


texts:
She works with children from 5 to 10 years old.
She works with children from 5 to 10 years.

Which one is correct?

Some natives said that they'd say "She works with children aged 5 to 10".
Do you agree? Is this how most people speak?

What about those 2 sentences? Are they wrong at all?

Some natives said:
The use of from, rather than of, implies working with them for 5 years, i.e. throughout that age range.
Is that true? I should use "OF" instead?


texts:
Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and your wisdom.
Can I say this in formal speech to an old guy who have taken good care of me and taught me a lot?
Is "wisdom" natural to use or is it overly formal. Is it just out of place?


texts:
I wonder whether in the example below:

  Peter isn't here today. Martha isn't either.

Can we substitute the second sentence for "Neither is Martha"?

I'm asking this question because once I read in Practical English Usage by "Michael Swan" that one cannot use "neither" here as an exception. (I can't exactly recall the rule!) While we can say:

  Peter didn't pass the exam. Neither did Martha. as well as "Martha didn't either."

Please kindly enlighten me.


texts:
Q1: What is the correct one of the words "which" and "that" to use in the following sentence:

  I know the man, which/that we met yesterday.

Q2: Is the word "give" and "that" correctly used in the following :

  I gave him a watch, that he liked, on his birthday.

If there are mistakes in any other part of the question, please correct me.


texts:
There is a sentence "I am a genius", what should the tag question be?

I am a genius, am I?

Or

I am a genius, aren't I?

I've surfed the Internet and it says "aren't I", but why is it "aren't"? I do not understand.
And where can we say am I?


texts:
I am asking in terms of mathematics. When one has a radical that can be simplified, it is denestable (Google displays only one instance of this word usage, is it even correct?) in a sense that it is possible to factor out a number from it.

How do I say the opposite? I mean, is a radical that can not be unnested undenestable/indenestable/not denestable? Provided that the adjective denestable is correct, what would be its opposite?


texts: Is "quality" countable or uncountable in the following context?

texts:
I used to think that when quality refers to the standard of something, it is a mass noun. However, a sentence I saw the other day complicated the issue. It reads like this:

"Using this definition, the World Bank works towards improving quality
of life through neoliberal means, with the stated goal of lowering
poverty and helping people afford a better quality of life."

I have three questions, and they all boil down the question of the countability of the word "quality".

In the text above, shouldn't it be "improving the quality of life"?

Why is there an indefinite article in "afford a better quality of life"?

I wrote a sentence a couple of days ago, but now that I am confused about the usage of "quality", I am not sure whether I used it the right way in my sentence:

"Higher income leads to increased purchasing capacity and enhanced
quality of life."

Should I add an indefinite article prior to "enhanced quality of life"? In other words, should it instead be "and an enhanced quality of life"?


texts:
a. He did an errand for his mother.
b. He ran an errand for his mother.

I'm not a native english speaker. This expression 'do an errand' is easy for me to understand. We also have this expression 'do an errand' in our tongue. But in 'run an errand' I don't know what does 'run' mean.
I understand what 'run' means in these sentence:

Can you run as fast as Mike?
I ran to meet her.

But when natives use 'run an errand'... What nuance of meaning of the word 'run' is here?
So, Does 'run an errand' mean 'He runs to do an errand'? If I'm walking to do an errand, it is not run an errand but do an errand? I'm confused. T.T (Oh! she is running in the picture)


texts:
Should I choose ENJOYED or HAVE ENJOYED in this situation ?And WHY ?

I (enjoyed/have enjoyed) working with my company but now I want to look for another job.

I think it should be 'I enjoyed ' because he /she now wants to look for another job meaning they no longer enjoy it ... but using 'but' in the following sentence indicates that there is a contradiction between the two (MAYBE they are still enjoying working there and want to look for another for another reason)


texts: "Interested with the course" or "interested in the course"?

texts:
Interested in/with the course

Which preposition is correct? in or with, or both.


texts: How do you usually use these three words "image, photo, picture" in the web content?

texts:
This might be an odd question.

Currently, I am writing a website documentation. And the content includes many words such as image, photo, picture.

I am a bit confused on using it as which one have to be photo and which one have to be image.

For a native speaker, do you really care on it's meaning?


texts:
A plan is done to motivate employees to work more efficiently.

I have been finding an error in this sentence but I 'm not sure where it is.

Is it okay if I correct it like this?

A plan is done for motivating employees to work more efficiently.


texts: As regards my sentences, would you tell me why it would be incorrect to use "all what"?

texts:
Consider:

  I would like to review all that I learnt.
  I would like to review what I learnt.

I think these two are fine, but I'd like to know why all what would be incorrect.

Could anyone possibly elaborate it so that I could understand it well?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
What does this sentence mean?I mean why present and past simple

  I know I did not  have to tell you how good this record is.

That sentence seems strange to me.  What is the difference with

  I know I don't have to tell you you how good this record is.


texts: What Figure of Speech is used in phrases like "sugar mugar"?

texts:
There are combinations like sugar mugar that people use in their speech while the second word has no meaning and only adds a rhythm.
What is this called in English?


texts: With indefinite noun phrase how can we say 'there' is an adverb?

texts:
There is a place, next to him, sit there.
There is the place, next to him, sit there.

Here is my question. We can use a definite noun phrase with 'there' when 'there' means 'in that place' , but in (1) the indefinite article 'a' is used. So how can we say 'there' is an adveb?


texts:
The example:

  "The/- managers of the/- individual centers will attend the upcoming meeting."

Should I use both definite articles or not when I talk, in this case, about specific managers in charge of their specific departments (they are known to the readers). It seems unnecessary to me to use both articles since it's exactly one-to-one relation.

The word "individual" is meant to say "each". I want it to be clear that only one representative from each center should attend the meeting.


texts: Difference between "per" and "according to"

texts:
I have two examples:

  I am assembling this piece of furniture as per the attached
  instructions
  I am assembling this piece of furniture according to the
  attached instructions

Is there any difference between per (meaning according to) and according to as in the given examples? Can those two words be used interchangeably?

Are there any limitations when one word should be used but not the other?


texts: Does "That bridge has been repaired for the past ten years." mean the repairs were completed 10 years ago?

texts:
Please have a look at the below image and for more details, please find below the link,
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/282335/how-to-use-present-perfect-continuous-in-passive-form

The above answer was given by a person to describe "How to use Present Perfect Continuous in Passive form?"

I understand that his first example

  "That bridge has been being repaired for the past ten years."

means the repair works were started ten years ago and are not yet completed and still going on. I think he also meant the same meaning.

But he stated that his second example

  "That bridge has been repaired for the past ten years."

means the repairs were completed ten years ago.

Is that right? To me, his second example means the repair works has been done for the past ten years and completed recently.

I think the active form of his second example is "They have repaired the bridge for the past ten years" which looks like Present Perfect and that means the action was started ten year ago and now finished recently.

And if I need to make a sentence with the meaning of "the repairs were completed ten years ago", then I would say that in passive form as "The Bridge was repaired by them ten year ago"

May be I'm wrong.

So please help me understand. Thanks in advance.

I don't have much reputation to comment there and also that was a two year old post. So that, I've created a new question here to ask about this.


texts: Why word "because" used at starting of the sentence?

texts:
Two Guys questioning the innocent guy for destroyed vehicle. Michael is separate guy who responsible for car wreck here.

  Guy A: How're you doing?

  Innocent Guy: Don't fool with me. Not in the mood.

  Guy B: You wrecked my car.

  Innocent Guy: No, Michael did. Why don't you go see him? That'd be a
  matchup.

  Guy A: Because we want you.


texts:
"I don't know, sir," said Harry.    Snape's lips curled into a
  sneer.    "Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything."    He
  ignored Hermione's hand.    "Let's try again. Potter, where would
  you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"    Hermione
  stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her
  leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a
  bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who
  were shaking with laughter.     "I don't know, sir."
  "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"
  Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He
  had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect
  him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?
   (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

It seems ‘would’ mean Potter’s will to read, not for the future possibility. Is this right?


texts:
Greg entered a room in the hallway just as the two bad guys arrived from the stairwell.

Does "just as" mean "at the same time as"?

My intention is that Greg entered the room just before the two bad guys arrived and not because he saw them, is that clear? Or how do you read it?


texts:
They ran to the door of the cellar, but Toto was afraid, and he ran
  under the bed.
         -Chapter 1 of The Wizard of Oz(Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 1)

In this book, There is no bed that have been mentioned. And I don't know
anything about the bed. But as you can see, the definite article “the” is used in front of the word "bed".

I really do not know what the definite article means.

Could you explain me why the definite article is used?


texts: How to understand "in it" in this context

texts:
"... It's forty-ten, forty-ten to Slytherin and Pucey has the Quaffle ..."

  Harry could hear Luna's ludicrous lion hat roaring amidst the Gryffindor cheers and felt heartened; only thirty points in it, that was nothing, they could pull back easily. ....

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The word 'in' confuses me here. I feel "only thirty points behind" makes more sense. Any thoughts?


texts: Do we say "she has wrinkles on her forehead" or "she has wrinkles in her forehead"?

texts:
I asked some native speakers, and they all say that "she has wrinkles on her forehead".
However, the dictionary says "He had deep wrinkles in his forehead." and "I tried to iron out the wrinkles in my shirt.".
Some dictionary says "They were always paired with some sign of effort — eyes narrowing, drawing a wrinkle on his forehead."
I wonder why the dictionary say "wrinkles in his forehead."?


texts: "She told me how lucky I am I get to do this", does omitting "that" here sound natural?

texts:
I was reading this post on Facebook in which the writer says:

But when she held her grandchildren to sleep, it gave her an emotional
reminder of what it was like. How beautiful it felt. How special it
was. [...] She told me how lucky I am I get to do this every single
night. And how fortunate I am I get to do so for a little while
longer.

The phrases in bold sound very strange to me.
Shouldn't we say:

How lucky I am that I get to do this every night.
How fortunate I am that I get to do so for a little while longer.

?
Is omitting that really optional here?


texts: Conditional sentences: type 3 but did not use perfect conditional

texts:
I am working on my scholarship exam practice and I am not sure where I got it wrong. Could you please have a look?

  If we had started studying Spanish three years ago, we (.....) much
  more fluent in it now (A) were (B) will be (C) would be (D) would have
  been

The answer provided is (C) would be. However, I answered (D) would have been instead because I thought it was type 3 conditional sentence, indicated by "had started" so main clause should be perfect conditional. Why is the answer (C)? Is it something to do with the word "now" at the end of the sentence.

Please advise.


texts: Which introduction is preferred: "Myself [NAME]" or "I'm [NAME]"?

texts:
I want to know that in an interview, what is the correct way to introduce yourself?

Some use Myself ....(name), and some use I'm ___.

I'm confused about what is correct way?

Please guide me.


texts:
They spent a lot of time _______ at the pictures in the museum.

looking
for looking
to look
to looking

I thought number 2, 3 is correct, but answer is number 3

what's the difference between spent a time for looking and spent a time to look?

Is number 2 totally wrong answer??


texts: Is it idiomatic to use "leapfrog" in reference to pain?

texts:
I have read the following sentence in a site where English is the language required to post.

  Sass/Compass             Complete Sass/Compass integration using best practices for Drupal/Sass. The Zen team has developed over the span of a year with blood, sweat and tears, but you can leap frog the pain by using what we've learned.

  CSS                              If you're not ready for Sass yet, Zen still includes a full set of well-documented CSS files. Sass integration adds zero overhead, so if you simply ignore all of Zen's Sass, your site performance isn't penalized. No worries!

(I didn't respect the original format, since the linked page uses a HTML table.)

Looking at the NOAD, I get the following definitions for leapfrog:

Surpass or overtake another to move into a leading or dominant position
Pass over (a stage or obstacle)

In the first case, the verb is not used with an object, but it is used as in the following sentence:

  She leapfrogged into a sales position.

In the second case, the verb requires an object, and it is used as in the following sentence:

  She attempted to leapfrog the barriers of class.

Is idiomatic to say "leapfrog the pain"? Can leapfrog be used in a more extended way than the way shown by the dictionary?


texts: Preposition in "driving to the mountains"

texts:
He is driving to the mountains.

Does it mean that he is driving to reach to the mountains, he hasn't reached but he is driving to reach in the mountains?

And, which sentence is correct?

  He is driving to reach to the mountains.
  He is driving to reach the mountains


texts: Is "that" required or optional after is/are (or some other equivalent) when expressing a statement/fact?

texts:
It sounds like the video is saying (link with a time stamp corresponds the following)

  All right, so this is interesting, and it's a valid question, but what it comes down to
  is every kid has a different learning style.

"every kid has a different learning style" is a statement/fact, which plays a role of object of "comes down to" as whole.

In this case, is "that" required or optional to form this sentence in written English?

  what it comes down to is that every kid has a different learning style


texts: Convert passive voice to active voice with verb "to know"

texts:
In a country known for its collective thought, the individual is rarely brought into the spotlight.

(Taken from a CNN article).

This is a sentence I would want to convert it from passive to active. I have no clue how to do this. (I do know how passive and active voices work).

Any help?


texts: What kind of clause is "reading about the places I am going to visit on the Internet and in books" in this sentence?

texts:
"My first piece of advice is to work hard on your research before you go if you want to make your trip enjoyable and rewarding. I plan my trips very carefully for at least three months before I leave, reading about the places I am going to visit on the Internet and in books."

Source: Cambridge grammar for IELTS.

Could anyone please help me what kind of clause if the bold part? Is it a reduced adjective clause that modify the whole sentence?


texts: How to say I was in good health for some amount of time before having caught a cold?

texts:
I want to say it in English that I was in good health for some amount of time before I got a cold (I have some difficulty with its grammar)

I wanted to say "Before I was caught a cold, I had been in good health for nearly three years".

But it seems weird, I've never heard such thing.


texts: What does "that" refer to in "... partnership between the workforce and management THAT continually focuses..."?

texts:
IHTIMAM is a process that creates a safety partnership between the workforce and management that continually focuses everyone's attention and actions on their own and others daily safety behavior.

My question is that there are two bold thats above and the first one define to process but I am confused about the second one which is after the management above define to what? Please clarify.


texts: Little hard translation from Polish to English "Someone waited but _not done_"?

texts:
I want to translate ktoś nie doczekał się (na X) i zrezygnował (== "someone was waiting [for X, and X didn't happen] and resigned").

I cannot find the right negation for wait; maybe there is no equivalent.

I found some translations that very close to what I want to say.

He did not live and resigned.
He did not wait and resigned.
He did not reach and resigned.

What translation is more valid and common?

I am not sure if I should say "He was waiting for order but he did not wait and resign."

What would a native speaker say?

Polish use aspects which not exist in English so it can not be translated without omit context or artificial syntax - I did not know that before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspekt_(j%C4%99zykoznawstwo)

The most valid translation could be:
Czekałem, ale nie doczekałem się i zrezygnowałem == ugly I waited, but waiting was not successful and I gave up or shortly (small loose of context) I waited and gave up


texts: Why "Wheels on the bus" and not "Wheels of the bus"?

texts:
I´ve always wondered why the children song "Wheels on the bus" is not
"Wheels of the bus".
Do you have an explanation?


texts: impressive stable that he's got -- meaning?

texts:
Example (Putin Would Eat President Trump for Lunch):

  The Washington Post did its own comparison, pointing out that Trump's unfavorable rating in the U.S. is about as high as Putin's. Even Trump himself was once manipulated into comparing himself with Putin -- and he showed uncharacteristic humility: I've just heard for the first time that he has 40 planes and yachts and all that stuff, I mean, he has more than I do, that's some impressive list or stable that he's got.

What does he mean by stable? It doesn't sound like what he's saying about Putin has anything to do with horses.


texts:
Drug dealers are also anti-fragile: the crazier shit gets, the more
  fucked up people want to get.

As you know the word "get" is a multiple meaning word. So I am confused which meaning is correct, and as a result I don't understand the meaning of the sentence. I think "get" means here:

  be/get hooked on drugs.

But I'm not sure.
So could you please explain it to me?

The fuller text is:

  In 2011, Nassim Taleb wrote about a concept he dubbed “antifragility.”
  Taleb argued that just as some systems become weaker under stress from
  external forces, other systems gain strength under stress from
  external forces. [...] Then you have robust systems. Robust systems
  resist change well. [...] But, Taleb says, there is a third type of
  system, and that is the “antifragile” system. Whereas a fragile system
  breaks down and a robust system resists change, the antifragile system
  gains from stressors and external pressures. Start-ups are antifragile
  businesses: they look for ways to fail quickly and gain from those
  failures. Drug dealers are also anti-fragile: the crazier shit gets,
  the more fucked up people want to get. A healthy love relationship is
  antifragile: misfortune and pain make the relationship stronger rather
  than weaker.24 Veterans often talk about how the chaos of combat
  builds and reinforces life-changing bonds between soldiers, rather
  than disintegrating those bonds.


texts: Are the words "meter, liter, period" partitives?

texts:
Some words of nouns are defined as partitives.(bottle, plate)

But "meter, liter, period" they are partitives?

Partitives are things which are in that size, right?

Can I say:

The wine that I bought yesterday is one bottle!

The food that he ate is two plates.

The food that he ate is one bite.

The cloth is two meters.

Thanks a lot!


texts: reading comprehension: redundant or implicit meaning?

texts:
I am learning English from reading articles every day.  I have recently read "Writers in the Storm" by Kathryn Schulz (link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/23/writers-in-the-storm), and I have a question.
There is a sentence...

As in earlier, religious stories, meteorology here is morality, and
the prevailing conditions leave everything hidden, murky, and stained.

I have no idea why the author added ", religious stories" in the sentence.  Does it add any meaning?  It seems to be redundant to me.  However, I still believe there might be an implicit meaning to the reading, so I'd like to ask about the sentence.  Thank you very much in advance!


texts: What is meant by the phrase "positive hatred"?

texts:
According to Merriam Webster dictionaries, enmity means:

  positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

How can "hatred" be "positive"?


texts: Does there exist a grammar formula in grammar book?

texts:
Lots of people refer to "subject + verb + adjective" as a formula.

Does there exist this kind of grammar formulas in grammar book? In other words, is this kind of formulas a well recognized term?


texts: Present perfect and help to understand examples

texts:
What is the difference between these examples? And please tell me what happens if we don't use the word "been" in the second example? Why do we use "been" in the Present Perfect tense? I have been looking for this answer so long but I can't get any good answer.

  A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?

  B: Has there ever a war in the United states?


texts: Is it demeaning to say "There is life in the old dog"?

texts:
I have an old member in my team. Usually we do not expect any interesting idea to come from him. But one day, he made a very useful and interesting remark. This prompted one of my friends to quip, "There is life in the old dog." The comment was made in good jest and everyone in the team including the oldie laughed it off.

Is it possible that this remark could have been incendiary at some other time? I mean, does this phrase or saying carry a sense of ill-will in it?


texts:
I know "such a lovely day" is definitely correct, but what do you think of "it's so lovely a day"? Is it okay as well?

This part of an exercise I did in FCE use of English, 'it's so lovely day' is used within the whole sentence so perhaps in that context it makes some sense? I believe I was perplexed when I saw it for the first time, but sadly, I'm still jumbled.


texts:
What's idiomatic of these two choices ("In what month" Vs. "In which month")?

I were told in the past that I have to choose "what" in a place where I don't know anything about the choices (for example: "On what floor are you?") and "which" in a place where I know about the a specific choices out of others that exist ("On which floor are you, first or fourth"?). Assuming that it is true, I am asking about months if it's the same, because I see not native English speakers that use both interchangeably especially about months.

  "In what month do they celebrate this holiday?"

  "In what month were you born?"

Vs.

  "In which month do they celebrate this holiday?"

  "In which month were you born"?


texts: Semantic differences between "As fast as light" and "as fast as the light"

texts:
Is there any semantic difference between these sentences? Does the article makes any difference?

  As fast as light can go

and,

  As fast as the light can go