texts:
Even now, the world’s leading carmakers are spending
  billions on setting up plants, vehicle prices are dropping precipitously, and the car
  has become the object of the new consumer’s dreams.

  It is a similar story throughout the developing world. For the first time, more than
  one million new cars were sold in India last year, and the automobile industry
  there is growing at a rate of about 20% a year. The car fleets of Brazil, Indonesia,
  South Africa, and Nigeria are growing at similar rates.

  But compared to the West, these numbers are as nothing. Private car ownership in
  the US is about 745 vehicles per 1,000 people, with slightly lower rates in Europe.
  There may be one car for every 2.4 British people, but only eight Indians and
  Chinese in 1,000 so far have a car.

How do you determine the applicable definition of as to deduce the meaning of 'as nothing'? I'm guessing that 'as nothing differs' from just 'nothing'? Please explain the steps or thought processes; I’d like to try to resolve this myself in the future?


texts:
Please help me understand the meaning of "otherwise entitled" in the following sentence:

  "Refusal to participate or stopping your participation will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled."

The above sentence is part of a consent form for a research on the access to medical services in a small town.


texts:
If what happens in your experience is inside your mind in a way in which what happens in your brain is not, it looks as though your experiences and other mental states can't just be physical states of your brain.

[Thomas Nagel, What does it all mean, p30]

I have some questions to ask

Which is the main verb in the bolded sentence?
Is my rewrite correct!? Does my rewrite have the same meaning as the bolded sentence?

  "If your perceptions are experienced within consciousness, and not the way the processes in your brain are going on"

Thank you!


texts:
'on vs upon' and 'in vs into'

They are very similiar and I think there could be an equation, literllay: upon= up+on and in+to.
Is ther any big difference when learners of English should keep in mind?


texts:
I was watching "Futurama" in English and I listening:

  "It's not working out, fry. I put
  your stuff out on the sidewalk!"

What is the meaning of "working out" in this way?

"work out" means work out, in the park or something like that (I think).

It should be "I'm not working out", Is the meaning difference?

(I heard it in this episode 00:38)


texts: My friend is going come late to my home, can ask him like- isn't that would be late? If not, please correct this phrase


texts: After the verb "be", is there "the fact that" or just "that"?

texts:
The difference between x and y is that x is produced by z.

The difference between x and y is the fact that x is produced by z.

That x is produced by z is the difference between x and y.

The fact that x is produced by z is the difference between x and y.

I am wondering if they mean the same thing. If they are not, please tell me the difference.
I am wondering if always the phrase the fact exists in deep structures of the sentences as above.


texts:
Is it correct to convert "A good teacher knows what his students need" into "It is a good teacher that/who knows what his students need"? Is there a specificity requirement on the post-copular NP in the cleft sentence?

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Does "something is denied to me" basically equals "something is denied me" in this sentence?

texts:
“I wish I could say anything to comfort you,” replied Elizabeth, “but
  it is wholly out of my power. You must feel it, and the usual
  satisfaction of preaching patience to a sufferer is denied me,
  because you have always so much.”

  from Pride and Prejudice

I understand that :

[deny somebody something],  as in :    They were denied access.

or

[deny something to somebody] , as in :  Access was denied to them.

But in some archaic usage as in the above mentioned, there is no "to"; so can I conclude that :

[something be denied to somebody] = [something be denied somebody]  ?

or,

should I conclude that it's another usage of "deny":

{ something be denied somebody} = { somebody can't have something }?

Could someone help please, thanks.


texts:
Time is to go being so late. (from a dictionary) : Why says this? grammartically correct? I would just say "Time is late"

I wonder if I can say

"Time is going being so late" instead of the example sentence. or

"Time is going so late"

"Time is being so late" or

"Time is to get being so late" instead of "go" or

"Time is getting being so late" or

"Time is getting so late"

Maybe some of them are wrong?


texts:
I think we can say:

  Technology XY doesn't work with batteries, does it?

to ask the other person for confirmation / to ask if you're correct or not.

But how to do the same with a sentence with cannot:

  This device cannot communicate with the protocol Y, can it?

Is this ending "can it" correct? I rarely here it.

Meaning I'm looking for: "it cannot communicate with ..., please correct me if I'm wrong"


texts:
Renowned Chinese singer and actor Wang Yuan was appointed UNICEF
  newest ambassador for children today, just days ahead of World
  Children's Day. In his new role, the young ambassador, who just turned
  18, will use his widespread influence to engage children and young
  people for their empowerment to strive to be best they can possibly
  be.

I don't understand "engage children ... for their empowerment".

engage sb in sth

  If you engage someone in conversation, you start a conversation with
  them.

I think it isn't this meaning here.


texts:
I feel tired I am going to bed or I will go to bed

I think the second one is better but that decision of" going to bed "has been taken before because feeling tired is not something that comes all of a sudden, when you say this you have already made up your mind. It is not a right now decision.


texts: the meaning of 'the event had shown with what folly'

texts:
She was not so sure as her husband that they did right in thwarting so
  strong an inclination. She had read of great painters whose parents
  had opposed their wish to study, the event had shown with what folly;
  and after all it was just as possible for a painter to lead a virtuous
  life to the glory of God as for a chartered accountant.

  Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

I can't make out this sentence especially the 'with what folly' part.


texts: Are they all adjectives? (Off-kilter something fierce)

texts:
I can't figure out whether the words in question are adjectives? Do they all modify the same word at the same time? Can "something" modify the word "fierce" while "off-kilter" and "fierce" describe the collocation "color balance"?

  The color balance is off-kilter something fierce, veering heavily toward the red pole of the spectrum.
  (The example is from Oxford Dictionaries)


texts: "Mechanism of toxicity involves..." - why without the definite article?

texts:
From eMedicine, "Thyroid Hormone Toxicity":

  Levothyroxine's delayed onset of toxicity is thought to be secondary to the delay in conversion of T4 to T3 and the distribution of T3 into tissues. As a result, symptoms may be delayed, developing anyway from 6 hours to 11 days after ingestion. [...]
  Mechanism of toxicity involves stimulation of the cardiovascular (CV), GI, and neurologic systems through presumed activation of the adrenergic system.

According to the Longman and Macmillan dictionaries, "mechanism" is a countable noun. Why no article?


texts: What verb or phrase do you use to describe the situation where someone is sitting in a rolling chair and they push against the floor to move around?

texts: What verb or phrase do you use to describe the situation where someone is sitting in a rolling chair and they push against the floor to move around.


texts: About the meaning of 'rant' and 'rhetoric' in this context

texts:
I did ask a question on math.meta.SE and among other things I was told that my question  "reads a lot like a rant" and "the question essentially reads as rhetoric, not as a genuine attempt for discussion."

Without saying anything else like my backgrounds or my own thoughts about it, nor the author's backgrounds of the claims (so that the judgement is not biased), does really my question reads a lot like a rant and essentially rhetoric, not as a genuine attempt for discussion?

I'd appreciate your feedback and comments regarding this. Feel free to comment whatever it is.

The question was this:

(Title) Can you please give new users some time to breathe?

(Body)
I have just logged in on math.stack and I immediately see

  Can you guys please provide the answer? [closed]

and then I clicked and I realized that OP asked the question 5 minutes ago

see

Is that ok ?

OP is a new contributor that does not even know how to use MathJax,  by judging the question seems like is a first year student (remember how lost one is in the first years) and by looking at his name (Japanese name) seems like it is not a native english speaker.

(end of question) I added the tags discussion and closing


texts: Can I say that "Thanks! for the bonhomie wishes"

texts: Is it right to say while distributing sweets on the b'day ocassion - "Thanks! for the bonhomie wishes"


texts: Idiom for someone getting popular by hanging with an already popular person

texts:
I want to remember what's the idiom for this situation:
someone getting popular by hanging with an already popular person.
I barely remember it was something like
"hanging from someone else's popularity".

Thanks in advance.


texts: He activated/acted as a lawyer... (Instead of "worked")

texts:
He worked as a lawyer for an international corporation.

Could I rewrite it instead:

  He activated as a lawyer for an international corporation.

(Why? Simply for the reason of avoiding repetition. I used already work in a sentence above, in my paragraph.)


texts: Confusion about "transitive and intransitive verbs"

texts:
I must admit that I never thought anything about transitive/intransitive verbs might confound me like that. The problem appeared when I decided to dive into it a bit deeper and then I had to end up losing the thread completely.

Transitive verb, according to the rule, requires subject+verb+object form and should answer the question "What" or "Whom", while intransitive one sticks to "subject+verb" and takes no object, right? So how come in this sentence below "want" is accepted like intransitive verb? Please illuminate me as much as you can because I feel like I'm gradually going crazy.

  "I want to be famous".

I(subject) + want(verb) + to be famous(object). What do I want? I want to be famous.
The same could be applied to

  "I want you to become famous"


texts:
There are two different versions of British pronunciation for the word "tremendous" on Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries respectively, which one is correct?

  Oxford: /trəˈmendəs/
  Cambridge: /trɪˈmen.dəs/


texts:
I am considering three patterns:
a. [age] [person]
b. of [age]
b. of a/an [age]

I have written examples of what I mean below. Which sentences are OK and which ones are wrong?

  He is a young-aged guy.
  He is a guy of young age.
  He is a guy of a young age.

  He is a middle-aged guy.
  He is a guy of middle age.
  He is a guy of a middle age.

  He is an old-aged guy.
  He is a guy of old age.
  He is a guy of an old age.


texts: When someone sticks adhesive tape on surveillance cameras so that they don't capture anything, what verb do you use to describe the action?

texts: Tape them? Plaster them? Stick them over? Is there any one-word way (or a phrasal verb) to describe it? Dictionaries didn't help me


texts:
How should I structure the clauses of the list of point in such a sentence:

A system requires at least two kinds of information: i) how is A related to B; ii) how is C related to D.

For example, is the above form correct? or should I use them like

i) how A is related to B; ii) how C is related to D.

Or any other form?


texts: Why people says 'tho' at the end of the sentence?

texts: I heard many of them used the word 'tho' in their sentence and I'm still can't figure out what it really means and how to use it!


texts: What does "His intelligence is matched only by his kindness" mean?

texts:
His intelligence is matched only by his kindness.

I don't understand the nuance of this "matched only by." "be matched by" means to be the same right? So I understand "He is matched by his rival" means he and his rival are the same in whatever is the subject of this conversation. But I don't understand the sentence above.


texts: Choosing between Present Continuous and Present Simple for an action taking place right now

texts:
Is there any rule in English regulating how I should choose between Present Continuous and Present Simple when I refer to the things happening at the moment?
For example:
(interrogation scene, a police investigator is talking to a suspect or a victim)

So, on one hand, you are saying that your car was stolen two days
ago, but on the other hand, you also say that you drove back home
last night on your own car. How is that possible? Can you clear it up
for me, please?

Here the first "say" is in Present Continuous and the second one is in Present Simple despite the fact that both "sayings" are taking place right now, that is, at the time of speaking. Do I need to put both in Present Continuous to be consistent or keeping it the way it is is fine? If yes, then why not first Present Simple and then Present Continuous?
The wiki pages that I've looked through:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_present
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_continuous
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_tense
provide a lot of useful information on how these tenses differ in their usage, but they don't provide any clue on which one of those tenses to choose when they refer to exactly the same situation.
Also, I know that such verbs like "say", "think", "see", "feel" are often used in Present Simple form when they can be used in Present Continuous, but still I've heard native speakers using them in Present Continuous, too. They must be following some "inner sense" that every native speaker has. But is there any rule or guidance to follow in order to help a non-native speaker that doesn't have that kind of native "inner sense"?


texts: "Hello, Old Soak," Came the Loud and Carefree Hail. "How Go Things?"

texts:
"Hello, old soak," came the loud and carefree hail. "How go things?"

  — Isaac Asimov

May this seem, maybe, grammatically proper?

  How goes it?

  What say you?

And, may these seem, maybe, grammatically proper?


texts:
Hello I've got a question regarding for someone to (verb)
I'm always curious about "for someone to" phrase.

Here's my examples:

  This is first time to see her not tieing up her hair. O
  This is first time for her to not tie her hair. X

Why couldn't second one be correct?
Or is it gramatically incorrect or grammar is fine but meaning is weird?

As far as I know,  "for" can be a subject for "to verb" phrase.
For example, "It is fine for me to go there."

I will be really happy if you can let me know if there is a rule.


texts: What are the Correct pronunciations for "Wednesday" and "pizza"?

texts:
Most people do not pronounce the d in "Wednesday" but many times on the radio or TV I hear them pronounce the d slightly (so that everyone can hear it). Is this correct, either in American or British accents?

I'm also curious about "pizza". I know it's an Italian word but in English how should it be pronounced? Some people add an extra t in the middle but someone pronounce it as it's written.


texts: Does the mentioned sentence properly mean what I intend?

texts:
There are things (A, B, and C), and I am entitled to be informed about all of them equally. That means I am entitled to be informed about A as much as I am to be informed about B and C, and so on.

Now, is the following sentence correct?

  The things of which I am equally entitled to be informed.

My question is about whether "equally" in this sentence properly indicates that I am entitled to be informed about all the things equally.

If not, I would appreciate your suggestions.


texts: Can "all about and about" be a substitute for "all about the same"?

texts:
Is it OK to say "Other girls besides you are all about and about" instead of "Other girls besides you are all about the same"?

What I mean is "There's no one else better than you because all other girls have nothing on you." I would like to say "너 외에 다른 여자는 다 거기서 거기다" (A Korean expression) in English.

An English dictionary says "The candidates are all about and about," is "후보들은 모두 비슷비슷하다." And "거기서 거기다" can mean "비슷하다"(to be similar).
In the literal sense, "거기서 거기" is "from there to there" or "nothing further/better/harder from there." Because "거기" is used twice in the expression, I thought using "about" twice could transfer the meaning well. If "all about and about" isn't a good choice, I don't know what would be better.


texts: What color is a flying purple people eater? What color is its food?

texts:
Several years ago, there was a very popular song about a "One-Eyed, One-Horned, Flying Purple People Eater."

In the lyrics, the "line" of the character is "eating purple people," which suggests that the color of its food is purple, rather than the character itself, but the lyrics also say that the character won't eat the narrator because the narrator is "tough" rather than non-purple.  Most visual depictions I see show a purple character (which could, of course, still restrict itself to a purple diet).

For that matter, to which noun do the other adjectives apply?
If the food is purple, is it also the food that's flying, one-horned, and/or one-eyed?
If a creature only eats one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people, it'll probably go hungry.  (There are one-eyed people, folks who play only a single instrument that would fit in the horns section of a musical group, and there are blue people, so there may be purple ones somewhere as well, but if all those adjectives must apply to the food that really restricts the diet.) The end of the song indicates that the character plays music "through the horn in his head" so "one-horned" appears to apply to the character rather than its prey.

Is there any general rule or guidance for figuring out which adjectives apply to which words in English?

I found an advice column which failed to answer the question. I even found a question here from the nonfictional realm about a "main plugin file line" in which one answer says "you would not normally encounter such a construct" and another which says "There is a clear grammar rule for this situation" but then "you can decide" about separability, and in a world of fiction, a lot is possible.

It seems perfectly possible that one would encounter adjectives and nouns in various combinations in fiction and it would be helpful to figure out how to parse that.


texts: So and neither, me too, me neither, etc. What are all possible options?

texts:
Are all the answers correct?
My grandchildren speak English. — So do ours. / Ours do too. / Ours too.
I hate cooking. — So do I./ I do too. / Me too.
My son doesn’t smoke. — Neither does mine. / My son (doesn’t smoke) either./ Mine doesn't / Mine neither.
My dad isn’t interested in politics. — Neither is mine. /Mine isn't either. / My (isn't interested in politics) either / Mine neither
I am crazy about cabbage. — So am I./ I am too./ Me too.
Your son should learn how to act in polite society. — So should yours. / Yours should too. / Yours too.
I will be sleeping all day tomorrow. — So will I./ I will too./ Me too.
I can’t dance. — Neither can I. / I can't (dance) either. / Me neither.
I haven’t done my homework yet. — Neither have I. / I haven't (done my homework) either. / Me neither.
Have I missed something? Or maybe I was wrong in some of the examples?


texts:
I was wondering whether we can swap "large" and "big" in the following example without sounding odd:

When her husband died, she came into a large inheritance.

I think they both are correct here, but I have no idea if using "big" rather than "large" is an idiomatic combin ation here.


texts: Is the French J sound used in common English words

texts:
I've come across this French name Jacques and the first letter of this name is not pronounced in standard way with English names which starts with the same letter.  As far as I know, in English the letter J in the names which start with J is pronounces like G in the English alphabet.

I would like to ask are there any English words which have the same sound with J in the name Jacques.

The pronunciation of Jacques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft8M34gqw9I


texts:
I would like to write one good sentence about comparing outputs of two models. Here is an example,

This part aims to compare the output of the first model with the output of the second model.

Is this correct? Is there a better way to present my sentence?

Any help, please?


texts: Can "can" be used to imply "become being able to"?

texts:
Consider:

  They are waiting for rain to stop so that they can return to their home.

I want to imply that:

  "they are waiting for the rain to stop" make them able to return to their home.

In other words, can "can" be used to imply "become being able to"?

Is the highlighted sentence grammatical? If no, would you help me?


texts:
In the following sentence which should be preferred:

  I would rather you took/take a car instead of walking in the street at night.

Can both be used in this context?
To me "take" seems more correct, but I cant be sure.


texts: How did it all started VS how did it all start?

texts:
I wanted to know if the first one is correct:

How did it all started?

Everybody mentioned to me that "How did it all start?" the correct form is but I always thought both ways are correct?


texts: Sentence connectors /Conjunctive adverbs

texts:
In the given examples:

He never invited anyone. On one occasion, somebody came.

Does "on one occasion" act as sentence connector here acting as conjunctive adverb?

He has a tight schedule. At 5 am, he starts his day.

Is "at 5 am" a sentence connector acting like conjunctive adverb?


texts:
A. Such  research is not possible.
B. It is impossible such research.
C. There is no way to do such research.
D. No way is there to do such research.
E. Such  research is not facilitated.

Issues:
I am wondering if all 5 sentences could imply the same thing semantically, or whether they are almost interchangeable?
I really do appreciate your taking the time.


texts: Subject of "Rain is forecast for tomorrow"

texts:
Please clarify the subject in the sentence below.

  Rain is forecast for tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What does it mean 'Be a hell of a way to go'?

texts:
I watched tv shows for studying, found a line that i couldn't understand.
'Be a hell of a way to go.'
What does it mean??


texts: Does "Soon people all over America were using Franklin stoves" work in a past-tense context?

texts:
The following is a passage from a text book for English learners about the invention of "Franlin stove" by Benjamin Franklin .

  Ben made a better fireplace. All the smoke from the new fireplace went up the chimney. All the hot air went into the room. And it had a door to keep sparks in it. A lot of people called it the Franklin stove. Soon people all over America were using Franklin stoves.

I'm wondering if the last sentence is correct. I have a feeling that the sentence lacks something describing "change" such as "become" or "will be". Am I wrong?


texts: Is there an idiom about how humanely killing something is better than letting it live in pain?

texts:
The thing in question can be a wounded animal or a dysfunctional relationship. In mild sense, it can be an object or idea that requires a lot of investment for it, and when it turns out that it not working you want to cut it down to avoid further loss.

Is there an idiom, proverb, or common saying that describes this situation?

Related: Is there an idiomatic way to say "go to the path of no way out"?


texts:
If someone says,

  "I'm visiting Tokyo now,"

does it mean they are already in Tokyo?


texts: Is there a shorter way to say “Number of times reported”?

texts:
I am drawing a table. My table contains list of diagnosis along with how many times a particular diagnosis has reported in the hospital.

|  Diagnosis  |  Number of times reported |
|             |                           |
|             |                           |

Can you suggest a way to short-hand the 2nd column heading?


texts: Communities as a whole or a community as a whole

texts:
Let's say you are describing the benefits of a healthy family relationship.

  if every person had a healthy family relationship, this would yield a positive impact not only on every person, but also on communities as a whole.

Or

  if every person had a healthy family relationship, this would yield a positive impact not only on every person, but also on a community as a whole.

Which is grammatical or appropriate?


texts: what is the difference between "out of" and "off"?

texts:
i know the difference when it comes to places like: "get out of the car" and "get off the bus"
but for example here:

he will have a cake out of the bakery
he will have a cake off the bakery

you can get drunk off it
you can get drunk out of it

this will change the irreparable damaged that has been done to the Gulf of Mexico and the people that live off it
this will change the irreparable damaged that has been done to the Gulf of Mexico and the people that live out of it

in these examples i cant tell whether to use "out of" or "off"


texts: What does "corporate conservatism" and "soulful rhythm" mean?

texts:
I have two questions about following sentence found in a paragraph from the American Cinemas of 1970s. The downloadable document is here.

  This culture of corporate conservatism was met by a tide of revolt, resistance, and soulful rhythm. Revolt came on 24 April in the form of 200,000 antiwar protestors marching in Washington, D.C. (and other cities) to rally support for ending U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia.

1-Does "corporate conservatism" mean conservative people related to big companies or all people who are conservative together?

2- what does "soulful rhythm" mean? is it a metaphor? or what?


texts:
In the movie You've Got Mail, when Kathleen sees a butterfly on the train, she says "It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where I assume it was going to Bloomingdale's to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are."
Could you please let me know the meaning of the sentence with "a mistake" above and which interpretation is correct?
a) Buying a hat will turn out to be a mistake.
b: A hat will turn out to be a mistake.
If a) is correct, then what words are omitted after "As almost all hats are".
If b) is correct, what does it mean as a whole, and am I right in thinking "As almost all hats are (a mistake)"?


texts: Causative verbs: Can we say "She went into the kitchen to have got dinner ready"?

texts: Can we use 'have got something done/adjective'. I understand this sentence: 'She went to the kitchen to get dinner ready'. But 'to have got dinner ready' seems strange for me.


texts: Differences between soon and early/earlier

texts: Could you please help me to distinguish the difference between 'soon' and 'early/earlier'. These words are pretty similar to me, I often get confused with their usage, please make it clear with examples.


texts: Which is more correct? '5 minutes left' or '5 minute left'?

texts: Is it '5 minutes left' or '5 minute left'?? which is correct? What about when it's 1 minute vs 1 minutes or 0 minute/0minutes


texts: Differences among "It feels...", "It looks...", and "It seems..."

texts:
There is a topic about the differences among "it seems" and "it likes": What is the difference between "it seems" and "it looks like"?

But what about the difference of the "it feels" with the other two ?

"It feels" x "It looks" x "It seems"


texts: Is there a specific name for "pick-only-consonants" type abbreviations?

texts:
I find it very common for English speakers to shorten a single word to 3–4 letters long by picking its first letter and some (or all) of its subsequent consonants, like so:

statement => stmt
something => sth
international => intl
average => avg
attack => atk
mind => mnd
hours => hrs
power => pwr

Is there a specific name for this? I mean, something more specific than abbreviation?

It's also possible to shorten a word by simply picking the first 3–4 letters:

second => sec
private => pri
information => info
power => pow

Is there any specific term to refer to this as opposed to the "consonant-picking" strategy?


texts:
He tried to break/crack the code to the safe.
Is "break" and "crack" equally natural here?


texts:
I want to know what is the proper way to write this sentence:

  This document explain how to add, edit, delete questions and answers.

Most corrector tell me there is an error


texts: About “dark l” sound in daily conversation

texts: Could you please tell me that if you really make the dark l sound in words like “call” “wall” “fall” or “hole” in daily conversation, like you can feel the movement of your tongue, or just do it when speaking slowly or very clearly? I can’t really tell the difference when I myself is speaking.


texts: How to use of the word "seem" in negative form

texts:
Can "don't seem to" be restated as "seem not to"?
For example, can "He doesn't seem to think so." be restated as "He seems not to think so."?


texts:
Quote:

  XXX is smaller than its peers, with just XXX million in revenue in the trailing 12 months and a market capitalization below $X billion.

What is the meaning of 'in the trailing 12 months'? What does the word trailing mean here?

Can it be replaced by other words?

Thanks


texts: What do you call or how do you describe this in English? overcooking the food? What do you call the black stuff?

texts:
In Persian, we say that (literal translation) the food has taken the bottom :D

What do you say when you want to say that the food in the pot was overcooked and something like the picture above happened to the pot?

Also, is there any specific term for those black stuff on the bottom of the pot or pan?


texts:
Here's from the movie The Enemy Below(1957)

  Oh, thanks, Salvador.
  - You've got us down 200, partner.
  - Sorry, sir.
  - Six spades.
  - I thought I could do it, sir.
  - Well, don't go off half-cocked again.
  - No, sir.

You can watch the movie on youtube.
The scene starts at 4:18.
I have no idea what they are talking about.
What does "You've got us down 200, partner" mean?
What does "I thought I could do it, sir" mean?
Etc.


texts: Which phrase is possible using "last time"?

texts:
There is a dialogue:

  "Which hotel are you staying?"
  "It's the same hotel I stayed at last time I was here."

I'd like to ask about the second sentence. If I want to make it short, which sentence is correct from the following?

(1) It's the same hotel I stayed at last time.
(2) It's the same hotel I last stayed at.
(3) It's the same hotel I stayed at for the last time.

Or do I always have to say the full sentence like the first example even in the daily conversation?


texts: Grammatically correct use of is come and has come

texts:
"Get down, our destination has come"

Is the above sentence construction is correct? If yes can I construct sentence using Has come as below?

a) "Get down, our Stop / Station has come"

Also, Would it be correct if I construct the sentence as below?

b) "Get down, our Stop / Station is come"

For me both have same meaning, that we have reached our stop and now need to get down.  "Is Come" Is more like information and " Has come" gives information of completed process of reaching.


texts: Do "bore down" and "bear down" mean the same thing?

texts:
I have scratching my head over something I heard in a movie description:

  Their jaws drop as a globe of churning green light bores down to the earth in front of them.

I only know "bear down" as a phrasal verb meaning "press down", but here apparently the narration is in the present tense. "Bore" as a verb means to make hole or to penetrate, but "bore down" doesn't seem to be an idiomatic phrase. So why does it say bores down here? I am putting the audio clip here for reference (available through an audio sharing site, Clyp).


texts: Strategies to improve spoken English and vocabulary

texts:
Would learning 10 new words per day and then using it more often help in using this language more effectively? I believe it would also construct a more extensive library of vocabulary which is too a plus point.

Is this an effective one or would there be better alternatives?


texts: what's the difference between object complement and "that" clause?

texts:
I'm not a native English speaker.

for me, those two sentences are the same meaning:

one): it was more about me being obsessed with the job.

two): it was more about that I was obsessed with the job.


texts: How to understand "throw" in "throw support behind"

texts:
I came across this phrase a lot in news.

  Candidates Throw Support Behind Catering Workers in Dispute With
  American Airlines

  From
  https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2019/03/candidates-throw-support-behind-catering-workers-in-dispute-with-american-airlines/

  U.S. airlines throw support behind Bombardier in Boeing trade
  dispute

  From
  https://business.financialpost.com/transportation/u-s-airlines-throw-support-behind-bombardier-in-boeing-trade-dispute

  He tweeted that the United States would throw its support behind
  those protesting in Iran at an “appropriate time.”

  From
  https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1132031/trump-us-throw-support-behind-iranian-protesters-appropriate-time

I am confused what “throw” means in this phrase. Does “throw” simply means put/place something? Or does it imply a force and a suddenness? In other words, does “throw support behind” simply mean support? Or does it mean support forcefully/suddenly? Since I cannot find this expression in dictionaries, I really need your help explaining it.


texts: Which way is more natural on phrasal verbs?

texts:
So many answers has been up about phrasal verbs and i've seen most of it, and it was of useful information
And I know how the most of pieces (prepositions) are being used.
And fairly got used to idioms by reading much of books
I just want to know which way would be more natural while reading?

He was always going (off about things)

He was always (going off) (about things)

Likewise

She will get (off the bus)

She will (get off) the bus

I just want to get opinions about how natives accept the structure while reading


texts:
Let's say someone is saying to somebody:

  "Open the folder C:\Documents"

Do we need 'the'-article here?


texts: Can I say "I am not a native speaker in English" ? or just say "I am not a native speaker"?

texts:
A few years ago,  a German consultant came over to join our meeting in Taiwan, and we always speak local language occasionaly. The German consultant always remind us "Speak in English, please!" seriously.

Since that day , I used to say：

  "I am a native speaker in Chinese"

  "He is a native speaker in German"

  "I am not a native speaker in English"

German consultant however is not a native speaker in English either.

I would like to know if I can say:

  "I am not a native speaker in English" ?

or just say

  "I am not a native speaker" ?

or something else?

Furthermore, German consultant sometime emphasized in short:

  "In English , please!"

Is that okay to a native English speaker or not?


texts:
What is the exact meaning of, "for that matter," in the sentence:

  He did not speak to her, or anyone for that matter?


texts:
I've read this sentence on a story:

  The neon lights and the white sheen off the walls make his eyes look bluer.

Why is "off" used here? Why not "...sheen of the wall..." Would it also work?


texts: Why is the 'present progressive' used when the purchase happened in the past?

texts:
Phil: Clair. In Haley’s stuff, a box of condoms.

  Clair: Yeah. Um, I  bought those for her. Honey, she’s an adult, and she’s going to college. I want to be realistic. I don’t want her to get caught
  unprepared.

  Phil: 24 times? What, are you buying her a 4-year
  supply?

Clair already bought them, so why is Phil asking with ‘are you buying~’?

Would it be the same if I say

  ‘What? Did you buy her a 4-year supply?’

Could I get similar examples, please?


texts: Does it make sense to say: "One time I spent everyday ...?"

texts:
Example sentence:

  One time I spent everyday sending letters, pretending to be somebody I
  wasn't.

My logics is this: one time means only once, but by adding everyday I'm saying that it happened more than once. So the phrase contradicts itself.

But maybe a week or a month can also be considered "one time"?

I'm not sure if I'm wrong, though. If I am, what's a more appropriate word choice?


texts: What does "a resolution on disarmament" mean exactly?

texts:
Definition of adopt (verb) from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

The government adopted a resolution on disarmament.

Which of the following does the sentence mean?:

The government made a decision to disarm.
The government made a decision about disarmament. (i.e. we don't know whether or not they support disarmament.)

Or does it have other meaning?


texts: Is suddenness an important part of "spurt"?

texts:
Is it ok to say "Blood was spurting from the wound"? Or will you imagine that a cut already has been made started spurting blood suddenly?

What does 'spurt' convey? Suddenness? Speed? Amount in a time?

-- addition as requested --
from Oxford Dictionary

  1.[intransitive, transitive] (of liquid or flames) to burst or pour out suddenly; to produce sudden, powerful streams of liquid or flames

  Blood was spurting from her nose.
  Red and yellow flames spurted out of the fire.
  Her nose was spurting blood.
  The volcano spurted clouds of steam and ash high into the air.

  [intransitive] to increase your speed for a short time to get somewhere faster

  She spurted past me to get to the line first.


texts:
There are two "off" in the below sentence, are they both adverb? does "off+of" mean "from"? I am trying to find its meaning in longman dictionary, but failed, which explanation can the word "OFF" match?

This is all plastic picked up off of beaches, every single bit of it," said Pozzi, "So we have processed about 18 tons of garbage off of a small area of beach in the last six years. And it could be anywhere in the world. This is a worldwide problem, the plastic pollution issue.

Remark:
This sentence comes from ：http://www.51voa.com/VOA_Standard_English/animal-sculptures-national-zoo-plastic-ocean-pollution-70348.html


texts: Difference between "Why did she..." and "Why would she..."

texts:
Could anybody explain what the difference between these two sentences:

Why did she leave her car there?
Why would she leave her car there?

I fairly cannot understand what's going on in the last one, but both of them are translated the same to me (at least by google =)).


texts: "with the exception of..." in the context of a contract

texts:
Is the following use of with the exception of natural?

The contract may not be terminated, with the exception of a medical reason.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: Can we use "indeed" in negative sentences to emphasize the negative point?

texts:
If the answer is "yes", so which one of the following is correct?

  He is not indeed a wise man.

  He is indeed not a wise man.

  He indeed is not a wise man.


texts:
I understand "results" as "happens"  - Am I on the right track?

herd immunity
NOUN
the resistance to the spread of a contagious disease within a population that results if a sufficiently high proportion of individuals are immune to the disease, especially through vaccination.

Source: Oxford Dictionaries


texts: Meaning of the phrase "I got nothing" in context

texts:
It's from the second episode of the tenth season of Friends. Here is the scene. It's at 1 minute and 49 seconds.

Chandler: I'd love to, but I gotta get back to talking to your
parents. They're telling us all about how they adopted you.
Owen: What?!?
Chandler: What?
Owen: I'm adopted?
(Chandler tries to come up with a good answer.)
Chandler: I got nothing.


texts:
I had eggs in the breakfast. But I wanted sausages.

Can I say, "I would have preferred a sausage"?


texts: Is the usage "an accused " in the following sentence right?

texts:
A news item says, "H C Gupta and five firms have been named as an accused". Is it proper to use an accused when the accused are six six in number in this case?

If the usage an accused is proper, kindly point out the underlying grammar principle also - for better clarity on the usage.


texts:
Saudi Arabia is a Daesh that has made it. (Source)

To what "has made" refers?
To what "it" refers?


texts: What is the actual difference between "dwell" to "live"?

texts:
I didn't know the word "dwell" till today (maybe it says how common this word is), and after reading the Cambridge dictionary definition of "dwell" (to live in a place or in a particular way) this word seems to me as a synonym of "live". Is that correct?

For example:

  I live in England.

  I live in five-room-flat.

Is in this cases the word "live" is interchangeable with "dwell"?


texts: Can the reverted main clause be ignored when using "Only If" in the front?

texts:
Original sentence:

The picnic will be canceled only if it rains.

Using Only if in the front:

Only if it rains will the picnic be canceled.

My book also gives other examples:

Only when the teacher dismisses us can we stand and leave the room.

Only after the phone rang did I realize that I had fallen asleep in my chair.

Only in my hometown do I feel at ease.

The problem is, it's new to me that we (must) use auxilary verb before pronoun. Because it sounds like we are asking a question to me.
So, my question is, can I not revert the main clause as follows:

Only if it rains the picnic will be canceled.

(Honestly, it sounds better even though it's just my opinion).
If not, then why is the reverted main clause necessary?


texts:
I would like to make sure the two following sentences are correct, comprehensible and mean the exact same thing.

A single mistake does not mark a loser.
A failure does not make one a loser.

Would you prefer one to another?
Also, I would appreciate if you could correct mistakes in my posts, should any appear.


texts: Why is there no relative pronoun in "Collen described the accident she had during her winter holidays."?

texts:
I'm studying now an English book on German with the following term:

  Collen described the accident she had during her winter holidays.

I know it's an expanded attribute as the second part of the sentence. But why is there no relative pronoun like which or that?


texts:
I know seven words ending in "sten" :
chasten, christen, fasten, glisten, hasten, listen, moisten

All of them are pronounced without the sound "t". Is there some rule that explains this? Are there some other situations when "st" is pronounced as just "s"?


texts:
They expected a meeting to be held.

While turning this sentence into passive voice Is it correct to say ;

  A meeting was expected by them to be held .

Is my oppinion correct or should I use different sentence?


texts:
I'm struggling to understand when exactly I should use "the" and when I should not.

It would be great if provide some simple principle or refer me to a textbook.


texts: Is "Call me when you are available to talk" correct?

texts:
Call me when you are available to talk

Is that correct? Can I use it that way?


texts: Cluster - a testing reading comprehension task. Which cluster does this word belongs?

texts:
Dr. Lefever believes that compulsive behaviour often manifests itself in clusters. There is, for example, the "eating disorder cluster," which also includes shopping and spending, work, cosmetic surgery, and exercise, and the "relationship cluster" which includes compulsive helping of others, and addiction to love or being in love. "If you are addicted to one thing in a cluster, you are at risk of becoming addicted to the others," he says.

Well, everything is clear except for this part:

  and the "relationship cluster" which includes compulsive helping of others, and addiction to love or being in love.

I cannot understand the connection of this section (specially the highlighted part) with the rest of the text.
An addiction to love? Love what? Being in love?

What's happened to clusters?

  And there's a test:
  Choose a, b or c from the options below.

  ● Dr. Lefever thinks that ____.

  a) if you are addicted to coffee, you might also become addicted to shopping

  b) if you have an eating disorder, you will probably become addicted to shopping

  c) if you are addicted to going to the gym, you may also become addicted to having cosmetic surgery.

I think c is the right answer, but "eating disorder cluster," which also includes shopping and ..." raises doubts about the option b.


texts: Why do we use different prepositions for Morning and Night

texts:
Usually we use

  In the morning

  At night

Both of them represent time but why do we use different prepositions?


texts:
Acording to the The Free Dictionary, the phrase in a breeze has this meaning:

  Easily; handily; without much or any effort.

I thought the phrase could be used as this:

  The answer came to him in a breeze.

However, Google threw zero results.

Dose this mean the idiom can't be used like this?


texts: Is this sentence about fire fighters correct?

texts:
I read this sentence in an article about my local fire fighters, and it said:

  New burn building and house structure being built on the training site for specialized training.

Is the grammar correct? If it is, what does it mean? Is it supposed to say "New born"?


texts: What's the meaning of 'a big' in this sentence?

texts:
I cannot determine the meaning of 'a big' in the following paragraph about pregnancy. Please help me figure out what it means.

  But especially now, as a growing belly translates to feeling more
  tired and achy, sex may become less and less desirable as your
  pregnancy drags on. But other women report a big
  "can't-get-enough" surge in their third trimester -- so if you're one
  of 'em, more power to you!


texts: Exceptional use of could for particular occasion

texts:
Could is used to talk about past ability in general. We do not normally use "could" to say that somebody managed to do something on one occasion. But with certain verbs like to see, hear, taste, feel, smell, understand, remember etc., "could" can be used for particular occasions as well.
Ex-
Suddenly I could hear a loud noise.
I could smell something burning.

Is it an appropriate use of "could" with certain verbs. If yes then is there some other certain verbs as well exist?


texts: Is there any other way to say "do what you want to do"?

texts: I am thinking of several options "do as you will", "do whatever you want", "do as you please", but I want to find a very original way to say it, maybe a slang, maybe a formal way to say it, but a way to say it that non-native people would rarely say.


texts:
I saw the following sentence " This luggage is quite similar to ________." and in the possible answers there were:

  A.that one
  B.that

I chose A. But the program says the correct answer is B. I don't really get the difference here.


texts: "for one so cowardly" meaning in this context

texts:
"We can do nothing for him," said the Tin Woodman sadly. "He is much too heavy to lift. We must leave him here to sleep on forever, and perhaps he will dream that he has found courage at last."

  "I'm sorry," said the Scarecrow. "The Lion was a very good comrade for one so cowardly. But let us go on."

  The wonderful Wizard of Oz

My take is that "for one so cowardly" here means because the lion is so cowardly, but I have no confidence. Is "for one so cowardly" short for something? Is it a normal expression?


texts: why is the following sentence classified as a compound sentence?

texts:
According to "ESL Writing" by Mary Ellen Munoz Page, the following sentence:

"I baked an apple pie, but I forgot to put cinnamon in it."

is classified as a compound sentence,

whereas

"Sonia speaks English but does not write it."

is considered to be a simple sentence.

I don't see the difference between these sentences. I would omit the pronoun "I" after "but" in the first sentence, and classify it as a simple sentence, too.


texts: The use of "are kept occupied" is grammatically correct?

texts:
Tourists are kept occupied by many sights in Singapore.
Is the use of "are kept occupied" grammatically correct? Thanks a lot.


texts: What does it mean "two-digit act of congress?"

texts:
Rhea Perlman, diminutive Cheers bartendress (and queen of spades), has
  been caught cavorting with the seven-foot-seven Sudanese basketball
  star Manute Bol (seven of clubs) in a highly explicit (and in this
  case, anatomically improbable) two-digit act of congress (three of
  clubs). (For more, see here)

I've tried too many times to understand it, googled it and still don't understand fully this sentence.


texts: 1.You may ask: "What does it mean?" , 2."What does it mean?" you may ask. Which one is correct?

texts:
1.You may ask: "What does it mean?"

  2."What does it mean?" you may ask.

● Which one is correct?

● Is the usage of the "s correct?

● What's the difference between them, if any?

● What about the use of the question mark?


texts: Is using "would" instead of "want" grammatical? "I would we leave here..."

texts:
I have been seeing this use of would in a book I am reading. Although I understand the meaning I don't understand the grammar. Is it the correct use of would? Here is an example of it:

  "I would we leave here as soon as we can."


texts: In the movie Flight Plan (2005) , when the pilot was directing his crew to look for Jodie Foster's daughter , he said sth like , " get the lights up..." . I want to know the meaning of the phrase . Does it mean turning on the lights? I am afraid , I may have misheard it. Pls help.


texts: Sarcastic Idioms for claiming something "for public use" as my own

texts:
The scenario: A kid in the park in front of the water fountain and he's misusing it and leaving it open so an old man approaches him and says : could you close the tap please .. this is not your dad's water  .... Which means he should save water because it's for everybody and the kid is acting as if he's in his own house .
So what sarcastic idiom in English can be used instead of "this is not your dad's water"???


texts: When to use an object pronoun or a possessive adjective before a gerund

texts: The rule says that we can use a possessive adjective or an object pronoun before a gerund. Is there a rule  that says when to use each or are they interchangeable? Some say that it's wrong to use an object pronoun before a gerund.


texts: What do you call staff at polling stations? I mean people who are employed during elections to count ballots, sign election protocols (or whatever you call those pieces of paper with final tallies).


texts: "Summary" vs "A summary" vs "The summary"

texts:
Let's suppose my manager asks me to research some problem. I've done this and now I'm going to write him a message:

  A/the summary:

  [The problem is caused by this and that ...]

Do I need any article (a/the) before "summary"?


texts:
During study Business-English I am wondering about the use of "purpose" in a "What" Question.

  For what purposes should this be ?

  What purposes should this be for ?

Are both sentences / questions correct ?


texts: After linking verb whether adjectives or adverbs

texts:
I know after linking verb, Adjectives should be used, not adverbs. For  example I'am fine (not well, as WELL is an adverb). But how you explain the following sentences ,

I'm abroad.
I'm home.
I'm upstairs.


texts: use of “have more distance” in a sentence

texts:
Is use of "have more distance" in the following sentences correct grammatically and conceptually? Is the following sentences correct grammatically?If it is not , kindly suggest ways to make it clearer.

  also, center of leakage vortex for variable thickness blade have more
  distance from the suction surface than constant thickness
  blade(approximately two times more).


texts: What do you call someone who attends the same university as you?

texts: Can I call that person a schoolmate? Or is that a wrong word because a school isn't a university? In that case, is it common to call that person a university mate?


texts: what does the structure "but of.." mean here and in general?

texts:
I couldnt understand what "but of" means in this lyrics:
"I'm over the rainbows
But of Medusa kiss me and crucify"

could you help me understand?

thank you


texts: How do I ask someone his/her position in his family(among his siblings)?

texts:
I want to learn a person's order/position in his family i.e., among his siblings. So can I say:

"Where do you rank among your siblings?"

Is this usage correct? If not, can anyone provide me with some other better question?


texts: Why is the past tense used here instead of the present?

texts:
Let me talk about this sentence.

A girl is currently married to a cricketer of another country. When a reporter asked someone about her, he would have said that "she has married that country's cricketer, hence she is no more of our country now. She is a daughter-in-law of Pakistan."

But while reporting this in a newspaper, the reporter wrote:

  Sania was born in Maharashtra and settled in Hyderabad only later and, hence, is a "non-local", he told reporters here and sought to dub her as "daughter-in-law" of Pakistan, pointing out that she was married to that country's cricketer Shoaib Malik.

My question is why has the author used past simple tense in this? Why didn’t he use "is" instead of "was"?

Reference link:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistans-daughter-in-law-Sania-Mirza-lacks-credentials-to-be-Telangana-brand-ambassador-BJP/articleshow/38965740.cms


texts: Which one is right? "The world is warming" or "The world is heating."

texts:
I heard both usages on different TV channels when they mention about global warming, ice melting, etc.

1-The world is warming.
2-The world is heating.

And this is usually the introduction sentence into the programs. However, I heard the first sentence on bbc and the second sentence on a non-native TV channel (the programs are prepared by non-native speakers).

So, I suspect the sentence 2 might not be correct. Is "to warm" and "to heat" completeley interchange in this sentence?

The sentence 1 sounds better to me. But I also want to find can we also say "the world is heating" instead of "the world is warming."

Regards


texts: What does "Religion in the Making" mean?

texts:
I have found a book titled Religion in the Making.

What does it mean in full English?


texts:
Since both 'action'  and 'activity'  are nouns derived from the verb act, I used to think they were interchangeable.

But turns out they are not from this sentence ".......the activities and actions companies take to......" , I get a feeling that they mean different things.

Well my question is what is the difference. Thank you.


texts: What do "imminence" and "paling" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I can't make sense of this sentence that I saw in Longman Dictionary.

  Jezrael could see her imminence paling as she strove for greater calm.

Paling as a noun means fence. But then what is imminence doing here? I know pale could be a verb meaning to fade or become whiter/less important, but that dictionary page lists this sentence as an example for the noun paling. If here paling is the present particle of pale, what does the sentence mean?


texts: What does "the witless" refer to (many people vs one person)?

texts:
"I hope you don't object to my badgering the witless."

Source: Diablo II, Alkor

Does it refer to the group of people who are witless or to my character in the game (maybe I'm just confusing this with the phrase "the witless one")?


texts: Separatists inflicted their biggest casualties yet for any single attack on Tuesday - I can't understand "yet for any single attack"

texts:
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/aleksandar-vasovic-rebel-commander-warns-of-attack-2014-5

  Separatists inflicted their biggest casualties yet for any single attack on Tuesday when they killed seven Ukrainian soldiers in an ambush in Kramatorsk. There have been increasing signs of professional leadership among the groups, which nonetheless remain a loosely organized force.

I can't make real sense of yet for any single attack.


texts: What idiom should I use for this paragraph?

texts:
What idiom should I use for the following phrase? Is the last line fine?

  He often had to get up at four AM. Sometimes he had to lift on an old minibus colt to get to his office. He would sit on the back side of the vehicle. Although his eyes were frequently sleepy, his hands held the metal part of the car. Like a bat hung its toe on a branch.

To get a picture to understand the situation, am posting a link of that mentioned colt (where the subject sat on the back side with the vegetable vendors) google


texts: Present Simple or Present Continuous with "these days"

texts:
"These days" express the period around now. Then, I wonder, why is used the Present Simple in the following sentence?:

These days I travel a lot.  I’m spending more and more time away from
home. (Considering the rule given above, I would say: These days I am travelling a lot.)

I've also come across the sentence where both  tenses are considered correct:

These days, more and more people prefer / are preferring to
retire    early.

So, is it optional whether we use present simple or continuous with "these days"?


texts: Is it grasses' or grass's? Help with the possessive

texts:
I cannot understand where the apostrophe goes when using the possessive.
Is it grass's or grasses'?
Is it human's or humans'?
Thanks in advance,


texts: Wishing Merry Christmas or Happy New Year on Dec 28th?

texts:
It's 28th of December.

Between the two holidays, Should you say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year" to your friends?

I am so confused of what time of day it is right now and so the festivals.


texts:
Within a mere two centuries we have become alienated individuals. Nothing testifies better to the awesome power of culture.

The last sentence doesn't make any sense to me


texts: Is there an idiom that means working hard and continuously?

texts: Is there an idiom that means working hard continuously? Preferably, I would like an idiom that means "work 24/7 without rest", but I can accept something that means "give as much effort as possible". Most idioms seems to be related to working hard, but doesn't imply it's done continuously without rest.


texts: No backshift to maintain time relation between two clauses

texts:
The seller told  me :" Just after you had paid another man asked for it."

He told me that just after I had paid, another man asked for it".
No backshift here to maintain the time relation between both verbs .Did I make the good choice?


texts: (the) capital punishment and (the) death penalty

texts: From what I have seen so far the word death penalty is used with the definite article as often as without. But apparently this is not the case with the word capital punishment according to Ngram. Why is this?


texts: What does he mean by: "trial that was already decided"?

texts:
William is a lawyer for Abbie and his team, who are protesting for anti-Vietnam war:

Abbie: This is a political trial that was already decided for us.
Ignoring that reality is just weird to me.
William: There are civil trials and there are criminal trials. There's
no such thing as a political trial.

What does mean by, trial that was already decided? Does it mean their
verdict already made but trial is just mandatory?
Source: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)


texts: Use of two relative pronouns in the same sentence

texts:
Is it OK to say "The guy that helped me, who is 25, is friendly."?
The adjective clause in commas can be omitted, so can I include THAT in the subject?


texts: Use of past perfect tense without before-and-after events

texts:
I have problem with understanding why we have put this sentence in the past perfect tense.

  Harold had known about it for a while

There is no two actions one happened before the other like when we include before and after. Can we say harold had know about it for a while?

I ask because there is no two action happening. Past perfect should be about two action happened in the past one finished and then another action happened with some period of time between them e.g.:

  I had brushed my teeth before I went to bed.
  By the time you came I had left.


texts: Had / has anybody told you that you're beautiful?

texts:
My book says that there is an error in part A of this sentence.

  Had anybody (A) ever told you (B)that you're beautiful ? (C) No error (D)

I googled for the sentence and found results were sentences starting with HAS instead of HAD but why do we have to use HAS here ? In part B tell is in past form ( told ) so shouldn't we use past in part A also ?


texts:
It's a strange question but can we add 're' to any verb?

replan
revisit
rechange
reinsist

Is it possible to add 're' to compound verbs?

refind out
rebring back
refly over
reshout out

Does it work same way with adjectives?

regrown
retransported
refound
rewidened


texts:
Ask for the bold part.

  They are running home.

I thought the answer must be "Where are they running to?" but when I checked the answer it was "Where are they running?". If the sentence is transformed as "Where are they running?" then it does not express the same sense as that of the original sentence because in this case the answer would be much like "They are running at home". So, what's the correct form?


texts:
This is an excerpt from what Donald Trump said in a 2016 interview with the Miami Herald. I am not sure I understand the last sentence. Could any teacher explain that to me?

  Well, I’m not a big believer in manmade climate change. It could be some impact but I don’t believe it’s a devastating impact.

  I am a huge believer in clean water and clean air, crystal water and air. I’m a very big believer in that and we have a lot to do with that, keeping our water clean, keeping our air clean.

  But I would say that it goes up and it goes down. I think it’s very much like this over the years. We’ll see what happens. I mean we’ll see what happens. Maybe you and I even you as young as you are, you won’t be around to see but certainly climate has changed but you used to call it global warming.


texts: Would+verb, simple past, or present tense to express the subjunctive in relative clauses

texts:
Is it grammatically correct to use the simple present tense of a verb and the simple past tense of to be in relative clauses to express the subjunctive mood?

Examples:

He would be happy with a woman who loves him for who he is.
He would be happy with a woman who were or was with him for who he is.

Can we also express the subjunctive by using the simple past tense or would+verb in 1 and the simple present tense or would+verb in 2, as in the examples below?

1a He would be happy with a woman who loved him for who he is.

1b He would be happy with a woman who would love him for who he is.

2a He would be happy with a woman who is with him for who he is.

2b He would be happy with a woman who would be with him for who he is.

Could you please explain what the correct usage is and why?


texts:
It comes from the novel Matilda.
"I'll tell you what I'm talking about, you suppurating little blister!" the Trunchbull shouted.
"Yesterday morning, during break, you sneaked like a serpent into the kitchen and stole a slice of
my private chocolate cake from my tea-tray! That tray had just been prepared for me personally by
the cook! It was my morning snack! And as for the cake, it was my own private stock! That was not
boy's cake! You don't think for one minute I'm going to eat the filth I give to you? That cake was
made from real butter and real cream! And he, that robber-bandit, that safe-cracker, that
highwayman standing over there with his socks around his ankles stole it and ate it!"
you don't think for one minute I'm going to eat the filth I give to you?  what is this mean??


texts: What is the difference between "hurl" and "throw"?

texts:
In dictionary I see hurl means throwing forcefully. But my question is whether the word hurl can be used in any context where you throw any object forcefully?
For example, consider the examples below.

  1) John hurls a gun to Mike

  2) Mike hurls a ball to John

  3) Mike hurls John against the wall

  4) Mike kicks John and it hurls John 5 feet away.

Are all these sentences valid with the word hurl to mean the "forceful throw" or is any of these wrong and hurl should be replaced with some other word and why?


texts: Correct use of articles with nationalities

texts:
Why do you think Italians are so good at football?

Why shouldn't we put "the" before Italians? It's a concrete group of people.

Another example:

  Americans speak English differently to the British.

Why "the" only before British?

  British employers have to check that ...

Why not The British ... ?


texts:
Does it refer to criticism or the global recycling trade?
Every year, Western countries export millions of tons of waste to China, particularly plastics and paper, for treatment and recycling. It is transported by freight in empty shipping containers used for exporting Chinese goods. As disposal and landfill prices are high in the West, sending waste overseas, such as to China, is a cheaper option; another reason is to overcome strict environmental and waste regulations. In some cases, Chinese companies set up offices overseas to buy waste, and they have been able to offer higher prices and accept higher quantities of waste than their counterparts in the origin country. However, the global recycling trade is not without criticism. Complaints include the environmental and social costs of shipping waste, no guarantee over environmental and other standards in China, reduced business and materials for recyclers in the country of origin, and claims that the West is dumping its rubbish on China. It also highlights failures in the recycling market in the West. Recently, China’s recycling industry was adversely affected by the global economic crisis, as reduced consumer demand for products led to lower prices of recyclables; consequently, many Chinese recycling units closed.
Encyclopedia of Consumption and Waste: The Social Science of Garbage


texts: Using the word "big" to describe a hobby: "His biggest hobby is..."

texts:
Tell me please if the following use of the word is correct and natural.

  Mike's biggest hobby is playing the guitar.

What is meant by biggest is his most favourite hobby is playing the guitar.

If it is incorrect to use the word in the context, then what is the most appropriate to use in the context?


texts: Using of "that" with the meaning of "this" or "it" at the beginning of a sentence

texts: "We must rid our bodies of every muscular contraction. That will give the body a better chance to rest"... Why did the author use "that" instead of "this" in the above sentence? Is this just a style or their preference?


texts: How old were you when you (were able to/ could) sing?

texts:
what is the most appropriate way to ask this question
How old were you when you were able to sing?
How old were you when you could sing?
and what is the reason?
Thank you,,,


texts:
1a. The size of her shoes is six.

  1b. Her size of shoes is six.

  2a. The size of her shoes depends on whether her legs are swollen up or not.

  2b. Her size of shoes depends on whether her legs are swollen up or not.

  3a. The color of her shoes is brown.

  3b. Her color of shoes is brown.

  4a. The favorite color of her shoes is red.

  4b. Her favorite color of shoes is red.

What variants are correct?

For me all b-variants have the same meanings as a. Why am I wrong?

In what cases can we say "her size/color of shoes"?

Thanks!


texts: Does "turn in" in this context mean "return" or "give back"?

texts:
Deliberately procrastinating is another characteristic passive-aggressive behavior. When confronted with tasks that they do not want to do or appointments they do not wish to keep, the passive-aggressive individual will drag their feet. If they have been asked to complete a task at work, for example, they will put it off until the very last second or even turn it in late in order to punish the person who assigned the task.

Does it mean "...even return it in late..."?


texts: Where to place are/is in question sentences?

texts:
I can't tell where I need to put the verb are/is in question sentences.

For example:

  Do you know how many feet are in one mile?

It sounds completely odd to my ears but I know it's right. I'd like to put the word 'are' at the end of the sentence and say:

  Do you know how many feet in one mile are?

And the reason for this is this construction:

  Do you know how many feet one mile is?

I'm not sure if this is grammatically right (might be American slang) but it feels and sounds right. When I change the position of the word 'is', however, and say

  Do you know how many feet is one mile?

it sounds wrong. What am I missing here? If I structure the sentence with the word 'are' and say 'Do you know how many feet are in one mile' it's right but when I want to restructure the sentence and use the word 'is' I have to say 'Do you know how many feet in one mile is?'  WHat am I missing here???

To further illustrate my problem let's look at this sentence:

  Do you know where my book is?

This sounds right and so does this one:

  Do you know where my books are?

Now, if I change the structure of this sentence and say

  Do you know where are my books?

it sounds completely wrong. But if this is wrong why is it right to say

  Do you know how many feet are in one mile

and wrong to say

  Do you know how many feet in one mile are?

Again, if I were to structure it with 'is' it would sound right

  Do you know how many feet one mile is?


texts: What's the difference between went +verb and verb?

texts:
What's the difference between went shopping and shopped in the following sentences:

1 I went shopping yesterday.

2 I shopped yesterday.


texts:
I am learning Academic English. At one lesson, I found the following sentences:

Some people have been accusing X of starting it.
X have been pushing for more efforts to prevent this possibility.

I am confused about these sentences. At school, we learned that after have been we used the past perfect verb. However, in the last two sentences, we use verb+ing.
Is there any explanation, when I need to use have been + past perfect verb and have been + verb + ing?


texts: Confirmation please. "brass" in a headline

texts:
I always appreciate your supports.

My question, is in this article,

  Report: 'Stunned' LeBron James supports Lakers brass as GM Rob Pelinka will remain in power

Would in my guess the word "brass" be equal with the definition of 4.b of this dictionary?

  b : persons in high positions (as in a business or the government)

I apologize in advance I have a character that I would not be convinced enough without supports by native speakers.


texts:
I have noticed that Present Continuous in questions makes the question somewhat unwanted, as if the speaker isn't too happy about the question. Am I right?

I found this toy in your room, can I have it?
Why do you ask? (Why are you asking?)

Is there a difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous in this case?


texts: Noun used as an adjective but with some specification

texts:
On my database I have a variable which indicates if a certain counterparty migrated from a performing status to a default one.

Which description is correct:

  Transition flag to default status

or

  Transition to default status flag

or

what else?


texts:
What is the difference in meaning between "morphology" and "structure"?

Coming from a physics background and being a native German speaker, I tend to use "structure" when describing an internal configuration, and to use "morphology" when describing an overall outer appearance.

I wonder if this distinction is correct? I would like to learn about the difference between the two terms in general, in order to decide when to use which.


texts: Is "I'm going with you" similar to "I'm coming with you"?

texts:
For my English listening practice I am using "Audio Books". Most of them are in British English (UK audio books). In a conversation, John said, "I'm going with you" (to a music festival).

Usually we use "I'm coming with you", but here John used "I'm going with you". Is this okay?


texts: Which form of verbs should be used after conjuction words in interrogative statements?

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

Why did you close that and open this?!
Why did you close that and opened this?!

When a verb comes after a conjuction word such as and in sentences like the above question, which form of the verb should be used?


texts: Pronunciation rule if two consecutive consonants followed by a vowel

texts:
The person is pronouncing the number 80 in this sentence as /neiti/ for the number 184.

Is it a common rule to elide the last one if there are two consecutive consonants followed by a vowel just like this case one hundred "and eighty"?

Which pronunciation rule she is using?


texts: Is "promote" equal to "advertising" or "implementing further" here?

texts:
I find this in the message by UNWTO for World Tourism Day 2016:

  We thus urge all countries and destinations, as well as the industry, to promote accessibility for all in the physical environment, in transport systems, in public facilities and services and in information and communications channels.

Promote is kind of ambiguous to me. What does it say? It means that there should advertisements in the places mentioned, say pictures expressing the importance of "accessibility for all to tourism" or it means in the places mentioned, measures must be taken so that the disabled can experience better?


texts:
Sometime like this case I don't know if I can put the name before or after the label (movie in this sentence)...

The movie "Die Hard" or The "Die Hard" Movie?
The variable "X" or The "X" variable?

Are they both correct?
What is their difference?
What is the application of each?
My question is not about "the" (like this), but the order of the "movie" and "Die Hard"


texts: What are some ways to describe disks sparkling with electricity? "Disks course with electricity"?

texts:
Like disks in  and

What are some other ways to describe disks sparkling with electricity?
I think the description says "disks course with electricity," but I am not sure course has the meaning of "circled by running electricity." So I am not sure if I heard the description right. My understanding is "course" as a verb means run through. But I have never heard "course with electricity".


texts: a question about grammar (comma before and)

texts:
The organization shall ensure that the results of the audits are reported to relevant managers; ensure that relevant audit results are reported to workers, and, where they exist, workers' representatives, and other relevant interested parties;

I am confused whether "where they exist" is applied to both workers' representatives and other relevant interested parties.

workers' representatives where they exist
other relevant interested parties where they exist

workers' representatives where they exist
other relevant interested parties

Which is correct:  1 or 2?


texts:
This is the only description about it.

Looped railing : These loops are as beautiful as they are solid.

What is 'Looped' railing mean?


texts: Can we use the Present Simple in this sentence : As you know, I try to learn Chinese. Or is it better to use the Present Continuous?


texts:
I am a game developer and I am trying to improve my english to increase the quality of the text in my games.

I will like to understand what is the "correct" way to write text. Specially the lengh of the phrases.

It is better to write short or long phrases? Usually the text is for descriptions and explanations. ( I mean por proper bussines english way. If I write a company for a collaboration, should I write short or long phrases)

I will give one example (but there is a lot of cases, I would like to know the "general rule")

**Short phrase:**
    Grand kavac is a strange monster. We don’t know if it is organic or what it is. We are sure that it is dangerous, so we should be careful.

**Long phrase:**
    Grand kavac is a strange monster, and we don’t know if it is organic or what it is, but we are sure that it is dangerous, so we should be careful.

I have heard lots of opinions( also about run-on sentences) and I don't have it clear

Thanks in advance


texts: What does "smell the glove" mean in this article?

texts:
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2015/03/04/smell-the-glove

  Smell the Glove.

  Handshaking may be a chemical as well as a social greeting

  GRIP firmly, maintain eye contact. What you do during a handshake is clear. But after? Research published this week suggests that humans, like other animals, use smell when they greet each other.

  Noam Sobel of the Weizmann Institute of Science, in Israel, took note of an observation made by epidemiologists in 2008 about just how often people touch their faces. Dr Sobel had a hunch that it might have something to do with the gathering of scents—and could thus bear on the question of whether human beings secrete odiferous signalling molecules, sometimes known as pheromones.

Is there a metaphor it's referencing? I can't think of any.
Why is it the title of the article?


texts: how do I know where to put the relative pronoun in a sentence?

texts:
I am always confused about the position a relative pronoun must be when I need to join two sentences. Which sentence should I have to start? Do I need to use commas? If I don't use commas, is it also correct?
Which one is correct:

The man is a very famous writer. You have just met the man.
The man, who you have just met, is a famous writer.
The man you have just met is a famous writer.


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "the goal is to serve as"?

texts:
A post says

  The goal of this post is to serve as a nice introduction to ...

which appears to use a pattern "the goal is to serve as".

With the meaning of "an aim or purpose", Cambridge Dictionary gives these examples

  My goal is to lose ten pounds before the summer.

  They have set themselves a series of goals to achieve by the end of the month.

which appears to use another pattern "the goal is to do something".

Oxford Dictionary does not give similar examples.

So, is it idiomatic to say "the goal is to serve as"? Could someone please give a hint? Thanks in advance.


texts: I will "be revising" "next friday" what is wrong with it?

texts:
This is a "find the mistake" question ...

  *I'll have been revised all my lessons by next Friday.

So what I did

Have been revised > be revising

So it will be "

  I'll be revising all my lessons by next Friday"

And I got it wrong .. So what is the correct answer?


texts: The question is this - is it correct to say something like "I'm planning to sell my books via the Internet". I mean I know it is better to use other preposition but I'd still like to know - is it correct to use precisely this word? The basic meaning is that Internet will be used as the main channel - the tool - for doing something.


texts: How to understand and analyse the expression of " returned a hero"? Is there an ellipsis?

texts:
I came across the expression of "<somebody> returned a hero" in the context below,

With Chonghou in prison, Zeng Jize, son of a celebrated general, Zeng Guofan, was sent to Russia to renegotiate the treaty. Zeng’s chief qualifications seem to have been arrogance and an unwillingness to compromise.  The Russians were reluctant to go to war, and ultimately gave the Chinese much of what they wanted. Zeng returned a hero, and the hardliners learned a lesson of dubious value: never give ground to foreigners.

The short sentence as a whole is somewhat clear in its meaning. I reckon it means that Zeng returned to his homeland in glory like a hero.
If my reckoning is right, then I can say for sure there is an ellipsis in this expression. Maybe an "as" or "like" has been omitted. If that's the case, is “as” or “like” dispensable in all such expressions？
For instance, what about these sentence，

He works (as) a cashier.

She is employed (as) a fashion model.

They are treated (like) children.

This candy tastes (like) peppermint.

Are they still correct without "as" or "like"?


texts:
I was wondering if you could help me out with the phrase "Authenticity guarantee". Is it proper English to use this?

Would  "Authentic guarantee" or "Authenticity guaranteed" be more correct?


texts: "were dumb as" similar to "were as dumb as"?

texts:
If they were as dumb as him, we would have a bigger mess in our hands.
If they were dumb as him, we would have a bigger mess in our hands.

I thought the second was completely fine until I used Google search and couldn't find a similar wording. Is the second sentence grammatical and is the meaning somewhat similar?


texts:
The real reason why I should not like to be back in the book trade for life, however, is that while I was in it I lost my love of books. A bookseller cannot always tell the truth about his books, and that gives him a dislike for them. There was a time when I really did love books—loved the sight and smell and feel of them—if they were fifty or more years old, that is. Nothing pleased me quite so much as to buy a bargain lot of them on sale for several pounds. There is a peculiar flavour about the unexpected books you pick up in that kind of collection: little-known eighteenth-century poets, or out-of-date geography books. For occasional reading—in your bath, for example, or late at night when you are too tired to go to bed—there is nothing as good as a very old picture story-book.

I have two questions:

In the passage, why does the author use simple present tense in the last two sentences (in bold) rathern than simple past tense?
According to the passage, does the author love books again after he quit his job as a bookseller?


texts: Singular or plural verb for subjunctive mood

texts:
She requested that he raises his hand.
She requested that he raise his hand.

Should I use singular or plural verb for subjunctive mood?

In the example above, which is the correct sentence? Or how should I rewrite the sentence?


texts:
Im in beginer level of learning english and i want to learn english logically.
Sometimes i know certain statements are correct but i dont know how to explain to someone.

As an example
I am Jack,
My name is Linda,
I am 10 years old,
John is a teacher.

This sentence is grammatically correct
But when using am, is, are most of the time sentence should be verb+ing.
Can anyone please explain grammer behind the 3 examples. Why 'am' can use without being present continuous and please mention various situations we use
To be verbs without sentence being continuous.


texts: "I will come by the train" vs. "I will come by train" - do we need the article here?

texts:
I will come by the train.

Is it correct or we need to remove "the". Give reason also.


texts: When describing something in the past in a paper, should we use the present tense or past tense?

texts:
The experiment in a paper usually has already happened. Should we use the present tense or past tense when writing about it?

(1) In this study, there are/were 15 adults who complete/completed the test.

(2) In this paper, there are/were 15 adults who complete/completed the test.


texts:
I was watching 'Suits'. I encountered this

  Mike: This woman had her life ripped apart. You don’t even care?
  Harvey: I’m not about caring. I’m about winning.
  Mike: Why can’t you be about both?

I could understand what Harvey says : I'm not interested in caring. I'm interested in winning. (That is what I understand)

I don't exactly understand about 'about' in this sentence.

Plus, you can also find out be about in the next sentence.

What does 'I'm about noun' mean?

Could I get more examples?


texts:
I now "pay your way through" means paying for your expenses yourself or maybe parents can do that as well. Like:

  His parents payed his way through the college.

But can it be used to mean "paying for someone who isn't smart enough,so that the person isn't held back; in other words bribing....?

Same sentence:

  He wasn't really smart enough, but his parents payed his way through the college.

  His parents payed his way through school.

  His parents payed his way through the tenth grade. (Or any particular class..)

(They payed for him, that is the reason why he wasn't held back and was able to graduate from the college.)


texts:
Which one is correct?

This week is the final week of my staying in this city.
This week is the last week of my staying in this city.


texts: prepositional-phrases in passive sentence

texts:
I have read we can use Prepositioal  Phrases as both adjective phrase and adverb phrase.
But how can we differ them from adjective or adverb when changing them into passive?
For example,

  Evaporation of sweat takes heat from the body.

In this sentence I can't decide whether from the body is "adjective phrase or adverb phrase".
So trying to change it into passive structure, there may be two possible answers.

  Heat is taken from the body by the evaporation of sweat.
  Heat from the body is taken by the evaporation of sweat.

Which sentence is suitable for the meaning of the active sentence given?


texts:
When my hobby is gardening, what I'm doing in the free time? Can I say:

  "I will garden tomorrow."

or perhaps:

  "I'm going to garden some roses."

Or can I ask someone how to garden tomatoes?


texts: What is the difference between "quick" and "expeditious"?

texts: What is the difference between quick and expeditious? When the expeditious is more appropriate?


texts: "You and your X, your Y, your Z that comes...". Why is the verb in singular form?

texts:
The third sentence in the book Packing for Mars is:

  You and your fluctuating metabolism, your puny memory, your frame that comes in a million different configurations.

Why is the verb (come) in singular form, when there are four subjects? What is the role of that in this case?


texts: Does "dip" also mean "walk" in "dip out of view"?

texts:
I heard in a movie description this line:

  Sharing his perspective, we watch her dip out of view.

The scene shows the character walking away until disappearing out of view. I couldn't find a definition of dip close to "to walk." Did I hear it wrong? I can't think of a similar-sounding word that would fit the context. I am putting the audio clip here (uploaded to an audio sharing site Clyp) for reference.


texts: "spirit of the law" VS "spirit of the laws" VS "spirit of law"

texts:
we should uphold the spirit of the laws to build a society based on the rule of law.
  we should uphold the spirit of the law to build a society based on the rule of law.
  we should uphold the spirit of law to build a society based on the rule of law.

In this context, which one is right?


texts:
The idea that Winston modestly hid from history so crucial an event as a brilliant outmanoeuvring of his rival Halifax strains our understanding of his personality, which, by any definition, rates rather high on the narcissistic spectrum.

I know all the meanings of the vocabularies in this sentence, but still I don’t understand this sentence because of the structure. Can someone explain the meaning and structure of this sentence?

It’s a sentence from the Epilogue of Darkest Hour by Anthony McCarten.
Here is the paragraph from which this sentence was take from:

  Winston never disclosed that he was playing a grand game of deception. He neither did so then, nor after the war, when there was ample time to do so, with much to be gained in reputation. The idea that Winston modestly hid from history so crucial an event as a brilliant outmanoeuvring of his rival Halifax strains our understanding of his personality, which, by any definition, rates rather high on the narcissistic spectrum. Rather than damage his mythic image by revealing such a story, it would enhance it. And if we doubt his desire to curate his legacy, remember, as he once quipped: ‘It will be found much better by all Parties to leave the past to history, especially as I propose to write that history.’


texts: To check a situatoin : "... , it is checked whether ..."

texts:
I have this sentence (However you may find it technical):

  If it matches any of the anchors, the anchor is marked as visited. If there is a context which is defined over this anchor, it is checked whether the beginning or ending of this context can be marked with this anchor or not.

is it a natural way to say about the investigation of a situation to determine something?


texts:
I won't listen without having you having eaten the apple.

I won't listen without having you ate the apple.

Are these sentences grammatically correct? Or is it rather awkward that the below having-you part should be completely revised?  Having eaten and**ate* are supposed to mean completed speech.


texts: "have stayed" or "had been staying" which one is correct?

texts:
I have stayed in your hotel for several days last month.
  I had been staying in your hotel for several days last month.

Which one is correct?


texts: "regardless of time or place " VS "regardless of the time or the place"

texts:
Humanity resolved to uphold human dignity regardless of time or place.
  Humanity resolved to uphold human dignity regardless of the time or the place.

If I want to convey the meaning that people around the world dertermined to defend human dignity everywhere and always, which one should I opt for?


texts: In a dictionary I was trying to find the superlative of 'right' but I couldn't; but I notice that using 'rightest' makes sense, isn't it? Or should we write 'the most' such as It is the rightest  thing or It is the most right thing? Honestly, I have never used 'the most right' nor does it sound good to me.


texts: Every (noun) has done vs Every (noun) have done

texts:
I was listening to a podcast when I noticed this sentence, "Which, of course, every group has done..."

So, I wasn't sure if "has" or "have" should be used in that case. Then I googled the two forms and "every group have done" got almost no results, while "every group has done" got hundreds of thousands. Though I wasn't totally satisfied yet, which made me try googling the two sentences again but switching the noun "group" to "country", and I got hundreds of thousands of results to both sentences.

My question is... What's going on? What's the proper usage and why were the results so different after I switch the nouns? Isn't group and country, basically equivalent nouns?


texts: Why "being stripped" was used in this example ? Why not "to be stripped"?

texts: The warning from the European commission could lead to that country being stripped of its European rights.


texts:
A friend of mine who is an ELL made the following statement.

  I would advise you to shop for the items in a store because the quality
  online may not be so transparent.

I immediately replied that they should use apparent instead because transparent is something "see through" whereas apparent is something "revealed" or "obvious."

However, they pointed out that the definition for transparent lists "apparent" as a synonym in the case of something perceived.

  trans·par·ent

  transˈperənt/

  adjective

  ...
  easy to perceive or detect.

  "the residents will see through any transparent attempt to buy their votes"

  synonyms:   obvious, evident, self-evident, undisguised, unconcealed, conspicuous, patent, clear, crystal clear, plain, (as) plain as the nose on your face, apparent, unmistakable, easily discerned, manifest, palpable, indisputable, unambiguous, unequivocal
  "a transparent attempt to win favor"

So, why is transparent the incorrect word choice here?


texts: A kids-friendly, nontechnical alternative to the term "arithmetic operations"?

texts:
The term "arithmetic operations" from basic grammar school mathematics is highly formal and technical in my ears. In my native Danish language it translates into:

  The arithmetic operations = De aritmetiske operationer

I show this to tell that we do have the same technical wording in our language. But we also have another and much more nontechnical term to use in Danish for kids and colloquial conversations (so frequently used that it is not a colloquial term anymore but formally recognized):

  De fire regnearter = The four calculation kinds / types --(direct translation)

See the Danish wiki. Before I was even old enough to understand words like "arithmetics" or "(mathematical) operations", I could easily understand and learn the four calculations kinds.

Also, the term "arithmetic operations" seems to be broader than the latter. Wikipedia describes it as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as powers and roots. A term like "the four calculation kinds" clearly only covers the first four and thus the headline for math taught to small children at the early school stages.

I am therefore wondering: Is there similar informal term in English? An alternative to "arithmetic operations" that refers to those four basic means of calculation? What term do English speakers use when talking with kids in 1st-year grammar school?


texts: The right word for an assumption which is very likely true?

texts:
I think something, but I cannot prove it is true. Though it is very likely to be true. To use "assume" seems to be too weak, for me at least.

In a sentence: "I assume global warming is not a phantasm."

Is there another term? Or can I say "strongly assume"?

Or would "I strongly suspect" fit better?


texts: “Sell extremely strong onions to opponent” Asian idiom or mistranslation

texts:
This anime clip I found on Facebook has the following caption: “Pretending to lose 2 rounds to sell extremely strong onions for opponents”. I’m assuming the “sell extremely strong onions” part is a literal translation of some Asian idiom that means something along the lines of the English “sandbagging”. I’m assuming it’s Japanese in origin, but could be Chinese, Korean, etc.
I know this is a slightly odd question for this stack exchange, but I don’t have the “untranslated” version so I don’t know the origin to ask in the proper Asian language exchange, just that someone who is learning English didn’t know what a better English translation would be for this phrase.
I myself am curious where this idiom is from and what it means, and what the closest natural English translation/idiom would be. Googling the phrase isn’t helpful, and I can only take a guess at the origin.


texts:
At first I wished to hurry on,for I longed to console and sympathize with my loved and sorrowing friends; but when I drew near my native town, I slackened my progress.

here it says longed .I could not encounter with other meaning of "long" without noun.What that means?  and also isn't console meaning game tool ?


texts:
There's a shortage of toilet paper. People who hoarded them/it are the
  reason.

Do we use it or them? I think it's "it", but it sounds wrong. I think "them" sounds better, but I have no idea if the rules are malleable or extremely strict on this. Is there any good reference that can sort out this uncertainty?


texts: I was at the library, and walked up to the lady behind the reference desk to tell her about the trouble I had in pulling up the E-book on my laptop the way she had told me to. How could I have said, I've encountered a glitch in a natural, idiomatic, or informal way? I (was) faced (with) a glitch is another way of saying the same thing, but is there a more informal way of saying it? Can I say, I hit a glitch or I was hit by a glitch?


texts: How can the noun in a sentence get modified by a relative pronoun 'which'?

texts:
Like you see in the title, I am wondering if there's a way to make the noun get modified by 'which'.

For example,

  'An apple is a kind of fruit, which is red.'

is this sentence correct grammarly?
I mean, 'apple = red' but not 'a kind of fruit = red'
If 'which' in this sentence modify fruit, not apple, how can I change to make 'which is red = apple'?

I hope you guys catch what I mean...

Thanks!


texts:
afaik, you're is an abreviation of "you are", but I've seen frequently people using it as possessive pronoun (your), is that an usual mistake or is it accepted?

e.g.:

[...] you're users are [...]


texts: What is the meaning of "spec'd" in "That will ensure that the input is not driven to a non spec'd value"?

texts:
Somebody was teaching me electronics over the internet. I don't know if he is a native English speaker or not.

  He said: "To see more realistic effects, try using a clamping diode from the non inverting input to ground. That will ensure that the input is not driven to a non spec'd value which would actually blow out a real chip".

What is the meaning of the word "spec'd" ?


texts: "If you ____ to me, you ____ what I was trying to say."

texts:
If you ____ to me, you ____ what I was trying to say.
A) had been listening / would have understood
B) were listening / would have understood
C) had been listening / would understand
D) listened / will understand
E) listen / will understand

I'm confused which option is true. Could anyone explain me every option whether it is true or not?


texts: Have you forgotten (borrowing/to borrow/borrowed)?

texts:
Have you forgotten _________ 1000 from me last month?

  A. borrowing
  B. to borrow
  C. borrowed

The answer is A, but why not C? Can anybody kindly explain this to me?


texts:
Is it correct to say:

  I devote/dedicate all my time to task A

or can you only devote/dedicate yourself to something?


texts: Flautist versus Flutist - which is correct?

texts: I've always come across "flautist" as the correct word (to denote a person who plays the flute). However, flutist also seems to be an accepted form in some writings. Which one is the correct or rather more accepted form? Or is it different in different geographies?