texts:
I’m English learner living in Korea and I’ve just studied English ‘intonation.’ I already know when people speak a general sentence, the last word is focused.
However, I can’t understand some parts of the book.
“If people want to emphasize on the words in the sentence, they can put an intonation on the sentence. For instance,
(General sentence) There is a lot of books on the table.

(emphasis on ‘lot’)There is a lot of books on the table

(emphasis on ‘lot’)There is a lot of books on the table.”

Is there any meaning difference between the sentence 1 and 2?
Does Sentence 2 emphasize on the word ‘lot’ more than Sentence 1?


texts: What is the difference in meaning between the phrase "so there it is" and "so there is that"?

texts:
What is the difference in the meaning between the phrase so there it is and so there is that? For example, would it be possible both in the sentence below? If so, what would be the difference?

The government has decided to raise taxes again. So there it is!
The government has decided to raise taxes again. So there is that!


texts:
Consider

  They are a different ethnicity (ethnic?) and are counted as an Indo-European ethnic (ethnicity?).

It was just an example, in general when we use "ethnic" and when "ethnicity"?
I checked "ethnic" in Longman, it could be both adjective and noun, and it confused me more about their difference:

  Someone who comes from a group of people who are a different race, religion etc or who have a different background from most other people in that country

  In that neighborhood of New York, we were all ethnics.


texts: Should it be will or would after present perfect?

texts:
My experiences have told me that my interest would/will never decrease.
Which one is better and what's the difference?


texts: Difference between cause of and cause for

texts:
Could someone please tell me whether to use of or for in the sentence given below:-

Inactivity is the greatest cause of/for overweight.

Please also explain the logic used to make the distinction.


texts: Is the use of "present during" in "...capturing feelings present during a reading..." correct?

texts:
Art style and music create a very mysterious and terrifying atmosphere accurately capturing feelings present during a reading of this short story.

I want to say that a movie's atmosphere captures or rather elicits the exact same feelings that a reader feels while reading the source material. I'm not sure If I am using "present" and "during" correctly here


texts:
Please help me clear away this doubt in following question regarding the use of verb "are".
"These recently upgraded branch offices have been fully computerised and are connected to headquarters to ensure proper monitoring"
Is the above sentence correct? Or should "are" be removed?
In my opinion," have" has already its verb v3 of computerize i.e computerised and later part of the sentence i.e "These recent upgraded branch offices are connected to headquarters to ensure proper monitoring" sounds okay to me.
What do you think?
Thank you everyone.


texts: What is the meaning of the following text?

texts:
To do this assignment, simply create a one-line text file with the name of your home country and nothing else. Make sure you are creating a real text file, not, for example, an .rtf file.

Does the above sentence mean don't use rtf format file?


texts:
How I met my certain fate by Stewart Lee

  I don’t do Pull Back and Reveal [type of joke] any more. Instead, with
  painful slowness, I raise a ratty curtain that was covering something
  which we had already seen quite clearly anyway through holes in the
  tattered fabric, and display it shamefacedly, with an air of crushed
  inevitability, as if to say, ‘Here you are. Is this what you wanted?
  Are you happy now? Do you feel entertained?

I'm stuck on this "crushed inevitability". Who had crushed it? Or is it the author who was crushed (defeated)? But why not use "with an air of inevitability as being crushed".

Is there a rule in English that explains it?

Thanks in advance


texts: In which cases do we use "collect" and in which "gather"?

texts:
I can never know for sure which word to use outside foresting and foraging.

I've always thought them to be interchangeable most of the time.

However, when it comes to berries or fruit we use gather and can't use collect. And when speak we about items or stuff like coins we use collect.

What about these cases:

I need to gather/collect information.
If you gather/collect everyone we will start the meeting.
He went there to gather/collect junk.

So, in which case do we use collect and in which gather?


texts: How to say in one word "the one who you talk with"?

texts: Google translate says it's "interlocutor". But I've never heard of it before. I suspect it is a very formal word (used in the legal etc.). FWIW, in Russian there is a pretty common word "собеседник" (sobesednik) used both in formal and informal speech.


texts: Is it possible to use present perfect simple for a continuous and ongoing activity?

texts:
For me it's easier beccause since I have been doing music I have always sung  in french

in that case I have always sang  seems a continuously and ongoing action which has not stopped yet. Why not I have been singing to convey this idea of this ongoing continuity
  Is it because have been singing  means that he is always singing 24 hours a day or is it because the present perfect progressive is used before


texts:
There's a misunderstanding (in) between us.

Is it natural with in or without? In which case should we add in?


texts: "The last two nights in Las Vegas (have been/were?) wonderful"

texts:
"The last two nights in Las Vegas have been wonderful."

Is this sentence grammatically correct? I think it's better to use past simple as the last two nights are finished now.


texts: Is there any adjective that means satiety? When you feel hunger you say I'm hungry, what you say when you feel satiety? I know some people say "I'm full". But I wonder if there is a more formal alternative?


texts:
We generally say:

  A for Apple.

What is the meaning of this?

When we say to our kids "A for Apple", what does the "for" mean?


texts:
Which one is correct "come to extinct" or "come to extinction"?

I want to talk about Hawaiian papaya that had been in danger of extinction but was saved. Can I use this sentence "The infection caused Hawaiian papaya to come nearly to extinct/extinction"?


texts: Is using "See you soon" as a sign appropriate for a letter to a pen-friend?

texts: If a pen-friend is a person whom you likely won't see in the future, can we write "see you soon" at the end of an informal letter? It seems weird to me, but what would you say?  My question is related to exam preparation, so such a detail is essential. Thanks in advance


texts: Get bored of/with/by/from doing something (Which one is correct?)

texts:
I have seen people use the forms/expressions "to get bored of", "to get bored with", "to get bored by", "to get bored from." I would like to know which is the correct one to use when it is followed by a gerund as a non. Which one do you recommend?

If all of them are correct, when should I use each one?

Examples:

  John was getting bored of doing the same thing every day.
  John was getting bored with doing the same thing every day.
  John was getting bored by doing the same thing every day.
  John was getting bored from doing the same thing every day.


texts: Stripped off half its gear/stripped half of its gear

texts:
Let's say you are selling a game character online equipped with 10 pieces of gear. You posted it trying to sell it online. And then a potential buyer messaged you saying: (after checking if the equipped gear is legit)

  "Your game character's equipment is not as described, you have stripped off half its gear."

Or

  "Your game character's equipment is not as described, you have stripped half of its gear."

Is one of these phrases correct? So that it can be used to convey the meaning of what I am trying to say.


texts: What does but mean in the phrase "If they but knew it"

texts:
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having
  little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me
  on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery
  part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and
  regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about
  the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul;
  whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses,
  and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially
  whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a
  strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into
  the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I
  account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my
  substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato
  throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is
  nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in
  their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same
  feelings towards the ocean with me.

I am not sure if it's a phrase or a rather peculiar usage of the word but.
I thought it meant only Merely; just; only: looking at the dictionary, but it seems to mean merely and not only as in "If only they knew...", and the rest of the sentence doesn't seem to indicate that it meant only or merely. It seems to mean: "If only they thought about it, they would realize that", but grammatically it makes absolutely no sense since those both constructions mean something totally different.


texts: Do native speakers say 'on the dot' or 'sharp' for all times, including 10:23?

texts:
I am familiar with the phrases 'sharp' and 'on the dot' to refer to times that are at the top of the hour. But I'm wondering if native speakers of English use these phrases to refer to other times, such as the half hour, quarter hour, or any hour whatsoever...

For instance, which of the following are acceptable according to standard native English usage?

Noon (o'clock) sharp
12:00 (o'clock) on the dot
4:30 (o'clock) sharp
4:30 (o'clock) on the dot
1:55 (o'clock) sharp
1:55 (o'clock) on the dot
10:23 (o'clock) sharp
10:23 (o'clock) on the dot

Note I checked ten online English Dictionaries and only one gives an example of other than the top of the hour or the bottom of the hour. Is there any significance to this?

Also, does using o'clock in any of the times phrases above change anything?

Can high be used for another time than 12, and does it refer to both midday and midnight?

What about trains and planes? I know the train can come at 12 o'clock high, but can it also come at 3:10 (o'clock) sharp or 3:10 (o'clock) on the dot? Or would it be more likely to arrive (or be scheduled to arrive) at exactly 3:10?


texts:
I have been to Iceland recently.

OR

  I had been to Iceland recently.

What is the difference between the two and which seems correct ?


texts: What exactly do Officer Gary's words really mean?

texts:
In Practical Magic, Officer Gary say these words to Sally.

  I thought I came here to bring in the bad guy because, generally,
  that's what I do.

What does bring in the bad guy actually mean? Also please explain the whole sentence also.


texts: Is "different unknown fathers" grammatical?

texts:
I am not sure if I am crazy, but it doesn't sound grammatical to me.

  The children, all eight of them, had different unknown fathers.

What's wrong and is there a word or phrase that mean the same thing that would make the sentence sound idiomatic?


texts:
I went to see my friend in the hospital but he had been alredy discharged from hospital and went to his home. So I went to his home.

Can I say ?

1) I had gone to see you in the Hospital but doctor said you had been discharged today.


texts:
Can I omit the third to in the following sentence?

  She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table.

  The context: After her husband had gone to work. Mrs. Richards sent herchildren to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She wastoo excited to do any housework that morning, for in theevening she would be going to a fancy-dress part with herhusband. She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before,she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective.After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would becomfortable to wear.  Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dinning room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open thedoor and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs.Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs. She heard the front door open andheavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and a man entered.Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the man from the Electricity Board who had come to readthe metre. She tried to explain the situation, saying 'It's only me', but it was too late. The man letout cry and jumped back several paces. When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled,slamming the door behind him.


texts: What is the grammatical function of the bold it in the sentence?

texts:
Family planning policy in China takes place against one stark fact.
  This is that China has 22% of the people in the world, but only 7% of
  the total land. To allow such a huge population to expand unchecked
  would soon result in it outstripping the ability of the
  countryside to feed it.

What is the grammatical function of the first 'it' in the second sentence in the above paragraph related to the Present participial phrase after?

To me, 'it' is the object of the verbal phrase 'result in', and the phrase after it is the apposition of 'it'.

Another possibility might be that the actual object of the phrase 'result in' is 'outstripping the ability of the countryside to feed it', and the first it is the logical subject of the phrase.

Which one of my understandings is correct?

Add information：

Except for the two understandings above, I strongly believe that the first 'it' is used as anticipatory object of 'result in' and the Present participial phrase after 'it' is the real object.


texts:
arrange a party vs arrange for a party (Is there any difference?)

The verb 'arrange' can be transitive or intransitive.
Is there any difference?
There is another example: arrange an appointment vs arrange for an appointment


texts:
guys. I deeply apologize for deleting some questions number of times.

My next job would be definitely English related, so I have to get used to.

The question is,

Currently I am reading this article, and a paragraph says,

  Dunedin, a small seaside city outside Tampa, cracks down on code violations, saddling homeowners with massive fines while its revenue grows. In 5½ years, the city has collected nearly $3.6 million in fines – sometimes tens of thousands at a time – for violating laws that prohibit grasses taller than 10 inches, recreational vehicles parked on streets at certain hours or sidings and bricks that don't match.

I checked at Yahoo Image! by googling by sidings. And somethings like these came up.

So would this term, sidings, mean the line that separates the home itself and the ground on which the home itself stands, ( thus line ) probably?

Thank you for your continued support


texts: I will be leave on this Monday. Is it correct?

texts:
Can we say

  "I will be leave on this Monday."

Is this sentence  grammatically correct?

Or we have to say

  "I am going for a leave on this Monday."


texts:
I sometimes see the phrase "that being said" and I wish to know a little more about it. Especially, when and how can we use this phrase?

Is there a difference if we shorten it to "that said"? In what cases are we allowed to do it?

Is it possible to say the following:

With that being said, I left the room.
While that being said, I was driving.
In that being said, I jumped off the roof.
As that being said made me fall to my knees and cry.
That being said, she locked the door and turned off the light.


texts:
Source

  The phrase "Back in" definition:For the non-striker to take a few steps down the pitch, in preparation to taking a run, just as the bowler bowls the ball.

The pitch is straight so how can one move down it? I've seen phrases like: down the throat, down the line , etc. but they are idiomatic. What the phrase means by down the pitch?

Also, the screen is popping an error with in preparation to. I think it is fine. In preparation to could be replaced by in preparation for without changing the meaning.The difference lies in the usage- British English or American. Am I right?


texts: The nuance of understanding the usage of the definite and indefinite article with the word 'FINAL'

texts:
Using the indefinite article a with the word final has always confused me. I mean how come something that is final can be considered indefinite! When it's final, it's definitely final, isn't it?

An investigation report from Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division confused me further. It reads...

  At this time, the Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide
  due to asphyxia, but a comprehensive investigation must be completed before a final determination is made.

When we investigate something and come up with our final decision, it's pretty final. Something like...

  "After evaluating our company's situation today, we have come up with the final decision of shutting it down."

About Robin William's case, when those investigators will look into the matter and come up with something authentic, that's the final decision/determination. After all, it's legally declared. They must come up with the final decision because there cannot be two final decisions or final decision that's random! Using a final decision triggers some funny examples in my mind - a final decision, thereafter another final decision and then a random final decision and after those many final decisions, the final decision! :)

In fact, in that particular sentence (after reading examples of COCA for 'a final' sentences), it should have 'the' because they are telling something (investigation) must be completed BEFORE a final determination is made. They are pretty concerned about the determination and hence want to go for a comprehensive investigation. After doing that hard work, they don't come up with a possible final statement. When it's final, it's not something possible. Again, there cannot be two finals or a random final to support a final statement and not the final statement.

I look this quite similar to using a with result. When the result is out, the result is out and not a result.


texts:
Gunpowder, also referred to as 'black powder', was the only
unique/known
chemical explosive until the mid-nineteenth century. It
contains
potassium nitrate, or 'saltpeter', which is an oxidizer, and a combination of charcoal and sulphur serves as fuel. There is a
known/academic
consensus that gunpowder was initially invented in China as early as the ninth century. This
led
to its use in fireworks and in gunpowder weapons.

I am confused between the two choices for the answers though I choose unique for the first and known for the second but I am not finding the context that will complement the same.
Can anyone guide me on what should be the correct answer and why?


texts: What is the meaning of 'over other creeds it works with'?

texts:
Source: The Russian Orthodox Church Acts As Putin's 'Soft Power' In Ukraine

  The OSCE said it was a mix of interventions that made the release possible. A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the OSCE case. The person said the ministry does not favor the ROC over other creeds it works with. The Kremlin was not available for comment.

I don't quite understand what is exactly meant by over other creeds it works with.


texts:
If the boys at school are still bothering you, you shouldn't be afraid to hit back.

Is this natural to say? And does "hit back" mean to literally hit someone who has just hit you or just to fight back?


texts:
Hello my native language is spanish and in spanish we use 'the' a lot of times, and sometimes when I translate something from English I see that 'the' is not necessary or is wrong.

For example

  Do you like flowers? instead of Do you like the flowers? (Spanish
  literal translateion)
  Do you like american footbal? instad of Do you like the american
  footbal? (Spanish literal translation)

What is the rule for put 'the'? and is really wrong put 'the word'?

Thanks


texts:
It is from this article. Here is the context:

  Whether any one person can or should include fruit in their diet depends on a lot of things.

What I cannot get is the use of the word one there. What did the author use it for?


texts: Present perfect or past simple choose rigth

texts:
I have this exercise.

Choose the correct form:

  They had/They have had three children - I'm the youngest.

I chose

  "They have had three children- I'm the youngest"

because I thought they still have children.
But right answer was

  They had

Why?

Full topic is:

  My mum was born in Plymouth in 1948.
  When
  she left school, she started work in an office in Plymouth. Later, the
  company
   sent her to a different office in Bristol,
  where
   she met  my dad.
   They fell
  in love, and
   they got  married in 1970.6
  They had /
  They've had three children - I'm the youngest.
  They moved / They've moved back to Plymouth again when
  my dad retired. They bought a very nice house and
   they lived /
  they've lived there for two years now. My dad
    just put /
  has just put a greenhouse in the garden for growing vegetables -
   he was / he's been a keen gardener all his life. My parents
  made / have made a lot of new friends and they're very
  happy in their new home.


texts: Could you pass me ___ remote control for ___ TV please?

texts:
Could you pass me _____ remote control for _____ TV please?

  a) Ø, Ø
  b) Ø, the
  c) the, Ø
  d) the, the

I guess d is correct. What do you think, and why?


texts:
I would like to know which phrasal verb is the correct one to be used when talking about an appointment.

I have heard some say remind about is the correct one because it talks about something in the future that I have to do. And I have heard others say remind of is the correct one because it's the one to be used for something already set such as an appointment.

So, what do you think? Which one should I use in this case?

Here are a few example sentences:

  The alarm reminded Tim of his appointment.
  The alarm reminded Tim about his appointment.
  Thank you for reminding me of my doctor's appointment tomorrow—I had completely forgotten!
  Thank you for reminding me about my doctor's appointment tomorrow—I had completely forgotten!


texts: What are the differences between 'will' and 'would'?

texts:
Every single day when I sit to write something, I am to think what I will write.
Every single day when I sit to write something, I am to think what I would write.

Please say what are the differences between 1 and 2?


texts: What is the difference between "end up in" and "end in"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between end up in and end in? For example:

  My attempt to cook chicken ended up in a complete mess.

  My attempt to cook chicken ended in a complete mess.


texts: Is across the window/towards the window the expression in this context?

texts:
Let's I am in a room with a window and I want to describe the direction of the wind with respect to the window, Can I use these these expressions

The direction of the wind is towards the window.(wind coming in the room through the window)
The direction of the wind is across the window (wind's direction being parallel to the window or in mathematical sense being at a 90 degree  angle to the direction mentioned in expression 1).

Is this how a native english speaker would describe them?


texts: How does "had" change the meaning in the sentece "Only once had she put the doctrine of non-interference into practice, when...."

texts:
First I thought it was the phenomenon of "Conditional inversion", but the full sentence does not contain a hypothetical situation but a past occurrence, so that shouldn't be the case (Should I be wrong, correct me, please).
Here's the full sentence (it was too long to put in the title):

Only once had she put the doctrine of non-interference into practice, when one of her detractors had been besieged for nearly three hours in a may tree by an angry boar-pig.


texts:
Is this sentence written correctly?

"If you had told me one year ago that I would be studying math, I would have said you were crazy."

I've heard a lot of people making the sentences with such meaning without past perfect but just past simple. Like: "If you told me one year ago that I would be studying math, I would have said you were crazy."

Is there a difference?


texts:
Do native speaker use "Present Perfect" (in real life) as it should be done? I have watched many US movies, and I noticed that the simple past tense is used more often.

For example, suppose that there has been recent news, and somebody just met his friend and asked him "Did you hear something about...?"

I was expecting to hear "Have your heard something about that news?"

Another example: Just when somebody got home, his little brother broke the vase. Instead of telling to his friend "My brother has broken the vase." he said "my brother broke the vase."


texts: What's the difference in pronunciation between case-sensitive and k-sensitive?

texts:
This question is probably simple, but the rule behind it may apply generally.
My assumption is:

If the end of a word duplicate the beginning of the next word, the beginning of the next word should be stressed. Pronounce with no stress otherwise.

Sorry for that I am not familiar with academic terminologies of spoken English. Hopes anyone could tell me if I am correct about this and give more information on it. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I know that there are phrasal verbs like loop up, look out, Pass away, etc.
But, I want to know what this type of words are called which are made up of two complete English words: overrun, outnumbered, turnover, etc. and these group of words are single word and not hyphenated words.


texts:
I'm a Spanish speaker from Colombia. I have usually no problem communicating in English (I'm currently living in the UK), however my speech is both extremely slow and very robotic.

At first I thought I just needed to get used to the language for everyday use. And yes, I've drastically improved my skills vocabulary and grammar -wise but my speech is as broken as the first day.

Do you know of any techniques to work on this? I've noticed I'm unable to say, on one go, any sentence with can't* so any tips on how to overcome this issue?

or any word that ends with a "t"


texts: Is "of your original" a prepositional phrase?

texts:
If any one has an answer or any advice it would help with the speech I'm writing, and I need any answers people have by tomorrow. I would hate to embarrass myself in front of me colleges while giving my speech.

Please and thank you!

Ex: " World domination was part of your original goal."


texts:
One of my friends asked me about another friend Jim yesterday, I said

Jim thought he could get a promotion this year, Jim did his best to get the promotion. It turned out he didn't make it, as his colleague, Michael, did better and got the promotion.

Should I have said this?

... It turns out ...

Which one is more clear and natural?
Are there any other expressions more natural could be used for the situation?


texts: What's the difference between "to subscribe to something" and "to agree with something"?

texts:
To subscribe to something is to agree or to concur with it.

This is the definition of "subscribe" in my dictionary.

Then, do those sentences below also have exactly the same meaning?

  She subscribed to the view that musical education should be kept in schools.
  She agreed with the view that musical education should be kept in schools.

Thanks for your help in advance.


texts:
Tell me please if  to be gained means the same as can be gained in the following sentences.

  Given the giant sets approach is an advanced training method it is best that it not be used by beginners as the compound stress associated with it and the greater potential for injury among those unaccustomed to such stress might offset any benefits to be gained/that can be gained.


texts: "People over 60(age)", How can I rephrase this expression?

texts:
It is predicted that there will be more people over 60 than under 15 in 20 years.

I found a sentence above while reading an English practice book made by Koreans(not experts in English). I have two questions.

1) Is this sentence sound right to native speakers of English?

2) Is there any way to repharse "people over 60" or the whole sentence?

For the second question, I thought that I might rephrase it into something like "people older than 60" but was not sure because this could make the sentence too bulksome and confusing. Like,

  It is predicted that there will be more people older than 60 than under 15 in 20 years.


texts:
I have a test with the following question. I was pretty sure that the correct answer is "few" but the test says that the answer is "much".

Is it right?

  There are many clocks in the office but _____ of them work properly.

  little
  few
  much
  a little


texts: Is it permissible to omit "I" in conversation or informal writing?

texts:
Can I say or write sentences, in conversation or informal writing, without "I" like this?
Though not frequently, I might have heard native speakers saying without a subject, especially the pronoun "I".

  A: What do you do in the evening?
  B: (I) walk my dog to the bridge
  right after having supper.
  A: What do you do usually for fun? B: (I) read English literatures
  every single day.


texts:
1.Thai boxing has become increasingly worldwide popular in recent years.

  2.Thai boxing has become increasingly popular worldwide in recent years.

Which position is better for "worldwide", "popular worldwide" or "worldwide popular"?


texts:
Playing Matrix for some kids with audio description on. A line sounds to my ear like "Trinity sprints, up and down pit metal rooftops." What is a "pit metal rooftop"? Or is it "peat metal rooftop"? Neither makes much sense to me. And Google also doesn't return anything meaningful or relevant. The scene is Trinity running and hopping on corrugated sheet metal roofs.

The clip can be found here. I hear "pit". Did I hear it wrong?


texts: "Were he able to go, he would have gone" is this correct?

texts:
I would like to know whether the sentence "Were he able to go, he would have gone" is correct in English.

Or shall I always say " If he were able to go, he would have done so"?

Help!!


texts:
In the sentence of

  Facebook alone sports thousands of groups which allow members with similar interests to meet and network—purportedly the actual point of having a social networking site.

What is the meaning of a verb "sports"? I cannot find any suitable explanation in my dictionary.
What does "the actual point" mean in this sentence?


texts: I need help understanding some somewhat vague sentences

texts:
I was working on my Computer Science assignment and I found several sentences to be little vague to me.

  *The Clinton/Trump campaigns want to target advertising to specific regions in the nation. To do this, they want you to analyze the data
  for particular regions of the nation. To do this, you should first
  prompt the user to enter the number of states in the region,
  reprompting if the user enters a non-positive number (you don't need
  to check that there are fewer than 51 states in the region since this
  program is intended to work for arbitrary files). Then, prompt for
  each of the state codes one at a time. The user will not necessarily
  enter them in sorted order. Finally, print the following message to
  the screen:{Obama,Romney} won the popular vote by N points in the
  region. Note that the {} above is standard notation to indicate that
  you print one of the options.

  If at any point an illegal state is entered, you should just print the
  following error message: XX is not a legal state In that case, you
  should reprompt for the entire region (but not region size) again. You
  do not need to check that the entered states are distinct.
  *

Please read only the bolded sentences and ignore the rests.

My question is, what am I supposed to ask users to enter for the first and the second?

The first bolded text to me, sounds like I'm testing the user to see if they know how many states are there in the United States.

The second bolded text says to 'prompt for each of the state codes one at a time.' It's asking user to input state codes, which sounds like okay, but what about the first bolded text?

I wonder if it's just me can't understand it clearly.
Do they make sense?
If so, what do they mean?


texts:
We haven't done this in a while, haven't we?

I am aware  that this is a double negative, and technically it should be "have we?" at the end of the sentence.

However, is the question grammatically incorrect or not just advisable not to use?


texts:
My original sentence is

The man near the door who is pretending to be cool who has a red hat is a friend of Jane.

In this sentence, I intended to use "defining relative clause" with "who" and give the meaning:

The man near the door is a friend of Jane. He is who is pretending to be cool and has a red hat.

Is my original sentence correct or must I use commas even if "who relative clauses" are defining relative clauses like:

The man near the door, who is pretending to be cool, and who has a red hat is a friend of Jane.

I don't think the last one is correct because it seems that there is a list whose first element is "near the door", which doesn't make sense to me.


texts:
What is the difference between quiet and quietness if we take both as nouns?
 For example in sentence: the quiet of a wooded trail. ... why there couldn't be quietness?
 The dictionary says:

  quiet - absence of noise or bustle; silence; calm

  quietness - absence of noise or bustle; calm

I see the same meaning, but I know that there must be some difference, since in the books are exercises about it.


texts: Why use "what does this word mean" instead of "how do I understand this word"?

texts:
I used to ask questions as "how do I understand this word", and was told that it's wrong. People suggest me to use "What does this word mean" instead.

Why is this way to query wrong? What about if I change it to "how do I understand this word in this context"?


texts: Can I put verb and past participle as adjective?

texts:
Is it correct to say:

  a first surface is extending bent from a second surface

This sentence is from patent context and I think the sentence means

  a first surface is extending from a second surface while being bent (the shape of the first surface is bent)


texts:
If the following is our main sentence:(Parallelism)

  Before the judge announced the punishment, he asked the murderer if he wanted to speak either to the victim’s family, or to the jury.

Can we rewrite as following( in the way keep the parallelism as well)?

  Before the judge announced the punishment, he asked the murderer if he wanted to speak to either the victim’s family, or the jury.

Again, if the following is our main sentence:(Parallelism)

  Air pollution may come either from the ocean as natural contaminants given off by sea life or from the internal combustion engines of automobile.

Can we rewrite as following( in the way keep the parallelism as well)?

  Air pollution may come from either the ocean as natural contaminants given off by sea life or the internal combustion engines of automobile.


texts:
What's the difference between opposite and in front of?

  the bank is opposite the mall
  the bank is in front of the mall


texts:
“Don’t let the salesperson pressure you,” Mr. Springer said. “It’s your money after all. You have to get into your own head and say, ‘I’m here because I want to evaluate this.’ Be pretty critical, because that’s your chance to make a decision.”

Does "get into one's head" mean "form an impression, idea, or plan" here? If so, what idea?

...and say ‘I’m here because I want to evaluate this.’  Say to whom? the salesperson or yourself?


texts:
I am confused by the voices used in these two sentences:

  While there's a conceptual proposal on the table for a new Appleton
  Public Library in a mixed-use development, there are still plenty of details to be worked out and questions to be answered, Mayor Tim Hanna cautioned Monday.  Source
  As Sophie opened her garden gate, she looked in the mailbox. There
  was usually a lot of junk mail and a few big envelopes for her
  mother, a pile to dump on the kitchen table before she went up to
  her room to start her homework. - Jostein Gaarder, "Sophie's World"

I think both details and pile are objects of their respective verbs, work out and dump. But I don't understand why different voices are used in these two infinitive phrases?

Could anyone please kindly help me to understand this difference?


texts:
If I want to tell something important I've just found out to a friend of mine, how should I say: "I (have to/must/need to) tell you something." ?

Could anyone please explain the difference?


texts: That seemed odd. Then came yelping, nearer still. (what does this mean?)

texts:
The faraway yipping was joined by nearer yapping. A couple of dogs? That seemed odd. Then came yelping, nearer still. Then howling. I froze. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

nearer is adverb and still is also adverb? what does this mean?


texts: Plural Vs Singular? "different climate(s?) at either side(s?) of the mountain"

texts:
Would you please clarify for me what would be the difference in meaning between the following phrases?

different climate at either side of the mountain
different climate at either sides of the mountain
different climates at either side of the mountain
different climates at either sides of the mountain

I am confused because of two reasons. First, since either can be both a pronoun and a determiner. Second, since I expect actually two different climates, but at the same time, climates can be used as a collective or abstract noun.


texts:
Can I use "his" instead of "him" in this sentence?

"Can Tom play the piano? I have never heard him playing."

The sentence is from "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy.
If I use "his", would it be the same construction as in the sentence below?

"If you think our son should be told the truth, how do you feel about my taking him to visit his father in jail? "

I read that in an informal style object forms are used. Is this the same construction? 1."Do you mind me smoking?" 2. "I saw him getting out of ths car." 3. "She was angry at Lina lying to her." These examples are from "Practical English Usage" by Michael Swan.  In the jail example, my and me both work, but according to Swan's book, possessives aren't used with "feel", "see", "hear" and "watch".


texts:
Is there a rule for omission of articles in case of enumeration or comparison?
For example, in the following sentence there is no article before “saving scheme”:

  Some people believe that it is best to save money, for example in a bank or saving scheme. (From “IELTS band 9 essays”)


texts:
Can we say Toni rode with/drove with Danny to the mall?
I am not sure if "rode with" gives the same meaning of "drove with".

I want to say that Toni went in the car with Danny, and he drives her to the mall along with him because he was already driving to the mall. I am not sure if saying "drive with someone or ride with someone" means to get into the car with them.

Is it correct to say that "Danny drove Toni to the mall with him." to indicate that he was also going to the same destination, or I should only say that "Danny drove Toni to the mall"?


texts:
The pool of loans underlying the mortgage bond conformed to the standards, in their size and the credit quality of the borrowers, set by one of several government agencies: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae.-The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

I've searched meaning of the word "underlying" and found several meanings, but I'm not sure of which one is correct one.
a)Lying or situated under something. [Lexico.com]
b)used to describe something on which something else is based [Cambridge dictionary]
c)anterior and prior in claim [Merriam-Webster]


texts: "Immediately, David and Adan skedaddle."

texts:
John takes a gun. Immediately, David and Adan skedaddle from the place.

  John takes a gun. Immediately, David and Adan skedaddle.

  John takes a gun. Immediately, David and Adan skedaddle from that place.

I never used this word before. I want to keep the sentence short as the second one, but I'm not sure whether that sentence is valid.


texts: Can 'watcher' be synonymous with 'viewer'?

texts:
As I understand it, watcher means something different than viewer. A film-watcher is someone who follows cinematography in general and it cannot be used to refer to anyone who consumes a movie at a given moment like in the sentence

  The movie invites its viewers into a mysterious environment.

instead of viewers. Am I right?


texts: Can I say 'I will keep your heart from the fall'

texts:
Can I say in the poem: "I will keep your heart from the fall"?
Or "I will save your heart from the fall'?
Of course, it's indirect meaning.


texts: Is "Outside the house were two women talking" a grammatical/good sentence? partial inversion vs full inversion

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

Page 56-57

  3 Inversion after an adverbial

  a In this sentence the pattern is subject + verb + adverbial of place.

  A furniture van was outside the house.

  When the adverbial of place is in front position, there is inversion of the subject and the ordinary verb be.

  Alan walked along Elmdale Avenue and found number sixteen without
  difficulty. Outside the house was a furniture van.

  The adverbial (outside the house) is in front position to link with what has gone before. The new information (a furniture van) comes at the end of the sentence.

  We can do the same with other verbs of place and movement, e.g. come, go, lie, sit,stand.

  The room contained a table and four chairs. On the table lay a newspaper.

  The palace is heavily guarded. Because inside its walls sit the European leaders.

  With such verbs, a pattern without inversion is possible but less usual.

  On the table a newspaper lay.

  There is no inversion with most other kinds of verbs.

  Outside the house two women were talking.

  NOT Outside the house were talking two women.

  NOTE For There was a furniture van outside the house, • 50

related: subject vs subject-complement; inversion


texts: Can we use "all manners of" in this particular way?

texts:
The definition of the phrase is as follows:

all kinds or sorts of (things or people)

It seems to be used when you have a lot of things or people of different kinds, so can it be used in the following way?

  The store sells all manner of sports car, trucks, sedans and vans. We
  have about 3 sports car, 2 trucks, 5 sedans and 3 vans.

Because the numbers are extremely low, I don't think this is correct, so what other similar phrases can be used in this particular context?


texts:
I wonder which one is the correct form of usage.

The first choice is: "we let X denotes its cost".

Or, the second: "we let X denote its cost"?

I think it is the first option, but I don't know the rule.


texts:
Is this grammatically valid? Or Should I separate the two sentences and rid the semicolon

When a parent is passionate about something, they may often pressure their children; the pressure causes the kids to do whatever it is the parents want, just to simply please them.


texts: Which one is correct sentence "The major revision ..."

texts:
Which one is more proper to native English people?

The major revision made by us is as follows:
The thing is edited on majority by us as following.


texts:
The mother helping her baby walks by holding her baby hands.
  Come, let me hold you.

What is the verb that should be used? Hold?


texts: Usage of "except", "but" and "other than"

texts:
Should nouns before 'except', 'other than' and 'but' be plural or singular? I have given some example sentences.

  1- I don't have any friend(s) but/except/other than you.

  2- I have no friend(s) but/except/other than you.

  3- I don't have a friend except/but you.

I think plural nouns are more common in this case. Could any native speakers please answer this question for me?


texts: Is "Made heavy use of [X] principles." grammatically correct?

texts:
Developed a mobile app that performs [something]. Made heavy use of
  [X] principles.

Is the use of "made heavy use of [X] principles" grammatically correct? Can one make heavy use of some principles? What I mean is that I developed a mobile app that performs [something] and I also applied [X] principles (e.g. OOP principles) to the implementation of the app.


texts: What's the accepted way to use "criterion", "criteria", "criterions"?

texts:
In many publications, especially IT related, I find lots of expressions with criteria e.g.

  What is your criteria ...
  What are your criteria ...
  What are your criterias ...

English dictionary says that criteria (or criterions) is a plural form of criterion. However, I never found sentences like "What is your criterion ..." or "What are your criterions ..."

Can you explain what is the correct usage of criteria.

Are criterions and criterion still in use in modern English or they have become obsolete?


texts:
The given excerpt clearly shows the key features of the characters - the  furious father with mind clouded by the alcohol, the defenceless and unhappy mother and Elly, and the scared, but unbroken narrator.

All the characters were mentioned before, so should the definite article be used?


texts: The verb that describes the movement of your feet

texts: I can't find a proper verb to describe the movement of your feet when you slip on an icy surface, then your feet go in "opposite" directions and you lose your balance, because your feet...apart.I thought of "slide apart" but couldn't find it in any reliable source. Thanks.


texts: What is the adjective for describing someone who has the same hobbies, interests, values as we do and someone who you can easily understand?

texts:
What adjective would it be natural to use for describing someone who has similar interests, hobbies and values as we do? Can the word close be used in the sense? For example:

  Kate is very close to me.

I guess if I didn't need the adjective for expressing the idea, the noun affinity would be the way to go. AM I right? For example:

  I hava an affinity with Kate.


texts:
I think it is okay to combine these two sentences like this:

We stood on a bridge. The bridge was built in 2000.
We stood on the bridge built in 2000.

Is it okay?
Also is it okay to omit past participle  "built" like this?

We stood on the bridge in 2000.


texts:
A: Was she the one who left?
B: Yeah, but it wasn't exactly a happy marriage.
A: Okay. But no matter how, I guess a divorce is always difficult.
B: Sure.

Does it make sense to use "how" instead of "what" in this context? Is it natural?


texts:
What is the Difference between "so + adj + to + verb" and "too + adj + to +verb"?

For example: He was too excited to answer the phone ||| He was so excited to answer the phone


texts: Which one are you after? What are you after?

texts:
I have been wondering does this phrase ‘which one you are after’ make sense? If in a restaurant scenario, I want to ask customer which one would you like? Can I say which one you are after instead?

I am not sure about the correct phrase I can use in this scenario. Since all the internet searching results show me this phrase ‘what are you after’, not ‘which one are you after’?


texts: What do you call people who are good at keeping others' secrets?

texts:
What do you call a person who is good at keeping others' secrets and won't reveal or disclose them to other people, so you can trust them in telling your secrets (to them)?

I have found "secretive", but according to its meaning people who are secretive are good at keeping secrets about themselves; so I don't think it can be the answer to my question.


texts: Usage of "would" in the following sentence

texts:
I would like to understand what exactly this sentence means

  Her family wouldn't help her and neither would anyone else.

Does it mean, I assume that her family will not help her and neither anyone else will help her
or does it mean, I think, expect, her family will not help her and neither anyone else will help her?.


texts: What's the difference between will do and will be doing?

texts:
College officer wrote me: you will be receiving a new letter...
Why didn't he write "you will receive"?

In addition, what is the difference between "I will wait" and "I'll be waiting"?


texts: What is the difference between 'prepare for the party' and 'prepare the party'?

texts:
There are two sentences:

I prepare the party for him.
I prepare for the party for him.

What is the difference between the two sentences in meaning?


texts: "didnt have the phone to myself yesterday" it it correct?

texts:
"I didn't have the phone to myself yesterday"

Is that a correct sentence and a way of telling someone that your phone was not with you yesterday and that is why you couldn't reply


texts:
Would you please let me know if there will be a quiz on (day)?  or Would you please let me know if it will be a quiz on (day)?

what is the correct way to ask?


texts: Is "Steal my money if you can" acceptable in formal English?

texts:
Steal my money if you can.

Is this a correct sentence to use in writing, or is it more appropriate to use in  spoken English?
I was involved in a conversation using English and they said my grammar is not good enough.


texts: A Wikipedia page {for/of} a controversial person

texts:
Consider the following phrases:

A Wikipedia page for a controversial person.
A Wikipedia page of a controversial person.

I am a little confused about which preposition I should use here.


texts: What does "would" mean in "would yeh know anythin' about it?"

texts:
"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?"
      "Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?"
      "Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured –– would yeh know anythin' about it?"
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

I’m wondering what the sentence would mean that has ‘would’ instead of ‘do’.


texts: Hello: Is there a synonym for "flick" in "Transform your hair with a modern Farrah Fawcett flick"? Thank you in advance !


texts:
My google searches remain somewhat inconclusive, is it:

  The cardboard serves as bed.

Or:

  The cardboard serves as a bed.

Ngram of "served as bed,served as a bed" shows the version with the article leading 5 to 1, but which one is correct, is it regional?


texts: Is it "The last book that I have read" or "The last book that I read"?

texts:
Today we had an assignment where I had to write about the latest book that I read.
Is it more correct saying "The last book that I have read" or "The last book that I read" ?. Then, is it correct to add "The" before "last"?


texts: Is "even if you didn't come to party tomorrow" wrong?

texts:
It wouldn't be a big deal, even if you didn't come to party tomorrow.

As far as my knowledge goes I know, this is a conditional sentence and this conditional is used to talk about things that are either very less likely to happen in future or something that's untrue in present.
Now in this sentence use of tomorrow is clearly indicating that speaker is talking about future, but this "even if you didn't come to party tomorrow" sounds a bit weird to me.
Is this sentence grammatically correct and can it be used in this sense ??


texts: Is "updates done" grammatically correct?

texts:
Is "updates done" grammatically correct. I am trying to use an alternative for "changes made"

  List of changes made -

or

  List of updates done -

or is there anything else I can use?


texts: Do I have to look up a word in the dictionary to learn it?

texts:
For instance, there's been a couple of words and phrases whose meaning I have been able to intuitively guess, but couldn't find on places like the Oxford Dictionary or the Merriam-Webster, and so on.

e.g - [...] then said it was too close to call before finally calling it for the Texas governor. (Source: History.com)

Meaning: Predicting that the Texas governor would win.

Now I wasn't able to find a matching definition for the word 'Call' on either of the aforementioned dictionaries, nor could I find a phrasal verb or something similar, but of course, I could be wrong.

The point is, should I learn certain words and phrases like this or not?

There are alternatives of course, asking a native speaker what it means, asking for clarification on a website like this, but wouldn't it get tedious? especially since you never know when you might stumble across a word or phrase like this, and because I am scared in general to ask questions like this on the internet.

Oh and by the way, if this is the wrong place to ask let me know please, and I'll remove it.


texts: Idiom or phrasal verb for "accept/deal with something even if you hate it"

texts:
For example, what you say to someone unwilling to proceed with a necessay task:

  I know you don't like him, but you have to call him. He will help you find a job. (phrase here)


texts: When is the structure "there is" mandatory and when is it optional?

texts:
From my grammar books I've learned that if you introduce some indefinite object in some definite place, you do it by using the structure "there is", but when I read literature I occasionally come across cases which violate this supposed rule. See the following examples:

There was a clutter of nearly empty glasses on the table next to the cashier.
On the table next to the cashier stood a clutter of nearly empty
glasses.

Are the meanings of the above sentences identical?
Do both the sentences sound natural?
And what is the rule which regulates when I can speak one way or the
other?

If I try to make up some other sentences accordingly, I get:

There is ice on the lake.
On the lake is ice. (This seems unnatural to me)
There is a house on the knoll.
On the knoll is (or stands, or sits) a house. (I'm not sure if it's natural)


texts:
I have the text:

  The parking lot was packed when we got to the church. This meeting wasn't just for kids - it was filled with parents too. There were so many people that we had to move into the sanctuary.

  "What are they going to do, arrest our kids for praying?" someone said.

  "I think we have it worked out," Pastor Andy said. "As long as this is student led, there's nothing wrong with it. Mr bookman was afraid lots of parents and people from the church would be there."

Can you explain to me what "student led" is meaning here. All I can gues "student led" is meaning "student led by Mr. Bookman" or something else, but by this moment it has no sense for me.


texts:
AH reads: staff, n. A group of assistants to a manager, executive, or other person in authority.

  Four staff moves at Vanquish Recruitment.

What is the meaning of "four staff" in the headline above:

Four groups of assistants to a manager moves ...
Four staff members move(s) at Vanquish Recruitment.

If that means 2 case, is the 's' needed to inflect the verb 'move'? If not, why is the 's' used in the above headline.

Also, since 'staff' in a not countable noun, is it correct to say 'four staff'?


texts: What would one call a single item of an inventory?

texts:
What term would one use to describe a single item of an inventory?

Say pens.

If pen1, pen2, pen3, pen4 make an inventory of pens, how would I refer a single pen?


texts:
She had no hatred against the merely vulgar traits of his.

This is a stand-alone sentence from my grammar workbook.
But the nuance of merely here is strange to me.


texts:
When once more alone, I reviewed the information I had got; looked
  into my heart, examined its thoughts and feelings, and endeavoured to
  bring back with a strict hand such as had been straying through
  imagination’s boundless and trackless waste, into the safe fold of
  common sense. (Jane Eyre)

Is ‘such’ a pronoun, indicating ‘its thoughts and feelings’?
Is ‘as’ a relative modifying ‘such’?


texts:
I've seen belong+to many times but I've read recently belong at in text below:

  Someone like me did not belong at Cambridge.

Could you please tell me what the meaning of "belong at" is?

The full text is here:

  A FEW WEEKS AFTER CHRISTMAS, the University of Cambridge wrote to Dr.
  Kerry, rejecting my application. “The competition was very steep,” Dr.
  Kerry told me when I visited his office.
  I thanked him and stood to go.
  “One moment,” he said. “Cambridge instructed me to write if I felt there
  were any gross injustices.”
  I didn’t understand, so he repeated himself. “I could only help one
  student,” he said. “They have offered you a place, if you want it.”
  It seemed impossible that I would really be allowed to go. Then I realized
  that I would need a passport, and that without a real birth certificate, I was
  unlikely to get one. Someone like me did not belong at Cambridge. It was
  as if the universe understood this and was trying to prevent the blasphemy
  of my going.


texts: Plural or singular after "either x or y object"

texts:
Which one is correct?

  Either in the first or second version

Or,

  Either in the first or second versions


texts: "if...then....is" or "if ..... then .... will be"?

texts:
I wrote:

  Then, if this rule classifies the node as “content”, the node's content will be/is ? added to the content extracted so far; otherwise, if the node's content has been previously extracted as a part of its parent's content, it will be/is ? removed from the extracted content.

For the bold words, is it "is" or "will be"? what is the difference? what is common?


texts: Usage of "whomever" in "whomever produces a more interesting result is the winner"

texts:
Whomever produces a more interesting result is the winner.

I was taught like to use the he/him rule for the usage of whoever/whomever. So if you switch some words in the pic, then you get...

  She produces a more interesting result. (therefore) She is the winner.

Also I found some other examples which didn't follow the rule as well. Such as...

  Whomever has the most is the winner!

I heard lots of people saying like the word Whom and Whomever are being used less and less nowadays, and many of them can be replaced with Who and Whoever. But is it also true for the vice versa too, just like the one in the picture?


texts: Difference between "to nick" vs "to clip"?

texts: Can anyone tell me the difference between "clip" and "nip"? Both mean to cut something. In English, there are too many words to describe cutting (crop, cut, nip, split, cut, clip) I'm always so confused.


texts: Is "gas" ever used to mean a specific substance that at room temperature is in gaseous form?

texts:
In Italian, if I were in a house and said Sento odor di gas. (approximately, "I smell gas."), the person to whom I am speaking would probably go check the stove or the water heater, which is normally in the kitchen, or the bathroom. For cooking, we normally use methane, and methane could also be used for the water heater, although in some cases the water heater uses electricity.
If I were to speak of my car and said La mia auto va a gas. I would be saying that my car doesn't need gasoline, but methane or LPG; I could also mean that my car uses gasoline, or alternatively methane or LPG.

Is gas ever used in a similar way, in American English? Even if it used for a different substance, is there any substance that is called gas (excluding gasoline)?


texts:
I want to say:

In this season, we can expect to see wonderful footballs from the team X. ( And I hope to see ...)

I have wrote below sentences. (Here, football means soccer, suppose Manchester United)

We can expect [ Adjective ? ] football plays from the X.

I assumed that "football play" is a acceptable compound name (I am not sure).

we can expect them to play [adverb]

Q1 : If the sentences are fine, I want to know which adjective or adverb is preferable to put them in the sentences. I came across with:
Wonderful - fabulous - great - astonishing - fascinating
and corresponding adverbs of these adjectives.
Q2 : If all the sentences sound odd or awkward, I will be happy to see your suggestion.
For example: Consider a conversation between me and my friend:

"Did you see last night match against new-castle?"
"Yes, they present a fabulous football. I think we can expect them to play magnificently this season."


texts:
Could anybody explain to me the usage of 'would' in the following sentences:

  I asked to borrow the car but my father wouldn't let me.
  The landlady wouldn't allow me to have guests.

I was wondering if I could use "did not" in the above sentences instead of "would not," and if so, what is the difference between them.


texts: "He is in death" or "He is dead" or "He died"? Are they all correct?

texts:
"He is in death"
  "He is dead"
  "He died"

Are they all correct?

I am feeling that "He is in death" and "He died" are not correct.


texts: Do we say "to shake / beat dust out of / off the blanket / pillow / carpet etc"?

texts:
I am not sure what prepositions I should use when referring to dust of blanket / pillow / carpet / sofa / cloth / clothes / jeans etc.
Which of the followings are correct:
-to shake or beat dust out of blanket / pillow / carpet / sofa / cloth / clothes / jeans etc.
-to shake or beat dust off blanket / pillow / carpet / sofa / cloth / clothes / jeans etc.
It seems that people say "Get Dust Out of Fabric" (source)


texts:
The word "a" has two pronunciations: (aa) when the mouth is widely opened and (ei) when the mouth is not wide open. I just want to know the difference between them.

People have asked questions like this before but I have not studied "pronunciation symbols" like /ə/ so I did not understand the answers.


texts: The omission of conjunction is strange in the sentence

texts:
When the classes were over, they came out in different groups, played games and ran races.

Is the sentence correct? Don't we need to use 'and' or ; instead of , ?

Or, shouldn't we change 'played...ran' to 'playing...running'?


texts:
In a TV show, more exactly Scorpion there's a phrase

  ... the access panel is off the third level.

What does this mean? I can't seem to understand what's the place of "off" in this sentence.


texts:
This paragraph is from a grammar book. However, I know that colons should not be used with "such as".

Is this an exception to the rule that I knew?

Sentences that begin with words that indicates portions, such as: percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc., look at the noun of the prepositional phrase (object of the preposition) in order to determine whether or not to use a singular or plural verb.


texts: Usage of a continuous time expression in a past simple sentence

texts:
Consider the following sentence:

  "The student did not come to the class for a long, long time."

Can a continuous time expression "for a long time" be used in this case, where past simple ("… did not come to the class") is used, or is it fundamentally grammatically incorrect?

Any alternative for saying the same?


texts:
What does this mean?

  You're welcome to stay with us as long as you share the expenses.

I don't understand share the expenses. What is this saying?


texts: After ankle replacement surgery ,the pain was gone. Why can’t we use the article ‘an’ before ankle?

texts: Is the word replacement in my question is uncountable? But how?


texts: Is there an omission after 'or similar'?

texts:
First-year students will require:
      1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
      2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
      3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Is ‘or similar’ an idiom or is there an omission like ‘one’ after similar?


texts:
“I have anxiously awaited the arrival of those such as yourselves. My names Megumin! My calling is that of an arch wizard, one who controls explosion magic, the strongest of all offensive magic! Do you, too, desire my forbidden strength, which is so almighty, I’ve been ostracized by the entire world?” – Megumin

  My calling is that of an arch wizard (in bold above)
  My name is that of Michael. No god am I, but one who serves.
  A Barons title is that of a lord, but he may opt to be referred to as Baron (or Baroness) versus lord.
  My job title is that of Head of Commercial Operations, however most of the team call me the Director.

In all of these sentences, why they use that of instead of just saying "A is B", such as "my calling is arch wizard"?


texts: How should I understand "He won a weekend for two in Rome."?

texts:
The OALD says that weekend could be used to mean "Saturday and Sunday, or a slightly longer period." The example sentence is the following one:

  He won a weekend for two in Rome.

How can I understand when weekend is used to mean just Saturday and Sunday, and when it is used to mean a slightly longer period? How much longer is slightly longer?


texts: Meaning of "matched" in the given context

texts:
Here is the sentence:

  As the emperor walked to the royal court, his heartbeat matched
  the booming of the drums through the fort.

I am not sure about the meaning of the word "matched" in the sentence above. Does the sentence mean "his heartbeat went up-down with the booming of the drums through the fort"?

The emperor is going to attend a celebration and he is very excited about this.


texts: How do you ask people to give credit when they distribute your article?

texts:
I wrote an article. At the end of my article, I want to say something like:

  Distribution of this article is welcomed, but please give credit to www.mysite.com.

But that looks like a very poor and broken English.

How do native English speakers usually say when they want to say something like that?


texts: I have some problems with the word "friendly"

texts:
There is a port which wants to provide convenient service in customs clearance, so I describe it as "a port friendly to customs clearance facilitation", which is a parody I make from the now ususal expression "environment-friendly something".

Is it a sensible expression or is there more concise expression for the same?


texts:
I know that the next sentence is correct:

  What are you going to use it for?

But I was wondering if the following one would be correct as well:

  For what are you going to use it?

I had a conversation with my friend where he had noticed my wrong use of the second sentence. Was his remark right?


texts:
I'm wondering how you would say that because it sounds really weird to me:

Would you say "stuff by me/of me/of mine"?

For example if you posted things on Instagram and would say something like "official stuff by/of me" cause I saw someone who used "official stuff of me" as his description on Instagram and that sounds so wrong to me still. So what would you say?


texts:
Once I finish this pancake I will have had 5 pancakes.

Would you kindly explain this kind of future perfect?

It's a sort of future retrospective tense, where one is talking about a past tense that has not yet occurred, but is expected to occur. In the case you asked about, it introduces the information that the building does not yet exist, or that some other related event is still yet to take place in the future.

So why do we not say the following instead of the sentence above?

  Once I finish this pancake I will have 5 pancakes


texts: What's the meaning of keep up-to-date in context?

texts:
The point is that debt payments — interest and repayments of the
  original loan — are easier to keep up-to-date for borrowers with a
  rising income.

Source: BBC

My problem is with the phrase "keep up-to-date".
It doesn't make sense keeping up-to-date an owe or debt to me.
I think keeping up-to-date something means just updating it with news and technology and doesn't mean you can afford a debt


texts:
Are the following sentences correct?

"There's a lot more to life than just looking good."
"There's a lot more to me than just my money."

What does 'there's a lot more to me' exactly mean?

Another similar sentence I've heard:

"I don't know how much truth there is to it."

I know it's a different kind of sentence but I think both talk about the quality of someone/something. To be honest I'm not even sure if this one's correct.


texts: "Pulp-filled pods almost the size of rugby balls": Two noun phrases connected without a preposition

texts:
In this sentence

  "These tiny flowers transform into pulp-filled pods almost the size of rugby balls."

there are 2 noun phrases pulp-filled pods and almost the size of rugby balls connected without a preposition.

Please explain to me this one.


texts: What is the word for 'building as a whole'?

texts:
Let's say my apartments are in three buildings and they are surrounded by a fence outside; let's say I drop my wallet somewhere inside one of those buildings, so I'll say

  I dropped wallet somewhere in the building 1.

However, if I don't know where that happened in the apartments, but somewhere inside the fences, meaning the apartment property, for example, the walkway, the parking, etc., how should I describe that. Obviously saying

  Somewhere on the property of apartments

sounds awkward.

And I often hear

  Somewhere around the campus. Of (Office, Shopping mall, Apartments)

Is 'campus' idiomatic here?

So my question is how should I describe a property with buildings,walkaways etc. combined.


texts:
If I want to say that someone went or turned to a direction that I don't know, how is it correct to say that?

I have a lot of words that I'm confused about. I don't know which ones are acceptable. (I don't want to sound weird)

This is the construction. One word (maybe an adverb?) is missing:

  "He went to or turned to [X] direction"

The options for X that I am thinking about are:

somewhere, any, whatever, somewhat, whatsoever, whichever, whichsoever

So, my question is:

Which one(s) are grammatical?
Which one(s) have the right meaning for what I want to say?
Are these words adverbs?


texts:
Suppose I want to ask a question and want to mention an error in my program like this:

  I keep on receiving the following error "Uncaught Syntax Error: Unexpected token : ".

Is the above sentence correct or I should change it to :

  I keep on receiving this error "Uncaught Syntax Error: Unexpected token : ".

Please note that I'm providing the error in place and not in a line below the sentence.


texts:
What is the passive form of such these sentences:

I enjoy watching TV.
I don't like playing football.

or

I don't want to play football.
I'd like to drink a cup of tea.

In normal sentences usually, we simply move the object to the subject of the passive sentence and then we use the passive form of the verb (eg: People love him => He is loved by people) but in this case, I have no idea.


texts: Is there a hyphen before "hundred" when used in adjective form?

texts:
For example:

  He had two-hundred dollars.

  He lived for one-hundred years.

I have never put a hyphen before hundred in situations like those, but according to this (unsure of its reliability, however), it says:

  . . . one-hundred dollars is hyphenated because one-hundred is a compound adjective standing before dollars . . .

From the example since "xxx-hundred" is modifying something (dollars/years), making it an adjective, should I therefore put a hyphen in between?


texts: How to send a polite and friendly reminder in a group chat?

texts:
I have to remind people in a group chat about deadlines. What are the best phrases to do this?
I tried to find a phrase but I could not except "please be reminded" and "a gentle reminder:". I'm not sure if these are correct and Idiomatic.


texts: What is the other word that can be instead of sequel?

texts:
The philosophy sets an awfully high bar for a Toy Story sequel - the first three have grossed more than US$ 1.3 billion worldwide.

What is another word that can be instead of sequel? Next episode?


texts:
I'm working on a book called 'Academic Vocabulary in Use' published by Cambridge University Press. There's a lesson suggesting some nouns commonly associated with particular prepositions. Research is one of them and shown to be followed by either 'into' or 'on'. However, in the piece of exercise below, there is only one correct answer:

  I went to an interesting presentation on research into aspects of the human brain. The speaker began by saying that the rationale for/behind his investigation was the need to better understand the ageing process.

For those having two correct answers, both would be shown (as in 'rationale for/behind'). It means on can't follow 'research' in this case. After looking up the word 'research' in different dictionaries, I got no explanation for the difference between 'research on and research into. They are even used interchangeably in an example offered by Cambridge Dictionary:

  They are carrying out/conducting/doing some fascinating research into/on the language of dolphins.

Cambridge Dictionary

Then, is there any difference between 'research on' and 'research into'?


texts:
What does

  X partially includes Y.

mean?

X includes parts of Y, but not all of it.
X includes all of Y, and even more.
Depending on the context, either could be possible.


texts:
What is the meaning of second party leaders in the following sentence?

. Yet, the Likud plus these do not ensure that the figure of 61 can be reached and this is where Mr. Netanyahu is an issue. Parties led by second-rank leaders such as Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz or Gideon Sa’ar are opposed to him as he is the first Israeli Prime Minister on trial for three criminal cases — bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

I looked up the meaning of second party leader on google but didn't find anything.


texts:
What is the difference in meaning between below two sentence construction?

Sentence construction 1

a) After finishing my graduation I went to US.

b) After he left, she lifted one of the suitcases and placed it on the bed.

Sentence construction 2.

a) After I had finished my graduation I went to US.

b) After had he left, she lifted one of the suitcases and placed it on the bed.

I am more confused about below sentence.

The confession, police said, came after he had led them on a day-long wild goose chase.


texts: I have been searching google and I also got some answers but they didn't satisfy me .Could someone answer it in a "native" way .


texts:
The whole sentence is The taxi-on-demand service Uber lets you snake the cab line..

And why is snake used here? Thanks!


texts: Is there a Key Difference between "Diagnosis" and "Diagnostic" Information?

texts:
I am trying to describe that "health information" includes other types information that is derived from diagnosis.

Is there a difference between saying:

  Health information includes diagnosis information

Or

  Health information includes diagnostic information

Thanks


texts:
Excerpt from CRIME AND PUNISHMENT:

  The others present, including the landlord, he regarded with boredom of long habit and with a shade of lofty disdain, as if he considered them too much his inferiors in rank and education to speak to.

What does boredom of long habit mean in the article?


texts: I am not a native speaker and confused about the use of lab and labs. What is the exact difference and when to use  what? Especially those days many companies use Lab/Labs in their company name.


texts: How to say 'to reach epidemic proportions', but with a positive connotation?

texts: It seems to reach epidemic proportions is only used in negative contexts, usually associated with diseases (obesity), a negative, yet popular practice (suicidal behavior among adolescents), etc. I'd like to know if there is a phrase that can be used positively (e.g. blood donation).


texts:
What does it mean by the term "International Intelligibility" of English?

International Intelligibility in World Englishes: Focusing on Idiomatic
Expressions

this article doesn't provide any definition.
As far as I understand: if a non-native English speaker is called International Intelligibile if his/her English is intelligible by another non-native English speaker.
Am I correct?


texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:

Would it be OK if I asked for a raise?
Will it be OK if I ask for a raise? (if correct)


texts:
Can we say

  Shall he/she attend?

Is it possible to make a question with shall?


texts:
In the game "XCOM: Enemy Within" there is a guy, whose way of speaking seems to be more appropriate for written language (as it seems to me). In particular, he says such a phrase:

  Intelligence sources indicate a rogue organization, with a separate, misguided agenda, is undermining XCOM field operations.

My question is about grammatical structure of this sentence

What is "is" referred to? To the word "organization?" If so, then is the word "that" omitted?
Is such sentence construction used in speech?


texts: What is the meaning of 'rant' in this sentence?

texts:
As of publication, however, he has not reached the next stage of the tech bro homeless rant cycle. --The Guardian, 2/17/16

I tried to look up the word and found that rant means "talking nonsense."

Please explain to me the meaning of the sentence and what rant means in it.


texts: A name for a finger gesture (not "the bird", "thumbs up", or V-gesture)

texts:
In Russian, this gesture is called "фига" (pronounced figga).

It hardly has any sexual connotation (like showing a middle finger, "the bird") and basically means that the one the gesture is being made at will never get what he wants, hopes or asks for, either from the one  making the gesture or from anyone at all. I think verbally, it's close to the English "No way" or "Fat chance", in rather a crude way.

What I'd very much like to know is whether this gesture is known/popular in any of the English-speaking countries? What is it called and what does it mean? Is it really offensive or just sort of rude and yokelish if made at, say, not very close an acquaintance?


texts: What is the difference between "Digest" and "Compendium"?

texts:
My translation, from a Russian text about an environmental rehabilitation project:

  Another important part of this effort was the inclusion of the best practices accumulated by the project in the "Digest of Innovative Solutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in The Coal-Mining Sector.”

An editor changed it to:

  Another important part of this effort was the inclusion of the best practices accumulated by the project in the "Compendium of Innovative Solutions for the Conservation of Biodiversity in The Coal-Mining Sector.”

The original Russian word is сборник (Wiktionary entry).

I wonder what the difference is between "digest" and "compendium" in this context.

The word compendium feels a bit antique to me, and digest feels like the "plain vanilla" choice, but maybe I'm wrong!


texts: What does "disconnected patchwork of forest" mean?

texts:
From the book What If? of Randall Munroe aka XKCD's author:

  There would be more large animals 1,000 years ago. Today’s disconnected patchwork of northeastern old-growth forests is nearly free of large predators; we have some bears, few wolves and coyotes, and virtually no mountain lions. (Our deer populations, on the other hand, have exploded, thanks in part to the removal of large predators.)

What does disconnected patchwork of forest mean? From my understanding a patchwork is a thing that is composed of different elements, but I don't understand what the patchwork of forest is, and how it looks like when it's disconnected.


texts: What is the correct choice for the sentence below?

texts:
The sentence is

"I'd like a cake and a cup of tea, please."
Waiter: "............"
A. Here it is.
B. Here they are.

what is the correct answer to put in the space for the waiter? Should it be singular or plural?


texts: Do "How is it that...?" and "How...?" mean the same thing?

texts:
If I want to know and ask how to do something, for example, when I want to know how we can keep ourselves enthusiastic, can I ask like this?

How is it that we can keep ourselves enthusiastic?

But, the problem is this sentence sounds like I am asking why.
So,

How can we keep ourselves enthusiastic?

How is it that we can keep ourselves enthusiastic?

Don't these two sentences have the same meaning?


texts:
Because of the recent drought in Thailand, a tv station has launched a campaign to persuade people to use water wisely. The title of this well-meaning effort is "Save The Water".
My question is about the use of the definite article, 'The', in the title. Grammatically speaking, do we need the article? In other words, what is the difference between 'Save The Water' and 'Save Water'?


texts:
Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition (2004) says:

  oblivion, n.

  2. a. The state or condition of being forgotten; (also, more generally) obscurity, nothingness, void, death.

However, what makes me puzzled is that although I've ever seen many times the word is used in such ways, I had had a hard time trying to find this definition, for almost every other dictionary I consulted didn't seem to refer to this sense, including the immediately previous version (1989) of OED:

  oblivion, n.

  2. a. The state or condition of being forgotten. (Hence many phrases and fig. expressions.)

My questions are:

Is the sense like "obscurity, nothingness, void, death" emerging (or recognized) this recently?
Is it a unique connotation tied to oblivion, or generally carried by the concept of "forgottenness" in English (or, perhaps European) language so that they don't need to clarify?


texts: Can we say "He didn't change very many"?

texts: Can we say "He didn't change very many" instead of " He didn't change very much"?


texts: Where have you been for the last two weeks?

texts:
if my friend asks me on today 3.2.2017 this question:

What have you bought in the last two weeks? What should I say to him?

(I bought a car weeks ago on Tuesday.)

Would it be okay to say: I bought a new car? Or it would  be wrong because in the last two weeks means last 14 days which is NOT including Monday because today is Friday and 2 weeks back from Friday would be Friday again.

So should I count it this precisely or the phrase: What have you bought in the last two weeks means just or is equal to this: What have you bought since last two weeks (since the beginning of the week before last week).

So it would be absolutely okay to mention all the things I bought for this period?

since 20.1.2017 until 3.2.2017?

last question to just confirm if it is correct.

So basically phrase: What happened in the last weeks? Would include all the events from last calendar week + the 4 days from current week before today?

Is this the way people understand it? Or? Because if someone asks me: How many games did you buy in/for the last two weeks. it would be actually super hard for me to tell him all the games precisely in 14 days. It would be easier for me to just think of the week that was two weeks ago and mention all my purchases since then until now though it could have been more than 14 days (e.g. 18 days and so)

Thanks for your help. These day expressions are driving me nuts and I feel depressed because I feel like I am the only one not knowing how to interpretate them.


texts:
How to make noun from present perfect form? I mean we can make noun from present simple by adding –ing:
teach (a verb) -> teaching (can be used as a noun):

I like his way of teaching.

Is it possible to add –ing to the end of present perfect to make noun? For example, is the following sentence grammatically correct?

Having been tired of trying, he wants to give up.

or

having bankrupted, We were disappointed.


texts:
Is there any difference between someone being wealthy and someone being rich?

For instance, is Bill Gates rich or wealthy? Or maybe he is both. I don't get the subtle difference if any.


texts: 'I am married 'and' have two kids' OVER 'I'm married with two kids'

texts:
I'm married with two kids

Is that expression written here correct? Or it should be with a comma?

I'm married, with two kids

If none of those are common, is it better to say...

I'am married and have two kids.

Does with mean a simple with there? If yes, is anything possible that you carry when you are married?

I'm married with a car   I'm married with a pet   I'm married with a pen
All because when I got married, I carried my favorite things - car, pet and pen with me?


texts:
From Cambridge Dictionary

process: a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result

From the post "it is a tedious process" vs. "it is tedious"

Only something with at least two actions can normally be considered a process.

According to the same post, "studying for tomorrow's exam" is not a process. Could I call it an action?
When should I call studying a process? Could studying how to use MS excel be a process?


texts: Which one is correct: "what did he do" or "what did he does"?

texts:
I am confused about how to use "what did he do" and "what did he does".

I want to ask one friend what another friend does.


texts:
I came across these sentences and I couldn't determine which type of conditional they were.

If you didn't go to the last meeting, you won't be allowed in the
next one.

If you didn't like that car, you shouldn't have bought it.

Especially the second sentence I don't get how a past real condition(past simple) with an unreal past result(present perfect) works
The first seems to me like a first conditional but it's not. I hope you can explain to me what these are.


texts:
What does “Wouldn't it be nice if you could…?” mean?

Does "Wouldn't it be nice if you could ...?" imply "If you could ..., it would be nice."?


texts: Fruits are an evolutionary mechanism, which IS... or which ARE...?

texts:
I wrote a sentence similar to the titular, and got feedback that it should be:

"Fruits are an evolutionary mechanism, which ARE ..."

in order to keep consistent plurality (with the plural "Fruits").
But that sounds off to me -- I was matching the plurality to singular "mechanism". That is, I was intending to use #1 of the following:

"Fruits are an evolutionary mechanism, which is ..."

"Fruits are an evolutionary mechanism, which are ..."

What is the correct way of phrasing this sentence, and why?


texts:
My main experience was to understanding how web works, also i had
  improved my knowledge about the/none MySQL database.

I am confused about the sentence on top. Or correctly i use past time, and about article before titles of something. Also for me it sentence not looks very well, i feel something wrong with it.


texts:
What is the reason for using a and the in the following sentences (taken from Wikipedia):

The fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children...
A fear of falling, along with a fear of loud noises, is one of the most commonly suggested inborn or "non-associative" fears.

The context of both sentences looks exactly the same. Do different articles convey different meanings here? Are they interchangeable?


texts: "For" and "in" with present perfect tense

texts:
Consider:

  a. I have learned English for 6 months.

  b. I have learned English in 6 months.

Are the two sentences above grammatically correct?

Do they carry the same meaning?


texts:
I read a sentence with I would like to cite it in my own words. However, I do not want to change the meaning of the original sentence.

original one: COVID-19 is an acute resolved disease but it can also be deadly, with a 2% case fatality rate.

New way: COVID-19 can result in death, with a 2% case fatality rate.

Does my sentence change the meaning of the original one?


texts: What does "long" mean in "Flying cars, long the dream of everyone in a traffic jam...."

texts:
I am reading an article; I am confused about this sentence:

  Flying cars, long the dream of everyone in a traffic jam and a basic mode of transportation for everyone on "The Jetsons," are another automotive dream.

I cannot understand why "long" could be put in front of "the dream." Could anyone please explain the grammar in this case?


texts:
Do native speakers of English use verbs in the plural form when speaking about one company? I've come across such use by supposed natives.

Don't you think that it is ungrammatical to use verbs in plural,mentioning one company? Maybe when you speak about one company you imply that it is a team or staff or a group of thousands people working in one place.

  Fujitsu send newsletter to all subscribers once a month.

I've made up the above example. It is not a quote.


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

This is the i-th item in the sequence.
This is the ith item in the sequence.
This is the ith item in the sequence.

Example:

From Finlayson, Bruce A. Numerical methods for problems with moving fronts. Bruce Alan Finlayson, 1992.

A related discussion on LaTeX Stack Exchange: 1st, 2nd and i-th?


texts:
Without following proper safety measures in your workplace, you can expose yourself to contraction of viruses easily.

Is it correct to say expose [...] to contraction?


texts:
I don't know either the following constructions are a phrase or a clause?

  1) wash the dishes

  2) do the laundry

  3) take out the garbage

In my opinion, they are all phrases or verb phrases to be exact.

Am I right?


texts:
I just got asked which sounds better, and I have no idea which one should be preferred:

  "A closer look on how buildings are manufactured."

vs.

  "A closer look at how buildings are manufactured."

Is there a difference, or personal preference, or which one should it be?


texts:
Take the following sentence:

  I have been learning for two hours.

Can this imply that I am not learning now? I'm tired and I want this sentence to show the effect that learning has on me.

Or it is better to say "I have learned for two hours"?


texts:
Is it grammatically correct to say

"I believe that math is fundamental to many subjects"

as in math is the foundation or the basic for many other subjects like chemistry and physics.


texts: What is the meaning of "someone else" in this sentence?

texts:
Sentence:

  It is a masked ball. We all go as someone else.

Context: Robert & Virginia going to Masked Ball, Above words said by Robert to Virginia before visiting it.

Sentence belongs to "Entrapment (1999)" movie.


texts: Trying to express the frequency of ones activity

texts:
If I say...

  "you're almost always on call"

Is it a right form of expressing your little knowledge about the matter. In this case, I'm talking about the person who's not close (in relationship or friendship) to me.


texts: Paraphrase "back to basics experiments"?

texts:
[…] such back to basics experiments are precisely what a pheromone researcher at Oxford University argues for in another paper just published in the proceedings of the Royal Society […]

How should I paraphrase the bold part for homework?

  return to traditional experiments

  back to fundamental experiments


texts: Do you have a suggestion ( as to ) which book I should buy?

texts:
I am confused sometimes if I should add " about/ as to" before wh words, sometimes not.

Which one do you think correct is?

  Do you have a suggestion  about/ as to which book I should buy ?

  Do you have a suggestion  which book I should buy ?

I don't want to change whole question because I have already some answers.But I need to say that this question has nothing to with the word suggest.

My question   is that when to use  as to/ about/ regarding in a sentence.


texts: Why is this one-liner joke by Neal Brennan funny?

texts:
This one-liner comes from Neal Brennan's standup '3 Mics'. He told it around 22 mins into the act.

The joke is:

  One hundred percent of people who eat
      in that dining section
      of the grocery store are murderers.

The audience apparently got it and erupted in laughter. But I did not get this oneliner.

Screenshots are provided to show that the quote in question is correct


texts:
Are these two sentences synonymous?

  I need your advice on this issue.

  I need your advice about this issue.

Do they exactly mean the same thing? Or are there slight nuances between the two words? I always thought they were absolute synonyms unless they were used as part of a phrasal verb.


texts:
I would like to use a sentence like

  It should be being sold at somewhere for an affordable price.

Would it be syntactically correct ?


texts:
Can I contract "Where are" to "Where're"?

Even if it's not wrong, it's unusual?


texts:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/stripped-beaten-with-shoes-and-sticks-by-bosses-says-manipur-man/articleshow/56633937.cms

This is with reference to the sentence in above news Link.

  "Where the employers tried to convince him not to reveal he was thrashed."

If I used past perfect in above sentence I.e.

  "Where the employers tried to convince him not to reveal that he had been thrashed."

This is because I want to refer to the event of thrashing that was started and finished in the past. It will also give idea of completed event at the time of convincing by employer. This is require to give emphasis on thrashing event which is happened before hospitalization and before employers convincing to him.  Using simple past is only giving idea of past event of trashing.

Please help me to understand if my version is correct?


texts:
As far as I understand copy-and-paste is used to mean the operation of copying, and pasting.
If somebody did that, can I say (for example) the following?

  She copied-and-pasted what I wrote on my blog, changed some words, re-ordered some phrases, and then published that on her own blog.


texts: What does "testing the water with another's daughter" in these lyrics mean?

texts:
The British band Maccabees has a song called No kind words which has the following lines:

Dear friend of mine is testing his body
Tempting disaster
Testing water with another's daughter

The last line feels like an idiom. However, I could not find anything close on the internet. It would be very interesting to know what meaning can exist behind this line.
Sometimes it’s very difficult to catch the right metaphor meant by author.


texts: Request contexts for "could" / "would be able to" in incomplete conditionals

texts:
Recently I encountered a book written by F. R. Palmer, Modality and the English Modals. I found this book very enligtening. To my surprise, his thorough treatment covers most of my questions on modal verbs in ELL. Palmer knew well what would confuse language learners, even native speakers and took a refreshingly universal approach to address a variety of problem cases on modal verbs. Based on several well-accepted corpuses, his research was strongly supported and compelling.

As I went through this book, I found the following excerpt a bit confusing:

  5.3.5 Unreality

  Could and couldn't commonly occur not to indicate past time, but  to suggest unreality, usually in what can be seen as an incomplete conditional ('. . . if I wanted to', '. . . if things were otherwise'):

    I couldn't do anything like that you see, I mean, I couldn't paint an ordinary sort of portrait.

    I know I could be average, but I couldn't be very good and I could never do anything new.

    A Gannet† could land and take off easily enough in half the runway.

  In all these it would be possible to paraphrase with would/wouldn't
  be able to. There are, in fact, plenty of examples of would/wouldn't
  be able to, but with little difference of meaning:

    There are season tickets, but you wouldn't be able to commute.

    Would Professor Worth be able to sign some cheques this afternoon?

    We would be able to have a more rational allocation of resources.

I guess this book is not intended for an ELL so Palmer didn't provide too much context for these examples.

Without context I have difficulty grasping how the proposed protasis ('. . . if I wanted to', '. . . if things were otherwise') relates to them. If I were to reword them, I would just use can/be able to over could/would be able to.

The first one might be the easiest: I'm totally a layman for art; (even if I tried my best,) I couldn't paint a simplest portrait.

Can you please add a few more corresponding contexts to other five examples to show how the proposed protasis would convey the intended meaning?

†The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.


texts: Past or present tense in sentences regarding thoughts

texts:
I am confused in using tenses in sentences regarding thoughts:

  I thought that it was interesting.

or

  I thought that it is interesting.

Which sentence out of these two is correct and why?


texts:
A colleague told me today (none of us native English speakers):

  I watched a hockey.

I told him that it is correct to say:

  I watched hockey.

or:

  I watched a hockey game.

However, I cannot answer the question: why the first is incorrect, the the others are correct? (Although I am not sure that 2. is correct either.)

My guess would be that "hockey" switches from noun to adjective, depending on the article. Also, it might be related to countability.


texts: How to make *developing tourism* unambiguous?

texts:
The first obstacle to developing tourism in Iran

This is the title of a newspaper article I have written. The phrase developing tourism appears ambiguous. I meant by this "pushing tourism to a more advanced level/spread tourism activities and industry".
Would you suggest me how to do so?


texts:
I often text or blog about experiences I have with these products.

In the example above, it seems that "text" is used as "to write an article". But according to various dictionaries, the verb "text" just means to write a SMS message. Does "text" also mean "to write an article"?