texts: Why use "a" instead of "an" in this context?

texts:
Source

  We know now why Stapleton looked with disfavour upon his sister’s suitor—even when that suitor was so eligible a one as Sir Henry.

Is the reason for using a instead of an is idiomatic?


texts: How to mention more than one person's occupation in the sentence?

texts:
Doris (Bookkeeper) & her husband Ed Crane (who is a barber), Big Dave (Doris's  Boss) & his wife Ann having dinner at Ed Crane's house.

This four people having dinner at Ed Crane's house, But I am facing difficulty because of their occupations, so how to rephrase it without brackets .


texts:
I would like to know why there is no article (say "a") in front of the word "normal" in the phrase

A game in normal form?

This phrase is standard in game theory.


texts: What do you call an item that's original but has been smuggled out of the factory?

texts:
Few years ago I watched a documentary about fake/bootleg/counterfeit items that get imported to the UK. The officer showed an item which original but is not getting sold through the proper shops and explained that the factory in east that manufacture this item for the big brands like LV doubles the amount they are suppose to produce and sell half of it under the table so the item is original but (leaked) or smuggled.

I cant remember the word he used to call such items. Any ideas?


texts: Is "Sustainable development ... doesn't endanger the needs" grammatical?

texts:
Sustainable development can be defined as development which provides the needs of the current generation but doesn't endanger the needs of the future generations.

"doesn't" might be wrong there but I didn't reconstruct the sentence.


texts: Meaning of "tap dry" in "wash the 96-well ELISA plate using a plate washer and tap dry"

texts:
From a qPCR instruction:

Wash the plate once with 300 μL of IX PBST using a plate washer and tap dry.

What is the meaning of tap dry? This is an ELISA plate (biotechnology). The phrase comes up several times in my document.
Does it mean "to give slight blows to the plate to shed all liquid from it"?


texts: What is the tense of the sentence? past or present?

texts:
My mama was having long hair which she will plait with black threads
and roll around her head like a thick rope, looking like two or three
small tires around her head.

As we know "was having" means "had" but how about "will" in the next sentence?
So could you tell me please what the tense of the first sentence is?
The fuller text is:

When I close my eyes on some days, I see my mama as a rose flower: a
yellow and red and purple rose with shining leafs. And if I sniff a
deep sniff, I can catch her smell too. That sweet smell of a rosebush
sitting around a mint tree, of the coconut soap in her hair just after
a washing at Agan waterfalls. My mama was having long hair which she
will plait with black threads and roll around her head like a thick
rope, looking like two or three small tires around her head. Sometimes
she will remove the threads, let the hair climb down to her back so
that I can brush it with her wooden brush. Sometimes, she will take
the brush from my hand, make me to sit on a bench in the outside by
the well, and twist up my own hair with so much coconut oil that I go
about the whole village smelling like a frying food. She didn’t old,
my mama, only forty-something years of age before she die, and every
day I feel a paining in my spirit for her quiet laugh and voice, for
the soft of her arms, for her eyes that say more things than her mouth
ever speak. She didn’t sick for too long, thank God. Just six and half
months of coughing and coughing until the cough eat up her whole flesh
and make her shoulders be like the handle of our parlor door.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré


texts:
I have this sentence:

  Moreover, spelling’s error patterns and statistical trends can be derived (from /by/through/by means of) the software.

It means that the software outputs some statistical results in which some patterns can be discovered.

What is the best preposition for my meaning. Or even an equivalent sentence. "From" is the collocation word but I am afraid it is not applicable here.


texts:
Is the use of the phrase The fact that correct here?

  The fact that you made a joke about black Americans by comparing them to people who smoke weed and are always high, shows the preconceptions that the whites have about them.

Doesn't fact means something that is a universal truth or  does it also refer to an opinion?


texts: How to answer “What would you like to drink?” in this case

texts:
If I visit a friend, and he/she asks me a question like this:

  My friend: What would you like to drink?

  Me: I’ll have an orange juice, please.

I understand we use “I’ll” (“I will”) when we decide to do something at
the time of speaking, such as in the former case.

However, what if I want to drink an orange juice at a coffee shop (because
it’s very delicious)? I already planned to buy it before I went to
the shop. How can I answer this question at the coffee shop?

  Waitress: What would you like to drink?

  Me: ………………………

Can I say “I’m going to have an orange juice.”?


texts: What does this mean "he was dressed in"?

texts:
We dress in the same clothes every day.
I understand this, but I cannot understand the below passive structure, what does it mean? Who dresses him in jeans?

He was dressed in jeans and a thick sweater.


texts:
I heard a woman called a man "Slugger".

My dictionary says:

  a baseball player who hits the ball a very long way

It seems that It's used metaphorically. What's that supposed to mean?


texts: Is this sentence stylistically correct? (not grammatically)

texts:
I need to run this sentence by y'all.

  The candidate stood out in aspects like class participation and interaction with classmates.

I have never read "stand out" being used in that way. Can you say that someone stands out in certain activities?

Am I right in my suspicion? If I am, what would be a good alternative?


texts:
I am doing some research on the difference between 1990s and 1990's.

It seems to me that 1990's means something belongs to the year 1990, while 1990s means a decade including all the years of 199x: 1990, 1991, 1992,...,1999.

But according to this link， some still think 1990's stands for a decade.

So, I am wondering what will be the correct interpretation indeed?


texts: When you say something out of conjecture or by guess

texts:
Let's suppose someone asks you about their age. E.g.

  (A) What do you think? How old I am?

  (B) You seem to be maximum of 35.

  (A) Wow! Exactly. How did you say that?

  (B) I said it...........

conjecturally

out of conjecture

by guess

To me, no one of the above choices sound natural. First because the my spellchecker marks the adverb "conjecturally" as an incorrect one, then based on Ngram shows that the self-made term "by guess" is used very rarely.

So please let me know what is the most natural way to indicate that you say something out of a guess / conjecture?


texts:
The U.S. had no business dropping points, much less losing. And yet it
  did.

What's the meaning of had no business here?

Is it like did not need at all? Or were not interested in? Or by all means had to avoid? Or something else?


texts:
The zombie jumped up on the bar and started to run across the length of it towards Ted. The zombie reached the end of the bar and jumped, but just as it did Ted rushed forward and impaled it with the sword.
I would like to know if "impaled" is used naturally in my example?


texts:
I read that with certain places, "the" or the zero article can be used, but all depend on context. For example:

I'm in hospital. (mainly indicates that you had a health problem, so
you're being checked by a doctor). ACTIVITY-ABSTRACT.
I'm in the hospital. (mainly indicates that you're just perhaps
visiting the hospital, the building itself). LOCATION-CONCRETE.

But, what if you were a doctor? Would you say the same?
I think it would be without any article because you are not referring to the building itself. Instead, you refer to the fact that you're doing primary activities inside the hospital where you are.
Would the same logic apply if you were a lawyer? Would you say: I'm in court now?
JUST IN CASE: I know that in NAmE is usually used "the" with "hospital" as a set phrase, but as I'm learning British English, I'd like to know how it would be in the British contexts.


texts:
A relative clause always contains a relative pronoun, as we all know, it depends on the subject of our sentence if it's a thing or a person, or if it contains a possessive adjective, etc...
While I was practicing that, I found a problem with these two sentences:

  The point of view is clear. The material discrepancy appears in it.

(use the suitable relative pronoun to connect these sentences)

If you try to use which, then the sentence will be:

  The point of view, which the material discrepancy appears in, is clear

Notice that I omitted it)

But when I think again of using another relative pronoun, which is where, then I have to omit in and it:

  The point of view,where the material discrepancy appears, is clear.

And my questions are:

Is it correct to use where in this sentence (since I feel the meaning is still clear?
If I use the last, have I to omit both in and it?
Which is more accurate to use: where or which?

another sentence:

  Do you mind showing me the place? You live in it.

Do you mind showing me the place where you live?
Do you mind showing me the place which you live in?


texts: I want to develop my reading ability and is there a spesific site which enables me to read whatever I am interested in with a formal writing( I want this as I also wanna learn new words which is picked very studiously )


texts:
She started trying to wipe the ketchup off her shirt with a tissue, but only ended up smearing it more.
Is "wipe the ketchup off her shirt" the most natural and logical word to use in this particular context? What about dry or get?


texts:
"I saw the storm approaching."

In above line approaching is describing storm.

Gerund is used as objective complement to describe object.

Participle like an adjective describes a noun or pronoun.

In above line,is approaching acting as gerund or a participle?

Following screenshot depicts support for gerund.


texts: A six-year-old boy or A six-years-old boy?

texts:
Which one is correct?

  A six-year-old boy
  A six-years-old boy

I see both usage when I search in google.


texts:
Would you mind to explain *to me* why didn't show up last night?

If I correct above sentence like the sentences below, I 'm not sure which one is okay.

Would you mind explaining *to me* why didn't show up last night?

Would you mind explaining *me* why didn't show up last night?

Kindly help, thank you so much!


texts: ellipses(not)However, don't spend too long in the sun- 15 minutes a day without a sunscreen is a healthy amount, and not at midday

texts:
Could you please help me to complete the second part of the ellipses sentences?

  First sentence: However, don't spend too long in the sun- 15 minutes a day without a sunscreen is a healthy amount, and not at
  midday.

Here , "not" represents as:

My analysis: However, don't spend too long in the sun- 15 minutes a day without a sunscreen is a healthy amount, and don't spend too long in the sun at midday.

  I am not sure here 'not' represents the verb 'spend' or the verb 'is'
  (for example, 15 minutes at midday without a sunscreen is not a
  healthy amount).


texts: Why do we go from using the prefix un- in unstable to using the prefix in- in instability?  Why can't we just keep using un-?


texts:
I don't understand what the function of the preposition of has in the following sentence:

He had the honour of being elected as the new president.

Thank you.


texts:
Entering the room, he saw her, where he had left her.
When he entered the room, he saw her, he had left her.

I would like to know if these statements means the same thing and are interchangeable.


texts:
A show my mother is watching goes on a break (my mom was not there at that time). So I turned to another channel. So my mom asks me why had I changed the channel. So I say:

  The show is on a break.
  The show went on a break.

Is the use of :"on" natural?

And what about:

  So it's time to go on a short break. Well be right back, so just stick around. (TV host says this)


texts: "Break into" vs "break up into" vs "break down into"

texts:
I was writing the following sentence:

"you should break this long paragraph into smaller ones."

For a moment, I wondered whether I should add something between paragraph and into.

I searched on Google and I found three variations:

break this long paragraph up into

break that long paragraph down into

And my original version.

Maybe all of them are the correct answer? But when, how do they differ?


texts:
An American Heritage Dictionary definition I found in The Free Dictionary says about 'to confound':

3. To make (something bad) worse: Do not confound the problem by losing your temper.

Some native speakers have told me they don't agree with this definition, and I haven't been able to find it in any major dictionaries except the American Heritage Dictionary.  Is the definition wrong?


texts: Are amounts of money singular or plural?

texts:
Are the two sentences correct or is one of them incorrect?

  1) Five billion dollars is earmarked for the project.
  2) Five billion dollars has been earmarked for the project.

I know dollars are countable. So I think both 'is' and 'has been' are correct here.

Also, do they differ in meaning?


texts:
I wrote this sentence,  but now I doubt that it is correct concerning commas.

  However, this proves to be difficult because Mary declares, at first, that she is not able to seek pardon (,) but the night before her execution her attitude changes and she prays to God that he might forgive her.

First of all, there are a lot of them and I don´t and know if I need one in front of "but". It seems to be an independent clause but actually, the only sentence that makes sense on its own seems to be "this proves to be difficult"?.

I thought about doing it like this:

  However, this proves to be difficult because Mary declares that she is not able to seek pardon at first; the night before her execution her attitude changes and she prays to God that he might forgive her.


texts: "Sarah has climbed the Matterhorn, sailed around the world"

texts:
Sarah has climbed the Matterhorn, sailed around the world, and has gone on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person.

Why is "sailed" in the Simple Past while the other verbs are in the Simple Perfect? (It is an example from a website on grammar.)


texts: Present continuous in time clauses with "after"

texts:
I'm not sure if I can use the present continuous in the following sentence:

"I'll take a trip to the States after I'm finishing my studies"

Should I use the present simple or present perfect?


texts:
Theorem 1 states that "Under the assumptions H1, H2, H3, ... and H10, it holds that ...".
I want to write a theorem using fewer assumptions (all those included in Theorem 1, without H6). What is the best way to write it?
I thought of "Under the conditions of Theorem 1, except H6, it holds that ...", but I'm not sure if it is acceptable.
Can you give me feedbacks?
Thanks in advance.


texts:
Ellen Langer says that:

  If you make the moment matter, it all matters.

Does he simply means?:

  If the moment is important, every moment matters.

The fuller text is:

  It’s going to sound corny, but I believe it fully: Life consists only
  of moments, nothing more than that. So if you make the moment matter,
  it all matters. You can be mindful, you can be mindless. You can win,
  you can lose. The worst case is to be mindless and lose. So when
  you’re doing anything, be mindful, notice new things, make it
  meaningful to you, and you’ll prosper.


texts: How to state that something makes something unnecessary?

texts:
I want to say that something makes something unnecessary. I mean you no longer need to do it. For example if students be allowed to eat in the class they won't need to leave the class so as to eat.
I believe that there should be a verb to this aim. I've mentioned the following sentence to express my aim in more detail.

  Allowing the students to eat in the class .... them from leaving the class so as to eat."

(How should I fill the blank?)

I thought of some verbs but I'm pretty sure that they do not fit. [prevent, dismiss, free]

As I searched further, I encountered the verb "rid", does it carry the meaning which I need?


texts: How different about “trailing zero” and “trailing zeros” and I’m wondering about “leading zero” and “leading zero” If I put -s trailing word what is mean?


texts: If I say "Purge the steam wand and wipe it with a cloth". Am I purging the wand while I wipe it? Can it mean the same as "Purge the steam wand and then wipe it with a cloth"?


texts:
Q：
I think if "that" is the object of "say", then the word of "that" should also be replaced by "whom".
Am I right？

The analysis questions are as follows.


texts: Are there difference about "and" and "or" between active sentence and passive sentence?

texts:
No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.

No creature has been praised or abused more often than the common garden snail.

It is said that these two sentences are the same. But I feel that we should replace or with and in the second sentence. I am confusing about using or in the second sentence.


texts:
I wrote the following sentence, but I am not sure whether "is modification" should be changed to "is modifying."

In such cases, what word should be placed after is? Is there any rule?

  The best solution is modification of the graph, for example, {1,2,1,3,4,5,4,6,1} into {1,2,3,5,4,6,1} by utilizing the concave cover along the outer border.


texts: Distorted Cabin & Oily Sheen: What is going on in this paragraph?

texts:
I have been reading a book, and I have a question about the following excerpt:

"We're here," The Tortoise in the Lake said, cutting across Dong Huong's gloomy thoughts.
"I can see nothing."
There came a low rumble, which distorted the cabin around her, and cast an oily sheen on the walls. "Watch."
Outside, everything was dark. There was only the shadow of The Two Sisters in Exile, the dead ship that they'd been pulling since Longevity Station.
– The Two Sisters in Exile, a fantasy novel by Aliette de Bodard

Are these changes happening in the “real” life of the novel?, or are they an illusion that exists merely in the mind of the narrator? If they are only an illusion, why does the author not say so? Has the author omitted something, or are these changes are really happening as the author says?


texts: What is the difference between the words "willpower" and "motivation"?

texts:
Are the words willpower and motivation different? And how can I distinguish between them?

I read about them in a book of building habits; it says motivation doesn't help to build a new habit while willpower does.


texts: Why is "alike" not possible in this sentence? (Choosing from: alike, similar to, exactly and just as)

texts:
Good press photographers must have an ‘eye’ for news, __ (?) __  journalists must have a ‘nose’ for a good story.

In that sentence I was supposed to choose the right answer from these options:
alike, similar to, exactly and just as. The answer is just as. Can you explain to me why the option alike is not possible?


texts:
A dialogue:

Honey, can you make me a cup of tea?
Don't bet on it! My favourite film is starting.

Which of the following expressions can be put in as substitutes for "Don't bet on it":

"Not if I know it!"
"Not if I can help it!"
"A fat chance!"


texts:
In IT do all these words: launch, start, execute, and run have the same meaning? Have they at least a slight difference between them?

Execute/launch/start/run Adobe Photoshop.

As far as I know they do mean the same thing but I want to be plain sure.


texts:
I can't clearly understand a sentence. Could you help me?

  Anyone touch my kids, I'm going to go honey over a bullants' nest.

What does "honey over" mean here? Is she trying to say that she would lure bull ants to the person's place or something?

Thank you in advance.
Source
Movie, Snowtown


texts: Corresponding English saying for a Spanish one about misfortunes and circumstances?

texts:
There is a saying in Spanish that doesn't translate very well into English:

Cuando las barbas de tu vecino veas pelar, pon las tuyas a remojar.
When you see your neighbour's beard plucking[?], get yours to soak.

I've found a translation here that is wrong1.
The meaning of the Spanish saying is explained here (in Spanish). In English, it could be translated as:

If a misfortune strikes someone under circumstances similar to ours, then we should prepare ourselves for the same misfortune.

An equivalent saying in English is also proposed on the same page:

When thy neighbour's house is on fire, beware of thine own.
When the neighbour's house is on fire, beware of your own. (Mieder1992 p. 427)
When thy neighbour's house doth burn, then look to your own. (Apperson p. 407)
Look to thyself when the neighbour's house is on fire. (Fergusson n. 153.16 p. 236)
When the neighbour's house declines, beware the possibilities of your own. (Mieder1992 p. 427)

I find the above saying a bit too formal and I was wondering whether there is a more modern and not so formal way to express the equivalent meaning.

1 The reason why I consider this translation wrong is because "a mistake" is something we do ourselves; "a misfortune" is due to something out of our control.


texts: "Object complement" OR "participial phrase"

texts:
In 2019 the company saw a strong uptake of its flagship OnePlus 7- series regaining the top spot back after falling behind Samsung in 2018.

Is the bold phrase a participial phrase or an object complement?

Thank you.


texts: What are the meanings of these jokes: "Queers 'R' Us" and "I'm a proctologist so I drive a brown Probe."

texts:
In American TV show 'Office' Season 2 Episode 2, one man tells a joke:

Well, those are some awful tight pants you have on. Where did you get 'em, like, Queers 'R' Us?

What's the funny point in this joke?
In Season 2 Episode 7, there is another joke:

First guy: Well, I'm a astronaut, so I drive a Saturn.
Second guy: Well, I am a pimp, so I drive a cheap Escort.
Third guy: I got you both beat. I'm a proctologist so I drive a brown Probe.

What's the meaning of these two jokes?


texts: What does the phrase "feel native to" mean here?

texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "feel native to" in the following sentence (not available online) from the description of the game "KartRider Rush+":

  You will find that the fundamental chassis of gameplay is similar to
  the PC version of the game, but KartRider Rush+ has never been this
  visceral; the intuitive controls of the game feel native to the iPhone
  and iPad.

I came across the following meanings of the word "native" on [Word Reference]1:

  designed for use with a specific type of computer:

  writing native applications for 32-bit PCs.

  internal to a specific application program:

  to view the file in its native format.

However, I am not sure as to how do these meanings fit in the given context.

Thank you for your time.


texts: Identify dependent and independent clauses

texts:
The latest is NetEase, a Chinese gaming firm that began a $3bn listing this week.

In my opinion, The latest is NetEase is an independent clause.
While a Chinese gaming.... week. - dependent
But I'm not sure
Can someone please help me with this?


texts:
I heard some native speakers say "cut the chicken/cake/piece of wood sideways". Does "cut something sideways" mean "cut it horizontally or vertically"?
How do we know which way is horizontal or vertical?
Also, we have square cakes with words on them. Does "cut it sideways" mean "cut it across the words"?
We also have rectangular cakes.
You can see my pictures down here.


texts:
When daylight came on the morning after the shooting, blood could be
seen on the sea pebbles of the turn-around in front of the house. Two petrol
tins were found behind a tree.
Does it mean: a place like a half of the circle in front of the house?
Source: The Story Of Lucy Gault by William Trevor


texts: Confused about the sequence of tenses in these sentences

texts:
I came across these recently:

She used to write this shopping list in squiggles, and then come back with only half the stuff that she'd gone for.
She might have forgotten something and come to fetch it.

In sentence 1, 'come back', not 'came back' is used.

In sentence 2, 'come', not 'came' is used.

Both dialogues are referring to the past. What kind of structure/rule is this?

Note: 1 is a dialogue I heard on TV. 2 is a dialogue from a book.


texts: Use of 'make' and 'enable' in supplication

texts:
I came across a thought while writing a religious text. A structure entangled me a little. Which of the following sounds natural?

  Lord enable us to die a believer!
  Lord make us die a believer!

I think first one is better since one won't seek ability to die. But rather Lord makes us die. Am I right?


texts:
It may seem a bit odd to return a number for the day of the week, so there’s a function
  to return the day as its name. The DAYNAME function works like DAYOFWEEK or
  WEEKDAY but returns a string with the name instead, as shown in Example 8-12.
  As you can see, an alpha answer returns:

+-----------------------+
| DAYNAME('1964-10-12') |
+-----------------------+
| Monday                |
+-----------------------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

  Source: Learning PHP & MySQL: Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Database-Driven Web Sites, by Michele E. Davis, Jon A. Phillips

What does an alpha answer mean?


texts: A word for a person who struggles to alway come off as deep and smart

texts:
The word should carry a sense of "pretending", "struggling" to sound deep, in terms of thoughts, especially using fancy words and/or belittling the ideas of others. Can you think of that word or something close?

Update:

This is the context I'm using the word in:

  The way he spoke was not of a preacher's. It was devoid of pre-arrangement, fancy words, redundancy, over-used citations, dogmatism and pretention.


texts: What is the meaning of idiom 'burning holes in eyes'?

texts:
His shorts are burning holes in my eyes.

'Burn holes in pocket' refers to making money come out of pocket.So 'burn holes in eyes' may be making the eyeballs to pop out of eyes.Is not it?

Also aside, which is correct 'Good choice at/on carrier'?


texts:
What is the best grammar-checking software to check the grammar errors in novels and screenplays?

I heard about Grammarly and Whitesmoke but I'm not sure which is good.


texts:
‘Come down! I'll do that. I'll send a wagon after Mistress Stafford.
  She can't carry all she owns.’ ‘I can do it. Master Secretary doesn't
  deal with bed hangings.’ ‘Master Secretary deals with everything. I'm
  surprised I don't make the king's shirts.’ Jane sways gently above
  him. Her feet sink into the feathers. ‘Queen Katherine does. Still.’
  ‘The Dowager Katherine. Come down.’ She hops down to the rushes,
  giving her skirts a shake. ‘Even now after all that has passed between
  them. She sent a new parcel last week.’

  — Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

What does "to the rushes" mean?


texts:
1) You and I will play in the evening.

  2) I and You will play in the evening.

I think both sentences are right, but why do we always prefer to use the first sentence?


texts:
What is the meaning of this sentence?

  Since the sum can be large, find it modulo 109 + 7.


texts:
The following is from The African Queen by C. S. Forester

  Yet even as the hot wave of fervour swept over her, she pulled
  herself up with scorn of herself for daydreaming. Here she was alone
  in the Central African forest, alone with a dead man. There was no
  possible chance of her achieving anything.

Does the bold mean 'rebuke herself'?


texts: Meaning of "totes" in "totes can be used for personal items"

texts:
Source:

Sinks could be an infection source and should avoid placing toothbrushes directly on counter surfaces. Totes can be used for personal items so they do not touch the bathroom countertop.

Does this tote stand for "a plastic box" (Wiktionary)?
I also thought of "tote bag", but that would not be very handy, would it, to put bags on the countertop? So I thought that a small plastic container would be ideal. But on the other hand, the Wiktionary article says that the container meaning refers to logistics.


texts: The difference between 'can't stand doing' and 'can't stand to do'

texts:
I see two sentences in my dictionary:

  Lily can't stand working in an office.
  She can't stand to hear them arguing.

It seems that both of usages are applicable. So, what will be the difference between the twos?

And can we say: "Lily can't stand to work in an office." and "She can't stand hearing them arguing." respectively?


texts:
1) He bought a house and is living in the same.

  2)He bought a house and is living in it.

I thought both are correct. But my grammar book is saying first form is wrong and we should use second form. Why so? What is the difference in meaning


texts: academic subjects that you read and memorize vs. those including math and formulas

texts:
Are there inclusive terms to describe academic subjects that requires reading and memorizing such as literature and those requiring math  and problem solving such as math and physics_ maybe something like reading subjects and problem-solving ones?

  A: Hey Alan, how do you manage to prepare for the exam season like that and you still have some time to spare with your friends?!

  B: Well, I leave the [memorizing] subjects to what I can keep in mind over the exam night and get practice on the [problem-solving] ones during the term.


texts: A place composed of many nations and races

texts:
What do you call humorously or in casual English a country / city which is comprised of many races from various provinces of the same country or other countries?
Is there any specific term, expression or idiom to explain a such a place which is made up of many races in which you rarely would find local people who were born there?


texts:
Why 'sacrificing' and what is 'everything' here?

  “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” says
  a NIKE advertisement released in September. The ad made waves because
  of the man saying those words: Colin Kaepernick, a former football
  player. Kaepernick began a series of protests among National Football
  League players against police violence and racial inequality.


texts: Does "What will we be in the next 5 years" mean "What will we become in the next 5 years"?

texts:
Ok, I got this question from my teacher "What will we be in the next 5 years", but I am not sure whether it means "What will we become in the next 5 years"

So, if someone says  "What will we be in the next 5 years", then can we answer "We will be doctors in the next 5 years" or "We will become doctors in the next 5 years"


texts: "Used to" vs Past Simple vs Past Continuous

texts:
We have three kinds of past:

I had a car / I used to have a car / I was having a car.

What is the difference in your understanding of the meaning of these three sentences?
As I understand we have:

non-action verbs: have, think, want, live ...

action verbs: run, read, listen, move, jump ...

And then how do you understand the meaning of phrases like 'used to have' or 'used to think', 'used to live'?
And high question: Are past simple and 'used to' interchangeable?
"I lived in London" and "I used to live in London." What is the difference? My guess is that the difference is in the period of time of living. And if this is true, from what period of time of a non-action verb can I use 'used to'?


texts: Perfect infinitive in conditional sentence

texts:
Is it possible to interpret:

"I would have liked to have met her" (a lift from G.Pullum et al) somewhat like:

"Yesterday I would have liked to have met her the day before yesterday.
"Yesterday morning I would have liked to have met her at least by the end of the day (also yesterday).

"I would like to have met her yesterday" or "I would like to have met her tomorrow"?

In the next example it stands: "I should like to have finished it by the end of the week". Here the question is: by the end of the previous week (I has not finished it yet and I regret this) or by the end of the next week (I wish I would finish it)?


texts: Is 'though quiet' in "He is friendly, though quiet' an adjectival adjunct?

texts:
Since though quiet in

  He is friendly, though quiet.

is non-essential to the whole meaning, it can be described as an adjunct. But what type of adjunct? My guess is that it is an adjectival one, but I am not completely sure because of the role that though plays.

If we consider though quiet to be an adjectival adjunct, then the 'core' of this adjunct must be quiet. Thus though is optional in the sentence, but then it becomes meaningless if we remove it.

Is though quiet an adjectival adjunct? If so, what role does though play in it?


texts:
http://www.google.com/m?hl=en-US&ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&q=those+conquer+who+believe+they+can

From above link,the sentence "Those conquer who believe they can" is strange for me.
The relative pronoun "who" is used after the verb "conquer". As far as I know, the relative pronoun is placed after its noun or pronoun.What kind of writing strategies is it?


texts: Verb chaining and tenses: "To where we've been before" vs. "To where we'd been before" in a poem by Brodsky

texts:
Here is a piece by Brodsky

  I wish you were here, dear,
  I wish you were here.
  I wish we were in my car,
  and you'd shift the gear.
  we'd find ourselves elsewhere,
  on an unknown shore.
  Or else we'd repair
  To where we've been before.

The last two lines have drawn my attention. Shouldn't it be "or else we'd repair to where we had been before"?

(A Song)


texts: is this “a” a print error or an article for to emphasize “one”

texts:
my question in another SE site has been edited as following:

  I've searched in SE for solfege and na
  mes of altered notes or tones.

  This point seems to be cleared. But I couldn't find a about hand-signs
  for solfege

now I'm not sure why it says: a about ???


texts:
Let me write some example sentences first:

"Do you believe in a religion?"
"Do you support a team in the NBA?"
"Is there a girl with weird short pink hair at the party?"

Can I say these sentences above instead of these below:

"Do you believe in any religion/any religions?"
"Do you support any team/any teams in the NBA?"
"Is there any girl with weird short pink hair at the party?"

Note: I know that the former group of sentences can be said in a situation where I have a guess. For example, I can say "Do you believe in a religion" in a context like this: Let's say I saw someone I know reading a book, and I asked him what he was reading, and he said "I am reading the holy book". As far as I know, in this situation, if I am thinking that he probably believes in a religion because of the fact that he is reading a "holy" book, I can say "Do you believe a religion?" or "You believe a religion?" as a response to what he said.

But what about the situations where I have no idea if a person believes a religion or not? Can I say "Do you believe in a religion" instead of "Do you believe in any religion/religions" in a situation like this: Let's say I am conversing with a person I just met. I have no single idea if that person believes any religions or whatever. We haven't talked about anything which has to do with religions at all. For starting a new conversation topic, can I say "Do you believe a religion?" instead of "Do you believe any religion/religions" to that person?

My question is the same for the other two sentences I gave.

EDIT: I think I need to add contexts for the other sentences too:

Context for the second sentence: Let's say I have no idea if someone I just met supports a team in the NBA or not. We haven't ever talked about it. For starting a new conversation topic, can I say "Do you support a team in the NBA?" instead of "Do you support any team/any teams in the NBA?"?

Context for the third sentence: Let's say I have a female friend, and she has "weird", short pink hair. Let's say we were both invited to a party and we both decided not to go there. And let's say during the time the party is continuing, when I am at home, I am feeling like my female friend might have attended the party without telling me about it (I have no idea if she is there though, or nobody told me she was there), and I am calling a male friend who went to the party for asking if she is there. Can I say "Is there a girl with weird short pink hair at the party?" instead of "Is there any girl with weird short pink hair at the party? to my male friend who doesn't know my female friend on the phone?


texts:
I think, and this comes probably from personal experience, that "in the arena" mostly refers to an arena that is inside some cage or enclosed by walls whereas "on the arena" refers to an non-enclosed arena.

Am I right?

They fought bravely on/in the arena.
That wasn't big an arena they watched them fight on/in.


texts: How to interpret “the authorities“ in the following examples

texts:
I read the following examples from Oxford Learner‘s Thesaurus:

  The health authorities are investigating the problem.

  Someone reported him to the immigration authorities .

  You have to get permission from the local planning authorities.

  He was detained by the Cuban authorities.

I tend to interpret the term authority in all of the above examples as a certain government department,  hence the singular form authority seems to me more appropriate than the plural authorities.  However, the Thesaurus interprets the authorities as a somewhat conventional expression for the people who have the power to make decisions or who have a particular of responsibility in a country or region.  I feel very difficult to follow the Thesaurus‘s interpretation: from my point of view,  people who are vested with administrative or political power act for certain government departments and therefore, they should be identified, when performing their duties, not as individual persons but as the government itself.

Could anyone help to clarify/explain why the plural form authorities is used in the quoted examples instead of the singular form authority?

p.s.
I come from a culture which is drastically different from those of English speaking nations and I can imagine there be wide difference between my conception of the notion authority and that by an English mind. My difficulty in understanding the usage of the plural authorities probably has association with cultural difference.


texts: I are writing a book report and the main person's name isn't revealed. How do I write about this?


texts: word order; each the grave vs the each grave

texts:
is an order of the words correct in the middle of this sentence? "A board was stretched over each the grave and people, in groups of 10, were standing on it."

Shouldn't it be over the each grave?


texts: Can the word "geek" be used as an adjective?

texts: I'd like to know whether I should use the word "geek" as an adjective or noun?


texts:
I will try my level best.

I have heard this expressions from many Indian speakers of English.

Is it not enough if we say:

  I wil try my best

Is try one's level best a set phrase? what is the use of level  in the sentence? Is it Indianism or standard English usage?


texts:
I'm sorry if this question is duplicated on this forum. I've tried to find something related but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

So from my understanding, you use "helps" instead of "help" when you have a third person on present form, and the action is right after the subject of the phrase, is that correct? (one example of its usage, not generalizing)

But for a phrase that uses the "it" in the plural form, which one is correct:
"Callbacks help you to close deals..." OR "Callbacks helps you (to?) close deals..."?

Thank you very much in advance!


texts: What is the Difference between creature and person

texts:
Sometimes I find the word “creature” to describe a person like “She is a little lovable creature.” I am always confused because I feel that this word is mainly used for animals.
In what situation the word “creature” is preferred to describe a person?


texts: What does 'There's only so much I can do' mean?

texts: Does the sentence 'There's only so much I can do' mean "I've done everything I could" or "There's still something I could do but my power is limited and it may not be enough"? In other words, is that "so much" already done or not?


texts:
There are 2 questions which the answer key says I'm wrong.
First:

By the time he was applying / he'd applied, the job had already gone.

I think it should be "he was applying"
Second:

She left before anyone had had / was having a chance to explain the situation.

I think the most suitable one is "was having", but answer key says the other one.
If truly I am wrong, could you explain why ?


texts: What's the function or meaning of "a second time for it to select a margin"

texts:
Therefore the Court remands this matter to Commerce a second time for
  it to select a margin that is “a reasonably accurate estimate of the
  respondent’s actual rate, albeit with some built in increase intended
  as a deterrent to noncompliance.”

quoted from Decisions of the United States Court of International Trade.

I'm curious about the sentence's structure.

I understand the meaning of phrase "The court remands A to B"

However, I'm not sure how "a second time for it to select a margin" fits into the sentence above.
It is like "The court remands A to B C" and it looks weird to me (nevertheless I can still interpret the sentence)

What's the function of "a second time for it to select a margin" in the sentence above and is it grammatically correct?


texts:
Can I say the below sentence? Is it correctly?

  I'm sorry I’m not having any free time today.

Or are there other better constructions?

TIA


texts: Confusion about "Backshift" of Verbs in Indirect Speech (To Kill a Mockingbird)

texts:
The following are some lines from To Kill a Mockingbird:

  I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it (had started?) started long before that. He said it (had begun?) began the summer Dill (had come?) came to us, when Dill first (had given?) gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out.

The original words are likely to be: 'Jem, who was four years my senior, said, "It started long before that. It began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." If these were the original words of Jem, then changing them to indirect speech would require a "backshift" in verbs which is not the case in this line. Other examples are:

  I said if he wanted to take a broad view of the thing, it really (had begun?) began with Andrew Jackson.

For: I said: "If you want to take a broad view of the thing, it really began with Andrew Jackson."

  Mr Conner said they (had cussed?) cussed so loud he was sure every lady in Maycomb (had heard?) heard them.

For: Mr Conner said: "They cussed so loud I am sure every lady in Maycomb heard them."

  Miss Stephanie said old Mr Radley (had said?) said no Radley (had been going? It looks odd) was going to any asylum, when it (had been?) was suggested that a season in Tuscaloosa might be helpful to Boo. Boo wasn't crazy, he was high-strung at times. It was alright to shut him up, Mr Radley (had conceded?) conceded, but instead that Boo not be charged with anything: he was not a criminal.

For: Miss Stephanie said: "Old Mr Radley said no Radley was going to any asylum, when it was suggested that a season in Tuscaloosa might be helpful to Boo. (He said) Boo wasn't crazy, he was high-strung at times. It was alright to shut him up, Mr Radley conceded, but instead that Boo not be charged with anything: he was not a criminal."

So why are there no backshifts of verbs? What am I missing?


texts: My friend told us in a group conversation that "Don't take me wrong guys". While replying to this, is the use of the sentence "Nobody do" is correct in this reference? I know that "Nobody" is an indefinite pronoun and is used as a singular notation but here in the reply "Nobody do" I am referring to a plural action of everyone's doing.


texts: Should I use the full sentence in the following case

texts:
I have three different form of component sentences at following.

It seems to me that all three are grammatically correct.However, I don't know which one is more acceptable style? or which one will people use in their writing.

When you are approaching the gate, it will take the photo of you and it compares that photo to database.
When you are approaching the gate, it will take the photo of you and compare that photo to database.
When you are approaching the gate, it will take the photo of you and it will compare that photo to database.


texts: Is "do something against sth" acceptable when meaning "do something about sth"?

texts: As a native German speaker, I was taught that the correct translation of "etwas gegen etwas tun", which would literally translate as "to do something against something", was "to do something ABOUT something", e.g. "You have to do something about this noise!". Since I keep reading "to do something against something", I'm now wondering if "do something against something" does not work at all, or if it would just be less common?


texts:
Which of these three sentences is correct and why:

  A) The prices approximately increased by 20%

  B) The prices increased approximately by 20%

  C) The prices increased by approximately 20%


texts: What is the meaning of `we search for a 1 filled list individual`

texts:
I am looking a python lib named deap, but stuck at beginning.

The first paragraph says:

  This is the first complete example built with DEAP. It will help new
  users to overview some of the framework possibilities. The problem is
  very simple, we search for a 1 filled list individual. This problem is
  widely used in the evolutionary computation community since it is very
  simple and it illustrates well the potential of evolutionary
  algorithms.

What I can't understand is:

  The problem is very simple, we search for a 1 filled list individual.

Sorry for my poor English, but it is realy quite hard to understand for me.
What is 1 filled list means? Search a 1 filled list , from where? individual list or individual 1 ?

PS: I remove some research about this question because those are in datascience area, not relate to English, if you want to see can go here  .


texts: In "Carl's brother" is "Carl's" an adjective?

texts:
I'm looking at an elementary school grammar book for my daughter which says:

  A word that tells which about a noun is an adjective. A word that
  tells whose about a noun is also an adjective. Example:

  Carl's brother is in fourth grade.

  Carl is a noun because it names a person. But Carl's is an adjective because it tells whose.

  To use a noun as an adjective that tells whose, put 's after
  it. This is called the possessive form of the noun.

Later it gives a related example:

  His brother is in fourth grade.

  His takes the place of Carl's so His is an adjective.

In the teacher section it talks about the second example (His brother) as being an example of possessive pronouns, which are also called pronominal adjectives as they are pronouns in essence but adjectives in function.

It also says:

  A, an, and the are adjectives that are used before nouns. These little words can be called noun markers. Whenever we see a, an, or the, we know that a noun will soon follow.

Now I don't remember learning any of this when I was a kid, so I want to verify that the book is correct in how it explains these words as adjectives. Is this considered correct in modern English and is there anything I should add to the explanation?


texts:
The British government conceded that plans to return children to school in England were unworkable. After weeks of resistance from teachers and local authorities, barely half of the pupils in primary-year groups that could have gone back have done so. The return of pupils to secondary schools has also been postponed until September.

What does the sentence mean? It supposed only half of the pupils would return to school, and then half them did return?


texts: Passive and usage of “being” in a sentence

texts:
I am trying to understand why this sentence is incorrect as in grammatically. The instructions were given to use passive/active accordingly.
The incorrect verse:

It's raining and the roads are full of water. Cars are moving quickly
and people on the sidewalks are splashed by the cars. The traffic
lights aren't working, so traffic is directed by a policeman.

Vs the correct verse was this:
It's raining and the roads are full of water. Cars are moving quickly and people on the sidewalks are being splashed by the cars. The traffic lights aren't working, so traffic is being directed by a policeman.


texts:
Sentence that needs correction : "A dilemma is when a person is faced with two or more choices, each of which leads to undesirable consequences.

Why is the use of when wrong? Why should when be ommitted?


texts: Sentence-Usage : "How long has this been empty for?" Or "How long was this empty for?"

texts:
I'm asking this because I have a feeling that if I say How long has this been empty for? , It would be like an ongoing action. For example:

  A: How long has the dog's bowl been empty for?

  For about an hour (it's still empty).

But, I feel that it's "grammatically wrong" if I Say How long was this empty for? without having a time expression. But, if I say using the present perfect, it'll be an ongoing action (And I don't want this). I want to say this:

  A: Fills the dog's bowl with food

  A: How long this has been/was empty for?

  B: For about one hour.

but if I use the past simple, I think it will be wrong.


texts: How to understand "Bad when better than worse is excellent"?

texts:
I see this sentence in a slide, but can't understand it:

  Bad when better than worse is excellent

[ Origin ]

How can I understand it?


texts: Singular or plural: "Adverbs are a type of words" or "Adverb is a type of words"

texts:
singular or plural:

I used this example in a post (The difference among "type of", "sort of", "kind of" and "style of" when referring to categories)

  Adverbs are a type of words that describe verbs adjectives other adverbs or clauses.

Where I'm not sure which is supposed to be used, singular or plural. I guess each of them makes sense.

with singular

  Adverb is a type of words that describe verbs adjectives other adverbs or clauses.

refers to any/each adverb;

with plural, it refers to all types of adverbs.

Is my understanding right?


texts:
Can "do(ing) that" refer to a negative action in the following?

I will not talk about your exam results any further if me doing that (= not talking about your exam results) will make you stop crying.

A: Please do not go there. B: I will do that. (= I will not go there.)

If there's a difference between the above uses of "do(ing) that," can you explain it?


texts:
I guess "urged him to 'come through'" means "urged him to overcome difficulites (to succeed)".
Cambridge Dictionary defines "come through" as "to succeed in a difficult situation". So Trump implies that Pence should be brave under pressure and get his job done.  I am not sure.

Vice-President Mike Pence - who as president of the Senate is due to oversee the session and declare Mr Biden the winner - said he welcomed the move.
.................
By US election law, Mr Pence's duty in the proceedings is purely administrative, but Mr Trump has urged his vice-president to "come through".

Source:  BBC    US Congress set to certify Joe Biden victory amid protests


texts:
Does it make a difference which comes first:
"I never would have thought that someone was going to come to kill him".
and
"I would never have thought that someone was going to come to kill him".


texts:
(a) What other people think and say about us matters, a lot. (NYT)
  (b) What matters most is your safety. (Merriam-Webster’s Learners’ 4.d)

(a) seems to have a fused relative, equivalent to “The thing that (i) other people think and say __ (i) about us matters, a lot.”
While there being no gap in (b), I would think that what-clause in (b) seems to be an interrogative clause; yet the dictionary says ‘what’ is equivalent to ‘the thing that.’ Is it, What matters most, a fused relative that has no gap? (Can this, a fused relative without any gaps, be possible at all?) Or is it a interrogative clause, for there's no gap?


texts:
The ing forms of verb are used as noun, adjective, subject or object.
Can it be used as a verb only.

Regards;


texts:
In this sentence:

  When he walked into the room, everyone stared at him.

"into the room" is a prepositional phrase but is "at him" also a prepositional phrase?


texts:
Look at the picture

Children often accidentally put their hands or fingers in the interface between the door and the door frame, which is dangerous because they might get crushed by chance.

What is the general everyday term to express the interface between the door and the door frame?

Do you say "Don't put your fingers in the door gap as they might get crushed"?


texts:
"What is taking her so long?"

We normally say that when we have been waiting a person for a long time.

Context:

My son has been waiting his mother for a long time in car.

When my wife went in car.

My son told my wife.

"You are taking too long."

Does the phrase above can be use?


texts:
I know a ballot refers to a sheet of paper for secret voting, but what does the phrase 'on the ballot' mean in this example?

When our very democracy was on the ballot in this election, with the
very soul of America at stake, and the world watching, you ushered in
a new day of America.


texts: what does functional and department mean?

texts:
The pedagogical strategy is aligned with the other functional and department strategies.

I know meaning of " functional" and "department " , but here using both of them with each other, made me confused. I don't know what functional and department strategies means.


texts: Position of 'not' in a negative interrogative?

texts:
Source: Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company [1892], judgement of Lindley LJ

  But there is another view. Does not the person who acts upon this advertisement and accepts the offer ♦  put himself to some inconvenience at the request of the defendants? Is it nothing to use this ball three times daily for two weeks according to the directions at the request of the advertiser? Is that to go for nothing?

I tried ELU. Am I right that this is a negative interrogative, and that Lindley LJ is just asking rhetorically: 'Does not the person .... put himself to some inconvenience ...'?

Why or why not should not be situated where I have inserted ♦ (ie the lozenge)?   What differs?

PS: This Reddit post explicates this older syntax.


texts:
It was roast beef for supper that evening and de Riviere had said, "A
glass of red wine wouldn't go amiss," and scored some points for the
laughter that followed."

I searched online dictionaries for score points
and there is two meanings:

a) (also score off somebody) to say or do something in an attempt to
prove that you are better or cleverer than someone else
b) informal to do or say something to please someone or to make them
respect you

I think (b) definition is fitted but I am not sure. And I don't understand the meaning of the sentence.
So, could you please explain it to me?
The fuller text:

koni had gone into village and bought four bottles of wine in the
Auberge du lac. It was roast beef for supper that evening and de
Riviere had said, "A glass of red wine wouldn't go amiss," and
scored some points for the laughter that followed. So after the meal Konrad went to the nursery, leant a ladder against the wall,
climbed up it and tried in vain to pull the ladder up and let it down
on the other side. For a moment he was about to aboundon his mission but the image of himself entering the room like a ruturning hero with his trophy of red wine was too sweet...

Small World by Martin Suter
Translated by Sandra Harper

Note: The original german text is:  Es hatte zum Abendessen
Rindsbraten gegeben, und de Rivière hatte gesagt: »Ein Gläschen Roten
dazu wäre nicht zu verachten«, und damit einen übertriebenen
Lacherfolg verbucht.


texts: Is the sentence "That is my black cat (that) you are after" an emphatic sentence?

texts:
I have been taught that that the sentence pattern "It is …… that ……"  is an emphatic sentence:

  It is my black cat (that) you are after.

But I wonder whether this sentence is also an emphatic sentence:

  That is my black cat (that) you are after.

If it is not an emphatic sentence, how should it be parsed?


texts: A question about past tense and present tense

texts:
I talked about my travel experience in Japan with my friend. He asked me : How many time have you been to Japan?I have been there only once.

So I should say

It was my first time to be there

or
It is my first time to be there


texts: Tenses when talking about recorded video

texts:
When talking about a recorded video, what grammar tense should I use?

For example when taking about this BABYMETAL interview to someone:

  Me: Has anyone noticed how Yui talks about American?

Should it be talked or talks? It happened in the past but in the video she will always talk like that when people watching.

  Me: Yui seems to be timid, it's because the topic is more serious and doesn't fit laughing.

Same question as above.


texts:
My thought process:

We all know that progressive tenses are, to put it simply, used to talk about an action in progress:

  I'm having a dinner at 2:00. (eating dinner is in progress at 2:00)
  I was having a dinner at 2:00. (eating dinner was in progress at 2:00)
  I will be having a dinner at 2:00. (eating dinner will be in progress at 2:00)

Simple tenses are used to say when an action starts.

  I have my dinner at 2:00. (My dinner starts at 2:00)
  I had my dinner at 2:00. (My dinner started at 2:00)
  I will have my dinner at 2:00. (My dinner will start at 2:00)

That seems logical to me. Let's go further.

In many books you can find the following explanation for "present progressive for future":

  We usually use the present continuous tense for future arrangements.

e.g.

  I'm seeing my friend tomorrow.

OK, I understand the rules so far. It is a future event that has been arranged. Perhaps I have called my friend and we agreed on meeting sometime tomorrow.

4.Now this is the part that I don't understand:

  I'm seeing my friend at 2:00 tomorrow.

I am totally lost here.

As present continuous is used to talk about future arrangements, in the sentence above I need to use the present continuous. If I change the tense to the present simple (which is used to talk about future events that are scheduled) it will change the meaning of what I am going to say. It will sound like a timetable or like a schedule, which the sentence above is not - it's just an arrangement I made with a friend of mine.

However, as the present continuous is used to talk about actions in progress, does the sentence I'm seeing my friend at 2:00 tomorrow. mean that my appointment will be in progress at 2:00 or will start at 2:00?

A very important question: What do you feel would be the best way to express a future arrangement that starts at a certain time in future?


texts:
In "kids" offer, you can get the "kids meal" and another meal. For this other meal, you can choose between "Chicken meal" or "Beef meal".

I feel like using the phrases (Another meal) and (for this other meal) is not suitable. I asked someone I know what do you call a meal for adults, he said that it's just called a "meal". So how can I make sure that our clients understand that there's only one type of kids meal and two types of "Adults" meal and they can choose one of them?

Are the phrases correct and okay to use? I need the sentence to be as short as possible.


texts:
Which of the following options is correct?

The phone is plugged into a wall unit / wall jack / wall outlet.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
Could someone please let me know which is more correct? Or are they both correct maybe?

  The Company's board of directors has decided....
  The board of directors of the company has decided...


texts:
The word "commissioned":

I know that commission also means a fee for a service rendered. But, if you are commissioned to do something, does it automatically mean that it is a paid endeavour or it could also mean a free service for a cause? This could be an extremely silly question, apologies in advance.


texts: What does "fostering inclusion" refer to, or mean?

texts:
India’s unique identification programme Aadhaar is a “critical” step in enabling fairer access to government services and has “tremendous potential” for fostering inclusion, according to a United Nations report.

Here I didn't understand what the author is trying to convey but I know the meaning of foster means to support something to develop or to promote but I didn't understand what  "fostering inclusion" means, what they are supporting to include?

Can anyone explain it to me clearly?


texts:
In sentence below should i use '' ten dollars lower '' before the word '' price'' or after . Or both gives same meaning.

  He offered me ten dollars lower price than you

  He offered me price ten dollars lower than you.


texts:
How to express the ratio a=b/c into words?
(e.g., in the context of an election: turnout = number of expressed votes / number of person listed on electoral register)

I would suggest "a is the ratio of b divided by c". However, it seems pretty bulky to me.


texts:
The painting is appraised as worth millions.
The painting is appraised as being worth millions.
The painting is appraised and worth millions.
The painting is appraised with a worth of millions.

I think both sentences 1 and 2 are correct, as is followed by an adjective or gerund.

As to sentence 3, is it correct? I think it is, because here worth is an adjective, it is the same as "The painting is appraised and is worth millions."

As to sentence 4, according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, "worth" is an unconuntable noun. But I do see examples like this in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 4th Edition: "stocks having a worth of ten million dollars."

What's more, some dictionaries claim "worth" is an adjective, while others say it is a preposition.


texts: When and how to use *Have* as an auxiliary verb?

texts:
In the sentence (a), is the word have used as an auxiliary or a main verb?

  a) Decades of neglect have now come to haunt governments.

If I say (b), does it convey the same meaning?

  b) Decades of neglect now come to haunt government.

In Present perfect tense have is used to say something which happens in past and has impact in present (http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html)

  E.g. I have seen that movie.

Meaning: I saw that movie yesterday hence no point to see this movie again today.

Then what meanings do my sentences a) and b) convey? Do they mean the same thing?


texts: Looking at the kids which - or that/who?

texts:
We look at the kids which/that/who skillfully use tablets with the help of their small fingers and we understand that to surprise the younger generation will be more difficult each year.

Is the relative pronoun which acceptable here, or does it look totally out of place, because it befits a "non-restrictive relative clause" more?

It seems to me that the pronoun that looks best in the bolded position, with who an acceptable second choice. But it's hard to pin down why.


texts:
I want to choose a convenient category name for a special kind of films.
This special kind doesn't contain any single spoken word in the entire film; not even narration, singing or intertitles that present key dialogue or comment. This kind of film doesn't contain any meaningful statement not written, not spoken.

  "Non-Verbal Films; Non-Speech Films; Films with no Speech; Films
  without Speech"

I found these names on the internet, but I'm not sure about them because these names may include:

Verbal speech but not written intertitles dialogues in silent movies.
All the sounds and noises produced by the characters not just meaningful statement.

I need a very accurate term for this category, either one of the examples I gave or a more convenient one.
Thank you


texts: Why is there no preposition behind the word "mile"?

texts:
The region is some 40 miles north of Seoul.

What does it mean? I personally think it means "The region is 40 miles away from the north of Seoul".

Why is there no preposition after the word mile?


texts:
And is there any mistake in the writer's using "a year from now" here? I think it should be "a year ago".

"Then there's the valuation to consider. Deutsche Bank shares are selling at half their expected book value a year from now, while UBS looked like a bargain to GIC at 2 times book."

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-05-16/hna-can-avoid-singapore-s-ubs-sour-grapes


texts: I don't understand the meaning of "just" in these sentences

texts:
Son: You never like any of my friend.
  Mother: Buddy, I'm just looking out for you.
  In a restaurant. son with his friends runs into his father.
  Son: What are you doing here?
  Father: I'm just getting a drink while Mary do shopping.
  Son's friends: Well, please join us.
  Father: No, I don't want to intrude. I'm just gonna watch the game at the bar.
  Son: He just wants to watch the game at the bar.
  In a shop.
  A: Can I help you?
  B: No It's all right, thanks. I'm just looking.

Why do we have "just" in these sentences?

I think that "just" in this situaton has the same meaning as "only" (not involving anything more than the thing that you are mentioning), but there is a website that says "If you say that you are just doing something, you mean that you are doing it now and will finish it very soon." That confuses me.


texts: For example, do you say: 'I want to buy cloth garment', or 'I want to buy cloth garments'? I more specifically would like to know the answer to cases like this, when it's getting multiple or all of something.


texts: How can I tell the difference between a preposition and a phrasal verb?

texts:
For example:
"I looked up the word."
Some people believe "up" is a particle but others believe that it's a preposition because it's followed by "the word".
I'm writing a document about prepositions(among other things) but I've been stuck on phrasal verbs for WEEKS.


texts: He popped out to shortstop vs He popped to shortstop (What's the meaning of the sentence?

texts:
He popped out to shortstop. 2. He popped to shortstop.

What's the meaning of the two sentences and is there any difference in their meaning?
Dictionary says 'pop' = 'hit' a pop-fly but what's the 'out' here? Does it mean the batter is 'out' now (failed to get on base)?


texts: How to know whether to use 'that' in clauses like 'I don't want that you go to Ireland'?

texts:
For me, both next sentences are correct :

I don't want you to go to Ireland.
I don't want that you go to Ireland.

How do I know whether or not I should use "that" in a sentences like these?


texts:
''Nothing in this complexity stands in the way of claiming that statistical mechanics describes the world in a way that explains why thermodynamics works and works as well as it does.''

  Luckily, Ford is more enthusiastic: "Nick performs in a way that seems effortless, subtle and honest.

In these sentences Does '' in a way '' has the same meaning as '' in such a way '' ? What does it mean ? As far as I know ''in such a way'' is used like '' so that'' but I think in these sentences ''in a way '' is not the same as ''in such a way''.


texts: difference between "I had been bored" and "I had bored"?

texts:
What's the difference between these sentences:

  "I had been bored"

  "I had bored"

  "I was bored"

in structure, tense and meaning? And which one is more common in daily English?
Which one is correct when I want to say the movie was boring and I ...?


texts:
When and where can I use the word "through" in speaking and writing?

Explain with  an example.

For example, Mahesh is a person's name, there is a situation like this, during a phone call:

  I put you through Mahesh.


texts: Definite article with singular or plural noun

texts:
When people come to a new place, they need to respect the customs of locals

  When people come to a new place, they need to respect the customs of the locals

  When people come to a new place, they need to respect the customs of the local

Since I have mentioned the place where the "locals" live, should I use article "the" here?
Another question, should I use the local instead of the locals? And if so, is there any big difference in meaning?


texts: Adjective rules [make(s)/made+ pronoun+adjective]

texts:
I am trying to help non native speakers understand the [make(s)/made+ pronoun+adjective] sentence structure. They are struggling with picking the right adjectives. I am getting sentence such as

  Badminton makes me busy. He makes me fun. Rain makes plants fine.

I am aiming not just for grammatically correct, but also naturalness. Are there rules to improve their adjective choices?
Please help


texts: The question about the English articles. A/an or The?

texts:
I've been looking for an answer to my question for a long time, but I've got no results. I've read plenty of grammar books but haven't found the straight and clear answer for the question in the topic "Why do you say "to/at/in the zoo, to/at/in the shop, to/at/in the river, to/at/in the cinema, to/on the roller coaster etc.? Why don't you use indefinite articles when a place, a thing (like "roller coaster) is not specific?"

Can somebody explain to me why we still say "I go to the shop", "I'am at the shop" even if we don't go to or at a specific shop or we mention it for the first time? Can we say "I go to a shop", "I am at a shop"?
Why do we still say "I go to the zoo", "I am at the zoo" even if we don't go to or at a specific zoo, or we mention it for the first time? Why don't we say "I'm at a zoo", "I go to a zoo"?
The same questions about to/at/in the river, to/at/in the cinema, to/on the roller coaster etc.

I'm really struggling to understand it. I think I'm not alone.

When answering the question, please, don't use things like "we just use". I need a clear, grammarly based explanation with all the details.

Or tell me about the books that I could use to clarify the matter by myself.

Sorry for the grammar and punctuation mistakes in my text, no one is perfect.

Thanks to everybody who is trying to answer the question.


texts:
Please help me figure out the meaning of the following sentence in the description of the app "Queen: Rock Tour":

Nimbly hammer out John Deacon’s bassline in "Under Pressure" and hold
down to sustain Freddie Mercury’s soaring vocals in "We Are the
Champions"

I am particularly confused about the meaning of the words "Nimbly hammer out" and "hold down to sustain".
Here is a description of the app from Google Play:
Embark on a musical journey to rediscover the story of Queen, the world’s most iconic rock band. Play their greatest hits at historic venues, create your own stage performances with unique animations and legendary outfits, and collect exclusive images from the official archives of Queen!


texts:
I was reading the Hound of the Baskervilles, and tripped upon this phrase.

'Capital article this on Free Trade.'

I suppose it's the title of the Times article from which Sherlock speculates that the sender of the mysterious letter  cut out to paste on the letter.

But, what I find most intriguing is how those words are put together, I have no clue in what that means exactly.

Could anyone "translate" into more clearer wordings?


texts: For me/to me, which is correct or better in these examples?

texts:
Prepositions are tricky to figure out. I'd like to know whether or not I can use these two prepositions interchangeably in the following examples.

It's very important for me/to me to study abroad.
For me/to me all that matters is how much it will cost.
You are the most beautiful girl, at least for me/to me.
Living in our house is just unbearable for me/to me.

As an ELL, I have to make sentences in a way like assemblying parts. At times, the contrived sentences may seem to be a little bit unnatural to native speakers, so the examples above are just tokens here. There must be better ways to convey the meaning.


texts: Counselor for children at youth summer camp

texts:
I am looking for a fine translation on a recent activity of mine. I worked in a youth summer camp with children aged 7-15.

Deepl.com suggests that I was a "counselor" for children. This does not sound quite exact for me. None of the other suggestions of Deepl.com, Linguee.com and other online dictionaries fit in my eyes.

Is there a better translation for my activity?

Thank you in advance!


texts: Please explain how to use "only" in this sentence

texts:
In the BBC website Learning English a person gives some examples of the phrase "clean up one's act" and one example is:

  I used to drink a lot of alcohol but when I got ill, I decided to clean up my act and now I only drink cola!

My question is: is it correct to use only before the verb it modifies?

Generally we should place “only" next to the noun, subject, verb, or phrase we're trying to modify.

So, I think it should be like I drink only cola. Am I right?

And is the sentence I drink cola only right grammatically?

I saw in many shopping malls the price was written as 1000₹ only etc. Is it right to say like this? Please explain to me the grammar relative to this.


texts: Is using "someone" in a question correct?

texts:
When reading about someone on the OALD, I saw the following note:

  The difference between someone and anyone is the same as the difference between some and any. Look at the notes there.

The note that I read for some is the following:

  In negative sentences and questions any is usually used instead of some:

    I don't want any more vegetables.
    Is there any wine left?

  However, some is used in questions that expect a positive reply:

    Would you like some milk in your coffee?
    Didn't you borrow some books of mine?

Does that apply to someone too? Should I use someone in a question when I am expecting a positive answer?

  Does someone know the answer?


texts: What is the difference between "Write it down" and "Write down it"?

texts:
Oh hi! thanks for reading this question.
I'm an English learner and I just want to know what's the difference between "Write it down" and "Write down it"?.
Can you elaborate?
Thanks!


texts: as suggested & as is suggested & as it is suggested

texts:
"This second level was used both as a dormitory and a dining room by the garrison (which was made up of about twenty soldiers), as suggested by the fireplace, the old utensils and the garrison officer’s room."

Understanding one: "As" is a relative pronoun referring to “This second level was used both as a dormitory and a dining room by the garrison (which was made up of about twenty soldiers)”. If so, why it is "as suggested" rather than "as is suggested"? I think it is a passive voice.

Understanding two: "as" introduces an adverbial clause with "it is" omitted. The original clause should be "as it is suggested by the fireplace, the old utensils and the garrison officer’s room." If so, what does "it" stand for?


texts: How to compress 'odd/even number of times'?

texts:
If A occurs exactly two times, one could say "A occurs twice."
If A occurs exactly three times, one could say "A occurs thrice." etc.

Not being a native English speaker, I don't know how to properly name these words that compress the expression for "number of occurences", however, I've found articles online that have expanded their realm of existence beyond the numbers of 1, 2 and 3, such as "septence" for 7, etc.

I wonder if there are 'compression words' like this for "odd" and "even number of times". I would find these words extremely useful. There are words like that in Czech, I am however unable to find their English equivalents. Do they exist?

The Czech words for "odd" and "even" in the context of numbers are "lichý" and "sudý" respectively. The Czech language also contains a suffix representing the English standalone word "times", which is "-krát", used as in "five" = "pět" -> "five times" = "pětkrát", allowing for the words "sudokrát" and "lichokrát" (they are super scarcely used, but nonetheless legal). At another distantly related SE post, I've seen that there is a similar suffix in English,
"-fold". Is this true? If it is, can you therefore use "oddfold" and "evenfold" in the manner I require, that is

"A occurs evenfold." or
"A occurs oddfold."

It doesn't seem right, but that's why I'm asking here. If this doesn't work, does a correct word for this expression exist?


texts:
Our house is opposite the supermarket.
Our house is opposite to the supermarket.

Which one is correct? Can you please explain the reason?


texts: What does 'at the end of the week' mean?

texts:
(In letter about work)

Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on Friday to discuss ~~...
...(omit)..
I look forward to seeing you at the end of the ㅡㅡ

The answer of the blank is 'week' because the end of the week contains friday... That's what answer says. but Doesn't 'the end of the week' mean 'Saturday and Sunday'???

I'm very confused because 'the end of the week' is translated into '주말' in korean and it means usually 'Saturday and Sunday'.

Please let me know what does 'at the end of the week' mean to a extent?
thank you in advance!


texts:
Does the sentence in bold mean "if you don't make a lot of money" or "except trying to make a lot of money"?

  "You are caught in this really uncomfortable position. You feel very guilty seeing such poverty and helplessness," added Michelle, the 28-year-old on a six-figure wage. "But what are you supposed to do? Not make a lot of money?"

source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/03/facebook-engineers-struggling-with-rents-ask-mark-zuckerberg-for-help.html


texts:
Today I saw the following ad while browsing stackoverflow.com:

It says:

  Make your next move

  with a career site

  that's by developers

Now, I can think of three ways to read this:

"Make your next move [...] by developers" as in "by the help of developers".
"[...] a career site that's by developers" as in "by developers' side".
"[...] a career site that's by developers" as in "By developers, for developers".

Still, those readings don't really match the given sentence. In the last case I could accept a standalone "By developers" or "By developers, for developers". But I haven't seen "by" used within a sentence in such a way "that's by someone". Shouldn't there be a verb preceding "by developers", e.g. "built by developers"? if not, how is "by" used in this context?


texts:
The girl running in the wood is my sister.

In the above sentence,
1. The girl running in the wood
2. Running in the wood
3. In the wood

What types of phrases are these?


texts:
What does "quite an institution" mean? Here is an example:

  As many of you know, the Capitol just celebrated our 85th anniversary
  in December of last year– we’re quite an institution around here! But
  while we value our historic standing, we are constantly striving for
  ways to expand our services to better serve the community.


texts:
Should I capitalize the suffix -like in a title if it is hyphenated?

For example:

Diamond-Like Carbon Coating or Diamond-like Carbon Coating

Metal-Like Compounds or Metal-like Compounds

Which is correct?


texts:
>Mathematics is not an intramural sport, and as important as being first is, how one gets to one's destination is often as important as, if not more important than, the actual target.

please help me with explaining the structure and meaning of the sentence, particularly the use of as important as for two times.


texts: Editions of Jones' Everyman's English pronouncing dictionary: Still Conservative RP?

texts:
I was thinking about buying an old Everyman's English pronouncing dictionary copy and I was wondering if the pronunciation is the same in all the editions (I have seen 18 different!).
Eds. 1-13 should be all the same, more or less. I have found an online copy of the 11th and different possibilities are given (it is explained in the preface, sections XX and XXIV B). But Ed. 14th for example is different, since it was the first published after Daniel Jones' death and Alfred C. Gimson performed several deep changes regarding phonetic notation. My questions is: apart from this, are further editions (14,15,..., Cambridge one, etc.) keep the same pronunciation Daniel Jones wrote in his first volume?
I know for example Fowler's Modern English Usage has several editions printed by Oxford University Press and Modern RP is used in triphthongs like ''fire'', something impossible since the original dates from 1926.
PS: I know modern copies include American pronunciation too, but that is not my issue. I am asking if British pronunciation still continues to be (continues being, I don't know) conservative RP.


texts:
Lawlessness and chaos have engulfed Iraq's second largest city after militants seized control and government forces fled.  (part of Aussie ABC; Original)

Have I not got the knack of catching the L sound in the -less- of lawlessness? I only hear R instead of L in the audio from Aussie ABC news. Is it because of my lacking skill to catch it or do even English users hear it as L? Or is there a sound rule about the L that I have to follow up?


texts: Can "to" cover both "in order to" and "in such a manner as to" ?

texts:
System 1 controls the device using the data, and system 2 corrects the data as necessary in order (so as) /in such a manner as to enable the device to operate more efficiently.

I know there is a difference between "in order (so as) to" and "in such a manner as to", but is sometimes confused whether which is correct for a sentence I created. For example, I don't know which is correct for the above sentence I created. In such a case, do you recommend using "to"?


texts: What do you call Obama's face expression "not bad"?

texts:
How to desribe a person reacting with this face?

Alternatively, I'd appreciate if you suggested me a word to describe this kind of compassionate frowning:


texts:
This discussion clarifies the difference between "may" and "might".

Now my question to the more knowledgeable native English speakers:

Is any of them preferred over the other in every-day speech? Maybe a more practical rule about when to use one and when the other? Thank you.

Background: I just realized recently that I forgot the existence of the word "might". Trying to bring it back to my vocabulary, I do not want to fall into the other extreme (using it too much).


texts: Is it correct to say something / person is suitable for something / person?

texts:
Or is better to say:

something suits you
something is suitable for you
something is suitable for something else

And same referring people:

someone suits you
someone is suitable for you
someone is suitable for something


texts: Meaning of "one that is now reliant on public appeal for help is to be a breakthrough"

texts:
There is one more sentence in this video. Source is : https://youtu.be/3prCCJIhIKA?t=145
This is original sentence - one that is now reliant on public appeal for help is to be a breakthrough
I could rewrite it in simple speech like this but no understanding at all in terms of what it says -
one that is now dependent on making a serious request to public is to be a dramatic turn in an incident.
but what is its meaning?


texts:
When someone wants to ask politely for something, they use “would like to” structure. For example:

“I would like to try on this jacket, please.”

I wonder if this structure has past tense. I know that the structure “Would like to have + past participle” is quite different in meaning. For example:

“John would like to have tried on another piece of clothing, but he was in hurry.”

So as you can see the second structure isn’t the past tense of the first structure since it conveys the meaning that "John" did not try "another piece of clothing". For example you want to say:

“There was a very beautiful coat in the shopping center so I asked the man: ‘I’d like to try it on’ ”

The last part of the statement is a direct reported speech. How can we say that part in indirect reported speech?


texts:
"What if my wife were the daughter of the head of the
  electricity department of my district?"

  "She would get the threat of divorce every time [that is, when or whenever]
  the electricity supply is/was cut off."

Please consider the second paragraph of
my sentences. As per the rule we should use "present
tense" after time clause, including "when". That would indicate using is.

But since it's a hypothetical sentence I should use "the past
tense" here, shouldn't I? That would mean using was.

Which verb form is correct?


texts:
Consider:

  By integrating R(r) out to the location of the first minimum, the coordination number for the first solvation shell is derived 5.4.

I am not sure about the bold part because no preposition I see between the derived and 5.4, maybe it is is derived as 5.4, right? Generally I can't get the pattern or structure for using a number like that.

Is it correct? what is the structure or pattern? What are other alternatives?


texts: Learning English conditionals & tenses through proverbs & quotes

texts:
Without meaningful practice and with little time I keep forgetting the conditionals, but it came to my mind after reflecting on the way I learn English that it would be a great idea if I  could memorize preferably some well-known proverbs and maybe some great quotes for each grammar point in general and for each English conditional structure in particular.

So instead of memorizing abstract rules we memorize real language. This way the example becomes the rule from which we can generalize.

What I would like is to get a proverb (or more) for each conditional, starting from the zero conditional to the mixed conditionals. Could you share your knowledge?


texts:
We got into a grammar discussion at the office.

  Given I have write-access to a page and I selected an option

  Given I have write-access to a page and I have selected an option

Are both grammatically correct?
Is one is better than the other?


texts:
This is from a TED talks by Bryan Stevenson (https://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice/transcript?referrer=playlist-the_pursuit_of_justice#t-679815).

He says:

"And yet, in this country, in the states of the Old South, we execute people -- where you're 11 times more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white than if the victim is black, 22 times more likely to get it if the defendant is black and the victim is white -- in the very states where there are buried in the ground the bodies of people who were lynched"

My question is..

What is a complement of "there are"?

Seems like the complement in the bold sentence is "the bodies of people who were lynched",

but then what is "buried in the ground" doing in this sentence? This part seems grammatically incorrect.


texts: many suffixes get the same meaning,such as development,oppression,their suffixes both mean state,so how do I choose the right suffix without dictionary.


texts: Confused with the word "before" is it okay to use it like this?

texts:
I know that the word "before" can be used to mean "In front of" and when something happens before a particular time. For eg. :

I'm standing before you.

I'll come before you leave.

Now my question is can I use the sentence:

I Came before you

I was there before You

To mean that i came earlier than you?
Or does it mean that I came in front of you?
And I was there in front of you?

Thanks in Advance,
Rishabh


texts:
Hi I am a English learner, and am confused with the following expressions:

  "In xx years", and
  "In xx years' time"

What's the difference between the two? Thank you.


texts:
I have been searching on the Internet about which tense is perfect with the word today. I have found this thread on this site which is very helpful. But my question is with a mentioned time frame which tense should I use. Suppose, today is May 12th and I want to say may 12th instead of today. Then, which tense is correct?

A deadly accident has happened on May 12th in our locality which causes death of three people.
A deadly accident happened on May 12th in our locality which caused death of three people.


texts: Is it allowed to place a capital letter after adverb?

texts:
In sentences like:

Also, it provides ...

Also, It provides ...

is it allowed to place It(Capital I) instead of it after adverb Also?


texts: Why do judges use 'would' in conclusions of legal judgments?

texts:
[Source:] A (Children) or Re A (conjoined twins), UK COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), 2001

LORD JUSTICE WARD: ... VI Conclusion ... In my judgment the appeal must be dismissed.
LORD JUSTICE BROOKE: ... For these reasons I, too, would dismiss this appeal.
LORD JUSTICE ROBERT WALKER: ... I would therefore dismiss this appeal.

These justices already decided the case, before writing their judgments, so why did Brooke and Robert Walker use this modal verb? No ODO definition  seems apt? This usage prevails in many legal judgements, and not simply this instant one which I picked arbitrarily from here.


texts: Help to understand "because think it did the job" in the context

texts:
He added that if he were hired to make Boeing 777 disappear, he would “do the exact same thing”.

  “As far as I’m concerned, it’s very accurate flying because think it
  did the job and we know, as a fact, that the military did not come
  and intercept the aircraft,” he added.

The part I don't understand is because think it did the job. It doesn't look grammatical to me. What's it referring to? Can someone help me with it? Thanks!

Here is the full source.


texts:
I have searching for a term that I'm unable to find yet. If I am not talking to my friend or relative but my relationship isn't broken. We two are angry with each other. We will begin talking and meeting as soon as as one of us moves forward. Now what should I say:

I am not in talking relation with X.

I am not out of communication with x.

I am not on talking terms with x.


texts: Word for women who happily does not care about feminism for romantic

texts: I am looking for a word or a phrase describe a women who does not care about feminism, especially when she is in love. It's not she doesn't aware it, or think it useless, or she sacrifices herself for something more important (e.g. her child); it just she accepts to take a step back because she feels that will be romantic. For instance, maybe she is a person who normally fighting for her right in the office, but when she is in a relationship, she would like to let her partner holds her bag, or buy her ice cream, because in that case she will find that she is in cared.


texts: Why doesn't "adolescent" take any articles in "listen to adolescent agonising"?

texts:
"Now, if you will excuse me, I have better things to do than listen to adolescent agonizing ... good-day to you."

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

'Adolescent' is a countable word. But why doesn't it take any articles in this context? I feel listen to an adolescent agonizing looks correct. Any thoughts?


texts: How can something "simple" be "striking"?

texts:
I read a definition of the word "epiphany" in Merriam Webster Dictionaries which was:

  An intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking

I wonder how how can something "simple" be "striking"?


texts: What does "I am all for people looking good, but some people take it way too far." mean?

texts:
Always remember: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. I
  can't stand to see the way some people dress for work these days. It's
  criminal. I am all for people looking good, but some people take it
  way too far. If anyone comes into my office in sneakers, or ripped
  clothing, or attire that looks like it belongs in a nightclub, I just
  can't take him seriously.

The above paragraph is under the title of How to dress and Groom for work. I cannot fully understand the meaning of the bold sentence in it.

Does it mean that the writer supports dressing properly at work or likes people who dress properly at work,  but the way that some people dress is too strange and too far away from office dress?

How should I understand the phrase people looking good here?


texts: Idiom/phrase that means "at the slightest annoyance"

texts:
I'm looking for an idiom or phrase that means "at the slightest bit of annoyance". I want to use it in the following context:

  "Jesus!" It was a word my boss would spit out at the drop of a hat.

I wanted to avoid "at the slightest provocation" because that could imply that the speaker provoked his/her boss, which is not what I'm trying to say. Any suggestions?


texts: how to say "something will be known or seen or understood"?

texts:
If we take into account the fact that he came here, then it will transpire that / it will become that / it will emerges that / it will come to know that / it will be realized that / it will turn out that.

Do the bold parts mean the same thing? and have I used that followed by them--verbs-- correctly?


texts:
In Fight Club (1999), Narrator facing insomnia:

Narrator: You wake up at SeaTac. SFO. LAX. You wake up at O'Hare.
Dallas Fort Worth. BWI. Pacific. Mountain. Central. Lose an hour. Gain
an hour. This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time.

What does "ending one minute at a time" mean?


texts:
Should I put the "the" in this sentence?

We call this assumption [the] good function assumption hereafter.


texts: How would one describe an unpleasant surprise?

texts:
Let us suppose I asked my friend to do something (e.g. buy me a drink.) However, when I saw what he did in response, I was negatively surprised (e.g. because he brought me a drink that I don't like, etc.). I would like to describe this in a sentence such as the following:

  The drink bought by my friend gave me an unpleasant surprise.

Or:

  The drink bought by my friend resulted in an unpleasant surprise.

Both these versions are cumbersome. How can I better express this intention?


texts: I congratulated Sam on winning (the) first prize in the competition

texts:
Shouldn't we use "the" with "first"? "the first prize"?

  I congratulated Sam on winning first prize in the competition.


texts: What’s the difference between ‘Soon Afterwards’ and ‘Soon’ and ‘Afterwards’?

texts:
Because of his experience making his own films, he was hired as a script supervisor by Cathay Studios. Soon afterwards, Woo was able to start directing.

Because of his experience making his own films, he was hired as a script supervisor by Cathay Studios. Soon, Woo was able to start directing.
Because of his experience making his own films, he was hired as a script supervisor by Cathay Studios. Afterwards, Woo was able to start directing.


texts: usage of "develops", "generates" and "produces"

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  A callous system generates nothing but a misanthrope.

Which word would be better in this context - "produces", "generates" or "develops"?


texts: Can the combination "... in which ... be exempt from" be correct?

texts:
The assembly was called to propose a universal land tax in
  which the higher classes would no longer be exempt from.

A friend of mine wrote the sentence above. He believes it is grammatically correct. (We both agree that the "which" in the sentence refers to that universal tax.)

Since the phrase "exempt from in which" does not make sense because of the two consecutive prepositions, "from " and "in",   I believe the sentence is grammatically incorrect. In fact, I went on further to say since it was such an obvious basic mistake and that he could not readily agree with me after I explained why it is incorrect, his English grammar must be pretty bad, although his English is much better mine otherwise.

Grammarly showed me "it appears that the prepositions from may be unnecessary in this context. Consider removing it."
GrammarCheck commented on other matters.
Reverso showed "No mistake detected!"
The Virtual Writing Tutor showed "Error count: 0".
Scribens commented on other matters.
LanguageTool showed "No errors were found."
Ginger Software showed "We did not find errors in your text. There might still be some that we couldn’t identify for sure".
Grammarix showed "No errors were found".
Grammar showed "Great work! No errors were found."
PerfectTense didn't offer any suggestions.

Is the usage of "in which ... be exempt from" in the sentence correct? What about those online grammar checkers?


texts:
There's "primary", "secondary", "tertiary". What comes next (at "number 4")?

Sorry, I am not able to phrase this question any better, I hope it is clear from the context what I mean.


texts: The usage of the word pretty is "pretty" confusing

texts:
I am aware that there are plenty of threads on intensifiers(very, rather, pretty, quite, fairly, etc.), both on this site and on the web, because of their ambiguity in terms of meaning. What I have learned is that their meaning can change depending on which country you are from, which context they are used, or your intonation. So instead of comparing all intensifiers, I decided to make my question more specific. I chose to focus on the word pretty because of its "common" usage.

So as we can see, the word pretty has two meanings and unfortunately they are "pretty" opposite. My question is can you tell me, just by taking into account  the example sentences below, in which sentences "pretty" means "fairly,", and in which it means "very?"

Does "Tom looks pretty tired" always mean "Tom looks a little/fairly tired" ?

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/pretty


texts: Which is the correct way yo use in business mails in below sentences

texts:
We haven’t been offloaded any items by last Thursday.
Or
We didn’t offload any items by last Thursday.

Pls share the correct grammatical sentence to use in business mails