texts: Pounded potatoes, Grounded or Mashed potatoes?

texts:
In India, we have a plenty of dishes made of potatoes. But I'm confused what term we use for the 'form of potatoes' used.

Here, in this context, 'minced potatoes' is out of question because the dishes require 'boiled potato' and also, you don't cut potatoes.

Is it smashed potatoes or pounded? What do we call the potatoes when they are boiled, skin removed and then pounded/mashed? They ultimately become a paste like (no moisture though, I don't have this word actually). Say, you can make balls out of it.

So, if I am making an Indian dish, how do I instruct the reader?

The dish requires 'mashed/pounded' or 'grounded' potatoes? Image will help.

Mind it, I'm not talking about the dish named 'Mashed Potatoes'. However, I'm open for this option to mean that the potatoes are mashed to be used in an Indian dish.

For foreigners, take 'potato wedges'. Remove outer fried layer and what you see inside, I'm talking about it.

For you all -


texts: Are electric gadgets running/working or just switched/left on?

texts:
In normal usage(daily more-like), I use sentences/phrases such as:

  Water pumps are running.
  Switch on the fan.
  My system has been working for 20 days now.

Most of us use similar phrases too(even if our mother-tongue is not English, the closest match would still be among one of the three listed above).

I know that none of them are wrong. But when generally talking about electric/electronic devices or gadgets, should the verbs like running be used?

What other words are there that can be used instead?


texts: Two modals one right after one - are correct?  I heard yesterday someone who seems to be a native English speaker who said "I would wish..." (I didn't listened further) and It was weird to me since I learnt that modals considered  a sort of auxiliary verb, and since it doesn't make sense to say "I will will" or "I was was" the same it will not be correct to say "I would wish". So if it's not correct I can understand why, but if it's correct I don't understand why it's like that. Is there a way in which it's correct to say "I would wish..."?


texts:
"It needs to be made" is familiar, but "it needs be made" never heard of until a moment ago, and that's when @j-r wrote it in a comment. Is it standard or dialect, and if it's standard, is it informal?

J.R.'s snippet

" The overall thrust of this answer might have a little bit of merit, but it needs be made much less dogmatic to be accurate and helpful."

quotes from COCA

2004-ACAD-TheologStud "...of the first spouse from the pagan
marriage? The pope ruled that no inquiry need be made into the
willingness of the pagan spouse to stay in the marriage,..."
1999-FIC-ChicagoRev "...aren't too exuberant, but rather show
moderation in your conduct, no objections need be made to your
wishes, " was the reply, and so the Robber..."
1993-SPOK-NPR_ATC "...tattoos on their skin or otherwise. It's not
something that one would think need be made public to everyone around
them. But what if he, for example..."

Update: need as a modal verb

Needn't = A short form of need not

-You needn't do the washing up.
-We needn't take coats with us.
-Tom needn't come if he doesn't want to.
-Diabetes needn't mean you can't enjoy your food.
-We needn't tidy up until tomorrow.

From Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary 3rd ed.


texts:
Usually we prefer to use 'The' with single entity, but in case of 'one of the..', collection is used. E.g. On of the movies...
Can anyone explain is it correct usage?


texts: About abbreviations for dates and other things

texts:
Are the abbreviations, used by the author of the following letter, just quotation marks (") which stand for M"->Mr, 26"->26th and 20"->20th or the sign like an exponent is some other different character?

I have to quote exactly certain paragraphs from a few letters, like the one attached, and I have to be sure what sign I should use.
[
May 26, 1904, Letter of Octave Chanute

UPDATE

I am well aware that the dates can be written with st, nd, rd, th as superscripts. However, I have found another letter, this time written by Wilbur Wright and addressed to O. Chanute, and it is clear that W. Wright uses 1st with st as superscript and just below st is a quotation mark (").

Is it possible that O. Chanute, in his May 26, 1904, letter, might have eliminated the th and abbreviated everything just by "?

January 8, 1904, Letter of Wilbur Wright


texts:
Do we need to use an indefinite article before each option while using 'or' (as in the former case)?

"The point or state at which a person or a company breaks even."
"The point or state at which a person or company breaks even."

Or do we use it before the first option (as in the latter case)?


texts:
The Great Lakes is/are a major highway for transportation, migration, and trade as well as home to a large number of aquatic species.

I had thought "is" is correct since even though the Great Lakes sounds plural the designation refers to one place and the "a" following is or are indicates that it is a singular (and hence, "is"). However, apparently, the answer is "are", and I'm now very confused. And when I searched Google, it seems that people mostly associate "are" with the Great Lakes. But if I don't know the place beforehand, how can I choose the right answer?


texts: best choice for stating that you've seen a new word in a text

texts:
I've always had this problem phrasing this sentence.

what can I put in this gap?

'' when I was reading an article, I .... this new phrase/word which I don't know the meaning''

  when I was reading a text,

  I faced this new phrase/word
  I came across this new phrase/word
  I ran into this phrase/word

or maybe there is a better way of asking that I'm not aware of.


texts:
Which one is correct?

The purpose includes to find out which parameter is the most influential.
The purpose includes finding out which parameter is the most influential.


texts: Is it correct to use continuous without the auxiliary verb "to be?"

texts:
I am working on a project, and I am faced with a sentence that I am unsure is correct. I can make it correct with proper punctuation, but it just made me curious to learn how to use such sentences appropriately with different punctuation. The sentence in question is bolded below:
"He is another example of immortality. His body holding the ability to survive anything."
Is this a correct sentence without adding "is holding" or writing "holds?" If so, what is this sentence structure called, as it appears to omit the auxiliary verb "to be?" I could bypass it by using a comma, but I am curious. In my head, this sentence has the same structure of sentences such as:
"What do you see? - A woman holding a baby."
It appears to be a continuous sentence but without the auxiliary verb. It's not gerund, at least I don't think it is. Any help is appreciated!


texts: What's the difference complementizing between with gerund-participle and to-infinitive?

texts:
They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to
  say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they
  had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit
  late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been
  playing tennis against the wall. (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
  Stone)

It seems that ‘late’ is complementized far more with ‘arriving’[A] than ‘to arrive’[B]. What’s the difference between the two in meaning?


texts:
What does "would" mean in the following sentences?

That picture would look better on the other wall.

It would be nice to see more of Ray and Barbara.

Six o'clock would be a good time to meet.

We can't all stay in a hotel. It would be very expensive.


texts: She does homework every day vs She does her homework every day vs She does the homework every day

texts:
Can I use the first example?

  She does homework every day
  She does her homework every day
  She does the homework every day

Or is the object her required?


texts: the usage of past perfect in a particular sentence

texts:
On the evening of November 8, 1923, with a coming snowfall in the air, Adolf Hitler, a thirty-four-year-old politician known for his hot rhetoric, forced his way into a crowded beer hall on the southeast side of Munich. Surrounded by three bodyguards, two of them in military gear, Hitler held a pistol in one hand. With “his eyes opened wide and looking like a drunken fanatic,” the unimposing, five-foot nine-inch Hitler tried to interrupt a speech by the head of the Bavarian government. But he could not make himself heard. Climbing onto a chair, he raised his arm and fired a shot into the high coffered ceiling. “Silence!” he shouted. The three thousand audience members fell “dead still,” one witness recalled. Then the man on the chair made a shocking announcement.

  “The national revolution has begun! The building is surrounded by six hundred heavily armed men! No one is allowed to leave.” Behind Hitler, a platoon of steel-helmeted men under the command of Captain Hermann Göring dragged a heavy machine gun into the beer hall entrance.

  Thus began Adolf Hitler’s infamous beer hall coup d’état of 1923. Called aputsch in German, the attempted overthrow had crumbled within seventeen hours.* *Fifteen of Hitler’s men, four police troops, and one bystander had been killed. Two days later, Hitler was caught and carried off to Landsberg Prison, thirty-eight miles west of Munich. He was imprisoned for the next thirteen months, from November 11, 1923, to December 20, 1924.

Source: 1924: The Year That Made Hitler, by Peter Ross Range (2016).

Sorry for this long excerpt but I think it is necessary given the nature of my question: again concerning the usage of the past perfect. Can you please provide me explanation why in the third paragraph this tense is used. The last sentence informs about collapsing of the nazi putsch in Munich. But the fall down of this attempt to seize the power in Bavaria came after the events that are described in the first two paragraphs. Firstly there was a putsch and only then its crumbling.


texts: Omit the redundant relative pronoun when using a conjunction

texts:
Is it weird to omit the redundant relative pronoun when using a conjunction to connect multiple adjective sentences? Let me explain what I am asking.

Example 1: who

  1(a). He is a hero who men don't like and who women admire.
  1(b).  He is a hero who men don't like and who women admire. (Redundant relative pronoun omitted)

Example 2: where

  2(a). The is a game where I play as a swordsman and where the mission is to kill the dragon.
  2(b). The is a game where I play as a swordsman and where the mission is to kill the dragon.

Example 3: when

  3(a). Now is the time when we step up or when the government violates our rights.
  3(b). Now is the time when we step up or when the government violates our rights.

Example 4: that

  4(a). This is a puzzle that I will need to finish by myself or that my brother will come and ruin.
  4(b). This is a puzzle that I will need to finish by myself or that my brother will come and ruin.

Another little question:
If the sentence is understandable without both relative pronouns, can I omit them?

  He is a hero that men don't like and that women look up to.
  Today is the day when we will win the game or when our opponents will crush us.
  This is the game where I play as a swordsman and where the mission is to slay the dragon.


texts:
The celebrities that organized the marathon were aiming to create an awareness about the treatment of diabetes.

  The celebrities that organized  the marathon were aiming at creating an awareness about the treatment of diabetes.

Are these two sentence grammatical correct, and if they are correct, what is the difference in there meaning


texts: To be content or contented? When to use them correctly?

texts:
If I have a million dollars, I will be content or contented?

Which is appropriate?


texts:
This food falls into the category known as nabemono or nabe, traditionally made in Japanese earthenware called donabe, often on a portable burner at the table. (source)

Why is the prepostion "at" used here instead of "on"? My understanding is that food is on the table and cooked on the table, people sit at the table. Why does the article talk about food cooked "at the table"?


texts: Sounds - why does laughter not rhyme with daughter?

texts: They are identical in all but their first letter, but they don't rhyme at all.  Is it just sound shifts over time, or some other reason?


texts: Is "The Unknown Something" a suitable phrase for "there's some part of something that is not known/understood by other people"

texts:
I am choosing a name as a short and simple title for a story, which describe some daily-life characters having some background stories that other people does not know or understand.
The first name I came up is "The Unknown Us", but I am worry about people misunderstand it as "the existence of these characters are not known by other people", like some mysterious people. I have also googled the phrase, but almost all the results are referring us as United States soldiers (not "we"/"us"). However when I googled "The Unknown Me", it comes up with a song that expresses "nobody understands me", which seems to fit in my case.
So my question is, does the phrase "The Unknown something" refers to person/object itself that is not known to anyone else, or can it also means that only a part/side of it is not understood by anyone, but its existence is still known?


texts:
I didn't know they were gonna send a death squad!

  Hang on!

  Hey, we got ourselves a winner! Don's got it over here.

  Look out!

  We lost them! Good job, stranger from the cornfields!

and

  Darcy! - Joshua!

  We got three more coming in from that way! Bee, where's Tessa?

  Dad!

  We got a real dilemma here. Okay? I created incredible robots.

  It's all designed to kick that fat Transformer's ass. So, really, this is a no-win situation.

and

  Come on! We gotta move now!

  Go, go!

  We got hostiles coming down the street!

  Go!

  Bee! Twelve o'clock! Cover fire!

  We're surrounded! Hustle, hustle, hustle!

These lines are taken from Transformers Age of Extinction 2014

I know these "got" actually mean "have got" in conversation, but I wonder if these three sentences could be replaced with the following respectively in the same context:

  We have a winner!

  Three more are coming in from that way!

  Hostiles are coming down the street!

Any semantic nuances suggested?


texts:
In a scene in movie Burnt:

  Simone: Adam Jones. My God. One hoped you were dead.

It is the first time they see each other in a long time. Why does Simone say "one" as opposed to "Some hoped you were dead." I am trying to figure out if "one" is a generic reference here.


texts:
I ought to help him .
I ought to have helped him.

Shall I use (have + past participle) for the past  form of ought to?


texts: Can "since" be preceded by the past simple tense or is it just past/present perfect tenses?

texts:
I would like to know if it's possible to use the past simple tense in the following sentence:

  Two mice .............. since we put the mousetrap in the kitchen.

  were caught.

  have been caught


texts: Is it rude to say "I will let you know"?

texts:
In a meeting I've asked someone a question and in response she said:

  I'll let you know when I find out

From her tone, I know that she didn't mean to be rude or anything, so I just want to know what a native speaker will get from it. Will you consider it a normal sentence, or rude or even funny?

Clearly, I am not a native English speaker, but I've expected to hear something like:

  I will inform you

Or something like that.


texts:
How do native speaker pronounce when two words are connected by the "s sound", with one at the end of a word These and another in the beginning of another word sad. Do they have to stop at the middle of the word to make the "s sound" for sad or they just skip over it?

  These / sad....

or

  These-ad....


texts: Is correct to use the past perfect continuous after the present perfect when the sentences are somehow connected?

texts:
could you tell me if it is correct to use the past perfect continuous after the present perfect the sentences are somehow connected? For example:

I have finally moved from the city. I had been living there for five years.

If it's not correct and natural, could you tell me what tense would you use after the present perfect to say that?


texts:
I am an English learner. I came across below sentence, which shows the use of "Could" as Polite offer.

I could lend you my car till tomorrow.

Is below sentence correct if I want to express my past ability?

I could lend you my car.

If yes, then what makes a sentence  "Past ability" or "Polite offer"? Is it time reference e.g. Till tomorrow in the above sentence?


texts: past simple or past perfect in this case

texts:
What is the best sentence

I had forgotten for a long time that I ordered this book when yesterday I found it in my letter box.

I forgot for a long time that I had ordered this book when yesterday I found it in my letter box.

I think first one is better  but as ordered is past simple does it mean that first I ordered the book then I forgot


texts:
I wrote

  Then, if the rule classifies the node  as "content", the node's content is added to the content extracted so far; otherwise, the node's content is removed from the extracted content if it has been previously extracted as a portion of its parent's content.

Is my usage of "if" correct? can I write it with "providing"? what would be the difference?

  Then, if the rule classifies the node  as "content", the node's content is added to the content extracted so far; otherwise, the node's content is removed from the extracted content, providing it has been previously extracted as a portion of its parent's content.


texts: What does "tell with" mean in this context?

texts:
"Did sir just call me Dobby?" squeaked the elf curiously from between its fingers. Its voice was higher even than Dobby's had been, a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice, and Harry suspected -- though it was very hard to tell with a house-elf -- that this one might just be female.

"Tell with" is not a set phrase defined in the dictionaries I've looked up. So, how should we understand the "tell with" in this context? Is it a common set phrase?


texts:
Can "already" be used in other tenses?

For examples:

Is it possible if I use "already" in all progressive tenses?

E.g.

  He is already flying his plane

  He was already flying his plane.

  He will already flying his plane.

and I'm not sure that it can be used like those,

E.g.

  I would have already played it (or) I will have already played it.

So, when can I use "already"?


texts: Is "had come" correct in my response about why I was late, or should I have chosen a different tense?

texts:
Please help me with the version of my answer.

Is it OK if I use had come in my sentence?

  My colleague: Why are you so late? We have been waiting for you.
  Me: Actually my boss had come to my desk to ask about my assignment and it took me 10 min to explain him, hence I was late.

According to me using had come gives idea about first completed action of coming to my desk and then second action of explanation.


texts:
I used ''amount of product'' in two same sentences . I wonder if thees sentences may have two diffrent meaning.

  He  demanded large amount of product. ( product in large quantity )

  He demanded large amount of product .  (big part of product )


texts:
I'll talk to you tomorrow morning past 11.

  I'll talk to you tomorrow morning after 11.

Do both of them mean the same? Are both grammatically correct?


texts: How can "We consider here how to ... " be rewritten without the personal pronoun "we"?

texts:
We consider here how to solve the problem.

I am trying to rewrite the sentence above without the personal pronoun "we".  My example is as follows:

  It is considered here how to solve the problem.

Does the rewritten sentence make sense? I think "how to solve the problem is considered here" may be better but the subject is too longer.


texts:
Website copywriting is all about using the right words and understanding when [to use] exclamation points and punctuation matters. Punctuation should enhance a message, but it shouldn’t be the boat that delivers the message.Source: expresswriters.com, 11 Website Copywriting Secrets (That We Will Tell), #7

What does “boat” mean in the given text?


texts: Difficulty in understanding a compound sentence from 'The Eye of the World'

texts:
I am not a native English speaker, a reason for which I struggle to understand the meaning of some sentences used in literature which have even slightly different structure than ordinary. I quote here a sentence from 'The Eye of the World' by Robert Jordan,

  "For all that spring should have come a good month since, the wind carried an icy chill as if it would rather bear snow."

The second part of this compound sentence is clear to me. However, I am unable to understand the meaning of the subordinate clause with which the sentence starts "For all that ... since,". Please clarify the meaning of this part and as it occurs to me that the word 'since' has been used in a way I have not seen before, so if there are similar examples of usage of 'since', please mention them as well. And also exemplify this kind of sentence structure, "For all that ... since, the main clause."


texts: the meaning of "western order" in the mentioned sentence?

texts: "Fake news" was not a term many people used 18 months ago, but it is now seen as one of the greatest threats to democracy, free debate and the Western order. (source)


texts: "illustrated IN figure" vs. "illustrated BY figure"

texts:
When we write an article about a specific topic, we want to exemplify what we try to explain. In this case, we add a picture in that article.

When mentioning this picture, which one is true?

  Explanation, as illustrated in figure 1.
  Explanation, as illustrated by figure 1.

The first sentence seems to me more appropriate, but I am not sure.


texts: What do we use after "got": past tense or past participle?


texts: What does "were sent" mean in this context?

texts:
You were sent a new article!

I read this from an email, and does this mean "You received a new article"? Is the above sentence correct in terms of grammar?


texts: Is it correct and natural to use the verb 'belong to'?

texts:
They belong to different countries.

  They belong to rich families

In the above sentences, is it correct and natural to use the verb 'belong to'?


texts: when starting ask a question with 'is', should we use capital 'I', lower case 'i' is wrong? Like "is she Portuguese?" or Is she Portuguese?

texts:
I know using 'i' character in lower case is wrong, specially when I'm talking about my self, for example : i went to gym yesterday. how about 'is' letter?
can I start my question with lowercase 'i' like is she Portuguese?


texts: What is the difference between "Does everybody..." and "Do everybody..."?

texts:
Which one of these is correct?

  Do everyone in the show speak Spanish?
  Does everyone in the show speak Spanish?

And can someone explain when it is appropriate to use the words "do" and "does"?


texts:
I've been learning English with movie trailers.
I can't understand what he said in "Hitman: Agent 47" at 0:43.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=U2VDZsUoAXk#t=42

Before the subtitle "You're the one locked in here with me and I'm the one with the gun", I think that the detective said "Last time I checked" but I can't understand that.

Please teach me what he really said and the meaning.
Thank you.


texts: Does "Pope to meet U.S. bishops" use the word "to" to emphasize?

texts:
Does this news article title use the word "to" to emphasize?

  Pope to meet U.S. bishops amid sex abuse scandal, allegations of Vatican coverup


texts: What does "sometimes I’ll have the impression" mean here?

texts:
I would like to know what "sometimes I’ll have the
impression" means in the following sentences:

A couple of times my gaze snags with Will’s over her shoulder. I don’t
think it’s my fault: sometimes I’ll have the impression that his
eyes have been on me for a while. It shouldn’t be, but it’s exciting.
It reminds me – I know it’s totally inappropriate to say this – but it
reminds me most of that feeling you get when you start to suspect that
someone you’re attracted to fancies you back.
I catch myself in the thought. Reality check, Hannah. You’re a married
mother of two and your husband is right there and you’re talking to a
man who is about to get married to your husband’s best friend, who is
standing looking like Monica Bellucci, only better dressed. Probably
ease off the champagne a little. I’ve been knocking it back. It’s
partly nerves, surrounded by this lot. But it’s also the sense of
freedom. No babysitter to embarrass ourselves in front of later, no
small people to have to wake up for in the morning. There’s something
exotic about being all dressed up with only other adults for company,
a plentiful supply of booze, no responsibility.

Lucy Foley, The Guest List, Chapter 12

This is a thriller novel published in 2020 in the United Kingdom. One hundred and fifty guests would be gathering at some remote and deserted fictional islet called Inis an Amplóra off the coast of the island of Ireland to celebrate the wedding between Jules (a self-made woman running an online magazine called The Download) and Will (a celebrity appearing in a TV show program called Survive the Night). The day before the actual wedding day, Hannah, the wife of Charlie (Jules' friend), arrived at the island and is now at the dinner party for the rehearsal dinner with only some selected guests. And during the party, Hannah sometimes feels that Will's eyes had been on her for a while.
In this part, I wonder what "I'll have" means.
It is combined with "sometimes," so I doubt this "will" would mean the future tense, but then I cannot quite understand what "will" means here in particular.


texts: how to differentiate between "implication" and" connotation"?

texts:
While I have studied some resources as to these terms, in fact, I cannot yet get what could be considered as their difference. Or, when could they be interchangeable, when not?

Any comment would greatly be appreciated


texts: What is the meaning of "evaluate to something"

texts:
I was reading one of the questions in stackoverflow and I saw THIS ANSWER.
At the beginning of the answer I saw this sentence at the first line :

Expression: Something which evaluates to a value. Example: 1+2/x

My problem is, what does the sentence mean when it says "evaluate to something" ?


texts:
I got a text from a US native saying:

  `Hope everything is going swell'

I had never heard that before. Is it common? Where is better to use swell instead of well?


texts:
Is "as" the correct conjunction to use here?
A cab pulls up. Jimmy gets in the passenger seat.
Cab driver: Hi.
Jimmy: Hi.
As they drive off --
Cab driver: Where to?


texts:
1. The age of the delegates ranged from thirty to eighty years of age.

2. The age of the delegates was ranging from thirty to eighty years of age.

Is the second sentence possible? Is the progressive form here  OK? I want to express that in the particular time an in the particular place the delegates were of that age.


texts:
Imagine a situation where you clash someone on a footpath, and that person apologizes. Now how should you answer when such a trivial mistake has happened?

The only thing that comes to my mind is "no problem", but, I guess that's not good enough (it doesn't seem rude but it's not that much polite).

Is it right to just say "my fault"?!


texts: restrictive appositive/ specific contexts

texts:
The photograph of her bathing in the stream references the mythological goddess Diana.
When deciding restrictive/non restrictive appositive use, do we restrict Diana based on the general yet accurate assumption that there are many mythological goddesses or add a comma as the writer is certain which goddess the photograph refers to, even if the reader doesn't, and therefore it requires a comma.
I'm inclined to leave the comma out as its a broad designation - mythical goddess.


texts: What is the referent point here in this sentence?

texts:
Still, I should advise you by all means to go and visit Menelaus, who has lately come off a voyage among such distant peoples as no man could ever hope to get back from, when the winds had once carried him so far out of his reckoning; even birds cannot fly the distance in a twelvemonth, so vast and terrible are the seas that they must cross. (source: Homer's Odyssey)

Is this "him" talking about "no man"?
And what is the time referent that causes the past perfect tense to be used here?


texts: "it is too broad in asking about 'a limitless'/'an unlimited'/'an illimited' number of subjects"

texts:
... it is too broad in asking about a limitless number of subjects.
... it is too broad in asking about an unlimited number of subjects.
... it is too broad in asking about an illimited number of subjects.

Which one, if any in particular, one should prefer, (1), (2) or (3)? If there exist one, can anyone explain the reason why—i.e., good english, more semantically proper and so on?


texts:
In the question are "header" and "heading" interchangable in the context of "information at the top of something"? an answer explains how  header is a part of the page (opposite of footer) while heading is a part of the text (as leading into a new section, chapter, column and alike).

Okay, understood. Then I just need to understand the difference between the words:

  heading

  headline

Can I use these words fully interchangeably?


texts: What does "cultivate tourist resources" mean in this essay question?

texts:
Recently I came across an essay question that reads:

More and more developing countries start to '''cultivate their tourist resources'''. Some think this will benefit the economy of these nations; others insist the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

I didn't know this collocation and thus can't think of any ideas to write and develop...

Later I did some search and research yet did not have the chance to figure this out. So far the most closest collocation I came up with was '''cultivate cultural tourists'''.

So, what do you think, is this a flawed essay question? If not, what does "cultivate the tourist resources" mean?


texts: What is the difference between two sentences below?

texts:
1.He is an uncle with a beer gut.

2.He is an uncle who has a beer gut.

Thank you for your answers.

And I really wonder if they are correct and natural.Because I'm not good at English and I'm studing it now.


texts:
"I opened the door."

a)The door was opened.

b)The door was opened by me.

Are the two options correct? Is the agent required in this sentence?


texts: What does "establishment" mean in the following sentence?

texts:
It imposed huge fines on foreign banks for money-laundering and sanctions-busting; in 2014 a $9bn penalty against BNP Paribas shook the French establishment. Mr Trump has taken the weaponisation of finance to a new level.

  (https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/01/18/americas-aggressive-use-of-sanctions-endangers-the-dollars-reign)

I looked up the word on some dictionaries but it has so many meanings that I couldn't find a suitable one. I guess it refers to BNP Paribas itselt but I'm not sure.


texts: Difference between "act according to" and "act under"

texts:
“In particular, acting under orders caused participants to
  perceive a distance from outcomes that they themselves caused,” said
  study co-author Patrick Haggard, a cognitive neuroscientist at
  University College London, in an email.”

  From
  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-the-nazis-defense-of-just-following-orders-plays-out-in-the-mind

What is the difference between "act under"  and "act according to"? If I change "acting under orders" to "acting according to orders" here, would any nuance be lost?

I originally asked the same question here (https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/act-under-according-to-orders.3589389/#post-18265641), but sadly I didn't get a valid answer. I hope you can help me.

  Under: subject to the authority, control, guidance, or instruction of

  According to: In conformity with (Merriam Webster)


texts:
Russia will have less grain than if Stalin had not insisted upon the
  adoption of Lysenko's theories.

I can understand the meaning of the sentence but am not familiar with 'than' here. Can you explain the usage of 'than' here?


texts:
Does it mean "Open an Excel sheet and work with it"?

"By 2008, Deane, who was at various times an accountant, stay-at-home mom and university employee, had a simple plan to launch a business; it started with tea in the kitchen. "I thought, obviously, what you do is you go home, and if you are British, you have a cup of tea, and you put the computer on in the kitchen and you get excel up," she says."

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/13/this-mom-built-a-65-million-business-the-cambridge-satchel-company.html


texts:
Sometimes bus service may/might be cancelled on the route.

Without any more context, does it refer to the present?
a) It is possible that sometimes bus service is cancelled on the route. (maybe sometimes it is true, maybe sometimes not)
Or, does it refer to the future?
b) It is possible that sometimes bus service will be cancelled on the route. (maybe sometimes it will be true in the future, maybe sometimes not)
Note: I'm not sure if "cancelled" is an adjective or a verb here. I assumed it as an adjective.


texts: What does it mean the following "Rat Poison Squared"

texts:
Warrent Buffett comapred Bitcoin as a "Rat Poison Squared"
I am wondering why he used the word squared and what does it mean?


texts: What's the meaning of 'For justice speaks thus to me'?

texts:
This excerpt is from Nietzsche's book, 'Thus Spoke Zrathustra':

I do not want to be confused with these preachers of equality, nor
taken for one of them. For justice speaks thus to me: 'Men are not
equal.' And they should not become so, either! For what were my love
of the Superman if I spoke otherwise?

I don't have any clue what's the meaning of the sentence, 'For justice speaks thus to me'.
The book link here.


texts: How do I parse the sentence "Here you are"?

texts:
Here you are.

"Here you are." means "I give it to you" in my understanding. But it is not easy for me to get this meaning from the sentence construction. So, how does the meaning  parsed according to its
sentence construction?


texts: how to say "I expect to finish sth by the end of June"?

texts:
I am writing a cover letter and want to say that I expect to finish my master thesis by the end of June. Is it true:

  "I expect to finish my thesis by the end of June"

or

  "I expected to finish my thesis by the end of June"


texts: what is difference between "Compliment" and "Complement"?

texts:
I am confused about these two words.
For example
1) Love is the complement of law.
2)He complimented me.
what is difference.
Thanks.


texts: A word for "an acronym made to remember sequences"?

texts:
Example: In elementary math, students learn to remember the prioritization sequence:

  Paranthesis, exponents, multiplication, divison, addition, subtraction.

To remember this, all first letters are gathered in an acronym: PEMDAS

The term acronym just means any pronounceable abbreviation, such as NASA or .COM, and is not necessarily about abbreviations made for the purpose of remembering a sequence.

Does a term for "an acronym created in order to remember a sequence" exist in English?

It does exist in my native language, which is why I am looking for an equivalent term in English. In Danish we have the word huskeord, literally translating to remember-word or reminder-word. This term is used for instance in military contexts, where you must remember orders of action or sequences accurately and quickly.

Does huskeord have an English translation? I do not know what to search for in dictionaries and have been unable to find anything on the internet, thus I am asking here on this forum.


texts: Question about Present Perfect (the implication of continuous)

texts:
I have a question about present perfect with this sentence:

The country has been ravaged by the war.

When I asked my English native speaker friends, they said the war was occurring and now is NOT ongoing.
But how about this sentence?:

  Yemen has been ravaged by a three-year civil conflict that has the
  country fighting a growing cholera epidemic. Bloomberg

My friends said it seemed like the civil war was still ONGOING, but they could not explain why.

Could you please help me with it?
What makes the difference?

Thank you so much.


texts:
I want to paraphrase the below paragraph, but it doesn't make any sense to me! I mean I don't understand it! Here is the document link.

  Higher layer response indicating that the higher layer command is not
  supported by the PICC within this context is allowed as long as the
  PICC response meets the format described above.

I think it needs a that before the in bold words. Is that right?

Which meaning is right?

1- Higher layer response is allowed as long as the PICC response meets the format described above

or

2-  higher layer command is allowed as long as the PICC response meets the format described above.


texts:
I like to use not to have but it sounds strange here:

  Comming from Brazil, a country lucky enough not to have hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis, perhaps necessity for such a center was not clear.

Is it correct?


texts: "High-hanging sign" or "High-hung" sign?

texts:
What's the correct version and why?

Example:

  We found the hotel immediately, thanks to the friendly locals and
  the hotel's high-hung/high-hanging sign.


texts: Usage of "a" and matching plural or singular

texts:
When I read a manual, I am little bit confused of using "a". Here's a confusing sentence.

"Depending on the parts to be treated and the required grinding results they represent a real alternative to standard rotary vibrators."

The sentence subject is plural. Why is "a" used when the sentence indicates real alternative and then following object is plural?

Thank you~


texts: What is the meaning of this quote by Marco Tulio Cicero?

texts: "Laudant quae sciunt,vituperant quae ignorant;laudare a bonis et vituperari a malis unun atque idem est"


texts:
Person 1: Do you think they will come all the way here to meet with
  us?

  Person 2: No, way, these people are high-flown people from the
  royalty.

  Person 1: You think so? What about you, Daniel?

  Person 3: Maybe? I don't know.

I am wondering if you can only use "What about you?" in specific cases, or if you can use it generally when you're asking someone else to respond to a question, any question?


texts: is this sentence correct? "actually one of the secrets of getting rich is about finding a way to make passive income"

texts:
I'm beginner English learner. I was talking to someone about online jobs, then I said this sentence but I'm not sure if it makes sense. or is that correct grammatically?
But I think he got it.
"actually one of the secrets of getting rich is about finding a way to make passive income"


texts:
I work as a freelance programmer. When my client requests me to build a website for him, I need to collaborate with a designer.
If I say "hire a freelance designer" in this case, does it sound awkward?
I usually work with a designer for a very short period of time like a week or two, not regularly but occasionally.
When I said I "hired" a designer, someone (who is not a native speaker either) laughed at me and said, "you are not an employer, so you cannot hire someone."

Can anybody tell me if I was wrong to use "hire" in this case? And if I was, then which word can I use?


texts:
I want to ask;

  What are the first 3 question marks on your head while you enter into a store for the first time?

Is this sentence correct grammatically?
Isn't it clumsy or wordy?
Is there a better way to say it?


texts: What do you call these corridors that link two buildings? Is there a name for it? I am wondering if it's just called a bridge or if there's a specific name to these types of corridors.


texts: Is there an idiom that means "it was something inevitable"? I am not sure if it's the case, but there's this idiom, it was something like "this was ought to happen", but it was an actual idiom instead of just a phrase and I don't remember what it was exactly, I had it on the tip of the tongue, but I have it no more.


texts: How to idiomatically say that you have to quickly go to your home everyday

texts:
I got the following question in a speaking test: What do you usually do after work?

Here is the answer:

  Actually, I have to run to my home in order to have some sleep
  before going to work in the morning, and unfortunately I don't have a
  couple of hours after work because nowadays I work extra hours on
  every weekday.

I believe there is an idiomatic way to say "I have to run to my home" but I don't remember it. What is it?


texts:
What is the part of speech (word class) of to-infinitive?

as example:

  I forgot to send the letter.

I: the part of speech (word class) is pronoun and the word function (clause element) is subject.

forgot: the part of speech & and the word function is verb.

to send: ??

the letter: the part of speech is noun (the is determiner) and the word function is object.


texts:
In this sentence :

  It was a dream come true .

What's the grammatical rule used here ?

Is this sentence structure common ?
If so , could you please give me an example ?


texts:
please consider that English is not my first language :D thanks

the sentence:

[...], however, as he is not only holding onto the rope but is tied to it just like his counterpart, the native, [...]

my problem:

can I just remove the second "is"? -> he is not only holding onto the rope but tied to it? both versions sound really awkward to me but I can`t think of any other way to express it right now


texts: "Have you ever read" versus "have you never read"

texts:
"Have you ever read Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities?" he asked. (The New York Times)

I don't know why, but if I wrote that question I would have used never, not ever, but, alas, I would have made a mistake. In fact, looking for "have you never read" on reliable Internet sites, I found a few occurences of this expression, mostly in the Bible.

However I believe of having understood that "You have never read" is correct; what it is unclear is as to whether that "never" has to be replaced with "ever" when that sentence is posed in question form. Is it?

Please, in reference to the "ever" and the "never" usage  explain how are different the following two questions, maybe comparing the affirmative forms:

Have you never read [...]?
Have you ever read [...]?


texts: "authorized dealer for apple" or "authorized dealer to apple" or "authorized dealer of apple"

texts:
Which of the following is correct?

  authorized dealer for apple

or

  authorized dealer to apple

or

  authorized dealer of apple


texts:
I just wanted to make sure if the usage of "show up" here is correct.

  How are you going to show up to your friend like this?

I know you use this when you arrive somewhere or visit something (school, work, etc.) but I was wondering if I could use it with people as well like in the example. Basically I want to say "How are you going to appear in front of your mum like this?"

I don't know if you got my point but I hope you did and I am going to be thankful if someone helps me. Thanks!


texts:
When I first encountered the coat of arms term, I failed to understand it correctly, trying literal meanings:

  coat - an outer garment with sleeves, worn outdoors and typically extending below the hips

  arms - multiple for: each of the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand

Then I finally got the meaning best depicted by:

How did the term originate?


texts: Is the usage of nonetheless in the below sentence correct?

texts:
I have written the below sentence.

Panicked that his presence had been exposed, by his own folly
nonetheless, Diego immediately jumped in the cover of the tree.

The sentence here is supposed to mean that of all the things that could have gone wrong, it was his own mistake that caused his presence to be discovered. His own folly, of all the things.
The sentence sounds good to me but I still want to confirm if the usage is correct. Feel free to correct the sentence.


texts:
Should I put a preposition behind an instranstive verb?

This music is good to listen.
This music is good to listen to.
This is the place that he took us.
This is the place that he took us to.
This is the place that I was born.
This is the place that I was born in.

I'm always confused with these kinds of preposition problems.
Could you please help me with it and let me know how I can decide whether to remove the preposition or not?


texts: "Transgender" versus the obsolete term "transgendered"

texts: As of recent I've been reading some Wikipedia articles on gender and sexuality leading out from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) page. However, it was not clear to me why the former term transgendered, which may or may not have been in so common usage, would have been dropped in favor of the term transgender, which seems like it sounds more like a noun than an adjective, unlike lesbian, gay, and bisexual, which to me sound more like adjectives or at the most adverbs than anything else, in what I would regard as proper English usage, correct me if I'm wrong here.


texts:
I have three wallets. Each wallet has the same shape, but a different
  color. The wallet has a zippered pocket on one side.

Does "The wallet" in the sentence above I created make sense? I don't like to repeat "each".


texts: Is it possible to say "For every time I've known"

texts:
Hello native or very good speakers!

Can I say
"This has been this way for every time I've known?"
As this is part of a poem, I'd really like to keep "known" at the end as it rhymes with the line before.
It sounds right to me but a friend pointed out that it sounded strange to him.
I want to express that a certain situation was that way as long as I can remember.
1) Is it correct?
2) If it isn't, will it get the point across?

Thank you in advance!

edit:
The whole verse goes
Lonley, but not alone
for every time I've known


texts: Is "balancing" noun or verb in the given context?

texts:
Here is a sentence from the description of a battle game.

  In the game, you have the option to improve your tracks, balancing
  armour, speed, and your cannon.

In the sentence, I am not sure if the word "balancing" is a verb or noun here. I am confused by the word "improve." It is not clear whether the player has the option to improve all the four things or simply "tracks".


texts: How I say I work on a project that existed for 10 years?

texts:
I was thinking about

  I worked on a 10 year duration project

Is there any mistake or awkward construction on this phrase? I don't how to search about this type of phrase, where you state a number, a measurement unit and the aspect being measured. What is the correct solution?


texts: Difference between "people" and "persons"?

texts:
At least 5 people died in Bangladesh and more than 200 are injured.

At least 5 persons died in Bangladesh and more than 200 are injured.


texts:
Imagine a situation in which you go to your favorite bakery. Then, a sign that says "We will be closed until next Thursday." In this situation, when do you think you can visit the bakery?
Next Thursday or next Friday?


texts: Does "in real time" go before or after a clause it modifies?

texts:
Which way is the correct way to ask this question in English? 1 or 2?

  How well did the system respond to your actions in real-time?

  How well did the system respond in real time to your actions?

Is "in real-time" considered as an adverb?


texts:
Hi my teacher (native) told me to find the solution for the problematic part of this sentence (in bold).
"I’ve almost forgotten to mention that this is the first time I visit you."
(Short explanation the visit time is tomorrow morning.)
I have some guesses, but not sure at all please help:
Since it relates for the future I would use the:
I'm going to visit you.
or I'm visiting you.
(I will visit you - seem less applicable her for me, since he time was agreed earlier.)
On the other side I'm not sure if the tense is the problem....
Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I say “raise oneself to be king” or “raise oneself a king”?

texts:
The question is just the title.
I don't know which following expression is correct:

raise oneself to be king

raise oneself to be a king

raise oneself a king

And I wonder if there are some better versions to express the same idea.


texts: What do you call a painting painted on a wall?

texts: Is there a word for it? If you go to certain church, you will see some paintings done on walls a long time ago. Is there a word for it? I am thinking there might be a word for it since the look of a painting on wall greatly varies from those done on a canvas.


texts: why do we use " realizes" instead of "realized" in this sentence

texts:
Finally, he realizes that people have gossiped about their affair and that he has brought her dishonor.

I saw this sentence in Cambridge dictionary.However, I think it should be "realized" because the action of" realize" is in the past.
could you help me? thank you so much!


texts: Can I use "request/demand/require" this way?

texts:
My own example:

  "Employee request/demand/require me some registration fee."


texts:
What did you think about/of the movie?  (Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s)

Before I came across this sentence, I used to think that the complement of ‘think’ in the above is the prepositional phrase. (This leads me to think 'what's the difference from how did you think about/of the movie?' For if 'what' is an adjunct, the two adjuncts would have the similar meaning.) But Merriam-Webster dictionary’s account for its meaning: “to have an opinion about someone or something” leads me to think that it’s not the pp but ‘what’ that is the complement of ‘think’; and the pp is another/second complement or an adjunct. So the above sentence’s meaning is ‘what opinion did you have about/of/concerning the movie?’. Is my guessing proper?


texts: I have a trouble understanding the context correctly..."(~)we hope you will be able to reduce it"

texts:
To. (B)  -
   "We were pleased to receive your order of 15th April for a further supply of transistor sets, [ but as the balance of your account now stands at over USD400,000, we hope you will be able to reduce it before we grant credit for further supplies.]

  We should therefore be grateful if you could send us your check for, say, half the amount you owe us. We could then arrange to supply the goods you now ask for and charge them to your account."-  From. (A)

Q :

It's just an example text from a book. Why does A ask for B to 'reduce' B's account balance ?! The only thing I can guess is that B has unpaid some amount of money in the past trade with A and now that the A's company checked the credit of B, B has enough money to pay... so A asks for B to reduce the balance by paying what B has owed to A. Is that what "we hope ~ reduce it" means?


texts:
Which one is correct to use?

  I frequent the pub often enough

or

  I frequent the pub enough?

I looked up in the dictionary and found that "frequent" itself means "to visit a place often". That's why I am confused. Should I use the word "often" here or it would be too much?

Thank you!


texts: I don't understand what is the verb "do" doing in this sentence

texts:
"Only in Queensland do people brag about the weather as if they built it themselves."

https://twitter.com/Bris_Powerhouse/status/705285083020656641

Wouldn't it sound better or make more sense by simply omitting it?

  "Only in Queensland people brag about the weather as if they built it themselves."

Or is it doing something like:

  "Only in Queensland is where people brag about the weather as if they built it themselves."

Can someone, please, explain? Is it adding some sort of different emphasis?


texts:
which one of two these sentences is correct?

  I am kind of person who is really interested in doing exercise?
  I am kind of person who interested in exercise?

I think that be interested in some thing is correct


texts:
The terrorist was hanging from a balcony two floors up, trying to pull himself up. The police officers shot at the terrorist, who dropped to the floor and died.

(this is going on inside a shopping mall)
Is "dropped to the floor" a completely natural thing to write here?


texts: "My son/daughter" or "Our son/daughter"?

texts:
To me, it sounds selfish to only say "My child" since he or she has two parents and not just me.

I'm struggling with this at work, where we have people of many nationalities, but there's no one that I can ask who has English as their mother tongue.


texts: What does "institutionalize" mean in this context?

texts:
I use this link, but I don't think it can help.

Uber will figure out how to deal with its latest crisis, and once again, Kalanick has done the right thing, although we can certainly debate his timing. The larger question is, though, "Will Uber ever learn from its mistakes?" Because if it doesn't, and it perseveres, it will institutionalize many of its worst qualities.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/Uber-symbolizes-good-and-bad-silicon-valley-2017-2


texts: Should a phrase modifying a noun be written before or after the noun?

texts:
When writing about a CMS, I often have to write a phrase that modifies a noun, such as in the following examples.

  The users need to have the "Article: Edit own content" permission to edit their own nodes of that content type.

  The "Basic page" content type is created from Drupal when it is installed.

Is it correct to write "the 'Basic page' content type," or should I instead write "the content type 'Basic page'"?


texts:
The screenshot is taken from Riddick 2013:

I don't think this take on matches the following senses in macmillan:

I would just say "We could use some water". Does the phrasal verb convey any subtle nuances?


texts: Does 'to' function as a preposition in 'the trick to getting this chair to fold' but as a to-infinitive in 'some tricks to speed up your ...'?

texts:
In a dictionary, I find two example sentences of the use of "trick":

  What's the trick to getting this chair to fold up?

  On page 21, some tricks to speed up your beauty routine.

As we know, "to" can use be used as a preposition or as a word before an infinitive. When do we use it as a preposition and when as a word before an infinitive?

When "trick" can be followed by "to-infinitive" and "to" as a preposition, why is the first sentence "What is the trick to getting this chair to fold up" instead of "What is the trick to get this chair to fold up"? On the other hand, why is the second example "...some tricks to speed up your beauty routine", but not "..some tricks to speeding up your beauty routine"?


texts: Why is this whatever put into determiner?

texts:
[determiner] Whatever you say is fine with me.
[pronoun]   I'll do whatever I can.
(wiktonary.org)

It seems like the two ‘whatever’s are doing the same function as pronouns. Why does the Wiktionary put the first one into determiner category?


texts: Are "Bashkir" and "Bashkirian" interchangeable adjectives?

texts:
The language spoken by the dwellers of Bashkortostan is Bashkir language. There's company named Bashkirian Airlines but also another company named "Bashkir Soda Company". Are the two adjectives interchangeable? That is, could both Bashkir and Bashkirian be used as adjectives meaning of or relating to Bashkiria, or would Bashkir be normally used only in relation to language or a person?

Or is there a distinction between business usage and usage in everyday speech? Are companies' choices of the nationality/language-related adjectives less confined?


texts:
1. Has this sequence any aesthetic or stylistic purpose except shocking the audience?

2. Has this sequence any aesthetic or stylistic purpose aside from shocking the audience?

The first sentence is mine and was modified by the native speaker into the second one. What was wrong with my original?


texts: Women or the women? (Use of the definite artice with plural nouns)

texts:
“The women of Leningrad came to replace their husbands who had gone to the front.”

“The women in ancient Rome used cosmetics.”

How would the meaning of these senesces change if they read:

“Women of Leningrad came to replace their husbands who had gone to the front.”

“Women in ancient Rome used cosmetics.”


texts:
I have a doubt about the use of also.
For example, let us suppose that a document needs to be signed by two persons: one person has already signed; the other one hasn't did it yet.
So is it correct to use "also" in the following sentence

  "I am waiting for it, so that Mary can also sign it" ?

or it could be preferable to use another conjunctions to explain these condition/situation?

Thank you for helping me


texts:
I came across the following sentence in an exercise book for non-native students of English. I am not sure if the structure of the main clause is correct or at least common in English. If not, is there another way to rewrite it?

  As I ran, my leg got most tired.


texts: Plural sign (s) return to which word in abbreviations?

texts:
Assume that TSFI stands for TOE Security Function Interface. And TOE (The first word) stands for Target Of Evaluation.

I want to know in the TSFIs the plural s returns to which word(s)?


texts:
When I type the following sentence,

  So, the engineers use these two software.

MS Office Word wants to correct me as

  this two software

Here I am referring two PC applications for example, AutoCAD and Photoshop.

Why should I use this with two ?

Thanks.


texts:
I wonder which one is correct:

  A introduces further developments in the accuracy of the model.

or

  A introduces further developments to the accuracy of the model.


texts:
I have 3 related questions, so I've searched on the internet about this structure but I haven't got any answers. What is the meaning of Be + past participle, as in "be done", "be claimed" etc.?

I was trying to create a zero conditional sentence.

  "I will come, when my base upgrades are done properly."

Was that grammatically correct? But I thought it would be better if I put "be done" in the sentence, which will be like this:

  "I will come, when my base be upgraded properly."

Which one is correct?. As that is the first question, the second is:

How the Be + Past participle works?

The third question is, are there any words that describe the condition of a thing already upgraded? Since "upgraded" is a verb, it cannot be used as an adjective. Are there any synonyms of it?.


texts:
I have another question concerning now the very discussed Steven Avery case.

Do you find this sentence OK? I am not sure of the potential usage of the article and apostrophe s in the name Avery.


texts: "Men we don't like it" or "We men don't like it"?

texts:
Can you tell me which one(s) is/are correct, please?

a. We men don't like it.

b. Men we don't like it.

C. Us men don't like it.

d. Men us don't like it.


texts:
I wanted to ask my friend when he would come to downtown again. So I came up with

"When is the next time you come to downtown"

is this sentence grammatically correct? Should it be

"When is the next time you will/would come downtown"

since downtown can be used as adv.


texts: What form of the verb "erect" should go here?

texts:
Firstly

  ___ at the turn of the century, the Minnesota State Capitol building is made of white granite and marble.

Erected
Was erected
To erect it
Erecting it

I think 3 and 4 are incorrect and the answer should be 2 because the building was erected, but the solution is 1. Why?

Secondly

  For more eighty years, scientists have argued whether life exists on
  the planet Mars.

The solution states that "more eighty" is incorrect, but I think it's fine, why is it wrong?


texts:
I'm working on a text that includes the following phrase:

  During the previous years he has been working...

Cannot pinpoint exactly which part of it, and why, but somehow it feels wrong to me.

Is there a more comfortable-sounding alternative?

Have thought of: "Over the past few years..." (but what if it's been, say, the last 10 years); "Over previous years..." (but he could no longer be doing it now); "During past years..." (again this possibility of 'once, but no longer'), "During the past few years..." (see the first example).

Any assistance would be appreciated.


texts: Is "that" being used as a relative pronoun or conjunction in this sentence?

texts:
looking for some help on explaining the use of "that" in this sentence. Is it being used a relative pronoun or conjunction in this context?
"There are so many hot springs that visitors can experience the same types of bath as the ancient Romans enjoyed."
This was a test question and I am confused about which is correct and why. Any insight is much appreciated!


texts: {had been / was} used for centuries before

texts:
I wrote a sentence like the following one in another site.

  "He" as a gender-neutral pronoun had been universally used for centuries before the women's liberation movement in the 1960s.

It was edited by an apparently native English speaker as follows:

  "He" as a gender-neutral pronoun was universally used for centuries before the women's liberation movement of the 1960s.

I don't understand why "had been" should be replaced by "was".


texts: Is there a difference between "pile on" and "pile up"?

texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary I got the following:

  Pile up: To increase in amount.

  The work was piling up, and I decided I had to go in to the office on the weekend.

  Pile on: to increase quickly.
  After she had the heart attack, the pounds piled on, and her weight rose to 15 stone.
  When I returned to live with my parents, the weight piled on because I was stuffing myself with home cooking.

Is it the speed of the increase the difference?
I'm a bit confused, are they synonyms?


texts:
people use "Code Snippet" or "Code Snippets" everywhere.

"Code Snippet" is a term used to describe a small portion of re-usable source code, machine code, or text.

following lines of code comes from wiki (denote as snippet_1)

temp = x
x = y
y = temp

and another (denote as snippet_1)

Hello {%first_name%} {%last_name%}

it seems that "Code Snippet" is a countable noun. so, snippet_1 and snippet_2 are two "Code Snippets"?

do I use this term correctly?


texts:
I need some help with some phrase:

  link
  Despite Democratic protests on the House floor, however, party lawmakers seem downright gleeful about the exercise after fundraising successfully from the lawsuit and talk of impeachment.

I cannot find the phrase "fundraise from something" in many dictionaries, but it seems similar to "profit from something".  Could it be a error or a journalistic attempt at being cute?


texts: Difference between walk-in order and walk up to order

texts:
I came across ColleenV's comment in this post:
What are words that can distinguish these two business types?

I clicked the links of "counter service" and "table service" in his comment.
I did not understand the two terms at first, so I used Google search for the terms. Then I came across some other terms, walk in order, walk up to order from the Google results.

I have heard some people say walk in order, but not walk up to orders.
I would like to know their difference or if one of the terms is rare.

When I go to a fast food store to order a hotdog or a hamburger in person,
 is it called a walk-in order? or I am wrong?


texts: "it's being a holiday" is it correct in this context

texts:
Today I have heard a sentence:

  Today it's being a holiday what are you doing up there?

Does it mean:

Although it's a holiday, you're so busy.

Is it correct to say in this context?

Thank you.


texts: The meaning of "That way, she could forget the 'immodesty' of what she was doing."

texts:
[She] took trouble to learn her lines and repeated the scene until it was perfect. That way, she could forget the "immodesty" of what she was doing.

The passage is talking about a porn star. I am confused about the last sentence. Does it mean that "That way, she could forget the 'immodesty' and forget of what she was doing" ?


texts: What does "a declining rate of increase in" mean?

texts:
Context:

  These figures demonstrate a declining rate of increase in arrivals (in 2006,
  arrivals fell by 4 per cent) and more significantly in receipts, with a significant reduction in per person average receipts.

The above sentence is about the following table demonstrating Key tourism indicators of a country:

I do not get what it means that These figures demonstrate a declining rate of increase in arrivals (in 2006, arrivals fell by 4 per cent). As far as I see, there has been an increase in the growth rate of the last two years.


texts:
I've confused about the word "them" in the middle of the sentence:

  They know all about them
  Westovers in Idaho.

Could you please tell me what the meaning of "them" here is?

  Does it mean "they know about the oils which are made by Westovers in Idaho"?

The full text is here:

  Dad had always said he wanted to build a room the size of a cruise ship
  but I’d never thought he’d have the money. I looked to Mother for an
  explanation but it was Dad who answered. The business was a roaring
  success, he explained. Essential oils were popular, and Mother had the best
  on the market. “Our oils are so good,” he said, “we’ve started eating into the
  profits of the large corporate producers. They know all about them
  Westovers in Idaho.”

Educated by Tara Westover


texts: Does "do" fully inherit the grammar of the verb it refers to?

texts:
To avoid confusion with this question, here is an example

  We consider Nigeria a developing country as we do Angola.

So, is that grammatical? Should I put a preposition? Can I instead say do it with?

P.S. I do understand that there are less clumsy ways to say the sentence. But that's not in my field of interest right now.


texts: "Was going to" versus "would be" as the past tense of "will"

texts:
Do you think that "was going to be" or "would be" could be used as past tense of will?

  I thought this book was going to be your choice.

  I thought this book would be your choice.

Do these two sentences basically mean the same thing or are they slightly different?


texts:
I would like to know what the first sentence means (from a story, it is a description of a hornet):

It was wonderfully made, both before and behind. Its wings were folded
upon its terrible body.


texts: Is there a more natural way of saying "slid into" as in "embarking into"?

texts:
I am thinking of using "slid into" as in "embarking into", but this sentence is very particular and only makes sense if you see the context, which honestly sounds ridiculous (because it's surreal).

Without further due, here's the example:

  The dog slid into the kangaroo's pouch to go on a journey in the
  Australian desert.

The sentence doesn't sound really natural, so I am wondering if there's a better way to put this.


texts:
I'm looking for a word used to describe an "exam essay", so that when I say this word, others will know I'm referring to an essay/article written according to the rules of an examination. Is there a word has this meaning?

Also, I want to know is "exam essay" a common phrase to show this meaning?


texts: What's the best word to describe the harsh, unaesthetic exterior of a building?

texts: Take the image of this building for instance, a good percentage of people would say that it's not pleasant to look at. No colorful tiles, no fancy arcs. In short, it's "harsh-looking." I'm looking for a word that best describes buildings such as this one which are not aesthetically pleasing. Buildings that give off an ominous vibe or make you feel uneasy. If you search photos of headquarters of most intelligence agencies, naturally you'll see that their exteriors are very unwelcoming and harsh. As you can tell from the explanation I've provided, I've used the word "harsh" twice! Not that I think it doesn't get the job done, it does, but I'm looking for a more precise word.


texts:
Which of the following sentences are correct ?

Dr. X has an amazing research output in the field of Y.
Dr. X has amazing research outputs in the field of Y.
Dr. X has amazing research output in the field of Y.

Context: Dr. X has been working in the field of Y. The results that he has obtained are amazing.


texts:
Is "using an animation" idiomatic? I think it's the most idiomatic way to say that a character in a video game has a particular animation, but I am wondering if it's really the case, or there's a much better way to say it.

For example:

  The dog used the animations of the cat instead of having its own
  animations.


texts:
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/vertical_1?q=vertical+

  "What ties our vast history of interest in space exploration with the
  current trends in education? The idea of finding a story that includes
  failure and extensive testing. For safety reasons, space travel
  requires continual testing for mechanical components to withstand
  amazing amounts of pressure, temperature ranges and more. For our
  current educational system and technology, similar to space launches,
  students must go through an educational system that may not fully
  prepare them for the rigors of a quickly-changing world. What role
  does failure then play in a brand or vertical story? Let’s review
  three ways in which failure can be positively built into the brand
  narrative."

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/goldiechan/2019/07/11/successful-failure-3-reasons-why-brands-include-failure-in-storytelling/#111fa62f1732


texts:
The next day Mr. Martin followed his routine, as usual. He polished his glasses more often and once sharpened an already sharp pencil, but not even Miss Paird noticed.

Does more often mean "more than usual"?


texts:
How can I use the word "education" when I want to say some education has been done?
Carried out education for~
Conductetd education for~


texts:
I like to play tennis on Tuesdays.
I like playing tennis on Tuesdays.

Having taken into account the following, would you please throw a light on what is the difference between the sentences above?
This question was inspired by a comment left on a similar question I asked here, where a user said:

Like playing vs. like to play is the question of gerund vs. infinitive. Both of those are correct, but I don't think there's a general rule.

So, is there some general rule? Or was the comment correct?


texts: When do you use "in the distance" and when "in distance"?

texts:
For example:

  After many years of struggling, I can finally see a horizon in distance.

or

  After many years of struggling, I can finally see a horizon in the distance.

I'm having trouble to determine when to use the article "the" and when it's ok to drop it...

At the time of posting this question, it didn't occur to me there is a third option:

  "...I can finally see a horizon in a distance."

So would indefinite article be possibly the best option here - because the exact distance is not known? Someone in my proximity strongly opposes the use of definite article in this case, precisely for the reason that exact distance is not known (defined).


texts: need a proverb for “not to stoop to a lower level”

texts:
I am looking for a proverb describing not to stoop oneself to another person's "level".

A similar proverb is

  "If you lie down with a dog, you'll get up with fleas"

but this is not exactly what I have in mind as according to wikipedia, this proverb appears to focus more on choosing "your company" well (to be associated with), which hinges on the connotation that dogs are human's best friends.

According to wikipedia

  The quote has a large almost universally agreed meaning of "You should
  be cautious of the company you keep. Associating with those of low
  reputation may not only lower your own but also lead you astray by the
  faulty assumptions, premises and data of the unscrupulous (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:If_you_lie_down_with_dogs,_you_get_up_with_fleas)

"

The proverb(s) I am looking for would portray the others (with a presumptive lower level of standard) more as enemies, not as friends


texts: Someone who has a wonderful talent in poetry

texts:
Which one of the following sentences sounds more natural to you to describe someone who has a wonderful poetic talent:

  He has a great / wonderful poetic talent.
  He has a great / wonderful poetic gift.
  He is very talented in poetry.

I had a research on the internet, but the only thing that I found was that these three bold parts can be used in these ways (here), but I was not sure about the sentences' structures that they can be used.


texts: Using "any" with countable nouns in question forms

texts:
Which ones are grammatically correct out of the following sentences:

  Do you know any famous person?

  Do you know any famous people?

  Do you do any physical activity for staying in shape?

  Do you do any physical activities for staying in shape?

I am not sure but I remember reading that we should use plural forms with any in affirmative sentences. If we accept this rule as correct, can we apply this rule to questions in which the word any is used?


texts: Can I start a sentence with the word maybe?

texts:
Can I use the word maybe to start this sentence?

  "Maybe this week won't be so bad after all."


texts: It's great vs this is great vs that is great

texts:
There are too many hotels in our city. It's great!

Or this is great ?

Or that is great ?

What is the best to say here?
When does we say each ?

Thank you


texts:
“We’re just happy our little girl is alive,” said Jessica’s father, Michael Paulsen, as though the state of being alive were itself a sufficient cause for happiness and not a prison of its own, at least in a phenomenological sense

I read this paragraph on the Onion News.  I wonder, why were is used as the linking verb  instead of was in the part of the sentence "... as though the state of being alive were itself a sufficient cause for..." ?


texts: Should "the" be used in these sentences?

texts:
Data demand is unknown.
vs
The data demand is unknown.
Data generated by existing methods is ...
vs
The data generated by the existing methods is ...


texts:
What is the difference between the two?

  Don't do that.
  Don't ever do that.

Does this ask one not to do something that they do repeatedly?


texts: Do I need "will" in the following cases?

texts:
If you talk to me about cars or soccer, I (will)
yawn until my jaw snaps, but if you get me started about the nature of
the soul or conciousness, I can go on for hours.
If you're obsessed with a
subject, you (will) come back to it again and again,  until it
becomes a part of you.

What's the right word, and why?


texts:
I'm a bit confused about these two options. I'm not sure if they mean exactly the same or if I should prefer the former or the latter.

Example sentence:

  She had some space in front and behind her, so (that) if she spun ninety degrees in any direction, we would stop making physical contact.

I tried checking an example phrase on Google Books. But both options yield more or less the same number of results: so if she moved and so that if she moved.

I would like some insights on this.


texts:
I haven't seen you for a long time.

vs

  I haven't seen you for a long time now.

Are they both correct? Is there any difference (but maybe emphasis) between one and the other?


texts:
What is your father's name, mother's name, and brother's name ?
Can you answer the following?
                        Or the following:
Are you well?...or not?

Which is\are correct among the three? And please correct my fault.


texts: What do "reckless" and "deed" here means?

texts:
I really have no clue about these two words meaning, even though i looked up the dictionary.

“Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest,” an unidentified spokesman at the commission’s Policy Department said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.


texts: Which usage of the below sentence is right?

texts:
Was writing a text for a post. But was not sure what was the right way to put it.

  Bajaj serving Backbone support to run the first ever online
  competition by Microsoft.
  Bajaj serves Backbone support to run the first ever online
    competition by Microsoft.
  Bajaj is serving Backbone support to run the first ever online
  competition by Microsoft.


texts:
Is there a difference between blanket and comforter?

Today, by googling and looking for the name of the cover of the blanket I found that it is called "comforter cover" and then I saw that the meaning of comforter is the the same as blanket allegedly. Is it indeed the same and it is used the same as a synonym?


texts: Using the idiom "the other way 'a'round"

texts:
I wonder if the phrasing within the following context is semantically correct or not:

  Can someone tell me why my life is a disaster? Why things always go the other way around to what it should be? That's how my life... (Source)

I would phrase it as follows:

"Why things always go the other way around."

And to me, "to what it should be" sounds redundant.

What do you think?
How is it said normally in English?


texts: be killed in the war vs be killed by the war

texts:
Please tell me the difference in nuance between the following two setences.

A lot of people were killed in the war.
A lot of people were killed by the war.


texts: exact meaning of feeling a bit off colour in British English?

texts:
What does it mean for a Brit to say "I'm feeling a bit off colour today."?

An Australian told me it could mean "upset," but I find his explanation contrary to dictionary definition. So I was trying to seek more feedback here.

Could it be that the dictionary fails to reflect the reality here?

I'd appreciate comments from Brits.


texts:
He is the man whom I met yesterday.

A relative pronoun can be omitted when it doesn't refer to the subject of the clause. So we can omit the relative pronoun 'whom' from the clause. But the clause is at the end of the sentence. It doesn't sound well after omitting the relative pronoun.

  He is the man I met yesterday.

Is it correct to omit the relative pronoun?


texts:
"The value of the firm can be assumed to be the present value of future cash flows"

Why not "The value of the firm can be assumed to be the present value of the future cash flows"??

Because when I was writing this sentence I wrote it with "the" at the end too. So if I wrote it with "the" will my sentence be wrong? Elaborate this point please.


texts: any example of an “active voice” verb used in a “verb-ed” form as a modifier

texts:
Not a grammarian, in the following paragraphs, I use the terms "active vs passive" voices to refer to an "executor" or a "recipient" of a verb.

I do not know if a demanded job makes any sense in English, but a demanding job means to me that it is a job that demands a lot of attention (demand is used in an active voice).

A service that satisfies a customer's need is called a satisfying service (satisfy is used in an active voice), whereas a customer who is or was satisfied by a service is called a satisfied customer (satisfy is used in a passive voice, not an issue of the "time tense").

An information has to be requested first before it becomes the "requested information". While this term "requested information" appears to sound stilted to many native English speakers, the term seems fairly commonly used in books (not sure if all were used by native English speakers). A google books search can confirm it.

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=%22requested+information%22

Here, the temporal order is interesting to me in that, a piece of information ONLY becomes "the requested information" AFTER a request is placed. Thus, I do not know if the requested information is more an issue of the "time tense" or an issue of the "passive voice". To me, information can ONLY be requested (request used in a passive voice) and cannot request (in an active voice), thus I took the position of "requested information" being a result of "passive voice".

For the examples of failing experiments and failed experiments, they seem very different (in my eye) from all the aforementioned examples. In BOTH cases, the verb "to fail" is used in an active voice, i.e., whether an experiment is failing or an experiment failed, it is the experiment that "fails" (an active voice, although "an experiment-performer" can also fail an experiment). As the verb "to fail" seems to be commonly used in an active voice, but the terms "a failing experiment" and "a failed experiment" have different connotations, I wonder if there are other examples, similar to this modifier ("failed"), in that a verb-ed modifier is derived from an "active-voice" use of the verb


texts: What is the difference between "I will need something" and "I will be needing something"?

texts:
Is there any difference in meaning between the following sentences.

  Don't throw your boots away yet because you will need them.

  Don't throw your boots away yet because you will be needing them.

I cannot feel any difference. But I am sure there is some because why would anyone say I will be needing  when I will need is shorter.


texts:
I had an English exam a couple of weeks ago and one of the questions asked us to highlight an active sentence in a poem and then change it into a passive version.

The only option in this poem was:

  Lefties deserve much respect.

The so-called correct answer was/is:

  Much respect is deserved (by lefties).

I am a native speaker studying to be an English teacher in Belgium. In Flemish it is very common to use a passive sentence when we would use an active sentence (and vice versa).

As a native speaker the sentence sounds completely wrong but I do not have the technical expertise to explain why to the teacher. The only thing I can find about using deserve in the passive tense is when it lends a passive meaning to a following -ing form. I am using Michael Swan's book. I did get the answer 'correct', but it used valuable time – which could of been better used elsewhere.

This has literally been bugging me non-stop since, please help!


texts: So the other day I was talking to a friend (he's a native speaker by the way). We were talking about a certain subject when I said "How do you call that Gerry?", How do you say when someone is doing this or that and etc..." And every time I'd use "How" he would correct me and say it's "What" not "How", "It's what do you say, what do you call". Why was I wrong? I think many people don't know this.


texts: Help pinpoint the usage of 'could' in these examples

texts:
whether a sentence is truth-neutral or truth-committed often depends on factors other than the choice of verbal construction. In I’m surprised that your wife should object, the effect of the main verb is to cancel out the neutrality of the should + Infinitive construction, with the result that we clearly understand from this sentence that the wife does object. There is hence no logical difference, in many cases, between should + Infinitive and the simple Indicative form objects. This is not to say, however, that there is no difference in feeling. In I’m surprised that your wife should object, it is the ‘very idea of it’ that surprises me; in I’m surprised that your wife objects, I am surprised by the objection itself, which I take to be a known ‘fact’.
The meaning swings in the opposite direction (from truth-commitment to truth-neutrality) through the influence of verbs such as believe and suppose:
I believe (that) his mother is dead. | I suppose (that) you’re waiting for my autograph
Because of the essential element of uncertainty in the meanings of these verbs, a that-clause that would elsewhere be truth-committed becomes truth-neutral. The same applies to adjectives such as possible and likely.
We could go on to note that the primary modals (e.g. can, may, will) also express an element of uncertainty, and so belong to the truth-neutral category. However, they express more specific meanings, such as ‘possibility’ and ‘obligation’, whereas the forms with ‘theoretical’ meaning discussed here – the Infinitive, the Subjunctive and ‘putative’ should – express truth-neutrality in its most generalised form.

The difference between ‘arrangement’ and ‘intention’ is a very slight one; so be going to + Infinitive could be substituted for the Present Progressive in all these examples.

Be going to implies that the conditions for the future event already exist. However, will could replace be going to in these two examples with little difference of meaning.

Without an adverbial, a time in the near future rather than remoter future is generally intended: one could insert the adverb just or soon in these sentences to make the imminence explicit.

-- Leech, Geoffrey N. 2004. Meaning and the English Verb. Harlow, England: Pearson/Longman.

Do they indicate conditional (hypothetical) possiblities or factual possiblities in these examples?
I have come across them a lot in this book as well as in ELL answers. From my understanding, may or can is used a lot in such context of giving useful information.
I wonder if the preterite form makes these statements more tentative or informal or what.


texts:
Is this sentence correct?

  "I am confused undecided about whether to see movie x or y".

Should I use watch here, or is see correct?


texts:
He was lean, his ropey muscles giving his spare frame girth.

What does this girth mean in this context? A small figure?
Merriam Webster said: a measure around a body.
So I think it's a small figure, isn't it? If so, Why it's not girth spare frame but spare frame girth?
Thank you in advance!
What The Wind Knows, Amy Harmon.


texts:
Does it mean "the country which offers help"?

However, "these qualifiers should not obscure the core insight," he wrote. "A large and growing number of countries could quickly take the lead in ending their own extreme income poverty. A mix of domestic and peer country pressure is needed to focus efforts."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/cash-transfer-recipients-on-free-money-2016-11/


texts: A question about using "be going to" and "will" with the present perfect in a question

texts:
Have you decided what you are going to do this weekend?
  Have you decided what you will do this weekend?

As you can see, I'm asking using the present perfect tense, but I'm a bit confused about these sentences above. I think that the first form is correct. In spite of this, I want to know if the second sentence is correct or not and why.

Note: I'm asking about using "Will & be going to" in a special case which is using them in a question with the present perfect. I'm not asking about them generally.


texts:
At the press conference, Trump announced he planned to invest $250 million to build two "super-luxury" residential towers, to be called Trump International and—surprise—Trump Tower, both of which he said "Moscow desperately wants and needs. "

I figure "surprise" here means it's not a surprise it's called Trump Tower.  But I'm unsure if I get it right.  What does it truly mean here?


texts:
I guess it is similar to the word 'Halfway' in the following sentence,
A storm of arrows erupts from the walls, catching you mid-stride.
Am I right?


texts: We'd as well be 10 minutes back in time?

texts:
In Storm by Tim Minchin, after a heavy argument, Tim says;

We'd as well be 10 minutes back in time,
For all the chance you'll change your mind.

Can you please explain that sentence to me from the grammatical point of view?


texts: What does "Agent Mulder's latest 302" mean?

texts:
The 4th episode of the X-files opens with:

  FBI senior official: Agent Mulder's latest 302. Requesting assignment and travel expenses for the both of you.

  FBI Agent Scully: Sioux city, Iowa. That's the first I've heard of it.

What does 302 refer to?

Watch the episode online


texts: Has always been and forever will be valuable...(phrase)

texts:
Let's say you are marveled at how technology helps people everyday.

  It blows me away just to think how technology helps people on a daily basis, such as transportation and communication via cellphones or computers. These things inspire innovators to do more to become more efficient than they currently are. I believe, technology has always been and forever will be valuable to humanity.

Are the bold letters, as past to present and future events, in correct usage? I just heard these 2 bold letters, BUT I am not sure if I can use them correctly to say what I really mean without any trouble of misunderstandings or the like...


texts: "I find the Korean take on some western brands are made differently"

texts:
What is the grammatical structure of the following sentence?

  I find the Korean take on some western brands are made differently.

(source : http://www.waygook.org/index.php/topic,6517.140.html)

Is it grammatically correct? If not, which part is wrong and what changes should be made?

I am confused because after "I find", there is already a verb "take on"  but even further we have the verb "are made". I am not a native English speaker, so please understand my knowledge of grammar terminology is very lacking.


texts: Use of would've with if and without if in conditional sentence

texts:
It would've been icing on the cake if the shoes were black.
  Black Shoes would've been icing on the cake.

My friend was wearing suit but the shoes were not matching, so I told him "Black shoes would've been icing on the cake".

Did I use the right sentence by any means?

Is there any different between the sentence 1 and sentence 2?


texts:
Is it okay to use "yesterday" when describing some sudden change in the past? For example:

  That potion was really good. It really worked miracles when every
  citizen of this country was given a chance to take a sip. Within just
  one night, it turned stupid people into non-stupid, smart ones into
  the wise, and the wise into geniuses. All those who were novices and
  newbies just yesterday now became the most prominent experts and
  gurus in their particular field.

Or would "the day before" (or something else) would still be better in this case?


texts:
It was okay, not best.

Have formed this by translating from language x to English.

How to say that is a neat way?


texts:
I often find sentences similar to the following:

  You should use this book to help you with
  the grammar that you find difficult.

To me, the above is more or less equivalent to this one:

  You should use this book so that you can help yourself with
  the grammar that you find difficult.

Why do we have 'you' instead of 'yourself' in the former sentence?


texts:
I went to the hospital and I saw a patient being treated last night.

What kind of sentence it is being treated in the above sentence.


texts:
I wonder if infinitive form is used after "but" in these three sentences

  He was made not to do anything but go to bed right then.

  He didn't do anything but play computer games all day.

  He did nothing but play computer games all day.

Is there any situation where infinitive form is not used after "but"?


texts:
Excerpted from variety:

  Asked about Netflix’s pulling out of the Cannes Film Festival this year — over its rule prohibiting the entry of films that don’t have theatrical distribution in France — Sarandos said the issue has to do with the French law that embargoes the distribution of movies on streaming services until three years after theatrical premiere. “So we don’t put our movies in theaters in France,” he said. “We are 100% committed to collapsing windows outside of France, because that’s what consumers want.”

What does "collapsing windows" mean here?


texts:
So a friend of mine uploaded a picture of hers with her husband.  In the picture, both of them were wearing glasses.  As I scrolled down the comments, I read someone's comment saying "made for each other". Below that comment she wrote "I bet, its the sunglasses that give it away".

I want to know what does this sentence mean, especially the part that "the sunglasses gave [something] away." I didn't get it.


texts:
I know there have been similar questions in the past but I couldn't quite grasp the correct usage. I have been using version 1 of the phrase below for years at work, and recently a colleague said it should be version 2 instead. Are both correct, or is only version 2 correct? Context is when there is a new task or issue at work, and I want to leave it to another colleague to handle it:
Version 1: I'd / I would leave it to you
Version 2: I'll / I will leave it to you


texts: Which one is correct. I oppose to taking a drug or I'm opposed to taking a drug?

texts:
Which is the correct sentence?

1)I oppose to taking a drug.

2)I'm opposed to taking a drug.

I have a problem in understanding the 2nd one.

"I'm opposed" makes sense when there is another subject so I can say I'm opposed by someone or something. But in this case, I tell myself that I hate taking a drug.


texts:
As much as I understand "being" stresses the action and not the result. So does that mean that:

in sentence 1 the person might not have got the book in his possession

while

sentence 2 conveys the end result of having the book?

  What book was being given to you?
  What book was given to you?

And in these examples:

  Were you being told that or did you make that up?
  Were you told that or did you make that up?


texts:
I corrected a piece of writing for a friend recently and stumbled over something he wrote.

He did a review of a place he once visited (no pictures of the place provided) and wrote: "I came here for celebrating..., etc."

It sounds strange to me to use "here" when it is used in written language but I don´t know for sure. Shouldn´t it be "I went there" since no picture of the place is provide?


texts: What's the difference between "keep me from you" and "keep me away from you"

texts:
When Im on My Knees: Devotional Thoughts on Prayer for Women
Anita Corrine Donihue · 2003 · Snippet view
Found inside – Page 212

Nothing can ever keep me from You, my Lord, my Redeemer.

Are they the same thing? Is "away" being omitted here, or is "away" redundant and therefore not used in "keep me from you"? I am trying to understand why I hear this phrase often.


texts: Meaning of 'only...but' in the sentence: "He's only young, but he's learning fast"

texts:
I came across the below sentence from my English textbook:

  He's only young, but he's learning fast

The structure 'only...but' is quite strange to me. I also found another example on Givemesport.com website

  In charge of Manchester United, Ferguson was keen to bring
  Oxlade-Chamberlain to the club - and even sung his praises when asked
  about the possibility of signing him.

  "Alex Chamberlain is only young but he has potential," said Ferguson.

  Source: http://www.givemesport.com/1150800-what-alex-ferguson-said-about-alex-oxladechamberlain-in-2011

I guess that the meaning of the structure 'only...but' is similar to 'not only...but also', like:

  If this project fails it will affect not only our department, but also the whole organization.

  Source: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/department

Is my guess correct?


texts:
I have came across such sentence:

By now, Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for an astounding 67 years.

Why do we use "an" here, even though 67 years is plural?


texts: Does "a coward" have the same meaning as "not brave"?

texts:
The difference is that cowardly is usually an adjective, while coward is almost always a noun. Hence:

    That dog is a coward.

    That cowardly dog runs at the sound of hooves.

  ...

  the link

I couldn't understand how "coward" is noun in "That dog is a coward.", let's take the word brave as example:

  That dog is brave.

Is brave an adjective in this sentence? If yes, so why is "coward" noun in the same clause structure?

if "coward" word is a none in "That dog is a coward", Does it has any difference meaning than:

  That dog is not brave.

Another question: Can we remove the article "a"? is this make it adjective? Does it still has the same meaning?


texts: Why the first sentence among the following 2 sentences is correct?

texts:
Why first one is correct?

  This essay will discuss both advantages and disadvantages.

  This essay will be discussing both advantages and disadvantages.

Is it because it is the only semantically correct one here?


texts: Is "I am reading a book against the bed" correct?

texts:
I am reading a book against the bed.

Don't we use against as 'in contact with'?


texts: "I'm not being confusing?" -> why Being?

texts:
A: A wild dog?

  B: I'm not being confusing on purpose. Their bites are nasty.

Why did B use 'being confusing'? What if B said like...

"I'm not confusing"

"I don't confuse"

then how would it be changed in mood or grammar?


texts: Article usage in "AI technology" vs. "the English language"

texts:
Why some noun phrases require the definite article, some don't? They are quite similar in structure. Why do we say "the NYC area", "the English language", but "AI technology", "blockchain technology"? How are latter phrases different from former ones?

My hunch: technology here is a category? Is that the (only) reason?


texts:
Should I use definite article with "reality"? Does it depend on the context?
For example:

  The campaign should show that there is a small number of crimes that
  actually take place every day, and it should show that serious crimes
  rarely happen in the reality.


texts:
We were shopping at the mall.

It's late and all the shops were starting to close.

  "They're closing."

  "They're closing their shop."

Will the second sentence mean the shop is bankrupt?


texts: What is the difference between wouldn't eat and didn't eat?

texts:
He wouldn't eat this morning.

vs

  He didn't eat this morning.

Could you explain to me what the difference is?