texts: "yet" vs. "already" with present perfect

texts:
'Yet' and 'already' are often used with Present Perfect.

Which of them is preferred in sentences like this:

  Is your father here yet (or already?)? Yes, he has just come.

'Yet' is used to say that it is expected that something has happened and used in negative sentences and in questions, so in the sentence above it seems that it is used correctly.

But is it possible to use already in this question? Would already sound naturally here?


texts:
"Richard needs some modification of the interface".

The use of 'needs' is correct here? or I have to use 'need'?

Please clarify.


texts: Meaning of "plug fill" or "fill plug" in pharmaceutical industry

texts:
From an FDA guideline:

  Bracketing can be applied to studies with multiple strengths of identical or closely related formulations. Examples include but are not limited to (1) capsules of different strengths made with different fill plug sizes from the same powder blend, (2) tablets of different strengths manufactured by compressing varying amounts of the same granulation, and (3) oral solutions of different strengths with formulations that differ only in minor excipients (e.g., colorants, flavorings).

From a European guideline:

  Where a range of strengths is to be validated, bracketing could be applicable if the strengths are identical or very closely related in composition (e.g., for a tablet range made with different compression weights of a similar basic granulation, or a capsule range made by filling different plug fill weights of the same basic composition into different size capsule shells).

I don't understand the meaning of "plug fill/fill plug" in these texts.

"Plug for filling"? What could that mean?


texts:
Please look at this picture

It contains two players, Torres and Suarez.

These both were players for Liverpool football club. However, they were not playing at the same time. In other words, they have never played for Liverpool together.

Today there was a charity game in Liverpool and they played together in the same team.

Today the "Daily Mail Sport" magazine states in this link

  These two are on at Anfield. What a duo they would have been for Liverpool FC. More here: Daily Mail

It says "would have been".

My question is why not could have been?

I think "could have been" is more correct because it is trying to say that if no one leaves Liverpool, they could have formed a good partners.


texts: difference between "having" and "coming to have" in the mentioned context?

texts:
Their having/coming to have X is the result of her intending so.

What is the difference between "having" and "coming to have" in the above sentence.


texts: When mentioning time period, is it correct to use the phrase "now onwards"? can we use 'onwards' after 'now'?  or should we use only 'now on'?


texts: You also can reach us easily Or You also can reach TO us easily

texts:
"You also can reach us easily"

"You also can reach to us easily"

Using the "to" would be grammatical?

Added : When we ask them to email us or call us - "You also can reach (to) us easily by [email] or [the number]"


texts: If you 'discount' me, you are 9! Is that okay?

texts:
Discount as a verb is clear to me. I just spoke this sentence without thinking. But now I think I goofed up. However, it tickled a question in my brain.

What's the opposite to the verb count? - Uncount is not found anywhere, discount is the word but with different meaning.

Consider our group has arranged for a picnic. But I'm pretty not sure about it. And I say...

  "Okay, let's count first..... fine... we are ten in total. And you guys should arrange for the accommodation and food accordingly. But mind it, I may have some undeniable work on that day. And thus, if you discount me, you are nine.

Dictionaries' definitions for the verb discount does not support my sentence. And, I don't want to use ...if you don't count me.... Furthermore, uncount won't work that way (it's really funny - OALD redirects uncount to the entry of uncountable noun!) :P

Thanks to the answerers. Exclude fits better but then I asked in contrast to the word count.

  If you include me, we are ten but if you exclude me, you are nine - is fine.

But, my concern is...

  If you count me, we are ten but if you discount/uncount me, you are nine.


texts: What is the exact meaning of 'shout over' in a sentence?

texts:
I'm a Persian who is reading the novel, The Talented Mr Ripley. I have come across the following sentence:

  The Italian had a long, gray car with a loud radio that he and Dickie seemed happy to shout over.

I do not know the meaning of the phrase "shout over". Can someone please explain what is meant by this sentence?


texts: "It will be Ann’s birthday on Saturday." & "It is Ann’s birthday on Saturday."

texts:
Are these sentences correct? Have they got the same meaning and similar usage?

It will be Ann’s birthday on Saturday.
It is Ann’s birthday on Saturday.


texts: I asked "him" if he could swim - what is this sentence element called?

texts:
I asked him if he could swim.

Downing, in her book 'English Grammar,' describes this kind of construction as:

  subject + verb + NG(a Recipient) + Wh-complement clause.

(In Downing's terminology NG = nominal group, eqivalent to ‘noun phrase’)

However, my other syntax books have examples that have no such NG.

So I want to know by what name syntax books call him in the example.


texts:
This is quite confusing.
In the dictionary, they say

a friend in need:
someone who helps you when you need it

Say, Tom was broke and he needed help and some financial support. Mary helped him while other friends of Tom didn't.
According to the above definition , we say "Mary is a friend in need" which means Mary helped Tom when he needs.
But we have the phrase "people in need" which refers to people who needs food or money.

need 7 [uncountable] when you do not have enough food or money
cases of severe need in the inner cities
in need
We must care for those in need.

So, if we say "Mary is a friend in need", people may think "Mary is a friend who needs help, maybe she needs some food and money from her friends".
Is  the phrase "Mary is a friend in need" confusing?


texts: "We asked because of what she laughed" - why is the sentence wrong?

texts:
We asked because of what she laughed.

This sentence is supposed to be grammatically wrong. Why is it so? What is the correct version?


texts:
What is the correct form of question:

a) “How many sets do you have left?”
b) “How many sets you have left?”
c) “How many sets you got left?”

And also, what is the rule that I need to use to know when I should put "do" before "you" (I mean "do you have left"/"you have left")?


texts: question about meaning of " cross referenced " and one more word

texts:
By listening to the ambient sounds in the cockpit before a crash, experts can determine if a stall took place, the RPMs of the engine, and the speed at which the plane was traveling.When these sounds are cross-referenced with ground control conversations, they can even help searchers locate a crash site.Then, there`s the flight data recorder. It gathers 25 hours of technical data from airplane sensors, recording several thousand discreet pieces of information.

Could you please define cross-referenced and ground control conversation in simple English.


texts: "will start" vs "starts" meaning in this sentence. And Which is better to use?

texts:
The concert will start tomorrow at 6:00 pm.

Or

  The concert starts tomorrow at 6:00 pm.


texts: Should this sentence with "each" have a singular or plural verb?

texts:
State if each of the following habits is recommended, optional or disliked.

Is there anything grammatically wrong with the above sentence? Can I use it as it is? Should I use 'is' or change it to 'are' i.e.

  State if each of the following habits are recommended, optional or disliked.


texts: Is it okay to say "excuse me" before requesting everything?

texts:
In Iran, it's a kind of polite thing that when people want to ask something from somebody, they start the sentence with excusing.  For example :

  Excuse me, would you please give me 1 kilo apple?

I was watching a youtube video and a canadian said that americans don't excuse too much but canadians do.  Is this right? I mean, is it normal to say "excuse me" a lot ?


texts: Can 'come up to' be used in the context of a bill?

texts:
Is the use of come up to correct in this context?

  We bought tons of stuff at X place. The whole bill came up to X dollars.

I often see people (non natives) use come out in this situation:

  The whole set up came out to be Y dollars.

Which of these two or both is correct idiomatic usage in this context?


texts: What's the meaning of "What am I missing here?"?

texts:
I make to close my room door, but Kofi blocks it with his hand. “Big
Madam wants you,” he says. [...] Why would she ask you to come to her
room? She never asks anyone into her room —least of all you. What am I
missing here?”

Could you please tell me what the meaning of "What am I
missing here?" is?
The fuller text is here:

Kofi shakes his head. “Abu might have something; she always gave him
the shopping list. I would ask him, but he’s been away as well since
last night. He should be back this morning.” I make to close my room
door, but Kofi blocks it with his hand. “Big Madam wants you,” he
says. “She said you should come straight up to her room, right inside.
Why would she ask you to come to her room? She never asks anyone into
her room—least of all you. What am I missing here?” “Thank you,” I
say, and close the door.

From: The Girl with Louding Voice by Abi Dare


texts:
Is it wrong to say that the past simple is used for very short actions and long actions (the dinosaur example) but for shorter ongoing actions native speakers use the past progressive not the past simple?
According to some books the  length of time a situation lasts has nothing to do with the tense/aspect chosen, but in their explanations grammarians  use "a situation that lasted a long time" or "shorter ongoing actions" when they explain why a certain tense is preferred in a particular example. So they are still talking about the length of time.
These are the examples according to which  the past simple seems to be  used for very short actions and long actions (the dinosaur example) but for shorter ongoing actions native speakers use the past progressive not the past simple.

The king ruled for 40 years.

By the middle of the nineteen sixties many parts of Europe were experiencing a tremendous economic boom.

Intervention was urgently required-the starving children were growing weaker day by day and there was little sign of an end to the drought.

Many of the survivors were working in the field when the earthquake struck.

Dinosaurs roamed the earth for over 150 million years.

The book fell from the shelf.

The time dinosaurs roamed the earth   and the time the king ruled his country is definitely longer than the time people were experiencing an economic boom and the time people were working in the field and the time the children were starving.


texts: Do I need an apostrophe with "s" when using gerund with names?

texts:
In the text below, should it be "Linda's starting" or "Linda starting"?

Linda changed her attitude in the middle of the second semester and
started diligently memorizing new words and phrases. That, however,
did not result in Linda's starting to make attempts to converse.


texts: What does "step right on in anytime" mean?

texts:
I've come across it in the sixth episode of the fourth season of the TV series Better Call Saul. The context is that James comes into his former office, which is a small room inside a nail salon, where he hasn't been in a long time and with a bunch of phones. His landlord is really surprised.

Landlord: What are you doing?
James: Mrs. Nguyen.
Just, you know, step right on in anytime, you know?
Landlord: What's all this (pointing to the phones)?
James: It's a side business.


texts: "Stability concern" or "instability concern"

texts: If I am unsure whether something is stable, would I have stability concerns or instability concerns?


texts:
I'm happy enough with hugging you like this!

Is it better if use "by" instead of "with" in this sentence? Is there another word that would be even better?


texts: "Do you think that...?" vs "Do you think if...?"

texts:
Which one is correct:

  "Do you think that this is correct?" or "Do you think if this is
  correct (or not)?"

and

  "Do you know that he is coming?" or "Do you know whether he is
  coming?"


texts:
Although I play chess who can explain what does it mean when Bobby Fischer says while a chess game:

  King to rook three. Knight to king six. Pawn takes queen, bishop to
  knight seven. It's over.

at 16.50 min in Pawn Sacrifice film about Bobby Fischer


texts: What's the most possible answer to this question?

texts:
I wish you [could - would] stop smoking. I'm sure you will have better health.

This was a multiple choice question on my exam yesterday.


texts: Use of to-infinitive in passive construction

texts:
My own instinct would have been to remove them.

I think, the above sentence is in passive construction. In passive construction, we need to use past participle form verb. And in the above sentence, been is the past participle of verb, and if we want to use another verb after past participle of verb in passive construction, we will have to use to-infinitive. Am I right?


texts: Are there any grammatical errors in the statement “As are you.”?

texts: If someone compliments you, and you want to respond with the same compliment, Is it grammatically incorrect to say “As are you my friend."


texts: What does "evanescent departures" in the text mean?

texts:
I looked up the dictionary, it described evanescent as vanishing, or passing away like vapor; and I knew departure is separation. Somehow I couldn't figure this sentence, and its relationship with the ocean.

  And, ah! his castle. The faery solitude of the place; with its turrets of misty blue, its courtyard, its spiked gate, his castle that lay on the very bosom of the sea with seabirds mewing about its attics, the casements opening on to the green and purple, evanescent departures of the ocean, cut off by the tide from land for half a day. . .


texts: how many friends do you get to meet there?

texts: Is this correct way to ask a question to a person who went to party function, there he wanted to meet his friends?


texts: distinguishing between grasp and understand

texts:
Extracted from the second thesaurus explanation in the Oxford Dictionary:

Understand or grasp?

  You can use understand or grasp for the action of realizing the meaning or
  importance of something for the first time:

    It's a difficult concept for children to understand/grasp.

  Only understand can be used to talk about languages, words, or writing. So, this is incorrect:

    I don't grasp French/the instructions.

With respect to the preceding definition, I am wondering if B is correct usage, where A is the intended meaning:

A.I do not understand the book

B.I do not grasp the book


texts: Can I say "I take my son to school by car every day"?

texts:
I drive my son to school.

How to say it in correct English? Can I say "I drop my son"?

I am not on my way to work and return home after dropping him.


texts:
This question I am confused with (which is the correct option?)

Choose the correct answer form a, b, c, or d:

  Do you think I could borrow the book after you  ......... reading it?

  a. had finished
  b. finished
  c. have finished
  d. will finish

I know have finished reading is the most correct according to tense sequence, but the present perfect is hardly used to tell about a finished completed action (all grammar books tell that).

If we say have finished reading it is this telling about a completed action ?


texts:
I have taken the following sentence from this website.

  The Jews were also enjoined to confess their sins individually to God, and in certain cases to man.

We all know that adverb modifies verb, adjective, and another adverb. But in above sentence, the adverb "individually" sits between two nouns. Is this correct? I think "individually" modifies the infinitive "confess". If so, can I move the adverb beside the infinitive?

  The Jews were also enjoined to confess individually their sins  to God, and in certain cases to man.

If the adverb "individually" modifies the noun "sins" (confessing their sins one-by-one) as mentioned by @user3169, can I rephrase the sentence to

  The Jews were also enjoined to confess their individual sins  to God, and in certain cases to man.

If not, please explain.


texts: How to refer to a US-born American of European descent

texts:
How do you refer to a US-born American of European descent?

The context is that someone is describing a woman who's since become a Japanese citizen, so it's relevant to mention it so people don't think the woman is of Japanese descent.

The person describing the woman used the term "European American". I don't hear the term very often compared to "African-American", so I was unsure if it's the most normal term to use.

Doing a Google search for "European American" gave me a hit for Wikipedia, which probably isn't suitable as it tends to use an academic tone. Urban Dictionary was another hit, but it had a variety of opinions, which probably was the result of the contributors' political leanings rather than an unbiased description. There was also a hit for a white supremacist site, and a couple of sites unrelated to the term, referring to relations between the USA and Europe.

I have a suspicion that some people not only regard people of European descent as the most common group, but the "default" group, such that you only need to mention a person's ethnicity if they're not of European descent. If so, it would explain why I haven't heard the term "European American" much.

What term, if any, should be used in American English in the context of an ordinary non-academic diary entry?


texts: When can you use "I'm afraid that ..."? Can you use "I'm afraid that X" interchangeably with "I suspect that X"?


texts: Why 'brought out' rather than simply 'brought'?

texts:
Looking for some explanations, it seems that the use of 'out' in some phrases is just a thing we need to accept, there is no rule around that. Is that true?

If yes, how can I know when to use the 'out' in a phrase?

For instance:

  (...) as John brought out in the comments.

Why not simply 'brought'? How do I supposed to know that I should use the 'out' in the end?


texts:
Does English have the grammatical concept of topic similar to Japanese?
I think this is explained easier with an example. Someone ask the question:

What is the first thing you do in the morning?

And people reply:

Turn off the alarm, rub my eyes, and check reddit to make sure the world hasn't exploded overnight.
Usually pet my dog
Sadly, check Facebook
more similar...

As we can see here people didn't use the pronouns. Maybe because is implicit. I think this is similar to the topic concept in Japanese. It's standard? it's grammatical?


texts:
Why do we use "been" in present perfect passive tense but not in active.

  1) I have bought a house.

  2) A house has been bought by me.


texts: what does "their" refer to in the following sentence?

texts:
What does "their" refer to in the following sentence?

  It was a vehicle for dealing with a number of fundamental problems confronting developing countries and exploring their relationship to the underlying trends in the international economy.


texts:
In the following question:

What's the premise of money?
What's the premise of email?
What's the premise of the book / movie?

Does the word 'premise' refer to the reason behind the existence of money, email, the book?

What I know is that premise refers to a part of an argument that leads to a conclusion:

Premise #1: All swans are white
Premise #2: Jill is a swan.
Conclusion: Jill is white.

When I am asking the 'premise of something', does it have the same meaning? What's the conclusion in case of money, email or book?


texts:
I have these sentences:
"What percentage of the choices do you make with full confidence? Without a part of you swaying to the alternatives? "

Is using "swaying to" correct?  or alternatively:
"...Without a part of you pointing (prompting) the alternatives"

Which one sounds better? or none?


texts: 'a way that no one could have predicted'

texts:
Is "that no one could have predicted" a relative clause modifying the noun "way"?

Events unfolded in a way that no one could have predicted.


texts: Why is the meaning of "rustle up" different to "rustle"?

texts:
According to Oxford Dictionary, 'rustle' means to make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper.

The same dictionary says that 'rustle up' means to produce something quickly when it is needed.

My question is, why is the meaning so different just by adding 'up' after 'rustle'?


texts:
It is important to communicate and find (a/the) middle ground.

How do I word this phrase? I've thought of three ways (a, the, no article) but I'm not sure which one is the most common/correct.


texts:
Please look at the following

  Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one stand up for me when the shit hit the fan)...

and

  Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one to support me when I faced adversity)...

I do not get that - why is TO missing in the first sentence?

Also what is the difference between

  1a) Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one stand up for me when the shit hit the fan)

  1b) Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one to stand up for me when the shit hit the fan)

  2a) Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one support me when I faced adversity)

  2b) Having advised many of your colleagues (yet having had no one to support me when I faced adversity)

What is the difference between 1a and 1b and also 2a and 2b? Are they same or is there any difference? Please tell me what the difference is.


texts:
Fisher is right to note that Australia’s political culture is simply
  more advanced on these matters than ours. But the problem, as I see
  it, is more public than political. In Australia, I don’t know what
  came first: the chicken of political maturity or the egg of public
  expectations of same. But I do know that in Canada, our political
  immaturity isn’t a glitch or anomaly. It’s an entirely predictable and
  understandable, if unacceptable, byproduct of the Canadian public’s
  low literacy on military matters.

Australia is a grown-up country. We aren’t

Does putting 'the' in front of 'same' make a difference?


texts:
Educated by Tara Westover

  For as long as I could remember, this image had been at the core of my idea of paradise: my husband, and his wives. There was a sting in this arithmetic: in knowing that in the divine calculus of heaven, one man could balance the equation for countless women.

I looked for sting in the dictionary, but I have found nothing suggesting it's used in the meaning of disadvantage. Hope someone can help me


texts:
''I 'd prefer you to mend your shoes rather than me to buy a new pair for you.''

Can I make the sentence above with ''prefer'' instead of ''would Rather'' without subject matching in the first and second part of the sentence?

İs the sentence above grammatically correct?


texts: The variance between a teacher's and students' English levels

texts:
A question to people knowledgeable about teaching in classes: What is an adequate gap between a teacher's and students' English levels so the students can, actually, learn English?
For instance, can a certified C1 English user teach B2 students (after passing TKT, CELTA, etc., sure)? What about the same situation on Independent (B2 teaches B1) level?
In other words, when does it occur when a teacher cannot share his knowledge with others when the difference in the teacher's and students' levels is so slight?


texts: A spoken English equivalent of 'someone who has glass-dust'

texts:
In my native language we have the expression having glass-dust by which in spoken language we describe a person who's generally good but sometimes gets dishonest to take advantage of a situation or does an immoral thing now and then.

  Don't trust him completely. I know him for years. He's got glass-dust.

Or

  He's a good bloke but he's got alittle glass-dust.

Is there a common spoken form of this expression in English? (Well I know how to use adjectives to express the idea but any spoken idiom or expression?)

I'm asking this because I was watching Southpark the episode in which Tweek & Craig were thought to be gay but they aren't so they pretend that they're breaking up in front of everyone. Tweek said,

  "I opened myself up and let you in, but you've got spikes, man."

It came to me that this is exactly where a person in my native language would say, "you've got glass-dust, man" to imply that you're dishonest and duplicitous.

I searched dictionaries but I didn't find anything like have spikes even as a spoken expression. As native speakers, do you think it's acceptable as the equivalent I'm looking for? If not, what do you suggest?

Edit: We say someone has glass-dust (in nature) as there is a piece of broken glass in food. Food is generally good but if you're not careful you can cut yourselves with that piece. I figured maybe spikes represents glass-dust in my native language. But I couldn't find anything to back that up.


texts: "Since my father joined" vs "Since my father has joined"

texts:
Since my father has joined this post, he has not taken bribe.

In the book I am reading, it says the correct one is:

  Since my father joined this post, he has not taken bribe.

How is the original statement incorrect? Or is it correct?


texts: What is the exact meaning of "3 is not a factor of m or of n"?

texts:
3 is not a factor of m or of n.

Meaning of the above statement the way I understand it is 3 is not a factor of m or 3 is not a factor of n.

I think that I might be wrong because here I suggested an edit which was rejected.

My question:

Is the meaning of 3 is not a factor of m or of n  the same as 3 is not a factor of both m and n. If yes, then please correct me by helping me understand what is it that I missunderstood.


texts:
I came across a sentence on Grammarist:

  Amongst is unquestioned in British English, where it appears about once for every 18 instances of among.

Why is for used here? Can it be omitted as follows?

  Amongst is unquestioned in British English, where it appears about once every 18 instances of among.

I have heard such phrases as "once every two years". Is it grammatical to say "once in every two years"?


texts: How to say something like "my company" without sounding like I own the company?

texts:
How do I say something like "my company," "my plane," "my bus", etc. without making it sound like I own the company/plane/bus/etc?

"Our company" makes it seem like both me and the person/people I'm talking to own the company together.


texts:
1- Let's suppose that Mary is saying this on September 2019, and I'm reporting her words in November of the same year; can I keep (this winter) in the reported speech, or should I stick to the rule and change it to (that winter); even if winter hasn't come and snow hasn't fallen yet?

2-  If I were to stick to the rule and change (this) to (that); does (that) semantically still mean (this), as winter and snow are yet to come, and the change is just a matter of grammar?

Because if it doesn't, this means I should be specifically reporting Mary's words in spring 2020 in order to be able to refer to winter as (that winter).

Thank you.


texts:
Today I got into argument with my colleague about the answer of below question.

She claims both are possible but choice 2 is the better one saying that "economics is a branch of science and if we are talking about its description, Present Simple is the answer".

It is such an easy question that I didn't put it on English Language & Usage stack. The question is below.

  There have been economies since the dawn of civilization, but as a field of study, economics [...] only recently.

  1) has developed

  2) develops

Can someone explain why her logic is wrong? I tried but it was futile. Maybe if she can see others then she might learn something. (Answer sheet is also saying 1).

If somebody says "I am busy recently/lately" it feels like saying "I am busy two days ago". It just does not makes sense. Recently/lately means near past. I am busy these days is fine however.


texts: Usage of 'almighty' in informal language

texts:
I had always thought that almighty was only used in religious contexts until I came across:

An almighty sigh of relief

which I found interesting.
I am wondering, is using almighty considered offensive in similar sentences (since it has a religious connotation) or is it OK to use it in a casual conversation with anyone?


texts: Why can "could hear" be used to express a single past event?

texts:
All the grammar tips say that "could" can't be used when it's meaning a single past event. They say all the things like hypothesis mood or general ability or whatnot.

But, then again, at the end of their explanation, they would usually put an exception of this rule for certain verbs or adverbs. Why is it so? If you say like

  I could hear his voice yesterday night.

,then would the verb 'hear' make the conditional mood wear off? If so, how come?


texts: A strange lesson from a bilingual American. About article "the"

texts:
I just have happened to have found this video.
He is teaching English in Japanese TV and is saying he is frustrated about every time he speaks the as in "thə" (which should grammatically be pronounced before the consonant) even the vowel comes after it, TV staff "corrects" it (according to him, the staff are not native speakers but it is not important according to him.)
What surprised me is he is saying "there is no such a rule."
Please listen from 3:01～

While not immediately apparent, one of the most important reasons for studying the history is that THE(thə) events of the past and the activities...

He insists furthermore.
From 4:16～,
He pronounces the before the vowel word idea as in thə, not in thē.
He says from 2:03

No, No, I'm pretty sure you can say either one now.

What baffled me is, he says, from 1:48

Nobody follows that rule anymore

I'm completely dumbfounded.
Is his claim acceptable to the "true" native speakers?
(Kindly forget when they are speaking only in Japanese.)


texts:
Is it idiomatic to say "truth hinges"? I am wondering if we need to say "truth hinges upon" or "truth hinges on something" instead of just "truth hinges". Because the definition being "To be contingent on a single factor", you would think "truth hinges" which means "truth is contingent on a single factor", you don't need to add "on something".

For example:

  I always believed that truth hinges.

  I always believed that truth hinges upon a single factor.

Should mean the same thing? No? Could you explain?


texts: How To Post This Question In Perfect Way?

texts:
Scarlet took Shaun to her home
and he asked this question to her:

  Shaun: So, I take it you've been with a man before.
  Scarlet: I'm a virgin. I'm just not very good at it.

I want to ask someone else what the Scarlet not very good at.  But people mistaken me and giving answers like:

  Someone is a virgin if they have never had sex before. In this context, "I'm not very good at it" means she is not experienced with having sexual intercourse.

That is not my question. Instead I want to know how to phrase the question in proper way?

Example:

Scene: Amazon warrior asked a question to Hippolyte after Diana left to Human world with Steve Trevor on boat.

  Warrior: Should you have told to Diana?
  Hippolyte: The more she knows, the sooner he'll find her.

If I want to ask someone else what the Warrior meant, then my question is:

  What is it that Hippolyte told Diana that that the Warrior is now questioning?


texts:
I'm writing my essay about corruption (Part II.) and I have already come across two words (one of which is rewritten for political reasons)...

  MAMESZ

and

  police

...that have to be put into the s-Genitive case. The problem is that these words end in the phoneme /s/ that is the same as that of the s-Genitive.

How should I use the s-Genitive?

  MAMESZ' and police'

or

  MAMESZ's and police's

...and how are they pronounced in case they are embellished with an s-Genitive?


texts:
We can use a full infinitive or a gerund  as a complement of the 'be'-verb. For example,

  The first thing I do in the morning is to check my mobile phone.

  The first thing I do in the morning is checking my mobile phone.

But I've seen the bare infinitive used in such construction with no real difference:

  The first thing I do in the morning is check my mobile phone.

Thus, bare infinitive is used when the finite element of the first verb is a form of "do" : Using bare infinitive after 'does'.

Now, my question is whether it's a case of elision, such as "The first thing I do in the morning is [that I] check my mobile phone." or is there any other grammatical explanation?


texts:
What does “welded” mean in this context?

  I hope aged 98 she has both boobs out. Brand new boobs, newly welded nipples pointing upwards like Pekinese dogs sniffing chocolate. Give the world something genuine to quack about.

Source: "Ducks force-fed shortbread, teens drunk on cider, petrol vigilantes... that's the real countryside, Danny Boyle" by Grace Dent, in The Independent, June 13, 2012.


texts: "See + noun + that is/are + adj" OR "See + noun + adj"

texts:
Is the following sentance correct?

  Although, sometimes you see curves that are a little bit noisier and a little bit messier than this.

Could I say this one instead?

  Although, sometimes you see curves a little bit noisier and a little bit messier than this.

Is the second form often used in conversation?


texts: What is the correct way to say I had to move my bike that went under the car in a crash?

texts:
Today I was trying to overtake a car and it hit me from the side, I fell on the ground and the car went over my bicycle. It took some time to pull out the bike from under the car because it got stuck.
"Pull/move out" has a completely different meaning. So my question is how to say that properly.


texts:
In his recent, rather surprising ad hominem attack on Jeremy Corbyn, Martin Amis ranged a number of charges against the current Labour leader. Among them were his lack of education (two Es at A level!), his evident lack of “the slightest grasp of the national character” and his allegiance to the “encysted dogmas” of the old left.

Here is the source.

Can you explain to me in the most simplified way what is "two Es at A level". I understand that it has something to do with the system of education in the UK, namely the lower level of university education. But what precisely? Is it some type of bachelor's degree?


texts: What is the correct spelling, swordmaster or swordsmaster (with an "s" in the middle)?

texts:
Is it swordmaster or swordsmaster?

I have seen both spellings. What is the right one?

If both are right, what is the correct way to use each one?


texts: What is the opposite of Turbulent flow of water

texts:
Water that is not flowing could be described as 'calm' or 'still'.

How would you describe water that is flowing rapidly, but is not turbulent? (i.e. the flowing water is transparent, not white or distorted)


texts: Why is "threepenny" pronounced as THREP.NI?

texts:
First of all, "threepenny" is a British word meaning "costing or worth three pence". It's quite an uncommon word. If you haven't heard it before, I'm pretty sure you would pronounce it the way "three" and "penny" are pronounced separately, that is, THREE.PENNY or in IPA */ˈθriːpɛni/.
Instinctively, the word is made up of three and penny. But here is a surprise (if you haven't come across it before): "threepenny" is pronounced as THREP.NI, IPA: /ˈθrɛp(ə)ni/ at least in British English.
Why is this so? I know English spelling and pronunciation don't go hand in hand but is there any reason "threepenny" is pronounced that way? It's kind of surprising.
Would love to know about it.
Edit: I really apologize for writing do instead of don't. It is very embarrassing.


texts: In which cases let the superlatives better be split?

texts:
I remember MS word suggesting the words most common to commonest and it still does! That's okay. Why use two words when a single sure-word is available for that (Save ink, save energy from typing)

But then, are there any cases where splitting out the adjectives is preferred. Interesting is Ngram for the usage most common over commonest in recent years. The result is surprising.

Ngram results apart, is there something that decides most common over commonest? Also, my question is not limited to most common and commonest but all such superlatives.


texts:
While using between, we always use "lower"-"higher" number format. Recently, I got in argument whether this was just convention or is it standard?

  In other words, is this valid sentence: "I bought 10-5 apples from market."

Any references related to same would be appreciated.


texts:
Transportation facilities are well-improved.

Is this a correct sentence?

I don't know if the word well-improved can be used in this sentence.


texts: Is using “pretty damn spicy” to mean “actually very spicy” proper?

texts:
I often say something like:

This soup is pretty damn spicy!

I am wondering now if this is actually proper grammar.
On Urban Dictionary, it says the meaning of it is “approximately”, but when I use this term I don’t use it for “approximately”. Like the above example, I used it for saying “pretty spicy” or something like “actually pretty spicy”. I hope you get the way I use that term.
But still, I am wondering if that is proper or not.
I am also wondering if this is maybe too dirty language, so you can also say whether I should say this or not.


texts: Why use "has" directly with an object in these types of contexts?

texts:
Source

  Some of the oil has washed up on a neighboring island.

The bold part of the above sentence seems odd to me. It appears like oil is doing the process of washing up. For eg, when we say:

  He has read it.

It means the person has done the process of reading. Oil not should take the auxiliary verb "has" because it cannot do "washing-up".

I think it should be written like:

  Some of the oil has been washed up on a neighboring island.

  Some of the oil has got washed up on a neighboring island.

Another example of the same kind:

  If the counter decrements in value, which of the following operations will follow?
  {A MCQ question format}

I believe it should also be will be followed.


texts: "of which" (there?) still can be grasped the traces?

texts:
I have to translate a text from Italian into English and I am going crazy with this sentence... could you help me in fixing it? This is my try:

This represents an effective portrayal of the ancient wealth and the building texture, far from those of today but of which there still can be grasped the traces.


texts:
After identifying the term one might use to classify the expected lower rate of accidents in a country from the use of Autopilot and other self-driving vehicle software, discuss whether Tesla should wait until Autopilot is “10 times safer” than the average human driven vehicle before making it available to Tesla owners.

I am having hard time how to answer this question. Is the problem asking how to identify lower rate of accident? And discuss tesla should wait or not? Can anyone rephrase this question?


texts:
Could anyone just explain if the phrase " I’d rather you pretend I didn’t say it" is grammarically correct? I thought, it should be "pretended" instead of "pretend" there, but, anyway, I heard that variant in the BigBangTheory SO3E20. Also, If someone would like to see the full subs,  they could be found here: subs.

Many thanks!


texts:
Does below sentence makes sense?

He bolsters me whenever I am in need of

Here, I can't find any of dictionary meaning of bolster may fit here. Is this word usable in this context??


texts:
Let's say I am talking to my friend, he asks me

  Do you have any idea where X (another friend) is?

I reply

  He has gone to get some Y.(assuming I don't know where he is going to buy it from.)

I often hear gone to the supermarket to get something  or gone down/up to get something, but not sure if saying just gone to get something is correct?


texts: When can a hyphen ("-") be used, and what does it mean?

texts:
I've seen the hyphen (-) used in phrases a lot, for example:

  audience-knowing

  moves-sometimes

  do-gooder

When and why is the hyphen used, and what does it mean when it's used?


texts: When one clause has "have", what should the other clause in the same sentence have?

texts:
Consider this sentence: "Why does “singer” have /ŋ/ and “longer” have /ŋg/?"
In this sentence, "Why does “singer” have /ŋ/" is a separate clause having "does" refer to "have" (does + have).
"“longer” have /ŋg/" is a separate clause. But I am not certain about the "have" in the second clause. I rephrased the sentence as:
"Why does “singer” have /ŋ/ and “longer” has /ŋg/?" but it doesn't sound right to me.
Can the first does also refer to the second clause? If so, how?
What else could I write to avoid two haves or have and has? Is my sentence correct?


texts:
I tried Lingvo Online but it does not give the answer, but says there is a translation in the paid version of the dictionary. I do not know whether other dictionaries do.

What is the meaning of the word "webster"?


texts:
I want to say the download failed since the file I was trying to download was very big and due to the slowness of our internet connection

Can I say the file was very heavy?


texts: did the machine break/ was the machine broken

texts:
I was buying coffee today and the staff tole me that they couldn't make coffee at the time.

If I wanted to know the reason and I suspected it was because of the coffee machine. Are these three following sentences equivalent?

did the machine break?
was the machine broken?
is the machine broken?


texts: "The car/the guy behind" VS "The car/the guy behind us"

texts:
Context 1: Let's say me and my friend are in my moving car, and there is a car behind us; and I think that car is following us. Can I say either,

"The car behind us is following us"

or,

"The car behind is following us"

I am sure we can say, "The car behind us is following us." How about, "The car behind is following us"? Do you think it is okay?
Context 2: Let's say I am walking with my friend on a street.I suddenly stumbled, and my friend asked what had happened. Can I say these interchangeably,

"A guy behind pushed me"

or

"A guy behind me pushed me"

Again, I know we can say "A guy behind me pushed me"; but I wonder if we can say, "A guy behind push me."


texts: Should I say soccer game or soccer match?

texts: Which is the more correct: soccer game or soccer match? Are they both equally valid?


texts: Do I need the "while" in the following sentence?

texts:
My wife, Mary, expresses her feelings for me through her cooking,
  while being oblivious to it.

I ask because the sentence sounds okay to me without the "while". But I'm not a native English speaker so I'm not very sure.


texts: Rain/water droplets are coming in through the window

texts:
It's raining heavily outside and a window was open, so if the action" of closing has to be explained by using the rain that is falling into the house through that window, what will be used?

  1.)The rain coming in through the window.

  2.)The rain is coming in!

And if it's just drizzling and only a few water drops make it into the house through the window, will still rain be used?

  3.)The rain is coming in.(through the window)

  4.)The water drops are coming in.(through the window)

So what sounds natural? And can "through the window" be dropped and simply "coming in" be used in all of the sentences?(all the four sentences)


texts: "The animal taken to the slaughterhouse" without "to be" auxiliary verb is correct?

texts:
In the workbook that I'm working with, there is a sentence which states as follow:

  The animals taken to the slaughterhouse must be killed by humane
  methods".

According to what I have learnt in the past (see here for example), while using the passive voice (3rd form of the irregular verb) it should be with a 'coefficient' in form of "to be" auxiliary verb - as follow:

  The animals that are taken to the slaughterhouse must be killed by humane
  methods".

Then why the book's sentence omits the auxiliary verb in this case?


texts: Past tense question: weren't vs. wouldn't

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?

  I didn't know you weren't in.

  I didn't know you wouldn't be in.


texts: "Once you do something" or "once you have done something"?

texts:
Tell me please if there is any difference between the following sentences.

Once you do the task, you can go on to the next one.

Once you have done the task, you can go on the next one.

Could the first mean that as soon as someone begin to do the task he can go on to the next one?


texts:
I saw the sentence below in a scientific book.

Also found in this book are various strategies to assess patient health factors...

I couldn't understand the "Also found in this book" part. What kind of structure it is?


texts: What does "poke" mean in "Randomly poke old unanswered questions"?

texts:
What does "poke" mean in below sentence? Please add a source I can refer to.

  Randomly poke old unanswered questions every hour so they get some attention


texts:
Do we have to put the word 's' after our?

For example,

Our schools
Our voices
Our teachers
Our surroundings


texts: "I don't want to allow" versus "I want to not allow"

texts:
I think that "I don't want to allow him to go to the Vietnam war." is better than "I want to not allow him to go to the Vietnam war."

Can I use both, or not?


texts: 'Went' vs 'have all gone' vs 'goes' after a future perfect clause

texts:
He will have waited there until the lights went out.
  He will have waited there until the lights have all gone out.
  He will have waited there until the lights goes out.

Are those sentences possible? Are there any differences  in  meaning?


texts: equivalent for 'Could not ' for bold statement

texts:
Last week my friend received some legal documents and he need to sign it and send it back. But he was not accept those terms and conditions mentioned in that. so he could not sign that.

Now he want to explain this in a document as  "I could not give the signed documents because the statements mentioned in that is not acceptable for me".

Is

  'I couldn't '

correct ? I felt it is OK for verbal communication but for some legal writings we have to show our strong opposition, we need a bold or strong word.


texts:
I want to say that my uncle was the reason .... but I am confused.

"My uncle was the most reason why I am choosing Medicine as my future career."

or it is right ?


texts: Which phrase is correct? "tend the sick" and "tend to the sick"

texts: I checked the dictionaries. It seems "tend the sick" should be the correct phrase, but I also noticed the native English speakers said "tend to the sick" or "tend to the young."


texts: can we omit "the" in "The primary objective of (the) pharmacokinetic studies performed to support a MAA .."

texts:
From an EMA guideline:

  The primary objective of the pharmacokinetic studies performed to support a MAA for a biosimilar is to show comparability in pharmacokinetics of the biosimilar with the reference medicinal product in a sufficiently sensitive and homogeneous population. This is expected to reduce variability, and thus the sample size needed to prove equivalence, and can simplify interpretation.

Can we omit the definite article here? Clearly the word "studies" here does not refer to specific studies.


texts: When sentence's subject contains uncountable noun and plural noun. Is it singular or plural?

texts:
Physical training and activities benefit(s) children.

This subject should be followed by singular or plural verb? "Activities" is plural and "training" is uncountable and should be treated as singular noun. So I am confused.


texts:
"She pinched my face. That hurt."

  "She grabbed my face. That hurt"

What word is more suitable for the action illustrated in the image below?


texts:
Is the following sentence acceptable for you?

  I humbly think that as a x, I could have increased my knowledge and experience in y by my previous studies.

And is this possible to change my knowledge and experience to my knowledge and experiences?


texts:
I had a sentence

It was not very convenient to cut bread by knife

Then I made it interrogative with a special question:

By what was it not very convenient to cut bread?

Then decided to change "by" for "by means of" and got

It was not very convenient to cut bread by means of knife

Then interrogative:

By means of what was it not very convenient to cut bread?

And then I invented a phrase that didn't have to exist because it was extremely congested:

By what kind of means was it not very convenient to cut bread?

Is "by what kind of means" correct and what is its difference from "by means of what"?


texts: The use of "If you give an inch, they'll take a mile."?

texts:
(A fictional situation) I want to give a warning to someone about something I experienced because they are in a situation I had been through. That they will lose if they make a concession..In that case, would "if you give (someone) an inch, they will take a mile" be appropriate to use?

I'm trying to apply it to my role-playing script assignment in a class that requires including idioms. I only wrote this phrase down from a random book because it seemed an interesting expression and I wanted to memorize it. So, sorry I couldn't give a clear sentence or situation about that. I only had an impression that it is used in a negative way. My script concept is pretending that I'm an athlete or musician (I haven't decided yet), I'd like to advise another fellow athlete/musician who is about to participate in a match/contest with one of my past opponents.

A: Hi, how have you been?
B: I'm great. Thank you for asking. How about you? We haven't seen each other since the after-party a few weeks ago.
A: Nothing to complain. Hey, I've heard you are participating in the ABC contest in a week.
B: That's right. I've been preparing for it but, from the things I heard about, one of the participants is '(name)' and you know her talent is over the top. I'm afraid I don't know much about her style.
A: You are going to be great. Remember you were the winner of the other competition not long ago? So I know you've got a great talent as well. But fair warning, I had met her as my opponent in a similar situation and if you give her an inch, she will take a mile. Just do your best and try not to make any mistake.
B: Thank you for the encouraging words and warning. I guess I can only try to psych myself up and practice until the contest. I'd better go then. It was good to talk with you. See you later.


texts:
I'd like to know whether "contribute to" and "lead to" are synonymous expressions in the following:

  a. Hard work alone does not necessarily contribute to / lead to success.

Does any contradiction arise in the following?

  b. Hard work contributes to success, but hard work alone does not necessarily lead to success.
  c. Hard work contributes to success, but hard work alone does not necessarily contribute to success.

I know the repetition of the phrase "contribute to success" in sentence c is somewhat unusual, but I'm concerned only about whether the statement presents a contradiction.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: How do we express that you are riding a motorbike / a bike / a horse with your friend sitting behind you on it?

texts:
Look at the verb "ride" in the dictionary

  [transitive, intransitive] to sit on and control a bicycle,
  motorcycle, etc.

  ride something + adv./prep. The boys were riding their bikes
  around the streets.

  ride something He rode a Harley Davidson.

  It 's like riding a bicycle: one day you can't and the next day you
  can.

  + adv./prep. The ground there is too rough to ride over.

and the verb "drive"

  [transitive] to take somebody somewhere in a car, taxi, etc.

  drive somebody + adv./prep. Could you drive me home?

  My mother drove us to the airport.

  They were driven to an unknown place in the hills.

  drive somebody I don't want to take the bus. Will you drive me?

We normally say "to ride a motorbike / a bike / a Harley / a horse  etc" or "to ride on a motorbike / a bike / a Harley / a horse etc"

But I am not sure if we can say "to ride a person on a motorbike / a bike / a Harley / a horse etc"

For example, can we say "I am riding my friend on my motorbike / bike / horse"?

However, the verb "drive" can be followed by a person, for example, we can say "I drove her to the airport in my car". But "drive" is often used with a truck, a car, a taxi. I am not sure if it can be used with a motorbike, a bike, a horse, etc.

For example, can we say "I drove her to the airport on my motorbike / bike / horse"?

How do we express that you are riding a motorbike / bike / horse with your friend sitting behind you on it?


texts: Difference between "accompany" and "escort"

texts:
I have faced some problems in using these two verbs: "accompany" and "escort".

How to define which is suitable? Maybe one of them is used only in formal context? They have almost the same meaning so I can't figure out which to choose. Thanks in advance.


texts: "Did you know you could do that?" Is "could" acceptable and why?

texts:
Is it correct to use "could" here?

  Did you know you could do that?

What grammar rule do I have to look at to reliably answer those questions myself?


texts: which one is correct? "...continued to not be done" or "...continued to be not done." or "...continued to not to be done."

texts:
Here is the sentence:
The action was not done in the past and has continued to not be done.
I am not quite sure about whether the part of the sentence, which is after "continue...." is grammatically correct. And the following options may also seem to be alternatives.
1-"...continued to be not done."
2-"...continued to not to be done."
So, Is the sentence correct and could the above options could also be used?
Thank you.


texts: Can I say 'I made something you never think is possible'?

texts:
Can I say:

  I made something you never think is possible.

The focus here is not the tense.

Here is a similar sentence:

  I can build stuffs that you never imagine can be built out of wood.

The of the word 'that', the way I was taught, is that the sentence after it is complete with the word before it. Here is an example:

  I want that apple that no one touches.

The sentence after 'that' along with the word before it is:

  No one touches that apple.

OK. Now, let's go back to the first example. The sentence after 'that' is:

  You never imagine can be built out of wood.

In order for it to be complete, you need to insert the word 'stuffs', which is right before 'that'. But PAY ATTENTION, this time, we are inserting the word in the middle of the sentence, not at the end:

  You never imagine stuffs can be built out of wood.

Now, the question is can you insert that word in the middle.


texts: The subtle difference between "also" and "plus."

texts:
Most people agree that "also" and "plus" mean the same thing.
But I think "plus" is more adequate when we're talking about a "positive addition." And "also" is used in a more general sense.
Example:

We need discuss the issue. Also, we need to address the other problem.

(I think using "plus" here wouldn't make much sense.)

Don't worry, you are beautiful. Plus, you're smart.

(I think "also" wouldn't sound as "positive" as "plus.")
Am I right? Or maybe "also" and "plus" mean exactly the same without subtly differences?


texts: What is the plural form of testing vs test?

texts:
Can "testings" be used to refer to a plural form of "testing"? for example:

  I am waiting to see the results of the genetic tests?

  I am waiting to see the results of the genetic testings?

In regard to "tests" vs "testings" are these two sentences correct? In other words can we use "testings" similar to the usage of "tests"? if not, then what is the difference?


texts: What will be used here gerund or past participle

texts: I blew an deflated balloon laid/laying on the street


texts: Is "he/his" for third person standard English when you don't know the person's gender?

texts:
I've read and heard that you can use they/their to refer to the person singular (someone, whoever, a student) when you don't know the gender of the person. Is it stand English to only use he/his?
Ex.: Whoever wants to get his hair cut should come with me.
A good student does his homework.
No one forgets his own name.
Thanks


texts:
I read such a following sentence:

  Whenever you’re tackling a new project, it can be tempting to dive right into writing code. But more often than not, it’s best to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. I recommend first drawing up a high-level plan for what your program needs to do. Don’t think about the actual code yet— you can worry about that later. Right now, stick to broad strokes.

I looked it in Broad strokes

  broad stroke or broad brushstrokes
  If you describe or show something in broad strokes or in broad brushstrokes, you describe or show only the main or general points or features of it and not the fine or exact details.
  Vague or non-specific terms.

So "Right now, stick to broad strokes" roughly means "do it from a bird-view".

However, I am confuse with "stick to",
I might get an idea if say "We should constantly stick to broad strokes in advance", nonetheless, "Right now, stick to", I don's understand it entirely.

How do I understand "stick to broad strokes"?


texts: Zen of Python meaning of "unless you're Dutch"

texts:
There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it.

  Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.

(Zen of Python)

why in this poetry it says:

  unless you're Dutch.

Is there any idiom in slang language?


texts:
I have a list of Students. What should I use for heading of Students.

Student Names or Student's Names or Student's Name


texts:
Most people today has nearly an empty "glass" of unique life experiences when they die. Ludo's glass was already pouring over of experiences that millions dream about achieving only once.

The full text is from here.The two sentences do not make sense to me. In the first sentence, he said that most people's glasses are empty. So to contrast with Ludo's, the 2nd should be understood as saying : Ludo's "glass" is filled with experiences. Why does he say "the glass was pouring over of experiences ". How can a glass pour itself ? A cup/glass can only be poured by people.
And I don't believe this is similar to this


texts: Changing "I was inducted into X" into active voice

texts:
I am so confused about how to change passive to active. How do I say:

  I was inducted into the National Honor Society

in active voice?


texts:
The very beginning sentence of an IELTS essay, said to have achieved the full band score, reads:

  Perhaps no subject in the world is as likely to cause so much controversy as advertising does.

I thought it would be better to say either:

  Perhaps  no subject in the world is as likely to cause so much controversy as advertising is. [rather than does]

or

  Perhaps no subject in the world is likely to cause as much controversy as advertising does.

To clarify, I'd like to know if the first sentence is alright the way it is, or needs some emendation; Plus, I'd like to learn if the second and the third changes are acceptable, or why, if not. Thanks.


texts: Grading 'it seems' on the certainty scale

texts:
I want to know the meaning of 'it seems' from the perspective of 'certainty'.

If someone says that:

  It seems that the file has been deleted.

Could it be possible that he is making this claim based on something other than checking the actual file, which could still be present, that something wrongly implies that the file is absent.

I would like to know that how confident people are about the validity of something they use 'it seems' to declare.


texts:
It should be said that the view from the Hurtigruten is very slow. As in: very, very slow. Despite once being billed as the “coastal express,” the ferry actually travels at a maximum speed of around 15 knots, which is about the speed of a brisk bicycle ride. So you really have time to linger on every skerry, every shoal, every wind-blown bluff.
  [Scroll 40% down the website] The slowness of the Hurtigruten forced all of us into a relationship of reciprocity with the landscape. Despite being only 150,000 square miles (about the size of Montana), the country boasts one of the most undulatory coastlines in the world, measuring an astonishing 64,000 miles (by comparison, the entire United States coastline measures 95,471 miles).

How can a traveller and the landscape be related by reciprocity?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/19/travel/reif-larsen-norway.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0


texts:
I learned "remember to" means "don't forget to" but it is only used in future or present things. For example, "I will remember to mail these letters." means "I will not forget to mail these letters.)

But when they become past tense, I hear that "I remembered to mail these letters." doesn't mean "I didn't forget to mail these letters". Is this right?  Does "I remembered to mail these letters." mean "I remembered that I mailed these letters" or other? Could you teach me?

I know the difference between "remember to" and "remember ～ing". I asked the difference between "remember to " and "remembered to" because I hear the meaning change beside it become past.


texts: Which one is correct as adjective “protruding” or “protruded”?

texts: I saw a phrase saying “protruding eye”. Shouldn’t it be “protruded” ? I couldn’t understand why -ing is used instead of -ed and how the -ing form is used as an adjective here.


texts: What does the phrase "that is" mean here?

texts:
Here is a sentence from a space adventure game's description:

  Let’s come together, build a spaceship and get started. After this cup of
  tea and scones, that is.

I  am confused about the meaning of the last sentence. Maybe it is due to the ambiguity of the phrase "that is" here. I know its lexical meaning, but it doesn't seem to fit here.


texts:
There, reflected behind him, were at least ten others.

I am confused with this sentence. what reflected actually?  Can you explain this one?


texts:
The summer just gone was one to forget for Korea's tourism industry on
  the whole.

What's the meaning of phrase "A is one to forget for B on the whole"?

I guess it means something like that Korea's tourism industry was sluggish during the summer which is just gone, but I'm not sure about it.


texts: “From one gift come many”: Why not “comes”?

texts:
I want to ask about adding "s" to verbs. Sometimes I don't get an idea how to add this letter.

Example, are these sentences correct?

  Tom buys a car.
  Tom buys cars.
  Tom and Ruth buy a car.
  Tom and Ruth buy cars.

I think these above sentences are correct.

But today I saw on Apple site this:

  From one gift come many.

I don't get why come is without "s"?
Because gift is singular. I know that Apple knows English better than I, but I don't get an idea why to use just come instead of comes?


texts: "A couple of weights" Is it grammatical to use "weight" as a countable noun?

texts:
I heard a line in the movie The Reluctant Fundamentalist

  Looks like you picked up a couple of weights, too, huh?

The speaker of this line apparently suggests that the other party has gained weight. But why does he use weight as a count noun? According to the Macmillan Dictionary, weight is a mass noun when referring to a person's heaviness. The character here is not a native speaker of English, but appears to be highly educated (Princeton-educated) and have a very outstanding proficiency. And the actor is an Oxford-trained English actor. Is this usage grammatical?


texts: "People shouting and waving" or "shouting and waving people"?

texts:
Shouting and waving people were in the bus station.

I think this should be the correct one, but I noticed that some people say this.

  People shouting and waving were in the bus station.

Which one is correct? If both are correct, is there any grammatical rule that enable us to say both of them?


texts: Kids! You're (disgusted/disgusting)! Don't talk with your mouths full! adjective when ended with ed or ing

texts:
Kids! You're (disgusted/disgusting)! Don't talk with your mouths full!

I would like to know why the answer is disgusting?


texts: "Should I say "I asked 'TO NOT' / NOT advertise here"?

texts:
When I'm talking about the past, that I talked that I don't allow to advertise in my place,  which of the following forms are the right?

  1) "I asked TO NOT advertise here"

  2) "I asked NOT advertise here" (I asked not to do that)

3) something else


texts: What does it mean by 'bringing him gasping to all fours' in Harry potter?

texts:
Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed live snakes -- doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick -- then a burning sensation spread rapidly form his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes -- next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came to a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax -- and before their eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the knuckles were bulging like bolts -- his shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on his forehead told him that his hair was creeping down toward his eyebrows -- his robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops -- his feet were agony in shoes four sizes too small

  Harry potter and the chamber of secrets

It is the description of the feeling of drinking Polyjuice Potion, which makes someone into a different person, from the point of view of Harry Potter turning into Gregory Goyle.

And I don't understand what 'bring him gasping to all fours' means, especially 'four'. Does four here mean number 4?


texts: could we use the verb "poke" without an agent who caused it?

texts:
poke [intransitive, transitive] to quickly push your finger or some other pointed object into something or someone

  poke somebody/something with something

  Andy poked the fish with his finger to see if it was still alive.

  poke somebody in the eye/arm/ribs etc

  Be careful with that umbrella or you’ll poke someone in the eye.

  poke at

  He was poking at the dust with a stick, making little patterns.

Let's say, there is a stick emerges from a ground & a kid is playing near there as showed in this picture.

Could we say "Watch out for the stick! it (the stick) may poke into your eyes"?

However, according to the above definition, the verb "poke" can only be used if a person pokes the stick into someone's eyes. The stick can not poke by itself.


texts: difference between "wouldn't" and "don't"

texts:
I have asked a similar question Use of "having" and 'with' in which @james k has given a very useful answer. While answering my question he has written the following sentences:
"I'm going shopping with my friend" is ok. "I'm going shopping having my friend" is not. We would not say "I'm having my friend"

Can we say "don't" in the place of "wouldn't".?
For example:

1.'we don't say "I'm having my friend"
 or
 "we don't want to say" I'm having my friend." Without changing the meaning of the sentence with "wouldn't?


texts: Do native speakers not pronounce the final consonants in words? For example,  the "d" in "bad" and "g" in  "ing" in "interesting" or "speaking"? I am asking about BrE.


texts: Meaning of the phrase 'going away' in the sense of travel

texts:
Let's go away for a few days.
  Let's get away for a few days.

Can both the sentences be used to mean?

  Let's go on vacation for a few days.

Please, explain


texts: Let to do/ let do/ to let to do/ to let do

texts:
European customs officers are not easy to corrupt, so you have hardly any chances to get them __ something illegal across the border.
A. let you to take
B. let you take
C. to let you to take
D. to let you take

What is the right answer to the task? I think it should be C. or D. , since we have to use to +infinitive after "get". For me D. sounds a bit more natural. So is it D. ? If so, which rule are we using to determine whether the right answer is C. or D.? Is it the rule that after let we use bare infinitive (infinitive without to) ?


texts: The word that means for eating at midnight

texts:
What are midnight snacks or meals called?
If you already ate three meals in the day, but you eat a fourth meal, what is it called?


texts: Which is right: 'There is lack of information' or 'There is a lack of information'?


texts:
Another green strategy is (to) use less ink, which is what many people already do.

In this sentence, do i have to use "to use" or is it okay to omit 'to' and just leave "use"?


texts:
I have read that we do not use to before home as home is an adverb here:

  I am going home.

  You come home.

  He goes home.

We can use to before home in some cases:

  I am going to his home.

  You are coming to my home.

  He has been going to your home.

I have asked this question because I was reading about the direct and indirect speech and I found this piece of content on a website, so I got confused and landed here:

  There two ways to convey a message of a person, or the words spoken by
  a person to other person.

  Direct speech
  Indirect speech

  Suppose your friend whose name is John tells you in school, “I will
  give you a pen”. You come to home and you want to tell your brother
  what your friend told you. There are two ways to tell him.


texts:
Are the following expressions grammatically correct? If not, how should I correct each?

Giving 10 dollars to the store clerk:

Can I get some change in quarters?
Can I get some quarters in exchange?
Can you make change for one dollar into quarters?
Can you break up one dollar into quarters?
Can you exchange one dollar for quarters?


texts: We have known to each other or We have been known to each other?

texts:
Which is the correct way to say

We have known to each other for many years.
We have been known to each other for many years.

Present perfect or present perfect continuous.


texts: "Neither he nor his servants HAS/HAVE left"

texts:
Neither he nor his servants have left.
Neither he nor his servants has left.

Which of these is correct?
I think the first one is correct but my friend says it's the other one.


texts: Today the motel "is"/"was"/"has been"/"will be" managed

texts:
Today the motel _________ by the members of the same family.

a) is managed
b) was managed
c) has been managed
d) will be managed

I think "is managed" is the most acceptable one, but it doesn't sound like it is correct. I know that the answer is not "b" but I'm not sure about the others.


texts:
In the decade between my 20 and 30 I used to listen to the psychedelic rock bands.

Do you find this sentence OK? I would like to express as best as possible that when I was 20, 21, 22, …,30 I used to do a particular thing.


texts:
Powerful material, powerfully rendered by the director and co-writer Elem Klimov, yet the scene goes on for so long with such heavy-handed intrusions that you are left with a feeling of being worked on - which means the effects have stopped working. So it is with the movie as a whole, which won a grand prize at the 1985 Moscow international film festival.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0DE3DB103CF935A35751C0A961948260

Can you tell me what the passage in bold exactly means in the review. From the context I think that the author wants to tell that the scene is too long and explicit in exposed violence that it became monotonous… But I do not understand the phrase "feeling of being worked on".


texts: Something related to/comes from our wisdom?

texts:
I know the meaning of wisdom. Also know the meaning of thought. While we want to say that something needs us to think a lot about it, we use thoughtful. So how about wisdom? Which word should we use about something that is coming from/related to wisdom?

Does "Intellectual" has the complete meaning? Is there any other word with better meaning?

Edit 1 (usage):
I'm going to describe my premise in English that:
There are two types of contents.

Instinctual Contents which are related to our instinct and are historical.
Intellectual Contents which are related to our wisdom and are futurism.

I don't know if intellectual is an appropriate word in this case.

Edit 2:
Cerebral is related to physical brain. Wisdom is metaphysical.
Intelligent is about to recognize, Wisdom is about to judge or decide.
Behavior is the result of our thoughts, feelings and operations, Wisdom is about how to behave.


texts:
This is a simple question but regarding a little bit more "Technical" english. It has been years since I have worked with HTTP (web) so I have forgotten.

In a client-server system you can "Post" and "Get" information to and from a Server. One is from client to server, the other from server to client.

When you request information from the server (with GET) you call that a "request"

How do you call when you send information to the server (with POST)? I can't recall the correct word...

EDIT:
Just in case, rather than a question about HTTP (which should go to So or sites like this) this is a question centered on finding a english word that sounds natural for english speakers. The theme is HTTP, yes, but the point is I am translating a document in japanese to english which uses "Youkyu" (request) for GET and "Tsuchi"(notification, Report) for POST.

I am going for "Submission". How about that? Does it sound correct?


texts: What exactly America rejecting it & why it was rejecting?

texts:
In English Romantic Comedy movie Serendipity (2001), Jonathan Trager, Salesman & his friend Dane searching the information of Sara Thomas. Jonathan Trager has account number of her shopping bill. so Three went to storage facility in Queens to find her number or address. They somehow find carbon copy of the customer Sara in this facility, but improper handling of the copy which made them impossible to read details on it.

  Salesman: When he grabbed it,his thumb went right across the right
  across the name. Completely. I'm kidding. It was smudged in my hand.

Salesman words made Dane angry started to fight, so Jonathan trying to stop him:

  Jonathan: Would you stop it?

  Salesman: It's just a little joke. That's carbon paper for you. I
  guess that's why America rejected it.

I didn't understand Salesman's words here about America & carbon paper.


texts:
What is the meaning of the word “that” in this context?

It is from this video. It is at 3 minute and 36 second. Here is the context:

  But just like HIV, herpes has multiple strains, so there is still a lot of risk of transmission. That and no you may not have sex with me, I did not consent. My intent is to educate.

I cannot get what the host was referring to. Besides I am confused by the use of the words and and no after it.


texts: Coordinate clause for two long sentences

texts:
I recently asked a question about omission of auxiliary verbs in coordinate clauses. But I don't know I MUST omit the subject too or I can keep it, I mean:

  These product items can be processed separately to extract the data fields from each of them (e.g. price, bids, supplier, etc.), or be displayed to the user for visual comparison.

vs.

  These product items can be processed separately to extract the data fields from each of them (e.g. price, bids, supplier, etc.), or they can be displayed to the user for visual comparison.

Are both valid? or which is better?


texts: Question about simple past tense that is not so simple in my head

texts:
Consider this simple sentence that is not based on real-life experience:

  During the concert, Mike shouted until his voice was heard by the
  singer.

I am also confused by this type of sentence, should I use was heard or is heard? I am reported a past event, but the word until feels like I have to use the present tense. In this scenario, Mike shouted and the singer heard. Another example:

  "Subjects needed information from the linear displacement of the limbs
  when force was applied and xxxanother cue"

Again, should it be is or was? I am reporting force that the subjects applied, however, it feels like the term when changes the was to is.


texts:
I have heard people pronounce the word sword as either

sord with the 'w' being silent

or as

sword with the 'w' pronounced, like "ss-wOrd"

Which pronunciation is correct?


texts: What does "can freeze hell over with a glance" mean?

texts: I read on a post, "The kindest people alive but can freeze hell over with a glance" squad. Is it a kind of English idioms. What does it mean?


texts:
I have a rude student who wrote me a rude email with full sentence in capital. And she said to me that I am trying to challenge her because I did not extend the homework time for her (20 students do the job, perfectly).
I response to her by this:
I do not want to argue more than that. I help you more than 5 times.
"Please be careful about what you said". I just try to stop her communicate with me like that and do not saying wrong information about me.
My question is, does my response can be interpreted as a threat?
If this question is not belong here, please advice me for a more appropriate tag.


texts: "the chemical and physical changes it undergoes" -- What does the clause in the end indicate?

texts:
I'm reading now a chemistry book which saying:

  Chemistry is the study of matter, its chemical and physical
  properties, the chemical and physical changes it undergoes, and the
  energy changes that accompany those processes.

I am trying to understand the connection between these two bold words ("it undergoes") to the rest of the sentence and I'm not understand. Is it a correct sentence or wrong?


texts:
It was not until after we had been on the highway for several hours that Peter asked me if I wanted stop at a restaurant for a bite to eat.

In my opinion, It ~ that ~ is a sentence that emphasize after “that” and be not (A) until ~ means not A before ~.

My questions are
1. How is two conjunction used continuously?
2. Explanations of the sentence of It be not until ~ that ~. Is it “not A until B” + “It ~ that ~”?


texts:
There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.
The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"
–– Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

There seem to be three possible interpretations for the clause, after having consulted OALD.

OALD #1: happy is a predicative adjunct; was a quasi-modal combined with to-infinitive
Nick was, always feeling pleasure, to point ~

OALD #5-1: happy is a predicative complement and takes its complement
Nick was willing to point ~

OALD #5-2: happy is a predicative complement and takes its complement
Nick was pleased to point ~

Which one do I have to pick?


texts: Confused about the structure of this sentence

texts:
Don't take a decision based on your assumptions.

I think some parts of the sentence are omitted. The complete sentence may be

  Don't take a decision that is based on your assumptions.

or

  Don't take a decision having based on your assumptions.

Which one is correct?
If the second one is correct then that can also be written as

  Having based on your assumptions don't take a decision.

So which one is correct?


texts: Should I use “when” or “where” in this riddle?

texts:
Here is the riddle:

  When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
  The answer is: "in the dictionary".

When I told that riddle, a coworker said it should be "where" instead
of "when".  Is “when” incorrect?


texts: Are my sentences grammatically correct if I use these structures of "Would"?

texts:
Are my sentences grammatically correct (even if there is no other pre-condition) :
Structure: Would be + Verb in the past participle (Passive Sentence)
Example:

Obama would be sent.

We would be given the guitar.

Structure: Would have + No Verb

I would have a pen.

Rahul would have a book.

We would not have any money.

Structure: Would have + Verb in past participle

I would have come home.

He would have left for Delhi.


texts: The passive construction with 'It' is ONLY possible with 'permit' - I don't understand this

texts:
The exact phrase from the book of Swan (the context is choosing the words permit or allow) -

  The passive structure with it is only possible with permit

Having said that...

  It is not allowed to smoke in the kitchen - incorrect
    It is not permitted to smoke in the kitchen - correct

I feel absolutely fine for the incorrect sentence.

Your inputs please. Make me understand this.


texts:
It is said that a good way to learn English is to summarize a group of similar expressions. First time I read that, first thing came up in my mind is the expression of asking a question.

Here is a list of alternative words to ask, as far as what I can find.

  post a question

  pose a question

  propose a question

  put forward a question

  raise a question

  bring forward a question

  create a question

  make a question

Google Ngram seems to accept all of them.

In my another SE post I said

  About 1 hour ago, I created a question ...

Are those expressions interchangeable in this context?


texts: What composes the parallel structure with 'measured' in the sentence?

texts:
Is it valued or set? I have read again and again, but I am not sure either of them is better than the other. Does the comma(,) preceding or function as a guide?

This is particularly true for people who have been valued for
performance standards set by parents or the educational system, or
measured by other cultural norms that are internalized and no longer questioned.


texts: "All the organizations involved have sent ...." sentence structure problem

texts:
SOURCE (Longman's dictionary)

Please do me a favor to teach me grammar structure as following sentence

  All the organizations involved have sent urgent appeals to the government, asking for extra funding.

Questions

involved, is it adj?
involved, why after (All the organizations)?
why use "," split two sentences?


texts: How do you tell someone who's asking you for directions, in a single sentence, that they could follow you since you're headed in the same direction?

texts:
What is the proper sentence to use when you're trying to tell the person asking for directions that they could follow you because the way you're headed largely overlaps with theirs (I'm particularly keen on an emphasis on this in the sentence of interest)?

I myself thought of:

  "Why don't you follow me, since I'm going part of the way in."

but since I've never really heard anybody use this before, I'm not even sure if it means what I'm looking for.

(I'm always looking to improve on my English; so, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would point out any grammatical mistakes I've made in describing my question)


texts: what's the meaning of 'we'll go out when it stops raining.'?

texts:
we'll go out when it stops raining.

I wonder the meaning and usage of 'will' at this sentence.

I think it's not predicting but offering (meaning 'shall we go out when it stops raining?').

Am I correct?


texts:
'tis bitter cold. And I am sick at heart.
Hamlet, William Shakespeare
How common is the term "bitter cold"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-_90BjgaDc&ab_channel=BAREILIVE
I heard the term used in this song.


texts:
I putted the diapers, clothes, wet tissues and gloves back to the place.

Can I say "I put the things back."


texts: How to make a new sentence from "My mother forced me to eat the eggs." where the eggs become the subject?

texts:
A: My mother forced me to eat the eggs.

  B: I was forced to eat the eggs by my mother.

I want to make the eggs as the subject for a new sentence. My attempt is as follows. I think it is wrong but what is the correct one?

  C1: The eggs were eaten by me whom was forced by my mother.

  C2: The eggs were eaten by me whom my mother forced.

Edit:

To make it more general, let I change the sentence as follows.

  a: My mother forced me to break the eggs.

  b: I was forced to break the eggs by my mother.

I want to make the eggs as the subject for a new sentence. My attempt is as follows. I think it is wrong but what is the correct one?

  c1: The eggs were broken by me whom was forced by my mother.

  c2: The eggs were broken by me whom my mother forced.


texts:
As winter approaches, the groundhog becomes so fat it can hardly move.
My question is Why is there no comma between fat and it. Can I say "As winter approaches, the groundhog becomes so fat, and it can hardly move"?


texts: Why Wife reacted differently to his husband words?

texts:
Husband reading the newspaper & said this words :

  Just let the faceless marauding corporate monsters of America destroy
  everything beautiful about this town.

For this statement, his wife reacted differently by saying this words:

  Corporate monsters or not, Epic Mart's a lot cheaper.

here Husband didn't say anything about cheaper or costlier in his statement, then why his wife mentioned cheaper in her sentence?


texts: What does the phrase "that we does not receive payment for" mean?

texts:
Qualifying booking excludes a travel booking canceled by the traveler,
  resulting from fraudulent or other illegal activity, or that we does
  not receive payment for.

What does "that we does not receive payment for" mean? To which part does this phrase apply?

I read it from a T&C article, and I can't find the link where I read it.


texts:
I wrote two phrase below. Are the meanings of these same or different  because of “a”.

  He made a ten dollars short payment.

  He made ten dollars short payment.


texts: How is a relative clause reduced to " fertile ground in which to grow"?

texts:
As long as the leadership of the physics community refuses to accept that string theory is a "failed project", he writes, "there is little likelihood of new ideas finding fertile ground in which to grow". (A sentence from an ACT test)

Regarding the bold part, I know "in which" is equivalent to "where", which acts as a relative clause; but I am not aware of the usage when a clause can be reduced into an infinitive "to grow", will it make more sense to say "in which they grow"?


texts: Can I combine verbs and adjective in a sentence? Example `It is easy to read, edit, remove, and visually appealing.`

texts:
Is this sentence idiomatic or even grammatically correct?

It is easy to read, edit, remove, and visually appealing.

Here I have 3 verbs that are supposed to go with the adjective "easy". "visually appealing" is supposed to go with "It is".

Thank you!


texts:
I am always confused with those expressions of month. Below I will list some of the expressions I can think of.
Please correct me and tell me what is the most common one.

In early / mid / late January
In  the early/ mid / late January
early this year
in the early of this year

Which one is correct between:

I applied for the driving licences early this month.

and

I applied for the driving licences in early April.


texts:
Which one sounds natural for native English speakers among the following three sentences:

This door cannot be opened without removing the key from the lock.
This door cannot be opened without the key removed from the lock.
This door cannot be opened with the key inserted in the lock.

I think the first one is simplest, but I am not sure it is grammatically correct because the subject of "without" differs from the subject of the sentence.


texts:
As a Spanish speaker and an admirer of the English language, I am always trying to know and understand more, but sometimes, something appears and I just cannot understand it, in this case, I looked for an answer on the Internet without success, so I come to you for help.
Why is the word "rain" considered a verb if it is not possible to conjugate it?


texts: "Impatience won" vs "impatience won out"

texts:
What's the difference between the two? Which one should I choose in a sentence like this:

  I was waiting outside of the house, but, again, impatience won (out). So I went inside to get her.


texts: Which one? "object to get improved" or "object to getting improved"?

texts:
I've heard it a lot in spoken language when a Boss says:

  We object to get improved the quality of our products.

But, I think it should be:

  We object to getting improved the quality our products.


texts: What's meant here by "I have some status in"?

texts:
In "The Worst Crime in the World" by G. K. Chesterton, Father Brown want to go with his friend, Mr. Granby, who want to go to an old castle to know some information about the inheritance of the father of Captain Musgrave, who is an old sir:

“If Captain Musgrave is really so kind,” said Father Brown gravely. “I may explain that I have some status in Mr. Granby’s inquiry, and it would be a great relief to my mind if I could go.”

Does "I have some status in" mean "I'm interested in"?


texts: What preposition to use for an object that's melting?

texts:
Example sentence:

  We stood before the bonfire watching the bottle melt __ flames.

I thought among was the word, but if you search for melt among X on Google you get zero results.

What the correct preposition?


texts: "Students who would go to the lab will" grammatical?

texts:
This sentence is grammatical?

Students who would go to the lab will go there again tomorrow.

context: Monday 4pm they should do some experiments in the lab, but 3 pm their teacher asked them to do group assignments in classroom first. Monday 8pm I'am saying this sentence. And I know Tuesday they should go there again.

I'm sorry it looks complicated. But I really want to know it works or not.

Thanks so much in advance!


texts: 'Have just finished' vs. 'Just finished': What is the difference?

texts:
I have just finished my homework.
  I just finished my homework.

I think there must be a difference in meaning.
Could anyone tell me the difference in meaning sentence 1 and sentence 2?


texts:
I answered wrong the following question:

  There is a nice house with a big/large garden.

I chose big. Is it incorrect indeed?


texts: I want them to vs I don't want them to confusion

texts:
I'm a bit confused as to how these will be interpreted in everyday laguage. For example, if someone ask me, "Do you want him to have a nice car", do I say yes, no, or don't care?

If I say yes, it makes it sound like there are reasons why I want them to have a nice car, since what's the reason for me wanting them to have it. If I say no, it makes it sound like there are reasons why I don't want them to have it, because what do I have against them having a car.

I think the best option is I don't care but I'm not sure. What does it mean to English speakers if I answer yes or no?


texts:
I employed you as a cook.

I’m a cook and I employed you
I employed you and you are a cook

Can you were employed as a cook also be ambiguous like above? Precisely, can it mean I’m a cook and I employed you?


texts: What is the meaning of this famous Groucho Marx joke?

texts:
Can anyone interpret the meaning of this quote:

  One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I’ll never know.

This famous Groucho Marx joke has many explanations given on the Internet, but I still don't get it. Can someone explain it to me in simple terms?

PS: I've spent a long time googling the meaning of this sentence. No luck so far.


texts: English translation of Spanish imperfect tenses

texts:
I'm confused because my first language (Spanish) has imperfect and perfect tenses that don't exist in English.
How do you know which English tense to use? Here's an example taken from the first chapter in Don Quixote (here in Spanish and here in English).
Spanish imperfect past

"In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing."
"En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor."

Spanish simple past

"You must know, then, that the above-named gentleman whenever he was at leisure (which was mostly all the year round) gave himself up to reading books of chivalry with such ardour and avidity that he almost entirely neglected the pursuit of his field-sports, and even the management of his property;"
"Es, pues, de saber que este sobredicho hidalgo, los ratos que estaba ocioso, que eran los más del año, se daba a leer libros de caballerías, con tanta afición y gusto, que olvidó casi de todo punto el ejercicio de la caza, y aun la administración de su hacienda."


texts:
I have some question about the verbs "adhere to", "follow", and "obey" .  Suppose there is a plan, and part of the plan includes a particular person (Mike) giving a speech reading from a prepared text.  The plan also contains rules for other activities.  If I write the following sentences:

  1a. Mike adhered to the prepared text.
  1b. Mike followed the prepared text.
  1c. Mike obeyed the prepared text.

  2a. Mike adhered to the rules.
  2b. Mike followed the rules.
  2c. Mike obeyed the rules.

Since "obey" is similar to "follow" and "adhere to", and 2c is okay due to the correctness of 2a+2b, then 1c should bee okay due to the correctness of 1a+1b.  But for some reason, 1c seems a little off to me.  What do native speakers think?


texts:
"...An all-round amateur athlete of distinction and until recently tutor of English literature at..."
Could anybody provide an explanation, please?


texts:
What is the meaning of "smart padded" in the following sentence?

  a woman in a smart padded coat along the stands,...

Would anyone give me simple explanation?


texts: No indefinite article before the word 'battle'

texts:
The following sentence is from the novel Armada by Ernest Cline:

..., the computer spoke in a perpetually calm, synthesized female voice that I found unnerving in the heat of battle.

Can somebody explain why the author doesn't use the article 'a' before the word battle. Wouldn't "in the heat of a battle" be more correct since not a specific battle is meant?


texts: What is the object and verb of this sentence?

texts:
Medical reports indicate that the murder was committed with     a sharp instrument.
My question:
1/ Where is the object of this sentence?
2/ Why we say ( was committed) as a verb and not say (committed) only?


texts:
Center drive elliptical trainers are the newest, so not as much is known about this design in the way of durability and maintenance. Center drive means that the fly wheel, or drive system, is located on either side of the trainer rather than the front or back.

What does the phrase “on either side” mean in this context?


texts:
He took aim especially at Germany, highlighting in particular the incongruity between its military spending and huge trade surplus with the U.S. A relatively recent dimension to the diatribe is the attack on Germany’s large imports of gas from Russia, a divisive issue within Europe, particularly after the threats posed by Moscow’s regional ambitions. Besides putting Chancellor Angela Merkel in a spot, it served to deflect attention [ from criticism across the Atlantic of Mr. Trump’s proximity to Russian President Vladimir Putin and their bilateral meeting in
   Helsinki.]

What does the bracketed part mean?


texts: What does 'heats were truncated into finals' mean?

texts:
This comes from a novel.

  Speeches were pressed into soundbites and heats were truncated into finals.


texts:
Does this sound okay?

  "Due to expectedly inclement weather conditions..."

I am especially interested in the use of "expectedly."


texts: What word or phrase is best in "...would make you **give up** other fruits."

texts:
An apple has enough nutritional benefits that would make you "give
  up" other fruits.

If I wanted to use the exact same sentence above, what word or phrase is best to use in the bold part?

Context:

If I wanted to ask my doctor, for example, if eating an apple a day is good enough to do away with eating other fruits and vegetables, what would be the best way to word or phrase my question?

In other words, what word or phrase is best to describe that X is good enough that you would not need the others?


texts:
Which one should be correct?After a tiring soccer practice, Jack rewarded himself by indulging or wallowing in a box of doughnuts.
Thank you.


texts:
I am a learner of English and I have some doubts about 'be'. Please check the sentences and help me to understand it(be).

What are differences between these sentences. I meant to ask why we should use 'be' here.

  There are a few restrictions that need to be kept in mind.

  VS

  There are a few restrictions that need to keep in mind.

Let me also share what I understand by it(be) and when I use it normally, but I am not sure that I have been using it perfectly so I just wanted to make it more clear.

We use be to complete a sentence for a non-living thing as a non-living thing cannot be done itself. It needs someone's help to complete the action.