texts: How to understand "you've had it bad" in this context?

texts:
‘Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights.... I've been stuck inside for a month.’

  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

"have(got) it bad" means to be very much in love according to Cambridge. It doesn't seem to fit for this particular context. However, that's the only meaning I found in dictionaries. How should we understand "you've had it bad" in this context? In my opinion, it can probably be paraphrased as "You take it as a bad thing for you."


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "push something halfway / completely into something"?

texts:
Look at this picture

When I tell my toddler put the straw into the milk box, she often push it completely into the box. And as a result, the straw got lost inside the box.

What should we express in this situation?

Please push the straw halfway into the box! (but sometimes we need to go two-third of the straw not just halfway of the straw in order to reach the milk).

Please do not push the straw into the box completely!


texts: Which is better 'recent impressive incidents' or 'impressive recent incidents'?

texts:
When I practiced writing in English, the order between the adjectives were so confusing.
I have ever heard that the order of adjectives in the sentence is determined by the meaning of each, but I don't know this perfectly. I'll appreciate it if anyone answer this question.
Which is better : 'recent impressive incidents' or 'impressive recent incidents'


texts:
Active:

  My mother will be washing my clothes.

Passive:

  My clothes will be being washed by my mother.

Is this correct? It feels very odd to use 'be being' together like this.


texts: You "may" also send a resume - why not "can"?

texts:
You may also send a resume to this email address.

What does this "may" mean?

Why isnt it can?


texts: what is the meaning of "Never is eternal"?

texts:
I have got a chance to read the above statement(Never is eternal) in a poster. But, I am not able to understand the actual meaning of it.

It would be great if you help me to understand the meaning of it.


texts: The use of the word "this" instead of "that" in context

texts:
Tell me please if it grammatical and natural to use this in the following context.

  [John] Kate, could make sandwiches for the whole family please?

  [Kate] Sure, I am happy to do this.

If is correct, then would be there any difference in the sentence meaning?


texts:
I am not a native speaker of English. Yesterday my teacher was teaching about Future Perfect Tense, and he said that there are some helping verbs which cannot be preceded by another helping verb. Such as has, will, shall, should, ought to, must etc. And he gave an example of following sentence.

He will has written the essay. (Right)

He will have written the essay. (Wrong)

Please explain why this is so, I am having trouble understanding.


texts: When do I use the verb 'have' in front of the verb 'invent'

texts:
I'm very confused. Let me give you the sentence. I am making this sentence passive.

  Sam and Dan _________________________invented XYZ. (fill in the blank with a form of "believe")

So I thought the correct format is:

  Sam and Dan are believed to invented the XYZ.

Why is it "Sam and Dan are believed to have invented the XYZ" ?

If I change the sentence to using 'it' first it is like this:

  It is believed that Sam and Dan invented XYZ.

In this sentence I don't need 'have' but the other one I need 'have'. I think I understand why (because invent is with an 'ed').

Why do I use the verb 'have'? Why not use a different verb? and how do I know when to use 'have' and when I don't need to use it.


texts: What does "I'll give you the full ..." mean in this context?

texts:
Fresh from the Oscar-winning 1917, the actor is taking on his most challenging role yet.
"There’ll be no more of this shit,” snarls George MacKay, eyes bulging like a young Iggy Pop. “I’ll give you the full 11 inches of my dick, just so you can know how it feels to get shaaafted!” His temple throbs. His mouth froths. He gets so excited that he spills some of his lemon and ginger tea on the floor of the photo studio we’re sitting in. “Oh dear,” he says, Iggy Pop transforming rapidly into an extremely apologetic, polite young man. “I’m just going to wipe that up with my bum.” And so he does – sliding across the floor while his black trousers soak up the drink.

This is from an interview with an actor and the full like is here: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/29/george-mackay-actor-1917-true-history-of-kelly-gang-exhausting.
I don't know what the part marked in bold letters mean, especially the phrase "I'll give you the full ~ of my dick". I can only guess it's a sexual joke maybe to emphasize his feelings, but still I don't exactly understand what this means even after I've looked it up and there's really nowhere to ask but this website. Thanks in advance for your answer.


texts:
A. In creating a description, the writer must identify the important characteristics of...

B. To create a description, the writer must identify the important characteristics of...

It would be appreciated, if someone please show me if they would mean the same thing.


texts: Which does 'only' intensify in: he only knew he was now married?

texts:
He only knew he was now married.  (COCA)

In the sentence alone, when there aren’t any other sayings, can you tell which ‘only’ intensify: (1) previous noun, ‘he,’ as in 'The bar is for members only(OALD)'; (2) its following words, ‘knew he was now married.’ Or do you have to defer your decision until you get further contextual information?


texts:
How to correctly describe in English the insufficiency of evidence presented by only one fact? I am especially interested in the possibility of using the adverb merely here.

  A: But he was also at the store at the time of the holdup, so he is also a criminal.
  B: How do you know that?
  A: He was also at the store at that moment!
  B: You are being illogical.
  A: Why on earth am I being illogical?
  B: That's just crazy! I mean, merely the fact that he was at the store at that moment does not mean that he was also one of the robbers!


texts: How to Discern an Asyndetic Coordinate Subject Complement?

texts:
". . .to let fall is absolute indifference, absolute contempt;"

I think this got maybe discerned an asyndetic coordinate subject complement. May something like He was a moody man, his temper was never equable seem maybe something like an asyndetic coordinate subject complement?


texts:
Woman: So much to do and so little time to do it in.
Man: Do you think you'll make it?
Woman: Sure. I'll make it.
Man: But do you make enough money for everything you do?
Woman: Just enough. I make do.
Man: So do I. I make do as well.

What does "Do you think you'll make it" mean?


texts: Where is the error in the next sentence?

texts:
Where is the error in:

  The more greatly a person's eating and the less the amount of daily exercise, the fatter and the more likely to develop heart disease the person is.

The options are:

The more greatly
the less
the fatter
the more

I believe the answer is only the more. It should say and more likely to develop....

What do you think?


texts: Why is present tense uses rather than past tense in this essay?

texts:
Grandpa liked chewing tobacco, and he carried a Styrofoam cup with him wherever he went. I remember him spitting in that cup with great regularity when I used to spend the night with him and grandmother.

This is one of the sentences that I took from an essay called "Unheeded Advice".

Why is "remember" used as present tense and not past tense as the verb used in the essay is in the past tense?


texts: Placement of "with" before an absolute clause

texts:
Normally, there is a selection in advance of a raising cam, with each feeder course being associated with a particular selection device.

This sentence has been chosen from "Knitting Technology" by David J Spencer.
If I write the above sentence in the following way, i.e if I omit with before the absolute clause, what differences will be appeared?

  Normally, there is a selection in advance of a raising cam, each feeder course being associated with a particular selection device.

I would appreciate it if anybody helped me to get rid from this awkward situation.


texts: Meaning of "all of this" in "There's Maya to think of in all of this, too"

texts:
There's a line from a video game:

  There's Maya to think of in all of this, too. I can't just lay down my life. What in the world should I do?

Maya is a person's name. The man saying this is a lawyer. He'd to decide whether or not he should continue to defend for a boy. And Maya was in danger too and he didn't know if she's safe or not. If he chose to defend the boy, he would be risking his own life. If not, he can just walk away and go find Maya.

What I don't understand is the usage of "in all of this". I can't find the definition for this phrase anywhere.


texts: top it off, top it (all off), topping it all off: top it (all) off

texts:
It was a very bad day, because I had a lot of work to do, and topping it all off suddenly my PC had a breakdown"

Is the sentence correct if substitute "topping it all off" with furthermore or finally or in addition? Are they both used in UK and US English?


texts: What does 'already' with future tense mean?

texts:
"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."
  "NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.
  "That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me –– that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"
  "But ––"
  "Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
  "Ron ––"
  "Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" There was no alternative.
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Does already with future tense mean "at once, right away", or what does it mean?


texts: What's difference between "to be concerned with", "to be concerned about" and "to be concerned for"

texts: I found phrases to be concerned with and to be concerned about in my textbook, and it says that there is some difference. But I don't understand it for now so I would be thankful if anyone explains that.


texts:
I try to state a disagreement in a deal, or someone violates the deal or contract. I did a web search on shopping dispute, and got only 8000 results.  The number implies that it is not a common usage to describe it, while correct usage usually comes out with millions of results. How to describe it?

  Dispute: a disagreement or argument; a territorial dispute between the two countries


texts: Differentiate “it is said” from “it has been said”

texts:
It has been said that everyone lives by selling something.

Can I substitute the bold part with "it is said"?
I think since it is kinda like a saying, using present simple is more appropriate. However, I also think "it is said" can also mean this sentence was said before, and the impact on the present is that now people generally accept that, which sounds like the function of present perfect.
And present perfect I think carry the implication that people may or may not say this anymore as an impact of someone saying it in the past.


texts: Is the '-ing' form for a short action correct in these cases?

texts:
Can I use the '-ing form' in this sentence:

You will know what to do after reading my name in this message.

I don't think I can use the '-ing form' as reading a name is a very short action. Is it right to write:

"I hope my name will ring a bell with you after (or when) reading it."

Or would it be better with present simple- "after you read it."


texts: Difference between "ignite" and "kindle"

texts:
Can't grasp the difference and the use cases of these 2 words. They both seem to mean something close to "set on fire", but what is the exact meaning, and are their use cases the same?

Can one ignite a candle, or kindle a candle?

The second sounds somewhat awkward to me and I haven't heard anyone using it.
The usage examples are welcome.


texts:
Reading about the classical giants one after the other, you begin to
  feel that their fame came at a high price. Many of them were child
  prodigies (Mozart being one of the best-known examples), who were
  mercilessly pushed to perform; most were plagued by money troubles and
  ill health throughout their lives; and few enjoyed satisfactory
  personal relationships.

1) In grammar, what kind of structure this sentence in bold use? Is this is a complement composed by present participle?

2) Can I rewrite the sentence/participle in brackets to "Mozart is one of the best-known examples" ? Is this OK?


texts: One that I think is a problem with transportation / What I think is a problem with transportation - Are both of them possible?

texts:
Q: What are some problems with transportation in your country?
A:

One that I think is a problem with transportation is that we have to deal with the stress of wasting our time on the roads during rush hour.

Something else that I think is a problem with transportation is that air is getting polluted because of the exhaust gas.

I feel I can use these sentences but I'm not sure enough to say in front of others. Can I use both of them?


texts: I couldn't catch it, but what is wrong with this sentence?

texts:
I'm struggling with this sentence.

  With this option you can add only your company name but without
  activating any link to your website.

I can't tell for sure, but I've got the feeling that there's a mistake or the possibility to improve the phrase but I can't catch it. I tried to check the grammar of it, but still couldn't figure out if it's correct or not.

Please have a look and let me know.

Edit - The idea is actually that the user is adding the company name to a company directory. But in this option they won't have to privilege to add also an active link to their website - which would make it easier for users to check out that company. Since I'm worried to make mistakes with those texts I generally try to keep it short but that sentence is a little bit tricky for me and I can't figure out how to formalize it...


texts: Using "before" as an adverb in the beginning of a sentence

texts:
Can I use the word "before" as an adverb in the beginning of a sentence? And if I can't, what word or a group of words should I use then?

For example,

  Before, they used to serve a cherry pie at McDonald's. Now they don't.

Is "in the past" a better option?


texts:
In the following sentence, what does hopefully mean, what part of speech is it, and what does it modify?

  Hopefully the rain will end soon.

From http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hopefully:

  1 : in a hopeful manner
  2 : it is hoped : I hope : we hope : hopefully the rain will end soon

It must be #2 according to the example.  If it means "it is hoped" or "I hope" then is the entire main subject and predicate of the sentence subsumed into the word hopefully?

A related question is, if I use a comma, how does that change the sentence grammatically and semantically?

  Hopefully, the rain will end soon.


texts: Past perfect for repeated activity in the past

texts:
A sentence from the Advanced Grammar in Use by Cambridge University Press:

  During the previous week, I had been to the gym every evening

It suggests that perhaps sometimes we can use past perfect for repeated activity in the past. With this in mind I wonder whether the following sentences would be correct:

  I had been to the gym 3 times during the previous week
  I had taken pills every 4 hours yesterday
  I had taken pills 3 times yesterday.


texts: What are some generic responses to "It's good to see you."?

texts: I often find myself struggling to come up with a response to that simple sentence. The only thing I always end up saying is "same here" which, to be perfectly frank, I'm not sure is appropriate. I'd appreciate it if you could suggest some more responses for me to add to my collection of responses.


texts: Is the participial phrase the modifier for "he" in this sentence?

texts:
It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?
  (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Is the participial phrase the modifier for he, or the adverbial phrase implying cause of the "how much better off he'll be"?


texts:
'Well, Jack, and where are you off to?' said the man.
'I'm going to market to sell our cow there.'
'Oh, you look the proper sort of chap to sell cows,' said the man; 'I wonder if you know how many beans make five.'
'Two in each hand and one in your mouth,' says Jack, as sharp as a needle.
'Right you are,' says the man.

This content is from "Jack and the Beanstalk" in English fairy tales.

I couldn't understand why Jack's answer "Two in each hand and one in your mouth" is sharp. Could you teach me? And does this word "sharp" mean "smart" and "clever"? If so, why is Jack's answer smart?


texts: What is the word, if any, for the missing liquid in an unopened bottle?

texts:
I have a question: Is there a word for the missing liquid in an unopened bottle? If any of you can recall, bottles that contain liquid are not usually filled to the top; they have an area that isn't full, much like a bag of potato chips.  Is there a word in English for this?  I think there may be as I think I've heard it before, but I can't remember and just wanted to know.

Thank you for taking the time to find out.


texts: "Diabetes claims thousands of lives" vs. "Diabetes is claiming thousands of lives"

texts:
At the rate of one death every two minutes, diabetes ______ (claim) over 340,000 lives annually –just over half the death rate of cancer.

According to answer key, the correct one is claims:

  At the rate of one death every two minutes, diabetes claims over 340,000 lives annually –just over half the death rate of cancer.

However,"is claiming" sounds OK to me:

  At the rate of one death every two minutes, diabetes is claiming over 340,000 lives annually –just over half the death rate of cancer.

Can someone enlighten me whether use of present continuous tense in this sentence is grammatically accurate or not?


texts:
tooth decay is a common dental issue that can be happened among children.

Please explain the grammatical error in this sentence.


texts: meanings of "sling inside", "raff round" and "a cat amongst the Blitz"

texts:
I'm reading The Muse by Jessie Burton. The following descriptions are about a woman who comes from the upper class of London in 1967:

  "Wide black slacks that billowed like a sailor’s as she walked. A
  pale-pink silk blouse with a grey satin necktie loosely slung
  inside it. She looked like something out of Hollywood."

  "I imagined her in her twenties, raffing round London with a
  glamorous set, a cat amongst the Blitz."

Firstly, I'm having a hard time picturing the way she dressed. The dictionary says "to sling" means to drop carelessly. So I guess there's a casualness to her style. But then I can't imagine a woman wears her necktie "inside" her blouse. Is this the fashion in that era or have I misunderstood the sentence?

Secondly, I did find the definition for "raff" in Wiktionary, which says it means "to sweep, snatch, draw, or huddle together". But then I don't understand what "raff round London" means. Is it the same idea as "wonder around"?

Finally, I believe "Blitz" refers to the German bombing of London during World War II. But when the author describes this character as "a cat amongst the Blitz", what does it mean?

Can anybody help me with those ideas?


texts: Why is it not possible to use present perfect in this case?

texts:
I wrote a note after ordering both records:

  Please do not send until the other records from the series have been out.

Why can I not use present perfect? Present in this case is better.

I don't understand why the present perfect does not fit here if I want to emphasize the date of release.


texts:
When we are considering something, in spoken English is it okay to use the Present Simple:

So what's your plan?
Well, I take the train to Boston. I go to his house. I sneak in and then I steal that piece you need while you stand outside waiting for me.

Is this grammatically okay?


texts:
A pōwhiri may not be performed for every group of manuhiri (visitors); a mihi whakatau ("informal greeting to visitors") may be used instead.
Pōwhiri is often used for special visitors or for tūpāpaku (the body of the deceased) for a tangihanga (funeral). However, pōwhiri are also often performed for tourist groups as part of special events.
For most non-Māori speakers the wero, an aggressive challenge of the visitor at the beginning of the ceremony, is the most spectacular part of the pōwhiri.

Can you explain to me the usage of these articles before pōwhiri?


texts: The meaning of "positive" in "real positive content"

texts:
What is the meaning of "positive" in this context? Is it "good"? Is it "clear and definite"?

  The term post-Fordism is used to describe both a relatively durable form of economic organization that happened to emerge after Fordism and a new form of economic organization that actually resolves the crisis tendencies of Fordism. In neither case does the term as such have any real positive content. This is why some theorists propose substantive alternatives, such as Toyotism, Fujitsuism, Sonyism, and Gatesism or, again, informational capitalism, the knowledge-based economy, and the network economy. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fordism)


texts: "As man and wife"? Where is the articles?

texts:
I can't hold a conversation with her as man and wife.

Is it not supposed to be "as a man and a wife"?


texts: How to tell someone you will do something in a near future? (For example: in a minute)

texts:
When some one ask me questions like:
- Are you not going school?
- Are you not leaving?
In a case when I'm about to do that thing. I usually say "in a minute".
Are there any other alternatives?

Thank you


texts:
Which one of these two is a correct sentence?

  I have not a computer.
  I do not have a computer.

I am confused, the book I am reading  has the first sentence but the second one sounds right.  Please explain the reason of correct sentence.


texts: I can't understand the meaning and grammar of an explanation

texts:
I can't understand the grammar and meaning of this phrase:

  a single worthy cause – spread too thinly

What does it mean generally and what's the use of "-" in it.

The complete paragraph is:

  Unlike their Extraverted cousins though, Mediators will focus their
  attention on just a few people, a single worthy cause – spread too
  thinly, they’ll run out of energy, and even become dejected and
  overwhelmed by all the bad in the world that they can’t fix. This is a
  sad sight for Mediators’ friends, who will come to depend on their
  rosy outlook.

UPDATE:
I found another example of using dash:

  In the 1939-45 strand of the story, Turing has grown up physically – though not, the film implies, emotionally.

I think it says: Turing hasn't grown up emotionally and the film implies this as well.

But still using dash doesn't make any sense to me.
For example, I expected another dash following the first one.


texts: walk by/walk along- differences and interchangeability

texts:
Since walk along is used to express horizontal movement on some surface, and at the same time it could mean movement next to something- how is it "walking/running along" different from "walking/running by"?

He went for a walk by the lake.
He went for a walk along the lake.

Here, does the second one imply walking along the length of the lake?

Are they interchangeable?

He walked along the silent, parked cars of the parking lot.
He walked by the silent, parked cars of the parking lot.


texts:
Can I use a prepositional phrase such as "from the colonial period on" to lead a sentence?

From the colonial period on the Haitian mulatto and black bourgeoisie have embraced the Catholic religion, European culture, French language, and Western ways.


texts:
You, not them, are responsible for that.
  You, not they, are responsible for that.

Which one is correct? And why?


texts:
We should like to thank the many people who have written to us offering their support.

The sentence I quoted above is an example from Longman dictionary. I was wondering can we remove the article "the" and still have a grammatically acceptable sentence (the sentence below)?

  We should like to thank many people who have written to us offering their support.


texts: past perfect and past simple difference in a sentence

texts:
Consider these two sentences:

Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard.
Laura passed her exam because she had studied very hard.

I think that the second one is correct because first, she studied then she passed her exam.

is both of this sentences correct?

what is the meaning of each sentence?


texts: How to use competitive for a group of people?

texts:
I want to say that 2-3 people are the most competitive, they are part for the same group. In theory "the most" is for a single. I do not know how to say for a group of people or characteristics.

Is that correct if I say: The most competitive soccer players (want to refer that 2-3 of the group are the most competitive.

Thank you


texts: What is the difference between interesting to you and for you

texts:
I want to know what is the difference between these two examples:

.1 Read a lot of books that are interesting to you.

.2 Read a lot of books that are interesting for you.


texts:
"Powerless" is the opposite of "Powerful", I kind of understand the meaning behind a "powerful smile" however, I cannot grasp the meaning of a "powerless smile".

  "This may be an underhanded way of speaking, but, I do like you. However, that's only as a friend. No matter how hard you try, I will never be able to think of you as a special woman. That will definitely be something painful for you — something that will hurt you." Saying so, a powerless smile drifted across his face. "Which is why I cannot answer your feelings."

What does powerless smile mean in this context?


texts: I just want to ask a short question. Which is correct 'a delivery' or just 'delivery'? Why they use on ebay etc. 'Special delivery' with no articles?


texts:
This is what Marge Simpson, from the Simpsons, says when she leaves the psychiatrist after she is cured in episode 11, season 6.

What does she refer to when she says Lowenstein. Is the sentence from a movie scene or line or from a famous poem?

  Whenever the wind whistles through the leaves, I’ll think,
  “Lowenstein, Lowenstein".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTtgVC0G8A


texts:
I have to transform the following sentence into indirect speech:

  'I haven't got any money',he said

My transformation is :

  He said he hadn't got any money.

The answer key only lists

  He said he didn't have any money

as a correct answer, but my sentence seems correct to me. What do you think?


texts: The reaction is fastest at the boiling point of (the?) ammonia

texts:
From Sodium amide, Wikipedia:

  Sodium amide can be prepared by the reaction of sodium with ammonia gas, but it is usually prepared by the reaction in liquid ammonia using iron(III) nitrate as a catalyst. The reaction is fastest at the boiling point of the ammonia, c. −33 °C.

Shouldn't it be "at the boiling point of ammonia", since it must have a constant boiling point (for each particular pressure)? Or is "the ammonia" okay here because the author had in mind "that particular ammonia, under the pressure used in that particular reaction"?

Maybe we can either use or omit the definite article here, depending on what we intend to underscore?


texts:
I want a new dog.”     (direct speech)

They said they wanted a new dog. (1)(reported speech)

question: why (I) is changed to (they) while the speaker is single isn't it?


texts:
Is the usage of "for he owned" grammatical? If yes may I know why it is?

  Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse.


texts: What is "flight from light" in  by Albert Camus

texts:
This is the context:
Suicide has never been dealt with except as a social phenomenon. On the contrary, we are
concerned here, at the outset, with the relationship between individual thought and suicide. An act like
this is prepared within the silence of the heart, as is a great work of art. The man himself is ignorant of it.
One evening he pulls the trigger or jumps. Of an apartment-building manager who had killed himself I
was told that he had lost his daughter five years before, that he had changed greatly since, and that
experience had "undermined" him. A more exact word cannot be imagined.
Beginning to think is beginning to be undermined. Society has but little connection with such beginnings. The worm is in man’s heart. That is where it must be sought. One must follow and understand this fatal game that leads from lucidity in the face of existence to flight from light.
I specifically don't understand why he uses "lead" and what "flight from light" means here.


texts: "Did you have the chance" or "Had you got the chance"?

texts:
My question is about this two sentences:
- "Did you have the chance"
- "Had you got the chance"

Both are correct? Is there any different meaning?

I read some article saying that in the first case the action can't be executed anymore, something like "you had the chance, lost it and now is impossible to make it".
While in the second sentence the action still can be made: "you lost the chance, but you can do it yet".

Is is affirmation correct too??

Thanks for the attention!!


texts: "The raised beds provide too much square footage to plant out entirely every season"

texts:
I came across this sentence on a forum regarding composting but I could understand what it means.

For me the sentence is like

The elevated beds provide too much place to plant out ..But what it means in the following context?

  It's difficult to keep the compost pile wet enough to produce good hot
  compost - the heat and the sun in Florida dries it out too quickly.
  And the raised beds provide too much square footage to plant out entirely every season - I'd have way more veggies than our household
  can handle. So my question is, rather than putting the kitchen waste -
  vegetable and fruit trimmings and coffee grounds with filter - on the
  compost heap and hoping for the best, could I just bury the waste in
  an unused bed that would remain fallow until the next season, and
  rotating the beds used for composting in this way each season? Is
  there any reason why I shouldn't do this?

Source


texts: To describe cars and busses going up and down Fifth Avenue,can I say:" Cars and busses were RIDING up and down Fifth Avenue"?


texts:
What's the difference between the following sentences?

  (a) I wish they wouldn't make so much noise.
  (b) I wish they were not making so much noise.
  (c) I wish they did not make so much noise.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts: If I transfer 'ONE DOLLAR' into your account, is it a 'FUNDS' transfer or 'FUND'?

texts:
Dictionaries don't help me.

  fund [countable] -an amount of money that has been saved or has been made available for a particular purpose. and   fund [plural] -money that is available to be spent.

Now, if I transfer ONE DOLLAR into your account, is it a fund transfer or funds? And, the sum is not for charity. It's merely a money-transfer which banks in India refer to as fund transfer or funds transfer. They have this option on netbanking sites.


texts: “To maintain influence over domestic bulls, buffaloes etc,..”

texts: What do you call the rope across the head? (not the rest the man is holding). Is it ‘tether’, or ‘bridle’?


texts: Can I use 'approximately' in 'he becomes approximately in his twenties' instead of 'he becomes in approximately his twenties?


texts: What is happening or what happens in this sentence

texts:
As I heard too many times , people use this sentence

"we will see what happens "

Shouldn't it be "we will see what is happening" ? Because the thing to happen is simultaneous with the verb 'seeing' and a temporary thing.


texts: One year and a half has passed? One year and a half have passed? has or have?

texts:
Which is grammatical? has or have? or both of them?

I've already read some posts and assume that 'One year and a half' is plural. But I encountered "One year and a half has passed since we last met."
When googling 'One year and a half has' and 'One year and a half have', I get similar numbers of results.


texts: Position of Wh-words in Interrogative and Negative Sentence

texts:
Which sentence is correct?

Who don't want to lend his umbrella?
What Paul doesn't want to lend?
What doesn't Paul want to lend?


texts: Is it grammatical to use "[verb]-ing an [object] by an [subject]"?

texts:
The story is about the stoning an innocent young woman for adultery by a group of radical religious hypocrites.

In the above sentence "radical religious hypocrites" is the subject who did the stoning. Is it correct grammatically use verb-ing followed by the subject? Or should it be "radical religious hypocrites' stoning of an innocent young woman"? Normally I would think that the noun following "-ing form by" is the instrument used to do the task (verb), rather than subject, e.g. "Opening the door by a key", "Sending a message by the phone" , and so on . Other examples I am skeptic of whose correctness include "reaching international ranks by hardworking athletes", "Opening new national developmental horizons by aerospace scientists", "importing a new class of SUVs by the government", "Watching porn by a frustrated guy", and so on.


texts:
I am writing a thesis and I am not sure whether articles should be used in captions of figures.

For example, my system has a user interface and a took the image of it and placed in the thesis. I wrote:

  (the) User interface of the X module (taken from (the/a) running application).

"taken from a running application" sounds weird as the thesis deals with certain SW application. I would be grateful for explanations.


texts:
Let's talk money.

It's from an American show: Friends(Season02 Episode03), Usually, I would say "Let's talk about money, but why did she omit the word "about"?


texts: "I thought that I can't do it alone": Do we need the second 'I'?

texts:
I recently saw a sentence like this:

  I thought that I can't do it alone, but he convinced me that I should at least try.

I am almost sure that we can't remove the second 'I' and change the sentence to:

  I thought that can't do it alone...

but someone argued that it's possible. I thought about it a lot but couldn't come up  with a grammatical explanation to prove that we can't remove the second 'I', despite the fact that I don't remember seeing such a sentence and it just seems wrong to do it.


texts: How to correct "Take heed to not wake the sleeping baby"?

texts:
Take heed to not wake the sleeping baby.

What is wrong with the above sentence?

Should it be "take heed of not waking"?

The answer in the book suggests, "take heed not to wake"


texts: Difference between "dramaturgic" and "dramaturgical"

texts:
For example, I want to say that a writer has great dramaturgic(al) skills (meaning that he's good at writing original, captivating and powerful stories, able to stir the readers' emotions).

The dictionary gives the same definition for both, that is "relating to the technical aspects of drama". On Google, I found more results with "dramaturgical", but I'd like to know if the two terms can be used interchangeably.

I guess probably the best term to use is "dramatic" skills, as Canadian Yankee suggests. According to dictionaries "histrionic" and "theatrical" have too much to do with acting or stage performances (often in a too melodramatic way).
I also thought of "writing skills", but it's too general. Even a person writing a résumé for a job application can have good writing skills, but it's better if he or she leaves dramatic skills aside!


texts: pledge your first-born child to Microsoft -- I don't understand what that means

texts:
From a book called Access 2013: The Missing Manual:

  At this point, you're probably wondering how much that part in the center of Figure
  21-1—the SQL Server database engine—actually costs. Microsoft sets the price using
  a complex licensing scheme that ratchets up the cost depending on how many
  people use the database at once. Usually, it runs into thousands of dollars, and it's
  not uncommon for a big business to shell out $20,000 or more.
  But before you skip this chapter in disgust, there's something you should know: A completely free version of SQL Server is out there waiting for you. Amazingly enough, it's almost as powerful as the one that costs thousands of dollars and requires you to pledge your first-born child to Microsoft.

Honestly, I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. Any thoughts?


texts: played guitar/had played guitar at the party

texts:
He is the man who played guitar at the party. This is stating a fact.

He is the man who was playing guitar at the party. This emphasizes the duration, but the meaning is
essentially the same as the first sentence.

If I put these sentences into past perfect, does the same principle apply?

He was the man who had played guitar at the party.

He was the man who had been playing guitar at the party.


texts:
I'm looking at a chart having quantifiers with verbs in it including a lot / quite a bit / a little / very much. I've seen these a lot but now this chart made me think more and wonder. I understand all but the last two sentences.

Does “it snows a little” mean the same as, more or less as  “it doesn't snow very much”?

I've searched and couldn't get a straight answer! There were some arguments concerning the implication of expectation, and apparently has remained unconcluded, but here has nothing to do with expectation at all anyway. Actually they were simply put in a chart, but there is no distinction based on their intensity.


texts: How to use "resulting" in the middle of the sentence?

texts:
The tap is leaking. The water is wasted.
____________________ resulting
___________________________.

Is this correct?
The leaking tap resulting the wastage of water.


texts: Why is the first case "to reducing" and the second one "to reduce"? Is it correct?

texts:
Why is the first case to reducing and the second one to reduce? Is it correct?

During this time, she studied an environmental management system with an innovative approach to reducing pollution in an industrial company. This strategy was successful and allowed the company to reduce considerably the level of heavy metals in the wastewater produced.


texts:
All major dictionaries provide the usage of the verb "ingratiate" as "ingratiate oneself with people". However, I just came across this line:

  Since the outset of last season, Curry has cut down on his circus shots, in part to ingratiate Durant. (source)

With A ingratiates Aself with B being the common structure, I have seen a relatively uncommon, reflexive-less structure of the word: A ingratiates A with B, but I am hard-pressed to find any attestations of A ingratiates B. I haven't found any examples of this structure in Google Books. It is difficult to do an effective targeted search. Is this usage idiomatic?


texts:
What types of verb should follow "convenience" in the following example?

It's for the convenience of those people who love hockey to play

It's for the convenience of those people who love hockey playing

Which one would be correct? Or if they're both acceptable, what is the actual difference behind them?


texts:
I was trying to search for the right phrases to describe the two actions and the two corresponding poses that are related to love and hugging. I only found: "Jump into someone's arms"

The first pose with the corresponding action:

The second pose with the corresponding action:

Does each of them have a name and what's the precise way to describe the action? A native speaker should see this plain and clear when reading the description.


texts:
It sounds like the video is saying (link with a time stamp corresponds the following)

  In 2013, Grylls found himself in hot water with the local council after erecting a huge
  metal slide that ended with a drop off a cliff face into the sea below.

I understand the latter part, a huge metal slide.

the question is,

Is "found himself in hot water with the local council" a metaphor? If yes, what does that mean?


texts: ("In ... terms" structure) What should be in the blank space? A noun or an adjective or something else?

texts:
(In _____ terms, ...)

What should be in the blank space? A noun or an adjective or something else?
If we can use both of them, what is the difference, if any?

  He's really tight-fisted, I mean in money terms, he is not very generous.
  He's really tight-fisted, I mean in financial terms, he is not very generous with money.

In this regard, I wonder whether these kinds of sentences are true or not:

  A: In histology terms, striated muscle tissue is a muscle tissue that features repeating functional units called sarcomeres, in contrast with smooth muscle tissue which does not.

  B: In business terms, stock exchange means: units of equal value into which a company is divided and sold to raise money(also called stock market)


texts: "In their thousands" and "in the thousands"

texts:
Do they mean the exact same thing? Any nuances?

To borrow the Macmillan Dictionary's example:

  Londoners came out on the streets in their thousands.

may well be phrased as

  Londoners came out on the streets in the thousands.

Right?


texts:
I have an example in an exercise book and I'm completely stuck on which time should be used there.

Here is the example:

If I knew how it worked I could help you.

I'm interested in the words knew and worked. If the Past Indefinite is used in the Conditionals, it shows that the action relates to the present and here is the question why there is the word "worked" in the sentence but not "work" is used? I would have written it in the following way:

If I knew how it works I could help you.

I would have used the word "worked" if I have had the following sentence:

If I had knew how it worked I could have helped you.

Will you point out some other mistakes if I had made.


texts: "My scarf falls off on you." Can "on" go after "fall off"?

texts:
My scarf falls off on you.

Does the sentence make sense when we use "falls off on"?
Could "on" go after "fall off"?

Or, can we avoid the "on" totally and still have a sentence that makes sense? like:

  My scarf falls off you.


texts: "something in which" vs "something that" or how else?

texts:
Develop something in which you can become good (at).

vs

Develop something that you can become good at.

vs

Develop what you can become good at.

Focus on fields in which you can become good at.

vs

Focus on fields that you can become good at.

The area in which society make huge mistake is finance.

vs

The area that society make huge mistake is finance.

Which are right? Or maybe I should use other words than "in which" and "that"...?


texts:
Which one is right?

  1 I'm free Thursday.
  2 I'm free on Thursday.

I thought if you want to say that something happens during a particular day, you should use on, as in 'They’ll be here on Tuesday.' But I came across the title sentence without on, and now I don't know exactly when to use on before a specific day and when not to!


texts:
Does the phrase "efficient work of employees" sound natural? For example:

The main goal of his activities is ensuring efficient work of company employees.

Is it better to say "efficient working of employees"?


texts: What's the meaning of "keep your eyes trained on something"?

texts:
Here is the sentence:

To be able to struggle against capitalism, which permanently revolutionizes all relations, every established Marxism must be periodically transgressed in favour of a theory-practice conception that keeps its eyes trained on the conditions.


texts: Is "Saw him yesterday" correct without the subject "I"?

texts: While having a conversation about someone, can I say "Saw him yesterday." instead of "I saw him yesterday."?


texts:
Are the following sentences both correct and interchangeable?

  Teacher assistants will receive a monthly fee for housing.

  Teacher assistants will receive monthly fees for housing.


texts:
What is the meaning of would in the sentence below or why we use would (grammaritically) in this situation?
“Wouldn’t this also be the perfect course for prospective arsonists to sign up for?”
I have checked
https://www.google.com.my/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/british-grammar/would
But I get confused to understand which case is related to this sentence.


texts:
Though it looked as if there would be a race, he did not take part in.

Is in necessary here, and why?
I see this sentence in the book, but It doesn’t contain in.


texts: If we capitalize each word's first letter in title, is there any mistake?

texts: Is there any wrong when we capitalize the first letter of each word in a title including preposition, articles? for example, "Tips To Have A Successful Career".


texts: Correct way to ask someone to answer their phone?

texts:
Are you going to take that?
  Are you going to answer that?
  Are you going to pick the call?

Which of the above phrases can be used or is there a better way of saying that?


texts: which is more common US? most people or much people

texts:
For example I have this two vocabulary but which is more common say?

Most people are very bad with me – why, I don't know?
Much people are very bad with me – why, I don't know?


texts: What is the correct word form for telecommunications applications?

texts:
I cannot find the right, generic term for all the applications and software used for making online calls (i.e. Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Jitsi, etc.).

I found such word collocations as telecommunications application, online call software and videotelephony software.

What would be the best form for the technically untutored English-speaker's ear?

The context - a manual helping to set up the hardware for making video conference calls.


texts:
Won't look back on my mind

  Won't let bad out my shine

This phrase from the song XXXTENTACION - Whoa. Honestly, I don't understand that at all. Can you please tell me what's it shine?
I can suppose that shine means famous, so he doesnt want bad things happens.


texts: What's the meaning of "benign ass a lone chocolate chip" in the sentence

texts:
I bumped into this sentence in a web post. I am wondering how "benign ass a lone chocolate chip" works here? I searched 'benign ass' on the web, but no luck.  Can someone help to explain?

  It could be something as benign ass a lone chocolate chip in your vanilla ice cream.


texts: Article usage — need help on how to best explain these examples

texts:
I'm struggling to find a decent explanation for a student on the following:

'The test is really hard.' (we use definite article to specify which test, assuming listener knows which one we mean). But...

'This is A really hard test.' (we can't use the definite article in this statement and it would look very wrong, but I can't explain why).

Secondly, article rules say that mountains and rivers, lakes etc take the definite article (Eg we went camping in the Dordogne), but we would say "Mount Hood is A volcano". Again, although as a native speaker I understand it myself, I'm unable to explain to the student why this is, in a way that he will understand. He is pre-intermediate and I am used to teaching B2/C1 level learners who rarely ask me such questions!

Any help much appreciated :)


texts:
Is the sentence The knife is a tool to cut grammatically correct?
My logic is that the sentence phrased thus doesn't convey the intended meaning as it seems to convey the opposite idea, i.e., The knife needs cutting, which, of course, is meaningless. My logic stems from the fact that to cut here is a gerundial infinitive acting as an adjective and modifying the noun phrase a tool. Thus, I suppose, the sentence might better be rephrased, among many possibilities, as The knife is a tool to cut [vegetables with.], or, The knife is a tool that cuts. [no object needed].
Is the original sentence correct or do I need to rephrase it to convey better the meaning?


texts:
Sometimes it's really hard for me to understand what does a word of "beyond" mean.
In the movie Arrival the character of Amy Addams says:

  I'm not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings. There are days
  that define your story beyond your life. Like the day they arrived.

The only guess I have is the second sentence means something like: There are days that affect your story even though you life hasn't began yet.


texts: "Learn something fast" or "learn something quickly"?

texts:
Tell me please if the following sentences mean the same.

  If you want to learn a language fast, you have to immerse yourself into the language.

  If you want to learn a language quickly, you have to immerse yourself into the language.


texts: The article for detailed explanation of previous overall sentence.

texts:
In an article, I'm introducing some concepts to give details about them later. For example I have this sentence.

  We present our solutions in three groups; theory, implementation, and
  execution models. In ??? theory group,

What is a correct article for ??? from a',the', or no article, and why?
Or is it OK to use the' withfirst/second/third', i.e., in the first theory group,.


texts: "at" vs. "in" [as descriptor of situation or condition]

texts:
one of the meaning of 'at' is this:

  In the state or condition of

e.g.

  The country at war

And also one of the meaning of 'in' is this:

  To or at a situation or condition of

e.g.

  I am in love

BUT the big question is what is the difference between them for this meaning?

How to know which of them is appropriate for our sentences to use?

Is there any grammatical point?


texts:
Brands often have clearly defined images or ‘personalities’ created by product advertising, packaging, branding and other marketing strategies that focus on positioning a product a certain way or by certain groups of consumers adopting the product.

"Or by certain groups of consumers adopting the product"

Does "or by certain groups of consumers adopting the product" follows the verb "created"?

And this sentence contains an adjective clause,between "consumers" and "adopting ", the pronoun "who" can be inserted without affecting the meaning, and it represents consumers.
Is that correct? which makes the sentence:

  Or by certain groups of consumers who adopt the product.

  Since people act out many different roles, they may modify their consumption decisions according to the particular
  ‘play’ they are in at the time.

"according to the particular play they are in at the time"

The sentence also contains an adjective phrase, between "play" and "they", the pronoun "which" can be inserted, and it represents the phrase "the particular play", being the complement of the preposition "in", is this correct?

  the particular play which they are in

And the PP "at the time", does it go with

"they may modify their consumption decisions"

or the relative clause " the particular play they are in"?

Or they both work grammatically, but one makes more sense?


texts: Is "has been to overlook" correct English?

texts:
The whole sentence is:

  The error of modern atheism has been to overlook how many aspects of the faiths remain relevant even after their central tenets have been dismissed.

I did not understand the grammar structure of 'has been to overlook...'. Not sure if this is correct English. This sentence was excerpted from a native English author Alain de Botton's book. Could anyone explain this grammatical usage?


texts:
I read a sentence:

  I completed course of creating blue jacket conducted by M.S.

Now, I do not know whether I can use 'course' (meaning classes) with 'of' and 'verb+ing' pattern. I know that I should use it before noun like 'make up course' etc, but it doesn't sound proper to me.

Please clarify my doubts regarding structure of this sentence. Thank you.


texts:
1- l'll get engaged like all the others. Get married. Maybe it's
  better doing things the way everyone does. (original)

  2- l'll get engaged like all the others. Get married. Maybe it's
  better to do things the way everyone does.

  3- It’s always better being safe than sorry.

  4- It’s always better to be safe than sorry. (original)

  5- Wouldn't it be better putting a time-limit on the task? (original)

  6- Wouldn't it be better to put a time-limit on the task?

  7- You are better eating just a small snack than hurrying a main
  meal. (original)

  8- You are better to eat just a small snack than hurry a main
  meal.

Is there a difference in meaning between these versions?


texts: Any single word for "ordinal status" or "chronological order"

texts:
There is a word in Malyalam language 'Ethramathe' which means ordinal status of a person. Instead of asking a lengthy question like :
Where is the person (John) standing in the queue?
It can be directly asked in Malyalam with :
Ethramathe John?
Is there any such word in English language? If not, shouldn't such a word be used in English language?


texts:
The real secret to ‘improve’ your fluency is to enjoy the learning process.
The real secret to ‘improving’ your fluency is to enjoy the learning process.

Which one is correct here?

And if the second one or both of them are correct, why is that? As far as I know, we use infinitive verbs(like: do, play, improve etc.) after ‘to’.


texts:
I have a some True False NotGiven questions that I had a hard time figuring the answers.  In this sort of question, we must read a passage and then choose whether some information is true, false, or not given in that passage.

Here are the questions:

  China has more citrus pests than any other country in the world.

In the passage, the line that connected to this part is "China also has the greatest diversity of citrus pests". I gave it a NOTGIVEN since I think "more pests" is about quantity, which is not the same as diversity.

The given answer is TRUE.

  Trees with ants had more leaves fall than those without.

In the passage, the line that connected to this part is "Trees with yellow ants produced almost 20 per cent more healthy leaves than those without". I gave it a NOTGIVEN since I think the fact that a tree having more leaves doesn't relate to the amout of "leaves fall".

The given answer is FALSE.

Thank you for your help


texts:
Tom could have started work again only if he had apologized to the manager.

Does this sentence imply he didn't apologize?
Thanks!


texts:
Source: Powell v Alabama (1932)

  In the light of the facts outlined in the forepart of this opinion --
  the ignorance and illiteracy of the defendants, their youth, the
  circumstances of public hostility, the imprisonment and the
  close surveillance of the defendants by the military forces, the
  fact that their friends and families were all in other states and
  communication with them necessarily difficult, and, above all,
  that they stood in deadly peril of their lives -- we think the
  failure of the trial court to give them reasonable time and
  opportunity to secure counsel was a clear denial of due
  process.

  But passing that, and assuming their inability, even if
  opportunity had been given, to employ counsel, as the trial
  court evidently did assume, we are of opinion that, under the
  circumstances just stated, the necessity of counsel was so
  vital and imperative that the failure of the trial court to make
  an effective appointment of counsel was likewise a denial of
  due process within the meaning of the Fourteenth
  Amendment.

  9. [no object] Forgo one’s turn in a game or an offered opportunity to do or have something:

Is the bolded a conjunction? Is it used correctly and stylistically? Is the above the right definition  for pass?


texts: What will i use? Will be? would be? can be? Could be?

texts:
Before the seeds germinated, I did not know what kind of plants they __________.

  A. Will be
  B. would be
  C. can be
  D. could be


texts: What does "It can be common or split between the digital and analog sections." mean?

texts:
In a technical data sheet, I found the following paragraph:

  Use at least one ground plane.  It can be common or split between the digital and analog sections.  In the latter case, join the planes underneath the AD7682/AD7689.

What does the sentence in bold mean?  I find two possible meanings for this sentence, depending on whether "common" is affected by "between" or not:

It can be common between both sections or split between them.
It can be split between the two sections or it can be common.


texts: Is it possible to use gerund after "during"?

texts:
During reading the book, I fell asleep.

I think "while" is more suitable but I want to know if it is grammatically correct to use "during" here. If it is possible, is there any difference?


texts: "the city is alive and so am I/do I!".....? please help me to find the correct form.. I was gonna go with the first option, until I got contradicted by someone who I usually trust when it comes to grammar, but I know it's wrong this time! Right?


texts: "You've ever not got" vs "you've never got"

texts:
Are both sentences equal in meaning?

  "You've ever not got it"

vs

  "You've never got it"


texts: Can I use "Currently" for a span of time?

texts:
Can I write "Currently, I am a university instructor for more than 3 years"

I mean is it a correct usage of "Currently" and "more than 3 years"?


texts: What is the meaning of "in season as well as out"?

texts:
What is the meaning of "in season as well as out" ?

Full sentence:

It is more likely to stay that way if we continued to do what's right — in season as well as out.


texts:
Chuseok is a big holiday in Korea.
  Chuseok is a big holiday of Korea.

Can we use both sentences? What is the difference between 'in Korea' and 'of Korea'? Does 'in Korea' modify 'a big holiday'? Does 'of Korea' modify 'a big holiday'?


texts:
Should I say:

"Acoustic parameters of these sentences were extracted to analyze. "

or

"Acoustic parameters of these sentences were extracted for analysis. "

Or anything else?


texts:
Please compare the following two sentences.
１．I hope your father will get well.
２．I hope your father gets well.

　I came to know that some/many native English speakers prefer Sentence 2 to Sentence 1.

　I understand that you should use the auxiliary verb "will" when talking about the future. What is the logic of choosing Sentence 2? Are there any native English speakers who prefer Sentence 1?


texts: The adjective that is always preceded by definitive articles

texts:
Consider the following example:

  The bookshop is located at the north of the main campus.

Is it correct? Should "the" come before "main campus"?

I think some adjectives always come with definitive articles. e.g. first. Is it true? if yes, is correct for "main" as well.


texts:
Which of "self-loathing" and "self-hate" is the stronger feeling?
I have searched the internet and there seems to be different opinions on this. Could I please have yours?


texts: "What causes seasons?" or "what causes the seasons?"

texts:
When I googled for an answer to the question what causes seasons?, the search results showed titles with and without the before seasons. For example, Nasa's question

  What causes the seasons?

Which version is correct?


texts:
In Drama film/Biography film The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), Larry Flynt, Hustler Magazine, filed a case on Preacher,Jerry Falwell
in supreme court on charges of copyright violation of his magazine,
So News reporter told this news:

  God versus the devil. America's minister versus America's pimp. Today
  is the showdown. Many were surprised by the high court's decision  to
  hear Flynt's case, but he had some unlikely supporters filing  briefs
  on his behalf: The New York Times, the American Newspaper Publishers
  Association, and the Association of...


texts: Pass or passed, which one is more appropriate in the scenario

texts: If i cleared the exam, what would the teacher say while addressing me "you are pass" or " you are passed "


texts: Do I need a comma before "since" in this sentence?

texts: Most of the boys in our class shared my hatred for Tom(,) since he was cruel and violent.


texts:
He was born in 1966 into a country with a great mathematical school.

A native speaker wrote it, and there are examples on Ngram. Does into simply mean in or there is additional meaning? into is more suited for movement, direction or attention.

I know that you can say "he married into this shop," and it means that his wife owns the property (the shop) and when he married her he became an owner of this property as well, so he kind of married into this property.

But I don't think that this works for a country.


texts:
I spoke with an attorney on the phone yesterday and he said he would get back to me with regards a quote for the service I was requesting. I am writing a follow-up email to him today to see if he has the quote. Is the following sentence correct?

  Good afternoon! I'm following up as to the quote for the services I am requesting.

Or should I say:

  I'm following up on the quote for the services I am requesting.


texts: Can adjectives not only modify a noun but also a noun phrase? In the same way, can adverbs not only modify an adjective but also an adjective phrase? Why don’t any grammar books say modifying a phrase?


texts: Meaning of "those little human touches that keep us coming back for more."

texts:
Anders couldn’t get to the bank until just before it closed, so of course the line was endless and he
  got stuck behind two women whose loud, stupid conversation put him in a murderous temper. He
  was never in the best of tempers anyway, Anders – a book critic known for the weary, elegant
  savagery with which he dispatched almost everything he reviewed.
  With the line still doubled around the rope, one of the tellers stuck a “POSITION CLOSED” sign in
  her window and walked to the back of the bank, where she leaned against a desk and began to pass
  the time with a man shuffling papers. The women in front of Anders broke off their conversation
  and watched the teller with hatred. “Oh, that’s nice,” one of them said. She turned to Anders and
  add, confident of his accord, “One of those little human touches that keep us coming back for
  more.”

Dose "little human" refer to tellers and the writer has used it sarcastically and "touches" means: their behaviour.

So does the whole phrase means: the behaviours of the tellers make us angry to quarrel them.

This context is from a short story named: Bullet in the Brain.


texts: Is there an idiom that suggest you're giving an ultimatum to someone? Like something similar to "do this or you die!" although I don't think an idiom that use such strong language exist. Is there any idiom like that?


texts: What this organ (anatomically) is used for?

texts:
The following question is correct?

  "What this organ is used for?"

This question us supposed to be above a picture of an human organ. The purpose of the question is to get the answer that describe the function of this organ.

Actually, I didn't find any result of this structure on Google.


texts:
I came across this sentence today:

  Even she, who believed herself to be a revolutionary, could no more have broken her marital bangles than she could have driven a stake through her husband's heart.

I understand the meaning of this sentence. Here in this sentence two things are being compared. Both are negative sentences. The first sentence is no more than the second sentence. Ultimately resulting in that both the sentences are not true.

But I wonder:

The second part, the one the first one is being compared to — "she could have driven a stake through her husband's heart." —, has no negative, yet how does it mean something negative?
How do both the first and the second part tell that both are impossible to her?


texts: Word for people who always believe others are speaking negatively about them.


texts:
The pronunciation of the word 'tablet' as I found in Oxford dictionary is: [ˈtæblət]
While Google say this: ˈtablɪt.
Which one is correct?


texts: what's the part of speech of "underground" in following sentence

texts:
In the following sentence from CNN:

  Such fires were once plentiful in Azerbaijan, but because they led to a reduction of gas pressure underground, interfering with commercial gas extraction, most have been snuffed out.

The word "underground", I think it's an adjective, which modifies "gas pressure". so it's similar to "...they led to a reduction of the gas pressure which is underground".

If then, the sentence must be "...they led to a reduction of underground gas pressure" (underground precedes gas pressure)

Please help me to clarify the structure. I appreciate all your help :)


texts: What are the grammatical mistakes in this?

texts:
Source:http://www.tensports.com/news/chris-gayle-fresh-sexism-scandal-after-interview-charlotte-edwardes

  "They have more than equality. Women can do what they want. Jamaican women are very vocal. They will let you know what time is it, for sure," he said.

  He added: "Women should please their man," explaining: "When he comes home, food is on the table. Serious," although if she also works, "they share" and it is down to the "first person home".

What he means by 'what time is it'?

What he meant when he said 'serious'?Should it be 'seriously'?Also should it be 'food should be on the table'?

  "People think that (my) attitude towards the game stink," the former West Indies captain said.

  "That's how it come across: lazy. But to score a triple century, that's not lazy. You cannot be lazy and do such things."

It should be 'it comes across'?Is it right to say:"My attitude come across:lazy"?

  The West Indies batsman said women threw themselves at him in their thousands, explaining he was "damn good-looking".

Correct to say 'throw themselves in their thousands?

Note:All paragraphs from same interview.


texts: What's the correct way to capitalize "Spider-Man web slinger toy"?

texts: I am wondering if I should capitalize "web slinger", I don't think I should capitalize toy, but also I don't know if both "Spider-Man's web slinger toy" and "Spider-Man web slinger toy" should be capitalized the same way.


texts: Does the notion of check word exist in English?

texts: It is interesting if in English there is the notion of the check word? In Russian if we don't know how to spell a certain unstressed vowel in some cases we can find the check word ( проверочное слово ) which prompts us how to spell the word. For example, в лесу (  in the forest ) , the check word is "лес".Sometimes it is impossible to find the check word, for example, the word воробей( sparrow), the first vowel cannot be checked.


texts: Combining "keep" and "improve" with "earning(s)"

texts:
I want to say the following sentence with fewer words:

  I am learning in order to keep earning and to improve earnings.

These are the version that I have in mind:

  1) Learning, to keep and improve earning/s.
  2) Learning, to keep earning and improve earnings.

Please let me know if one of the two versions are correct?
Do you have suggestions?

Thank you for your time!


texts:
In response to the answers I've received for the question I asked, I want to know one more thing:

[A letter which is not pronounced is called silent, such as 'l' in "talk".
Two vowels occurring together are called a diphthong, such as 'ea' in "break".
What do we call a letter on which the word ends its sound, such as 'k' in "break"?]

  What do we call a letter on which we stop our sound and that is in the
  middle of the word, as in "b" or "m" in NUMBER.


texts:
He is out drinking alcohol.

  My mom is out buying groceries.

Does it mean: someone is not at home for doing some work somewhere else?

Is the sentence pattern out doing something valid and natural to native speakers?

Thanks in advance.


texts:
In written English, in response to:

  Tomorrow is Jane's birthday.

What is the difference between:

  Oh, it is?

And:

  Oh, is it?

Is there a difference in meaning behind the question?


texts: Plurals: "As matters of fact", "As matter of facts", and "As matters of facts" which one(s) when? if any?

texts:
I am wondering which one is correct or when/where one should use them:

As matters of facts, A did X and B did Y.
As matters of fact, A did X and B did Y.
As matter of facts, A did X and B did Y.

I personally think that number 2 makes more sense, since fact can be a collective term encompassing a body of things and ideas, which in this example, includes two constituent matters. However, I am not sure.


texts: Is "I was slept when he came back... " grammatical?

texts:
I was slept when he came back to the home.

The above statement has three verbs in the past tense.

was = is
slept = sleep
came = come

My questions:

Are "I was slept" and "he came back to home" grammatically correct?
Can I use all these past tenses in a sentence like this?
If it's correct what about the below statement?

  I did not go there

In this statement "did" define it is a past tense of "do"   but   "go"    never change to past tense.

So in the first example, all the verbs are changed into the past tense but in the second example, some verbs are not changed.

If both statements are correct, why can we use them like this?


texts: How to say this sentence right? Will or would? (Indirect speech)

texts:
I would like to know how the following sentence is right.

  Let's help you to decide where you will/would put the mirror.

Would or will, and why?


texts:
I am confused using below mentioned sentences. Help me choosing the proper one.

At 4 pm, I got a call for someone who already left the office; if I have to reply in  this situation, which one is the correct way?

  He left for the day (he is not in office at 4:00 pm).
  He has left for the day (he left office at 3:00 pm).
  He is left for the day  (he is not in office at 4:00 pm).

Please help.


texts: Can we make similar sentences as to the meaning of the sentences using might

texts:
1.It was probable that he would go but he didn't go.
2.It was probable that he had gone./Probably he had gone.
3.It is probable that he has gone.
Can we make similar sentences as to the meaning of the above sentences using might? What are the sentence that mean same as 1, 2 & 3. Please clear my confusion with proper explanation. I can't understand this type of sentences.


texts:
I wanted to know if we can use did and wanted in the same sentence.For example in the following sentence:

  What did he wanted to prove through the experiment?

Is this a correct sentence? It uses did  and wanted together.


texts:
Classes may occasionally cross these age ranges if of academic benefit

Does it mean "Classes may exceed the age ranges if the class is considered to have academic benefit to do so"?


texts: meaning of "the way I get it, it's optional"

texts:
I know the meaning of the bolded expression in the following excerpt of a conversation, but I cannot understand how it is related to it.

  Man: Hi. Listen, I was just wondering whether you understood what
  Professor Carson was saying about the review session next Monday?

  Woman: Sure. Why?

  Man: Well, the way I get it, it's optional.


texts: Couldn't "A truck has parked in the driveway." be correct because the truck could be self-driving these days?

texts:
Above is an screenshot of a suggestion made by Grammarly in the sentence.

It says:

  The word has doesn’t seem to fit this context.
  Consider replacing it with a different one.

For this sentence:

  A truck has parked in the driveway.

The above sentence seems wrong at first, as also claimed by Grammarly, but think about it; what if the truck was meant to be a self-driving one?

Edit: Would including itself be necessary in that case as follows?

  A truck has parked itself in the driveway.


texts: "Excuse me, which is the way to the post office?" "Sorry, I'm new here. Bad luck". Is this conversation weird?

texts:
The question below is from my English exercise book.

  Select the most suitable response to fill in the blank.

  "Excuse me, which is the way to the post office?"
  "Sorry, I'm new here. _______"

  A. Not at all
  B. Bad luck
  C. That's true
  D. Thank you all the same

For me, all four choices seem to be quite weird. However, I choose option B (Bad luck) because I feel it is the least weird reply in this conversation.

Is my understanding correct? Or should I contact the book's author to change the question and options?

P/S: After seeing Andrew and choster's comments, I have searched the original question on the Internet and it should be like this:

  [Speaker A:] "Excuse me, which is the way to the post office?"
  [Speaker B:] "Sorry, I'm new here."
  [Speaker A:] "_______"

Source: http://m.mofangge.com/html/qDetail/03/c1/201006/58mlc10383009.html


texts: Where does the phrase "that tracks" come from?

texts: I'm wondering where "that tracks" comes from, i.e. meaning "that makes sense". I've done a bit of Googling and all I could find was a Reddit post with a bunch of different guesses that all seem plausible, but I was hoping to get a more certain answer.


texts: Asking question using Present past tense

texts:
I have confusion in asking question like, If I want to ask about Tea came or not.

Is Tea came
Did Tea come

Which one is correct or both wrong? Is there any other way to ask it.
Thank you


texts: What does "do something to the good part" mean?

texts:
I have come across this phrase in the TV show Friends. It was in the 17th episod of the third season. The context is Chandler really wants to smoke, but he can't because the lighter is in the car which they can't open because the keys are inside. And when they finally open Chandler jums in and says

  At least let me smoke it to the good part.


texts: The meaning of "pushes a paper of buttons at us"

texts:
Well, then, coming home by Drinker's Alley to get a new shirt which a
  French Vicomte's lady was washing to take the stiff out of (I'm
  always choice in my body-linen) a lame Frenchman pushes a paper of
  buttons at us.  He hadn't long landed in the United States, and
  please would we buy. He sure-ly was a pitiful scrattel--his coat half
  torn off, his face cut, but his hands steady; so I knew it wasn't
  drink.  He said his name was Peringuey, and he'd been knocked about in
  the crowd round the Stadt--Independence Hall.

This is from "Rewards and Fairies" "A Priest in Spite of Himself" by Kipling.
http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi300.pdf

What is the meaning of:

  "to take the stiff out of (I'm always choice in my body-linen) a lame Frenchman pushes a paper of buttons at us."

I  can not understand the meaning below.

  to take the stiff out of
  be  always choice in one's body-linen
  push a paper of buttons at

I am glad if someone kindly teach me.


texts:
Should I use have or has in this sentence?

  The tree that grow in front of my house ______ (have or has) a big leaves.

Which one is correct?


texts: Does the 'too' meaning have 'limited extent'?

texts:
I have been curious about 'too' meaning.

In this sentence "You cannot be too careful.", does 'too' have the meaning of 'limited extent'?


texts:
Is the following sentence grammatical, the context is when we want the boss to comment on something the team has decided:

Does John have a say on this?


texts: In a letter, what is the most polite way to ask for a quick reply?

texts: If you're writing a formal letter, and need the other party to reply as quickly as possible, how can you do it in the most polite, eloquent fashion? No matter how I try to do it, it always sounds too demanding.


texts: What does "try harder" mean in this context?

texts:
" I've gotta try harder at school."

It sounds like study hard at school to me. When googling it, I found try harder, try hard and trying hard. Do they have same meaning? I'm guessing:

(1) try harder is a comparative form

According to Urban dictionary:

  someone who tries way to hard and spends too much time to be good at
  something that is pointless

(2) try hard is an original word

Wiktionary says:

  A person usually of little talent who tries hard, especially through
  imitation, to succeed, usually to gain fame or popularity.

(3) trying hard is a gerund.  No. 3 definition by Urban dictionary:

  trying hard
  adjective

  a person who struggles to achieve something but he/she is hopelessly
  doing it  in other words, they won't be able to do their task whatever
  they do

Thanks.


texts:
I have one doubt about making questions, especially WH questions.

While making the direct questions, I have been taught to make sentence like,
1) WH + auxiliary+ subject+verb
    Example: what do you want?

But I have seen people using like, What you want?
There is no auxillary word in it.

So is it right or wrong? What about your opinion?

And also is it feasible, that whatever we speak, the opposite person should understand in a language be it direct or indirect questions?


texts: What is the difference between "when" and "in doing"?

texts:
I know that the phrase "in doing something" has a meaning similar to the conjunction "when", but I don't know their difference.  For example, which of the following sounds natural?:

  I always wear rubber gloves when washing dishes to protect my hands.
  I always wear rubber gloves in washing dishes to protect my hands.


texts: Ís it correct to say,"to live just because" instead of  "to live just by doing" in order to give to understand that somebody does something just by routine, without any willpower?


texts: Can “whom” serve as a complement in a relative clause?

texts:
Can “whom” serve complement in a relative clause?

Does the sentence "He is no longer the person whom he was ten years ago" sound natural?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
You have to reinstall/re-install the program.

  You have to leave this box unchecked/un-checked.

Should I use reinstall/unchecked or re-install/un-checked?


texts: When someone is indebted to you and you are going to get your money back

texts:
Imagine someone is indebted to you some amount of money. You are going to get it back. You friend who knows the issue, meets you and wants to ask about the matter. Which one of the following questions of the friend would sound natural here to you to be asked from the person in our question:

  What happened with the money you were owed? Did you get it back?
  What happened with the money they owed you? Did you get it back?
  What happened with the money they were indebted to you? Did you get it back?
  What happened with the money you were indebted? Did you get it back?

For me, the only choice which doesn't work here is the last one, but if there is a better way to say it (using the verbs "indebted" and "owe"), then please let me know about it.


texts:
As far as I know it is correct to say “in a better manner”. Can I use adjective after “manner” like:

  in a manner better


texts:
Can I use "for the guests to applaud" in my sentence to say that the woman  likes to please her guests?
"She enjoys cooking for two hours and for the guests to applaud."


texts:
Tell me please which of the following sentences is correct.

  The best advice parents give their children is to be kind to others.
  The best advice parents give to their children is to be kind to others.

It seems to me that both sentences might be correct.


texts:
Popcorn popped in the pan
Kernel is small

Do I need an article in front of each sentence or are they okay as they are?


texts: What is the word (adjective) for the state of getting stuffed but for water?

texts:
I'm stuffed - get enough food

I'm fed up with it - get enough something (annoyed)

I'm drunk - get enough buzz (alcohol)

I'm tipsy - slightly drunk

I'm lushed - get enough buzz (alcohol)

Question:

  In what way can I describe the state of getting enough water (pop, juice, coffee...) with one word like (stuffed, drunk..)


texts: "I see sea" - Is there a difference for the native English speaker between "see" and sea"?

texts:
Is there a difference for the native English speaker between "see" and sea"?

For example when saying the following sentence: "I see sea".

I've tried to listen to both of them in Cambridge dictionary and I didn't find a difference. Both sound the same for me. Is it just to my ears or is it correct?


texts:
When watching American movie, I often hear "I am doing OK?".

Normally "Ok" is adjective as in "I am Ok".

So, can "Ok" be used as adverb in "I am doing OK?".


texts: Use to or Used to exercises , help me complete the sentence

texts:
When we were children, we ____________________ collect stamps.
Mr. Wood ______________ read at leat four hours a day when he was young.
John __________________ walk to school in the morning. Now he takes the bus.
They __________________ have lunch at fast food restaurants every Saturday.
In those days, everybody _________________ drink a lot of milk.
Don't worry about him! He ______________________ getting up early every day.
Whenever we came to Coventry we always ________________________ in the Central Hotel. We loved it.
They _________________ smoke when they were young.
Paul is nervous because he _____________________ speaking French in public.
There ___________________ be a cinema in our Town in those days.


texts: Is it correct to say "whose history goes back" when talking about a technology?

texts: Is it correct to say "whose history goes back" in a sentence talking about a certain technology?


texts: "I've been doing this (for) a week" -- When do you leave out the 'for' when talking about duration, and when do you not?

texts:
The other day I heard someone say:

  They've been going out a week; I mean, that's not (a) serious (relationship).

I wondered if she was speaking correctly, which is presumable, since she was a native American English speaker. But more often I here the for when people talk about duration. So is it also possible to leave out for? Maybe only in the informal register?

EDIT: There was a heavy stress on the word week. Does it play a role in this matter?

EDIT#2: ... OK. It's more suitable as an answer.


texts:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/common-verbs/ask-and-ask-for says that "to ask" is used for questions and "to ask for/to" is used for requests (the 1st with nouns, the 2nd with verbs).

However, one of the definitions of "to ask" in https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ask is: "to speak or write to someone saying that you want them to do something, to give you something, or to allow you to do something".

Some examples given in this definition of "to ask" are:

Can I ask you a favour?
I'd like to ask your advice/opinion on a financial matter.
You have to ask permission to leave.

Therefore, it seems to me that the definition of "to ask sth" given in the first link is incomplete. Could I replace "to ask" with "to ask for" in these 3 sentences above ? What about other contexts (eg to ask money, to ask ideas, to ask a new car)?


texts: Use adjective “insured” as adverb in “My father worked as insured in this company”

texts:
Can I say the following?

  My father worked as insured in this company for ten years.

It seems weird to me . What I mean is that my father got a job with social security benefits. I asked if I can used “as insured “ instead of “with social security benefits”.


texts: Can I be sure about the correctness of the compound nouns that I create?

texts:
This is from Anne Hathaway's Facebook page (I saw it today):

  "What else can I say about the movie that changed my life? Thank you The Devil Wears Prada and happy 10 year anniversary!! (don't let this make you feel old- good style is eternal xx)".

I think ten year anniversary is a compound name. Using this pattern, I wrote sentences as below, although I strongly feel that I should have placed dash(s) among the words of a compound. However, consider:

a two day infant (to imply an infant whose age is two days)
a four month marriage (to describe a marriage that lasts four months)
a three side negotiation ( to imply a negotiation in which there are three different groups talking)
an eight core CPU (to describe a an Octa-Core CPU)
three line road ( to describe a road in which cars moving in three lines, but in the same direction )
three wheel vehicles (to classify vehicles which have three wheel)

I have two questions:

  Can we always be sure about correctness of such phrases and learn, of course, some exceptions that refute these constructions? Or these constructions are limited to few cases that we should memorize them, for example 10 year anniversary.

  If they are compound nouns, shouldn't it include dash(s) (-) among the words ? Personally, I think when this phrases come to being at the first time, they do include dash, but as they become commonplace English speakers omit the dash to facilitate writing the phrase.

It is interesting for me because, in my native language, we construct adjectives by using numbers almost in similar way. I want to organize my mind to accelerate the process of choosing words.


texts:
Is this correct to say? Bodybuilding Young Woman Beats Anorexia Through Exercise.

Or should I use it this way: Bodybuilding Young Woman Beats Anorexia With Exercise.


texts:
When I walk down the street now, no one looks at me with the same disdain as they used to.
When I walk down the street now, no one looks at me with the same disdain like they used to.
When I walk down the street now, no one looks at me with the same disdain they used to.
Are all these sentences grammatically correct? I am a little doubtful of the second sentence being grammatically correct, since most sources on the internet suggest that same as is what native speakers use in most contexts. "He's the same height as me.".
But the context here is different. And I've always been to consider the context, so here I am.


texts:
I said "Will I be alone?"
She said "Not at all, we will do anything we can to make you completely comfortable.
There will be more than enough staff to take care of all your needs."

I wonder "to" is correct or not in the second sentence.


texts: What is the significance of 1st of October?

texts:
In the song Paper Planes, there's a passage as quoted below.

  My name is Olushola, I just got off my visa
  I live everyday like it's the first of October

I wonder what the significance of the 1st of October is. What does it mean to live like it's 1st of October and where does that expression originate?


texts:
I'm correcting someone's article and this one expression really annoys me.

Can 'and other similar' be used with people? as in

  Web developers, marketers and other similar specialists.

I don't know why but it sounds odd to me while in a sentence like 'and other similar items' the words 'other' and 'similar' seem to be fine...

Cambridge Dictionary says that

  similar means looking or being almost, but not exactly, the same

but I can't find any example there in which 'similar' would sit right next to a noun like people etc.

Is it the word similar that is off? Thank you in advance.


texts:
The drunk man came out onto the porch with a bottle of beer. He drank it and headed back inside. A few moments later he came back out with another bottle of beer. He took a swig, then accidentally dropped it on the ground where it shattered. He stared at the broken bottle for a moment, then turned and headed back inside again.
Is "headed back inside again" correct in the context?


texts: Does it sound pompous, showy or even bombastic to use "jejune" to mean "uninteresting"?

texts:
I was reading a book has an interesting discussion over this word- Jejune. It says that the word has taken a new meaning recently which has no connection to its roots. It says that "jejune" comes from Latin and basically means "dry" or "barren". Hence, it's wrong to use that word to describe a thing or person as childish or naive. However, I checked this word in the dictionaries and all of them has included this definition.

Now, my question is it pompous or pretentious to use "jejune", these days, to mean "uninteresting"? Or does it sound archaic? For instance,

  The lecturer's present was insipid, jejune, and long-winded!

Checking the Ngram, I found that it was much more popular in the past, in general.


texts: "Tell someone thanks" or "say thanks to someone"

texts:
One of my friend came to my place for a cup of tea, i introduced her to my mom. After she left my mom said she is a nice girl. When we met in the college the other day, i told her that my mom liked her very much and in reply she said "tell her thanks"
I really want to know if telling someone thanks is a correct sentence?


texts: I would recommend FOR / TO you to use this group on Facebook

texts:
Which one of the following sentences is correct grammatically or structurally?

  1) "I would recommend to you to use this group on Facebook"

  2)  "I would recommend (empty) you to use this group on Facebook"

  3)  "I would recommend for you to use this group on Facebook"


texts:
He is just like me who hate/hates learning.

Hate should agree with who in the relative clause right? But who is me. Can it agree with the objective noun?


texts: Should I use "could" or "would" in the following case?

texts:
Life is unpredictable. For instance, he
wouldn't have guessed he would win the lottery.
Life is unpredictable. For instance, he
couldn't have guessed he could win the lottery.

I'm a little confused. Both sound good to me (with a slight preference to would).


texts:
Is "specific" an antonym of "unspecified“?

I ask because in some cases I feel it is so, but not always.


texts: What is the meaning of "his fire escape" in this sentence?

texts:
Source

  but is winged by another Gat Man, falls from his fire escape and
  blacks out.

What is the meaning of his fire escape ?


texts:
I came across an amazing video, on YouTube it's called "It's raining, what the hell". And I want to use in my English class, but there is one particular phrase that I cannot wrap my head around. And that is "Gotta get some of that rain". (The person walks outside when it's raining. And then they say the phrase. You can watch the vid on YouTube).

Everywhere I look the only explaination I see is that 'gotta' a short for have got to. But I don't understand why you would want to use "have got to" in this sentence.  Does he mean that he will have to go under the rain? Like, he will get wet, there is no doubt, is that what he means?

(Edited: here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6dukQWbVsY)


texts: I'm a bit confused with: I warn you not to do this and I warn you to not do this. Do these sentences mean the same?


texts:
Which is the correct English usage and why?

"I just receive my package"

I just received my package"?


texts: What's the meaning of "working for himself" in this sentence "He’ll never get anywhere working for himself—he’s got no discipline."

texts:
He’ll never get anywhere working for himself—he’s got no discipline.
for himself is alone(not working together with other people)?
for himself is for the benefit of himself like "selfish"(no benefit to others)?


texts:
Let's say you are asked about the most dangerous sport you have tried. And you say:

  "the most dangerous sport that I have ever tried is/was skateboarding.''

Which one is the correct preposition?


texts: Can the verb "start doing something" be used in the present continuous?

texts:
Is it correct to say:

  In this picture, she is starting taking pictures of her friends.

to comment on a picture we are looking at and describing?


texts:
I have just watched "50 SHADES OF GREY" and the man in the movie says "I don't do romance". You can watch him saying that, in this 30 secs Youtube video.

Now searching "do romance" in Ngram Viewer returns nothing see:

So, no formal books even use that term though I expect the term should be used s lot if it is very popular.

So, is there any difference between "I am not romantic" & "I don't do romance"? or "do romance" is just a fad phrase that was used in the movie "50 SHADES OF GREY".


texts:
On Mars, you'll get extra time in the day to do the things you want to do--like sleep in! Martian days are about half an hour longer than Earth days. But that's nothing compared to the extra time you'll get in a year--687 days versus only 365 days on Earth.

The above is an excerpt from a kid book and can also be found on the website below:
https://www.windows2universe.org/kids_space/lifeonmars.html

I wonder why the definite article was used in this case.

  You will have extra time in a day on Mars

also sounds ok to me.

Maybe "a day" indicate "a single day on Mars"?

I am so lost here and would be really grateful if someone can help me understand
this issue.
Thank you


texts:
Is it right to say

  "I engaged in some research projects".

or should I say

  "I was engaged in some research projects".


texts:
Sentence:

  He's done all of it but two exercises

Does it mean that man hasn't done two exercises?

He's done all of it but two exercises = He's done all of it except two exercises


texts:
Friend : Let's go
Me : My brother has taken my car, we have to wait until he come back.
Or
My brother took my car, we have to wait until he come back


texts: Difference between 'sympathy for' and 'sympathy at'

texts:
What is the difference between 'sympathy for' and 'sympathy at' in the following sentences:

  I felt a great deal of sympathy for his difficult position.
  She expressed her sympathy at our loss.

Can we write 'for' in place of 'to' and vice versa?
Are 'for' and 'to' the only prepositions which can collocate with the word 'sympathy'?


texts: What does it mean "go and ride the sun away"?

texts: What does it mean "go and ride the sun away" ?


texts: Is there a rule to know whether a verb needs an er to indicate an agent noun or doesn’t need it?

texts:
I know that most of verbs can be transformed into noun or thing, which does the action.

But why are there many words that stay as they are and the suffix “er” cannot be attached to them.

For instance,

Teach ———-> teacher

Seek—————> seeker

Kill——————> killer

But the following noun stay as they are

  Judge————> judge (the person who judge)
  Guide ————> guide (the person who guide)
  Delegate ———> delegate (the person who is delegated)

Why these nouns, for example, don’t turn into:

  1) judger
  2) guider
  3) delegator

Is there any rule to follow to determine whether a verb takes er or stays as it is to convey the meaning of a person doing that specific job or action?


texts:
a. If Mary tells you the details of her job, she would be failing in her duty.

b. If Mary tells you the details of her job, she will be failing in her duty.

I know the sentence does not belong to any of the traditional conditional sentence types, but I have seen this sort of pairing (present tense in the if-clause and "would  in the main clause) before. I'd like to know if a is correct, and if so, how it differs from b.


texts:
Consider the sentence, “Your Majesty, I was once the comedian of this court!".
What type of noun is Majesty? Is it proper noun or common noun or abstract noun?
My friend said that it is abstract noun but I didn't understand why it is an abstract noun. It can be a proper noun as it is referring to a particular person i.e. the king.


texts:
Is technically used correctly here?

  You should only cancel the debt of a country if it has at least repaid
  the amount lent, technically turning the debt into an interest-free
  loan.

I thought it was, but now I am having second thoughts about this. It doesn't sound correct.


texts: "The possibility that this {could} be true", is "could" here redundant or wrong?

texts:
If "possibility" is used in a phrase that is similar to the one in the title, then what follows obviously could be true.
To me, using could makes the sentence have a double possibility (an impossibility?) because if we add quotation marks we might get something like this:

It is possible that: "this could be true"

I have checked this article by Cambridge on "modal harmony" which says that could possibly and will probably "may be modally harmonic". However, I don't think that could in "the possibility that this could be true" is used for harmony.
Any thoughts?


texts: Punctuation in direct speech (?) when you're not quoting anyone

texts:
Sorry, the question was pretty much confusing at best. Rather then editing it I decided to rephrase it from scratch.

There are times when you're not quoting a person (or a book). Let me borrow a sentence given by @Peter_Browning here:

  Should I ask my crush out by saying "will you date me?"

Another example would be:

  Here we would say: And that's what you're supposed to provide.

Or probably:

  You can't go with "I was shared a document."

By the way, do note the quotes are missing here.

So, I'm talking about cases, when you give an example, say what you would say under certain conditions, ask what you should say, what you will say, tell what someone should say. And the question is, "What's the name?" Is it a direct speech? Does it have a name?

Then, shouldn't I use "," or ":" here? Like:

  Should I ask my crush out by saying, "will you date me?"

  Should I ask my crush out by saying: "will you date me?"

Should I start with a capital?

  Should I ask my crush out by saying, "Will you date me?"

  Should I ask my crush out by saying: "Will you date me?"

The other part was about question/exclamation marks, but that is not really related and might be too much for one question. Anyway, let me explain myself here.

Basically, it's about when they go inside/outside quotation marks. But the case I'm most interested in is when quote needs question mark, and the sentence itself needs exclamation mark (... "...?"!), or vice versa (... "...!"?) :) Those must be rare, so I'm rather curious.

P.S. And now I don't know which answer to choose... :(


texts:
For example, there is a sentence:

This is just what we are looking for

When we read it fast, how to read "what we"?

"what we", the t is soft
"wha twe", the tw is read together like in tween

Which is correct?

PS: I have the same problem with that we and other word before we with t ending. Are they having the same rule?