texts: what is the proper nouns to distinguish the materials we need for cooking

texts:
Hi guys I wanted to invite my friend to come to my place to cook together. I was sure what are the proper nouns to distinguish things we need to cook.

For example, if we want to make potato salad, the potatoes would be the an ingredient. And things like mayonnaise or salt would also be ingredients. But I wanted to ask my friend to bring mayonnaise or some special sauces along if he needs to cook something exotic and I don't have those ingredients at home. And for things that actually constitute the food (like the potatoes in this case), we can go buy them together and split the check.

So I feel like I need some ways to properly refer two these two different types of ingredients. And I really love to learn some authentic English expression about this as well.


texts: Which's correct no file "in" the path or no file "on" the path?

texts: I'm confused about what's correct in the context of computers, when you want to say a file "xxx.file" is in a path "C:\xxx\xxx", which word is right: "in" or "on"?


texts: “if the orientation … exceeds the defined orientation or non satisfaction”

texts:
I am struggling with the following sentence.

  In contrast, if the orientation and the maximum length of a rectangle
  exceeds the defined orientation or non satisfaction of the circle
  constraint, the cluster is discarded.

Is “non satisfaction” correct? Does it make sense in this sentence?

I feel that the highlighted phrase breaks the flow of the sentence as I am using this and that exceeds that and then I am directly using the noun non satisfaction to describe some other conditions which I need to express. Is the sentence ok?


texts:
Is the expression "very worth" proper English, and if not, what are some alternatives?

Example:

  This presentation is very worth watching in its entirety.


texts: Money was handed over / money had been handed over

texts:
The money was handed over to driver by this morning

Money had been handed over to driver this morning

What is the difference between these sentences?


texts: What does it mean when we elude ourselves?

texts:
Here is a sentence:
In our daily lives, then, we are never quite there. In the present we elude ourselves and the world eludes the grasp of a fully self-possessed experience.


texts:
WE can correct the below sentence by adding "was" before assigned verb

  A new textbook focused on recent advances in artificial intelligence assigned by our instructor.

But why do we want to convert it to passive voice ? As active voice also makes sense

Here subject = Textbook
     Verb == assigned
     Object = by our instructor

so in simple words

A new Textbook assigned by our instructor. Still has the same meaning i.e. text book was assigned by our instructor.

Can you please help me out on what I am missing here?


texts:
When two singular subjects are connected by "neither...nor", does it take a singular verb or plural verb? Which is more natural and acceptable?

Neither Mary nor Jane is / are beautiful.


texts: Short on vs Short of in examples - difference in meaning?

texts:
I know that "short of" expresses basically "less than/ lack of" and "short on" I often saw explained as "less than expected".
One example I was taught was:

  He was short on words

(he could have said more but he did not) vs

  He was short of words

(he simply did not have enough words to describe what he needed).

Then, I would love to understand if there is a difference:

  The hospital is short on/of nurses.
  We are short on/of good players in
  our team.


texts:
I know that the rule is to use "in" when we are talking about small vehicles, but is there an exception when we could use "on" like for example: "I am on my car to you."? (meaning that I am on my way to someone and I am driving).

Does using "in" or "on" depend on the fact that a car is in motion or not?


texts: Does to correct someone mean to correct his grammatical faults?

texts:
If some one is speaking and making some grammatical mistakes, and we want to ask him if it's okay to correct his grammatical mistakes, can we ask him like this:

"Is it okay to correct you?"?

or we have to say:

"Is it okay to correct your mistakes?"?

, or both of them are right?


texts: "Talking Greek" - does it even make sense?

texts:
Is it a common usual expression?

To say "talking greek" to someone/somebody? Meaning talking incomprehensible stuff.

Thanks!


texts: Can verbs such as "do" and "will" be omitted when restructuring the sentence?

texts:
I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth.
Now, which of the two following sentences are closer to the meaning of the sentence above?

Not a word that comes out of your mouth, do I believe.

Not a word that comes out of your mouth, I believe.

The second sentence is grammatically incorrect, right? As what I have come to understand is that if the sentence contains a verb like do or will, there is no skipping them without the sentence turning into an ungrammatical mess no matter how you arrange the order of the sentence. Am I correct in my understanding?


texts:
I have a question regarding the term "pick up" and I want to emphasize more on "pick up skills after a long time".

Can I say something like:

  I didn't use HTML for a really long time. It gets a little rusty. But if this position requires me to use it which is totally fine because I learned that before, it would be easy for to me to pick up.


texts: Is there a word that means "connected to a conversation, being able to hear, etc."?

texts:
Is there a word that means "connected to a conversation, being able to hear, read or any similar phrase" for "video conversation, chat, phone conversation"? I am trying to think and I can't find a very idiomatic way of saying this. Could you also provide with an example sentence, or a few of them? "Be on the line" can be used for phone conversation, but what about other form of communication like radio, video chat, etc?

For example:

  Don't talk bad about him, he's still ___.


texts: Is Past Perfect correct tense in this sentence?

texts:
I have to send my opinion to my english teacher and I'm not sure if this past perfect tense is correct in this context. Firstly I used Past simple "the things we learned about", which also seems to me correct, but maybe past Perfect is better to emphasize that: firstly the teacher explained a topic of a lesson, learned us (so it was first action that's why past perfect), and later, during the rest of the lesson we were talking and practicing vocabulary or grammar.

I think the most important thing in this course was talking to each other, which helped to practice and to remember the things we had learned about.


texts: The lightning struck the hut and set it alight or set it on fire?

texts:
Let's say you were storytelling something about a hut that was struck by lightning, is there any difference between the two?

  The lightning struck the hut and set it alight?

Vs.

  The lightning struck the hut and set it on fire?


texts: What is "called" referring to in its preceding sentence?

texts:
Researchers in psychology follow the scientific method to perform
  studies that help explain and may predict human behavior. This is a
  much more challenging task than studying snails or sound waves.
  It often requires compromises, such as testing behavior within
  laboratories rather than natural settings, and asking those readily
  available (such as introduction to psychology students) to participate
  rather than collecting data from a true cross-section of the
  population. It often requires great cleverness to conceive of measures
  that tap into what people are thinking without altering their
  thinking, called reactivity. Simply knowing they are being
  observed may cause people to behave
  differently (such as more politely!). People may give answers that
  they feel are more socially desirable than their true feelings.
  But for all of these difficulties for psychology, the payoff of the
  scientific method is that the findings are replicable; that is, if you
  run the same study again following the same procedures, you will be
  very likely to get the same results.

  Source: Learn Psychology by Dr. Kenneth E Carter, Dr. Colleen M Seifert

It seems like "called" refers to "altering their thinking", but I'm not sure because I've never learnt that "past participle" such as "called" can refer to the part of its entire preceding sentence.

Up until now, I've only learnt that "past participle" can refer to its direct preceding noun.


texts: "It seemed like a good idea at the time", not now?

texts:
From the Cambridge Dictionary

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Does the sentence imply the idea is not that good now? In daily life do people who say something that way usually disagree the idea?
In other words, could someone name a real life situation where people did something in a way that was good in the past but is bad nowadays.


texts: Using the word "the" with a university name

texts:
Should I add the word "the" before mentioning a university?

  I am a student at the University of ...

or

  I am a student at University of ....


texts: What is the meaning of "Well, what do you know" here in "The Dark Knight Rises"?

texts:
In The Dark Knight Rises, when Batman shows up on the day of heist in the StockExchange, the anchor in a news channel is speaking the story with a alot of excitement and informs that what appears to be Batman has finally returned after 8 years. Hearing this, Selina Kyle says:

  Well, what do you know?

What is it, a soliloquy or a desperate question to the anchor out of the joy/anger she was feeling then?

Also, what does it mean actually? I think, it means that there is more to know about Batman in the coming time although I am not sure about it. Is my interpretation correct here?


texts: Should you have two periods ending a sentence with et al.?

texts:
Let us suppose that I write:

I read the article from Rossi et al.. Did you?

Is it correct? Should I write two full stops at the end? It sounds very strange to me. "et al." needs a full stop at the end but two in a row...
Should it be like:

I love cats, women, sunsets etc. What about you?


texts: What does "I was up to my neck in the soft corn" mean?

texts:
I don't understand the phrase "I was up to my neck in the soft corn" which appears when I read PLAYBACK by Raymond Chandler. The phrase appears in the following scene:

     "I'd like to be near her-in case she needs me. I wouldn't speak to her. I wouldn't even knock at her door. But she would know I was there and she'd know why. I'd be waiting. I'll always be waiting."
     The girl loved it now. I was up to my neck in the soft corn. I took a deep slow breath and shot for the grand prize. "And I don't somehow like the look of the guy who brought her here," I said.

I guess that 'the soft corn' has some figurative meaning here. But I don't know what.


texts: "Crumbling sidewalk" vs. "crumbled sidewalk"?

texts:
Which one is correct?

I was walking on crumbling or crumbled sidewalk.

I think "crumbled" is more correct, because the side walk *crumbled by people or by cars.

It can make no sense by saying "sidewalk is crumpling"

What do you say about this?


texts: Why were my sentences corrected like this?

texts:
B is the original sentences I wrote.
A is the sentences changed by some native speaker.

A:

  We can think below sentences mean the same thing. But, I think, when I watch an action movie, I hear a lot more "get" than "have". So, I think "get" has more active or urgent meaning than "have"

B:

  Even, we can think above two senteces are the same meaning. But I think when I watch action movie, I hear a lot more " get" than " have". So, I think "get" has more active or urgent meaning than "have".


texts: Is my understanding of this sentence right?

texts:
In LABR, it says

  At some moments, Junkyard Planet’s celebration of the ingenuity of the scrap grubbers and swipes at environmental and labor advocates can feel like an overly enthusiastic embrace of an economic system that distributes justice far less efficiently than it does junk.

Does this sentence means the following?

Junkyard Planet’s celebration of the ingenuity of the scrap grubbers.

Junkyard Planet’s swipes at [environmental and labor advocates].
We feel the two things in 1 are an overly enthusiastic embrace of an economic system.
We think this economic system's ability to distribute justice is far worse than its ability to distribute junk.
This thought (in 3) is different from what the the book Junkyard Planet wants to say originally. (In fact this book might say this economic system is pretty good)


texts: Any alternative for the word "apply" in this context

texts:
I often listen:

  Apply the oil perfectly on your body.

Apply seems a bit writing-English here.

Can I use put on instead of apply?

I wonder if there is any alternative to apply for spoken English.

Thanks in advance.


texts: "That was to become a pattern for every new instructor I was to meet"

texts:
I am writing a passage:

  Every new instructor would ask about my hobbies. That was to become a pattern for every new instructor I was to have/meet.

For some reason I am feeling a bit uncertain about having two "be to do" phrases in a single clause. Does this sentence sound stilted? What if I were to change it to:

  Every new instructor would ask about my hobbies. That was to become a pattern for every new instructor I had/met.


texts: Differences between "teenage ages loves" & "teen ages loves"

texts: I am confused about which of the above terms to use in referring to love stories which usually happen for younger people between 13 and 19. Is it normal to use age twice in one sentence for both teenage and ages? Why not teen ages?


texts:
I encountered a case like this in today's class.

  S+ seem/look/feel +adj to describe your feeling or attitude toward sth.

Firstly

  the test feels hard.
  the weather seems hot today.

So are feel and seem identical in the above 2 sample?

Secondly

  the man feels bad
  the man seems bad

I'm not so sure about these. The 2 example clearly tell different scenarios.

  the man feels sorry about something and he regret it or he is just not feeling well.
  the man looks like a bad person.

However, if I follow the rule of my book example 1 could also describe that he is a bad person. So I want to ask if I use the sentence: the man feels bad, will it create anambiguous sentence where they don't know the man is a bad guy or just not feeling well? Or the 1st example only have 1 meaning that the man is just feeling sick or regretful?

Thanks for reading.


texts: How to use the word "less/fewer" correctly?

texts: I want to express a thought which sounds like "Rick has eaten 8 candies and 3 pieces fewer of a pie" which means that Rick has eaten only 5 pieces of pie. Does my sentence soung grammatically correct or maybe there is some other way how to formulate that thought correctly?


texts:
Could you tell me what get this way mean? For example:

  You lost your job, started smoking, become overweight. How did you get this way?

Is it used to ask what happened to someone?


texts: Could you help me with this When clause?

texts:
The Agency shall, in collaboration with the Member States and the Commission, draw up the functional specifications for the Eudra vigilance database, together with a timeframe for their implementation. The Agency shall prepare an annual report on the Eudravigilance database and send it to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. The first annual report shall be prepared by 2 January 2013.
  The Management Board of the Agency shall on the basis of an independent audit report that takes into account the recommendation of the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee confirm and announce when the Eudravigilance database has achieved full functionality and the system meets the functional specifications drawn up pursuant to the first subparagraph. EU Regulation

Could you please help me with the last sentence?

...confirm and announce when ...

Does it mean the management board of the agency shall confirm and announce the time when the database has achieved full funtionality and the system meets the functional specifications? (= the board shall confirm and announce the time when the database is completed.) (so the When clause is a noun)

Or does it mean When the Eudravigilance database has achieved full functionality and the system meets the functional specifications drawn up pursuant to the first subparagraph, the board shall confirm and announce it? (so the When clause is an adverb.)

If it's the second meaning, wouldn't "confirm and announce" need an object?


texts: Would you please tell me whether they are the same or not?

texts:
Would you tell me if the followings are the same?

Bob didn't know how to swim. However, she jumped into the pool.

Bob didn't know how to swim. Yet she jumped into the pool.


texts:
I was reading an article and noticed the headline: "A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world."

Why does it use the gerund (finding) instead of infinitive (to find)?


texts:
Usage example with a context:

  “Every one of these sentences is, to put it mildly, a stretch,” explained one seasoned Kremlin-watcher, and the news this week from Ukraine has been grim, contra Obama’s hopeful pose. While Russia’s economy remains seriously hurt from sanctions and, even more, the sharp drop in oil prices, the notion that this is taming Putin’s baser urges is not only untrue, it’s more likely the opposite of the truth, as I cautioned a month ago.

Is that a preposition? Something similar to the preposition contrary to? I've never seen this one before plus many English dictionaries out there don't even have it listed as a preposition.


texts:
What does it mean to walk vaguely in the following sentence?

  As she walked vaguely up the steps of the building, she shifted the small pot of flowers from hand to hand; then she set it down and remove her mittens before she could open the door.


texts:
Which of the following is the correct possessive of plural?

Peoples' homes
People's homes?
Peoples homes?


texts: Meaning of "as is an increased awareness in the role of tourism in the delivery on the post-2015 Development Agenda"

texts:
I ran into this sentence in Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals, issued by UNWTO, under Goal 17 :

  ...Indeed, public/public cooperation and public/private partnerships are a necessary and core foundation for tourism development, as is an increased awareness in the role of tourism in the delivery on the post-2015 Development Agenda.

The part as is an increased awareness in the role of tourism in the delivery on the post-2015 Development Agenda is a bit confusing to me.

Is it grammatical?

What/where is the subject of the verb is?

What does this part mean?

Isn't the preposition of awareness of? Why in has been used?

What does delivery on mean?


texts: "be responsive to" VS "be adaptive to" VS "be receptive to"

texts:
Americans are receptive to change.
  Americans are adaptive to change.
  Americans are responsive to change.

I am sorry for only providing a single line without any background. My question is is there any disparities between the three sentences.


texts:
Considering the following sentence I made:

  In cases where the scope of a context is specified using “Preceding”, the root of the document is counted as the beginning of the context and the anchor node marks the end of it.

Should it be "in the cases"? Is there any difference?

When to use "the", specially for plural names? As they may seem to be general!?


texts: What is the meaning of "You are timing me"?

texts:
It was actually written as: "You timing me", which is grammatically incorrect, so I fixed that.

The question is: what that could possibly mean?

I have searched on the internet, but found nothing except "big time" and "timing".


texts: "[A] voice that bored a thousand ships into sinking themselves"

texts:
Still a line from "The Marvelous Ms. Maisel"

The character said:

  And Stan... who has a voice that bored a thousand ships into sinking themselves.

I was totally lost about this phrase.


texts:
I believe English speakers tend to default to the sounded /z/, but the letter s in isolation is not sounded - it is an /s/, rather than a /z/.

How is it handled in an acronym, such as "U.S.A"?


texts: The word for a person who rides a train next to the driver, making sure everything is done right

texts: There's this procedure in train companies that an instructor comes and rides along, next to the driver, checking that everything is done according to the rules. While doing that, he or she doesn't provide any additional instructions, doesn't assist the driver in any way, just observing. What is the proper word/phrase for that person and the job/activity?


texts: What does "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated…" mean? (From Lincoln's Gettysburg Address)

texts:
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address included a sentence that started like this¹:

  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work…

What is this construction?

  It is… for us… to be <something>.

Does it mean:

  It is (fitting and proper) for us to …?

¹ This excerpt from the revised version of the speech, which Lincoln gave at Gettysburg.  Lincoln transcribed the commas in various ways in written copies of the speech.


texts: Is it possible to have 2 subjects in a defining relative clause?

texts:
Is it possible to have 2 subjects in a defining relative clause ?
For example:

  The author whose book I've read is going to be in my town

"whose book" and "I" are 2 subjects here right ? Or "whose book" is describing something ? Can someone explain me ? Thank!


texts: "The focus of this section is on.." vs "The focus of this section is ..."

texts:
I would like to understand the using of the word focus. Do I need to use focus on or focus? Which one is correct?

  The focus of this section is on introducing something.

or

  The focus of this section is introducing something.


texts: How to use "as such" "corresponding" "accordingly"

texts:
If you click ON a dangerous link, a message saying "This link is
  dangerous!" will be displayed.

I am trying to describe the meaning of the above sentence without the concrete expression "This link is dangerous!".  My drafts are as follows:

  If you click ON a dangerous link, a corresponding message will be
  displayed.
  If you click ON a dangerous link, a message will be displayed as such.
  If you click ON a dangerous link, a message will be displayed
  accordingly.

Could you advise me on which of these is best.


texts: When can I omit "and" without making it look like all the information has been given?

texts:
fabulous people!
I am writing a scientific essay with a 500 word limit. I am trying to list the major symptoms presented in the three stages of COVID-19 infection.
The sentence in question is the following:
Hallmarks of moderate disease are inflammation, O2 saturation ≥94%, dyspnea, whereas of severe—uncontrolled inflammation, tachypnea, hypoxemia (O2 saturation ≤93%) (Fajgenbaum and June, 2020).
I am wondering if I can omit the "and" before the last symptom I am listing without making the sentence sound as if these are all the symptoms of this particular stage.
I hope this makes sense!


texts: "Looking forward to hearing from you" - May I omit "I am" at the beginning?

texts:
At the end of a letter, is it correct to omit "I am" in this sentence?

  I am looking forward to hearing from you

Then it will become:

  Looking forward to hearing from you


texts:
According to http://www.phrasemix.com/phrases/something-is-of-high-quality ,

  It is high quality.

or

  It is of high quality.

are both OK, but clearly the first is ungrammatical. Is it really normal to say the first, or sounds a little bit odd and is used seldomly?


texts: HAVE you talked this through+before you MADE this...(tense confusion)

texts:
Let's say your bestfriend and his girlfriend has finally decided to marry each other. Knowing that, you now ask them if they talked the marriage through, and you say:

  Have you guys talked this through before you made that decision.

Or

  Have you guys talked this through before you made that decision.

From my research, as for the sequence of events, the present perfect tense comes first and then the past tense if the situation is still happening right? But should I add HAD(from sentence#2) or not?


texts: There's the phrase "an entire generation", but how do I describe that something had effected many generations? can I use "several entire generations"?


texts:
[Source:] Myself is used as the object of a reflexive verb (“I hurt myself”), as an intensifier (“I myself will go”), and can be used in absolutive clause (“for my wife and myself it was a happy time”)

What are the similarities and differences between the following? This comment worsens my confusion.

1. For me it was a happy time.
2. For myself it was a happy time.

I am guessing that in 1, me is an object pronoun,
and in 2, myself  is an intensive pronoun, but this link states:

While English intensive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself, himself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) use the same form as reflexive pronouns, an intensive pronoun is different from a reflexive, because the pronoun can be removed without altering the meaning of the sentence.

Yet in 2, 'myself' CAN'T be removed?
Obiter dictum: Here's another link on absolute phrases.


texts: (verb) in order to (verb). Omit "in order"

texts:
May "in order" always be omitted, without losing any meaning? (without lose of meaning). For examples:

For freinship's sake she agreed to act as a teacher in order to substitute her sick friend

=

For freinship's sake she agreed to act as a teacher to substitute her sick friend

And

That is way you must study your German very hard in order to use German genders correctly

=

That is way you must study your German very hard to use German genders correctly

And so on
Does it always save meaning?


texts: She seems to be in a better mood than (what) she was in before. --meaning difference

texts:
She seems to be in a better mood than she was in before.

  She seems to be in a better mood than what she was in before.

Are both the above sentences grammatically correct? They have a different grammatical form, which is confusing. What, if anything, is the difference in their meaning?


texts: What's the rule governing the use of an indefinite article with a noun?

texts:
Source

  Gazing at them for hours on end, sitting on the sandy river bank, was a great help to me. I could wash away my anguish and disgust over life. The anguish and disgust were caused by my guardians. They insisted on my taking to as irrational an occupation as learning how to read and write.

I have been unable to understand the structure and meaning of the bold part.

Also, the article usage in irrational an occupation seems a bit odd to me and I think it should be like an irrational occupation.


texts: What is the difference between "I like hearing the song" and "I like listening to the song"?

texts:
What is the difference between the following sentences?

  I like hearing the song.

  I like listening to the song.

I am sure that both sentences are valid but can't quite see the difference. Does the first imply that I like it when someboy else play the song?


texts: What does "A complex system of glands" in the Google Earth Day Quiz mean?

texts:
I was doing an Earth Day Quiz on Google Search Engine and went across that option under "What do you look for in a partner?"

I want to know: What does “A complex system of glands” mean?


texts: up to my satisfaction or to my satisfaction

texts:
Which sentence is more correct?

My English is good but not to my satisfaction.
My English is good but not up to my satisfaction.

Or is there any other better way of saying the same thing?

And is this sentence correct "Is there any other better way of saying the same thing?"


texts: How to understand the usage of "so that" in this context?

texts:
The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.

I'm confused by the usage of "so that" in this sentence. "So that" usually means "in order that", but "bewitching several snowballs" is unnecessary for them to follow Quirrell around. In other words, they don't really have to bewitch snowballs in order to follow Quirrell around. Anyway, I may simply misunderstand what the whole sentence is trying to convey. Can someone help me to understand it?

--excerpted from Harry Potter.


texts: The verb "propose" with the indirect object

texts:
Is this sentence gramatically correct? Is it acceptable to use the indirect object (us) here?

  They proposed us a plan.


texts: Which is correct, 'While riding' or 'riding'?

texts:
Riding across the battle field, he saw a large number of dead warriors.
While riding across the battle field, he saw a large number of dead warriors.

Which of the above sentences is correct?


texts:
Most of us are suspicious of rapid cognition. We believe that the quality of the decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it. That’s what we tell our children: “Haste makes waste.” “Look before you leap.” “Stop and think.”We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and spending as much time as possible in careful consideration. But there are moments, particularly in time-driven, critical situations, when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgments and first impressions can offer better means of making sense of the world. Survivors have somehow learned this lesson and have developed and sharpened their skill of rapid cognition.

What does Survivors refer to?

The people who have employed such skill to take rapid cognition
Whole human beings


texts:
In Life (2017) movie, David say this lines to Miranda in ISS spaceship:

  David: Your worry lines are showing

  Miranda: Yeah, well, I get paid by the line.

Is he referring to heart beat?


texts: What are some other idiomatic ways of saying getting into trouble?

texts:
Request: what are some other idiomatic way of saying getting into trouble? Or some alternatives (slangs, idioms, phrases)?
In context like:

I've gotten into trouble, so I can't contact you right now.

Ideally, is there any websites or dictionary where I can search for phrases, idioms, etc. by typing the meaning I want to convey?


texts: "But he would have no way of knowing if the answer he received were true" - Is it a subjunctive?

texts:
Here is a quote from a book:

  But he would have no way of knowing if the answer he received were true.

Why is there were instead of was in the above sentence? The only answer that comes to my mind is that this is a subjunctive.

The topic of the subjunctive was covered in the following question very well:
Why is it 'come' and not 'comes' in 'it is important that he come...'?

However, my sentence doesn't belong to any of the four categories mentioned by M.A.R. in his answer to this question, so I don't think this the subjunctive. Then what is it?

I get that this is an imaginary situation (would have no way) and the second conditional. But this is all I can think of.


texts: Asking something "just for general knowledge" - acceptable idiom?

texts:
can I use this words (just for general knowledge) in the following context?

Miss. Liz is a secretary of my department at the university.

Context:

  "Miss Liz, just for general knowledge, can I combine my law study (L.L.B) with
  another studies in another faculties? (like biology or something else
  in the science)"

I mean that I don't want really yet to do that, but I ask it just to know and as an option for the future. I hope that I explained myself understandably.


texts:
The box is too heavy for me to lift it.

The box is too heavy for me to lift.

  I want to know whether I need to put ***object
   in *too for object to infinitive * structure.


texts:
I watched a movie.It was naptime in the afternoon for a young child.
I heard her brother said nighty night. I think we can say it only at night.

Can we say it at naptime?

And what should we say to children before naptime?


texts: How could know it should be "a" or "an" while in text, I type the 'a' or 'an' first, then the noun?

texts:
Firstly, I know when to use 'a' or 'an' before the noun, such as

  a book
  a tiger
  an orange
  an apple.

My question is when I type/say a sentence, such as

  It is a book / an apple

what I type is 'a'/'an' then the noun. I always type/say 'a' and then the noun. And I will correct the 'a' to 'an' if the 'an' is proper. This is very confused to me. How could I know the 'an' is correct without being typed the 'apple'. How could I correctly use 'a' and 'an'?


texts: He wanted to have himself (get/be) devoured. --- Grammaticality

texts:
"He wanted to have himself devoured."

  "He wanted to have himself be/get devoured."

I was reading an article, and I came across the sentence I used first of the sentences I used above.

And I was wondering if it's grammatically correct, and whether the second one would be deemed grammatically correct as well.


texts:
"Do you have the reference number with you?"

or

  "Do you have the reference number on you?"

Please tell me which one is correct


texts:
During the last few years, there has been an enormous increase in the number of shops, stores and supermarkets which provide facilities for self-service. Their general purpose is to provide goods of every description attractively and hygienically and in perfect condition, so that the customer can serve herself, and then pay for the goods with the minimum of delay.
  (Found at http://www.myanmar-network.net/m/discussion?id=3423487%3ATopic%3A766166)

In the sentence, what does the word 'their' refer to, 'shops, stores and supermarkets' or 'facilities for self-service'?


texts: So apparently, after researching I found out that podcast means a recorded video that we can hear/view online and we can download it through digital devices such as PC/laptop. But if that's the case aren't all youtube videos considered a podcast? Or am I wrong?


texts: The use of the word "occupy" in the context

texts:
Let's say I am staing at a hostel and there is only one electric kettle. I need to to boil some  water to cook a meal. So I take it fill it up and turn it on. To cook a meal I need all the water. It boils, but then another person comes up and take the kettle not knowing that I am the person who filled it up and that I need all the water. So does the use of occupy sound natural in the following sentence?

  I am sorry, but I occupied the kettle first.

I am almost sure that the sentence doesn't sound natural, but I have no clue what a native English speaker would say to communicate the meaning.


texts: Different kinds of conditional sentences which look similar and confusing

texts:
What is the difference in the meaning and uses of following sentences:

1.If Ram does my homework,I will watch a film.

2.If Ram does my homework, I would watch a film.

3.If  Ram did my homework, I would watch a film.

4.If Ram were to do my homework(now), I would watch a film.

The sentences above are quite similar to me , I'm often confused with their uses and meanings.
Here is my openions about them :

1st sentence suggests that the speaker is sure Ram will do his homework and he will watch film. ( certain Future +certain  future)

2.2nd sentences suggests that Ram will surely do his homework and Speaker is imagining that he will watch film. ( certain future + imagined situation of future)

3.3rd sentence suggests that imagining condition ( imagined future +imagined future)

4th sentence suggests that the speaker is quite uncertain and he doesn't expect that Ram will do his homework or It's impossible for Ram to do his homework.Speaker is sad. (Unexpected imagination + expected future)

Now,I would say that i'm puzzled  in my opinion. So, please explain me what is the correct meaning and uses of those conditional  structured sentences.
Please provide a helpfull
.
Thank you very much in Advance.


texts:
I have following information

  Pete develops new software in C# and C++. He also modifies existing software written in these languages.

How do I express it in a single sentence? All my attempts look bad: I either repeat and many times or software.


texts: What does 'Singapore to shut down 2G network' mean? The structure seems strange to me

texts:
I was wondering what this sentence (Singapore to shut down 2G network) means:

I assume what it means but I want to know exactly what it means . I've never seen such structure of a sentence.


texts: Is "through" the most natural word to use here?

texts:
I would like to know if through is the best word to use in these sentences or maybe in is better?

  Robert drives through the city. He parks outside a building and gets out of the car.

  Robert walks through a cemetery. He stops by his brothers grave.


texts: How tall/high is the Empire State building?

texts:
According to Cambridge, tall is used to talk about people's height. It can also be used to talk about things that are high and tall in their shape, such as trees and buildings. However, google shows both high and tall are used in the following questions:

  How high/tall is the Empire State Building?

  How high/tall is the Eiffel Tower?

Are high and tall equally good in both sentences above? And can I use either one in:

  How high/tall is the Great Pyramid of Giza?

Edit:

I have read with great pleasure all the valuable answers and comments. I just wanted to say I wasn't looking for a lengthy comparison of the two terms in every possible scenario. I would never say, for example, how tall is the International Space Station? when I mean to ask about the vertical distance from ISS to the Earth's surface. I would instead ask How high is the ISS?, or even better, How far is the ISS from Earth?. What I wanted to ask about is whether high can be used for structures lying at the surface of the Earth and extending high up for some distance, as represented by the title question, to mean the same as tall. Of all the answers given, Lambie's one has addressed this head-on. Now that I'm not a native speaker, and with all the disagreements in the comments and answers, I can't tell if @Lambie is right. But I'd especially like to thank him (or her, I really can't tell from the name) for addressing the central point of my question, regardless of whether or not he/she is right.


texts:
What is the difference between two sentences...

  My uncle has three sons all of whom work in the same office.
  My uncle has three sons they all work in the same office.

In the last sentence, is there any grammatical mistake regarding joining two clauses?

And in my first sentence,  why can't I use all of them?


texts: Why did the author use the second conditional instead of the third conditional in the passage?

texts:
Even though it refers to the past time, the second conditional is used. Why?
English tenses sometimes seem to be mixed, which makes me confused.

If creators knew when they were on their way to
fashioning a masterpiece, their work would progress only
forward: they would halt their idea generation efforts as
they struck gold. But time an again, Simonton finds that they backtrack, returning to versions that they had earlier discarded as inadequate. In
Beethoven’s most celebrated work, the Fifth Symphony, he
scrapped the conclusion of the first movement because it
felt too short, only to come back to it later. Had Beethoven
been able to distinguish an extraordinary from an ordinary
work, he would have accepted his composition immediately
as a hit. When Picasso was painting his famous Guernica in
protest of fascism, he produced 79 different drawings. Many
of the images in the painting were based on his early
sketches, not the later variations. "The subsequent sketches proved to constitute 'blind alleys' in which the artist did not know in advance that he was taking the wrong track," Simonton explains. If Picasso could judge his
creations as he produced them, he would get consistently
“warmer” and use the later drawings. But in reality, it was
just as common that he got “colder.”

Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World


texts:
I read this expression in Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet. The chapter is about a man and his adopted daughter both are living amongst Mormons.

  “It was a warm June morning, and…[d]own the dusty highroads defiled
  long streams of heavily laden mules, all heading for the west, for the
  gold fever had broken out in California, and the overland route lay
  through the city of the Elect.”

In the link below the author discusses the historical accuracy of the novel and again mentions about the same city (Beginning from the last line of page #31).

http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/images/2000%20American%20Chapters%20-%20Vizoskie.pdf

  There were westward travelers through the City of the Elect, but
  they were silver miners headed for Nevada—the Comstock Lode had been
  discovered in February, 1859.

It seems the author knows this city too but my Google search haven't furnished me with a good answer to my question. Is it the real name of a city? If not what does this refer to?

As a side question how should I interpret the sentence I quoted from the book?

Option 1: ... all heading for the west for the gold fever had broken out in California and they will firstly reach the overland route lay through the city of the Elect and will travel to California via this route

Option 2: ... all heading for the west for the gold fever had broken in California and the gold fever had broken in the overland route lay through the city of the Elect


texts: "readily" as an answer for someone who ask something is acceptable in spoken English?

texts:
This question is not about definition, but about usage.

According to Babylon dictionary the definition of readily is: "readily. adv. with pleasure, willingly, eagerly"
see here: http://dictionary.babylon.com/english/

My question is whether "readily" is used by native speakers as an answer for someone who makes a request in spoken English.

For example:

  Q: "Can I use your phone please for a moment?"

  A: "Yes, readily"

I know the definition of readily, I am asking whether this is appropriate usage.


texts:
Tell me please if I need to use the in the sentences below.

  As (the) years pass, white dwarfs cool down and begin to dim.

  As (the) years pass, Kate begins to become more reserved.

Actually the first sentence was used with the by a native english speaker, but I do not undestand why it was used. As for the second one I am not sure whether I need to use the or not. Does the phrase as  years pass always have to be used with the, If yes, then why?


texts:
"Making a Murderer" fans had better get their boots on.

(Source: Steven Avery's lawyer promises evidence 'tsunami')

Can you explain to me what fans should do in the above sentence? I presume that "get their boots on" is used in the figurative sense, and given the context I would say that it means something to that effect that the fans should spring their attention but not sure.


texts: Correct name of place showing live concert videos

texts:
What is the correct name of a place that shows live concert videos in a hall?

  Cine live hall
  Live cine hall
  Cine live in the hall

The noun takes two adjectives but I can't see which one would come first. I also wonder whether there's a type of event or performance called "cine live."


texts:
Scenario:
Two people are in trouble conflict with each other. One day, one of them says,

"It's time (for us to stop this.)"

And the other says,

  Why should you get to choose when to call time on the conflict between us?

Here, if I omit "get to", will the meaning change or the sentence become unnatural?


texts: Is it right to say "as certain as can be"?

texts:
Can we say that somebody is as certain as can be without referring to a subject?

If so, what could this mean?


texts:
I'm reading the famous question XKCD #936: Short complex password, or long dictionary passphrase? on Security.SE. The last sentence confuses me:

  Am I missing something or is this armchair analysis sound?

It seems that OP meant "XKCD's analysis might be flawed", but I wonder how the phrase "armchair analysis sound" can express this meaning.


texts: They are somebody who ... (plural indefinite pronouns)

texts: Can we say "they are somebody who deserve it"? Meaning they are the kind of people who deserve it. If so, should we use third person version and write "deserves"?


texts: "Want to be able to" VS "Want be able to"

texts:
Which form is correct?

  I want to be able to run 3 miles even when I am very old.

  I want be able to run 3 miles even when I am very old.


texts: About the dropped "that" as a conjunction before a clause

texts:
I stumbled upon a website with the following paragraph:

  MBIE has launched an investigation into claims Chinese galvanised
  steel coil imports have been dumped on the local market, causing
  "material injury" to New Zealand industry, and the case will end up on
  the table of newly appointed Commerce Minister Jacqui Dean.

I thought that sentence was grammatically wrong because the author should put the word "that" (as a conjunction) right after the word "claim".
I don't see why the author could drop the conjunction.
Is this a prevailing phenomenon in American or Australian English?


texts: Are the following sentences simple or compound?

texts:
He is good and handsome.
He is rich, but unhappy.

Though coordinating conjuctions are used to join two independent clauses and make compound sentences. But a clause is made with one subject and one finite verb. And here there is only one finite verb present.


texts: What does "rabbited" mean/imply in this sentence?

texts:
I am totally lost in the sentence as when Agent Coulson was dying, he said this to Fury:

  I’m sorry, boss. The god rabbited,"

I assume the god refers to Loki? And how did rabbit have anything to do with Loki? (because Loki's helmet had long horns, like rabbit ears?)

I checked the meaning of "rabbit" as a verb, it either means "go rabbiting to hunt" or "to talk continuously about things that are not important or interesting"; neither seems to fit the context.

So could anyone help please?

Here is the sentence in the context :

  He found Coulson sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. He was
  pale, his eyes heavy-lidded and his breath shallow. He looked up as
  Fury approached and knelt in front of him. Fury took the gun off his
  lap and set it on the floor.

  “I’m sorry, boss. The god rabbited,” Coulson said.

  “Just stay awake. Eyes on me.”

  “No. I’m clocking out here.” Even on the edge of death, Coulson kept
  his cool. Clocking out, Fury thought. How many soldiers could make a
  little joke in the last moments of their lives? Coulson was one of a
  kind.

  “Not an option,” Fury said. He couldn’t afford to lose this man. Not
  after everything else they’d lost today.

  “It’s okay, boss,” Coulson breathed. “This was never going to work . .
  . if they didn’t have something . . . to . . .”

  He never finished what he was going to say. With a last slow sigh,
  Agent Phil Coulson died.

  the avengers I


texts:
Recently, I asked whether the restrictive relative pronoun that or the non-restrictive relative pronoun which (plus a comma) should be used following a name:

  Casa Loma consists of three main buildings — the Casa Loma proper, which is a seven-story Gothic tower, the two-story Hunting Lodge that once housed the home’s servants quarters, and a massive stable.

To my surprise, some people claim the above instance of "that" is acceptable. Wouldn't that debunk the distinction between the restrictive and non-restrictive relative pronouns? I don't know if they think so simply because they regard "the Hunting Lodge" as a common noun phrase. What about the following?

  Why did the United States that had welcomed so many millions of immigrants for nearly a century suddenly become so fearful of immigration in the 1920s?


texts: What is the meaning of this sentence . "On his own part, Sir William Jones's concern was second to none. "? I have interpreted that he was equally concerned like others.


texts: People have the right to demand protection (for/of) their business against XYZ

texts:
People have the right to demand protection for their business against a bandit group trying to grab it.

This sentence is from an error spotting exercise which suggests to replace for with of,  Is it correct? If yes what's the difference in the meaning of these two phrases?


texts:
When I write:

  The script is timeouting.

or:

  Timeouting commands in shell scripts

The word timeouting is marked by Apple spell checker as non-existing.

Is it a valid word?


texts:
11. Am I making it easy for the customer to respond?
  [...]
  Small inaccuracies in job title and department (not to mention surname!) are behind a huge percentage of communications written off as junk. When all you had to do was allow them to update a word...
  Source: Email Marketing - 12 Tips to Help You Conquer Your Direct Marketing Campaign Challenges : MarketingProfs Article

What does written off as junk mean here?


texts: Can I replace "man" with another word in words like swordman, manpower, policeman, etc?

texts:
Do you know what are elves and dwarfs? They are fictional species for fantasy stories.

I was wondering if words like swordman, manpower, policeman, spearman, etc (everything with man) could be replaced with swordelf, dwarfpower, policedwarf, spearelf, etc Can I replace the part "man" with another?

In case of yes, about elves, would be ...elf or ...elve?


texts:
An excerpt from Beginning Java Objects: From Concepts to Code by Jacquie Barker:

  Your client comes to inspect the work, and he is terribly disappointed. One of the reasons he had selected blue stars as a construction material was that they are extremely energy efficient but, because you used nails and mortar to assemble the stars, they have lost a great deal of their inherent ability to insulate the home.
  To compensate, your client asks you to replace all of the windows in the home with triple-pane thermal glass windows so that they will allow less heat to escape. You’re panicking at this point—swapping out the windows will require you to literally rip the walls apart, destroying the house.
  When you tell your customer this, he goes ballistic! Another reason he selected blue stars as a construction material was because of their modularity, and hence ease of accommodating design changes but, because of the ineffective way you assembled these stars, they’ve lost this flexibility as well.

I absolutely have no problem understanding the first he had selected. But, why do you think in the second instance, the had has gone missing? Although I think I have, sort of, a general feeling why that might the be case, I still would like to receive a more grammatically rigorous explanation as to why this kind of thing happens when we first use the past perfect and then shift it to a simple past tense when there is a need to use the same idea again.


texts: "What happens when/if..." vs. "what will happen when/if..."

texts:
Could you tell me if there is any difference in meaning between what happens when/if... and what will happen when/if... For example:

What happens if you lose your job? Do you have a plan?
What will happen if you lose your job? Do you have a plan?


texts: I'm co-hosting open mic/stage events in my town in a non-English speaking country. Shortly, it means that in a certain bar there are both the stage and musical instruments provided by us for anybody to use. It is in our interests to reach international guests to perform onstage, too, via Facebook invitations and status updates and such, in English, that is. I'm wondering what other words there'd be at my disposal in regard to referring to individuals and groups of people apt to perform on an open mic/stage night. So far I've been sticking to "performers". However, I feel that it's sort of too formal. Any suggestions? Should anybody have any experience in such events, I'd be grateful to receive propositions.


texts:
1) Dragging the basket out of the fire and lifting the
pekingese by the scruff, he kissed it full on its tiny,
pink lips.

As far as I know participle phrases are simultaneous
actions. But in the sentence number (1) why did the
writer use participles as sequential actions?

Suppose the sentence number (1) is correct , then
what would be the difference if I use (comma)
instead of "and "? the sentence as follows :

1) Dragging the basket out of the fire, lifting the
pekingese by the scruff, he kissed it full on its tiny,
pink lips.

Please explain in detail. I am having a tough time understanding those.


texts: It seems that/It looks like we've got company

texts:
If I'm on a higher floor in that same building and someone down in the lobby calls me on the phone and tells me about someone who has arrived, and I were to pass that information on to someone, would it be natural to use both of these sentences? Can "it looks like" be used if I haven't seen anything myself but only been told?
It seems that we've got company down in the lobby.
It looks like we've got company down in the lobby.


texts: Why is active form considered better than passive form?

texts:
I know that  "The children ate ice cream"(active form) is preferred over

"Ice Cream was eaten at the party"(passive form)

Similarly for these sentences too

Awkward: "Some people painted pictures of animals on ancient walls."

Better:   "Pictures of animals were painted."

  But i need to know Why?

  Are there some other sentences too and also

  How do i get to know which is preferred?


texts:
Please check both sentences and let me know, which one is correct. As per my opinion it is(is) for singular thing so it should be it is the worst thing not it is the worst things.

I read it somewhere:

  It is the worst things that can bring out the best in you.

As per my opinion:

  It is the worst thing that can bring out the best in you.

Thanks in advance.


texts: What does "Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a staircase" mean in this context?

texts:
The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, “GOT YOUR CONK!”

I can't figure out what "Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase" truly mean in this context. The word 'worth' here doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Can someone help me to understand it?

P.S. This is from Harry Potter.


texts:
I'm really hoping that someone can help me.
In these sentences what does would actually mean? Usually we can use would to talk about past habit, suggestions, advice, conditionals etc.
1.
He would get upset about that! (= I'm not surprised. Knowing him - this is a typical thing that he'd do)
or
2
A: She at all of biscuits and didn't leave any for anyone else.
B: Well, she would! (= I'm not surprised. Knowing her this is a typical thing that she'd do)

What can I call this form of would if I'd like to read more about it? Why do we use 'would' here? How might it be described in a grammatical way?

Thanks!


texts: Is it correct to use a hyphen in 'arbitrary-typed data'?

texts:
I am defining some key words in my context of working.

I wrote this:

"Lists are ordered collection of arbitrary-typed data."

Is it correct to use a hyphen here?

Note

In my context the word arbitrary is 100% fit my needs so I am not looking for a new word at all.

I am trying to say that the lists could contain data from many types


texts: Is there a word that means "being of X trait"?

texts:
Is there a verb that means "being of X trait"? When you give the definition of a certain adjective, you use the verb "is", but this leads to an imprecision in speech that sounds awkward, so is there a better way to express the idea?

Here's an example:

  The definition of the word "whitish" is any color between white and
  gray.

But using is in the above example sounds incorrect and imprecise, is there a better way to word this?


texts:
I am writing to a girl who lives close to California, I asked her whether she has a big family there and she responded:

  Yes I do have a lot of family here with me. Uncles and aunts yes and some live in Chicago.

Is "I do have" correct English? I mean, isn't correct to say "I have" ?


texts: Why "with" here - My mother told me about these visits with Ruth and their worries

texts:
I am reading The Longest Ride. The use of preposition in one sentence made me ask this question here.
The sentence is -

  My mother told me about these visits with Ruth and their worries.

The use of "with" here suggests that "my mother" visited somewhere with Ruth, right?

Now I am going to give the context quoting some lines from the previous texts -

  'But I had also became friends with your mother in the year you (Ira) were gone (for schooling elsewhere). While my father was working, my mother and I would go to the shop. We would speak of Vienna and our old lives.....'
  Ruth was saying this to Ira, looking back to their younger days. Now Ruth and Ira are married and too old.

Now I just want to know why "with" is used their in that sentence? It should have been "from" or "of", right?


texts: Could you please explain why the infinitive that means "to be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs (especially the upper legs) are supported by some object" is to be sitting but not just to sit.  What is the difference between both infinitives?


texts: Is it correct to say "what weather is supposed to be tonight?"

texts:
Is it correct to say

  "What weather is supposed to be tonight?"

Or I have to say

  "What is the weather supposed to be tonight?"

I want to use "supposed to be" as a phrasal verb.


texts:
As many other foreign English language learners, I often find myself struggling with English prepositions. This time, I came across an irreverent but funny sentence when I was watching a strange English movie a couple of days ago.

  ..But then, when did a single-figure IQ hold anybody back in the police force?

Although I think I understood its meaning, I was wondering whether the preposition IN is correct or not? Would "from entering/joining" have been a better choice in place of "in"?


texts: Why is "science" in "Bachelor of Science" singular, whereas "arts" in "Bachelor of Arts" is plural?

texts:
In the following degrees — "Bachelor of Science" and "Master of Science" — "science" is an uncountable or singular noun.
In contrast, in "Bachelor of Arts" and Master of Arts, "arts" is countable and plural. Wikipedia says the Master of Arts "degree is usually contrasted with the Master of Science." If so, then they should probably use the same grammar, no?
From Cambridge dictionary,

arts C1 [ plural ]: subjects, such as history, languages, and literature, that are not scientific subjects

There are several different majors/fields under each degree. We can have "Master of Science in Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, etc." and "Master of Arts in Linguistics, Political Science, Economics, etc." The point I am trying to make is that since the degrees are similar in the sense that they have multiple fields, shouldn't they both have the same noun form in the titles? Like, either both should have the countable or plural "arts" and "sciences", or both should have the uncountable "art" and "science".
There are departments/schools/programs with "sciences" in their name though: Natural Sciences, Earth Sciences, etc.
Why do they not have the same noun form in the degree titles? Why is it not "Master of Sciences"?


texts: Is this a complete sentence?: "The man is looking."

texts:
I think it may not be grammatically correct but definitely semantically incorrect.

This is because the verb 'look' requires a specific adverbial or adjectival complement to be meaningful.

The subject is looking for (at, under, in, over etc.) something. (prepositions)

The subject is looking somewhere (away, up, down, north etc.). (adverbs)

The subject is looking someway (sad, lonely, happy etc). (adjectives)

But the sentence "the man is looking" seems to leave the verb hanging without complete meaning, so even though it might feel complete it cannot be interpreted.


texts: How many rooms does this house have vs. how many rooms are in this house

texts:
What is the difference between:(sentence meaning)

  How many rooms does this house have?

vs.

  How many rooms are in this house?

*let's say you were looking for a house to buy, and made a query to a house seller.

If I were to ask that, I would use sentence2, simple because that is what I usually hear, especially from movies. However, sentence1 is something I understand but flimsy.


texts:
It is about saving lives, starting with mine." (A line from a tv series)
  (Context: He talks about time travel to save lives including his life.)

I can't understand how that participle works here. I think it "starting" describes the "saving lives" but I am not sure if a participle can modify a noun phrase (or participle phrase I don't know which is correct) "saving lives".

  I think it means: It is about saving lives and "saving life" starts with mine.

If it modifies "saving life", can I rewrite the sentence as:

  It is about saving lives, which starts with mine.


texts: What does the word "willing" mean in this sentence?

texts:
I read a sentence in "The Hindu" which was:

In fact, the EC had appeared to be willing itself into inaction amid a flurry of abusive and divisive speeches by pleading powerlessness.

I don't quite understand the part "willing itself into inaction".


texts: Please explain the difference between these two sentences to me?

texts:
This package was supposed to have been
  delivered yesterday.

  This package was supposed to be delivered yesterday.

Please explain the difference.

And my doubt is generally we use simple past when we say things happened in the past. But why we use present perfect in this situation?

And one more doubt is we use has for singular subjects as "This package has been delivered". But why we use have been with supposed to?

Correct me if I'm wrong and please explain the grammar relevant to this.


texts:
1) Book’s chapter for children

If I say;

2) Chapter for children of book.

Second phrase sounds like “Children belongs to book” . I know it is very absurd. But I just wonder if the correct use is only first phrase? Or would it be understood the same if I say second one? I mean in second phrases I want to say

(Chapter for children) (of book) = (chapter of for children) belongs to book or

What you would understand be (Chapter for)  (children of book) If I say the second phrase  .

I mean ; Is  Book’s chapter for children  the same as  Chapter for children of book?


texts: If some guy is a buff, does he "knows a lot" enough to get a professionals job?

texts:
per cambridge, a buff is

  a person who knows a lot about and is very interested in a particular subject

such as, computer buff, baseball buff.

If some guy is a computer buff, does he "knows a lot" enough to get a computer related job, like programmer?


texts: Move to the sea shore/a seashore/the seaside/the beach/the coast/the sea

texts:
If I'm talking about moving to a city by the sea, which of the following is the correct choice ?
I want to move to the

sea shore
a seashore
the seaside
the beach
the coast
the sea


texts: How to say " I understand what he said at that time "?

texts:
I am confused about saying something about my past. The scenario is, I met with my teacher, and discussed my concerns about marks in exams. After a few months, my friend met me and asked about that meeting. How do I say to him that I'm satisfied with his arguments?

He makes me satisfy

or

He made me satisfy?

and in the same scenario, he again asked me whether I called the teacher after that?

So can I reply to it like

  I didn't call him since semester finished.


texts: "You must wear a suit TO an interview" vs "You must wear a suit FOR an interview"

texts:
In the sentence-

  You must wear a suit to an interview

shouldn't the to be replaced by for? Or what's the difference between these two here?


texts: Word for clusters of a node in a hierarchy

texts:
Consider a hierarchy of clusters, in which the leaves are nodes. How can I refer to all the the clusters that contain a node? In other words, for a node I want to refer to its direct cluster, the parent of the direct cluster, the parent of parent of the direct cluster, ...

Is "the clusters corresponding to node X" appropriate?


texts:
Here's the context.

  Even though it was late May, it was still a bit chilly outside. We lived less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, so the coastal breeze was often cool and salty. But lately, the skies had been windier than usual.

Why not were but had been here?

What if I say "But lately, the skies were windier than usual"

I have no idea what is difference.


texts: Which preposition to use: "This is an extension of/to the package"

texts:
What is the correct usage of here:

  extension to a package

or

  extension of a package

What would be the difference?

Edit

I am using it as follows: This is an extension of/to the package


texts: about equivalent expressions showing the remaining time to a point

texts:
In this question, I would like to ask you different ways of expressing time remaining to a specific point, particularly using an example which is a line from a TV drama. And there are several alternative patterns to the example sentence I am not sure are correct.

The example sentence below is a line said by an anchor on a radio news in the thrilling drama, The Purge from Amazon Prime Video. The purge in the drama means a night in a year that all crimes including murder are allowed for several hours until the morning.

  Original Line: We are just minutes away from the start of this glorious holiday.

I am wondering about other equivalent expressions to it.
For that, I've made up several expressions using different patterns below. I would greatly appreciate it if you answer which is right and wrong and why it is. Any additional explanations would be very helpful.

  A. We only have minutes until/before the start of this glorious holiday.

  B. There are only minutes left until/before the start of this glorious holiday.

  C. It is only minutes until/before the start of this glorious holiday.

Thank you.


texts:
Which one of the following is correct sentence.

He made a fool of us.
He made us fool.

Thanks.


texts:
Image cropped from https://yurielkaim.com/7-fat-burning-leg-exercises/

I am making a sentence presenting the image in picture. I want to say that one shouldn't sit the way that the knees are wide open. Does this construction suits best? Note the bottom of the man should be resting on the floor, it's not in the image though. Actually I couldn't find one. I just want to present the position of the knees.

You should not sit in a way that knees remain open.


texts: Why is 'at' used instead of 'in' or 'of in "safety is an absolute priority at Samsung"?

texts:
The following is the statement Samsung has issued:

  However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7. (Source)

I am wondering why "at" is used in this case instead of "in" or "of". My basic idea about the preposition "at" is that it is more used when meaning physical places. For example, "I bought this at a store." So, if I wrote this, I would say "a priority of Samsung" or "a priority in Samsung." Are those prepositions interchangeable in this case? Or any differences between those?


texts: Meaning of the expression "compensate for" in driving context

texts:
So today we want to talk about the subject of defensive driving. And the way I define defensive driving is, the ability to develop the proper driving habits, so that we can compensate for pretty much anything that goes on out on the roadways and that we can avoid a crash at any level.

Does the word compensate here mean take an action to make up and eliminate the bad effect of what you have done during driving ? Or it simply mean to prevent sth bad from happening? Which one fits here?


texts:
For me, and based on dictionaries, both of the words "practicable" and "feasible" mean the same thing. I wonder if I'm mistaken, provide me with some examples where one of them is preferred over the other one so that I could recognize their correct equivalence in my own language or at least I could equalize them with a more fitting meaning.
Thank you.


texts: Why without 'that' or comma between 'chances are' 'it involves'? And why 'fall on'?

texts:
Why without comma or point between 'chances are' 'it involves'?

  But whichever side people fall on -- a big breakfast or small one --
  chances are it involves a cup of coffee or tea.


texts:
What does "late challenge" mean in football (soccer) context?
62' Lewis Montsma is booked for a late challenge on Troy Parrott.


texts: i am confused about the meaning of "count for" in this context

texts:
Whereas in the past the tourist board put in the majority of funding, now public donations count for sixty-five percent of all total funds!

What does "count for" mean in this context?


texts:
I was wondering if someone could tell me what a native speaker would say when an old, inactive disease becomes active again? Please have a look on the following examples:

  a)  I have an old ulcer which has kicked up again.

  b)  I have an old ulcer which has reappeared again.

  c)  I have an old ulcer which has returned again.

  d)  I have an old ulcer which has came back again.

Based on dictionary definitions, all of the above verbs can work in this sense, but I have no idea which structure is in common use in English. Meanwhile I don't know if my self-made sentences are idiomatic and grammatical at all or not.


texts: What's the meaning of "leave" in this context?

texts:
"Lying there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!"

  . . .

  All the villagers cared about was the identity of their murderer -- for plainly, three apparently healthy people did not all drop dead of natural causes on the same night.

  The village pub did a roaring trade that night; the whole village seemed to have turned out to discuss the murders. They were rewarded for leaving their firesides when the Riddles' cook arrived dramatically in their midst and announced to the suddenly silent pub that a man called Frank Bryce had just been arrested.

  Harry potter and the goblet of fire

Does the sentence including leave mean "villagers gathered in the pub were rewarded for leaving their own houses' firesides? (cause they could find out who the murderer was).

Or does that mean "villagers were rewarded for leaving the firesides at the pub"? Then what does that mean?


texts: Have you ever gone to- to ask past experience

texts:
What situation can we ask in:
Have you ever gone to..?

give me examples please..


texts:
1)I will give to my wife a ring of gold.

  2)I will give to my wife a gold ring.

Which is correct? If both are correct, what is the difference in meaning between them?


texts: Past simple and past perfect in reported speech

texts:
“I joined the company three years ago.”
Mr. Jones said yesterday that he joined the company three years ago.

“I joined the company exactly three years ago, to the day.”
Mr. Jones said yesterday that he had joined the company exactly three years before, to the day.

Can somebody explained the difference in terms of meaning between these 2 different reported sentences. What does it mean to the day .Why in one sentence past simple is correct (same time frame) and why in the second it is not (different time frame)so past perfect is needed how ever both are said" yesterday"


texts: Conditional form in the status related sentence

texts:
The following sentence belongs to which conditional form:

If you are speaking a lot some particular language, you are in love
with that language.

As per my knowledge, we use present/past simple/perfect with the "If" part. So I am not clear about this form of conditional sentence.


texts: Common phrase or idiom for "reductio ad absurdum"?

texts:
I am looking for a phrase or idiom that means roughly like "reductio ad absurdum". Specifically, taking an otherwise logical argument to irrational length, that it starts to look logically absurd.

The intent is to get the meaning out in a more understandable way without using too many words and also not to use latinzed phrases as my audiences are not versed with it. I am not sure if "Overkill an argument" can be used in such situations.


texts:
I have one question!.
It's obvious through the photographs the journalist brings back from the field that he shows the situation he witnessed.
It looks like weird! Do we need to start "He shows the situation"? Is this real subject?
If so, can you give me more examples? like It ~ that~ structure
Thanks


texts: Which is better in this context – AdjP or NP as a subject complement?

texts:
When I need to describe myself (for instance in a letter to a potential employer or the like), should I use a NP headed by "person" as a subject complement, or just an AdjP? That is, which of the following would be better – (1) or (2)?

I am a driven [any number of additional adjectives] and enthusiastic person.

I am driven [any number of additional adjectives] and enthusiastic.

In my own language we tend to use the version with "person" a lot, but I have a feeling the opposite is true for English. Am I right about this, or are either option equally good?


texts: Is "You are top ninja" grammatically correct?

texts:
While chatting with one of my friend, he described me as

"you are top ninja".

I feel it is grammatically incorrect. What is your opinion? Is it correct or wrong. If wrong, how can I correct it ?


texts:
I was doing an exercise and I had to join two sentences using an infinitive.

The pair of sentences was--

  I have no aptitude for business. I must speak it out frankly.

The answer was--

  To speak out frankly, I have no aptitude for business.

My doubt is--

In the above sentence is to speak same as speaking or does it mean something else?


texts:
I have a question about the usage of the phrase "pour in" here:

  Carter announced on Aug. 3 that he had surgery to remove a small mass from his liver.  Good wishes poured in on social media after Carter's announcement, while President Barack Obama said he and first lady Michelle Obama wish Carter a fast and full recovery.

What if "poured in on" is replaced with "poured into"?  How is:

  good wishes poured in on social media.

different from:

  good wishes poured into social media.

?


texts: Which is correct - 'the place that I met you at' or 'the place that I met you'?

texts:
I have a sentence: This is the place where I met you.
Then: This is the place that I met you.
And: This is the place that I met you at.

Do I need to write this preposition (at) at the end of this sentence?


texts: If the subject is singular why do we say "would have" instead of "would has"?

texts:
Would the English student _____ easy access to synonyms, antonyms and the origin of the new words if a good dictionary _____ on his cellphone?

has/was installed
has/installed
have/were installed
had/had been installed

The answer of this question is number three. Is number three correct or not? However, the student is singular, so shouldn’t we use has instead of have?


texts: 'Each student has the same distance to school' is this correct?

texts:
I want to describe a situation like this: There are two students. One of them has to walk 1 km to school, the other the same. Should I say:

  Each student has the same distance to school.

or

  Each student is the same distance to school.

or

  Each student is at the same distance to school.

or

  Each student is of the same distance to school.

Or do you have a better way of saying this?


texts:
Scenario:

I made a call to a call center, but I didn't receive proper reply; hence, I again called the call center. Executive there picked up my phone. My conversation went like this:

  My name is XYZ. I called your executive sometime back and discussed my problem but he didn't give me satisfactory solution. Hence I called you again.

Or Should I Say.

  My name is XYZ. I had called your executive sometime back and discussed my problem but he didn't give me satisfactory solution. Hence I called you again.

Which conversation of mine is correct?

Should I use past perfect or simple past? Why?

Please explain me uses of simple past and past perfect


texts:
What does "anchor in the past" mean in the following passage?

  Stories are a narrative of events that anchor the present culture in the past. Veteran employees tell stories to new employees about past organizational events that serve to illustrate and reinforce the current culture of the organization.

Taken from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/employee-socialization-maintaining-a-company-culture.html


texts:
Why in this news they use this expression, and then present perfect, but not past perfect?

  "Valentino Talluto is said to have had unprotected sex with at least 53 women after his HIV diagnosis in 2006"


texts: Who would speak like this: I loves me a good Brick Joke or Chekhov's Gun

texts:
I think I've heard [I loves me ...] on TV. But I do not have any memory of it. A Google search would throw some results. One of which is:

  I loves me a good Brick Joke or Chekhov's Gun

Another is:

  I loves puns

So other than a non-native speaker or a child still learning the language who would speak I loves or any other verb for that matter. Is it rural/regional/humorous/etc?


texts: What does it mean when someone says "it doesn't sound very natural"?

texts: I hear this pretty often when I say/write something, be it in text messages or emails or on any social media/forums. What does this mean actually? I am thankfully able to convey my thoughts but I do not want to hear this anymore. Are there any thumb-rules to follow when I say/write something to make it "sound natural"?


texts:
Is this sentence correct:

  I was taken aback on seeing my result card

Is it right? If not, then how should I put this idiom in such kind of sentence?


texts: "I'm not bothered by it." or "It doesn't bother me"

texts:
Sometimes it's noisy here, but it's not a problem. it doesn't bother me.

Is the above sentence correct? or Should l use passive voice?

  I'm not bothered by it.


texts:
is it possible to use past perfect to emphasize the completion of the event

For example,

  I had created a guest account on my computer and it was ready to work so if you need it don't hesitate


texts: In addition vs Plus as sentence connector

texts:
I'd like to ask if there's any difference between "in addition" and "plus" when "plus" functions as a sentence connector.

To be more specific, there's a cloze exercise from the book FCE Use of English 2 that goes like this:

  ...The WWF has decided to draw more attention to the importance of Europe's ancient woodlands. They are asking for the remaining forests to be protected by controlling the trade in wood. ______, governments are being asked to regenerate forests where necessary and manage them in a more nature-friendly way.

The choices to choose from are:
A. As well as  B.In addition  C. Too  D. Plus

The answer key says B and I personally would go for B too. However, I can't seem to find a sound reason to refute choice D.Plus. Oxford dictionary says Plus when used as conjunction is synonymous with "Furthermore", which is actually more or less the same as "In addition". The example they give is,
"I've got too much on at work. Plus my father is not well."
Thus, structure and meaning wise, plus and in addition are similar. Yet the FCE book goes for "In addition" and I also feel that "in addition" sounds more "right" here.
I wonder if there's any difference in the usage of the two choices that I'm just unable to pinpoint.


texts:
Would you like to read this book?

Will you like to read this book?

Do you like to read this book?

How these 3 sentences mean the whole sentence differently?


texts:
I was reading an article from the Economist and found this sentence quite hard to make out.

  How come nothing has feathers anymore that doesn't fly, or isn't descended from something that did?

I understand “how come” means “why” but is there some part of the sentence omitted or simply missing?

Here’s the paragraph:

  So if you want to be an evolution sceptic, the fossil record just becomes another set of data you can poke holes in, along with the theory. After all, nobody understands what function feathers served before they were used for flight. If they were for mating displays, why did they turn out to be perfect for aerodynamics? How come nothing has feathers anymore that doesn't fly, or isn't descended from something that did? Darwin's theory can't explain it! And so on.


texts: is 'future perfect continuous tense' removed from modern English

texts:
I found this topic somewhere in internet. I know hindi and learning English.
I just want to know is it true


texts: How do you say "hadn't made them" with didn't?

texts:
"I didn't have this" is equivalent to "I hadn't this"
But is there an equivalent sentence to
"I hadn't made them"?
I can't think of one, because "I didn't made them" doesn't sound grammatical.


texts:
I came across this sentence:

It is only when the faculty of smell is impaired for some reason that we begin to realise the essential role the sense of smell plays in our sense of well-being

If I am right It will mean the same as sentence below:

we begin to realise that the sense of smell plays an essential role in our sense of well-being.

There is many examples of "plays an essential role" but apparently the first sentence slightly differs from them.
I want to know which structure was used in the first sentence.


texts:
Please help me to choose the right word.

I have progressed/advanced a lot in reading English books since I am attending this classes every day.

Thanks in Advance.


texts:
Consider this sentence:

"In this unit, you will read about the amazing physical abilities animals developed to help them survive."

what's the meaning of this phrase: the amazing physical abilities animals developed to ...

if an animal develops their abilities they become more powerful.

so the sentence should be like this ... physical abilities animals developed them to help them survive.

so anyone can explain this phrase?


texts:
My favourite moment in Hanoi was riding in a cyclo.
  My favourite moment in Hanoi is riding in a cyclo.

Which one is correct? The original text used 'was'. However, I am more for 'is' because 'riding a cyclo' was and still is my favourite moment. The feeling of me liking it does not change with time, hence the present tense is more suitable here. Could anyone tell me why I am wrong? Thank s a lot : )


texts:
Is the following use of "with which to" correct?

  Algae will deplete the supply of oxygen with which to sustain fish in the river.

I'd appreciate your help.


texts:
I've heard someone in my native tongue was saying these in a very nice way that many people were pleased with them but I think they are depend on the tone of voice or the context. I need to make sure. Are these true?

If you ask a taxi driver to hurry because you are in hurry by saying "Will you hurry?" you are actually asking the driver's willingness and will hurt his/her feeling.
"Could you ~?" is usually more polite than "Can you ~?" but only when you ask for help "Can you help me?" is more considerate than "Could you help me?" because when the answer is no the person feels more easier to say no.
"Would you mind ~?" is not polite way of asking but it's rather cynical.

Thanks for your help.


texts: Why can we say both  "I am studying at the University"  or "I study at the University"  but when we say " I am learning about wine"  we cannot say  "I learn about wine" ?


texts:
But his originality as a filmmaker lies most strikingly in his having
  successfully adapted film, originally a Western cultural medium, to
  the needs, pace, and structures of West African culture.

I know all the meanings of the vocabularies in this sentence, but stil I don't understand this sentence because of the structure. Can someone explain the meaning and structure of this sentence by parts?


texts:
Are the following sentences grammatical?

  a. He is more a poet than a novelist in the traditional sense.

  b. They are more poets than novelists in the traditional sense.

  c. He is more of a poet than a novelist in the traditional sense.

The question is whether the 'of' is necessary.


texts: What kind of situation does "restlessness" refer to in the passage?

texts:
I was studying quite hard actually everyday and the weather  was very hot outside but I kept studying and everyday, one of my friends would call me and say: "Hey Jane we're going to the beach today, do you want to come?" or, "We're going away to the coast for the weekend to go surfing, you should come with us", every time I had to say "no, I'm sorry, I can't because I have to study". So I was being very good and staying focused. Until finally, I think it was about a week away from my exams and I was starting to feel really restless and frustrated when I heard that an old friend of mine was back in town from abroad. He called me up and what could I say? I really wanted to catch up with him because it had been ages since we'd hung out together. He was only in town for a couple of days so of course I put my study on hold and we went out and had a great night.

What kind of restlessness is that Jane felt? Is that she just can't wait to see her old friend and she's excited, hence fidgeting, or she's nervous that the time she would spend hanging out with him could cost her a good exam ?

Thanks in advance for all who will take the time to answer


texts: 'any' vs. 'all' in "the best of 'any'/'all' generation[s]"

texts:
All I ask is a chance to prove I'm as good as the best of "any" generation.

All I ask is a chance to prove I'm as good as the best of "all" generations.

Both 1—quoted from The New York Times—and 2—mine—sentences are grammatical, I hope, but are "any" and "all" really interchangeable in the case above?


texts: looking for an adverb for "without concealing a truth"

texts:
he told me about it without concealing the truth

is there any adverb I can replace the prepositional phrase with?
I think frankly and honestly would work in the context but favoring the intention, I'm looking for an adverb that has a sense of "without concealing a truth".


texts: Other way to say "You have the possibily of not doing anything"

texts:
is there any way to say that, for example:

You could do nothing

You could not do anything

I feel like there should be a similiar one to say what I mean, but what I've come up with ends up just meaning "you couldn't do anything".


texts:
I am confused in translating some kind of phrases such as below :
Which one of the pairs is true? If both, What is the difference? and what is the meaning of the phrase? (I mean if I want to explain the phrase what I must say?)

Security function requirement interfering actions
Security function requirement interfered actions
Security function requirement enforcing actions
Security function requirement enforced actions

Update :
I want to translate the below paragraph in persian. But I don't understant the ...ing words in the bold phrases return to which one of the words in back!

Note : SFR = Sequrity Function Requirement

  The purpose of this work unit is to supplement the details about the
  SFR-enforcing actions (provided in work unit ADV_FSP.3-6) with a
  summary of the remaining actions (i.e., those that are not
  SFR-enforcing). This covers all SFR-supporting and SFR-non-interfering
  actions, whether invokable through SFR-enforcing TSFI or through
  SFR-supporting or SFR-non-interfering TSFI. Such a summary about all
  SFR-supporting and SFR-non-interfering actions helps to provide a more
  complete picture of the functions provided by the TSF, and is to be
  used by the evaluator in determining whether an action or TSFI may
  have been mis-categorised.


texts:
Without regulation, the Internet would become a breeding ground for/of crime.
  Without regulation, the Internet would become a hotbed for/of crime.

My first question is whether the two above sentence have the same meaning. My second queation is whether of or for is followed by ground and hotbed?


texts:
I wrote:

  1) The action part specifies the label or the class that is assigned to the matching node (e.g. content, noise)

Can I write the relative clause in the following forms? If yes, which of these three options are better?

  2) The action part specifies the label or the class to be assigned to the matching node (e.g. content, noise)

  3) The action part specifies the label or the class to assign the matching node (e.g. content, noise)

  4) The action part specifies the label or the class of the matching node (e.g. content, noise)


texts: Wondering what the word "it" refer to? missing plane or act of search?

texts:
What does the word it refer to in the following sentence? Does it refer to the missing plane or the act of the search?

The focus of the search has moved several hundred miles west of the course it should have been following.

The sentence above is from the following paragraph:

Vietnam is scaling back its air and sea search for missing flight MH370 as China said it will step up its search and rescue efforts to include land areas.While Vietnam's deputy transport minister said it was suspending search and rescue operations, China said it will add two planes to its search for the missing passenger jet and its 239 passengers and crew.  The focus of the search has moved several hundred miles west of the course it should have been following.
(Source)


texts:
Why do we avoid sequential possession?
For example, why don't we write
'My friend's wife's necklace was stolen'
Instead we write, 'The necklace of my friend's wife was stolen. '


texts:
Here is the text I found this phrase in:

  Consider to Pay Special Attention to Top Management and Top Performers

  While certain parts of employee care should equally apply to all employees,
  also consider special programs for those people you want to retain most, for
  example, your top management and/or your top performers. Concierge programs
  are one option to enhance work-life balance for these target groups.


texts: What is the right forms of verbs in brackets?

texts:
Finally, the ship  (move). Peter could relax at last.
What  (he do) when he first saw her? He couldn't remember.

In the first sentence I, think it can be past perfect because the ship firstly had moved and then Peter could relax, but also it can be past simple (the ship moved and Peter could relax) to show that one action is followed by another one. So I don't know what to choose. And in the 2nd sentence it can be past simple or past continuous.


texts: Hang one's head (in shame / with embarrassment)

texts:
I was wondering whether in the following scenario:

Harry: Then what did you tell him?
Larry: Nothing. I just kept quiet looking at his eyes. When he found out that he had made such that big mistake and he was at fault himself while he had put all the blame on me, he hung his head in shame and walked away.

we can substitute the bold phrase with *hung his head with embarrassment without any change in meaning.
Also, I  need to know whether the phrase "hand one's head with embarrassment" is an idiomatic phrasing or it sounds like a weird idiom to you.
Please kindly enlighten me.


texts: what is the meaning of "I work long hours"

texts:
What one means when he says I work long hours?

Does it mean that he works for many hours as I suspect?


texts: What does "parlour politics" mean in this context?

texts:
The disastrous extinction of mankind is the issue before us. It it no
small affair of parlour politics we have to consider.

-The new world order by H.G. Wells
According to Cambridge Dictionary the word 'parlour' has two meanings.

a business that provides a stated type of personal service or sells a stated product:
(especially in the past) a room in a private house used for relaxing, especially one that was kept tidy for entertaining guests

I am going with the second option.
I think the author means that this not a small politic affair which we can discuss at parlour in our home.
But why the author used the word "have to"? Does anyone have to consider a politic affair at parlour?


texts: Mansoor claimed the success in Kunduz countered Afghan government pronouncements -- I don't understand this sentence

texts:
Source: Afghan Taliban leader claims 'victory' in Kunduz | The Times of Israel

Example:

  Mansoor claimed the success in Kunduz countered Afghan government pronouncements "that the people of Afghanistan are against the Taliban and want to rid them from their country."

In all honesty, I'm not sure that I understand what it's trying to say at the beginning of the sentence. Okay. That guy Mansoor claimed the success in Kunduz, but who countered Afghan government pronouncements? Maybe, it's just a missing-dash problem that makes it difficult to read the sentence?


texts: In terms of this grammar formula, "Although + subject + verb, subject + verb", in what situation the subject might not be a noun or noun phrase?

texts:
There is a video (https://youtu.be/UFuxlnUeGmg) talking about a tip to start a speech or an essay.

  When you give your opinion, it's a very good idea to start by saying what is good about the opposite opinion.

To illustrate, consider this example

  Although some people love eating at home, I prefer eating at a restaurant.

and then she said

  So, I have here my words: "Although", "even though". What follows is a subject. A subject can be words like: "some
  people", can be "he", "she", "we", "the teacher". Okay? So, the subject is pretty much a noun.

"pretty much" means "basically" or "mostly" and indicates there might be an exception, which is not a noun or noun phrase.

In terms of this grammar formula (here is a discussion about if this kind of thing could be called grammar formula)

"Although" + subject + verb, subject + verb

in what situation the subject might not be a noun or noun phrase?


texts:
Which is more informal?

  Neither Alex nor my other friends care about their future.
  Neither my other friends nor Alex care about their future.
  Neither my other friends nor Alex cares about their future.


texts:
This is the title of a chapter in a book for young people. What does it mean? The sentence is: "She's a missionary to the rich."

This chapter is about a young, christian girl who has moved to USA from Mexico. She is poor. She receives at one occasion a lot of food that she doesn't want to keep for herself. So she gives away some of the food to her poor neighbors. She also tells them that they are loved by God. I think there is another, hidden, meaning in this title.


texts:
a fully paid ticket on the applicant’s name will be required

  a driving licence in the name of William Sanders

I think these two phrasings (on the someone's name and in the name of someone) mean identical things. Am I making sense or Dose they have any difference?


texts: Could you teach me the meaning of this sentence " I'll make you up another rhyme "?

texts:
A little mouse got a rug from a woman. He was so pleased he sang this song.

  "Oh me, oh my!

  We'll soon be as snug

  As a bug in a rug

  What do you think of that!

  Come and see me any time

  I'll make you up another rhyme

  But please don't bring the cat."

This is a short story from "Little Old Mrs Pepperpot".

I couldn't understand this sentence "I'll make you up another rhyme". Does it mean "I will make up another rhyme for you?


texts: Which type of conditional should be used in the following situation?

texts:
I made up the situation:

My army just defeated enemy forces, but I'm not sure whether the enemy commander was killed or not. Now I say to my subordinates:

If their commander got killed, they won't dare to attack us again.

What is the correct sentence to express that meaning? Which conditional should it be?


texts:
She kept her pinned to the ground = She kept her pinned down.

  She came to the bottom = She came down.

  Read it out. = Read it to them.

  She is off-duty = She is out of duty.


texts:
I found this examples in my grammar book.

John is supposed to have helped Mary with shopping.
It was supposed to be warm today.

Both sentences are translated that something was about to happen but ultimately it didn't. So my question is if the first sentence could be written as

John was supposed to help Mary with shopping.


texts:
Can anyone please tell me if I can omit the in the following sentence? Is the in the following sentence optional?

(The) villagers in this village are very rich because they use modern technology for cultivation.

And one more question, I was watching a cricket match and I heard a commentator (a native speaker) saying "The match is in an interesting stage. Indian fans are shouting for Virat Kohli and his team." Don't you think it should be "the Indian fans are shouting for Virat Kohli and his team." because the commentator perhaps was talking about the people present in the stadium. This is not the only case. Many times I have seen in live reporting and news paper reporting, news reporters often omit the.

Some days ago in a news channel a reporter was giving reports to his anchor saying "You can see people are chanting slogans in front of the parliament and police are trying to stop them." I think it should be ".....the people are trying to......" because the people in this case were specific and the people who were present there.

Can anyone please explain this?


texts:
Suppose a book consists of three sections:

  The book is/was divided into three sections.

I am thinking the past tense option "was" should be used, because the act of dividing the book into three sections happened at the time of writing.
Is my analysis good?


texts:
I was told that the following does not work:

  Employees having children will be granted a day off.

However, this sounds better:

  Having children, those employees will be granted a day off.

What is wrong with the first clause?