texts: Problem in the sentences connected with "and"

texts:
My question is about when two sentences are connected by "and". I want to know if both sentences have the same subject, should I omit the subject of the second one?

For example:

  It has global view and is aware of everything.

Is this sentence correct or should I add subject in the second part of the sentence?

My second question is when in the first side there is an infinitive. For example:

  She refused to go out and (to) drink a cup of tea.

Should I use the infinitive form of "drink" or I should use "drink"?


texts: When exactly do we have to use the distributive plural?

texts:
In a book about wedding stories, I came upon this sentence:

In the seventies, brides and grooms often stayed apart on their wedding day before the ceremony.

I have been taught that we should use distributive plural in cases like "they shook their heads," which doesn't mean they have several heads each but that, since they are more than one person, there are several heads, hence the plural.
AsI was reading this book, I wondered, why not write "they often stayed apart on their wedding days" because there are more than one couple.

You can find the book online here: https://books.google.fr/books?id=S25YDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT69&dq=%22apart+on+their+wedding+day%22&hl=fr&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjytpu3nPPXAhXQy6QKHTr0DHgQ6AEIJzAA#v=onepage&q=%22apart%20on%20their%20wedding%20day%22&f=false

Thanks.


texts: What does "two hundred kilos if she was a kilo" mean?

texts: In Wallace's "Infinite Jest", he describes a girl as being "two hundred kilos if she was a kilo". Is she two hundred kilos or isn't she ... ?


texts: How to write "I want to work in such fields later" in a formal way

texts:
I am writing a covering letter for an internship, but I am having a hard time on a sentence. It seems to me that something is wrong, but I can't figure what it is.

I have changed 1 or 2 things, for privacy purpose. Please, act like it was the original version!

  I have seen on your website that your activities go from bread testing to wireless cake. I am keen to work in such fields later.

This seems very odd to me. The last sentence is both too short and too... disharmonious?

What I want to say is that I want to "test bread" and work in "wireless cake" when my studies will be over. That could even be at the end of the internship if everything went well.

Could you propose me a better way to say this?


texts: the development of several popular communications protocols to include TCP/ IP -- exact meaning of "include" here?

texts:
Source: The ABCs of IP Addressing by Gilbert Held (2002)

Example:

  Although the TCP/IP protocol suite predated the OSI Reference Model, we
  can obtain a better appreciation for the functioning of the TCP/IP protocol
  suite by examining the layering concept associated with communications
  defined by that model. During the 1970s, approximately a dozen years after
  the development of several popular communications protocols to include TCP/
  IP, the International Standards Organization (ISO) established a framework for standardizing communications systems. This framework was called the Open
  System Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model and it defines an architecture
  in which communications functions are divided into seven distinct layers, with
  specific functions becoming the responsibility of a particular layer.

I don't think I really understand what is meant by to include TCP/IP. It sounds like those several popular communications protocols were specifically developed to include TCP/IP. I don't think that makes a whole lot of sense. including TCP/IP (like, there were developed many different network protocols, including TCP/IP) would probably be more appropriate in this situation.


texts: Can I end a sentence with " may jeopardize."?

texts:
Can I say the following?

If we don't fix this problem now, then our plan may jeopardize.


texts: Are "expecting" and "expected" different?

texts:
Is there a difference when using "expected" and "expecting" in this sentence?

  By 2025 it is expected that consumption will reach 140 units.
  By 2025 it is expecting that consumption will reach 140 units.


texts:
In the following sentence where should I place the adverbs all day long

The courtiers used to tell the king how efficient an administrator he was.


texts: I wonder if "that needs to be addressed" is modifying "a potential distraction" or "offices"

texts:
In a recent employers’ survey a wide variety of computer functions have/has been identified as a potential distraction in offices that needs to be addressed.

I'm confused here whether the modifier "that needs to be addressed" is modifying "a potential distraction" or "offices". in my view, it seems most likely that it's modifying "a potential distraction".
Is this just an acceptable way that I don't need to seize on? Do native speakers also happen to get confused by a sentence like this? but they can identify which noun is being modified depending on context?


texts:
I got this one question for my English exam but I don´t understand what is meant by those expressions. Please could someone explain to me what the expression verbo-nominal complexes stands for.

Verb and the structure of verb phrase. (Kinds of complementation and transitivity, copular Complementation – verbo-nominal complexes, infinitives and ing-forms.


texts: Is "How did your job go?" grammatically correct?

texts: And if it is correct, can someone explain to me the grammar. Like, is it present continuous or something (grammar isn't my strong suit).


texts:
As far as I know, we have the following patterns with the verb make:

Make somebody do something (make somebody feel happy)
Make somebody/something + adj (make somebody happy)

Now, I can't figure out why the following sentences are correct as well.

  Social networking sites make people be more truthful about their lives.**

I think the following is correct but the above one wrong:

  Social networking sites make people more truthful about their lives.

Am I right? Or are both sentences correct, and why?


texts:
Iv'e never understood what is the difference between the subject pronoun "it" and the demonstratives "this" and "that".

To be precise, I understand well the difference between those two demonstratives ("this" and "that"). "this" is used for when being close physically or when pointing on the object, and "that" is used for when the object is far or no pointing it. But I don't understand the difference between these two ("this" and "that") and the pronoun "it".

N.B. The same question I can ask about the pronoun "they" and the demonstratives "these" and "those", but in this case "they" is used both for human beings and all the rest, unlike the pronoun "it" which is used for everything except about human being.


texts: Comparing "got used to", "have gotten used to", "get used to", "will get used to" and "have used to"

texts:
I was going to somewhere by taxi in Delhi. Most of the drivers were
  blowing their horns, non-stop! I asked my driver, "would you please stop
  it? I am not in a rush." He said, "No ma'am! Because I am in a rush and the
  others too." I said, "it seems you have not gotten used to traffic!" He
  said, "No ma'am! We got used to it but now we want a change." I said, "but
  this non-stop loud noise is making me crazy!" He laughed and said, "Yes
  ma'am but please tolerate it for some hours. You will get used to it
  like us!"

Would you please help me to get their differences? Above story helps you to find some examples of right and wrong usages.


texts:
First of all, I know it has been mentioned before but I'm not sure which is correct. I've been learning about the Past Simple and the Past Perfect and if I've understood correctly, well, in high level:

Past Simple - Occur in the past (in a specific time) and finished.

Past Perfect - Occur in the past, certainly continues to the present, and maybe continue in the future.

This is correct?

--The main Question--

  Have you known that Harald has a very bad disease?

So, Here someone explained that, "Did you see this?" is for events that happened in the past but finished/passed (you can't see it anymore).
However, use "Have you seen this.." if you missed that, you still can see that. Is this correct?

So I thought why not, if I ask someone: Have you known that she's been married? (Did you hear that she's been married? if not, now you can still know about this, because she's still married. Related to the above explanation) and it looks like I ask “Have you known...” from the past until now (present perfect), so why is this incorrect?

Well, Here I found that example about Harald, and they commented that you can never say "Have you known...?" only “Did you know?” but they didn't explain why the former was grammatically incorrect.

Actually, I want to understand what is correct, and why in context to past simple and present perfect (grammatically) and how can I use both of them correctly in questions?


texts:
It is a sentence from the book ''Travel in Southeast Asia".

  If one has a taste for mountains and hills, one can take
  a trip to the Shan hills where the weather is cooler.

In this sentence, what does ''where'' refer to?

in the Shan hills
the Shan hills
on the Shan hills

I learn that 'where' is a relative pronoun.
It means 'in which' or 'on which'.
As the former place is the Shan hills, I think the answer is ''in the Shan hills''.


texts:
The band Rancid has a song called "Who Would've Thought." However, who would've thought has less Google Book results than who'd have thought.
Example sentences:

He would've/he'd have cooperated if we had offered him more money.
Who would've/who'd have thought she'd have to study even after
finishing university?

Are both common? Is one of them more "standard" than the other?


texts: There is the algebraic expression a+b+c. If we replace under the rule {a->b, b->c, c->a}, the expression is left unchanged. But for expressions like 2a+b+c, the replacement will change the expression. What is the word to describe this kind of symmetry? Thanks


texts: "How do you know if I am Muslim" vs "How do you know I am Muslim"?

texts:
Context: Let's say somebody talked to me as if I am Muslim just because of my ethnicity. Can I respond to that person with these sentences? I am asking this because I think the word "if" is probably wrong in these sentences. Should I not use "if" in them?

How do you know if I am Muslim?

How do you know if I am Muslim or not?

How do you know if I am Muslim or whatever?

How do you know if I am Muslim or anything?


texts: What's a neutral/negative word for 'impress'?

texts:
I am looking for a verb to describe something giving someone a bad/unpleasant impression, Ex:

  Jack was released from prison for almost five years. Someone asked him what was his impression about the prison experience. He replied in dismay, "No decent food, no sunshine, no friend…",  "that's what ___(a verb similar with 'impress' but in neutral/negative connotation) me the most about prison experience"

What's the verb for it?


texts:
Could you please tell me if you got some time to read the report?

In this sentence, I have to use got or have got ? what is the difference between these two w.r.t. the meaning of the sentence?


texts: Is it right to pronounce 'tall' as 'tahl' instead of 'tawl'

texts:
I've heard that in some cities in the US like LA and Florida, the 'aw' sound is pronounced as 'ah' such as slaughter, daughter, dog, water. They mostly are pronounced with the 'ah' sound rather than the 'aw' sound.

So is this a major rule thing; Does the 'aw' truly not exist in some places and is pronounced as 'ah'?

If so, that means 'tall' can be pronounced as 'tall' right?

Here's a link that has the word pronounced by many US speakers:
https://forvo.com/word/tall/#en


texts:
Could you please tell me, what these things are called in English.

N.B.
monograms, ciphers, cartouches don't fit the meaning


texts: What pronoun should i use if i want to indicate something in general

texts:
When I want to use “the” definite article to refer to things in general like:

  The cow is a useful animal; pronoun ...
  The doctor works in hospital; pronoun ...
  The lion is the king of the forest; pronoun...

So if I want to expound on the sentence further more and add a new sentence; which pronoun “anaphor” should I use.


texts: What does the phrase "hop across an icy chasm" mean here?

texts:
I came across the phrase "hop across an icy chasm" in the following sentence from the description (not available online) of an app:
All you need to do is to tap to hop across an icy chasm.
Does the said phrase mean "to jump from one part of the chasm to another"?
I know the lexical meaning of the word "hop" is "to jump". But I am not sure about the meaning of the word "across" here.


texts: Vocabulary question: Mandatory vs Compulsory

texts:
Can I rewrite this sentence "Many teenagers feel that social media and their smartphones are mandatory", by substitute "mandatory" with one of these words: compulsory or necessary or essential? Is the meaning the same?
Thanks a lot.


texts:
The following is an excerpt from a travel guide transcript about New York City. I can guess the meaning of high temple in the passage, but I am not sure I know what it means literally and figuratively. I looked it up in a number of dictionaries, but I failed.

  New York has always been the gateway to the Land of the Free. But it
  is also the city of the spree — the shopping spree. The city is
  shopaholic heaven. And Fifth Avenue with its eye-popping window
  displays, is the high temple of the retail world.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtCMtC50gwY


texts: How do I answer the question "Who wants to read this?"?

texts:
When my teacher asks Who wants to read this? How do I reply?

  Me

or

  I


texts: distinguishing between however and though

texts:
I am wondering if a native speaker would apply the two sentences interchangeably, or would detect a difference semantically?

She wanted to take no risk, however small.
She wanted to take no risk, though small.

Thanks


texts: When can I use "reach" instead of "pray"?

texts:
In my business travels I hear many times "reach for the stars" about startup company. I am glad because my culture has a similar ritual for good fortune in trade though many young people in my country believe it do not works or maybe works in the past but no longer.

I wonder when else I can say "reach" instead of "pray"? I think I have heard "reach for success" also. But is this only a prayer for business? Can I say to my associate "I will reach for you tonight"? "Let us reach together on Thursday?"

I am grateful for any help on this usage! I have understood it is important in business that "my communication projects an image that is effortlessly fresh - exciting, relevant and original". Thank you.


texts:
Let's say I'm going to a Chinese restaurant and I want to invite my friend/colleague. Which is the most appropriate form? What are the differences?

Examples:

  I'm going to get some Chinese food.
  Care to join? / Would you like to join? / Do you want to join?

Which is the most common form for native speakers?


texts: Tense: John will prove to the world that Mahari was right

texts:
I see a sentence without further context:

  John will prove to the world that Mahari was right.

I don't understand the meaning of that sentence.
Why does it say Mahari was right, instead of Mahari is right?

My reasoning is that:

  Mahari has been dead while John has this intention.

If Mahari is still alive, maybe the sentence would be:

  John will prove to the world that Mahari is right.

What do you think and why?


texts: the use of "get" when talking about the position in the sentence

texts:
From a tutorial

... today's lesson is about prepositions;
everybody's favourite little words that get in the middle of everything and cause you
lots of trouble, and headaches, and confusion.

I understand it means that the prepositions in question could be used in the middle of phrases and sentences. The question is the use of "get". Is it common to use "get" there? Is it better to say it this way?

...  that come in the middle of everything ...

In other words, is it common to use "get" to refer to the position in a sentence?
Note: Ngram Viewer shows the summation of "come" and "comes" is higher than "get".


texts:
The context for my question is this:

There is a man I've known for more than half a year . When I first met him, he was wearing an old  grey sweater.  Later on,  whenever I happened to  meet him again, he had that same sweater on.

In this regard, would it be perfectly correct to say:

  "Since I've  known him, he always wears the same old grey sweater"?

Although I have a hunch that the second clause is asking for Present Perfect:

  "Since I've  known him, he has always worn the same old grey sweater",

I can't explain why. May it be that Simple Present would mean that what I observe only occasionally can't be the utter truth and sometimes the man wears something else?

Besides that, although I couldn't find any restrictions on the use of Present Perfect with another Present Perfect in the same sentence, neither did I find any explanations about an appropriateness of this grammar construction and when it can or should be used.

I am hoping that someone may help me to have this cleared up, and I would be most grateful for any help.


texts: Is there a word describing woman's action who behaves cute, and tries to charm a man?

texts: When a woman is in front of a man who she is fond of, some woman does the unusual action to look cute. Obviously, she wants to charm him, to give a good impression, or to show her affection.  Her voice sounds like attractive humming, and she does special action like supporting her cheek with hands, shaking her heads like cute doggy, and beating a man's chest softly, and so on. Is there a word or a phrase describing this action of the woman?


texts: What is the verb and subject of this question?

texts:
So here is a question:

  What is Apple's stock price?

First: Is this a full question, or would we need to add something like: What is Apple's stock price at the moment?

Second: What is the subject and verb of the question? Is the subject "Apple's stock" and the verb price, or is "Apple's stock price" the subject? I'm confused.


texts:
In one episode of the show Friends season 2, Rachel said to Ross:

  I never wanted you more.

It confused me a lot. Does it mean I didn't want you any more or I wanted you most? How should I understand it?


texts: What is "more manners than a Bosham tinker"?

texts:
I hid in between two logs as near to the company as I be to that old
  windlass there. I didn't need anybody to show me Big Hand. He stood
  up, very still, his legs a little apart, listening to Genet, that
  French Ambassador, which never had more manners than a Bosham tinker.
  Genet was as good as ordering him to declare war on England at once. I
  had heard that clack before on the Embuscade. He said he'd stir up the
  whole United States to have war with England, whether Big Hand liked
  it or not.

This is from "Rewards and Fairies" "Brother Square-Toe" by Kipling.
http://pinkmonkey.com/dl/library1/digi300.pdf

Bosham tinker
http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/rg_squaretoes1.htm

What is the meaning of "which never had more manners
than a Bosham tinker. "?

  Does it mean "Big Hand had not good mannaers" ?

I am glad if some one kindly teach me.


texts: What does Next dimension means in this sentence?

texts:
I was reading Casper (1995) wikipedia article, I came across the word "Next dimension" in this sentence.

  Kat Harvey's father who is a ghost therapist interacting with the
  living impaired to cross into the next dimension while hoping to find
  his deceased wife.


texts: Should I include "that" or not in sentences like "I saw (that) you waited for the bus"?

texts:
I saw you waited for the bus. (wrong unless add that)
  I saw that you waited for the bus. (correct)

  I saw a house destroyed on the road.  (wrong unless add that)
  I saw that a house destroyed on the road. (correct)

But most of us omit “that” am I right?


texts:
Why doesn't just a sense work as the subject in the following sentence? Why does it need in a sense?

  A sense we were witnessing someone pushing boundaries and defying conventions.

You could have:

  A sense of fear washed over him.


texts:
I want to ask a question politely to the client. What is the best way to say it?

  Could you please let me know when you want to go to a bus station?

Do you think it is a correct way to say it?


texts: meaning of the phrase "get all up in something"?

texts:
I have come across it in Crash Course Anatomy & Phisiology. It is at around the 2th minute. Here it goes:

  Although physicions and artists have been exploring human anatomy for centuries, histology, the study of out tissues, is a much younger discipline. That is because, in order to get all up in a body's tissues, we need microscopes.

I have checked all the meanings of the phrasal verb get up has, but none fits.


texts:
I often see the he/she and [name] constructions. But I think I've never seen the I and [name] construction. Examples:

Tom averted Mark's eyes. Were he and Mark still in unfriendly terms?
Tom averted my eyes. Were Tom and I still in unfriendly terms?

Is this the case? Is there a reason?


texts:
I teach a module that includes technical writing. More than 50% of the students are non-native English speakers. I'd like to provide some pointers to online resources that may be useful to students like this.

I welcome your suggestions and the reasons why you recommend them.


texts:
Example sentence:

  She bit off a sigh. There was no use with arguing with him.

Does bit off mean that the person stifled the sigh or that she let it out?

The word "bite" makes me think of the former, but I'm not very sure.


texts:
I'm having trouble with a GMAT SC question. The answer says the following sentence is incorrect. The correct answer is to replace persuading with persuaded, meaning persuaded and turned are parallel.

Grammatically speaking, why is it wrong to use persuading in parallel with liberating?

  Joan of Arc, a young Frenchwoman who claimed to be divinely inspired,
  turned the tide of English victories in her country by liberating the
  city of Orléans and persuading Charles VII of France to claim his
  throne.


texts:
Which quote might be perfect one, or any suggestions

There's no game in which I haven't won without losing.
There's no game in which I haven't won without losing it.
There's no game which I haven't won without losing.
There's no game which I haven't won without losing it.


texts: "Just wanted to know whether you consider reading this at all"

texts:
In chat, there were these lines:

  xxx: Check %title name% out. Pretty nice work.
  (after a couple of days)
  xxx: So, what do you think about it?
  yyy: Sorry, didn't have time to look at it.
  xxx: That's ok. Just wanted to know whether you consider reading this at all.

Is the last sentence of xxx correct? Especially at all part.


texts: is this subject repetition incorrect or just inelegant?

texts:
the incriminated sentence is the following, from this article. Notice the repeated "it's":

  The company is planning to introduce its SUV Model X next month, it’s designing its Model 3 car, it’s building a huge battery factory near Reno, Nevada, and it’s scaling up its grid battery business, which will sell batteries to utilities, companies and homeowners to connect to the power grid.

As an Italian, I find the repetition of the subject horrifyingly redundant, but... maybe it is correct English?


texts:
Can I turn the word vocabulary into a countable noun?

For example:

  She is an exquisite student who possesses a considerable passive
  vocabulary that enables her to understand the most of the lesson


texts:
Person 1: I will send it if you wish.
Person 2: It's okay.

Does Person 2  want Person 1 to send the thing or not?
It is a positive response or a negative one?
Person 1 asking for first time, no promise made previously.
Thing send by Person 1 actually for help of Person 1 only.
And Person 1 feels like Person 2 is not interested.


texts: What do you call the sediment of brewed tea at the bottom of a cup or a teapot?

texts:
What do you call the sediment of (unstrained brewed) tea (or any other herbs) settles at the bottom of the cup or the teapot?

I have found the word "dregs" but I don't know if it can be used for tea or not.

PS:

I know that "coffee grounds"is another term for those sediments in a cup of coffee.


texts:
When you have to tell someone they're wrong you can say "He needs to be told he is wrong". But can you say "He needs to be explained he is wrong"?

I don't think it's correct because "explain" is followed by "to", you explain something to someone.

The verb "say" is the same way and we don't say "He needs to be said he's wrong".

Am I right?


texts: What's the difference between (Have you) & (Haven't you)?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences, and when do I use each:

Have you read the book yet?
Haven't you read the book yet?

Thank you.


texts: Is there a shorter name for "chest of drawers"?

texts:
I have a furniture (as in the picture below) that based on Wikipedia is called in English "chest of drawers", but it seems to me too long name for such furniture. Is there a shorter name for that in the UK (not in north America) or people really call it "chest of drawers" when they refer to it in everyday life?

Second, why not to call it "drawers chest", it sounds simpler and shorter apparently and also grammatically correct. Isn't it?


texts: Zero article meaning some particular thing

texts:
Please, help me with the meaning of the sentence:
"Flowers in my room brighten it up"

1) Can zero article here mean that I talk about real flowers that are now in my room, in general meaning?

2) Or definite article should be used?

3) Or it will only mean a concept, like any flowers in my room will brighten it up?

Thanks.


texts: Passive voice with have + object + bare infinitive

texts:
I was learning C2 level grammar structures when I came across this structure. It is mentioned in passive voice category. The structure is Have + Object + bare infinitive.
Now I am confused that passives are generally with the construction to be + past participle. Is this an exception or a mistake?
Consider this sentence for example :
In order to attract people and have them practise their English, we could point out the possibilities one obtains, by acquiring a degree in this language.


texts:
In the Star Wars film franchise, Master Yoda has a very peculiar english syntax. For example, instead of saying:

  The mind of a child is truly wonderful.
  You will not look as good when you reach nine hundred years old.

He would say:

  Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.
  When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.

I have always wondered if this is valid english syntax.

So is this valid english?


texts:
The two men stepped off the elevator at the same time as the two other/other two men stepped out of the stairwell.
Does one of "the two other" and "the other two" sound awkward here?


texts: meaning of the sentence 'It's a wonder Trudeau would allow the impression it's tolerated.'

texts:
This is the ending part of an article in The CBC News: Kent Hehr has committed the ultimate sin for a Trudeau minister

  Hehr destroys all of that. His off-script remarks darken the whole
  sunny facade, which is supposed to be about caring and smiles and
  unlimited budgets and hope and hard work. It's about as off-brand as
  you can get for this government. It's a wonder Trudeau would allow the
  impression it's tolerated.

I think 'it' means 'this government' and the last sentence means 'It's surprising that Trudeau would allow the bad impression this government has endured." But then it doesn't make sense. Because the sentence should mean that the author is surprised that Trudeau would allow the bad impression this government has opposed."

Am I understanding this wrong?


texts: "He played 2 games in the last day of a season". Is that grammatically correct?

texts:
"He played 2 games in the last day of a season"
"He played 2 games on the last day of a season"

I'm not sure about "in the" part.
Which one of those are grammatically correct?


texts: Is it ok to use past simple where past perfect actually would be more precise?

texts:
I could say: I had been shown a footage.
Or: I was shown a footage.
Or: I saw a footage.
I still can say about it using past simple, like it happened at some time in the past. Right?


texts: Should I use "possible" or "possibly" in the following sentence?

texts:
Naomi slammed down her chopsticks and lifted Takeshi by his collar,
  possible/possibly since she was two centimeters taller than him.

Should it be possible or possibly? Initially, I wrote possible but a native English speaker said it should be possibly.


texts: I'll eat as much as I can put in this little bowl

texts:
I know the sentence in the title sounds kind of weird but it was from a show in my native language. So here a guy's on a diet. So he picks up a small bowl and says that:

  I'm going to eat as much as I can put in this little bowl.

I couldn't think of a natural way to express this idea. Actually the guy will eat only the amount of food he can put in the bowl. So how can it be expressed naturally?


texts:
But who else, besides myself, has experiences? Because you are so similar to me, I abduce that you do.

How far consciousness extends its dominion within the tree of life becomes more difficult to abduce as species become more alien to us.

Again, the similarities between the structure, dynamics, and genetic specification of nervous systems of all tetrapods ... allows me to abduce that they too experience the world.

Source: https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/is-consciousness-everywhere/
I couldn't find the word in the dictionary.


texts:
I am confused, when to put helping verb at end and when to omit it.

She is more beautiful than I.
She is more beautiful than I am.
I am better adapted to the environment than you.
I am better adapted to the environment than you are.

Which sentences are correct? I think sentence cannot end with an object in such cases. For example, "She is better than me". It should be I and not me according to grammar rule.


texts: Use of Indefinite Article, Plural Noun and Subject Verb Agreement

texts:
There has been written in my text book:

  Penicillin was not used in the treatment of disease until a means was found of concentrating it.

I am astonished with the fact that why the writer used A before a plural word (means) and why not he used were after means instead of was, in order to satisfy subject verb agreement?


texts:
There would be a time where you would constantly ask every person you
  have encountered how near the summit is.

The sentence is in the form where I constantly observe people in every climbing asking about the distance of the summit.


texts:
I am deposited money 100rs. in your account.

Is this sentence right or wrong?


texts: What is the proper use of a comma in the following situation?

texts:
Should I use a comma in the below sentence? which one would be correct?

  I am _ years old, and my birthday is...

or

  I am _ years old and my birthday is...

I am not too sure about this, any help would be appreciated.


texts:
I read that expression in a book, but that phrase didn't make much sense to me (at least not when trying to translate to Portuguese). I wonder if it's a common expression and what it exactly means. If possible application in one sentence.

thank you


texts: What kind of movie would you all like to watch? ---CORRECT?

texts:
I'm not sure about the following sentence-constructions:

  What kind of movie would you all like to watch?

  What kind of movie you all would like to watch?

Which one is correct (and idiomatic)?


texts:
That’s less than what some analysts have signaled Goldman might have to pay.

Three clauses and a missing "that" ?


texts: about the style of the illustrations of the current grammar, and about the indirect speech

texts:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/conditionals-if
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/reported-speech-indirect-speech?q=Reported+speech%3A+indirect+speech
(Please skim the pages of the links above noting the styles of the illustrations.)
I figured that even though we use 'if' to suppose about unknown past and present, the grammar illustrates as if those usages didn't exist. I presume that it only illustrates the usages that we need to be careful with but in the wrong style, not including other usages except the ones it concentrates on(using the present tense in the if clause to refer to the future).
So, I made a theory(?) about the usage of the indirect speech. I'll give you an example below.
"He graduated from Havard last year. He majored in philosophy. And yesterday, Sarah told me that he (had also played/ also played) soccer then."
The current grammar says we should use 'had also majored', considering the tense of its main clause("told"), but I presume that the grammar especially illustrates the indirect speech and not other subordinate clauses, because there's something we need to be careful with it(changing the exact words of the speaker into an ordinary sentence), but it is just that it uses the wrong style of illustration, saying as if we must follow the function of the tense. I think we actually can use 'also played' as in other subordinate clauses, simply linking the tense with "graduated", which is not its main clause, if the time of "also played" is clear. Am I right? I would appreciate many opinions.


texts: Omission of articles before unique nouns.

texts:
The definite article before “unique” nouns is sometimes omitted:

“My brother is chief of this expedition”

“You should discuss it with Mary, dean of our faculty”

“He was appointed captain of S.S. Minsk”

“I miss mom!” et c.

Sometimes it is not:

“He was elected the president of the United States”

Are there any rules governing such omissions?
Is it possible to mention nannies, drivers, gardeners, dog-walkers, butlers et c. without articles in case if they are almost part of the family? What if I am not part of that family?


texts:
What do you call the small cabin on top of roof of certain buildings?

The small cabin with something on top of it and with pipes running to the top of it. Is there a word for it? What are some standard ways of referring to that thing?


texts:
“Doing nuance on tv is hard but that’s my job”

That was said by Adam from the tv show “Adam ruins everything” where he debunks myths.

But what does he mean by “nuance on tv”?


texts: "In the background" vs "On the background"

texts:
If I describe a picture which we see a man and in/ on his background there is a sea with dolphins. What is the right way to describe it grammatically- in this context?

  a) "We can see the dolphins on the background"

  b) "We can see the dolphins in the background"


texts:
When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and
  there you will always long to return. (Leonardo da Vinci)

Should "When" not be there, because "once" itself will be able to lead a subordinate clause?

Should there be "on" between "walk" and "the earth"?

Should "there" be "where" instead, so "where you have been, and
where you will always long to return" becomes the object of prep. "for"?


texts:
How to talk about putting water in the freezer to become ice?

  I have to tell the child that I have put the water in the freezer and after some time it will convert into ice.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/a/76262/26777

  As a side note "have put" sounds a little weird here. Maybe someone can comment more formally why it's right or wrong. It's probably not technically ungrammatical, but it sounds stilted.

What is wrong with "have put" in "I have put the water in the freezer"?


texts: Knock someone down to; Talk someone down to

texts:
I talked the shopkeeper down to X. (price)

  I knocked the shopkeeper down to X. (price)

What sounds better "talk down" or "knock down"?

  Can't you knock the price down to X?

  Can't you drop the price to X?


texts:
What does it mean for a person to be romantic?

According to WordNet, the adjective romantic means:

adj 1: belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the
       Romantic Movement in the arts; "romantic poetry" [syn:
       romantic, romanticist, romanticistic]
2: expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance; "her
   amatory affairs"; "amorous glances"; "a romantic adventure";
   "a romantic moonlight ride" [syn: amatory, amorous,
   romantic]
3: not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and
   unrealistic; "as quixotic as a restoration of medieval
   knighthood"; "a romantic disregard for money"; "a wild-eyed
   dream of a world state" [syn: quixotic, romantic, wild-
   eyed]

Let's consider the meaning in the Item 2 only.  Then, according to the definition, I believe that "a romantic person" or a person that is "romantic" can mean a person who express his/her emotion related to love, or, who excite this kind of emotion in others.

Which of the two above is more likely/common usage?


texts: What does *possessing insights into others* mean?

texts:
I have problem about the meaning of the following phrase. What does possessing insights into others mean?

I know the meaning of each word but I can't understand the meaning of the whole phrase. My guess is to have ideas about others.

This is one of the seven top characteristics of success at Google as it appears in this Washington Post article

  Project Oxygen shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of Google’s top employees, STEM expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas.


texts: when, once and as soon as + present prefect and simple present of a verb

texts:
I am wondering if I can use either the simple present or the present perfect for the conjunctions: once, when, and as soon as. For example,

(1a) As soon as I save enough money, I will travel around the world.

(1b) As soon as I have saved enough money, I will travel around the world.

(2a) Once you learn how to balance on ice properly, you can skate easily.

(2b) Once you have learned how to balance on ice properly, you can skate easily.

(3a) When they finish the meal, I will wash up and make coffee for them.

(3b) When they have finished the meal, I will wash up and make coffee for them.

Is it grammatically correct to use either tense for these conjunctions?


texts: Is "Did you call me?" not used in close proximity?

texts:
(on an SNS messenger)
  A: Hi, Joe!
  (an hour later)
  B: Did you call me?
  A: I didn’t call you.

In this situation, is B’s expression not correct? Anybody help!


texts: Is prosaic an adjective form of prose? I understand prose as just a way of writing, irrespective of whether a piece of writing is fiction or nonfiction, right? If so, an article from papers, a drama or a historical novel could be prose?


texts: Is the sentence 'You can may get this money.' possible?

texts:
I learned that 'modal'verbs can be contained in one sentence only once.
But when I should express two auxiliary verbs in one sentence like 'You can may get this money.', How can we express the same meaning with one modal verb?


texts:
what is the meaning of "leading type" here?
does it means a leading article?

  The new-comer began to hold sittings soon after her arrival. At one of
  the first of these, on November 24, 1871, a representative of The
  Times was present, and he published a detailed account of the séance,
  which was held jointly with D.D. Home, a close friend of the medium.
  This appeared in an article entitled "Spiritualism and Science,"
  occupying three and a half columns of leading type.

from http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0301051h.html


texts: What are the parts of speech for as, so, such?

texts:
When thus gentle, Bessie seemed to me the best, prettiest, kindest being in the world; and I wished most intensely that she would always be so pleasant and amiable, and never push me about, or scold, or task me unreasonably, as she was too often wont to do.  Bessie Lee must, I think, have been a girl of good natural capacity, for she was smart in all she did, and had a remarkable knack of narrative; so, at least, I judge from the impression made on me by her nursery tales.  She was pretty too, if my recollections of her face and person are correct.  I remember her as a slim young woman, with black hair, dark eyes, very nice features, and good, clear complexion; but she had a capricious and hasty temper, and indifferent ideas of principle or justice: still, such as she was, I preferred her to anyone else at Gateshead Hall.
  (Jane Eyre)

Is as a pronoun and object of do?
Is so an adverb (complement of judge)?
Is such a pronoun, and as a conjunctive?


texts: Is it correct to say "My T-shirt is so tight that my chest sticks out"?

texts:
I am wearing a very tight T-shirt that people can see the shape of my chest.

stick out phrasal verb
1- if something sticks out, you notice it because part of it comes out
further than the rest of a surface
"The children were so thin their ribs stuck out."

The ribs did not actually poke out of the bodies, and we can only see the shape of the ribs.
Could I try to say the similar thing?
“My T-shirt is so tight that my chest sticks out.”


texts: Using 'and', 'or' with 'be torn between"

texts:
Is the following sentence correct?

  "I'm torn between choosing the white color font and black one."

What about this one?

  "I'm torn between choosing the white color font or black one."

Should I use only "and" between two options? Or maybe "or" as well?


texts: "Despicable Me": can "me" be used in such a way?

texts:
We know a movie named Despicable Me. I guess it means "I am despicable". But can me be used in such a way?

For example, can I further say unavoidable me to mean "I am unavoidable"? Are there other examples? Or can I just do this with any adjective?


texts:
Their findings contradict research trends over the past 20 years, which suggested that people with strong religious beliefs naturally think less analytically and more intuitively, supporting broad stereotypes that religious people think irrationally and that people are born believers.

I found the sentence in Inverse Science.  My question is: is it right to say 'Their findings contradict research trends over the past 20 years' instead of 'Their findings have contradicted  research trends over the past 20 years' as so far I know past perfect comes with over+time?


texts: Does "It snowed hard Monday" require an "on"?

texts:
I came across an English learner writing

  It snowed hard Monday.

After saying that it didn't snow on Friday and Saturday.

It didn't quite feel right to me.

I'd be okay with

  It snowed hard.

or

  It snowed Monday.

Is it okay for there to be two things ("hard" and "Monday") modifying the snowing without an "on" breaking things up a bit?


texts:
What could be the best linking solutions for these two sencences separated from ";"?

  The urban project, with respect to the preservation of the village, envisages the recovery, restoration and reconversion of the spaces internal and external to the historical finds; this will be done /// this,  in order to ensure the integrity, the beauty and the emotions that these places stir up.


texts: are the rephrased sentences deemed correct?

texts:
Extracted from Oxford Dictionary:

A. There is no way we could afford that sort of money.

B. No way am I going to drive them there

and

C. No way could we afford that sort of money.

D. There is no way I am going to drive them there.

E. No way is there I am going to drive them there.

F. In no way I am going to drive them there.

I am wondering:

if all the items- C, D, E, and F - are considered correct, grammatically and semantically and
if A,B,C,D,E and F mean the same thing:


texts: I am not sure whether participle or gerund of modal verbs is possible in english. For example we have the sentence: Having introduced the speaker, the chairman opened the meeting. What would be the correct form when using the modal verb "must"? Is it "having had to introduce the speaker…"?


texts: what is the difference between "will do" and "will be doing"

texts:
This guy and his son are having a room swap, he says

  my son will be
  moving into here

what is the difference between the expression above and the following (my version)?

  my son will
  move into here


texts:
The child had vague eyes. Elizabeth, who was not good with small
children, bent across the table and tried to get her face into his line of
vision. The boy’s gaze drifted, but not towards her. It was like looking at
him through water. A smile of blessedness warmed his features and was
gone; a little knot of thought bulged between his brows and smoothed itself again. She could not get his attention.
The old man cleared his throat. ‘I’m afraid Billy’s not quite . . .’
Elizabeth sat up.
‘They didn’t realise for quite a . . . He never spoke. He does sing. His
voice is very . . . Dexter and his wife thought for a while he was some sort
of musical genius. They can be toilet-trained, taught to keep themselves
clean . . .’
Dexter came charging back. He had one arm above his head, holding a
plate with cake on it. He plunged into the seat beside her. ‘Shithouse cheese
cake,’ he roared. He reached across and wedged a piece of it into the little
boy’s mouth.

Does it mean:

He came back with a plate full of cake?

He came back with hurry?

And in the dialogue below:

‘They didn’t realise for quite a . . . He never spoke. He does sing. His voice is very . . . Dexter and his wife thought for a while he was some sort of musical genius. They can be toilet-trained, taught to keep themselves clean . . .’

Does the first "They" refer to "Dexter and his wife" and the second "They" refer to "children like Billy"?
Source: The children's Bach by Helen Garner


texts:
Is there a word (adjective or noun) for people who has no children, just like single for people who is not married?

I looked on the internet and found the word childfree, but it seems to describe a lifestyle preference instead of being a simple statement of fact.


texts: Use of 'all' with nouns in adjective phrases

texts:
Which one of the following is correct and why?

It is an all boy team.
It is an all boys team.


texts: Let's play on/for a ticket to... / Let's play on/for a the lunch check etc

texts:
Edited:

How would you say let's play (i.e. cards, backgammon etc.) for money as a bet?
Does the sentence below make sense and sound idiomatic and natural to you:

  Let's play on bet.

I searched it in NGram and google, but the result was almost zero. I would be grateful if you could let me know what a native speaker would say instead?

Meanwhile, I need to know how a native speaker would indicate that they tend to play / gamble on something specific such as the price of a ticket to another country of on the check of a meal (lunch, dinner...)?


texts:
I've used the word 'salve' in one writing I've made. One of the readers objects that the word 'salve' is 'a substance we use for healing a wound' thus it can't be used here. My sentence was:

Supplication is a salve for every sore.

Although when I used it, the thing I had in my mind was that here the word 'salve' is in a 'figurative' sense. I need to have some inputs from the contributors on this with some examples.


texts: Decide something constitutionally for the whole of society?

texts:
In a more general way, the question of how to enforce and implement
human or civil rights poses problems in every federal state. Its
central authorities have to guarantee equal rights, but they also have
to protect minority rights and the historic particularities of local
cultures. If equalisation is a question of money, it poses less
problems. Money is divisible, and economic equalisation can therefore
be negotiated through compromises. This is not always so with the
equalisation of human or constitutional rights. Politically, problems
of ethical values are often perceived as binary questions. In the view
of many people, there is either the right to have an abortion or there
is not, and the death penalty is either constitutional or it is not.
Because of the fundamental nature of these questions, parliaments and
supreme courts sometimes decide them constitutionally for the whole of
society.
-Swiss Democracy by Linder Mueller

I wonder what does emphasised "for" means in this context. Does this mean "on behalf of whole society" or "to society's favour"?


texts:
He ran down the hall and entered his room just before two gunmen stepped out of/from the stairwell.
Is "of" or "from" or both correct here?


texts: Which should be used: "wear" or "dress in"?

texts:
The ethnic groups wear colourful traditional costumes.
  The ethnic groups dress in colourful traditional costumes.

In the sentences, which word should be used, wear or dress in? Or are they interchangeable?


texts:
Which of the following sentences is correct?

  My travel bag has two combination locks, one on either end
  My travel bag has two combination locks on either end
  My travel bag has two combination locks, one on both ends
  My travel bag has two combination locks on both ends


texts:
I would like to know if I should use « the » or « this » for the following sentence, I would like to post a picture of someone and add it as caption:

grateful for the past 2 years by the side of the sweetest human being

Or

grateful for the past 2 years by the side of this sweetest human being


texts:
A teach in an English lesson gives this example

  "I went to the store"

and then explains

  whenever you have a movement, and you have a destination... So by movement I mean: "go", "walk", "drive",
  "take the bus", for example. Anything that involves you moving or going somewhere and
  then you're talking about the destination, - means the place that you are going to -, it's
  always going to be "to". And this is very much a preposition showing direction. Okay?
  Now, there are of course exceptions. There are situations where you can use "for". "Head
  for the hills", "Make for the lobby", okay? But very, very specific situations, very specific
  verbs and you're not going to use them that often because they're not as common.

where the phrase "not as common" is used.

I found lots of people also use "not as common", and some of those are "not as common as"

I googled "not as common" and got "it's seen around but not a lot", which is good explanation though, I still cannot get a clear understanding.

If I substitute the following for "not as common", do the sentences mean the same?

not very common
not so common
not too much common


texts:
'You(A) watched me(B) crying to sleep'.

From the above statement, what I understood was Person A watched Person B kept crying untill Person B fell asleep.
In the same manner, can anyone tell what 'to' refers to in the following sentences?

This Kid is speaking truth to power
I will kiss this kitten to cute.


texts: How is the sentence "It means something different" grammatically correct?

texts:
Can anybody explain to me why this structure is correct?

  It means something different.

I thinks it is a reduced form of this sentence:

  It means something (that is) different.

I'm so confused. I hope for an explanation.


texts: Pronunciation of the prefix "anti" in American English

texts:
From what I understand, the British pronunciation would be [anti] pretty much everywhere. But in American English I usually hear [antai], although it is mixed up with [anti] from time to time.

  antivirus [anti] and [antai]

Is there any good rule/reason to use one versus the other?


texts:
How long have you been to Hawaii?

I had a discussion about the sentence in the title and was told, the sentence is wrong or funny, or you do not say that way.

I think the phrase "have been to (place)" is used to describe an experience that you went to the place. That may be why the phrase "have been to" is not suitable to ask the term staying there.

In addition, I got this information. In this URL, one of the comments clearly say ""How long have you been to Australia?" is not correct."

However, I am not fully convinced. So do you think the sentence in the tile is wrong?

P.S.
I am sure the sentence does not have any issue on the grammatical structure.


texts: Grammatical correctness of "I'm trying to find what he had written"

texts:
I don't know if this is a question which is suited for this site, but in spoken language, does the following sentence sound odd?

  A. What other things did he write?
  B. Wait a second, I'm trying to find what he had written.

I think the sentence sounds fine, but I'm not sure.  My friend had said that it sounded odd, and should be corrected to

  Wait a second, I'm trying to find what he has written.

Which one is correct?


texts: interpreting prepositional phrase of "in"

texts:
The hyperbole in naming the biggest of the approaching spring tides
  also reflects the enthusiasm people are demonstrating in rushing to
  the coast to watch the natural spectacle on offer.

(Source: France 24)

In this sentence, there are two phrases of "in + noun" and I found the prepositional phrase of "in" bears multiple meaning like this:

  in (RESULT),  in (EXPERIENCING), in (DURING), in -ing(CAUSE) or  etc.

I'm wondering not only the meaning of the phrase of "in" in the sentence, but also the way natives think when they meet such cases, because I was used to interpreting "in -ing" like that (as a cause) but it seems not that plausible choice among those meanings "in" phrase can have.

I guess, in the given sentence, the first "in" phrase has meaning of "during" and the second has meaning of cause or result.

The reason I wonder about how natives think when they meet "in + noun" is that as "in" phrase has lots of way to be taken in, when the sentence is spoken, the phrase, I thought, could be problematic to understand precisely and quickly.

So, in your opinion, which is right meaning in the sentence? and

How do you interpret or what concept do you have in mind when you meet the phrase of "in"? (or are you always ready in mind for such a bunch of meaning of "in" phrase case by case?)


texts:
Is it the same to say the following?

He was discharged from the police force for bad conduct.
He was dismissed from the police force for bad conduct.


texts: How do Americans respond when asked for their names?

texts:
I heard a character on TV, when asked for his name, responded:

  My name is Bond, James Bond.

Why doesn't Mr. 007 reply, "My name is James Bond".

I am not familiar with first/middle/last name concept much, as in my region we have mostly our full names and father/family names at the end.

i.e. (Full Name) + (Family/Father Name)

Side Question: Is a person's last name a kind of identification in USA? How could it be used if it is? Our last name doesn't reflect much of identification so I'm not familiar of this as well.


texts: What is the difference in meaning between "if I do something" and "if I am going to do something"?

texts:
What is the difference in meaning between if I do something and if I am going to do something? For example:

  If I take a cab, I will be just in time.

  If I am going to take a cab, I will be just in time.

  If I pass the exams, I will be accepted to the college.

  If I am going to pass the exams, I will be accepted to the college.


texts: What is the name of such sentence in English syntax? (Pronoun + auxiliary verb + noun / adjective)

texts:
What is the name of such sentence in English syntax?

  Pronoun + auxiliary verb (or lexical verb) + noun / adjective

No verb in the sentence.

for example:

  I am a student

or

  I am shy

I want to describe such kind of sentences by the conventional (and also shortest) terminology


texts: How to use preposition "to" , infinitive "to" and "---ing"?

texts:
When I was taking my examination, I 'learned' a new word, but I don't know how to use it. I don't know if the to following the word is a preposition. If it is then I should say "to doing". Or if to is part of the infinitive infinitive - then I should say to do. In other words: "to do" or "doing": are there any rules?

For example in "suggest doing something" why not use an infinitive? Why do we tend to say "object to doing" rather than "object to do"? I am sorry that maybe there's something wrong with my expression - but I would be grateful if you would like to help me.


texts:
Are we born with sense of morality, or do we arrive blank slates
  waiting for the world to teach us right from wrong? Or could it be
  worse, do we start out nasty selfish devils... (Source)

Do we need "as" in these sentences above as shown below? Is the original one complete as is?

  Are we born with sense of morality, or do we arrive as blank
  slates waiting for the world to teach us right from wrong? Or could it
  be worse, do we start out as nasty selfish devils...


texts:
John had a very good day and put his wallet containing £3,000 into the microwave oven for safekeeping. Then he and Jane went horse-riding. When they got home, Jane cooked their dinner in the microwave oven and without realizing it, cooked her fiancé's wallet as well. Imagine their dismay when they found a beautifully-cooked wallet and notes turned to ash! John went to see his bank manager who sent the remains of wallet and the money to the special department of the Bank of England in Newcastle: the Mutilated Ladies!

I feel that before the wallet, the should be added.


texts: Difference between "click on" "click" "tap" "press it down" "press" "hold it down" "hit"

texts:
I have a few questions.

Say I'm teaching someone how to do something on their phone, let's say there are a ton of options on this person's phone and I have to tell them to choose one of the options with their fingers, and let's say sometimes I also need to tell this person to hold down this or that option or press down on this or that for a few seconds so other options will pop up (Are you still following?). Say I gotta tell this person to select one of the options very quickly what should I say?

Can you please tap on/tap that option?
Hit on/hit that option?
Click on that option?
Click this option?

Is to hold down and to press down on even right? or is it more common to say "press and hold this option"?

Is there a need for a preposition (ON) to indicate where the person needs to go for words such as "hit, click, tap"?


texts:
Someone wrote:

  Over the last days , I’ve read a couple of my friends’ entries on the web about how tremendously picturesque places look in snowy winter, and I wish it snowed and got colder in Warsaw too.

I refined it to:

  Over the past few days, I’ve read a couple of entries from my friends about how picturesque places look in a snowy winter, and I wished it would snow and get colder in Warsaw too.

I just did these corrections or suggestions based on my intuitions, but don't know if I was correct or not.

I think after "a couple of" I should use a noun like "entries" something without a possessive construction, am I right?
I omitted "on the web" because in my version it would make the sentence too wordy and I didn't find a good place for it. where it could be placed?


texts:
When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to
  find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of
  end-of-term high spirits.

  -- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

It was to find~ doesn’t seem like a regular cleft structure. What kind of one is it?


texts: Why does the author choose past simple instead of present perfect in "all the leads went nowhere"?

texts:
Detour Records have been trying to track down members of this band since the 90s but all the leads went nowhere. Then fast forward twenty years and after doing more research and from reading a post on the excellent "My Life's A Jigsaw" blog we went on a mission to track this elusive band down.

It is not true that the leads went nowhere because at last he managed to track the band. So would present perfect be better in that case? For example, "All the leads have gone to nowhere" (until recently).
Did he choose past simple to emphasize the contrast between the leads that went to nowhere and the good one that managed to track the band?


texts:
Let’s say I lost my wallet on the street and someone has found it and just gave it back to me. I would like to thank this person and say he “avoided me a lot of troubles”, as in, he saved me from the hassle of notifying the bank, police, having to remake all my documents, etc.

Is it correct to say “You avoided me X”?

The phrase sounds a bit odd to me. I tried googling it, but I didn’t find any example usages.


texts: Why do we use "wouldn't" in "The car wouldn't start this morning, so I was late for work."?

texts:
The car wouldn't start this morning, so I was late for work.

The word in bold was actually missing in the original task. The four answers were: couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't and hadn't. I chose "couldn't" (now I know it is wrong). But, honestly, all four answers looked very strange for me, I did not like any of them.

My questions are:

why do we need wouldn't here, which tense or which rule is it?
if I say "The car didn't start this morning, so I was late for work", will it be a big mistake?


texts: What am I not understanding about these sentences?

texts:
I'm so confused by the sentences.

1.They miss being in Brazil
2.They miss having been in Brazil
3.They missed being in Brazil
4.They missed having been in Brazil

So 1 means that they miss the time they were in Brazil. 2 I think it means the same as the former sentence but I'm not sure. Then 3 means a time ago they were missing the time they were in brazil that was prior to the time they were nostalgic and 4 means the same as 3. So the thing is I'm not sure about this and I can't understand why 1&2 and 3&4 mean the same if they are different forms.


texts: ...anxieties about us/our having any more downtime

texts:
In some cases that a pronoun is a subject which is followed by a verb follows a preposition.
Then the subject is changed into possessive determiners.
But I read a sentence A.

A. On the other there's a set of anxieties about us having any more downtime

I wonder about the subject. Should it be changed to our such as B?

B. On the other there's a set of anxieties about our having any more downtime,

What is the differencebetween A and B? Right or wrong? Formal or informal?


texts:
this question (Final consonants: ways of compensating for the lack of voicing in initial and final position.) is part of my exam but I fully don´t understand what it means.

Please can someone tell me what ways of compensating there are?


texts: "The information were successful updated." or "The information were updated successfully."

texts:
Which one is more correct?

  The information were successful  updated.

or

  The information were updated successfully.


texts: 'it didn't happen until afterward" happened later or didn't happen continuously?

texts:
'it didn't happen until afterward"

After reading this sentence, it's not certain to interpret it as intended because "not until A" means something happened after A.
The above sentence means happened or didn't happen?


texts:
One nights before = last night.

What is common word for 2, 3, or 4 nights before?

What about 1, 2, or 3 nights after tonight?


texts: I AM used to doing VS I WAS used to doing

texts:
What is the difference between "I AM used to doing" and "I WAS used to doing"?

I wonder is that correct:

  I was used to doing = I used to do = means in the past and you are no longer doing

and

  I am used to doing = I get/got used to doing = means you are still used or accustomed to doing it

?

Examples:

He used to cycle to his work.
I was used to typing fast.
I am used to drinking coffee every morning.
She got used to the cold climate.
I'm gradually getting used to it.


texts: The prisoners panicked with the mere thought of an isolation cell. (Is this idiomatic?)

texts:
The prisoners panicked with the mere thought of an isolation cell.

with is okay or what about "because of", "due to"?


texts: I am looking forward to attending/attend the party

texts:
i'm kind of confused about the use to+verb-ing

i found the title of a document like

  "Five keys to create the new communications era"

but also I found the same doc titled as

  "Five keys to creating the new communications era"

so when to use -ing and why?

thanks


texts: Why don't we write "I will try to don't ask anymore"?

texts:
A friend of mine corrected the sentence 'I will try to don't ask anymore', but he does not know why this is not the proper way to express the meaning of the sentence, unfortunately.

Does anybody know why should I write "I will try not to ask anymore" instead of "I will try to don't ask anymore" ?


texts:
In indirect speech it is more common for the reporting clause to come first. When the reporting clause is first, we don’t put a comma between the reporting clause and the reported clause.

She told me they had left her without any money.

NOT: She told me, they had left her without any money.

If we use "that", the sentence becomes: She told me that they had left her without any money.

NOT: She told me, that they had left her without any money.

When the reporting clause comes after the reported clause, we use a comma to separate the two parts:

They had left her without any money, She told me.

My doubt: Shall we use "that" in the beginning of reported clause?

That they had left her without any money, She told me.


texts:
when I ask someone about his family, what should I use?

  Where they live?

  Where are they live?


texts:
I've always learnt at school that we have to say: "You were + (add something)" either if the "you" is actually one person or more. But sometimes I heard or read "You was + (add something)" especially in some video games.

I remember that I saw it in a custom mod on Final Fantasy 7 on PC for example. But I've even heard some people say it, but those people were friendly between them.

I can't remember the sentence from FF7, but the words of the sentence were pretty much mashed. An example here though: "You was behind us the whole time". That sentence was said by a nice, yet random guy from an online game, I asked him if that was correct to say that, he said yes (but I wanted to confirm that).

So I was wondering if that is correct? Or is it a kind of a common -I would say- speaking mistake?


texts: Can prickle have the inanimate experiencer?

texts:
(Harry and Hagrid had entered in a wand shop) For some reason, the
  back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here
  seemed to tingle with some secret magic. (Harry Potter and
  the Sorcerer's Stone)

Rodet’s 21st Century Thesaurus and Rodet’s Desk Thesaurus say prickle is the synonym of tingle; and the word seems to have to take one who experience the tingling, yet two inanimate objects are preceded. Can this word have the inanimate experiencer?


texts: How a sequence of sentences is reported?

texts:
For example this.

  Jack: Federer will play against Nadal today. That will be their 4th
  meeting on grass. Federer will probably win.

How that is reported?

  Jack said that Federer would play against Nadal today …

What is next?


texts: Who is the subject(doer)? (There, she’s said it)

texts:
There, she’s said it.

1- Could you tell me please who the subject(doer)  in a sentence like above  is?

The last subject or questioner(in this case David)?
The others(all the peoples who are present there)?
The subject is uncertain?

2-  What does refer it to?

3- What's the meaning of there here?

The full text is:

  It seems to me,” Henry says, in his slightly pompous way, “that if
  this is a murder, it would be almost impossible to solve. It seems to
  have happened in the middle of the night. We were all asleep in our
  beds. There are no witnesses. Unless someone wants to confess, or
  share some helpful information about seeing someone creeping about in
  the night, I don’t see that there’s much to go on.” Beverly listens to
  him, licks her lips nervously, and waits. No one else volunteers
  anything. Finally, she blurts out, “There’s something I should
  probably say.” All eyes turn her way. She almost loses courage. She
  doesn’t know if the argument between Dana and Matthew is relevant or
  not, but it will certainly sound damning. “What is it?” David says
  calmly, as she hesitates. “I heard them arguing, last night.” “Dana
  and Matthew?” David says, as if in surprise. “Yes.” “What was the
  argument about, do you know?” She shakes her head. “I heard them
  shouting, but I couldn’t make out any words. Their room is next to
  ours, on the same side of the hall.” She looks at her husband. “Henry
  slept through it all.” “What time was this?” “I don’t know, but late.”
  “Did it sound . . . violent?” David asks. “I don’t know. It was just
  raised voices. No crying or anything. Nothing slamming, if that’s what
  you mean.” There, she’s said it. If Matthew’s done something wrong,
  then it’s good that she’s told them.


texts: What's the purpose of using 'of ' a preposition here?

texts:
A 50 year old man complains of sudden onset of fever with chill and rigor .
I think it might also be written by following manner -
A 50 year old man complains sudden onset of fever with chill and rigor .
Does it change its meaning ?
I am really stucked here .
Please someone help me to find proper use of 'of' preposition .
I really appreciate your efforts . Thank you !


texts: In spoken English, is it okay to ask questions without putting it in the reverse order?

texts: In spoken English, do we always need to say, for example, "Is there any problem with it?" or can we ask questions just like "There is any problem with it?". I'm living in the UK and sometimes seems that natives speak in a direct order and even suppressed do/does in some questions.


texts:
Can somebody help me with this sentence? It is really needy!

  An alternative (for, of, to) working out is to go for a walk.


texts: Word + "-associated" (Simplified and clarified)

texts:
Would you agree that the expression "a ragtime-associated song" implies that those who expressed their views on this song associate it with ragtime ?
While "a ragtime-related song" implies that this song is inherently and objectively related to ragtime ?


texts: Help explain this passage by Jean Jacques Rousseau?

texts:
From A Discourse in Political Economy by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1755):

  The first and most important rule of legitimate or popular government, that is to say, of government whose object is the good of the people, is therefore, as I have observed, to follow
  in everything the general will. But to follow this will it is necessary to know it, and above all to distinguish it from the particular will, beginning with one's self: this distinction is always very difficult to make, and only the most sublime virtue can afford sufficient illumination for it. As, in order to will, it is necessary to be free, a difficulty no less great than the former arises ? that of preserving at once the public liberty and the authority of government.

Could you possibly explain the words in bold? I have read it 10 times in total, but I still don't understand it yet. And, should that the question mark be there?


texts:
Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. (Harry
  Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

The prefect tense above makes a range of which the best is selected out. So, in fact, he’d had in long time means ‘during a long period of time.’ Is this right understanding?


texts: Can we use double possessive after the 'be'-verb?

texts:
Possessive determiners are used to modify a following noun : Your book, John's book. ('Your' / 'John's' : Possessive determiner).

This book is yours.
(Here, 'yours' ----> a possessive pronoun.)

This book is John's.
(Here, 'John's' -----> a possessive noun)

I know the double possessive follows a noun. But can we use double possessive after the 'be'-verbs?

  (1) This book is of yours (instead of, "This is a book of yours. )

  (2) This book is of John's (instead of "This is a bookof John's.)


texts:
I've been having a struggle since yesterday about when to use owing to and due to.

Is owing old English or not used anymore - because I've never heard it before?

Can you give me some examples when and when not to use them?


texts: "The agreement was ratified by parliament" - why no definite article?

texts:
A quote from Reuters:

  "The agreement was ratified by parliament," Borislav Stefanovic, a senior party official, told the Beta news agency.

Why is there no definite article before parliament? Is that OK?


texts: Is the phrase "has a few investors worried" standard English?

texts:
The CFO is stepping down after five years of service, and this change in the executive team has a few investors worried.

Is the selected phrase a standard English? Does it mean the same as "has worried a few investors"?


texts: What is "being " doing in "Human Being"?

texts:
For me "Human Being" doesn't make sense. "Being human" however makes sense to me. Is that a one-off word?

Also it is not used when referring to organisms other than humans, like "tiger being" etc..

So, what exactly is "being" doing up there?


texts: How should I email to my interviewer to say I'd like to reschedule my interview

texts:
Do the following sentences work?

I'd like to reschedule my interview for ...(the new date)
I'd like put off my interview until ...(the new date)
I'd like to push back my interview until ...(the new date)


texts: When the object and the preposition phrase are interchangeable?

texts:
This kind of sentence is really prevalent in a variety of articles.

He is hewing out of the stone a piece of precious gold.

In my original thought, It should be like

He is hewing a piece of precious gold out of the stone.

So I curious that whether this method can apply to everything?
But it is ridiculous to say things like

I like in every aspect you.


texts:
I want to have a foreigner friend.
  I want to have a foreign friend.

Is it correct to say foreigner friend?


texts:
I would like to know if we could write "What had happened while we were away." I think past perfect is not obligatory in time clause.

  When we returned from our holidays, we found our house in a mess. What had happened while we had been away? A burglar had broken into the house and had stolen a  lot of our things The burglar got in through the kitchen window. He had no difficulty in forcing it open. Then he went into the living-room.


texts:
I just want to be sure whether it means "a mix of economies" or "a mix of situations/conditions of ONE economy"?

"Growth across emerging market and developing economies in recent years once again displays heterogeneity – a mix of tapering, standstills, reversals and continued strength in some cases. This change has taken place against a backdrop of fading external tailwinds, including waningpotential growth in advanced economies, slowdown and rebalancing in China, and a shift in the commodity cycle that has affected commodity exporters," the Fund said in the report.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/10/imf-warns-protectionism-and-monetary-tightening-to-hurt-emerging-markets.html


texts: "to whom I am talking with" -- is "to" or "with" redundant?

texts:
My friend was like

  You are the first member here on facebook to whom I am talking with.

Shouldn't it be like "you are […] facebook to whom I am talking"? I think one of the words is redundant — I mean, "to" and "with".


texts: Could this sentence be considered correct?

texts:
“Those are the people who had been living in the mansion for a year.”

The people are still alive.
They are not living there anymore.


texts: Having been deceived so much, I am now on my guard. What's on my guard: adverbial phrase or adjective phrase?

texts:
Having been deceived so much, I am now on my guard.

Q: on my guard
Prepositional phrase is used as adverbial or adjective phrase.
What's the case for the example?


texts: Pronunciation problem : The word data : Is it pronounced dā-tə, or ˈda?

texts:
Recently our Educational Ministry is trying to change the way how to evaluate the English skill of candidates of university tests and it hit on Yahoo! Japan's main page.

A comment says, in American English it is pronounced as ˈdā-tə, like, day-ta. On the other hand from my personal experience, I said native American speakers use da-tə, which in my opinion would be correct ( And I got 5 downvotes at my Q&A site simultaneously ).

Which one is correct or more prevalent?


texts:
What is the grammar term for the statements / questions with question words in them?

Like:

  I don't know who you are.
  Do I know where are you?

Or:

  Do I know where you are?

I don't remember the rules of these sentences, and now I wanna google the term name but don't know it either.

In the first sentence, it's not in a question form but it's a statement with question words in it!


texts: why is the definition of "over plus noun" not true?

texts:
Yesterday, we learned about superlative and compression. My teacher of English that adjective like:
overprotected
overused
are not superlative? Why?
To complete my qeustion and clarified it I add more details to my question:
Also, another example: overqualified. Why also this word is also not superlative? and more example with the same style?


texts: Can an animal like dog or cat "row" with its paws on the ground when playing or doing smth else?

texts: Or what is the name of the movement of the cat or dog's paws after they went to the toilet on the ground? Or, for example, when a dog is burying a bone, are they rowing (on the lawn or ground)? Thanks.


texts:
I read this sentence somewhere:

  SpongeBob SquarePants became famous only in 2000's.

Is this equivalent to "SpongeBob SquarePants became famous in 2000's", or does it mean that the SpongeBob SquarePants lost popularity after some time?


texts:
Two Navy admirals and Intelligence officer talking about the positions of Japanese naval forces:

  Admiral Spruance: Layton, how reliable are these  estimates of the
  Japanese positions?

  Layton: They represent our best guess, based on the  intelligence that
  we have.

  Admiral Spruance: I can't plan around your guess.

  Nimitz: I understand that we're asking the impossible,  but we need
  you to be specific.

What does it mean, "They represent our best guess"?

What does "represent" refer to?

I found this line in the movie "Midway 2019".


texts: What is the difference between "it's amazing" and "this is amazing"

texts: We use the word this to point to something near us. Am I right? But why does everybody say: this is fine, this is cool, this is awesome without referring to something. Why not just say: it's fine, it's cool, it's awesome?


texts: What does it mean to say that someone has unlimited credit?

texts:
I was reading about the meaning of the word "credit" and saw the following definition and example:

Credit: The ability of a customer to obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future.

Example:Essentially, the idea would be to let people have unlimited credit.

I do understand the other example sentences for credit (sentences such as, "They are now dealing with damaged credit" or "His credit was good, so he didn’t expect the bank to reject his loan application"); but I have no idea what unlimited credit means here.


texts: Is it incorrect to say "I slept at six" in English?

texts: I know there are many sentences like I went to sleep at six and I slept at six, but I want to know why it is incorrect to say "I slept at six" in English.


texts: What does this sentence mean? "You have been working hard, ..."

texts:
I am not sure the following sentence after yet.

  You have been working hard and providing measurably positive results for your company, yet your pay isn't what it should be or you keep getting skipped over for a promotion or new opportunities to grow.

Would you please let me know more English?


texts:
... but I haven't seen any proofs yet. So as much as I want to believe you, I just can't right now.

Is this phrased correctly and naturally? Would it be more natural to omit the second as?


texts:
If I 'fight with B', does it mean that I'm against B? Or B is on my side? If it means the former, what phrase could I use to say that B is on my side when fighting?

Also, does 'fight for' more closely mean to 'fighting to protect something' instead of 'fight alongside something'?


texts: Does "a reply of sorts" mean "a sort of reply"?

texts:
 1. Does "a reply of sorts" equal "a sort/kind of reply?" Can we say "a reply of kinds" as well?
 2. The context below is an extract from the book The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Is the text kind of complicated? Looks like the character is using a special style of talking.

  This was not the first time my employer had raised such a question; indeed, it
  seems to be something which genuinely troubles him. On this occasion, in fact, a
  reply of sorts did occur to me as I stood up there on the ladder; a reply to the effect that those of our profession, although we did not see a great deal of the country in the sense of touring the countryside and visiting picturesque sites, did actually "see" more of England than most, placed as we were in houses where the greatest ladies and gentlemen of the land gathered.
  —The Remains of the Day, written by Kazuo Ishiguro.
  (A longer excerpt of this extract can be found online here.)

 3. What does "in the sense of" mean? Can you rephrase it for me?
 4. Is there an inversion in "placed as we were"? I think is means as/since we were placed in...Is this inversion common? Are there any rules to understand them?


texts:
What‘s the meaning of "riding shotgun with sb."?

  ride shotgun
  1. To guard a person or thing while in transit.
  2. Slang To ride in the front passenger seat of a car or truck.

But it seems they are not all sitting in the front passenger seat?


texts: Can I use subjunctives for every adjectives -happy,difficult,pleased except essential, vital, advisable and so on?

texts: Like " It was difficult that he be able to/can lift the box up " or " It was difficult that he lift the box up " ?


texts: is it correct to use "in" with "date" in this context

texts:
I am writing this sentence

  I would like to know the maximum date in which I should upload my report if I want to do the presentation in October

is it correct to use in ?


texts:
Here are sentences:

  Tom walked into a wall. He can't have been looking where he was going.

What's the meaning of the second sentence above? Does it mean:

1) Tom can't look where he was going AFTER he walked into the wall.

2) Tom walked into a wall, BECAUSE he wasn't looking where he was going.


texts:
We have a sentence:

Those are my brothers's bikes.

Which means:

Those are the bikes of my brothers.

But how to say the first sentence? Do we pronounce the 's's or make the 'z' sound?


texts: "Answer to the phone" and "Answer the phone"

texts: If we want to use the verb answer, should we say: "answer to the phone" or "answer the phone"? How about other cases like answering (to) other things like someones question, query etc.


texts: I don't understand the meaning of "rob them of time"

texts:
I don't understand the meaning of this sentense and even how to parse it:

  The American workers question what they see as Chinese workers
  unquestioned service to a company that robs them of time to enjoy
  life.

What does 'question' mean  here?
What do 'robs them of time' (specifically, 'them of time') mean?
Who are 'them'?
Whose 'life'?

I know the meaning of all these words individually, but I don't understand how they fit together in this sentence.

VOA article: Obamas and Netflix Present 1st Joint Film Project, ‘American Factory’
August 23, 2019


texts: Which preposition is correct "On the airplane" or "In the airplane"?

texts:
Which preposition I have to use when talking about "airplane" or "aircraft"?

Should I use "in" like "in the car" or "on" like "on the bus?

  "On the airplane / aircraft"

or

  "In the airplane / aircraft"?


texts:
I am learning English Grammar and I learned that I can express habitual actions using present simple and modal like "would". So, are below sentences correct?

He would come to me every day.
He comes to me every day.

If both are correct then which one is preferred by linguistics.


texts: Can I start a sentence with "To be mentioned"?

texts:
Can I start a sentence with to be mentioned?

  To be mentioned, Figure 2 has no color because (some clause here).


texts:
I'd really be a fool not to because $463,000 sounds like a lot, but after taxes it will barely buy you a new refrigerator with delivery and installation in Manhattan.

Would it be correct if I use “including” instead of with in this sentence ? If it is correct wihich one would be more formal?


texts: "They have taken it kindly." What does it mean?

texts:
I am interested in a synonym for "taken it kindly" in this context:

  A. I. Root, “Letter 1 addressed to Wilbur Wright”, October 8, 1904

  Dear Friend Wright:-

  … I have repeatedly already explained to my friends that I was not at liberty to mention what I witnessed and they have always taken it kindly; in fact, I have been a good deal disappointed because so few people, even the members of my own family, regard it as such a non important matter.

Did the friends of A. I. Root believe him, have doubts or "taken it kindly" has a different meaning that I completely miss?


texts: The usage of the For-to-infinitive construction

texts:
There is a question about the usage of "for noun to verb". Have I put it correctly in my sentence? And also does my sentence sound natural and make sense for the English speaker, because I am afraid it is too complicated.

  When making a call, for volume level to be satisfactory for the other
  party, you can adjust it in the input sound settings of your laptop.

The sentence is from a technical manual, that is why it has to sound formal, and I made it that long. I want to say that you are supposed to control the volume of your microphone in your laptop.

Is it right? Perhaps the phrase to make satisfactory volume level for the other party would sound better?

I would be pleased If you could assist me with this question.


texts:
According to the dictionary claims,

Advantage means:

  A good feature that makes something better than similar things.

And also, virtue means:

  a. The virtue of something is an advantage or benefit that it has, especially in comparison with something else.
  b. A virtue is a good quality or way of behaving.

Despite the wording style of the dictionaries, I don't see much difference between these two words in one of the following sentences, but it strikes me as if they cannot be swapped in two cases!  Please have a look on my examples and their relevant explanations:

  Your advantage / virtue over him is your higher educational degree.

Explanations: here I think that "virtue" doesn't work here, while it can only refer to the "moral" aspects of someone.

  One of the advantages / virtues of the electricity over gas is the lack of fumes.

Explanations: here the two nouns can be used interchangeably for me.

  Patience is one of his advantages / virtues.

Explanations: I think these two words do not convey the same message here, while the stand-alone virtue alludes to the moral quality of someone that put they in a higher position comparing another person/people and "advantage" cannot indicate such a message by itself, unless I change it to "moral advantage".

Do you confirm my interpretation in the above-mentioned sentences? If not, then please let me know why?

Thank you.


texts: What does "evidenced" mean in this sentence?

texts:
O Henry did catch the color and movement of the city and evidenced a genuine sympathy for ordinary people.

Can you rephrase this sentence?


texts:
I have noticed that in some cases people write it is while in others it's. And in some cases you just cannot write it's.

Is that your book over there? Maybe it is.
It's a beautiful flower. Yes, it is, indeed.

In both these examples you can't write it's because it will sound strange. It may not only concern it is.

Is there a rule for this?


texts:
Gastronomic and gastronomical both are adjectives and I want to know if these two can supplant each other. Majority of the dictionaries mention these words as synonyms. If there is a difference between them can somebody explain it in a simple way?

Some of the example sentences:

Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France and the gold standard for chefs around the world.
Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France and the gold standard for chefs around the world.
the hotel restaurant serves the most exclusive gastronomic delights.
the hotel restaurant serves the most exclusive gastronomical delights.

Are all these sentences correct?


texts: What is the correct says of `how to quickly remember 10^x to 2^y`

texts:
My purpose

Know how to quickly remember  10^x to 2^y , or find a online tool can convert between them.

for example:

10^1 to 2^3(approximations)
10^6 to 2^20(approximations)
10^x to 2^y(approximations)

My purpose comes out English problem

I don't know the proper words for this, how do I say it ?

In Chinese, we usually say 10的x次方 (10's x power)  to indicate 10^x , but direct translation (convert 10 power to 2 power) seems not correct and looks weird to me .

What I tried

I don't know how to say that, so I choose a simple sentence convert decimal to binary approximations.  Searched google,  but the results (websites) are of the kind that always are providing tools used to

  convert 10(decimal) to 1010(binary)


texts: Can a participle phrase modify a whole sentence or clause? Or do they have to stick to a specific word or phrase?

texts:
Newcomer's here and like most other users my desire to
find out more about English grammar, as in their usage and structure, brought me here. I'm looking forward to working with you all in the future, cheers.

This is what my friend asked me and he gave out the following examples:

Facebook's new feature translates your post into different languages depending on who's reading it.
Depending on what Duncan decides, Pau Gasol could be the answer for the Spurs.
Kremlin: Russia will ease sanctions on Turkey depending on talks outcome

Now I know that you are supposed to use the present participle form here, any other form just sound strange, but the thing is, I don't know how to explain the word placement, because that phrase is so commonly used, we sort of using it without questioning its property.So is the phrase depending on modify and if it modify a whole sentence, what should we called it and why must it be in the present participle form, grammatically speaking of course.

And correct me if I'm wrong but on the following phrase:

  If viewed from the distance, the mountain is beautiful.

the subject of the word viewed is also the mountain, right?


texts: What does "printing the current print status" means in this sentence?

texts:
I read a printer manual and can't understand the meaning of the phrase "printing the current print status" in this  sentence:

  After printing the current print status, a continuing self-test guidance is printed, and the Paper LED flashes.


texts: What does 'in their turn' mean in this context?

texts:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
      Of what awaits the sin of greed,
      For those who take, but do not earn,
      Must pay most dearly in their turn.
      So if you seek beneath our floors
      A treasure that was never yours,
      Thief, you have been warned, beware
      Of finding more than treasure there.
  (from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

What does ‘in their turn’ mean?
(It seems like ‘when their turn comes’. But there are dragons and traps beneath the bank’s floors, so as soon as they try and rob something they would be snapped away or trapped. That is, there would be no time lagging. So I suspect there might be some other meaning for ‘in their turn’.)


texts: What does saying a verb is "used with/without an object" mean?

texts:
This is a comment a poster made to someone on a discussion,

  Man, why are you hassling me so much this morning? I'm trying to open minds, bro

I wasn't sure about the meaning of hassle, and when looking up on Dictionary.com, it shows that the verbal meaning of hassle has two senses, one is

  verb (used without object)

  to dispute or quarrel: children hassling over who has the most toys

and the other one is

  verb (used with object)

  to bother, annoy, or harass: I'll do the work, so don't hassle me

I'm not sure which one to apply, because I don't know the meaning of use with/without object.


texts: What does "at stake" mean in this context?

texts:
41 pledged delegates are at stake in Iowa.

In dictionaries, the definition is something like "in jeopardy" but I don't know if it fits into this context.


texts:
Probably, if I had lately left a good home and kind parents, this would have been the hour when I should most keenly have regretted the separation; that wind would then have saddened my heart; this obscure chaos would have disturbed my peace: as it was, I derived from both a strange excitement, and reckless and feverish, I wished the wind to howl more wildly, the gloom to deepen to darkness, and the confusion to rise to clamour.
  (Jane Eyre)

What does both indicate?


texts:
A paragraph from a ACT English test:

For the underlining part, how should I understand the expression "trapping to". Honestly I've looked it up in the dictionary, but there ain't such expression as "trap to" .


texts: It can have serious complications [to/with/for/on] both mothers and babies

texts:
Which preposition is the one to use in this sentence?

It can have serious complications to both mothers and babies.
It can have serious complications with both mothers and babies.
It can have serious complications for both mothers and babies.
It can have serious complications on both mothers and babies.


texts:
But I don’t buy the half-reassuring line that says Bannon has set his sights on Europe simply to compensate for his supposed estrangement from Trump.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/06/steve-bannon-far-right-radicalise-europe-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw

Can you help me with understanding the passage in bold? What does the author want to say? She does not fully believe that Bannon acts to compensate for his supposed estrangement from Trump?


texts: 'I was not' vs 'I had not been'. Which one is correct?

texts:
Are these sentences both correct?

  "I didn't go to the party because I wasn't invited."

and

  "I didn't go to the party because I hadn't been invited."


texts: How can I correctly form collocations such as 'cough trouble'?

texts:
I read a new collocation cough trouble which I could not found in any dictionary.

How can I form a noun + noun collocation?


texts: Is it a correct sentence? "Experience vacation in the city and at the beach"

texts:
I'd like to know whether it is a correct sentence or not.

Experience vacation in the city and at the beach.


texts: Difference between 'now and then' and 'again and again'

texts:
What is the difference between these phrases?

  now and then
  again and again

Can they be used interchangeably?


texts:
There is no scope to feel satisfaction given the feeble recovery track record
Given the generous policy support afforded to delinquent borrowers historically

Is 'given' grammatically perfect here?? To me for the first one in giving sholud be used instead of given and  for the second one 'giving' should be there in place of 'given'.


texts: Professional term for the complete service visit

texts:
After receiving a service call from a client and assigning it to the service person, is there one term for the whole process that follows, up to the moment the service person is back at the headquarters?

= one term for the process of servicing person in a car leaves the HQ, drives to client, services some device, drives back to HQ, gets out from a car, reports at the HQ?

would it be something like "service trip" ("trip" as in "business trip")?

When we want to answer the question what John did, what would it be? The term we are looking for should be something what could be used for example in a sentence "Hey John, go and do the servicing XY" where XY is the term we are looking for.

BTW: in Czech and Slovak languages there is a term for it: "výjazd", "výjezd", but so far I have not found some good translation for it, so I look for a further help here, please.


texts: What does "financials pencil out" mean in this context?

texts:
Does it mean "They don't have enough money"?

"Reasons include a shortage of Chinese companies whose financials pencil out. Many that have gone public are “unicorns” worth more than $1 billion -- valuations that may be out of reach, said Yanhong Lin, founder and managing partner of CTIC, which is based in Palo Alto, California, and has offices in Shanghai and Nanjing."

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-10/china-investors-have-money-want-biotech-and-don-t-fear-trump


texts: What's the meaning of 'or else' here? Does it present a third alternative?

texts:
Theology is parasitic upon religion. If there were no religious faith, there would be
  no theology. It would therefore be absurd to suggest that there is not or should not
  be a close connection between faith and theology. Moreover it is grossly misleading
  to suggest that an attitude of no faith represents a desirable position of neutrality.
  Absence of faith arises either from lack of interest in or attention to the subject (and
  it is difficult to regard that as an essential precondition for being a good scholar of
  the subject) or else it represents one particular standpoint comparable with the
  standpoint of faith.

Am I right that ODO's Definition 1(.0) applies?

  or else = 1. Used to introduce the second of two alternatives

The italicised last independent clause 'it represents ...
standpoint of faith sounds like a general indefinite, hazy claim that comprises two nouns (as a disjunt) already 'lack of interest in or attention to the subject', so to what's it an alternative? The definition above doesn't allow a third alternative?