texts:
Can someone kindly help me determine if a comma is needed within the following two sentences?

It also challenged me to think creatively, as I frequently had to modify or reinvent traditional exercises in order to meet the needs of my target audience.
In 2016, I extended my passion for working with persons with developmental disabilities by embarking on a paid position working for The Ottawa General Hospital, where I supported teens with developmental disabilities.

Many thanks!


texts: What is the difference between 'customer-centered' and 'customer-centric'? It seems to me that 'customer-centered' is plain and understandable.  I do not see any reason to replace it with 'customer-centric.'


texts: Any reason Japan's Diet is not used without a definite article (vs Congress, Parliament, etc)?

texts:
Obviously, there are instances, but compare for example

"member of Congress" vs. "member of Diet"

The latter, according to Google Ngrams, is basically not used.  Likewise, "session of Diet" is not used.

I have read the Stack Exchange answers on articles with government agencies, but I wonder if there is some reason that "Diet" in particular resists being used without an article.


texts:
I just got back a paper my teacher had corrected, and she labeled the word 'be' in the following sentence as a 'dangling modifier':

  How one learns from these experiences will ultimately determine how fulfilled his or her life will be.

Not only am I confused as to whether this classifies as a dangling modifier, I am not sure I see any errors in the grammar at all.

So my questions are:

What error or awkwardness is present in the above sentence?
Regardless of whether any errors exist, how could the sentence be rearranged or reworded to keep the same meaning?


texts: I want to write "dos and don'ts", or an equivalent expression, in a university essay. I am assuming that it is not very academic to write "dos and don'ts", so does anyone have a better way of putting it?


texts: Is the expression "yesterday afternoon" correct?

texts:
Is it proper to use the following expressions

I started to London yesterday afternoon .
I started to London yesterday morning

I ask because it is supposedly correct to say 'last night'. Why don't we say 'last afternoon' or 'last morning'?


texts: What is the English equivalent for the German idiom "Angstgegner"

texts:
After seeing the soccer game against Italy I wondered what the correct equivalent for the German Angstgegner is (Angst=fear, Gegner=opponent).

Explanation:
The word itself does not say anything about the general quality of your Angstgegner. He/she can be extremely competent against other opponents, but very, very often it is not the case and this sets him apart from
standard, competent antagonists in stories and contests.

So an example with an underdog case:
You are under the Top Ten of your discipline. You are self-confident and noone defeats you without a hard fight.
So you meet John Doe which has the current number 1054. Piece of cake, right?
Well, you play against him and everything goes south quickly. He is a perfect match for your abilities, but not in the positive sense. He easily defends your best shots and his attacks penetrate your defenses easily. What is especially infuriating is that other players with approximately the same rank have no clue what is so special about him, they can defeat him easily.

You are playing tennis and your opponent on the other hand has a specific lob or return which only works for formidable serves...like yours. In karate he has perfected a powerful kick which can be easily countered...but you are unable to learn this specific counter.

In effect, every time you meet he has fun and you lose. And lose and lose and lose. It is always extremely hard to fight your Angstgegner and almost impossible to win. The result is naturally that you begin to fear any encounter and pray to <insert deity/positive influence here> that someone else take him out.


texts:
I'm trying to write the sentence,

  Lower-grade soldiers made up two-thirds of the putative high quality army.

My original sentence was:

  Lower-grade soldiers made up two-thirds of what was supposed to be a high quality army.

To make the sentence more efficient and more suitable for a formal paper, I tried looking up one word that would fit in there and came up with putative. Am I  using the word properly?

I was also considering reputed, but the definition of putative ("commonly regarded as being: the putative father") seemed to fit better for what I'm trying to get at.


texts: Would this pair of adjectives be considered "coordinating" and require a comma?

texts: Please request that your sealed, official transcripts be sent directly to the school.


texts: What does the apostrophe in the expression ‘I’ faith’ mean?

texts:
In older translations of Latin texts (and I would presume Greek as well), the phrase I’ faith is quite common. Examples from Plautus’ Menaechmus 2.2 and 2.3:

CYLINDRUS
I’ve catered well, and to my mind. I’ll set a good breakfast before the breakfasters. But see, I perceive Menaechmus. Woe to my back; the guests are now already walking before the door, before I’ve returned with the provisions. I’ll go and accost him. Save you, Menaechmus.
MENAECHMUS SOSICLES
The Gods bless you, whoever you are. …
CYLINDRUS
… who I am?
MESSENIO
I’ faith, not I, indeed.
⋮
MESSENIO
I’ faith, ’tis far from surprising: courtesans have this custom; they send servant-boys and servant-girls down to the harbour; if any foreign ship comes into port, they enquire of what country it is, and what its name is; after that, at once they set themselves to work, and fasten themselves upon him; if they inveigle him, they send him home a ruined man. Now in this harbour there stands a piratical craft, against which I really think that we must be on our guard.

From the Latin, it is clear that it is an exclamation of sorts. (The first case: ‘Men.: Nōn hercle vērō.’ And the second case: ‘Mess.¹ Minimē hercle mīrum.’) The problem is not with the Latin, but with the English expression itself. Searching my usual dictionaries, I find no entries for this sort of language, which by now has become archaic. My question thus is:

What is the apostrophe indicating? I am assuming it is a missing verb.
What does the expression I’ faith really mean?

¹ Apparently there is an error in either the English or Latin text here. The Latin has is as Menaechmus speaking; the English as Messeniō.


texts: Whether or not a "what" is needed after "than"

texts:
Please compare these 2 sentences.

1, lf you are overqualified for a particular job, you have more experience or training than __ is needed. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)
2, The magnification is usually at least thirty times greater than what is normally seen with the naked eye. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

In the first sentence, there is a blank after "than", while, in a similar case, sentence 2, a "what" is put in that blank.
I want to make sure if, in both of the the sentences above, a what is optional.


texts: "Balconies", "porches", "decks", "terraces", "verandas", "lanais", "galleries", and "piazzas" in GAE and dialectal AE

texts:
In AE, a porch is apparently just about the same structure as a veranda, i.e. an open or enclosed gallery or room attached to the outside of a building.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/porch
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/veranda

Besides, a porch (or veranda) can apparently also be designated in some parts of the U.S. alternately as a "(sun) deck", a "gallery", "a "lanai", a "terrace", and a "piazza".
Are any of these regional usages widespread enough to have gotten to flood into mainstream AE?
Also -- in dialectal AE -- can a large outback or outfront balcony, i.e. a platform that projects from the wall of a building and is surrounded by a railing, a balustrade, or a parapet (like of those found attached to hotel suites, or serving as restaurant dining area) be referred to alternately as a "terrace", a "gallery", and a "patio"?

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/balcony


texts: Term for/etymology of the opposite of a nosism (using 'we' to mean 'you')

texts:
A nosism is  the term for using 'we' to refer to oneself.  I am looking for a term for/etymology of using 'we' to mean 'you'.

EDIT: Another way of putting it is that I'm looking for the proper term for "the patronising we" (made up) that is mentioned here.

In the UK, it is somewhat commonplace to hear people (usually of higher authority than the other person) to use 'we' and/or 'our' in place of 'you' and 'your'.

I had a teacher who always used to do this and have ever since wondered why.  For example:

  Teacher to student: Why aren't we doing our homework?
  (Why aren't you doing any of your homework)

  We need to start getting that planner signed.
  (You need to start signing your student planner)

It's sometimes said with a rhetorical question at the end ("__, are we?")

The Oxford English Dictionary can provide the following:

  6. pron. Used confidentially or humorously to mean the person or persons addressed, with whose interests the speaker thus identifies himself or herself (esp. by a doctor in friendly or cheering address to a patient); also used mockingly or reproachfully by a parent, intimate friend, etc.

I've also realised we is often used in the second-person plural for 'you (all)'.  For example, a waiter might ask a group of diners:

  How are we doing over here?

Related: Usage of "we" as plural second-person

What's the origin of this, what's the proper term for it and please tell me this isn't exclusive to a few people's idiolects.

Thanks.


texts:
Some websites use Editors' picks while others use Editor's picks .

Which one of these is correct?

Is Editors' picks correct when the publication have more than one editor?


texts: Ordering of Similarly-Categorized Adjectives

texts:
I realize that there is already a very popular question that discusses this question in depth, but I think this is a singular case.
How would the following adjectives be ordered?

He is a brilliant, eccentric billionaire.
He is an eccentric, brilliant billionaire.

On the linked question, it states the order as being:

(5) Quality > Size > Shape > Color > Provenance [Sproat and Shih (1991)]
(6) a. Possesive > Speaker-oriented > Subject-oriented >Manner/Thematic [Cinque (1994)]
b. Value > Dimension > Physical property > Speed > Human Propensity > Age > Color [Dixon (1982)]

How would these two adjectives (brilliant and eccentric) fit into this? What would their order be?


texts: What is correct, "in-stock" or "on-stock"?

texts: Do we have products in stock or on stock?


texts: Can you address people in the same family by the first and last name of the patriach?

texts:
If you have "Jane and John Smith and their kids," and John's brother's family made up of "Mai and Bruce Smith and their kids," and you want to distinguish which of the Smith families you are talking about, can you say:

  The John Smiths?


texts: Is it correct to use the verb 'land' in the passive form?

texts:
I came up with this sentence:

  The plane was landed in New York.

My teacher instructed me not to use the verb land in the passive form.

I didn't accept that advice, and looked in freedictionary.com, but couldn't find enough information to be certain.

Is there anything wrong with using land as a verb in the passive form?


texts: Which is the proper spelling: "disfunction" or "dysfunction"?

texts:
Is this word spelt dysfunction or disfunction?
Are there any correct spellings at all for this word?

The reason I asked is because I've always learned to spell it as "disfunction" until recently, when I realized I'm starting to see more of "dysfunction"


texts: I'm looking for a word which describes people who are annoying because they do something new, they think that this is so cool but actually the new thing and they are silly at all. The people I want to name think that they are romantics (romantics that Dostoyevski mentioned in Notes from Underground), but they are not, so I want a strong word that expresses the level of negative connotation I want.


texts: Should I use "the queen" or "the Queen"?

texts: I know to capitalize a title when used with the name, i.e. Prince John, and not if it is general - "any prince will do." But if Queen Eleanor has been identified and I write as "the queen" in the same paragraph obviously referring to Eleanor, is it capitalized? The same would work for all church and nobility titles I presume.


texts: For example, if I wanted to describe something that had just happened but also happened to me on a recent camping trip. Would it be grammatically correct to say, "that happened to me on camping too"?


texts: Grammar: What does it really take to be "very good" at it?

texts:
I will try to formulate this question so that it makes sense for a wider audience and suits the style of the QA here. Feel free to suggest changes.

I am a non-native English speaker living in the US and the UK for several years now on and off, and have always performed very well in school with languages. I hold a master's degree and graduated from university a few years ago. This likely applies to many others as well.

Recently, I was offered (and have accepted) representation through a literary agent and will be starting work on a non-fiction book soon. In fact, this will actually be my second book (the first one was very technical and written in my native language; it also had very little narrative). The upcoming book, however, will be published (and edited) in English.

Here's what I am trying to understand and figure out:

In the process of preparing to write longer segments (the pitch and sample chapters were rather short), I am trying to learn as much as possible about writing correctly. Don't get me wrong, I fully understand that writing style and content are the defining characteristics of a great book. However, writing grammatically correct  even short segments like this question without embarassing myself in front of the editor has become my biggest fear now.

Is it possible as an educated, grown-up, curious researcher and avid learner to master the art (science) of English grammar completely (so I could fool all of you into thinking I'm a native writer), within a reasonable amount of time? I have recently started to read a lot about core topics like commas, quotations, tenses, and a whole lot of other things randomly. My main concern is lack of understanding when it comes to defining the horizon. When will I know that my grammar is indistinguishable from any native writer? Of all topics at hand, which are the low-hanging fruit? Which are super-hard but really, really necessary to understand? For instance, what parts of this question might give away my non-native origin?

Is there anything that you as a native speaker can identify as classic non-native grammatical mistakes? I feel like starting with eliminating those, progressing onwards to the advanced mistakes (these include mistakes made equally frequent by non-natives and natives), and then simply investing a lot of time in finding style and a voice would be a worthwhile approach.


texts: What you call someone who leaks information from a team?

texts:
What you call someone who leaks information from a team or group. Like Spy.

Can you call him/her a "Rat"?

Thanks.


texts: Why is "evil" such a taboo word in English conversations?

texts:
evil (noun):

  [uncountable] a force that causes bad things to happen; morally bad
  behaviour.

  evil (adjective):

  having a harmful effect on people; morally bad

  extremely unpleasant

(OLD)

That's a very readable definition with a very wide range of applicability. Seemingly, anybody who takes actions (intentionally) that lead to bad things, can be deemed evil. I have looked at other definitions, and the pattern holds: it's just a term to describe people who do morally bad stuff.

And yet, whenever I use the word 'evil' (to describe someone, i.e. "they are evil") in a discussion with natural English speakers, I am almost always deemed unserious and immature, and my remark inflammatory and inappropriate... that's to be expected at times, but the issue is that this happens even if the others agree that the person in question does morally bad things!

I have noticed that if I use a word other than evil, but still with the same definition, I am not going to get into any sort of trouble. For example if I said

  They are amoral.

or

  They are cruel.

nobody would bat an eye. Yet the word "evil" (which most dictionaries list as a possible synonym to "amoral" and "cruel") makes everybody lose their mind.

Why are these people so scared of using their own words?


texts: Why is there a difference in the adoption of "Kindergarten" in American and British English?

texts:
As someone living in the US, I've heard the term "Kindergarten" used quite frequently. However someone from the UK was mentioning to me that the term is really not used that much in British English. Looking at the Wikipedia article on Kindergarten it states:

  In British English, nursery or playgroup is the usual term for
  preschool education, and kindergarten is rarely used, except in the
  context of special approaches to education, such as Steiner-Waldorf
  education (the educational philosophy of which was founded by Rudolf
  Steiner).

I'd like to know why this variation in adoption exists.


texts: What is a synonym for "the wall" that runners encounter?

texts:
Marathon runners talk about hitting a wall that's part mental, part physiological. People participating in mountain climbing or other physical activities can also encounter a wall that's part fear, part exhaustion.

Political activists and philosophers can also encounter walls. In fact, just about anyone can encounter a wall that they can either conquer or submit to.

Is there a synonym for this term?

P.S. It would also be interesting to know how ubiquitous the term "the wall" is. I think I've seen it used by a variety of athletes, not just runners, but have you ever heard it used by non-athletes?


texts: How does one use the Latin word "cum" in a sentence?

texts: I'm talking about the Latin cum, which I've seen used conjunctively, as in A-cum-B.  What does it mean, and how do you use it?


texts:
In the following sentence, "People eat garlic when it is raw or cooked." is "when it is raw or cooked." an adverbial clause or an adjective clause?  The way I see it, this clause can either talk about garlic or eating.  Adverbs answer "how" questions and "when" can answer "how."

Other examples that fit this model:

"Vampires leave their coffin when it's dark."
"When it's hot, I drink cold beers."
"You use a pen when you are certain."
"I get a cough when it's cold."

Is "when" a word that can introduce two interpretations of a sentence, a sort of "wavicle" (to borrow from the world of quantum mechanics)?


texts: Is it "since 1973, the festival has been running ... " or "since 1973, the festival has been run ..."

texts: I had this in a test. I wrote the first one, "has been running" and got it wrong and the teacher wrote the second one, "has been run". I want to understand who's correct and why.


texts: Could you describe the difference in contexts/connotations for "Study" and "Education" as modifiers, particularly in "study programs" and "education programs" at the university - might be my question is also about style, fell free to express your views, thanks in advance.


texts:
In the question What part of speech are "plus", "times", and "minus", we discover that plus is a preposition, and are left to assume that so is times, in phrases such as "five times six".

That seems to make sense to me.

However, I checked Oxford Dictionaries, and it states that times is a plural noun.

Not to be won over by the lesser sibling, I checked the OED.com and found, to my surprise, the same answer:

  A. n. ...
  II. A point of time; a moment in time; a space of time considered without reference to its duration; an occasion, an instance. ...
  19. In pl. Preceded by a number (in words or figures). ...
  b. Followed by a number or an expression of quantity: expressing the multiplication of this by the preceding number.
  Conventionally represented by the multiplication sign: 4 × 5 is read as ‘four times five’.

How is times, in e.g. "Four times five is twenty.", considered a noun?


texts:
Can 'Fullscreen' and 'Full Screen' be used interchangeably? As in

  Funny pictures in fullscreen
  Funny pictures in full screen

The context is a website, with full screen images in a fullscreen website.


texts: Is there a single word for "reducing various arguments of different levels to the same level"?

texts:
A man faces various arguments, of different sophistication, consistency and factual accuracy, on a particular matter. Due to him unable to perceive and analyze them, or he just doesn't care, or he's misinterpreting what "critical thinking" actually is, he decides that all the arguments are at the same level, and say "Well, so people don't have a consensus on this matter, which means there's no truth!", and dismiss the more credible ones as "authorities means nothing" as when people refer to it.

Is there a single word to describe such act, or way of thinking?


texts: I've read several pieces about capitalisation of the word 'government' in different scenarios, but how about with the word 'establishment,' as in "the British establishment of the day condemned the action".  Do I capitalize as I'm referring to a particular one in a particular time-period and it therefore has the sense of being monolithic, or, as it is inherantly a loose term, does it avoid such rules?


texts: In "Brown Man's Burden" is the antecedent changing?

texts:
I was reading the "The Brown Man's Burden" by Henry Labouchère.
I was a little confused because the antecedent for "you," seemed to be changing from the White men to the Brown men (Philippine natives) in the poem.
For example, in the first stanza,

Pile on the brown man's burden;
And, if ye rouse his hate,
Meet his old-fashioned reasons
With Maxims up to date.

Here, "you," seems to be referring to the natives who anger "his hate," referring to the White men.
However, in all other parts of the poem, "you," seems to refer to the White men, as in the first stanza that states, "Pile on the brown man's burden
To gratify your greed".
Please let me know if I am analyzing this poem correctly.


texts: What is a one-word synonym for "science lover"?

texts:
I'm searching for a one-word synonym for "science lover". In my case, I love science and I self study it, but I never got a degree in Physics or Chemistry or any of these related subjects (except computer-science). But I enjoy experimenting stuff and see what's going on.

So, what would be a one-word good alternative for "science lover"?

The best one I found is learner, but that's more general I guess. Scientist is probably too much in my case. I saw sciencophile in another post, but I don't really like it–it sounds too complicated.


texts: "If a huge quake was to hit" — what is it grammatically?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why have the subjunctive and indicative converged in Modern English?

I am reading an article and wondering about this sentence:

  How to react if a huge quake was to hit

Why does it say was to hit? Is it a conditional? I went through all three conditionals but I could not find this rule.


texts: Meaning of "And of all the successive shapes which society has taken, that most nearly approaches perfection..."

texts:
I have some trouble with the last sentence of this paragraph from Huxley's "The Struggle for Existence in Human Society"(1888):

  The history of civilization–that is, of society–on the other hand, is
  the record of the attempts which the human race has made to escape
  from this position. The first men who substituted the state of mutual
  peace for that of mutual war, whatever the motive which impelled them
  to take that step, created society. But, in establishing peace, they
  obviously put a limit upon the struggle for existence. Between the
  members of that society, at any rate, it was not to be pursued à
  outrance. And of all the successive shapes which society has taken,
  that most nearly approaches perfection in which the war of individual
  against individual is most strictly limited.

Does this translate into more modern/simpler English to the following?

  And of all the successive shapes which society has taken,
  [the shape] that most nearly approaches perfection [is the one]
  in which the war of individual
  against individual is most strictly limited.

What troubles me is that the verb be seems to be omitted. Was that acceptable in 19th century English? I am only familiar with this in other languages (say Russian or Latin).
Or am I misunderstanding this sentence?


texts: Difference between ''He wishes it didn't...'' and ''He wishes it wouldn't...''

texts:
I was teaching first and second conditionals to an intermediate English class the other day, and then we started with 'wish' statements.

We talked about famous people and their wishes. For example: 'Barack Obama wishes the USA didn't have such a high unemployment rate.'

And then we continued with the lesson and I introduced 'wish' statements with would.
My example was 'I wish my daughter would do better at school'.

Then a student asked me what the difference between 'I wish' with 'did' or 'didn't' and 'I wish' with 'would' or 'wouldn't' was.

I said the difference was tense, if I say 'Barack Obama wishes the USA didn't have such a high unemployment rate', it's present tense.

If I say 'Barack Obama wishes the USA wouldn't have such a high unemployment rate.' It's incorrect, I think it would be better if I said : 'Barack Obama wishes the unemployment rate would improve in the USA.' , future tense.

And with the daughter example,'I wish my daughter would do better at school.', means that I hope she will improve in the future, and when I say 'I wish my daughter did better at school.' does that mean right now she is doing badly, and I want it to change today? Or does it mean that I don't think it will change?


texts:
I'd like to know whether an infinitival relative clause such as "with which to V" needs an expicitly identified antecedent for the semantic subject of "to V."
If not, could you give an example?


texts: Does a nonessential phrase affect the pronoun?

texts:
I was proofreading some text for a friend and I stumbled across this sentence:

  Glen, along with his close group of friends, took their first trip to Hawaii in 1986.

My question is this:

Is this correct, or should their first trip really be his first trip?  I see the phrase between the commas as an nonessential phrase, and it appears to me that the sentence should be written so that it could stand alone without it.  Therefore, to me it seems as though his first trip would be correct.  However, the author is of the opinion that since there are multiple people going on the trip, their first trip is appropriate.

(My "real" answer would be to rewrite the sentence to avoid this issue in the first place, but I'm still curious.)


texts:
I believe that many, or in fact, most of you have heard the phrase "sleep like a baby". But actually, where does the phrase originate from? Personally, I don't think using baby is a good reference as babies usually wake up crying at night or wake up and scream every 3 hours asking for milk.

I would like to ask why is the reference for babies used instead of other, possibly better references like 'sleep like a patriarch', for instance?


texts:
I am writing an essay about The Catcher in the Rye, and need to mention Stradlater's ability to get with basically any girl he wants. It can be said that he "gets around" (sorry for lack of a better source, the term is slang after all.)

My teacher does not like us using phrases like this anyway, even if it were not slang, either. She emphasizes the importance of the literal meaning, and would say that this term would mean something like "walking in a circle".

Is there a more formal, less slang term for the phrase "getting around"?


texts:
I've seen this a few times now and it confuses me, especially when my editor does it. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition, a colon can only be used where a period could. In other words, after a complete sentence. So, using it in the following situations should not work:

"My next wish is: to bring my father back."
"Consider this: I am the king of this castle."
"The real question is this: are you a man or a mouse?"

In all three examples, the first clause is dependent and therefore could not stand on its own. By that logic, the correct form of each would be as follows:

"My next wish is, to bring my father back."
"Consider this, I am the king of this castle."
"The real question is this, are you a man or a mouse?"

Am I over analyzing here?

CMoS also adds that "A colon may also be used to introduce quotation or a direct but unquoted question, especially where the introduction constitutes a grammatically complete sentence."

The key word I'm looking at here is "especially," which would indicate that the case of a "grammatically complete sentence" is not always necessary.


texts: How do I pluralize the coffee drink "shot in the dark"?

texts:
For those that do not know, there is a coffee drink that is sometimes called a shot in the dark. It consists of an espresso shot poured into a regular cup of Joe.

Suppose that I would like to order two of these drinks, for myself and a friend. The problem crops up when you consider that "two shots in the dark" may refer to either two shots of espresso in a single cup of coffee or two cups of coffee each with a shot of espresso.

There are alternate names for the drink, but they don't provide any relief. For example, a "shot in the dark" may be referred to as a black eye, and a "double shot in the dark" a red eye, but I have also heard these reversed (black eye for 2 and red eye for 1). Wikipedia lists several other names as "regional variants" but I was not familiar with any others.

Am I stuck doing a long manual disambiguation every time I present this order?

Current Options

I would like two shots in the dark. (ambiguous, requires disclaimer)
I would like two black eyes. (possibly dangerous)
I would like two shots in two different darks. (what I used this AM)
? ? ?


texts: What is the name for "designated" "oriented" "specialized" in this case?

texts:
I'm writing a technical document but couldn't think of a better term than "designated" in this scenario.

I have a module which is general-purpose. I can tune it into a special-purpose one by doing certain configuration on it. So I need to collect meta-data that is specifically associated with this no longer general-purpose module.

How shall I call those data? "Designated data" just doesn't sound right. The data is accompanied by the module and varies in accordance with its type, after the tuning.

For example, module 1 can detect voice, therefore it has a "voice detection threshold". Module 2 can detect ultrasonic waves, therefore it has a "acoustic event detection count".

What is the best term? "Oriented data"?


texts:
The explanation in the dictionary of an "aim" is

  The aim of something that you do is the purpose for which you do it or the result that it is intended to achieve.

and the explanation of a "purpose" is

  The purpose of something is the reason for which it is made or done.

So are there any differences between "aim" and "purpose"?

And which word should I fill in the blank? "But for the _____of communication, we dress in clothes of different colors."


texts:
Often I encounter with the following constraction in some articles

Someone put defeat behind him

Don't undestand the meaning of this whole phrase. Does it mean that someone succeed or failed?


texts: What the difference between "can" and "would" / "will" and "would"?

texts:
I just came across a paragraph in my English learning text book————

①To begin with, Will you please consider installing self-checkout machines, which would render readers and librarians more convenience? ②Furthermore, it is expected to adopt online reading room reservation, which can reduce reader's waiting time.

I am confused that why uses "would" in the first sentence but not "will" or "can" ?
Similarly I also don't understand why I can't use "would" or "will" in the second one?
(My teacher told me "No", but didn't give me reasons)


texts: Non-pejorative term for behaviour that discriminates against people based on their birth place

texts:
A big theme of the UK May 2014 MEP elections is immigration - there is a great deal of political rhetoric about it that I would describe as racist or xenophobic, but I don't think either term is entirely suitable given how they are used now in UK media.

In addition these terms (racist especially) are generally considered to be pejorative, so as soon as you use them people get defensive and miss the point. The debate becomes about the ethnic mix of their social circle or supporters, both of which are irrelevant.

This rhetoric is characterised by the location of people's country of origin rather than their race.

An example statement would be:

  "I'm not racist, but only British people should be able to apply for British jobs."

or

  "26 million people in Europe are looking for work. And whose jobs are they after?"

I don't think these statements are racist exactly, as a person could be any race and be British, or not be British and still be of an Anglo-Saxon white origin.

However they do represent a kind of discrimination: they state that if the most skilled person for a job is not from the UK they should be rejected in favour of a less skilled local. They state that someone who isn't British should not get the same rights and privileges as someone who is.

The rhetoric that goes with these statements tends to also make value statements about the immigrants in question, often describing their intentions as parasitic or that these immigrants would be seeking to change British culture or legislation.

Is there a term for that kind of discrimination or prejudice?

Please note that I'm not trying to encourage any kind of political debate on here - I'm just looking for a way to describe this kind of political argument as discriminatory without referring to race.

Update

This question has been flagged incorrectly as a duplicate. I know that the legal definition of racism includes discrimination based on nationality. However, in the UK political sphere at least, the common interpretation of of racism is limited to racial groups. The political parties that use this rhetoric do not consider it to be racist, and the pejorative nature of the term means that using it just ends any chance of building an argument that they might actually listen to.

I understand that racist is technically correct, I'm asking for constructive alternatives.

The answers to that question do not help with this issue.

Update 2

Xenophobic is a good answer, but not really what I'm looking for as it implies the motivation for the behaviour, rather than describing the behaviour itself.

For instance a typical response might be:

  "I've got nothing against foreigners, I just think Britain is full - there's no more room."

This moves the argument to a different point (whether they hate or fear foreigners) and I don't want to do that. I want to describe the discrimination against foreigners without making my own judgements about their motivation for doing so.

Update 3

This question has been flagged as a duplicate of another question, but these are different questions with different answers. The supposed duplicate asks: If a person holds prejudice against people because of their nationality, would that be considered racist? - I'm specifically not asking about prejudice; I'm asking about discrimination.

I can state that a political party's policies or proposals are inherently discriminatory if the action treats one group differently from another. I'm not making a judgement about them if I do so, I'm just stating a deduction.

I can't state for certain that this discrimination is due to their prejudice - they may or may not have prejudiced opinions, but accusing them of prejudice causes offence and any constructive discussion ends there.

So, is there a way to describe behaviour that discriminates without making guesses as to the motivation or any prejudice behind it?


texts:
When discussing temperatures or decades, should it be hyphenated?
I understood that two-word adjectives need to be hyphenated, but why does MS Word think this should be, too?


texts: What do you call a 'noun' with a (s) suffix e.g. parent(s)?

texts:
Is there a term for use of a combined singular / plural like  parent(s)?

For example:

  Do not assume there are two parents when you pen the letter regarding baby Bob;
  use _____ instead.

or

  use the _____ approach instead?

I am not asking if parent(s) is good style - that is separate issue.
I have seen a question asking how to add a possessive 's to it but that is separate problem.
I googled for this but am not sure what to even search for.


texts: Why are the buttons on computer keyboards called "keys"?

texts: A computer keyboard is a board of keys. Why are these buttons called keys? Is it related to the usage of piano "keys"?


texts: "might want no fact of distinguished die" - grammatical deconstruction and meaning?

texts:
The original draft of the Declaration of Independence (BlackPast.org)...has the following:

  ...that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished
  die, he is now exciting those very people...

Which is about slavery, and how the King is inciting slaves to fight their masters. It's pretty easy, in context, to know what the general meaning of this passage is. But I am flummoxed about the specific construction, "might want no fact of distinguished die."

I know what it means, but... what does it mean? Clearly some of the words are being used in a way that we no longer use them, and the whole structure doesn't jive with modern grammar practices.

Any 18th C. language experts able to shed some light?


texts:
What do you call someone who gives little time to complete work?  For example, a teacher who asks for a submission on a difficult project within just a few days.

Example sentence:

  That teacher is such a _____.


texts: My grandma believed that the Sun "revolves" or "revolved" around the Earth?

texts:
We all know that universal statements are always in present tense. For example,

  My grandma did not believe that the Earth revolves around the Sun.

Here, though the sentence is in past tense, Earth revolves around the Sun remains in simple present tense.

But in case of a false belief that is contrary to a universal truth, does the above rule apply similarly? For example,

  My grandma believed that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

Will this sentence be taken as grammatically correct? Shouldn't it be "My grandma believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth"?


texts: Meaning of "would" in "the men of Gotham would have kept the Cuckoo so that she might sing all the year"

texts:
A fairy tale begins:

  Once upon a time the men of Gotham would have kept the Cuckoo so that she might sing all the year, and in the midst of their town they made a hedge round in compass and they got a Cuckoo, and put her into it, and said, 'Sing there all through the year, or thou shalt have neither meat nor water.' The Cuckoo, as soon as she perceived herself within the hedge, flew away. 'A vengeance on her!' said they. 'We did not make our hedge high enough.'

What does "would have kept" mean in this context? How do you paraphraise it? Is it something like "they were likely to have kept"?


texts:
What does jump his way in the following phrase mean?

Who watched "Fearless Felix" jump his way into the record books?


texts: Polite form of "red herring" or a word or phrase meaning unintentional distraction

texts:
In another life I posted a comment calling someone's answer a "red herring" because I felt that it was distracting from the true problem:

  D3 is a red herring here. Your solution works because you removed
  [some html tags]. If we [add those back in to your D3 solution], the
  bug reappears.

But something didn't sit right after I wrote that... Indeed, Google says the definition of "red herring" is:

  something, especially a clue, that is or is intended to be misleading
  or distracting.

(emphasis on "intended" is mine).

So basically I think that using "red herring" here is accusing the solution's author of malice. And so what was bothering me was that my comment was possibly (TBD) rude, but I was not trying to be rude.

OK, so what is my question then... I guess 2 questions:

Is Google's definition (shown above) for red herring correct?
Is there a more polite version of red herring, or an expression that might convey mere unintentional harm, and not malice nor even intention? Like a word or phrase meaning unintentional distraction?

Looking at existing research on this popular topic, I found unintentionally led up the garden path. OK, that's good -- he wasn't trying to be harmful, just needs some help with navigational aids. Is there something like that, but maybe fewer syllables?


texts: What is the etymology for the phrase, "on a lark" or "for a lark?"


texts: "Who are they angry at - you or I" or "you or me"

texts:
Donald Trump at a charity dinner in NY last week said to Hillary Clinton:

  Who are they angry at? You or I.

German English schoolbooks teach "You and me" is right. Who is right? Does Trump use a more modern and more common form?


texts: What does ‘Sport’ mean when you say ‘the new Apple iPad sports cameras for video conferencing’?

texts:
I found a phrase, ‘the new tablet of iPad can sport at least one camera for video conferencing’ in today’s Washington Post article reporting iPad 2. I guess ‘Sport’ here implies ‘chase (move) after plural objects' or ‘Catch' them, because it says 'at least one camera.' But I’m not accustomed to the word, ‘sport’ used in a such way.

COD at hand gives only two meanings of ‘Sport’ as a verb, - 1. to have or wear sth in a proud way so that everyone can see. 2. to play in a happy and lively way. In addition to the above definition, an English Japanese dictionary (Readers Plus Dictionary) provides ‘play with other sex’ and ‘give’ as  slang usages, and I can’t find the definition anything near to the context used in the following sentence.

What does ‘Sport’ here exactly mean? Is this common way of using ‘Sport’ as a verb?

  A report from the Wall Street Journal says that Apple has begun production of the next generation of the iPad. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, claims that the new tablet will be thinner and lighter, will sport at least one camera for video conferencing and will have better graphics and a more memory.


texts: Contrary meanings of dependency/dependent?

texts:
http://tutorials.jenkov.com/ood/understanding-dependencies.html#whatis says that

  Whenever a class A uses another class or interface B, then A depends on B. A cannot carry out it's work without B, and A cannot be reused without also reusing B. In such a situation the class A is called the "dependent" and the class or interface B is called the "dependency". A dependent depends on its dependencies.

According to Google, the definition of "dependency":

  a dependent or subordinate thing, especially a country or province controlled by another.

Since A depends on B,  the dependency is  A and the dependent is B. This is contrary to the first quote. Or am I missing something?


texts: Is it correct to use multiple brackets in a sentence?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is it acceptable to nest parentheses?

Sometimes I want to explain something a bit further twice or more in the same sentence, and I usually find it awkward to use or not use brackets. Let me say for example I want to say

  I was in a bus when a 'pastor by claim' (who supposedly repented from
  being the assistant of Pericome (a very popular dibia (necromancer)))
  was making calls to different people and convincing them to 'sow
  seeds'.

I find it very weird to do the above, so I usually patch it up like this:

  I was in a bus when a 'pastor by claim' (who supposedly...) ...

then after all the statement I add:

  NB: Pericome is blah blah blah, and dibia means necromancer

Normally in formal writing or documents I could add footnotes, but it's not everywhere you can do that...


texts: Present Perfect vs. Simple Past: Are the solutions supplied by an English website correct?

texts:
I am a native English speaker who has just begun to tutor ESL students. I have found some exercise sheets on the internet and I disagree with some of the answers, I would appreciate some other opinions. The object of the exercises is to select which of the 2 verb tenses is correct.

  I ____ (drink) three cups of coffee this morning.

The answer given is "have drunk", but I believe it depends on when I am saying it. If it is already this afternoon, than "drank" is correct.

  Sorry, I ____ (miss) the bus, so I'm going to be late.

The answer given is "have missed", and this is fine, but I believe "missed" is also perfectly acceptable. Even though the consequences of the action are still palpable, the event itself is over.

To give an extreme example, "My great-great-grandfather blew up a mirror factory, so I still have 7736 years of bad luck coming". Although the consequences are still reverberating, it would be incorrect to use "has blown up".

  She ______ (play) hockey at school, but she ______ (not / like) it.

The answer given is "played / didn't like", which is fine. But wouldn't it also be grammatically acceptable to say "has played / hasn't liked"?

Furthermore, I feel it would also be fine to say "has played / didn't like". She has played several games, and may play more, so PP is fine for the first clause. Simple past for the second clause, because the games are over and she didn't enjoy it. Even if she plays more and enjoys future games, she still did not enjoy the first few games. If you claim that the "it" implies that there was only one game, I think that the "it" pronoun refers to the act of playing in games, not to the games themselves.

Link to questions


texts: How to use the prepositions "apud" and "chez"?

texts:
I couldn't find many examples of apud and chez as prepositions; I just found one description on Wiktionary:

  apud
  1. Used in scholarly works to cite a reference at second hand.

  Jones apud Smith means that the original source is Jones, but that the author is relying on Smith for that reference.

More shockingly, I found nine meanings of apud on Word Hippo site, i.e. among, at, before, amongst, about, beside, near, in the presence of.

The next word is chez, meaning "at the home of." Again from Wiktionary:

  2008 February 28, Lisa Forest, “Mind the gap: Empty house, empty nest, empty fridge”, in The Telegraph:

      Even if I say so myself, Christmas chez the Forests is quite a heart-warming affair. For Ben, growing up, it was pure magic – a log fire in the grate, ...

Also, are these two words not used in English, but in Greek, Latin, or French? I found apud and chez in a Wikipedia article with a list of English prepositions.


texts: A word that implies hungry but all food tastes bad and unappealing

texts:
I am looking for a word that implies hungry but all food tastes bad and unappealing
This is the scenario:
One of my characters is starving after being trapped in a POW camp for several weeks, but when he finally gets out, the horrible conditions in the camp have made all food taste grimy and gross, so he is hungry, but food makes him gag
Does that make sense?


texts: The use of "travel" as a noun in some restricted cases

texts:
Portuguese speakers often get confused when they have to use the words "travel" and "trip". We've been taught that travel is always a verb and its corresponding noun is trip. However, a simple internet search shows that travel can sometimes be used as a noun. According to the Macmillan dictionary:

Travel (noun)

1- the activity of travelling

Foreign travel never really appealed to him until he retired.
Our agency deals mostly with business travel.

2 [ only before noun] involving travel

travel arrangements/insurance/expenses

This is how the same dictionary defines the noun trip:

" an occasion when you go somewhere and come back again".

Therefore, travel,  used as a noun, is not a synonym for trip. It refers to the activity while trip has a much wider meaning. Consider the following:

-Space travel
-travel agent
-travel agency
-time travel

Am I right?


texts: is this sentence gramatically correct? (use of colons followed by semicolons)

texts: It is with economic independence that women become free, for only through this are they: not dependent on men; and capable of acting in pursuit of transcendence.


texts: Is there an expression that sums up "improperly conflating two ideas that are really separate issues"?

texts: I'm intrigued by a local sign-holder who was improperly labeled "atheist" for carrying a sign that asserted that there was no after-life for a person's consciousness.  The person expressed a belief in God, but not belief in the immortality of the soul.  Is there a short, crisp way of saying: "You are incorrectly characterizing disparate ideas as monolithic"?


texts: Comma or semicolon in this particular case!

texts:
The nationalities shall mingle, the nights shall sparkle.

or

The nationalities shall mingle; the nights shall sparkle.

Two complete sentences, right? So, I guess they should be separated by a semicolon to show the connection. Am I right?


texts: What does the writer mean by "ocean foam" in this context and is it a common phrase and meaning?

texts:
I've never heard the phrase "ocean foam" used in this manner, so I'm not sure of it's meaning. I think I can gather a little from the context, but I'd like to know for sure. I can only find the literal meaning from online searches.
(An Observatory Telephotographer (Beenay 25) is talking to a newspaper columnist (Theremon 762) at a scientific observatory during a possibly catastrophic eclipse when stars may be seen for the first time)

But Beenay had drawn his chair closer, and there was  an expression  of
sudden  enthusiasm  on  his  face.  'Say, I'm  glad  you two  got onto  this
subject.' His eyes narrowed  and he  lifted one finger. 'I've been  thinking
about these Stars and I've got a really cute notion. Of course it's strictly ocean foam, and I'm not trying to advance it seriously, but I think it's interesting. Do you want to hear it?

From the short story "Nightfall" written in the US in 1940 by a 20-year-old Isaac Asimov. Probably in Brooklyn, New York.
(I'm reading a 1974 "Best of" publication)
From there, the character talks about his scientific speculation, which is seemingly wondrous, maybe even far-fetched from his point of view but to the reader, It's familiar and factual (i.e. The idea of a planet orbiting a single sun, thus having a period of night).
As well as the meaning, I'd also like to know...

Was it a well-used phrase and meaning at the time of writing?
Is this phrase and meaning still in use today?


texts: Why is "reconstruct" used instead of "reconstructs" or "reconstructed" in this sentence?

texts:
Why did the author write "reconstruct" instead of writing "reconstructs/reconstructed"? Is it an exception to normal subject-verb agreement rules?

  It may be argued that the creation-template offered in the phrases of the
  institutional theory in truth rationally reconstruct the facts of creativity, imposing order on very messy diversity, and that will perhaps be convincing to those committed to the return to theory, committed to the search for essence.

Source:  "The Institutional Theory of Art: Theory and Antitheory", by Garry L. Hagberg, in A Companion to Art Theory, edited by Paul Smith and Carolyn Wilde, p. 501


texts:
I was buying some carry out and I asked for a nylon bag. The cashier, who is not a native speaker, gave me a look and offered a 'plastic bag', which is what I wanted to begin with.

I don't know why I used "nylon" instead of "plastic"; I'm not a native speaker but I'm fluent in English and that got me thinking:

Is there any difference between "nylon bag" and "plastic bag"? Can they be used interchangeably?


texts: What's the subject in "You, go to the store"?

texts:
In the following sentence, what is the function of "You"?

  You, go to the store.

I know the sentence is in the imperative mood, and that generally means there is an implicit second-person subject. If we dropped the initial "You", the subject would be that implicit subject.

While "you" matches that second-person subject, that seems just incidental and it seems like it is just an expression of address that happens to match the implicit subject.

Is it the subject, or merely a vocative expression? Or in other words, is the subject the "You" in the sentence, or is it the implicit subject from the imperative mood?


texts: Word for belief or prejudice that is held, but it is not conscious

texts:
I remember reading about an idea of a belief or prejudice that is subconscious.

It had a prefix, and it was something like:

belief -> alief

or

prejudice -> ajudice

But I can't remember the word.  I've tried looking in a thesaurus to find synonyms of prejudice and belief and see if I can recreate the word, but I can't come up with it.  It could have been a non-standard word.


texts: What's the word for the when you suck snot back up your nose?

texts: My mom and I say 'soup' like: "Why are you souping the snot back up your nose?" But I realise that this is not accurate. So what's the word?


texts: Is the following usage of "alone" correct?

texts:
A friend of mine came to me while I was drinking tea with another person. So two of us were drinking tea and a third person approaching us.
The third person said: "You people came alone". His point was that we didn't call him for tea.

My question is, can two people come alone? Is it not a wrong usage of alone?


texts: What does this person say in this video?

texts:
I don't know if this is allowed but I want to know what this Gwyneth Paltrow say in this video at 0:51 to be exact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZORey6EHF3g
or

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1380647/Gwyneth-Paltrow-shatters-clean-cut-image-dropping-C-bomb-U-S-chat-Chelsea-Lately.html

*scroll down to see the video

Does she say "I really sight or cite?"

I have a feeling that it basically means that she's so happy but I do want to know how to spell the word.

Again, I am heaps sorry if this isn't allowed but I do no know where to ask.

Thanks heaps!


texts: Difference between "civic rights" and "civil rights"

texts: Is there any difference in meaning between the term "civic rights" and the term "civil rights"? Or are they completely interchangeable?


texts:
I want to say that something is currently completed, in a percentage.

Which sentence is correct?

  Up to now the job has been completed by 10%

or

  Until now the job has been completed by 10%

Thank you in advance


texts: Why is it "don't you dare", but not "do not you dare" or "don't/doesn't he/she/him/her dare"?

texts:
Ok, so I'm supposed to prepare a short presentation about a grammatical oddity in the English language that doesn't seem correct, and yet it is. The topics range from explaining the plural of fish/fishes to the usage of "none of them are/is brave".

I've decided to touch upon the "don't you dare" phrase, but I'm looking for some clarification of why that structure is in usage, and why can't we say "do not you dare" or "don't she dare" (context-wise likely used as a proxy command/threat).

Anyone care to enlighten me?


texts: What is the meaning of 'industrial dominance' in this sentence?

texts:
Can someone please help me understand the second part of this sentence, more specifically the part that relates to 'industrial dominance'.

Here is the sentence:

  Through a comparative analysis of star texts and autobiographical
  narratives published in magazines and papers, I also complicate what
  may suggest a model     of industrial dominance over passive female
  subjects.

To help you better understand the context, the sentence that comes after this one is:

  Drawing on Nan Enstad’s research  on  early  twentieth-century,
  working-class,  movie-loving  girls,  I  argue  that, contrary to
  what the press advertised, girl fans’ screen aspirations did not
  derive from idle romanticism but rather from a sober quest for
  personal and professional advancement.

Thank you for your answers.


texts:
It's a rare event when I can't find the English equivalent for an Italian expression. It's even rarer when that Italian term consists of one word, but in English I have to build an entire phrase.

That's the case with the Italian verb verniciare which can be translated as "to varnish" or "to paint". But what about sverniciare? A single word that means to take off the paint or varnish from something.

I am particularly interested in knowing if there is a one word equivalent for:

to strip a car of its paintwork
to strip the paintwork from a car

Do the above sound "natural"? I don't think anybody would be confused but perhaps there is some jargon or slang that is commonly used among car mechanics.

And after the paintwork has been stripped off, what is that car called? I keep thinking of naked car, nude car and even raw car but that can't be right.

So I would also like to know if there is a word, or short expression for:

a car whose paintwork has been stripped


texts: Are there times where "wanna" sounds weird in everyday speech?

texts:
To illustrate:

  She wants to try the new ice cream.

  She wanna try the new ice cream.

Are both equally common in everyday speech? What's an example where "wanna" would sound weird or out of place? (Still, in informal speech.)


texts: "Bob and us" or "Bob and we" or "Bob and ourselves"?

texts:
In the singular, it is quite clear that one uses "I" when referring to a third party and oneself, as in:

  Bob and I are going to build an aircraft.

However, in the plural, it is a lot less clear.  For example, if a group of boy scouts are talking about their next project and want to include an outsider, e.g. Sarah:

  Sarah and we are going to build an aircraft.

Or would it be:

  Sarah and us are going to build an aircraft.

Or even:

  Sarah and ourselves are going to build an aircraft.

Please help as otherwise I'll have to shelve the whole aircraft project.


texts:
I think my sentence isn't perfectly correct, especially around the "to learn".

  App helping people with special needs (e.g. autism) to learn and
  practice letters, maths, logical thinking, and other important skills.

I have 140 letter limit. I have Grammarly installed to test the sentence and it has found some errors but wants me to buy the subscription to it.

I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm asking for help. Thanks.


texts:
I've seen many people who say:

  This is a HTML page.

Yet I've also seen many people who say:

  This is an HTML page.

Are both usages equally correct?

Or, which is the grammatically correct one?

  Possible Duplicates:
  “A” vs. “An” in writing vs. pronunciation
  Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?


texts: Word for "not putting thought into something"

texts:
I'm writing a letter to someone and I want to describe the way a woman talked to me the whole night.

Every time I told her something, I got short answers which had zero thought put into them. Like "oh really?" or "That's nice."

So what would be a good word that I can use to describe putting no thought into something (such as the way one responds)?


texts:
I already read several posts on this forum, for example: Use of "respectively". I was however wondering about a specific use case:

  Items 1, 3, 4, and 6 dealt with motivation directly, feelings of guilt, enjoyment, and personality, respectively.

vs

  In respective order, items 1, 3, 4, and 6 dealt with motivation directly, feelings of guilt, enjoyment, and personality.

What would be preferred? For me it feels that the 2nd is clearer.


texts:
The edit summary here says:

  cleaned up a bit, removed the trollpoking.

I'm certain removing trollpoking is referring to the removal of:

  This answer is going to be deleted as off-topic, isn't it? ^_^

and I know what troll(ing) is.

But what does trollpoking mean?


texts: Is there a Latin, or English, phrase or acronym for "in summary"?

texts: Is there something similar to TLDR that can be used in professional emails and messages?


texts:
I'm writing an essay on Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Age, and I have the following sentence:

  DRM is an instrument to protect Copyright, and therefore it should be implemented in such way that it respects the rights of users and [X] alike.

Here, [X] should be a word for the copyright holder that juxtaposes with the word "users". Currently I have "copyright holders", and previously I had "creators". None of them satisfy me because I feel like a composite term damages the juxtaposition effect, and because the creator and the copyright holder may be different people.

What would be an appropriate word?


texts: Father was used to carrying luggage anyway. Is 'used to' used as helping verb?

texts: I've come across the above sentence in a story. The structure "used to + present participle" puzzles me a bit. please explain its meaning and usage.


texts: Always Is (Past, Present, and/or Future?)

texts:
Is is the present simple tense of be.  But since the present tense is temporary instantaneous time period, what does "always is" mean?  I am not saying "is always" because: I am using always to be an adverb to is, so "is always" wouldn't make sense.

(Maybe there is a word other than always that makes this un-paradoxical?)


texts:
When is it necessary or preferable to use 'in the' before a time period? Is one sentence more formal? Does the length of time matter?
Example 1: He was born last century. Example 1a: He was born in the last century.
Example 2: He was born last week. Example 2b: He was born in the last week.
Example 3: His birth was last century. Example 3a: His birth was in the last century.
Example 4: He was born middle of the night. Example 4a: He was born in the middle of the night.
To me, examples 1 and 3 sound better with 'in the', but I don't know why.


texts:
1 . . . the the amount of debt for which he was personally responsible.
2 . . . the the amount of debt which he was personally responsible for.

Which of these two forms is preferred for the placement of "for" and why?


texts: Term for person who forgets directions or routes

texts:
What do we call a person who easily forgets directions or routes?

I googled but couldn't find any appropriate term.


texts: Do I use a comma or a semicolon after a comma-separated list?

texts:
In the following sentence, should the last comma be changed to a semicolon because of the comma-separated list?

Whether your favorite toping is cheese, pepperoni, or sausage, this pizza party is for you.


texts: What is the more serious version of 'pet peeve'?

texts: A "pet peeve" is something minor that annoys you. What is the term for a major annoyance?


texts: Grammatical rules pertaining to 'number shifts'

texts:
Thanks everybody for your enthusiasm for my previous questions. Now I have an additional question pertaining to a particular section of English grammar: "number shifts"

For example:

The problem with this plan is all of the permits we could have to file before starting the project.

It is obvious that neither the word "is" or "are" is consistent with the noun each of them refers to. Therefore, how can I solve this dilemma? After a moment of thinking the solution, I got exhausted; therefore, I decided to get rid of this kind of confusion by changing the whole sentence into a somewhat new one:

Filling all of the permits required by this plans will probably delay the project.

However, I was still not satisfied with my attempt. So, can somebody give me some advice on how to tackle this kind of situation? Should I change the form of the sentence without changing its meaning or is there a correct way using the word "is" or "are"? If I needed to adhere to the latter approach, what would I essentially do to avoid the mismatch between "noun" and "verb"? Once again, thanks for any help!

Best regards


texts: What part of a sentence is the phrase "am going", as in "I am going to pray"?


texts:
"Hi Jordan,

Greetings from XYZ Solutions,

I have analysed the content provided by you."

OR

"Hi Jordan.

Greetings from XYZ Solutions.

I have analysed the content provided by you."

Which one is correct?


texts:
Meaning if one word (word a) is a synonym of another word (word b), does that automatically mean word b is a synonym of word a?
For example, in the oxford dictionary "straw" is listed as a synonym of "hay" but not vice versa.
Do they just not list all words? Or are synonyms not commutative?


texts: Difference between I have lived or I have been living?

texts:
1) I have lived here since 2006

2) I have been living here since 2006.

What's the difference between the above cases? Are there different conditions to use each one of them? Or can they be used interchangeably?  I have already read this answer but what I want is simple answer and explanation that whether I have lived here since 2006 mean I am not living here now or I am still living.No doubt this answer is well explained but I am unable to understand it completely that's why I said earlier that I want easy explanation.
Hope you get my problem now.


texts: Can I say that something "goes down on the agenda"?

texts:
So, I know the expressions high on the agenda and low on the agenda but do not know how to say that something becomes high or low on the agenda.
Is it goes down on the agenda or falls down on the agenda or falls on the agenda or what?


texts: Placement of period in quotation or definition at end of sentence (American rule)

texts:
The American rule for sentences ending in a quotation is that the period should be inside the closing quotation mark.  The rule for parentheticals at the end of a sentence is that, when the parenthetical is not itself the full sentence, the period should go outside the closing parenthesis.

My question is about the interaction of these rules -- the placement of a period when a sentence ends with quotation marks inside a parenthetical that is not, itself, a full sentence.  My question therefore differs from this question. It's quite close to this one, but neither the questions nor answers there discuss the American rule and its not clear if anyone considered it.

I'm most interested in the case of the first use of a defined term, but am also wondering if the rule is any different for other parentheticals.

Here are two examples with the first use of a defined term in quotation marks.  They are written here with the period inside the closing quotation mark.

  Compensation of injured employees is addressed by the Illinois Workers Compensation Act (the "Act.")

  Before reunification, Germany was divided into two states, the German Democratic Republic ("DDR") and the Federal Republic of Germany ("BDR.")

And here's an example with a longer quote inside a sentence ending parenthetical:

  After the third glass, I began to see things as they really were (which, in the words of Oscar Wilde, is often "the most horrible thing in the world.")

(I realize that the parentheses in the last example could, and probably should, be eliminated, but then it wouldn't be much of an example.)

All of these examples, as written, look wrong to me. But I've been indoctrinated to the American rule, so the alternative also seems wrong.

I suspect that if I owned the Chicago Manual of Style, I'd find the answer there.


texts:
How do you parse structures that make a comparison – specifically as ... as and more/-er ... than?

Example 1:

He is as cute as an angel – here I would analyse as cute as an angel as an AdjP functioning as a subject predicative complement, where cute is the head of the AdjP, but how do I analyse the rest of the AdjP?

Example 2:
He is much older than I am – here I would analyse much older than I am as an AdjP functioning as a subject predicative complement, where older is the head of the AdjP, much is a premodifier, and than I am is an adjective complement. Is this correct?

Thank you!


texts: Polish (the substance, not the language)

texts:
I'm talking about the stuff you use when you're polishing.
According to etymonline.com, this usage has been around for less than 200 years:

  polish (n.)
  1590s, "absence of coarseness," from polish (v.). From 1704 as "act of polishing;" 1819 as "substance used in polishing."

Surely there would have been a need before then for a generic word, to include whatever sorts of materials were used for the purpose (wax, ash, rubbing pastes etc). Clearly the verb "to polish" was applied to a wide variety of subject matter (from the 14th Century onwards). It would be surprising if the respective polishing agents were so specialised that they weren't referred to collectively.

Was a different word used, that was then replaced by "polish"? Or is the date wrong?

I've failed to find anything older; searching for "some polish" before 1800 brings up things like

  "being first also figured on the hones, with a little putty washed very fine and fair water; till it begins to shew some polish."

from A Complete System Of Opticks by Robert Smith, 1738. Could putty be a candidate?

Edit - In summary: was another word used for 'all the various substances used for polishing', before the modern noun polish?


texts: Is the usage "... is/are hurting" from a victim's perspective grammatically correct?

texts:
I recall listening to a statement by Obama one or two years ago (also after a shooting incident, most likely) where he remarked something like "... our people are hurting". Since he was referring to the victims and their families, the context was pretty clear. Nonetheless, I somehow cringed at the usage and tried to find if it was grammatically correct. I couldn't and forgot about it... today, while reading this BBC news article, I saw another person (an American, most likely) quoting "Some people are hurting".

That leads me to believe this might be just an American thing but it would be nice to know if that's not the case and/or if the usage is grammatically correct?


texts: Whom does that vehicle belong to? versus To whom does that vehicle belong?

texts:
I'm French and I saw the two versions of this question. Which one is the best way to express it? Are there differences of meaning between the two forms?
Thank you for your help.


texts: "nt" pronounced as "n" in American English (as in "Internet"): what is it called?

texts:
I know that pronouncing "t" as "d" is called a flap t, but is there a name for pronouncing "nt" as "n" in some words, as is common in American English?

Examples:

"Internet" is pronounced as "inner net".
"interesting" is pronounced as "inner resting".

Is there an scientific name for this?


texts: Behavior of a person towards 'others' or 'to other people'. Which is correct?

texts:
Our instructor ask us a question about what attitude is and I recited with this answer, "behavior of a person towards others" but she add some words when she write it on whiteboard, "others" to "to other people". Is my sentence valid or lack of some words as what my instructor does?

I'm not really good at English, and it's my first time to ask question here. Please help me, thank you.


texts: What is the origin of "like a bat out of hell"?

texts: As far as I know, this expression means to appear suddenly and in a scary way. But what is its origin? I heard that it comes from Meat Loaf's song but I'd like to confirm it with reliable sources, if possible.


texts: What does “The all-purpose rubric of self-esteem comes into play” mean?

texts:
I run into an article where I find one sentence really confusing. It is an excerpt from the paragraph below.

  The reduction of young women to an increasingly narrow range of
  conformist standards around “beauty” is part of this backlash. It
  makes girls deeply unhappy and obsessively self-policing. Teenage
  girls compare and contrast like no one else. They see every
  imperfection and measure it against someone who is paid to look
  perfect. They feel lacking, worthless and angry. So they punish
  themselves. The all-purpose rubric of self-esteem comes into play, but
  to have self-esteem in a culture that only values certain “looks”
  requires rebellion.

I'm not sure what "rubric" means here. Some kind of instruction or guide? And the use of “all-purpose” seems really bizarre. I'm also not quite sure what "requires rebellion" means here. Rebellion against what? I'm guessing... rebel against the culture that only values certain looks?

Could someone help me understand this sentence?

Here is the link to the article: https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2017/aug/30/feminism-gave-women-a-glimpse-of-a-happy-world-but-for-young-girls-that-promise-is-being-dashed


texts: Is there any word which describes the man who doesn't know how to use emojis


texts: Which of these sentence is correct? subjunctive or not?

texts:
“Unless he be mean, I will help him.”
“Unless he is mean, I will help him.”
Do we use the subjunctive mood? What are the verbs that require this mood? Is “unless” always followed by this mood?
(Not a native speaker for that matter***)


texts: What is the proper term for when an animal is "pregnant" with eggs instead of live young?

texts: Specifically things like chicken or most fish.


texts: Song lyric: "But this half-pint imitation put me on the blink"

texts:
"Bewitched", sung by Ella Fitzgerald and others, begins:

After one whole quart of brandy
Like a daisy, I'm awake
With no Bromo-Seltzer handy
I don't even shake

Men are not a new sensation
I've done pretty well I think
But this half-pint imitation
Put me on the blink

I'm wild again, beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I

What does the "half-pint imitation" refer to? Surely she's not saying that her lover is a "half-pint imitation" of a man? That would not make sense, as she's so infatuated with him.


texts: What is the word for the person who dislikes "Phony" people?

texts:
I want to know the word which can describe the personality trait of disliking "Phony" people. Misanthrope is too extreme and generalizes hating human race.

P.S: Any word which can suit personality of Holden from "Catcher in the rye" will do.


texts: To dislike someone while acting like you get on/along

texts:
I am looking for a verb (it can be a one-word verb or a phrasal verb) to use for a person who dislikes someone, but still acts like they get on (mildly) in order to avoid problems in a group of friends and colleagues.

The idea is to be able to describe the relationships of the people in the group in as few words as possible.

Example:
John gets on really well with Daniel, but he [dislikes though he acts like he mildly gets on with] Daniel's son.

Edit:

@awhyzip has made me realise that I should have clarified the type of behaviour I have in mind when I say 'get on mildly'.

I envision 'getting on' as people interacting with a (higher or lower) degree of enthusiasm. When I added mildly I was hoping to convey the idea that John interacts with a civil level of interest but isn't enthusiastic about it.

Say, he might start an interaction such as 'how's the new job' or 'congratulations for the promotion', he might participate in activities alongside Daniel's son without outward signs of displeasure, might even show genuine pleasure that the boy won a marathon (although this could be more of a reaction to Daniel's joy and pride), but most interactions would not be started by John himself and he would still think that Daniel deserved a better son.


texts:
Her teeth gleamed white against the tanned skin of her face.

It seems ‘white’ is an adjunct modifying gleamed, while it’s not a complement for it’s not necessary to complete the meaning. But I’m wondering if adjectives can make adjuncts modifying verbs. My question are two: (1) Is ‘white’ a complement or an adjunct? (2) Can adjectives make adjuncts modifying verbs? (Even if the case is not an example of this question, would you let me know?)


texts: How do we use the word "landfall" in a sentence?

texts:
May I ask for a specific sentence using the word "landfall"?

    which has a definition of: a reaching of land as by a traveler, craft, or storm according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

    according to this Dictionary, one of the examples of the use of this word is as follows: "From the deck of the boat, we saw our first landfall."

Despite this, however, I did not know how to use it in other sentence formats, such as in this sample sentence: It will soon make a landfall in Japan.

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Thank you so much!


texts: Word to describe a story/myth that's often repeated but of doubtful authenticity

texts:
I'm sure I came across a word that means exactly this before (I feel like it was a GRE word?), but I'm looking for a word that would describe  a story that people often retell because it's really cool, or it makes a point really well, although nobody really has any idea if it's true or not.

Unfortunately, google seems to interpret my searches as looking for stories about fake news.


texts:
Could you explain in detail which one is correct in grammar or what is the difference if both are correct in grammar? Thank you in advance.

Errors arise primarily within the interacting wave zone.
Errors arise primarily within the wave interacting zone.


texts: Is there a rule concerning nouns with foreign articles?

texts:
I'd like to know if there is a rule concerning the usage of "the" preceding nouns already including a foreign article. For instance, should a restaurant called "La trattoria" be referred to simply as "la trattoria" or as "the la trattoria"?

A recent visit to LA made me realise the common usage is somewhat silly, a museum guide kept talking about "the la brea tar pits", where "the" means the same as "la", and "brea" means the same as "tar". Should this kind of redundancy be avoided?


texts: I was ask by my daughter, "May you tell my brother to call me"? Is this the correct way to    ask this question?


texts: Is "Just because X doesn't mean Y" a grammatical sentence?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Sentence Construction: “Just Because … Does Not Mean”
  “just because… doesn't mean…”

I'm wondering if "Just because X doesn't mean Y" is a grammatical construction. I tend to say, "Just because X, it/that doesn't mean Y", because I don't think "because X" is a nominal phrase. If this is correct, then "The reason why X is because Y" must also be correct.


texts: The four words"weakness", "shortcoming", "demerit" and "defect" are four words shared with the similar meanings. In the dictionary, "weakness" and "shortcoming" have more to do with one's characer, while "demerit" and "defect" are used in a general sense. However, in this sentence, "The ___in David's character has hindered him from advancing in his character." Why the correct answer was said to be "defect" rather than the other three?


texts:
Hi I was watching a movie and there's one line I don't get.
"It's awful not to be able to do what it is that you want to do."
Why does it say 'what it is that you want to do' instead of 'what you want to do' ?
I want to know if there's any difference in nuance between the two.


texts: "base documents" vs. "basic documents" for commonly referenced sources

texts:
As a non-native speaker, I might be mislead here. I tend to prefer base documents because I think base is a better word for something used as a foundation - and basic might translate to simple. However, when searching for both terms, it appears they are used almost interchangeably, and I have a hard time finding out if one of the two is preferred, or maybe just regionally preferred (AE vs BE or the like).
The exact context is a good term for documents like standards or laws used as references or sources for technical specifications. The term references doesn't seem to be exactly right, because a reference can be anything, and a base/basic document might be a better hint towards the fact that the documents are referenced similar to a tree structure, i.e. the specifications cite a standard, and never the other way round.


texts:
I was looking for a list of commonly used syllables and came across this one which mentions that some of its syllables are "non-word syllables." I have no idea what this might mean and can't find a definition. I've found "non-words" but not "non-word syllables."

The term was used in an image caption.

  The 200 most frequent syllables in General American English, with non-word syllables highlighted.

Can anyone tell me what is meant by this phrase?


texts: What is a word to describe an ambiguous amount of time?

texts:
The term "umpteenth" is sometimes used to describe a long, but unknown or ambiguous amount of time, or number of times.

  ...after he reexamined the cable connections for the umpteenth
  time...

Now, umpteenth isn't exactly a universally recognized word, it's listed in some dictionaries, but certainly not all. I was wondering if there are any alternatives to such a word, one that might be more prominently defined and accepted in the English language (or just a word that I can say in place of "umpteenth" and sound smart).


texts: word similar to obfuscation, used for comedy

texts:
there is a word, or perhaps a type of comedy, where simple things are described using terms that are correct but needlessly complicated or absurd for various effects. I am reminded by comics from nathanwpyle on Reddit and twitter examples:
example one
example two
other example sources are welcome
Edit: possibly tangentially related to observational comedy


texts:
I am disappointed to inform y'all that your boi Noah took a phat L.

Formal alternative for "suck"

In using this example, I am wondering what a good alternative might be for "taking phat L's on the daily."

I was considering "an instance in which I failed to meet expectations," but am not sure it fits.


texts:
I am a student who is studying software engineering and I have a big dream to become a world class developer in upcoming few years. I am planning to start a blog related to software engineering and I am thinking about the name: ifiwasasoftwareengineer.com

Do you think this is a appropriate use of English in this situation or should I better use 'ifiwere...'?

Thanks!


texts: Word or phrase representing nostalgia as well as pride?

texts: My grandfather remembers the war, which he was a part of. He is proud of the fact that they won, and he is also  nostalgic as he remembers those days. He is/feeling _____________.


texts:
1st Q: How do I construct any sentences referring to man's personal well-being with the word nadir.

&

2nd Q: How do I describe humans touch or feelings using the word CUSP.


texts:
I am currently reading the Novel "Radium Girls" and encountered the following sentence in it.

  It was important to the company that the production process be as efficient as possible, because the demand for luminous products showed no signs of slowing, even now the war was over.

I have a problem with the last phrase, "even now the war was over". Is it correct or should it be "even though the war was over". If it is correct can you point out other similar usages.


texts:
"So, the reason that we're having less cases now is because of the lockdown measures that we have implemented" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=libhd7y8us0] [4:50]
Normally I would say definitely "fewer cases" because "case" is a countable noun. But I googled it and it seems that "less cases" is commonly used. Are there any other similar "abnormalities" or shall we say "exceptions"?


texts: Why is a large shuriken sometimes called a "glaive"?

texts:
I have learnt that the word "glaive" originally meant a sword and became a polearm sometimes later. But in modern day games and fantasy fiction, sometimes it refers to a frisbee-sized shuriken.

What was the origin of this meaning?

Those disc shape always scatter around in Google image along with polearms and sword:


texts:
The racist remark is not only a careless utterance, it is also detrimental to the school's reputation.

Is it grammatically correct to use "it is also" after the comma, or do I need to use the structure "not only..., but also..."?


texts:
Looking up this on English exchange I couldn't seem to find a single source of truth:
Instance 1 - "Prerequisite" in search:
"Prerequisite for" vs. "prerequisite to"
Instance 2 - "Pre-requisite" in search:
Single word for "This task cannot proceed until these other tasks are completed first"?
I suppose it's a bit of a broader question:

Words seem to have "pre-" prepended to indicate action or applicability before something. However these same words also have a fully-qualified English word which appears to meet the same function.
E.g. "pre-condition & precondition", "pre-requisite & prerequisite".

When do we use one or the other? Is the "pre-" variant always incorrect usage when a fully qualified word exists?
Apologies for any of my own grammatical errors in posting. Possibly the most self-conscious forum for posting questions in!


texts:
Is there another way to express "raise the bar"? The context I'm looking for would fit this sentence:

  A firewall raises the bar for would-be attackers.


texts: Correct usage of modal verbs: should have / might have / would have

texts:
Context: There are two lecturers in the particular faculty in the university and both of them are teaching the same subject as two parts. The first lecturer completed his part and the second lecturer is taking classes nowadays.
During a class, the second lecturer is telling [he is in doubt - 50/50] that the first lecturer [should have/might have/would have] taught this section in his classes.
So what would be the ideal modal verb for this situation and why others are not appropriate?


texts:
I come across this sentence : "I'm a long-time Dropbox user, but it's never been a perfect solution for me. Despite its developers' best efforts, Dropbox has never really gained complete integration with either my Mac or iOS workflow: It's always felt grafted on. I'm excited about iCloud Drive for exactly that reason — instead of a product, it really is a feature. And a useful one at that."

Source : http://www.imore.com/os-x-yosemite-cloud-drive-explained

What is the author trying to express when he say "It's always felt grafted on"? Does he mean that he is not getting a perfect solution?


texts:
I have a question regarding using the word it in a sentence. My question is whether I am properly using the pronoun it in the text below:

  Making mistakes is an expected part of life; it is inevitable.

Thank you for your time. Any feedback is very much appreciated.


texts:
We're drafting some legal stuff, and our lawyer used this phrasing...

  ...whether any particular enhancement is to be categorized as such shall be made in the sole reasonable discretion of [company]...

I always thought it was "at the sole discretion of..."

Are there situations where "in" is permissible or preferred?


texts:
When is the term "droppings" used for faecal matter, and when is it not applicable?

I can see the term being used for rats, insects, or birds, but can't envisage it being used for humans or cows or elephants. Does size and/or moisture content play a role?

The Free Dictionary, citing Collins English Dictionary, says

  the dung of certain animals, such as rabbits, sheep, and birds

which suggests there's a logic as to when the term is used, but isn't too specific.


texts: the slang contraction of "what'd he" as in the sentence "what'd he come at you with"

texts: What is the slang contraction of "What'd he" as in the sentence "What'd he come at you with"? "What'd he" is already a contraction but I mean in the same manner like whatcha = what're you=what've you, for example. I made a comprehensive search, but I didn't find the answer. Is the slang contraction the same whether it's contraction of "What would he" or "What do he" or "What did he" etc? If there isn't the well-established contraction of "What'd he", how would you shorten it? What does the aforementioned sentence "What'd he come at you with" sound like when it's spoken very quickly as in a slang speech?


texts: A single word for describing someone who's both great at writing and speaking

texts:
Writing and speaking are relevant to each other; they both employ words in expressing ideas. Wondering if there's an adjective for describing someone who's impressive in writing and speaking.

The closest I could think of is articulate, but most dictionaries I checked don't mention writing when defining the adjective.


texts: "Could you please" vs "Could you kindly"

texts: I am a non-native speaker of English. When communicating with a professor, would it be better to use could you kindly send me the document or could you please send me the document? I know both are correct, but which one shows more respect?


texts: How to describe word with many syllables

texts:
How do we describe a word that has many syllables?

For example, what's the correct way to rewrite the sentence below?

  However these names end up being very long both visually and
  pronunciationally.


texts: Is there an idiom like ‘the quæstion raises itself, whether …’?


texts: How should the first "o" in "operator" be pronounced?

texts:
I've always been taught that a vowel before a double consonant following another vowel should have a short sound.  Conversely, there are many situations where a vowel preceding a single consonant and vowel gets a long sound.

Short Sounds:

Mississippi    - All I's except the last get short sound
Communication  - First O gets short sound
Oppose         - First O gets short sound where second O gets long

Long Sound:

Ape            - A gets long sound
Popery         - O gets long sound
Oppose         - First O gets short sound where second O gets long

Yet, I hear people use a short O in "operator" when using the word.  Is this the correct pronunciation?


texts:
I know subordinate questions have no inversion. Should this sentence:

  "Do you know what are the good things to do around here?"

be

  "Do you know what the good things are to do around here?"

MS Word's grammar check gives me,

  "Do you know what the good things to do around here are?"

But at least to my ear, the first seems the one most commonly said. Is the first one wrong? Which one is the best?


texts: Using 'however' mid sentence with a comma only on one side

texts:
According to the various sources here and elsewhere I can find, the following is inappropriate:

"When carrying knives however, it is best not to run."

and should instead be:

"When carrying knives, however, it is best not to run."

Yet, I find myself in normal speech often using the first form, and I wonder a) if it really is incorrect in this context, and b) why it is deemed incorrect.

The same intended meaning could also be achieved with:
"However, when carrying knives, it is best not to run."

edit: yes this is a similar question to Should there always be a comma after "therefore","However" etc.? , which has helpful answers. If someone wants to close this question, fine, to me this is a more specific question though.


texts: I'm looking for the word that says there's such a thing as using too much description

texts: In editing a book I'm trying to find the word to tell the author that there is such a thing as using too many descriptive phrases or too much description. Anyone? Keep thinking alliteration, but that's not right. Example, He refilled the stumpy thing. He was referring to his scotch glass. Stumpy is unnecessary, and excessive. Which he does often. So, what's the word I'm looking for?


texts: Collective word for prefix, stem and suffix

texts: Please, is there a collective word for all the parts of a word, prefix, stem and suffix?


texts:
I'm in the process of translating a text from French to English and I was wondering how to use the variants of the word program / programme.

A few friends have said to me that I should render it 'programme' but my own experience tells me it should be 'program'.

Who should I trust?

Here's an example where it's used :

  The first few times you use the program, it may take you a little
  longer. Repeat the program until you fall asleep.

Thanks a lot


texts: How does 'consist' compound with 'in' mean “to have as an essential feature”?

texts:
1.1. [consist in] = Have as an essential feature

How did the Latin com- + sistere  compound to mean 1.1 above? It may help to read ODO's own conjecture of the etymology (see the link above).

  [Etymonline for consist (v.) :] 1520s, from Middle French consister (14c.) or directly from Latin consistere "to stand firm, take a standing position, stop, halt,"
  from com- "together" (see com-) + sistere "to place," causative of stare "to stand, be standing" (see stay (v.)). Related: Consisted; consisting.


texts: "Recommend you to" vs. "recommend that you"

texts:
I recommend you to define those parameters beforehand.
  I recommend that you define those parameters beforehand.

Are both sentences grammatically correct? If yes, do they mean the same thing? If yes, which one should I use?


texts: Word / term suggestion about "love or any emotinal relation in office, workplace"

texts: Is there any word / term about "love or any emotinal relation in office, workplace"?


texts: What term describes words like "scapegoat"?

texts:
I have heard that there is a term for words like scapegoat, i.e. words that are translated directly from another language into English, but do not make literal sense out of their original cultural/linguistic origin.

What is the term for words like these?


texts: Singular or plural in these sentences . .

texts:
I've often written sentences like these:

The structure and linearity here is [are?]what is [are?] stifling creativity.
Compare: The pencil and pen are in the room. [Where is seems wrong]
The project is based on chapter information and book category, which is [are?] useless when guiding you toward the actual objectives.
There is [are?] a table and chair in the room.
Compare: A table and chair are in the room

Is the is appropriate in these sentences? Especially the first one; I don't quite get the rules at play here, so am only going by what sounds right.


texts: Canny means shrewd or wise how does uncanny turn out to be mysterious?

texts: Canny means 'shrewd' while uncanny means mysterious. How?


texts: Can "according" be used without "to" following and still work as a preposition?

texts: I found some figures followed by "according a CNN poll" from New York Times. My instinct says it has to be "According to (then) a CNN poll" for it to be grammatical. Is it a simple mistake of the author or some other way of using "according"?


texts: Asking "No?" as in "Really?" after a statement

texts:
Fore example:

Person 1: I can't believe its almost Christmas!
Person 2: No?

Does that response mean approximately the same thing as if you used "Really?" in the same place?

Person 1: I can't believe its almost Christmas!
Person 2: Really?

Or "Why?"

Person 1: I can't believe its almost Christmas!
Person 2: Why?


texts: "That" deletion, or is oxforddictionaries.com wrong?

texts:
Oxforddictionaries.com have given the following title to one of their articles:

Nine words you didn't know had offensive origins

Of course, I'm not in a position to question the competence of the editors, and the title of the post is a mere provocation, but... can someone, please, parse it for me? IMHO the sentence in full is:

The nine words that, you didn't know, had offensive origins

The "you didn't..." part would be then a non restrictive clause and it could be omitted, and the "that" would not be a conjunction between "words" and "you" but between "words" and "had". Therfore, it shouldn't have been omitted. Right?...

(Funny thing, though. If I were to say it myself without giving it too much thought, I'd of course go with "Nine words you didn't know had offensive origins", because it just sounds right to me. But the question is - isn't the accepted usage in this case grammatically "flawed" in a way?


texts: A word to refer to the sound that an elevator makes when its cables are having problems?

texts:
Sometimes when you are going up an elevator, you kind of hear this sound as if the cables that are lifting the elevator are having some difficulties. Like the sound that a car makes when it abruptly stops.

What's a word to refer to that sound?

All I could think of was something like "a grinding sound came from above."

Any other suggestions?


texts:
a. He likes me because I am funny, not good-looking.
b. He likes me because I am funny, not because I am good-looking.

In which case am I good-looking?
In which case is it possible that I am good-looking? (One can't tell for sure)

Is there any ambiguity in those sentences?

Many thanks


texts: More concise word or phrase for "people who have been taken advantage of"

texts:
I’m hoping for a single descriptive word for “people who have been taken advantage of”, but a shorter phrase would be ok.

These are people who now have a lack of trust and are in need of loyalty in their relationships.


texts: Conveying the idea of "balancing conflicting interests"

texts: I'm looking for a less wordy way (either single word, phrase or even a metaphor or word picture) to convey the idea of the tension you feel when you have to balance two conflicting interests.  Any suggestions?


texts: How should I end sentences with a URL as the last word?

texts:
For example,

  The website I was referring to is hosted at http://english.stackexchange.com.

How should I place the fullstop at the end?


texts: Meaning and best case usage of 'Out of the blue'

texts:
what is the meaning of Out of the blue? I just heard a conversation like below;

  Jesus. Out of the blue, man. What
  brought that up?

what are the other possible cases that this phrase might be used?


texts:
I am trying to find a single word or short phrase to fit into the following passage:

  Although many similar works were written, none of the others have survived.  Its [extant-ness] is undoubtedly one of the main reasons for its influence.

Some things I have considered and rejected already:

uniqueness (because the work was not unique, although it is uniquely extant)
survival (this is close, but doesn't have quite the right ring to it)

I would really like a noun or short noun phrase that means "the quality of being extant".  As far as I know, "extantness" is not a word (and if it is a word, yuck).  Suggestions appreciated.