texts: How to say that a city is in the side of another city? Is it neighborhood city?

texts:
I live in Guarulhos city, which is right next to the city of São Paulo.

Can I say that Guarulhos is the neighbor of São Paulo?


texts:
This sounds wrong to me:

If happy ever after did exist
I would still be holding you like this

It may be perfect grammar for all I know, and songs have "poetic license", yet...
Is "did exist" the right tense here?  If not, how could it be improved?
EDIT: the moderator that closed this as "exact duplicate" did not bother to read/understand the question and the answers!


texts: What need to use a word with a meaning of relevantness. Noun from the word relevant. I know that relevantness is not good. What do you suggest to use?


texts:
What's a single word that can connote the concept of (or something similar to) "energyless-ness" (which, as far as I can tell, is not a word).

This is meant to be used in the context of burnout. When an employee is losing energy for "working too much", he/she is experiencing feelings of... [energyless-ness].

Thanks for sharing the richness of your vocabulary. :)


texts:
The Collins dictionary defines "filterer" as:

a thing which filters or acts as a filter

Does anyone have example of where you would prefer "filterer" to "filter"?


texts: I'm not a native English speaker, and I've heard this from a teacher of mine who is not a native speaker either. Is it correct to say "Of course no"?


texts: What is the etymology of bouillon cubes? What other word can I use?


texts: Sequence of verbs on a sentence -- should I use commas or infinitives?

texts:
Should I put the verbs in the infinitive form in the following sentence:

  As the federal auctions provide for a limited time to elaborate the
  technical studies, to develop the project and to apply for the
  necessary licenses

or should I omit the preposition "to" and instead write:

  ... to elaborate the technical studies, develop the project, and apply
  for the necessary licenses


texts:
is the following noun phrase details a generic reference? Does it mean all details or some details

Details of the methods are covered later in this article.
Details of his criminal activities were expunged from the file.

Thanks


texts: "Go, Yankees!", "Go, Tigers!", etc. — go where?

texts:
It's common to hear cheers of the form "“Go X!” where X is the name of a team or individual. I understand that its meaning is, as nohat said in another thread,

  “Go ___!” is a common exclamation intended to express approval and encouragement to a team or an individual.

My question is: does this phrase have an etymology? The sense of "go" as used in this template does not seem to be used anywhere else. For instance, we cannot report this exclamation as "he asked his team to go". Does the phrase originate in some archaic sense of go, in some larger phrase (like "Go and win") or is it of unknown origin?

Edit: If I'm not mistaken, the phrase can be used not only for sports like football that involve physically moving towards a goal, but also sports like baseball and even chess or (competitive) programming, which mostly involve sitting in one location.


texts: Alternative, softer word for 'Employee'?

texts:
Afternoon all,

A colleague and I have put together an internal feedback form in our workplace, and had to amend the previous form from the word 'Agent', referring to the individual receiving the feedback. Agent is not applicable to all levels of staff so cannot be used, so I suggested just 'employee', which my colleague feels may come across as a little cold.

After looking through a thesaurus I'm still struggling to find an alternative that may be warmer or softer; does anyone here have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!


texts: Single expression referring to “above or below average”

texts:
I'm looking a single adjective or a short adjective phrase that refers to values that are either above or below an average. Consider this sentence:

  Participants with scores above or below the average will receive special instructions.

I'd like to replace the that clause by a modifier structure EXPR:

  Participants with EXPR scores will receive special instructions.

Roughly speaking, the expression should refer to values that fall within the ranges shaded blue in the following figure:

As you can see, the overall distribution of values may follow a bell curve, with an average of about 50 (dashed line). EXPR should apply to values in the blue-shaded areas, i.e. scores that are not between 40 and 60. Statistically speaking, more than 40 percent of all participant scores  are in that area, so apparently I'm not really talking about participants with an unusual or unexpected score, or even an extreme or excessive score – these are participant scores that are just not average.

Any suggestions what I could use as EXPR?


texts: What is the word for the action of overriding something?

texts:
Again this is a situation where you need to override an automatic camera and set the controls manually.

This is an example for the use of Override. I had to use a word for the action of overriding something today, and couldn't think of a word.

I imagined a possibility for the word, but couldn't find it in any dictionary:

Overridance

So for instance, for the sentence above, something close to the following is desired:

  Again this is a situation where you need to enable the overridance of the automatic camera and set the controls manually.

Is there such a word in English, or am I overcomplicating the sentence?


texts: I am looking for a noun which means inevitably successful or bound to be a success or ultimately successful.


texts:
I'm wondering whether the preposition "of" is necessary in the following sentence:

All (of) Mary's paintings are now on display.

Compare #1 with #2, which seems acceptable without "of":

All (of) her paintings are now on display.

Do you perceive any distinctions between pronouns and proper names, where the presence of "of" is concerned?

I'd appreciate your judgments on the sentences.


texts: This is a proper noun (used extensively in physics) named after a French monsieur. How should this word be hyphenated? Should it follow English or French pronunciation rules, or something else?


texts: What does mean:  She said her landlord was so mean that she would mind mice at crossroads ?


texts: Reagan's quote on the best social program

texts:
According to

http://www.azquotes.com/quote/653562

Ronald Reagan said that "I believe the best social program is a job"

Now, I am not sure if I understand this correctly.

For, the term social program could mean two things for me:

a government action to create a job, a program for the society
a personal activity with other people

Or, is this a pun intended for having two possible meanings?


texts: Establishing A is confused with “having established” the cause of A

texts:
I have trouble understanding this sentence:

Establishing that a certain event occurred is confused with having established the cause of that event. (from an LSAT)

What is the implication for the sentence to have "having established" after "with"?
I was thinking how 1. reveals a different nuance as opposed to:

Establishing that a certain event occurred is confused with establishing the cause of that event.

Could someone please help explain?
Thank you very much,
Leon


texts: Formal word/phrase to refer to "year begin" effect

texts:
I want to find a single word or perhaps an academic-sounding phrase to refer to the effect on something that results from the calendar year changing. I initially tried: "year begin effect" but this kind of sounds too caveman-ish.
One example sentence to frame the usage:

The ______ effect was very noticeable this year, with sales growth
across multiple product categories.


texts: How to say the opposite of 'lose one's grip' for a newcomer?

texts:
If someone has not been doing a specific action for a while, you can say he "lost his grip" (got out of practice).

But what about the other direction, when you want to say that a person is new and must start practicing in order to get a handle on the work, I am quite sure I have heard something similar, most likely with the word "grip". I was thinking about "get grip on" but not sure if this can be used.


texts:
I’ve come across one post on a website. See below;

I wish my father had been rich.
(Father is already dead and was poor)

I am trying to understand more about predicate individual-level and do need more input.

Can anyone tell me how did that sentence evoke lifetime effect?


texts:
The meaning of the phrase in bold is incomprehensible to me. Could someone please explain or  paraphrase the sentence for me?

CAESAR. Vengeance! Vengeance!! Oh, if I could stoop to vengeance, what would I not exact from you as the price of this murdered man's blood?
Source: G.B. Shaw, "Caesar and Cleopatra".

I am concerned about the general idea of the sentence. What if we omit the particle "not" from that sentence? Would the meaning of the sentence change?

... what would I exact from you as the price of this murdered man's blood?

What role does the negation play here?


texts:
Which preposition should be used in the following situations — on, to or of?

  payment on/to/of something.
  Here is the money to/of it.


texts: Usage of the Word “Expression” With Reference to Any Series of Words

texts:
I need to know whether it is correct to call any series of words an “expression.” Examples:

"The study of natural phenomena has continued for centuries, with significant discoveries being made in recent years."

"The speed of light is constant in a vacuum, but it is slower when light passes through transparent substances."

"There are various ways to generate electricity, including the use of hydroelectric stations and solar cells."

Is it correct to call the highlighted words in each of the above sentences an expression?

Some people say that the word “expression” refers to a common or idiomatic phrase. But I have been freely using the word “expression” with reference to any group of words which follow one after another, such as in the above examples which do not contain any idiomatic phrases but simply state facts.

[Added on 9/11/2018:]

There was a discussion on one forum where some people said that the word “expression” does not refer to any sequence of words but to a particular phrase which is commonly used:

https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/expression-phrase.3457880/

It seems that although some people may think that the word “expression” refers to a commonly used phrase, such as an idiomatic statement, it can be used in linguistic contexts with reference to any series of words which have a grammatical meaning. If this is correct, can the following highlighted series of words be called “expressions”?

“‘As the lightning,” he says, shall he come; not concealed in any corner, but shining everywhere.’”

“We must always be doing this so that if our Lord should ever suddenly come to take us, he may find us carrying this out and then assign a reward far greater than that promised earlier to the one properly carrying out his instructions.”


texts:
This question is inspired by a chat conversation during which I was corrected on the use of after long. Certainly,

  He will be back before long

is correct. However, is

  He will be back after long

grammatical? If not, why does changing before to after make it wrong?


texts: Enjoying something more because I know it will end

texts:
Suddenly enjoying something more because I know it's about to end/be taken away. Is there a word for this feeling?

Scenario: Getting to the bottom of a bag of M&Ms, and realizing a sudden greater joy of the last 2-3 candies- knowing they'll be entire gone soon.


texts: Who is Mrs Trimmer in Charles Dickens' novel "The Haunted House"?

texts:
Who was Mrs Trimmer in the following excerpt?

  And Prince Arthur, nephew of King John of England, had described himself as tolerably comfortable in the seventh circle, where he was learning to paint on velvet, under the direction of Mrs. Trimmer and Mary Queen of Scots.


texts:
Apple TextEdit is giving a red line underneath "preferenced" as if it's not a valid word.

Wiktionary describes "preference" as being a verb as well as a noun.

Is it a recently verbed noun that's considered non-standard by some dictionaries?


texts:
Pl. see the sentence below

[1]. Hardly had the bell rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom.

I guess the construction is correct. If I change this to

[2]. Hardly the bell had rung when Matthew started running out of his classroom.

[3]. When Matthew started running out of his classroom, the bell had hardly rung.

Is there any grammatical error in these constructions or which one of these is most neat and why. We see the first construction most often.

Thanks---Suddhasattwa, India


texts:
I have been asked to answer the following two, separate, questions:

What is your dream?
What is your dream in life?

I am confused by this, because they look almost identical to me, and I cannot figure out what the difference between them should be (English is not my native language). My answer to both would be the same: I want to have my own shop.

What, if any, difference would a native speaker infer from the way these two questions are asked?


texts: What is the meaning and etymology of 'scut' from 'scut work'?

texts:
What is the origin of scut in scut work?

According to Merriam-Webster,
scut work: routine and often menial labor

Probably from medical argot, scut meaning 'junior intern'
First known use: circa 1962

Usage example:

  ... women who generally feel that they are second-class citizens in the medical profession -- unappreciated and directed by (mostly male) doctors to perform largely scut work.

This ngram shows that scut work was not used before 1960 when it took hold as medical jargon.  It supports the idea that the term was not already in general use and subsequently popularized in hospitals, rather that it originated there.

This returns us to the medical coinage.  Could it be related to meaning (2) in the OED?

scut
1. the short tail of a hare, rabbit, or deer.
2. (inf. chiefly Irish) a person perceived as foolish, contemptible, or objectionable.

There is another theory that it is derived from Oxford University servants called scouts, but I consider this unlikely given the US origin of scut work.


texts: The articles. A sentence about introduction of something

texts:
Which articles should I use in sample sentence below?

I prepared a/the guide about component installation. Please, check it by a/the link http://... on a/the page 15.


texts:
Natural word ordering

I'm wondering if anyone's found a definite pattern to the way we naturally order words when listing items. While it doesn't work for some pairs, most of the time there's an obvious preference in the order.

Some examples:

Always "mom and dad" not "dad and mom"
Always "grandma and grandpa" not "grandpa and grandma"
Always "cars and trucks" not "trucks and cars"

The presence of a plosive doesn't seem to be the only factor:

Always "male and female" not "female and male"
Always "good and bad" not "bad and good" (although this example feels less strict)
More often "keyboard and mouse" than "mouse and keyboard" (also not super strict)

While there seems to be a general pattern of the plosive-heavy word being placed last, there are those examples which would serve to discredit such a hypothesis. Is there a known rule for this?


texts: Is "But if" a subordinating conjunction?

texts:
Take Tennyson's poem Flower In The Crannied Wall for an example.

  Flower in the crannied wall,
  I pluck you out of the crannies,
  I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
  Little flower—but if I could understand
  What you are, root and all, and all in all,
  I should know what God and man is.


texts:
This is my context:

  Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate, crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor’s aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces (iron being much stronger than bronze)

What does "that" in "That this device was..." refer to?

I find it weird to use "that" right before "this".


texts: Woe be to him that reads but one book - meaning?

texts: I saw this quote from George Herbert but have no idea where to start to understand this sentence.


texts: Capitalization of Hyphenated Words at the Beginning of Sentences

texts:
Normally, when you start a sentence the first letter of the word is capitalized. What do you do with hyphenated words? Do the first letters of each hyphenated member get capitalized too? And then, by extension, what about brother-in-law?"

  Brothers-in-Law are usually married to one's sister.

or

  Brothers-in-law are usually married to one's sister.

(note the capitalization difference on "Law")


texts:
When I used to play video games, "all in" meant that you were devoting your army to a "do or die" effort.  In other words, you were either going to win or lose in the next battle.  The "all in" meant that you typically brought all of your soldiers to fight, holding none back.

But years ago I was doing the Daily Jumble, and the hint was something like "After running a marathon he was _ __".  This was before the web, so I had nothing to fall back on.  It turns out the answer was "ALL IN" meaning "tired".  I asked a friend and he said "that's a usage from the eastern U.S."  I certainly hadn't heard it before then and I still haven't since.

Is this a common meaning?  Maybe some easterners can chime in?


texts:
I am trying to pin down the definition of the word combustant, but I can't seem to find anything. Almost all dictionaries are giving me the definition for combustion. If I search with a strict filter, I am seeing random results for anagrams and synonyms which are not even accurate. But the word is in use, although the only place I am seeing the word used is mostly chemistry journals, scientific books and  oddly, a reader's digest.
So is it a valid word? Does it conform to the rules of the English language? If I were to use it in context, could I expect that a speaker of English would accept it and understand, or be able to infer, its meaning?


texts:
That looks like fun, but dangerous.

Is that sentence grammatically correct? Is there anything wrong with it?

I think it might be grammatically incorrect because if you remove the word "fun," then it becomes

  That looks like dangerous.

which is obviously incorrect.

I think to be grammatically correct, it should be something like

  That looks like fun, but it's
  dangerous.

or

  That looks like fun, but it also looks
  dangerous.


texts:
I am unsure if I can use this two forms interchangeably (simplified sentences):

  We did that, hence using the object is the only way.
  We did that, hence the use of the object is the only way.

What would you prefer?


texts:
pastime n.  An activity that occupies one's spare time pleasantly: Sailing is her favorite pastime. [TFD]

Etymonline says that it is from pass + time:

  late 15c., passe tyme "recreation, diversion, amusement, sport," from pass (v.) + time (n.). Formed on model of Middle French passe-temps (15c.), from passe, imperative of passer "to pass" + temps "time."

So, why did one "s" drop (Did it drop? Maybe never dropped) or why not double "s"? (i.e. Why not "passtime"?) Is there any historical or orthographic reason?

Further details:

I think pastime is often confused with past time and passtime. I'm not sure if passtime is a word but I see a significant amount of usage in written works [in Google Books]. (Is it an incorrect usage in every case? Can it be a dialectal spelling?)

Pass time means to spend time doing something. [Even, pastime was used as a verb in the past.]

It gets even more complicated when there are noun forms of passtime and pass time with different meanings.

I see the usage of "passtime" as the amount of time passed in technical contexts. Also "pass time" is used in this sense in specific contexts. For example:

  In road transport, the time that elapses between the moment when the leading vehicle of a column passes a given point and the moment when the last vehicle passes the same point. [TFD]

Note: I'm aware that English spelling has a lot of irregularities but we are here to discuss the finer details of the language. I have a good case with details and I believe there might be hints from the history.

For example, a similar question: Why is "gauge" spelled with a 'u'?


texts: A concise term for staking territorial claims

texts: I'm looking for a word or phrase specifically used to refer to the act of placing a flag to claim new territory. I'm specifically referring to claiming land in the name of some sovereign, though a more general term will do.


texts:
Is there a single word in English that means something like "is-ify" or "to confer the property of existence"?

I am not looking for "create."


texts: French (and, hey, others too) equivalent of "anglicize"

texts:
Is there a preferred word that means "to change (a word) to sound (or otherwise appear) as if it came from French"? I've found both "Frenchize" and "Francize" with a web search. If the latter is preferred, I'm not sure whether it takes a soft "C".

Come to think of it, the same could be asked of any language. It would be interesting to have a list like this.

Even more interesting would be to have a general term for the conversion (possibly surreptitious, as of a surname) from one language to another.

Edit: Here's a list of whatever we come up with.

English → Anglicize
French → Gallicize
German → Germanize
Greek → Grecize


texts:
You need to practise your proofreading.

In this sentence, "you" is the subject and "need" is the verb. But is there an object? At the moment I am guessing that there isn't and that to practise your proofreading is just a phrase.

I asked someone else and they too did not think there was an object.


texts: I want to say "I do this as a hobby", but in fewer words, like "I hobyistically do this". However, all dictionaries tell me this isn't a word. Is there such a word?


texts: Is 'we thought your pharmacy would be interested' wrong?

texts:
Let's say I'm a person who's sending an e-mail to a person or a company who owns a pharmacy - I'm trying to promote my medical device to them. Would the following be considered wrong or "bad" English?

  We thought your pharmacy would be interested in our product

If the above is wrong, how can I paraphrase the whole thing so it becomes right?


texts: What is it called when locals intentionally mispronounce their home town?

texts: What is it called when locals intentionally "mispronounce" (compared to the common or historical pronunciation) their home town or other words? I've read somewhere a while back that it was intended to know the difference between a local and a non-local person, e.g. someone who might not belong there.


texts: What's the word for performing a manual examination

texts:
Imagine yourself walking into a room, and you see a pocketwatch on the table, you pick it up, look closely at it, perhaps open it up. Maybe it's one of those see through kind, so you can see some of the gears in it. You look very closely at it.

What's the word for this?

Inspect gives the implication that I'm looking for flaws. I don't want that implication.
Examine seems good, but doesn't give the hands-on feel I'm looking for.

Is there a word for something like this?


texts: The online slang dictionary defines dumb as a rock as someone who is very unintelligent, but why rocks?


texts: Can we omit "with" in the expression glow with (something)?

texts:
I found this in the book The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane:

A folded tent was serving as a roof. The sunlight, without, beating upon it, made it glow a light yellow shade.

Maybe the expression glow with (something) is used here, but omitting with?


texts:
Has or have below? I say 'have'. Compound subject requires a plural verb, right?

"I love the people, the culture, and (most importantly) the food that New York and Greenwich Village, in particular, have to offer."


texts:
I have to make slide where I have to write database and application word, so I want to know which sentence is correct?

  There is a database and an application.

or

  There is a database and application.

Actually I want to know and conjunction rule in english language when consonant and vowel word is together in a sentence.

Ps. I do not want to change the order of the word in this particular sentence.


texts: Which clause does the adverb modify in this sentence?

texts:
I have the following sentence:

  "The KKK was a secret organization; apart from a few top leaders the members never revealed their membership and wore masks in public."

Does the adverb "never" modify only the first clause, or also the second one?

"The members" never wore masks in public, or did they?


texts:
Do you find this usage wrong?

  Instead of channelizing our energy to fight against poverty we are
  promoting industrialization, which will continue to increase the
  rich-poor divide.


texts: What are these "[verb]-ing" forms called?

texts:
How would you describe the bolded words here? They don't intuitively seem like present participles to me, but I might be wrong.

  List X can be created by appending the contents of List B to List A.

  List Y is the result of sorting List X.


texts: A word for: The ability to go without, or thrive with less of, something

texts:
Is there a single word that captures the ability of an individual to go without, or thrive with less of, or function with less sophisticated versions of, something that others might depend on?
Near synonyms might be "resiliant", "robust", "low-maintanence", "independent", or "self-reliant", but I'm not sure any of them quite capture the full connotations (feel free to disagree, though).
Examples of types of people who might be described this way:

A carpenter who is skilled with basic hand-tools, who could build quality products even if he didn't have power tools.
A person experienced with fasting (like a monk or fitness guru), who could function better than others in a situation where food is scarce.
Someone who maintains a healthy relationship with their phone and technology, who can remain perfectly happy even if their electricity goes out.
Prepper types of people, who supposedly can maintain a functioning household even in a scenario of civilizational disruption.
Someone skilled in mental arithmetic, who can do useful calculations even if a calculator or computer is not available.
Someone very skilled in meditation, who can maintain their wellbeing even with the absense of any wordly pleasures or stimulation.

I'd really love something that captures the general vibe of all this, if there is such a word. Thanks!


texts:
As in:

  ... admit they're not monks but
  employees paid to look the part.

(from NGM March 2011, p. 101)


texts: How to say someone out of office in short time on phone call?

texts:
I usually pick a phone that addresses to my collogues who is not in the office for 5 or 10 mins. They probably go to the other departments and will come back soon. I usually tell that "He is out of the office and will be back soon". The callers sometimes misunderstood. So, they ask me "Is he on annual leave?".

Could someone please tell me what is the best way to say in that situation?

Thanks


texts: "I'd chase him down" vs. "I had to chase him down"

texts:
I was reading an article and I encountered this sentence:

  Sometimes the warchief target would run off and I'd chase him down a field for longer than I care to admit.

To me, if I remove the contraction I also have to add the word "to" (I had to chase him down) so the sentence makes sense.

Is this correct or the meaning changes completely?


texts: Is there a frequency chart to see which phonemes can a letter represent?

texts:
Everything is in the title.

For example, we know that the letter A has 9 sounds in RP;

  The short “a” as in at. /æ/

  The long “a” as in ate. /eɪ/

  It can be "silent" as in boat. /əʊ/

  The schwa as in tuna. /ə/

  The short “e” as in many. /e/

  The long “o” as in water. /ɔ:/

  The short “i” as in garbage. /ɪ/

  /ɑː/ as in art

  The short "o" as in swan. /ɒ/

Where can we find the percentage of occurence of the each nine cases ?

PS : The "short" and "long" descriptors are common in education in English-speaking countries : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel_length#%22Long%22_and_%22short%22_vowels_in_orthography


texts: Is there an appropriate antonym for having a "social skills deficit"?

texts:
My child has Tourette Syndrome and ADHD.  He craves attention.  He has outstanding social skills, but he also has "leaky brakes" (underdeveloped ability to self-inhibit).  Put all of that together and he takes every chance he can get to interact with peers at school, even when this gets him in trouble and lands him in the principal's office over and over again.  I need a succinct way to explain the connection between his social skills and the attention-seeking behavior.  He has the opposite of a "social skills deficit" -- a phrase one often sees in education and psychology.

What is a succinct expression of the opposite of a "social skills deficit"?

Edit:

I was asked to provide more information to enable people to give useful answers.

Reason I need this word or phrase: for communicating with school personnel, special education impartial hearing officer (similar to a judge), and U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights investigators.

The child thrives on social interactions and his social interactions are highly satisfying, both to himself and those he engages with.  The problem is that has trouble sifting when to engage and when not to.

The school conducted an evaluation which determined that the child has "no social skills deficits."  (Well, duh.)  I need a succinct formulation to express the antonym of "social skills deficits."  Here's an example sentence (the child's first initial is M):

  M's _______________ and dysinhibition result in socialization which disrupts classroom activities; the school handles this disruptiveness in punitive ways.

And then I would go on to argue for the creation of a Positive Behavior Intervention Plan.  (Which I have been requesting, every couple of months, for the past four years....)

One possible phrase that could go in the blank, that occurred to me as a result of the helpful answers and comments here, is

overabundant social skills


texts: Is it "Ministry of Economy" or "Ministry of the Economy"?

texts:
Recently, a government official gave me a business card that stated the official's department as "Ministry of Economy."

I did a double take, because, in my mind, I took that to mean "Ministry of Thrift" or "Ministry of Frugality" rather than the department that oversees a nation's economy.

As a non-native English speaker, I would have used "Ministry of the Economy" to refer to the latter concept.

However, a quick search online showed the usage "Ministry of Economy" to be rather prevalent. Could anyone please clear this up for me?


texts:
While teaching integrals, when seeing

f(x) = 8/(8x+1)

we can say:

"We recognize a u'/u form, thus F(x) = ln(...)"  (translation from what I'd say in French)

Another similar situation:

"In order to compute an integral invovling the function g(x)=(2x+1)^4, we need to put this function in the form / transform the function into g(x) = k u' u^n. We use the well-known form u' u^n, then ..."

Sorry for the math (off-topic) part, but my main concern is the english wording. Is the word "form" appropriated here? What is the natural wording you'd use in these 2 siutations?

I feel that the word formula ("we recognize a u'/u formula") is not exactly what I'm looking for.
Would "pattern" be better than "form"?


texts:
Can someone clarify differences between these three?

Sometime it is confusing which one to use

Thanks!


texts: What are some common punctuation errors?

texts: I'm looking for some good "violations" to put on the citation I'm designing to go with my punctuation police costume. ...this is "serious" business, so please don't flag this question.


texts:
I found a sentence in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:

open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The bookstore opens weekdays from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. .

How do we understand the structure of this sentence? I know it means something is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.


texts:
is the following sentence correct: " the syllabus for the second semester is same as that of first one."
the difficulty is whether I must use "that of" in this sentence or not. Will the sentence be correct without "that of"?


texts: In "Never speak ill of friends", what part of speech is 'ill'?

texts: Is ill here a noun, and thus the object of speak; is it an adjective, or an adverb modifying speak?


texts: I'd like to know the usage of 'burst into'

texts: does the sentence "She burst out talking to me about her bad feelings." make sense? or it's not used in English?


texts:
When I have something unforeseen to do, what noun or expression can I use to name this activity? In general, not specifically for this case.
Unexpected business is what I have found. But this sounds like about money or smth formal.
It's not about work. Like I was at home and got a call. So now suddenly I need to fetch a parcel for me.
Should I say I have some unexpected stuff, sudden stuff, business or what?


texts: I learned English autodidactically by reading books , watching movies , video games , etc.... But, there are some things in english that confused me , such as passive forms. What's the difference between 'x cannot be stolen' and 'x cannot be steal'? . Are both in passive forms and have the same meaning ?


texts:
What's your opinion?

About which matter?
or
Which matter about?
or
Which matter is about?

"On which thing do I put it?"="Which thing do I put it on?" ← Are these two sentences same?


texts:
(Company) develops transactional data technology that aggregates information for payment service providers and merchants.

or

  (Company) develops a transactional data technology that aggregates information for payment service providers and merchants.

Which is correct?


texts: What does falling to a team in basketball games mean?

texts:
This is the sentence I have problems with:

It was the second straight overtime game for Tulsa, which fell to
Washington on Monday.

source:link to article
Obviously it's a sports report about WNBA.
What does fall to mean here? Is it a technical term specific to sports?


texts: Is that worded properly? I'm not sure if it's off. Thank you for any help you give.


texts: Heterogeneous. Is there a verb for this word?

texts: I am writing a scientific article in which the word heterogeneous is used frequently to indicate to the (CPU + GPU computing). However, several occasions I need to express the idea using verb like: make computing heterogeneous. I could not find anything other than the adjective and name (heterogeneous & heterogeneity respectively). Is there a verb for this name? If not, what good replacement can I use instead?


texts: Can you use "say" to refer to things on the internet?

texts: When referring to something you read on the internet, can you use "say?" For example, can you say, "he said it on a forum" when speaking about a message someone posted. Or does say only refer to spoken words?


texts: Is a handful of rice the amount of rice that fills up one or two palms?

texts:
If we say “we only have a handful of rice, then technically do we only have the amount of rice that fills up just one palm alone, or is it the amount that fillms the palms of both hands?

Is there anyone saying “technically we only have two handfuls of rice”?


texts: In which parts of the USA do the say "soda" or "pop"?

texts:
Depending on where you go in the world, some people will refer to a carbonated beverage as "soda" while others choose to use the term "pop." For example, "Can I get you a soda" vs. "Can I get you a pop." I assume they both came from "soda pop" and were shortened at some point.

My question is if one is considered more correct or if they are both on equal footing? Also, are there certain parts of the US where it is just incorrect to use one or the other?


texts:
The expression "It's all up hill from here!" and "It's all down hill from here!" mean that things will only get better or things will only get worst.

Metaphorically going uphill can provide for a better position, while going down hill is easier.

Which expression represents which way?


texts: How to express the relationship that two numbers are not equal?

texts:
I know that for two numbers x and y, relationships like  x < y (and x <= y sometimes) are called inequalities. Note here, there is an order between x and y, for example (3 < 5).

But what's the correct usage to express the relationship that two numbers are merely not equal to each other, i.e. x <> y?

Do we also call this an "inequality" (could be confusing) or do we call this something else?

I tried to use unequality, and spell checkers always tell me it's wrong.


texts:
"Around 10pm, I finally stopped drinking long enough to remember I had a car in a garage somewhere."

I can't understand the above sentence clearly, especially the meaning of long enough to in this case. Could you give me another expression or and example which has the similar meaning?


texts: What's the English equivalent of "Drilling one's head"?

texts:
In Arabic (Specifically, north-western Levantine), there's a saying that goes like

  He drilled my head about/with that lunch meeting (بخشلي راسي باجتماع الغدا)

Which means something along the lines of

  He kept insisting on/talking about/remind me of/bringing up that lunch meeting

It can be used in situations where your girlfriend wants you to take her out somewhere and she keeps reminding you about it everyday, when your kid keeps asking for a new bike everyday, or when your boss keeps bringing up that report you have due next Monday.

The saying doesn't carry the connotation of negligence reluctance on behalf of the person on the receiving end. The person might or might not be working on fulfilling his promise or adhering to the other party's wishes.

Many times I find myself in such situations and I really need something to use. I often use the direct translation as written in the first example.

Is there an equivalent for that in English?

The closest thing I was able to think of was "nagging", but it doesn't convey how strongly I feel about the situation.


texts: Pronunciation of "reprise" (repreez/reprize)

texts:
Is "reprise" pronounced as "repreez" in all contexts, as noun and verb, except for usages in legal context? I'd like to reference a number of dictionaries:

Oxford Living Dictionaries only has one pronunciation of /rɪˈpriːz/, with no usage notes.
Oxford Living Dictionaries

Collins Dictionary only offers one pronunciation, but it seems specific to music, which isn't that helpful.

  (rɪˈpriːz ) music noun
  1.  the repeating of an earlier theme verb
  2.  to repeat (an earlier theme)

Although in the learner section it provides an exampe of a non-music context usage:

  verb If someone reprises a role or a song, they play or sing it again.

With still the same pronunciation of (rɪˈpriːz ).

The American Heritage Dictionary has a usage note that separates the legal use from the music use, but doesn't mention anything about general use:

  Usage Note: In its musical sense meaning "a repetition of a phrase or
  verse" or "a return to an original theme," reprise is usually
  pronounced (rĭ-prēz′), with its last syllable rhyming with freeze.
  This reflects the influence of French when the musical use of the word
  was adopted in the 1700s. When the sense "a recurrence or resumption
  of an action" is used in legal context, the pronunciation (rĭ-prīz′),
  with the last syllable rhyming with cries, is acceptable, reflecting
  the older history of the word, going back to the Middle Ages.

However in the definition itself it allows for the second syllable of "reprise" to rhyme with "cries" in general noun usage to mean a repeat when not specific to law. I've marked this with an arrow

  (rĭ-prēz′) n.
  1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme.
  2. (often rĭ-prīz′) A recurrence or resumption of an action.<-------- tr.v. re·prised, re·pris·ing, re·pris·es To repeat or resume an action;
  make a reprise of. American Heritage Dictionary

The law and non-law distinction is echoed in Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary.

  re•prise (rɪˈpraɪz; for 2,3 usu. rəˈpriz)
  n.
  1. Usu., reprises.Law. an annual deduction, duty, or payment out of an estate or manor, as an annuity.
  2. a. repeat (def. 12).
       b. recapitulation (def. 4).
  v.t.
  3. to repeat: to reprise the waltz tune in the third act.

Can I assume the pronunciation is always "repreez" unless in a law context? Here are some examples from Dictionary.com, which is based on Random House Unabridged Dictionary, which lists a number of examples. Interestingly, it seems this word is very often used with the readoption of a role:

  This week, he had Brian Williams reprise his role as
  newsman-turned-jazzman.

  She has signed on to reprise her role as Jackie Kennedy in the Reelz
  drama, The Kennedys: After Camelot.

  Jack Nicholson was also approached to reprise his role as the
  Joker.

  Christian Bale was reportedly offered $50 million to reprise the role
  of Batman in Superman vs. Batman.

  The vice president has to be himself, not a reprise of a miscast
  LBJ. (The only use as a noun in the examples).

So far from what I've checked only the American Heritage Dictionary allows the "reprize" pronunciation for non-law/non-music general use. However at Merriam-Webster "reprise" was their word of the day, and if you scroll down you can hear the 2 minute podcast, where one of their editors mentions "also sometimes pronounced reprize". I don't know whether the editor saying this is specifically limiting this to legal uses or not.

Is there a simple rule someone can give, such as "Always repreez unless used in a legal context involving money"?


texts: on a gravestone do quotations written in italics also require quotation marks

texts: When using a renowned poet's quote on a gravestone does one write the quote in italics and also use quotation marks around the quote?


texts: Comma between a double adverbial phrase introducing a sentence

texts:
Is a comma required when there are two adverbial phrases introducing a sentence? Like so:

  One day, after I had my breakfast, the postman came.

Or is it fine to omit the first comma?

  One day after I had my breakfast, the postman came.

Same way:

  In the olden days, in Rome, people were nice.

Vs

  In the olden days in Rome, people were nice.

I have searched for examples but couldn't come to a conclusion—in spite of it being possibly a common occurance.


texts: Are there any idiomatic expressions similar to "dig one's way"?

texts:
Please look at the usage in the following context:

  He has spent his life as a treasure hunter, a real-life Indiana Jones who has bought, sold, traded, and dug his way to a peerless collection of artifacts.

Of course I am interested in the metaphorical meaning. Can you think of any accurate examples?


texts: How is this comma usage explained with Thomas Pynchon?

texts:
I read Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon last year, and there was some
comma usage I’ve been curious about ever since.
For instance, I’ve just opened up a couple pages of it and saw that he has
this sentence:

They move slowly, but without resistance.

Now this is interesting to me, because I thought you use a comma before a
coordinating conjunction to link two independent clauses. To me, it seems
like the comma might be unnecessary. Maybe it’s supposed to be a
nonessential phrase, but I would think there wouldn’t be a but there.
So I guess to ask that question as well, I've also seen him do something
similar that would be like:

They move slowly, without resistance.

Would that now be an example of a nonessential phrase?
I’ve also seen him do things like—and I’m just throwing in words here as
an example—this:

They move slowly, coldly, without resistance, toward Mittelwerk.

I got used to this pretty quickly, and I know that these aren’t the best
examples, but I was pretty confused by some of his comma usages when I
first started reading his stuff, and so I was wondering whether anyone here
had any explanation for what he has done here.


texts: Single word describing a person new in something

texts: What is a word for someone who is totally new in something or participates in something for the first time?


texts: What does 'with all that' mean in this sentence?

texts:
The sentence goes as:

  Surely, through most of the history of history writing, the dominant mode of recalling that past has been narrative, with all that this implies about literary crafting and persuasive intent.

Should I interpret this as kind of 'and'?

The sentence is from A Biblical History of Israel by Provan.


texts:
Are these lexical formations considered archaic or can they still be used without fear of appearing extravagant or even old-fashioned?

... the book in which I read that...
... the book wherein I read that...

Strictly in terms of stylistic clarity, which model is considered more efficient or even more beautiful? (Personally, I always prefer the latter to the former, but what do I know? I am not a native English speaker, though I am a pretty educated speaker of English).


texts:
I'm a bit lost in gender neutrality. Please see the example below.

A: What, I got a child‽
B: Sooner or later *he or she* will show up.

From my own research, people put preferences this way: they > she > she or he > he. I think that they, she and he should not be used as it is only one child and we do not know anything about the gender. So she/he does seem to be the most suitable for this sentence. Or is it not?

PS: Would you rather write "he/she" or "he or she"? (I find she before he less natural than vice versa, although people on the internet say...)


texts: Why is it "gangster" rather than "gangsters"?

texts:
The suspect, along with his two younger siblings, became the most notorious gangster in    the district.
  The suspect, along with his two younger siblings, became the most notorious gangsters in the district.

I know that grammatically, it should be gangster and not gangsters because phrases such as “along with”, “together with” and “as well as” introduce a parenthetical phrase and do not modify the subject, but still I find this usage confusing. To me, the three brothers became notorious gangsters not just one.

Could anyone help provide more insight?


texts: What is this thing in the picture called in English?

texts: What is that thing that opens usually on top of the window called?


texts: What animal is depicted in this image labelled “weefil”?


texts: Is the use of the dative of possession (from Latin) in English phrases proper?

texts:
I am an avid Latin III student studying in high school, and I often think about the effect that Latin has had on English, not just through etymology and morphology, but in semantics and pragmatics.

In church today, I noticed again that the pastor says "The Word Of the Lord" and that the congregation replies "Thanks be to God" to this. "Thanks be to God" at first sounds very awkward until I actually thought about what the phrase might be trying to convey.

I began to think about the Dative of Possession in Latin where "Nomen mihi est..." literally means "The name to/for me is..." and is used to show possession of the subject of the sentence by the dative. The way the phrase in question sounds is similar (with the dative and the copula); if it is styled so, it is "The Thanks is to/for God".

Is this what the phrase is trying to get across to the congregation, or is it some remnant from an older, more complicated English?
If so, is it really proper to use the Latin Dative of Possession like that?


texts: The usage of articles in IELTS Task 1 (writing)

texts: I am practicing the first writing task in IELTS. My concern is specifically related to the usage of the article "the" while writing about pie charts. Should I use this article every time I mention the name of a specific portion of the pie or should I stop after the first mention? Thanks in advance!


texts: Word Choice: Colloquial or idiomatic expression for being in denial about being proved wrong

texts:
I am looking for a colloquial expression that denotes someone's behavior when they disregard the fact that they have lost an argument or that one has found a flaw in their logic or that they are plain wrong, and go on to present weak repostes to save face such as to blame the problem on outside influences or circumstances. I need a colloquialism because I guess in formal language you could say 'someone does something in bad faith' when they are being disingenuous or dishonest. I can think of 'grasping at straws'. Eg: John, stop grasping at straws, we know it wasn't the dog that knocked over the vase.
Maybe there isn't one expression to cover all scenarios; just in case, as further aid the French might say someone is 'de mauvaise foi'. But it is said jokingly and not accusingly, to mean 'it's only too obvious what you're doing, just give up already!'


texts: What preposition should I use here: "written of me" or "written about me"?

texts:
... having reviews and articles written of me in The New York Press.

or

  ... having reviews and articles written about me in The New York Press.


texts: What is the difference between "weighted" and "weighed"?

texts:
Is it better to say "weighted down" or "weighed down"? Or doesn't it matter?

Here's the sentence:

  The mortgage process today remains complex and weighted down with a huge number of documents required.


texts: What does “We don’t do anything that’s not completely up and up” mean?

texts:
I found an amusing story titled “Lobster salad, but a key ingredient was missing” in today’s (August 11）New York Times NY/Region section.

The article reports that Zabar’s, the famous grocery in Upper West Side, have being selling “lobster salad” at $16.95 per pound for years. The only inconvenience being that the main ingredient is crawfish, the salad itself doesn’t contain a single bit of lobster meat. It has long been a very popular grocery item with New Yorkers.

When the secret was betrayed by a reporter of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, the news spread quickly to local newspapers. Saul Zabar, the 83-year-old president, insisted that selling lobsterless lobster salad was not dishonest at all, citing the case of a Japanese version of crab meat using pollock as the base, widely sold in Japan under the category name of “Crabmeat Resembling,” – which caught my eye on this particular topic.

Cutting to the chase, the following phrase caught my attention, “We didn’t think that we were doing anything that was not completely up and up,” in the following remark of Mr. Zabar:

  “But by then Mr. Zabar had had enough. “We really didn’t think that we were doing anything that was not completely up and up,” he said, “but there was an element that might be confusing, and with all this stuff going on, I decided now’s the time to clarify.”

Eventually he changed the name of the product.

What does “completely up and up” mean? Is this a common, colloquial phrase?


texts: In the Definition of Terms section of an academic paper, should one list abbreviations after the term . .

texts:
In the Definition of Terms section of an academic paper, should one list abbreviations after the term, regardless of whether or not the abbreviation is used elsewhere in the paper?

The paper in my example is a dissertation.

Example: Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy (NHT).
vs.
Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy.


texts: Resolve/Resolution; Two opposite meanings?

texts:
First post so thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Was thinking: the word resolve/resolution seems to have two, opposite connotations:

1: The noun RESOLVE: to be strong, steady, fixed and RESOLUTION as in new-years-resolution, also a fixed, unflexible idea.

2: The verb to RESOLVE a problem or conflict RESOLUTION where the idea is that something that seemed like it's blocked or or fixed becomes fluid and untied. The stress of the problem/conflict is relieved when there is resolution.

Any thoughts? I looked up the etymology and didn't find much resolution to the problem, yet I'm resolved to figure it out!

for more clarity on the contrast, here's the two definitions from etymonline.com:

resolve (n.)
"determination, firmness or fixedness of purpose; a determination," 1590s.
resolve (v.)
late 14c., "melt, dissolve, reduce to liquid;" intransitive sense from c. 1400; from Old French resolver or directly from Latin resolvere "to loosen, loose, unyoke, undo; explain; relax; set free; make void, dispel," from re-, perhaps intensive, or "back" (see re-), + solvere "to loosen, untie, release, explain," from PIE *se-lu-, from reflexive pronoun *s(w)e- (see idiom) + root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart."


texts:
I am  thinking of updating my logo.
Would it be wrong to write

John Smith
Advocate & Notary & Mediator

?


texts: Presidential candidates say "If I were elected president" but why don't they add an article in the sentence? Shouldn't it be "If I were elected a president"? After all, we do add articles in sentences like "When I become a mother" and "While I was a captain." Could someone explain?


texts: Usage and origin of the expression "bacon collar"?

texts:
Some polo-shirts suffer from the bacon collar syndrome. That is, the edges of a shirt collar begin to curl up after several washes and never regain that original, crisp look.

Limp, flaccid, floppy and misshapen also describe this affliction, but I'm thinking there must be a more technical term.

What is this defect called in the shirt-making trade?

A user has kindly pointed out that my question is perhaps not suited for this forum. So... I'm also curious about the term bacon collar.

Whose brainchild was it, and when did it make its first appearance in print?


texts: Is it true that the 100 most common English words are all Germanic in origin?

texts:
There is an oft-quoted statement that the 100 most common (frequently used) words in the English language are entirely Germanic/Anglo-Saxon in origin. (Also sometimes said is that ~80% of the 1000 most common are Germanic in origin.) While this did not surprise me so much, I did recently stumble across this Wikipedia page, which lists the supposed 100 most common words, with an attributed source.

A quick glance suggested (to my surprise) several words of non-Germanic (specifically, Latin) origin:

use
person
just
because (the cause part)

There may be others I've missed too? Indeed, perhaps due to the entry of Latin words into the Germanic languages in the proto-Germanic period (and the fact they are both ultimately Indo-European languages) some of the etymologies may be uncertain. Do correct me if that's not the case, as I am no historical linguist.

Clearly, depending on the statistical sample used to compile the list, results can vary. However, is there any accepted/standard list of the 100 most common English words? And moreover, is it a myth that they're all Germanic in origin (as I now doubt)?


texts: Does modifying a collective noun with a number make the subject plural?

texts:
The word dozen is a collective noun, i.e., singular when we think of them as groups and plural when we think of the individuals acting within the whole. So we might say:

  Talking about eggs: "A dozen is probably not enough."
  Talking about a party with friends: "A dozen are coming over this afternoon."

So, a dozen roses would likely be considered singular (like a bouquet). We might say, "A dozen roses costs ten rupees," as per subject-verb agreement.

1) However, since we have six dozen, does the modification of the noun by a number change the subject to plural, resulting in cost? Or is it all moot because of the plural roses?

In American English, collective nouns tend to be singular while in British English they may be both. That said, I've seen the suggestion that cost be used, which would be straightforward to me if dozens (plural) were used. From an American perspective, I feel the subject should remain singular when modified by a number: "Three dozen is enough to feed an army," or "Two dozen pizzas is/are too much" (the be verb is interchangeable in the 2nd example).

2) Is sticking with singular in the case above purely my American usage side showing, or is it a shared phenomenon?

Wikipedia states:

  When modified by a number, the plural is not inflected, that is, has no -s added.

3) (Main Question) Does this have any bearing on whether the subject is treated as a plural? That is, since a plural is not inflected, could the subject remain singular, or is this irrelevant?

Note this is not a duplicate, since that question is vague and about to be closed and my suggested edit, which is the basis of this question, was rejected.


texts: Is the expression "before the afternoon" technically correct?

texts: I know it is better to just say before noon, but if you wanted to say "before the afternoon arrives" or "before the afternoon ends" would it be correct?


texts: What does one's status being “less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables” mean?

texts:
There is the following line in a December 8 New York Times article titled “Clinton’s countless choices hinge on one: 2016”:

  “But being Hillary Clinton is never a simple matter, and her next few
  years are less a blank check than an equation with multiple
  variables. Her status is singular but complicated.”

Though it seems to me the author is simply saying Hillary Clinton’s plans and stand for next few years is unpredictable, I’m not clear with the phrase, “less blank check than an equation with multiple variables.”

Cambridge Online Dictionary defines less than ... as an idiom to describes “behavior which does not have a stated characteristic that is good or attractive.” Readers English Japanese Dictionary defines “less than ...” as an idiom meaning “never be ....”

I know what a blank check is. In the phrase “less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables,” is a blank check more unpredictable (difficult to fathom) than a complex equation, or is a blank check  as unpredictable as a complex equation, or is a blank check more predictable than a complex equation (which seems unlikely from the context)?

Can I say “The recovery of Japan’s economy in the past decades was less a snail than a tortoise” in the same construction with “Her next years are less a blank check than an equation with multiple variables?


texts: Is the mispronunciation of foreign words especially likely in English?

texts:
Are there other languages out there, more phonetic than English, in which the sound of foreign words can be specified adequately?

For example, is it the case that when Arabs move to America their names are frequently mispronounced by people reading the English spelling; while Arabs who move to Japan are able to write their names in Japanese such that Japanese people frequently pronounce them well? Is English one of the hardest languages in which to specify the sound of a foreign word?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  When do you use what word to express that something consists of something else?
  Does a whole “compose” its parts?
  Correct use of “consist”

  Water comprises/composes/combines/consists two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Can anyone let me know the correct usage in this sentence?


texts:
From users of British English, I have noticed the pattern of adding time after a unit of time, as in:

  He has class in 30 minutes time.

My initial impression as an American is that this is quite silly as the fact that we are talking about time is already implicit in the unit minutes, which can only be used to describe time. (Edit: Okay, they can also be used to describe latitude or longitude, or angles, but I find it hard to conceive of an example where it isn't already obvious whether we're talking about time or a location on a map even without adding time.)

However, I wonder if saying “he has class in 30 minutes time” contains more information than, say, “he has class in 30 minutes”. Is there some bit of information encoded into the use of the word time here?

My questions are these:

Does the use of the word time in this sense add additional information, or would removing time from any sentence (when used in that way) not alter the meaning?
Is this slang? Is this formal English?
Are there cases where it wouldn’t be OK to say “X [units] time”, but it would instead be correct to say “X [units]”, in British English?


texts: Markup vs mark-up vs. mark up for prices

texts:
I am very confused by the use of the above three terms. According to wikipedia "A markup is the difference between the selling price of a good or service and cost". However I very often see the use of mark-up and mark up and I could not really find anything on this issue because there are many questions on mark up languages and other related topics.

To be honest I am not sure if this is the right stack exchange for this kind of question and apologize in advance if it is not.


texts: threatened loss of, "threatened" modifying "loss"?

texts:
In the sentence

  The threatened loss of specific tastes and the local cultures that produce them animate this movement.

is "threatened" modifying "loss"?

I thought that analyzing it so was wrong, as I thought what the sentence was trying to say was that "specific tastes" were under threat, not the "loss" itself. Though in this way, I don't see what "threatened" is supposed to modify...


texts:
I'm always confused by this statement. If something is a choice, then isn't it also an option? You made your choice out of the given options, right?

This is a different format, but the same idea:

  Failure is not an option, it is a choice


texts: Is "standing" an acceptable verb to use for a building?

texts:
For example is it correct to say, "The restaurant was standing on the side of the highway?"
I also thought of erected. Though I'm not very sure about it.

Is standing acceptable in this case? Are there more appropriate verbs?


texts:
this is a very short question but me and a couple of friends have been discussing this for a little.

Does anyone know why Americans and British people especially insists on saying "Aloominum" and "Aloominium" respectively?


texts:
What Does 'Share and Share Alike' Mean?
What Does 'Share and Share Alike' Mean?


texts: What does it mean ? ..an alternative to..?

texts:
All, I was reading a document talk about a computer science framework(dcm4chee).
https://dcm4che.atlassian.net/wiki/display/ee2/Compression+Service

But I have problem to understand some sentence of it. Please help to review it .

What I have trouble to understand is the first sentence of the document.

  Compression Service. The Compression Service supports delayed,
  lossless compression of received images. This is an alternative to
  immediately compressing images when received.

I think it is because I didn't know the an alternative to meaning.

Does it mean the Compression Service only support delayed lossless compression of received images? I mean not support the immediately compressing images when received?

Thanks.


texts:
I am looking at different movie titles that put part of a word in parenthesis:

(Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies
(In)Visible Portraits ->Visible Portraits
(Mis) Treating Prisoners: Health Care Behind Bars

I have impression this gives the title a second meaning, perhaps the right one, e.g., "Treating Prisoners" would suggest the movie surveys how prisoners are treated, while "(Mis)Treating" suggests the conclusion from the survey: they are mistreated.
Does this way of using parenthesis have a name?


texts: Meaning of “…, forbears of one kind and another,…”

texts:
I just started reading the book "H is for Hawk". The first page has a review that says:

  This beautiful book is at once heartfelt and clever in the way it mixes elegy with celebration: elegy of a father lost, celebration of a hawk found- and in the finding also a celebration of countryside, forbears of one kind and another, life-in-death. At a time of very distinguished writing about the relationship between human kind and the environment, it is immediately pre-eminent. – Andrew Motion
  (source)

Forbear means probably ancestors here. What is the implied meaning, I can't understand.


texts: Is this phrase past tense or present tense?

texts:
The following phrase

  I ain't got no money

Is it meant to be used for a past action (I didn't get no money) or is it used to mean (I don't get no money right now)?

What confuses me is the usage of got (past tense of get). I understand that ain't can be used ad a substitution of am not, did not, do not, is/are not, etc.


texts: Where does the expression "to sell your soul to the devil" originate

texts:
I understand this is an idiomatic English expression.  The expression suggests some sort of pact is made by humans in order to receive diabolical favours.
There is a song entitled "The Devil came down to Georgia" and describes a fictional event involving a competition where the forfeit is the man will lose his soul to the devil if the devil outplays him.  It's a fun piece of music but totally fictional.
[Devil came down Georgia - Google]
I know the expression is not found in the Bible, so where does it come from?


texts: How to punctuate an ellipsis after a full stop?

texts:
I am trying to write some dialogue where an ellipsis is used after a statement with a full stop. So essentially its not that the first statement is being interrupted, its that the next statement takes longer to think about, like a realization moment, if that makes sense.

Eg 1. "That sounds great. ...hang on, isn't that John over there?"

Obviously the example above is not punctuated correctly since it is quite confusing. I am also wondering whether the "h" in "hang on" above needs to be capitalized? Since my understanding is that an ellipsis can have a full stop on the end to signify an end of the statement as oppose to a continuation of the same train of thought.

Eg 2. "That sounds great.... Hang on, isn't that John over there?"
VS
"That sounds great... hang on, isn't that John over there?"

The issue being is that the meaning of Eg 1 is very different to either version of 2 because of which statement the ellipsis is in.

I suppose an easy fix for dialogue would be to break it up like this:

"That sounds great," said George. "...hang on, isn't that John over there?"

But then how about if trying to achieve the same outside dialogue, such as with unreliable narration?

Eg 3. There were 3 friends with them that night. ...actually it was more like 5, because George and John were also there.

Any suggestions on best practice for this?


texts: Is it unprofessional to say "Sorry for my English"?

texts:
First of all I am sorry if this is wrong forum for this question.

I have come in a situation recently where I was needed to write a mail to a foreign company. And as you probably noticed by now my English is bad so I was wondering, is it unprofessional to say

  (a) Excuse my English
  or
  (b) Sorry for my English

at the end of an e-mail?


texts:
Sorry for the vague title! I'm writing a short story and I'm wondering if the below sentence is correct. Should a new paragraph be started when she hears the shout, since it's technically dialogue? Or is it okay as is?

Amelia dragged a chair onto the balcony, and enjoyed the fresh air while ignoring the shout of, “You broke a string already?!” below. She placed the book on the edge and. . .

I'll be happy to provide more context if it is needed. Thanks in advance!


texts: Word meaning society ruled by Artificial General Intelligence?

texts: I remember reading a word once which had this meaning which starts with the letter 'a', like "agritocracy" or "autotocracy". I just can't remember the word now; it specifically means rule of a society by an artificial general intelligence. Mostly I'm creating this question for self-tracking. I already know such a word exists because I read it and looked up the meaning in the past. I just can't remember the word a few months later.


texts:
What type of punctuation do you use after such as?

I see that sometimes it is used with a colon but I looked at grammar rules and colons are only used when listing things that cannot be immediately followed.
For example you wouldn't write this (according to the website):

  I want: butter, sugar, and flour.

So why would you write (this is from yahoo answers so it may be wrong. If so please tell me):

  List your activities, such as: clubs, volunteering, and paid work.

Also when do you add commas after such as?

Thanks!


texts: Stop being so pedantic. Your (what noun?) has no place here

texts: I'm looking for a term that means essentially “pedantic-ness”. What is the correct term?


texts:
Is:

  I will go to the only left independent bookstore in my city

a correct expression?

It doesn't sound exceptionally good to me... could you advise on how to express the same meaning in a better way?


texts: Has "nominal" really become a synonym for "minimal"? I thought "nominal" meant "in name only," but it appears that the definition has evolved. What say the members of this esteemed group?


texts: 'that' + (pro)noun + infinitive: what grammar is behind such construct?

texts:
While reading a technical book, I stumbled upon the following sentence:

  It is important [that all Java programmers be fully versed in, and comfortable with, the traditional approach].

For me, it's kinda counterintuitive to see Java programmers be here. I would understand for Java programmers to be or that Java programmers are, but not the existing variant.

Since it’s far from the first time I have seen such a construct, obviously there must be some grammatical explanation to it. I only wish someone could enlighten me about the exact rules being used here.


texts: What's a word for a statement that's not quite factual? Not quite a myth, but not quite a fact either. Like "truthy" but not an adjective? For example, "scientists are still looking for the missing link." It's true that scientists are still researching evolution, but not in the sense that there is a "missing link" since there will always be a fossil between any two fossils.


texts:
This is for a questionnaire. There are multiple options to choose from that indicate that I can save time with a certain option. I am wondering whether to use "time savings" or "time saving" in this context:

  Routing A: Time saving of 30 minutes with a probability of 50 percent.

or

  Routing A: Time savings of 30 minutes with a probability of 50 percent.

Various translation sites give me the first option as correct, but this might be because they translate from German, where the first option is the literal translation. My gut says it is the second.


texts: Should I use present tense or past tense?

texts:
Should I use present tense (spans) or past tense (spanned) in the following example?

"Dr X's service in providing data to the community {spans | spanned} across mission X (2003), mission Y (2008-present), and mission Z (2015-present)"


texts: Zeal vs. Zest. Am I Using them Correctly Here?

texts:
Hello beautiful people,

I'm writing a poem and I want to make sure I'm using "zeal" and "zest" correctly. To give context, it's about a storyteller (being I) retelling a story of a man who is giving an inspiring speech and he's saying that the speech gives me such energy that I can retell it a thousand times more without getting tired:

"The zeal in his words blessed zest to my tongue - Unwearied if I a thousand times told"

I don't really get the difference between the two words. The reasons behind the word choice is a bunch of poetic devices.
Are they being used correctly here?

Thanks again!


texts: What is the correct usage of the word "Cartesian"?

texts:
While working on an essay for my English class I included this sentence:

  The best solution is to take a page out of Cartesian theory and take a proven approach.

However, my teacher corrected it as follows:

  The best solution is to take a page out of Cartesian's theory and take a proven approach.

However, this strikes me as wrong, "Cartesian" is not a person and this correction doesn't seem to make sense to me. I would understand if it was "Descartes' theory" as that would make it the theory of Descartes, but I don't understand how you can use a possessive with an adjective like in the correction.

My teacher hasn't been very helpful, her best explanation is "English is just like that". But I still would like to understand it, could someone explain it to me?

I also would like to know if there's a need to capitalize "Cartesian" in this case.


texts: subject-verb agreement, which sentence is correct?

texts:
Which is correct and why? Thank you

"Every male and female voter who holds the Tunisian nationality"

"Every male and female voter who hold the Tunisian nationality"


texts: Possessive form in alternate names or other extra clarifying sentences?

texts:
Suppose I'd like to refer to a car owned by my neighbor. I write this as "That's Mr. Johnson's (my neighbors) car". Should I write the extra "my neighbor" in it's genitive form?

Sorry if the title seems messy, but I couldn't think of a good way to put it. An edit would be appreciated.


texts:
Metro is our design language. We call it Metro because it's modern and clean. It's fast and in motion. It's about content and typography. And it's entirely authentic.

In this context, what the 'in motion' means and makes you feel what?

If it refer to the elements in UI, then it seems that every UI design contains some movable elements. In that case, it is just a superfluous word.


texts: Looking for the longest "non-variant" word

texts:
I'm looking for the longest English word that has no variants, where a variant might be

A singular or plural form
A conjugated form
A form in another part of speech

For example, mouse would fail by all those rules: it has a plural ("mice"); as a verb, it has conjugated forms ("mousing", "moused"); it has an adverbial form ("mousy") and other noun forms ("mouser").

Obviously, pretty much any verb would be out, as would any countable noun that has a plural.  I'm also excluding words that are just conglomerations of other words like "whatsoever".

Right now, I've got some five-letter word -- "moose", "there" -- and "through", which has seven but I'm thinking  should be excluded because of "throughway" and "throughput".


texts: How to express a certain 60-minute period

texts:
If the time was 15:34, how could I refer to the 60-minute period between 14:00 and 15:00? If I were to say the last hour it would likely mean the period from 14:34 to 15:34.
So how do I express time period from x-1 o'clock till x o'clock, irrespective of how many minutes have passed x o'clock.
It's like the difference between 'every hour' and 'on the hour'.


texts: What's proper English for 'experimentee'?

texts: What is the English word / phrase for things / persons that are experimented on? I think of experimentee but I believe there may be more common words.


texts: What is a word that can describe something that covers all of the situations or edge cases

texts:
I have been trying to think of an adjective to describe a method, an approach, or a way of doing things that covers all of the situations or edge cases. One word that I can think of that is close to the meaning is "versatile " or "well-rounded", or "comprehensive" but I don't think they are the best fit here.
The context is that, I am trying to compare different approaches to achieve a goal and to weigh the pros and cons of each approach. And I wanted to stress that there is one approach that can cover all of the cases. What is the right word that I can use for it?


texts: What is the correct tense to use for a sentence like this?

texts:
This sentence is wrong:

  This website was first on the list of
  priorities and your feedback over the
  past two years is much appreciated.

I do not know why.  It reads funny.  I'm not an English expert.


texts: What do you call a speaker who does not follow a standard pronunciation?

texts:
As per Wikipedia, a native speaker is the one who learned to speak the language as a part of childhood development either through his(her) family or because his(her) country of origin. Let's suppose, for instance that...

My family moved from a certain country to an English speaking country, no matter why. I was born and went to school there. In my day to day life, at home, in my community, etc. I frequently use a language other than English and I have different pronunciation than the standard English pronunciation. Just to emphasize the case: unfortunately, I couldn't or didn't want to extend my education from a basic education.

As per definition I am a native English speaker although my pronunciation is clearly different.

How can I target distinct range of speaker that has a language, in this case English speakers?

Sometime even if it's a subtly different pronunciation, you can tell that it's different and sometimes can guess where their parents come from.


texts: How did 'how' + 'ever' = 'however' ⟹ 'but'?

texts:
[ OED: ] Etymology:  < how adv. + ever adv. 8e.

Qualifying a sentence or clause as a whole: For all that, nevertheless, notwithstanding; yet; = but at the beginning of the sentence.

[ever adv. 8e. :]    Appended to relative pronouns or advbs., and giving to them a generalized or indefinite force; = Latin -cumque. These combinations are now always written as single words: see howsoever adv., whosoever pron., etc.

How did the Compounding of the adverbs 'how' and 'ever' (into 'however') imply or produce  meaning 3 above for 'however'? I ask not about the other meanings of 'however' here.
OED specified the pertinent definition (among the many) for 'ever' , but unhelpfully not for 'how'.


texts: I have heard this term a lot and in different places but I do want to know the exact meaning. Googling didn't reveal anything that I could understand the meaning.


texts: Can anyone tell me the tense changes in this sentence

texts:
I saw this in my school's newspaper--what are the tense changes?

"Starting Thursday February 6th, sports fans around the world had been on the edge on the edge of their seats as the Winter Olympics went underway"


texts:
I'm filling an application which asks the following question:

You have not attended the X company Selection Process in the last 6 months. *  Yes/No

I've not attended any selection process. So, shall I say Yes/No to the question.?

Shall I say Yes since the statment is correct or shall I say no since I've not attended any such process?

Other similar statement in the application I find difficult is:

You have declared break in studies/work experience and pending backlogs, if any, during your academics.

Is it Yes/No given that I don't have any backlogs...and I filled everything correctly..?

Other question in the applications which might give you a clue are these:

1.You have considered only the Marks/CGPA obtained during the normal duration of the course for calculating Obtained/Total Marks/CGPA.

2. You have completed each of the above mentioned academic courses in the stipulated time as specified by your University/Institute and as per X selection guidelines and do not have any extended education.

For above two questions, the answers are unequivocally Yes.


texts:
"Ask her to wait a moment - I am almost done. "  Carl Friedrich Gauss
  (1777-1855),  while working, when informed that his wife is dying.

Why can we use "die" in the present progressive tense?


texts:
Whenever I create a document in Microsoft Word, it complains about a lot of my sentences being in passive voice. But, when I read that sentence aloud, it sounds fine to me. I am not sure if it is just me and will a statement in passive voice sound strange to a native speaker?

So, my question is, is it considered bad form to use passive voice generally? Or in some specific cases like written communications only?

Edit: If it is ok to use passive voice, then why does MS-Word complain?


texts: What is it called when you combine two words that then sound like another word or phrase?

texts: For example caper and bull become capable. Like the first line of the I crossword.


texts: 'future in the future' tense in English?

texts:
I had an idea for a trilogy of novels with the first written in the past tense, the second in the present tense, and the third in the future tense. Why hasn't anyone done this before? I thought. Then I realised what you wouldn't be able to do in the third book. In the first, you could say:

  He walked along the street. He had just left his house, and later it would be burgled.

In the second:

  He walks along the street. He has just left his house, and later it will be burgled.

But in the third:

  He will walk along the street. He will have just left his house, and later it what? burgled.

Without a 'future in the future' tense, this idea can't work! Has there ever been any such tense in the English language, or is there some sort of substitute for one? The closest I've come up with is:

  He will walk along the street. He will have just left his house, and later it will be going to be burgled.

... which is cumbersome to say the least!

Edit: my example was badly chosen, because of the adverb 'later'. Since I'm toying with the idea of a whole book written in the future tense (or 'tense' if you don't count periphrastic tenses as tenses :-) ), I'm looking for something that works in general, not just for this sentence. A better example is:

  He left his house, but he would return / He leaves his house, but he will return.

Now 'He will leave his house, but he will return' doesn't really work.


texts:
A relative of mine died and someone used the phrase extend condolences. I know this is a common phrase but it seems very weird. Condolences are something one gives or sends but "extending" something is what you so with your hand.

Why do we say this?

I think it also applies to "extending" gratitude.


texts: Examples for intelligent, brillant, smart, talented, wisdom and genius?

texts:
Out of the terms

intelligent,
brilliant,
smart,
talented,
wisdom,
genius

Which are the ones that are natural (by genetics) and which are the ones that are developed by practice? Also, which are the ones required to practice others? Please give concrete examples to convey the meaning of the above words.


texts: The first person to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong. What type of sentence is this?

texts:
The subject and the object are changed around, so I think it is passive voice. If the sentence is correct, then is this correct:

  The engineer to fix the problem is Arnold.


texts:
I have this sentence:
Many wheat farmers have begun to diversify into other forms of agriculture.

And I struggle to understand the meaning of "diversify" here. Does this sentence mean that they stopped to grow wheat and switched to other forms of agriculture or that they expanded their work and now grow wheat and also other plants?

Thank you.


texts: Identifying the participial phrase in a sentence

texts:
They boarded the subway packed with people

My attempt:

I think "boarded the subway" is the participial phrase which modifies "they", because "packed with people" is a prepositional phrase packed is a past tense, with, is a preposition and people is the object and it's a noun.

Am I right ?

And what is the easiest way to identify the participial phrase ? I for example take all the verbs that end with (ed, d, or en) and I underline them, then I think about each one of them as an independent sentence, if I can take out it, then it's a participial. For example:

{Watching the TV}, the man {laughed at the actress.}

Now I try this, If I take watching the TV out, this works:

The man laughed at the actress.

But taking laughed at the actress out, it doesn't work, that is the meaning changes of the sentence:

Watching the TV the man ! Doesn't make sense


texts: What is the preferable wording for that situation?

texts:
During my vacation, I have worked on a scientific project. Now, I would like to add this project to my resume. So, I have added the following to my resume.

1- Volunteer scientific work: Implementation of salient Region Detector

My question is, is it correct to say that, that project is a "Volunteer Scientific Work"? I just want to say that I developed it myself during my vacation?

Please let me know what is the preferable wording that describe that project best. I hope my question is clear.


texts:
I was reading a CNN article titled "Is Australia becoming a more racist country?" The Race Discrimination Commissioner was quoted as saying:

  "I take no pleasure in saying this, but, right now, it feels like
  there has never been a more exciting time to be a dog-whistling
  politician or race-baiting commentator in Australia," the outgoing
  commissioner told the audience."
  CNN article link

I think from the context I understand what he intends by "race baiting", that is, the provocative words or actions to encourage an atmosphere of racism or xenophobia.

However, I see a number of problems in the definitions I've found online. Merriam-Webster defines it as:

  : the making of verbal attacks against members of a racial group
  Merriam-Webster

This definition doesn't match use in the article. This definition to me is simply mere racial vilification.

Wiktionary defines it as:

  The use of racially derisive language, actions, or other forms of
  communication in order to anger or intimidate or coerce.
  Wiktionary definition

This is the same meaning as the Merriam-Webster entry I gave above.

However on the other hand, I believe especially in America, people have another understanding of the term, and that is something like an unfounded accusation of racism to win an argument, sympathy, or to put an end to a discussion.

Conservapedia (Yes, I know it's crazy), defines it as:

  Race baiting is a term for groundless accusations of racism made by
  liberals. It is a unique, deliberate and hypocritical focus on race in
  an attempt to discredit others as "racist".
  Conservapedia article on race baiting

And feature this picture:

Urban Dictionary's definition matches the one given by Conservapedia:

  Attempting to cloud logic and facts by appealing to
  emotion through false accusations of racial discrimination.
  Urban Dictionary entry to race baiting

I found an article posted on a site called splinternews.com, titled:

  If you're confused about what race-baiting is, here's a bit of context

It contains the assertion:

  The right has co-opted the term “race baiting, but here’s context for
  its > proper usage:

  In 1986 George H.W. Bush’s presidential campaign released an
  advertisement attacking his opponent Michael Dukakis for supporting
  prison furloughs: The advertisement baits voters by preying on their
  fears of black men’s inherent criminality.”
  Article link

This last usage is the same usage as used in my example of the original CNN article, that is, akin to dog-whistle politics to instil fear of a race.

It shows this video as a classic example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=Io9KMSSEZ0Y

So, is it safe to say that the term "race baiting" has at least three main meanings, and that most people using the term are unaware of this ambiguity?


texts: Should I write "it was blessed by a ritual" or "it was blessed through a ritual"?


texts: Meaning of "wane" in "wane, willing flesh"

texts:
In his novel The Long Walk, Stephen King writes:

How must it have been, dry-humping that wane, willing flesh?

It seems to me that "wane" is being used as an adjective in this instance, however I haven't been able to find any Dictionary entries with senses of "wane" under an Adjective heading.
Is King using "wane" here as an adjective, and if so, or if not, what would it mean in this instance?


texts: Possessive of already possessive proper noun!

texts:
I was wondering how to write the possessive form of a proper noun that is already in a possessive form (confusing, I know...)
My company's name is Tuc's Contracting. If I were to write the possessive form of that, it would be Tuc's Contracting's. My question is if I were to leave off the "Contracting's" part, how would I write the possessive form of Tuc's (which is a proper noun already in a possessive form...HELP!)
The proper noun is not “Tuc” it is “Tuc’s” so that is where I am confused…
Tuc's?
Tucs'?
Tuc's'?
The proper noun is not “Tuc” it is “Tuc’s” so that is where I am confused…
None of these seem right to me...And that is why I am seeking your expertise!
Thank you :)


texts: I'd like to say "a counter that counts new tries". Which is correct/more idiomatic: "a new try counter" or "a new tries counter"?


texts:
There's an expression "hard by", which I understand to mean "nearby", "close by". I don't know if it could be called an idiom, but it baffled me when I first encountered it in the translation of Historia Calamitatum (“the castle of Corbeil, which is hard by the city of Paris”). Back then I thought it an archaism, but since then I've encountered it in modern contexts, e.g. “In a bar hard by P.P. Layouts, Richard Hnatt sat sipping a Tequila Sour” (Philip Dick).

What's the origin of this expression? Etymonline mentions:

  O.H.G. harto "extremely, very,"

in the etymology of 'hard', and I can see some connection, but it's vague.

Also, aside its rarity, can it be used interchangeably with "close by", or is there a small semantic difference I can't percieve?


texts:
What is the conjunction that indicates subordination in the sentence:

By the end of the party, she played Tarot to tell my fortune.

I'm in doubt between "by the end" and "by the end of".

What do you think?

Thanks for the help!


texts: When do we use the gerund and when the noun form?

texts: I ran into this sentence written by a student: there are different costs in face-to-face classes, such as the cost of commuting between university and home. Can we replace commuting with commute because commute is also a noun like the gerund 'commuting'? Also, when a noun form exists, when do we use the noun and when the gerund? Is either of them preferable? I couldn't find the answer anywhere I looked. Thanks in advance.


texts: How do you describe bits of hay floating in the air?

texts: I need to describe bits of hay puffing into the air from a rusty ute when it comes to a stop. Not sure how to describe it.


texts: meaning of 'wasn't' in the example I posted , and was deleted for some unknown reason?

texts:
I posted this:

in an episode of Alfred Hichtcok presents, S03E38 , the nurse say:

"we wanted to call a doctor, but she said WE WASN'T TO." ( instead of we hadn'to)

it sound strange. Is this an old form or something?

thks

dan

you deleted it, why so?

What's wrong with that?  don't you know any possible answer?

Dan


texts: Looking for an idiom to say that a substantial portion of the work is done and a small part remains

texts: While looking for it, the closest expression I found was 'finishing touches', but that does not really give the same idea.


texts: How do I properly hyphenate "well thought out"?

texts: Is it spelled well thought-out, or well-thought out, or well thought out?


texts: What is the word to describe someone whom you are a fan of?

texts:
All I can think of is the word idol. Is it the most correct answer to this question? Or is there any more appropriate word?

EDIT:

In my opinion, idol sounds a bit too "strong".

When someone is a fan of another person, I think it usually means he likes the other one and probably follows his activities etc.

When the other person is his idol, I think it means he idolizes the other person and maybe tries to do everything like him, wear same clothes, etc.

Just my thought..

Example: Uncle John is my girlfriend's _. She likes him a lot.


texts:
Because Middle English was a hodgepodge mélange of Old English (a Germanic tongue) and Norman French (a Romance language), it seems like Middle English was actually a kind of pidgin or creole.

My question is:

Was it such, and if so, which one was it: a creole or pidgin? If so, when did it stop being such  — or didn’t it stop being such?

Related musings of my own that I don’t expect answers for follow.

I do wonder whether in today’s world of English becoming the lingua anglica of common communication as French gave rise to the lingua franca of yesteryear, such a creolization might not be recurring, at least in certain places with a dominant alternate language, such as in India or Singapore.

I’ve found several articles on the notion, but they are unclear about what is happening today with World English and how that relates to what happened after 1066.

The Last Lingua Franca: English Until the Return of Babel
Just speak English?
Business English

Perhaps the English of tomorrow will look as much like today’s English as Chaucer looked like Beowulf.


texts:
Consider the following sentence:
"I am disappointed that you are leaving".

Now I would like to let another person know the fact:
"I would like to let you know that Mark is leaving which I am disappointed about."

This seems about right, but grammatically it looks correct that you don't use "about" at all.

So is it correct to use "about" (or "at") here, or no preposition at all?


texts:
I was reading this article about humans destroying 50% of its wildlife in the past 40 years and noticed the word "decimated" in the introduction. I thought decimated meant to destroy a tenth or ten percent of. Can it be used interchangeably? I am assuming that decimated is used more as explaining that a large portion of something has been destroyed.

Also I have two other unrelated questions. Am I suppose to quote the word I am questioning and if so, should I put the question mark inside or outside?


texts: Adjectives that can be used with the noun "need" to express how great the need is

texts:
I would like to compile a list of adjectives that can be used with the word "need", as in

  In Country X there is [adjective] need of new methods to involve adults in learning activities

and the adjective expressing size (big or small and everything in-between).

Some adjectives that seem to be in use

considerable
extraordinary
inconsiderable
little

Others would probably sound odd: big, huge, large, vast, tremendous, enormous... at least as long as I do not want to do creative writing but rather write a standard text in an educated institutional context (here: a grant application for an international cooperation in the EU).

This is about good style, including precision and variation of expression.

Suggestions?


texts:
I am writing an article. I wonder if the two following expressions are equivalent when I refer to the article and compare it with another article? or is there any semantic difference between them?
-The current paper
-The present paper
I searched on web and it seems that they are perfectly the same.


texts: Why is the word 'number' abbreviated to 'No.' in UK English and '#' in American English?

texts:
Why the disparity? And why use 'No.'? Is it from the French?

And the hash or pound sign seems a weird choice too, is there a history or any reason involved?


texts:
I found a grammar book that states the following:

(Grammar In Use Intermediate by Cambridge unit 18 pg.36 Present Tenses )

Which means that it is OK to use the simple present form to describe the future with fixed schedules.

But is it also OK to use the simple present to talk about fixed schedules that are not future?

Here is an example of a Japanese Jr. High English textbook (Level 1 New Horizon by Tokyo Shoseki 23rd year of Heisei Unit 3 Pg. 31)

In this example it says,

  A: Do you come to school every day?
  B: No, I don't. I come to school on Tuesday and Friday.

But if she only comes on Tuesdays would it be OK to say,

  I come to school on Tuesday

Or should she say,

  I come to school on Tuesdays?

I am not looking for an answer that is an opinion. I need to have a sited text from a legitimate published work that has an example of using the simple present with a day of the week in the singular form. This has to do with a student's paper. I cannot grade it based on conjecture.


texts:
Is it right?

You went to a very boring movie yesterday. Now you regret it.
I wish I - hadn't gone to a movie yesterday?? (because it happened in the past and I cant do anything about it)

Your hair is straight and you would like it curly. If only I had curly hair (complaining now)

You would like to get a pay rise although you know it's not possible at the moment - I wish I could get a pay rise??


texts: 'None is' or 'none are', when the antecedent is plural?

texts:
Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, speaking by the invitation of the Speaker of the House of Commons in a lecture regarding Brexit, quoted a Financial Times article and, in passing, 'corrected' its grammar.

Quoting the article, Rees-Mogg said of entries on a Wikipedia list (of entries in a table) that 'none are' from Europe and then corrected the article saying that it should be 'none is'.

'None' may refer to 'not one' in which case I would say it is singular.
But 'none' may also refer to 'not any' in which case I would suggest it is plural.

Thus I think that Mr Rees-Mogg is not correct in correcting the FT article.

'None of the entries' (that is, not any of the entries) are from Europe' seems quite correct to me.

'Not one of the entries is from Europe' is also correct, I would say.

Is Mr Rees-Mogg correct ?

OED entry for 'none' :

  a. Not any (one) of a number of people or things. Also: neither of two persons or things (now regional).

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EDIT : I have read the suggested duplicates and they are inconclusive. I was hoping for a definitive (and thus an academic), decisive answer to the question.

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