texts:
When used as an adjective, is it step by step or step-by-step?

Example,

  Thank you for this step by step guide.

or

  Thank you for this step-by-step guide.


texts:
Which one is correct?

  He was carrying two ice cream cones and talked to a little boy.

or

  He was carrying two ice cream cones and talking to a little boy.


texts: "Meet" a friend or "meet with" a friend?

texts:
Is there any difference in usage?

Meet a friend or meet with a friend.

  I'm meeting my friend today.

  I sometimes meet with my friends.


texts:
As well as hoping to encourage children to catch the reading bug, WBD also hope to get reluctant adults hooked on books. So, for the first time, WORLD BOOK DAY will also have an adult focus, with the launch of Quick Reads, ________ selection of short, fast-paced stories.

This is a CAE, Use of English exercise in which students have to put one word. According to the answer key, only the indefinite article a works. However, why not one?


texts:
My understanding is that "rental" is a word implying that income is being received from a property one owns and leases to a tenant. "Rent" is used more in the sense of what a tenant pays a landlord.

I am looking specifically for a two or three word phrase to be used in a list of possible sources of income.

Which option is more correct?

  "rent income"

or

  "rental income"


texts: I thought "spare me with ..." means "don't bother me with the details of ...". Does it?

texts: But according to my friend I am wrong. What do you think?


texts: What is a word for a symbol of something that simultaneously is a manifestation of the thing it symbolizes?

texts:
I am looking for a word that would mean a symbol of some quality or entity that simultaneously IS the thing it symbolizes.

An example would be an Egyptian ankh which is the word 'life', the amulet of life, and in representations can be considered to, magically-religiously, be or contain the essence of life.

Similarly the representation of an eye in a face, or sarcophagus, is not only a representation, but provides sight to the deceased.


texts: How should I reply to "Dude, are you there?"

texts:
Let's say I am having a telephone conference with rest of the team, and somebody asks me "Dude, are you there?"  How should I reply?

  Yes, dude, I am there.

or

  Yes, I am here?

It is difficult for me to see the difference.


texts: Word to describe a crowd fallen to the ground?

texts:
Is there a word to describe a crowd fallen to the ground? You know, like a heap of people that have fallen due a stampede or the like.

I am using "melee", but it doesn't seem to carry the sense of lying on the ground.

For example:
A rush for the gate created chaos, resulting in a great number of people left in a ___________.

EDIT: The previous example, typed by Chappo, catches the idea pretty well. Nonetheless, let me put that in a more detailed situation:

Here is, a group of, say, twenty knights walking down a path and then, all of the sudden, a dragon come out from the woods in front of all of them. The first ones noticed the threat immediately, so they start walking backwards, but those at the back hadn't notice it so they are either stopped or still waking forward. So, in this struggle, some fall down to the ground, but then others fall onto the ones that have fallen before, until there's a heap of knights.

Hope you get the idea. TIA.


texts:
I accidentally know this word while reading a manga in English.
I tried searching it on the Internet but nothing comes out.
Yet I found that maybe this word was originally "spectromancer" since there are no websites containing the word spectremancer
All of the information about spectremancer is little:

  "But there're others too, like that weird spectremancer."

I believe this word describes a type of person or an occupation.

[Source:  MangaRock {Chapter 26, Page 8}]


texts: "would like to see being removed" or "would like to be seen removed"?

texts:
Let's say I let a room to a person and offer this person to remove stuff from this room if necessary. Could I say

"Please let me know if there is something you would like to see being removed"

or

"Please let me know if there is something you would like to be seen removed"

Are these sentences correct and if not how would I say that correctly? I am not interested in totally rephrasing the sentence from the above, but in using correct grammar with phraseology as close as possible to this particular structure.


texts: Explanation of a quote from The Great Gatsby

texts:
I've decided to catch up on all the books we should have read in high school, but before I get to Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, and Brave New World, I'm starting with The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I tripped over a line in chapter 2 that I'm having trouble deciphering. It doesn't seem critical to the story much, but I'd like help with it regardless.

  I followed him over a low whitewashed railroad fence, and we walked back a hundred yards along the road under Doctor Eckleburg's persistent stare. The only building in sight was a small block of yellow brick sitting on the edge of the waste land, a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it, and contiguous to absolutely nothing.

Specifically:

  ...a sort of compact Main Street ministering to it, and contiguous to absolutely nothing.

I understand what ministering and contiguous mean, but I can't scrape off a meaning from the sentence itself. Can someone explain what the author is trying to say here?


texts: Part of speech: "I am disappointed with"

texts:
In a construction such as, "John is disappointed with Alice", what part of speech is disappointed with? It appears to me that the "am" is a linking verb.

Similarly, "Jessica is sad", it seems to me that "sad" is the same part of speech as disappointed with.

One paper I'm reading claims that these are adverbs, but I am pretty sure this isn't the case, as "disappointed" doesn't describe "is". They feel like adjectives, but yet it's not assembled like a typical adjective would be ("Sad Jessica").


texts:
A few years ago I had a roommate who was a French guy. He was learning English and occasionally asked me to clarify some differences. One question he asked me was the difference between "common" and "usual". I was stumped, and it has bugged me ever since.

It is clear that sometimes one is correct and sometimes the other, but I don't know what the distinction is. Can anyone help?


texts: The word 'until': 'fought off the Dutch until 1903' _ does this necessarily imply being conquered in 1903?

texts:
In Bali, local rulers resisted the yoke of Queen Wilhelmina until 1908. Aceh, at the western extremity of the island chain, fought off the Ducth until 1903.
I think the word 'until' can be interpreted both ways, disregarding history? And if it the case, how do I know how to make that word out without first knowing about the precise history? Or is there other rules that follow in the use of "until" so the ambiguity in meaning is obviated?


texts: "My car is occupied" or "My car is engaged"?

texts:
Suppose your mum has taken your car to buy groceries, and your colleague wants you to pick him up.
How do you tell him without going into the details?

Sorry, my car is occupied right now.

OR

Sorry, my car is engaged right now.

I used the first one but it didn't sound right. Is there any other way to say this?
`


texts: What is the name for a simplified street map?

texts: I'm looking for a way to describe the kind of simple road/street map that is pared down to essentials—thin lines for roads, just a few places highlighted, no extraneous detail or color. What is the best way to describe this kind of map?


texts:
Examples: Key developer, key customer.
Task: Replace "key" without losing the meaning.

For a developer I could use "principal" but it's possible that there is already a principal developer who isn't the key developer for a particular application.

Thesaurus lists some options but none of them are as good as "key":
crucial, major, primary. Crucial customer? Major developer?


texts: A more polite expression than "minor languages"

texts:
I am translating a text to English for a university describing a program aimed at multicultural literacy:

  Students acquire minor languages in addition to English.

The above translation is no doubt correct, but is there a more tactful way to indicate "minor languages"? It seems that calling them "minor" could be taken as a value judgement.

I have been given "Mongolian" as an example of a "minor language".

Any alternate wordings would be appreciated.


texts:
For a project of mine, I am looking for an English word for "the addiction of a person to coins". Right now I am thinking of coin-enamouredness. It will be used as an indicator in the following manner:

  With [coin-enamouredness] of value 1, the person is inclined to trade his cash with coins, even if there is no profit after paying the sales tax.
  With [coin-enamouredness] of 5, the person is inclined to trade his cash with coins, even if he has to pay tax from his own money.
  With [coin-enamouredness] of −5, the person does the opposite, willing to trade his coin to money even if he has to cover the tax himself.

Is there a better word?


texts: Word or Phrase for a lie being told to force someone to do something?

texts:
Is there a single word or phrase that has the meaning of a "lie that is told to force someone into a specific course of action".

For example, if someone tells you that a restaurant is going out of business, in a ploy to convince you to go there. Later you may tell your friend:

  You lied to me!

Is there a better word or phrase for this type of lie?


texts:
I have used and come across the phrase "issual of tickets" but when recently writing something my Word dictionary tells me that "issual" is not an actual word.

Is that the case?


texts:
"some minutes, some years, some seconds" are grammatically incorrect.

But "a few minutes, a few years, a few seconds" works.

I'm trying to teach a non-native speaker this nuance but "it just sounds weird" does not feel like a satisfactory explanation. I know it has to do with count and mass nouns, because some time is correct and a few time is not, and time is a mass noun, and few can only be used with countable nouns. Minutes, years, seconds, etc. are all count nouns.

But, some can in some circumstances be used with count nouns and in others with mass nouns. What's the distinction I'm missing?

From your input I have gathered that some + time unit isn't technically wrong when used unselectively, (the "selective" sense of some is explained by Max Williams) but that it's just awkward in some cases. You don't need a some in any unselective construct with a unit of time. Years ago, for decades, in minutes, months later, over days.

Why does it sound awkward? Here's my highly heterodox and basically epistemological explanation. My first argument is that some isn't a totally amorphous quantity, that is, it actually does tell you some info about how much stuff (or how many things) it describes. I think we assume some to be countable, not in the sense of "a count noun", but in the sense that we can readily fathom its size. And furthermore I think that some connotes a smallish number, small enough so that it's readily fathomable, generally like 1-100. (This maximum "some-bound" increases for multiples of 5s, 10s, etc.) I'll give an example. Compare "I have not eaten meat for some years (now)" to "scientists believe that the earth was formed some years ago". The latter just sounds ironic. So, some sounds weird when used unselectively with large quantities because it seems to conflict with their size.
Some also sounds weird with with very small quantities because it appears to provide little information. This is because we assume that the unit of time was chosen efficiently. We don't expect someone to say "2400 minutes" because it's much easier to say "40 hours". We define very small units by their part of a whole, and we assume that at a certain point someone will start using the next order of magnitude unit. If the unit is chosen efficiently then some does not tell you much about quantity, because the coefficient will stay small, and we assume "some"-size by default unless told otherwise, and some-size is small. In these cases, some is vestigial and should be dropped.
But there's a happy medium where unselective "some" works with countable nouns. It's middle-of-the-range units of time where some begins to serve a purpose. It actually does give a bit of info about the actual quantity of the many things/much stuff. For example, "some years ago" is differently nuanced than just "years ago", it sounds somehow smaller. That justifies including the "some" even though it's correct without it.


texts: "I've decided not to leave A.I. Town" versus "I've decided to not leave A.I. Town"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Order of “not” with infinitive

Last month I decided to change my residence and shift to another town. After some days, due to some reasons, I cancelled my program and decided to stay at my current place. At that time I sent a message to my friends, "I've decided not to leave A.I. Town".

After sending the message, a question flashed in my mind that have I used "to" at the correct place. Shouldn't it be "I've decided to not leave A.I. Town"?

I am actually confused that should I separate the preposition "to" and the verb "decided" in the prepositional phrase "decided to" by using "not" in between them?


texts:
Is there a meaningful difference between the adjectives "prejudicial" and prejudiced"? Does each word fit better in a certain context?

(By "prejudicial", I am not referring to the "detrimental" definition, but the "premature judgment" definition).


texts: Advanced English: What can be "rather than a subtle ______ " in movies?

texts:
I have this book, donkey's years old—1991—called Cambridge Advanced English, written by Leo Jones. The topic of films, shows, and concerts is dealt with in chapter 3 but there's a problem, it's a student's book without answers, and there is no list where students can select answers from. Moreover, I gave it as homework to a private student of mine who's coming tomorrow. I have worked out all the answers (in capital letters) except for this particular one:

  Horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street depend on spectacular SPECIAL effects rather than a subtle ___________.

It's driving me potty, I want to say dialogue, but can dialogue be subtle? The term screenplay was one of the answers, so it can't be that. No term can be used more than twice.

  Superman 2, DIRECTED by Richard Lester, was the SEQUEL to Superman the SCREENPLAY was co-written by Mario Puzo, who wrote the The Godfather.

Below are answers which I cannot reuse with "subtle"

  A really exciting movie depends on good LIGHTING (photography), good EDITING (the way the film is cut with perfect timing so that each  SHOT surprises you), and exciting STUNTS (car chases, fights and falls).
  It was hard to follow the PLOT because there were so many FLASHBACKS to scenes that had happened earlier

I'm not 100% convinced by LIGHTING, is that the right term to use here? Is there a better one? Regardless, the one really bugging me is Q.3, it goes without saying, the term must be related to films/movies.

List of terms, in italics, which I have already used: game (shows); soap (operas); (crime) series; full-(length) animated (film); produced (by), special (effects); (a subtle) _____ ; directed (by); sequel (to); screenplay (was co-written); (good) lighting; (good) editing; (each) shot; (exciting) stunts; (a Dolby stereo) sound system; (the) technology / facilities (to take advantage of this); (sub-)titles; (may be) dubbed; (played the) role; co (-star); (Jack Nicholson) stole (every scene); (Italian-American) co-production; (shot on) location; (received a lot of) Academy Awards/Oscars; (was) overrated; (follow the) plot; flashbacks (to scenes); (the names of the stars and the) film / producers; (opening) credits; (complete) cast (of characters);  played (them); (film) crew; (all the) extras; (new) production (by); sets (were designed).

Q. What can be inserted after ‘a subtle’ to contrast with ‘spectacular special effects’?


texts:
I found a statement in one of my old write-up and I can't not be sure if this is wrong. I am not a native English speaker.

I will be surprised if it were to be discovered that consciousness is absent in some primitive life form at any stage of evolution.

On re-reading, I feel confused about the co-existence of will and were in two clauses. Is it acceptable in this statement? What is the grammar rule which one can use as a rule of thumb to construct such sentences?


texts:
A recent news item reported :

  ... they are also concerned about his argument in a 2009 legal article that a sitting president should be immune to prosecution.

The OED states that the adjective 'immune' has three primary meanings :

free or clear (of or from)
exempt from
wholly protected from

but then the OED states another meaning :

having immunity to

I do not understand how the concept of 'to' arises.

'Immune' is to be exempt from, clear of, clear from, untouched by, totally protected from .......

How does the concept of 'to' arise ?

EDIT: Following a (sadly deleted ?) answer which also noted the usage of 'against' I am adding a link to the Ngram for 'immune to/immune from/immune against'. There seems to have been a difference between AmE and BrE in the early 20th century but nowadays there is agreement by both that 'to' is more common and 'against' is very rare.

I then added 'immunity to/immunity from/immunity against' and saw something interesting :

The wording 'immunity from' prevailed in the 19th century and then, I suppose, the concept of vaccination changed the way that immunity was regarded. The graph shows the changes.


texts:
I was writing to my supervisor today asking for a day off. Here is what I wrote "Dr, I had an accident yesterday. Luckily it wasn't major. But I am not feeling fully recovered today. So I decided to stay at home" but after sending the message it didn't sound write to me. since I was using WhatsApp I deleted the message before she read it. And this is what I wrote later which sounded better in my ears: "Dr, I had an accident yesterday. Luckily it wasn't major. But I am not feeling fully recovered today. So I thought I should stay at home".

The problem is I don't know why my first message didn't sound as good as the second one. Any help?


texts:
Should I place "sometimes" and "might" in a single sentence?

For example, the sentence "Sometimes it might be true." is correct but seems redundant.

A. "Sometimes it might be true."

B. "Sometimes it's true."

C. "It might be true."

When would it be better to use A, B and C?


texts: Why did the author put "to" in this sentence?

texts:
I can't figure out why did the author put this word in this place in the sentence:

  One of the protesters, surnamed Chiu, told a press conference that he was a witness to and victim of police violence in that night.

Is it a typing error or does it have another meaning such that we can't ignore it?

As you said,
it means I can exchange the clause into witness of, and the meaning of the sentence won't be changed, right?

eliminate and victim of, the sentence below makes sense now:

One of the protesters, surnamed Chiu, told a press conference that he was a witness to   police violence in that night.

appreciate your help :D


texts: A photograph 'depicts' its object. Is there a comparable verb for audio recordings?

texts:
A photograph 'depicts' its object. Is there a comparable word for audio recordings?

For example, "The recording [verbs] The Beatles playing Been a Hard Day's Night."


texts: Is the name of Google's design language "material design" a proper noun?

texts:
Material design is a design language developed by Google. A design language is an overarching scheme or style that guides the design of a complement of products or architectural settings.

Now is "material design" a proper noun? We are having that discussion at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Material_design . I say yes, because "Material Design" as used in the Wikipedia article uniquely refers to Google's design language as defined on http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html . While that specification can change, it is IMO no different from e.g. newer versions of the Java programming language evolving, while still being Java. Other people on Wikipedia disagrees (see Wikipedia talk page there for their side of the argument).

Feel free to also add answers directly to the Wikipedia talk page.


texts: Is there a term for if someone uses their own words on idioms consciously?

texts: For example, instead of "barking up the wrong tree", someone uses "pulling out the wrong plant". Consciously or not, is there a term for saying idioms in your own words?


texts: Why use "ex post facto" when "post facto" means the same thing?

texts:
In legal language I have come across the term "ex post facto".  Isn't "ex" redundant in this phrase? "post facto" also means "after the fact", so it should be sufficient.

This is commonly used in English, especially in legal documents as I mentioned above.  If we began to remove all words in the English language that came from other sources, we could probably halve the dictionary.


texts: Word or phrase for departure/arrival (time + place)

texts:
Perhaps this is a silly question, but is there a common word/phrase/term which would describe a time + location tuple (time and place), for flights or maritime links?

I.e. say I have a flight defined as:
Departure: Monday, 10:00 London,
Arrival: Monday, 18:00 New York.

"Monday, 10:00"/"Monday, 18:00" are both departure/arrival times, "London"/"New York" are both departure/arrival ports or airports.

So, is there a phrase which would describe both "Monday, 10:00 London" and "Monday, 18:00 New York"?

Goal would be to be able to describe it as:

a route contains one or more connections
a connection has a single departure "?" and arrival "?"
a "?" is defined by a timestamp and airport

If there are any better terms for what I am describing above, I'd be grateful to hear them also.


texts:
Subtract is considered the only correct verb, while substract is considered wrong or at least "very" obsolete. However, here is a guy, whose mother tongue is obviously English, and who uses substract all the time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-ha8va91o&index=6&list=PLNUL7DzXzp_J4TztZYOVtayTfp0DV1z5H
so I think that one can use either verb.

Is that the case?


texts:
Are the words adaptable and flexible generally interchangeable? For example, do the following sentences have the same meaning?

  Older workers are less adaptable [...].

  Older workers are less flexible [...].


texts: Is "I live in a country that speaks the language." correct?

texts:
I'm learning English. Today I came across this sentence "I live in a country that speaks the language". My question is why the country speaks the language. I would write the sentence like this" I live in a country where people speak the language". Here in the sentence" I live in a country that speaks the language", I know "that" refers to the country. Why does country speak the language? What grammar rule does this sentence follow?
Thanks in advance.


texts:
Does "or" change the word order back to normal in case of a question?
Is sentence A or B correct?

A)Take me as your addiction ...
or can't you become dependent on me?

B)Take me as your addiction ...
or you can't become dependent on me?

Thanks


texts: Noun for "person with intermediate skill"

texts:
I'm looking for the noun form of "person with intermediate skill". For example, in the context of a particular activity, "person with no skill" might be designated a novice, and "person with much skill" might be designated an expert. However I know of no such word in between these two extremes.

My only thought is amateur, which has a distinct meaning from describing level of skill, although skill level can often be inferred. I'm looking for a better solution.

EDIT: due to the attention this question has received, I'll try to offer some clarification in order to reduce repeat questions.

"Journeyman" would certainly not work. I am a software developer by profession. However the word I'm looking for should hopefully be profession-agnostic.
I am trying to designate the skill level of the person that some learning material might be appropriate for. The word that I'm looking for follows the preposition "for".

For Beginners
For [word for intermediate-skilled person]
For Experts

Sorry, but even after all the great answers, I'm still learning towards "amateur" even though it is technically incorrect. Also, the word should not be so esoteric that only people with English degrees know what it means. Keep the ideas coming!


texts: "When more than one threads are executed". Is this correct? How should it have been phrased?


texts:
What is the plural of freight? Freights just doesn't sound right to me. Perhaps, freight is already the plural. If that is the case, what is its singular?

Edit

After doing some research, most online dictionaries have freights as part of their listing for freight, but none seem to have an example, leading me to the conclusion that freights is not a word that is in common use.  The definition provided by Brian Hooper seemed to be the  most reasonable and clear reason why it is only freight


texts: What is an item called when it's never been changed in appearance or ingredients

texts: What is an item called when it has never been changed. In appearance or ingredients


texts: Controversy over verb choice in "neither you nor I {is/am/are} in control"

texts:
I was watching the film A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law when this line came up, "...neither you nor I is in control..." (I can’t remember the exact words that ended the phrase; if anyone can supply them, it would be much appreciated.)

It immediately struck me as being odd. When I mentioned this to my boyfriend; an English native speaker, with a PhD in something sciency, he told me it was correct. When I asked why, he couldn't explain but put forward the following sentence as an example. "Neither of us is in control..." However, I disagreed with the wording and said the sentence should have been: "Neither one of us is in control..." The genderless third person, one, is singular, and hence, so too the verb that follows. And we say, "one is" NOT "one are".

  "Neither you nor I are in control over ..."

I believe the above sounds better, but it is more logical to say:

  "Neither you nor I am in control..."

because the verb agrees with the subject closest to it; however, I'm not sure if I have ever read or heard this solution. So, I tried inverting the subject and auxiliary verb order and the resulting phrase was:

"Neither you nor am I in control..."

which sounds very formal, pompous, and ... odd. Am I imagining things?

The two subjects you and I are two separate individuals who are not joined together, I agree the verb should be in the singular; but why should we use "is"? We don't say, "you is" or "I is". Before anyone rushes off to claim my question is a duplicate of a previous Stackexchange one: "Neither Michael nor Albert is correct" or "Neither Michael nor Albert are correct"? I want to explain why the answer to that question fails to explain why my boyfriend and the film makers consider the  sentence below correct:

  Neither you nor I is in control...

As I see it, Michael and Albert are two separate individuals, it therefore stands to reason that the verb should be singular, and "is" agrees with the subject. If I rephrase the neither and nor construction, I would get:

  Michael is not correct but neither is Albert
  OR
  Michael is not correct and Albert isn't either.

Which have the same meaning, (either being the negative equivalent of neither) the sentences are grammatical which leads me to conclude that the verb must be singular and hence

  Neither Michael nor Albert is correct

However, when I rephrase the "neither you nor I" sentence following the same procedure I have to say this:

  You are not in control but neither am I (‘I am’ is ungrammatical)
  OR
  You are not in control and I’m not either.

which leads me to surmise that the sentence below must be grammatically correct

  Neither you nor I am in control"

So, why does my boyfriend insist that the sentence ought to be:

  Neither you nor I is in control

Which one of us is right and why?


texts: What would you call a group of people who don't mind their own business?

texts: Scenario: You're building a model in your room. You've been building something incredibly intrinsic and you don't want to stop until it's finished. Your father comes in and begins to scold you for spending so much time on what he believes to be a "waste of time". Your sister overhears the argument and comes in to take your fathers' side, citing hazards from working with fumes. Your brother hears the commotion, comes in to check out the problem and compliments you on what you've built so far. Your siblings begin to argue between each other on their opposing opinions. Your mother hears the squabbling and defends you from your father. Both arguments veer away onto extraneous topics. You lose your concentration and break something crucial on your model. You turn to your family and blame them for distracting you. Probably saying something along the lines of, "This is your fault. You couldn't leave well enough alone. You all had to be a bunch of __"?


texts: Merriam-Webster's Jeopardy! session at "yeah"

texts: The overview definition of "yeah" in Merriam-Webster's free online dictionary is obviously wrong ("—used in speech to show that you are surprised by or disagree with what someone has said"). However, this wrong definition was certainly not consciously entered for this word. Instead, presumably an editor misplaced the overview definition of some other entry there. So, the question is, can someone guess, correctly, what entry the spurious overview definition came from?


texts: What is it called to someone who talks about deep or big topics?

texts: What is it called to someone who talks about deep or big topics to sound smart, or just to impress others around him, even though he has no idea about anything?


texts: Is there an idiom for the maximum amount of surprise?

texts:
Looking for an expression of extreme surprise.

I've got shock, amazement, aghast and the rest of the the thesaurus, but I'm really seeking something more idiomatic.

Ideally the phrase/idiom would exude positivity, such as finding a treasure.


texts:
I really didn't know how to name this thread so I apologize about it. My question is: what is the linguistic term that refers globally to the words "vocabulary", "words", "phrases", "collocations", "expressions", "jargon", "idioms", "lexicon" etc?

I am doing an article on this and in the process of writing my paper when I put the word "vocabulary" I feel like I am referring only to single-words (e.g.: coincidence) opposite to when I write "phrase" which refers to more than one word without a verb/subject (e.g.: many thanks) or when I write "expression/idiom" it refers, generally speaking, to more words with a verb/subject (e.g: She is pulling my leg). The problem is I need to refer to these in one word, what is that word? I was thinking of "lexicon" but I am not sure. Is there something like "linguistic inventory"? I really need this word.

Thank you a lot. I hope that wasn´t so confusing.


texts: Why are there exceptions for the i before e except after c rule?

texts: The exceptions such as"foreign" and "weird" seem abnormal to me because most of the rest of the ie or ei words follow the i before e rule.  They don't have a "c". Why does that happen?


texts: Being "onboarded into the platform" vs "onboarded to the platform"

texts: In this context, a platform is an on-line service. The process of registering new users is known as onboarding. I do not know if describing such process as onboarding users to the platform or onboarding users into the platform.


texts: Can I say "the mechanism use tool X in its working" or it will be incorrect? Also, can I use its in the sentence or it is better to remove it from the sentence?


texts:
What does "plutonomy" mean?
What does the word plutonomy mean?


texts:
In looking at many of the answers to ESL learner's questions about countable and uncountable nouns it seems that answers usually take the form "Uncountables can be become countables.  There's no rule so you just have to memorize it.  It's English, you know, deal with it." (said with an exasperated sigh.)

I think there is a rule.  How else would we be able to generate sentences in situations that haven't been memorized?

My question is this: "Is it possible the rules are: 1)'When we omit the counter based on context, a normally uncountable noun will become countable by adding s or using countable grammar forms. and 2) A word can become uncountable if it also has an uncountable definition." (Rule two seems obvious however someone asked about "organic matter" or "organic matters" being tested at the lab.)

For example:

Rule 1:

1) "I'll have two (glasses of) waters." (said in a restaurant.)
2) We sell many (loaves of / types of / kinds of) breads." (said at the bakery.)
3) "Do you want three (packets of) sugars?" (Said at Starbucks.)
4) "How many (sheets of) papers are stuck in the copier?" (Said in my office last week.)
5) "How many (pieces of) hairs were stuck on the camera sensor?" (said at B&H Photo.)

Rule 2:

1) "We need three (instances of) approvals from the committee before construction can begin." or "My mother didn't give her approval to our lifestyle."
2) "I like having (many kinds of) choices at the grocery store." "Choice is what made America great."

On the the other hand, I can think of three instances where the rule breaks down: "Music," "Lint" "Equipment":

"I listened to 3 (types of) musics this morning."
"Ask the butler to remove the (pieces of) lints from the sweater."
"How many (kinds of) equipments does a SEAL need for a mission?"

Some omissions are just strange; "I gave the baby a teaspoon of apple."  I think it should be "I gave the baby a teaspoon of apple sauce." because teaspoons hold liquids and powders not solid objects like (pieces of) apple.

There must be some sort of rule about what is acceptable communication when it comes to countable and uncountable nouns.


texts: "courgettes" vs. "zucchini" under a historical perspective

texts:
In this TimLymington's answer it is said:

  Interestingly, there is another vegetable with the same identity problem; what the British call courgettes and the Americans zucchini.

What is the historical reason why there is this transatlantic difference?


texts: What is a term for a person who defends another person or their actions no matter what?

texts:
Some examples:

Someone defending their friend even if they know what the friend did was wrong.
Defense lawyers who know their client is guilty but fight to prove otherwise
Someone who sacrifices themselves to protect one or more others even at the cost of their lives

The 3rd example as a verb is basically the definition of heroic sacrifice, but what is the agent called? Is it simply a hero? While that definitely applies to those who die saving others, I don't feel like that term can be applied nearly as generously to the other examples. Is there perhaps a form of altruism that describes this?


texts:
Do impertinent and impudent have different meanings?
What is the difference between impertinent and impudent?


texts: interpretation of the use of a comma with and

texts:
My jurisdiction has a planning regulation that has come under interpretive differences recently. The intent of the regulation was that the high water mark survey had to be undertaken and authenticated within 6 months. We are now receiving an interpretation that because of the comma before the word 'and' that the latter requirement for authentication does not need to be done within the 6 month time frame. Here is the regulation for reference:

“Unless exempted by the Authority, an application for planning permission with any setback adjacent to the sea shall include a Mean High Water Mark survey physically defined on ground no more than six months prior to the application being submitted, and the survey plan shall be authenticated by the Department of Lands and Survey.”

Your help in determining the correct reading would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I'm helping my cousing with some English exercises but I don't imagine what would be the plural form of these two sentences:
What is this?

What is that?

I'd say:" What are these?" and "What are those?"
Does it make any sense?


texts: Phrase/Term for someone who thinks they’re still great (even if the aren’t anymore) because of their past achievements?

texts: I know there’s a term for that. I just can’t remember.


texts:
I am afraid I have never read Life of Pi, the novel by Yann Martel.

Is this sentence wrong? If not wrong, is it sloppy? To me it seems more appropriate to say:

  I am afraid I never read Life of Pi, the novel by Yann Martel.

If neither is wrong, which is the better way of writing?

If possible, could you also contrast the inclusion/exclusion of "have" in the "have never" in the sentences below?

  I have never read anything so stupid in my entire life.
  I have never been to the USA.
  I have never eaten at that restaurant.
  I never read the books; I only attended the lectures.
  I never lied.
  I have never lied. [sentence seems wrong]

On a side note, would the sentence be improved if it is made less wordy?

  I never read Yann Martel's Life of Pi.


texts: Someone who thinks he's very important, but isn't

texts:
I cannot find a good equivalent of the Russian "Watchman's syndrome" in English. It refers to someone who thinks he's very important, but isn't.

For example, this guy has "Watchman's syndrome":

This expression is often used in Russian IT.


texts: Historical differences in usage of "Mrs" for "mistress" or "missus"

texts:
The title Mrs. stands for mistress, but some English native speakers claim mistress is only used to indicate the woman with whom one has an (illicit) affair and that missus is the long version of Mrs.

I'd like to know what happened historically (Wikipedia affirms that the non-contracted version is mistress but that missus is also an option) to the evolution in meaning of the two terms.
Also, the NGram Viewer shows mistress to be predominant in its books (which of course says nothing on the meaning).


texts: What is the difference between "accounting" and "accountancy"?

texts:
Is there a difference between the words "accounting" or "accountancy", when referring to the field or branch of study?

Could one or the other be said to be a subfield within the other?
Are there any abbreviated forms for both or either of these words used to refer to the field, e.g., similar to "biol." used for "biology"?


texts: Noun or Adjective to succinctly describe the power to compel devotion

texts:
This is my first post so I hope I am not doing this wrong. Anyway, I feel like this word is on the tip of my tongue, yadda-yadda-yadda, ok, enough about me.

I am writing about the nature of power throughout history and I am looking for the word that best describes either (1) the human characteristic or gift of, or the talent or power to, be able to compel people to do their bidding under the auspices of a goal or purpose that is purported to be larger than themselves (“higher”) or (2) the name of such a person who possesses the aforementioned characteristics.

This of course brings up historical paradigms of religion, political movements, or even that inexplicable cult of personality, but words like charismatic, prophet, torch-bearer, visionary, mantle, etc... feel like they fall flat because they are not strong enough or the implications of reverence could either be beatific or simply empty praise. Plus, these are tired words.

On the other hand, words like demogague, master, supremo are blunt and imply either a clearly a negative power or one that exists in a system of oprression or class by the nature of the title itself. Furthermore, they really don’t necessarily convey that the person holding this title posses this property or is just a pretender. The word I seek is about the real thing, because results matter.

It’s a word to describe the powers of (mostly) men throughout history. Some clear examples of dead (or possibly undead) people, you have Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Lenin, Hitler, Mao, Jim Jones, and of course legions of legendary military commanders both the winners and losers, so obviously we are talking the gamut of what could be considered “good” or “evil”, “successful” or “failures”. However, this word transcends value judgements because the property does not beget the goals of its possessor. It just “is”. It is that wonderful or terrible quality that could compel a person to acts of great self-sacrifice, duty, cruelty, or insanity. Or to invade Poland.

I hope that someone reading this is thinking “oh, you mean [BLURGH]” and I will just smack the side of my skull and say “Yes! Why couldn’t I remember that?” Or I might be dreaming and there simply is not a lexical handle for what I am thinking of. I am fairly certain this property exists based on plenty of evidence, so there has to be a word for it, right?

One space donut to the person who can think of it. Thanks!


texts: Is there an alternative word/phrase to "ignorance is bliss?" [edited]

texts:
It's a classic phrase, but is there a word that encapsulates the sentiment of this idiom?

Edit:

Single word isn't a requirement, I'm just looking for a concise and eloquent alternative.

I don't have a specific sentence in mind; I think it's a beautiful idiom and I'm simply looking for alternatives to it.

In my opinion, context isn't required. Nonetheless, I've been asked to provide some degree of specificity: the first example that always comes to mind is the scene in The Matrix where Cypher is eating a steak and talking to the agent. Cypher says:

  "I know this steak doesn't exist; I know that when I put in my mouth,
  the Matrix is telling my brain that it's juicy and delicious. After 9
  years, you know what I realized? Ignorance is bliss."


texts: Question: Why do some people preface a question with "question"?

texts: Is it acceptable in the English language to do so? If so, what part of English would the first "question" be called...a conjunction?


texts: What is a phrase/word to describe someone who is oblivious to the bad in people

texts:
What phrase/word would describe someone who cant see the bad in people? A phrase/word other than With rose colored glasses that would fit in the blank below.

  Stop looking at the world ________!

Or a word to describe it other than oblivious like

  Stop being so _______ of the world!


texts:
What does a piece of schlock mean in the following phrase?

  "You aren't in this game to write a piece of schlock."


texts: Talking "on behalf of Iranians" or "instead of Iranians"?

texts:
How do native English speakers use of them? Do they have different meanings? Positive or negative?

For example, I want to use it in a sentence to send my negative feelings and idea about a person who thinks all his characteristics and behaviors are showing "Iranian personality" and he has a special duty to introduce himself as a symbol of Iranian culture. But in my opinion no one can be a symbol of his/her nationality and he/she is only responsible for his/her own behaviors not a country or nation with many different idea owners and cultures.


texts: What's an expression for a cunningly-fake friend?

texts:
I'd like to warn somebody of one of their harmful managers, or even a so-called fake friend, so I say it like this:

  Don't trust him! He is nothing but a cunning person who is trying to harm you/put you down, with his special ability , so gradually, *smoothly,softly, wisely, and, secretly* via a pre-planned plot that you won't even notice or suspect his intentions.

What idiom, phrase, term, ... could be used for describing this wise person/ fake friend/whatever you name it, -or his ability-*while focusing on using his wisdom for doing his hidden harmful actions smoothly!

P.S 1: I have found "back-stabber"; "two-faced"; "a snake in the grass"; "a wolf in sheep's clothing"; but none of them cover all those attributes as a whole.

  -(there is an idiom in my country which says" Don't trust him! He cuts off the throats/ heads with cotton!)
  -( these people are potentially good politicians!, so you can use this idiom even for countries or politicians who achieve their goals by acting in this way!)

Note: my question has been marked as "duplicate", but the answer I'm looking for, has nothing to do with answer which user87131 is looking for, he/she is focusing on a liar fake friend, and me, on some other attributes and actually maybe this person is not necessarily a friend, maybe he is someone whom I am obliged to deal with,!!. Please reopen my question, if possible! -(Sorry, Everybody! I had to edit my question!)

  P.S2: I just found these political terms: "Soft War", "soft power"! And both can totally convey the meaning I am looking for, so Can I use them In non-political cases, too? , Like: , "Don't trust him, he is good at soft war!/ he is good at applying soft power"?


texts:
This is from a multiple choice question with 4 options, but I narrowed it down to 2:

  Select the best version of the following sentence:
  (there is really no sentence after this, just the answer choices)

  a) Each of the conference rooms has a computer display.
  d) Each of the conference rooms have computer displays.

In my eyes these choices are both perfectly fine, I can't see anything wrong with either of them.


texts:
I have been using distinct in a verb form for many years, and I'm not sure how I picked it up. I use it in the form like this, "I distincted myself".

To my ears, it sounds right - distinct-ing, so to speak, is an action and should fall under normal rules for grammar, but all dictionary definitions seem to only have it in adjective form.

Is distinct ever used as a verb, or is this just a quirk of my individual language/possibly my region?


texts: Possession with common and proper nouns in same sentence

texts:
She was in town for her brother’s, Brett’s, birthday.
or
She was in town for her brother, Brett’s, birthday.
or
She was in town for her brother’s, Brett’s, birthday.
or
?


texts: Can you use a section sign (§) to replace whitespace in creative fiction?

texts: I'm currently writing a novel and have a portion in my chapter where a character goes over a key memory in his past. It cuts the actual scene taking place in half. I was thinking about simply using whitespace, but I'm not sure if a section sign § would be better placed, or if it doesn't matter at all. Basically, I'm wondering if whitespace and § are interchangeable.


texts:
This question is more philology than engineering.

As a non native speaker, I am looking for a word in english to describe a tool that has reached its perfection. So it is a synonym for "perfection", but in context of tool development. Another synonym for that is "utopic", but I think it is used more to describe something non-materialistic, like a social way.
But "utopic" is the word which I would intuitively use in this case.
So it should stand for a tool which solves specific task and with time becomes 'single' and cannot be improved further, simply because nothing better can exist in principle.

Simple examples for utopic things:

A ball bearing:  one can experiment with materials, number of balls, but the principle will be always the same, no matter how far the human knowledge will develop.
A drill bit: one can use different sizes, materials, configuration, but the principle stays the same.

Question: How such a thing can be called in english? Probably some recommendation for reading about similar things as described above?

I must say I don't know such a word in my native language as well, so I would
use a derivative of the word "utopic".


texts: How many of the "Top 10 favorite British words" are understood by Americans?

texts:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary online shows “Top 10 Favorite British Words”. I’m interested in knowing how many of the listed words are understood or accepted by Americans as English, whichever British English or English slang.

The words listed as the top 10 Favorite English are:

prat meaning “a stupid person”,
twee meaning “affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint”,
knackered meaning “exhausted”,
jiggery-pokery meaning “dishonest activity, or nonsense”,
plonk meaning “cheap wine”,
chunter meaning “mutter”,
whinge meaning “whine”,
gormless meaning “stupid”,
boffin meaning “scientific expert”,
pukka meaning “genuine, first class”.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Use of “that” in a sentence

Is it wrong or in bad form to constantly use the word "that" when it can be omitted?

  The test that she took was so difficult that she began to sweat.
  The test she took was so difficult she began to sweat.

I find myself writing more along the style of 1., but for some reason, I feel like it's not good form. Is there a grammar principle to confirm or refute this intuition?


texts: Dependent clause/ prepositional phrase in second clause with comma

texts:
Am I right in punctuating the sentence this way?

Joe and Jim walked down the street, and, at the corner, Joe found a nickel.

This is just an example. More importantly, I need to know in general case scenarios. Also, does this apply to an 'if clause' starting the second part of the sentence?


texts: What does “Brexit times five” mean? Is “X times five” a popular idiom to mean a big number / impact / difference?

texts:
The Washington Post (October 30 issue) carried an article under the headline, “Will Trump be ‘Brexit times five’? He may need to be if he wants to win.” which is followed by the following passage:

  “The Republican nominee has repeatedly fed that belief, calling
  himself “Mr. Brexit,” predicting “Brexit times five” and vowing
  Tuesday that “there’s going to be a lot of Brexit happening in about
  two weeks. A lot of Brexit.”

I surmise Mr. Trump is predicting his big victory in the Presidential election in the scale of five times as much large as Brexisists’ victory, which few anticipated to happen. Am I right?

Is “X times five” a common idiom to describe a big number or large scale gap in comparison with something (X)? Why should it be five, not three, seven, ten, hundred, or any other number?


texts: What does the abbreviation "con" mean in the following context?

texts:
I have no idea what con means reading through this profile.

Pro : Java, Design patterns, Quick learner (API, SDK, etc.), PHP, Javascript.
Con : C++ skills for gaming industry
Love : Challenge!


texts: What is the one word for someone who gets worried and anxious too fast, usually over silly things?

texts:
Is there a single word for someone who gets worried and anxious very fast, usually over silly things? An adjective that can be used to fill in the blank in:

My mother is very _______
I want to tell my mother about my flight tonight, but, you know, she is __________ and will lose her sleep worrying over my safety.


texts: Why is "protested over" incorrect in this sentence?

texts:
I've encountered another controversial sentence from the SAT writing section. Here it is:

  Given her strong sense of social justice, Burns vehemently protested over her party's failure to support a tax decrease for senior citizens.

Could anyone please explain why the highlighted part is wrong?


texts: What's the difference between 'if you wish' and 'If you don't mind'?

texts: A friend sent me a message saying: You can come and keep me company if you wish. I thought: You can come and keep me company if you don't mind would have been more friendly. I'm I wrong?


texts: Origin and usage of "nu-" (e.g. nu-metal)

texts:
Not every dictionary I checked has "nu-" but here are a few examples:

nu-
dictionary.com — indicating an updated or modern version of something: nu-metal music
Bing — new: new, or modern
Google — respelling of ‘new,’ used esp. in names of new or revived genres of popular music.

Where did this orginate? Etymonline shows no entry.
Also, how does this differ from "neo-"?

neo- — a combining form meaning “new,” “recent,” “revived,” “modified,” used in the formation of compound words: Neo-Darwinism; Neolithic; neoorthodoxy; neophyte.

Why do we have "nu-metal" instead of "neo-metal" or "neometal"? Would it be appropriate to use "nu-" for non-musical genres (e.g., classifying films as "nu-western")?


texts:
Consider the brief passage:

  "I love your work, but calling you 'the artist' {1} just doesn't seem to be
  cutting it anymore. What shall I call you?"

  "OK. Call me George." {2}

So my instincts tell me to put {1} in single quotes as opposed to no punctuation (or perhaps even italics) but to do the opposite for {2}. Is this right? Why?

Let me expand this one further iteration:

  "Wow, that's a great name, especially with this crowd. Maybe for your next book
  you should call yourself Ringo."{3}


texts: How common are "shooken" and "tooken" in spoken speech?

texts:
I've been constantly been hearing the non-standard forms "tooken" and "shooken" in many people's spoken speech (particularly in the Northeast of the USA).

Does anyone know when these forms originated and when and how they are used in place of shook or shaken or took or taken?


texts:
I have just done an English exercise and it's about error correction: "You will remove one word which is unnecessary in each example."
 Here is the sentence which I meet the unnecessary word:

  Thanks to cheap air travel, for many people the world has grown significantly smaller over the last decade, but to vegetarians, the planet can still seem frustratingly limited. For millions of us who don't eat meat, getting the right food while on the holiday can be a key factor when choosing our destination.

The key told me that the unnecessary word is the but I don't know why? Could anyone explain it to me, please?


texts:
I am hoping to gain a better understanding of how the words "shy" and "short" are used to indicate a shortage.

The order will be shy/short of 10 cases.

The order will be 10 cases shy/short.

We shorted the customer 10 cases.

We shorted the customer by 10 cases.

If someone could help critique the sentences above, that would be great.
Thanks in advance!


texts:
The bacteria in milk are destroyed when it is heated to 80 degree Celsius.

"The bacteria in milk are destroyed" this is a passive verb in LHS

right?

"when it is heated to 80 degree Celsius."- also passive form.

is not it?

Is both side passive form accaptable?


texts: difference between "miss out" and "omit"

texts:
He missed out several important facts. He omitted several important facts.

I think these two sentences are the same meaning. Is there a slight difference?

A few days ago, an American native speaker explained to me that "omit" means intentionally take out whereas "miss out" means mistakenly take out.  Is it true?

Could anyone clarify the difference to me?


texts: Is it common for children to say "times" when pausing play?

texts:
When I was a child on the American west coast, my circle of friends would always say "times!" to suspend play and talk out of character, or otherwise suspend the rules of a game. For example, if we were playing tag, one of us could say "times!" if we got hurt, and the game would stop for a moment.

I assumed that this was a ubiquitous thing, but I was surprised to see just not that neither Merriam-Webster nor Wiktionary documents this usage of the word.

Is this an oversight, or is this a really isolated usage?


texts:
Is there a word for this? For example, smartphone apps ask you permission to do various things: using the camera is a _____

Update 2019-01-21

One suggestion is privilege, which is good, but not quite what I'm going for.

What I'm looking for: In order to do X, you must be granted privilege. This means that X is a [word]

It might be correct to say "doing X is a privilege", but not "X itself is a privilege"


texts:
I'm correcting a paper about a study abroad experience, and the person wrote:

  During my third year at junior high, I traveled to my home town's sister city, Cooma, Australia, as a cultural exchange student with about 20 other junior high school students.

My immediate reaction was to change the first part to "third year in junior high" but then I started to second guess my change.  Doing a search for the prevalence of using in / at / of - I found "third year at junior high" is used the least, followed by "third year of" in the middle, and with "third year in" being used the most. But of and in have very similar numbers.  Both sound good to me as well.  And we all know the prevalence does not always correlate to the correctness.

So my question is, which one of these is the most correct usage?  And WHY is it correct?

As a side note for those who might be interested: At my Japanese school, they are taught to exclusively use "at" in these situations.


texts: Is it common to use MRT to refer to subways all around the world?

texts:
According to The Free Dictionary:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mass+rapid+transit

  Noun  1.  mass rapid transit - an urban public transit system using
  underground or elevated trains rapid transit public transit - a public
  transportation system for moving passengers

I found strange that the Wikipedia MRT entry only lists certain countries, mainly in Asia.

Is MRT a common word to refer to subways all around the world?

(Because I used MRT to describe the subway system in Japan. I want to know if the use was inappropriate. If it was, which word should I have used?)


texts: How do I write certain IPA sounds using Gregg Shorthand?

texts:
Migrated: https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/2752/help-me-convert-the-english-phonetic-alphabet-to-gregg-shorthand#comment7397_2752

I've found a several descriptive images of the various ways to write all of the sounds of the English Roman Alphabet in Gregg Shorthand, but what I have not been able to find is a way to write all of the sounds of American English in Gregg shorthand; therefore, I'm seeking a resource or a person who can answer me this: how do I write all of the sounds of the IPA in Gregg Shorthand?

Please, use this IPA chart (thanks to a Wikipedia submission), which is pretty comprehensive, as a template, if you plan to manually go through it.

The reason I ask: I can find examples of all the sounds of IPA, but I cannot find examples of all the sounds of Gregg.  If I can find audio samples of all of the Gregg Shorthand symbols, I think that I can make a list with confidence and resubmit a clean answer.  So, also if anyone has a resource with phonetic examples of all of the Gregg Shorthand symbols, please post that as a comment or answer.

This chart:

 represents my own attempt to correlate these sounds.  It took a long time to create, but feel free to bash it. The red are the ones I'm really in the dark about, and I don't think that any of the vowel sounds are correct.

As far as ʏ is concerned, I could not find an IPA character for "you/yew", but there is a Gregg character for it.


texts: Concerts, by definition, feature music. Isn't specifying a concert to be a music concert needlessly redundant?


texts:
I have heard many people claim that Yiddish is a much richer language than English, and follow up with an attempt to prove their point by pulling out a Yiddish word they claim has no English analogue.
One such word I have often seen used as an example in this way is "fargin" or "פארגין", which means something like "to not withhold a favor from someone [for no reason]" or "not to begrudge [something from someone]."

Can anyone think of an English word that could be used in place of "fargin"?


texts: Metaphor for the action "Import New and Select Only Some"

texts:
This is for a program that im doing, i need to recieve/load a good number of pictures and then select some, in order to move them to a new treatment fase called "Worshop".

However i need to name this process whit a sybolic name, because allows comprehension. However I'm out of ideas... I thought a few names like "Import", "Select" but i was looking for names like "Worshop" but for this task. If u have any sujestion, it would be awesome. Thanks.


texts: Where does the outdated "thing-O-thing" come from?

texts:
In many an outdated medium one may come across words such as gram-O-phone or shear-O-matic.

Where does this 'tradition' of having the O seperated come from?

Does this stylistic choice have name? I've tried searching the web for answers but my efforts where fruitless.

Examples of this form of writing would be:

  In 1904, the company received its charter as the Berliner Gram-o-phone Company of Canada.

From Wikipedia


texts: A question about present perfect tense and simple past tense with if clause

texts:
I've been thinking of an enquiry, turning in my head, and as I couldn't get a satisfactory answer,or rather, people around me did not answer it confidently, I suspect the answers given by them. So I thought it would be the best choice to ask the question here, too.
I know the normal usage of if clauses, but can we use simple past tense in the first part of the sentence when we want to indicate an event of the past, whose result is obscure, as we do it, using present perfect tense?

For instance, let's say " If Bob has not finished his duty, it will bring an enormous disgrace on his academic career".
In this case, we don't know if Bob has already finished his duty. He might have finished it, or vice versa.

If we had said " If Bob didn't finish his duty, it will bring an enormous disgrace on his academic career", would it be correct in terms of both meaning and grammar, as well?

To tell the truth, I frequently see it being used in films but I think they don't much care about grammar, do they?

Anyhow, I hope someone will give a reliving answer to me

Thanks in advance :)


texts: Is it correct to use multiple adjectives that mean the same thing as one adjective?

texts:
I came across this quote from some popular guy who likes to use big words and I was wondering if it's correct.

  Their vacuous posturing, pharissaical sanctimonies and sadducceical
  homilies now has the tinge of becoming nauseating, megalomaniacal,
  vexatious and scabrously schizophrenic.

Basically, is it possible for all the adjectives to mean one thing, is there a form or category of speech (not tautology) that allows you to use multiple adjectives and still refer to them as one adjective?


texts: What do you call a person who asks you to not do something which they do themselves?

texts:
A person tells me not to do something, while they do it all the time.

What do you call such a person? I just don't feel hypocrite suits them in this situation.


texts: What do you call that tiny sound you make with the nose to indicate that you're listening?

texts: I'm not very sure if grunt is the right word. I think a grunt is louder and comes mainly from the throat. I'm looking for a word that expresses a softer noise.


texts: Can you use semicolons in place of question marks?

texts:
For example:

"You've heard of warfare, right; it's when multiple countries fight for some cause."

Is this correct? Or would you instead use something like:

"You've heard of warfare, right? It's when multiple countries fight for some cause."

Would this be correct as well: "You've heard of warfare right; when multiple countries fight for some cause?"


texts:
In a common experience, an intermittent issue will frustrate someone for a long time, and then when s/he gets frustrated enough to spend the money and hire a professional, the symptoms of the issue will not be present.  For example, a car makes a strange sound most of the time, but doesn't do it when the mechanic is around.  Another example might be some intermittent medical symptom that disappears at the doctor's.  The lack of ability to reliably reproduce the problem in front of an expert who might be able to fix it helps ensure that the problem will "survive" to another day.

Is there a word or few-word name for this concept?

I'm guessing that this is a phenomena perceived to be more common than it actually is.

It's almost the opposite of Murphy's Law because it's about something that can go wrong but doesn't, and it doesn't seem to fit the "simultaneous apparent opposites" that would categorize it as a "paradox" of any sort (e.g. it doesn't seem like mechanic's paradox would fit).


texts: Where do I place the frequency adverb "often"?

texts:
Imagine the following situation:

Person A says to person B, that B will be the target of taunt/sneers/ridicule etc.
Is it possible to formulate the following sentence (regarding the word order)?

  "You will often be made fun of."

or

  "You often will be made fun of."

I know that it sounds like a dumb question, but as a German student I have still much to learn about the English language.


texts: Punctuation within a sentence interrupted by a quote with multiple sentences

texts:
Is the comma after the last sentence in the quote correct?  This is for a verbatim transcript.

  If someone comes in and says, “Look, I need a new part.  It’s broken.
  I’ve got someone here that’s waiting for repairs.  They want that part
  as quickly as possible,” product availability is important.


texts: “Eternally grateful” or “Grateful eternally”?

texts: Which statement is preferable: “I am eternally grateful” or “I am grateful eternally”?


texts:
Consider this sentence from an article about a killing:

“Based on repeated threats on the night of, they (Rose, Ford and Liakos) decided to go on a scouting mission that was preserved on video,” Robinson said, referring to Leiteritz’s doorbell camera capturing Rose as she checked to see if Leiteritz was home just an hour before the incident.

Typically the word "of" is followed by an object. In this example, it would have been valid to say, "Based on repeated threats on the night of the killing...", where the killing is the object. However, the speaker here omitted "the killing". A listener might have wondered, "on the night of what?", but they were expected to infer that the object was the killing that was mentioned earlier and not even in the same sentence. (Although this usage does seem strange in a courtroom, where one would think that explicitness would be better to avoid any possible confusion.)
Here is another example:

A separate statement from more than 60 Republicans and Democrats who have served as Cabinet secretaries, senior White House officials and congressional chiefs of staff for the past six presidents urged the Biden administration and Congress to enact policies to help protect the Asian American community.
The signers of served in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. They include Elaine Chao, labor secretary under George W. Bush and transportation secretary under Trump; Obama commerce secretary Gary Locke; and Norman Mineta, who was transportation secretary under George W. Bush and commerce secretary under Clinton.

Instead of writing "The signers of the statement served...", they just wrote "The signers of served...", with the implicit object being the statement that was mentioned in the previous paragraph.
I find it interesting that Merriam-Webster does not provide any example of this usage, and they provided 26 examples for all of their definitions of the word "of".
Is there a name for this usage of "of" with an implicit object?


texts: Should there be a "were" instead in "till there was you"?

texts:
Rachael Starr has a song titled "Till there was you".

Shouldn't it be "Till there were you"? Why did she use it that way?


texts: Should I use the pronoun "it" with the word "person"?

texts:
For instance, is it grammatical?

  I looked from the window and spotted a person. It crossed the street.


texts: Is it ok to use the irregular past tense of a verb as it were a regular one?

texts:
Let's say I say / write catched instead of caught or buyed instead of bought, etc.

I know this is grammatically incorrect, but is it incorrect or perfectly fine to use it in every-day life ? English is not my first language so I am a little bit curious about this. Some people say it is correct and understandable, while others say it is incorrect and ridiculous.


texts: Word/term for users who are not experts and scientists

texts:
In the field of computer science, what should users who are  not experts and scientists be called?
I've come up with ordinary users or regular users. Any formal alternative or widely-accepted term/word?


texts: Is there a list of words that don't need their own letters in an acronym?

texts:
When building an acronym, there are occasionally small words that can "slip through the cracks". For example, U.S.A actually stands for United States of America. NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The word 'the' is another one that is left out here and there.

Is there a definitive list of words that are allowed to be left out of acronyms? Is it all just subjective and a case-to-case basis? I'm asking because I'm currently working on an acronym, and I don't think the word "with" requires it's own letter.


texts:
I always have problems in deciding whether to use "too" or "also". For example, if the previous sentence is:

  Peter ate the cake.

Which of the following should I say?:

He ate the pie too.
He also ate the pie.

And what about?:

He drank the juice too.
He also drank the juice.

Another scenario:

  Jack forgot his homework.

Which is the correct way to say "me too"?:

I forgot my homework too.
I, too, forgot my homework.
(I have a feeling that "I also forgot my homework." is simply wrong in this case)

I guess I can sum up my question as follows:

If two sentences share the same subject, should I add "too" after the predicate or add "also" after the subject of the second sentence?
If two sentences share the same predicate, should I add "too" after the predicate or after the subject (with the commas)?


texts:
I am trying to explain to someone why the following quote should use "I am" rather than "I'm":

  I don't care how old I'm, I still like [media]

I feel that I am correct, but cannot recall the rule.


texts:
Do I need to use for in the following question?

For How many days was the war of Mahabharat fought?


texts: What's the inverted form of 'If we had LeBron on our team too, we would’ve won'?

texts:
I have a question regarding a sentence,  which goes:

  If we had LeBron on our team too, we would’ve won.

Context:

Reporter:

  “Coach said that, maybe if you guys had a little more time things might’ve been different,” the reporter asked. “Do you feel as though that might have been the issue?”

DeRoxan:

  “If we had LeBron on our team too, we would’ve won,” said an exasperated DeRozan. “We can say that all day. Time, everything, but we didn’t. It happened. We got swept and it’s going to be one of them long summers for us.”

Can the inversion be written as this:

  Had we have Lebron on our team too, we would have won.

I am quite acquainted with inverted sentences like ==> Had I known or Had I seen, but "Had we have" seems awkward to me. Please, shed light on this guys!


texts: Earn rewards for participating vs Earn rewards by participating

texts:
Is it correct to say:

  You can earn rewards for participating in the company's wellness program.

I'm inclined to change it to

  You can earn rewards by participating in the company's wellness program.

I can't figure out if there is a difference in meaning.


texts: What is the exact difference between "called" and "so-called"?

texts:
Actually, in English to Korean dictionary, both of "called" and "so-called" have the same meaning.
In many examples of the dictionary, "so-called" is used as adjective rather than past-particle, i.e., it is placed before the noun.
On the other hand, "called" is used as past particle many times.

However, recently I've frequently observed that the word "so-called" is used as past-particle like "called".

What is exact difference between called and so-called? (Not only meaning but also usage)
The following two sentences are the example I made:

Networks that consist of multiple mobile nodes are promising technology, so-called mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).
Networks that consist of multiple mobile nodes are promising technology, called mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).


texts:
I am hoping for some help with the following statement from a construction contract:

The amounts of all subcontracts, provided that such amounts shall include a maximum of 10% mark-up for overhead and profit combined (including management, supervision, insurance, bonding, as-built and warranty costs) for those Subcontractors and their suppliers.

Does the word "combined" refer to "overhead and profit" or "Subcontractors and their suppliers".

I work in construction, and have a situation where someone is trying to tell me that my company, our sub-contractor, and all of our suppliers are only entitled to share a total markup of 10%.


texts: What is the difference between “stiff” and “rigid”?

texts:
Could an object be stiff but not rigid or vice versa?

When is each one used?

And what is the opposite of each of them?


texts: Is there a term for a snort that is almost a laugh (as would occur when looking at a meme in a public space or any situation where something is humorous but it is not acceptable to outright laugh)?


texts:
What may be the source of the phrase "miscarriage of justice"?

I keep hearing this phrase being used for cases where an innocent has been convicted. While the phrase paints quite a picture, I'm not sure as to how it has come to be used.

Note: I've checked on its wiki page but there is nothing to suggest its origin.


texts: I know that they, them, and their did not exist in Old English. What language are they derived from?


texts: What's the movement to break free from ties?

texts:
With all their limbs tied down to a bed, what do we call the panicked movement of someone trying to break free somehow?

  He tried to ____________ out of the bed.


texts: Confusion regarding the use of peer-review vs peer review

texts:
In an academic paper, I need to use the term peer-review many times. However, not 100% sure when to include hyphen. Normally, I do not use hyphen when I say, for example:

  When students participate in peer reviews...

However I include a hyphen in such cases:

  When students participate in peer-review activities...

I wonder if the way I use the hyphen is correct or not.


texts: "get one's head around" vs "get one's arms around"

texts:
I have seen both idioms used in practice. The definitions I found,

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get+arms+around,  and http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get+head+around

don't indicate much difference between the two and do not give any clue as to when one is more appropriate than the other.

The only significant distinction in the definitions is that "get one's head around" is mentioned as "informal", whereas "get one's arms around" is not.

Is this distinction accurate?
Are their others, both in term of meaning and usage?


texts: Alternative colloquialism for "Best of both worlds"?

texts:
I'm looking for a phrase that means the same thing as "best of both worlds", except isn't so overused.

I'm looking for the semantics to remain intact; for example, "Awesome!!" would not be an acceptable substitute. I'm describing a thing, which I claim will solve two discrete problems. I'd like to be able to say something like "Not only does this solve X, but it also solves Y. It truly is the best of both worlds"

Any ideas are appreciated.

-tjw


texts: Where does it come from vs What does it come from

texts:
Do both work?

I could only assume that both are grammatically correct...

As an example:

Let's say that there is a word that derives from a name, such as "sandwich" which was coined from a name of somebody.

But let's say that we want to ask the name of the person that it came from.

We would ask:
"Where does it come from?"

but I feel like that the phrase:
"What does it come from?"

is applicable and even more plausible when asking for the origins of words, as some might not have come from names or places.


texts:
A sample mix bar mixes the sample and the reagent. The photometer continues to take readings.

Form the above message, what if I would say "the photometer continues to take reads"? As read can also act as a noun, one of its parts of speech, so it still has exactly the same meaning?

Anyway, the meaning what I mean is the photometer is still collecting data - optical density - from the reaction mixture several times rather than the photometer is still reading. Well, in my opinion, there must be something described to tell in more particular unless it just says "The photometer continues to read"

I'm not quite sure of what I thought is right? Anyone give me some suggestions please

Thanks :)


texts: Which is more correct here: "find" vs. "have found"?

texts:
I recently came across this sentence from an e-mail I received and have pondering thoughts about it:

  I have completed an evaluation of your application file and find that the items listed below must be submitted.

Should it be "have found" in place of "find" since the activity of completing the evaluation and finding the items occurred in the past?


texts: "Maths" for "Mathematics"; where does the S come from?

texts:
So in US English we shorten mathematics to math, and in the UK they say maths. Where does the 'S' come from in the UK version? For some reason I had it in my head that this was just because it's plural so you add the 's'; referring to multiple types of mathematics. But a question on another SE site just made me think about it, and it's actually not. "Mathematics" is both plural and singular:

I am studying mathematics in school.
There are many different types of mathematics.

So the 's' isn't a marker of a plural, so my mental-reasoning for why Brits use the 's' in maths is wrong.
The question becomes then, why is it there? I can't think of another abbreviation that pulls a letter from the end of the word like that ("math*******" vs "math*******s"). And this isn't just an extension of something used for similar words, because I don't think other subjects are abbreviated this way. So what is the reasoning behind it/where did it come from? Is it just what people started saying? Did a prominent person start using it? Did other people think (not very hard about it!) like I used to and jump to the plural conclusion? Or does it stand for something else?
To elaborate on my point about "not just adding the S for similar words", I'll take an example from a comment: "economics". In the US we shorten this to "econ". But I don't think they say "econs" in the UK, do they? So why just "maths"?


texts: Is there any word to describe a person that likes to travel a lot?

texts:
Is there any accurate word to describes a person that likes to travel a lot? I'm looking for something synonymous with travel obsessed.

Example:

  I am crazy about travel, I am a complete _________.


texts: "The paper on Monday published X" vs. "the paper published on Monday X"

texts:
What would be the best position of Monday in the following sentence — before or after the verb?

  The paper on Monday published what the artist called a blunt attack on people’s right to privacy.
  The paper published on Monday what the artist called a blunt attack on people’s right to privacy.


texts: Restrictions on ranges indicated by quantifiers in count usages

texts:
I've a query regarding common quantifiers used with count usages. I've searched in various resources such as online dictionaries, but I couldn't find out the fruitful solution.
Here is the problem:

Are there any thin-line demarcations between few, a handful of, some, several and many?

In one of the resources, I found the thin lines are defined as follows:
Few:      More than a couple [of] but less than five.
a Handful of:  Five
Some:     More than a handful and less than a dozen
Several:  More than a dozen and less than twenty
Many:     More than twenty
Could you please confirm or refute this, or add other relevant thoughts.


texts: Do people still use the word "program" as a noun?

texts:
Liberal Arts kind of guy who wormed his way into Information Technology here.

Part of my job involves explaining technology to people who have little technical aptitude at all, so I look for ways to break things down into the simplest, most commonly-understandable words.

I've noticed something: in my youth, people used the word "program" as a synonym for "software" or what we would now call "applications".

Lately (say, in the last ten-fifteen years) I don't see "program" used much at all.

Is there a reason this word fell out of favor beyond style? Is there a fundamental difference in an "application" vs a "program" that I'm missing out on, or could I use these interchangeably when speaking with less tech-savvy folks who need it in the simplest language possible?


texts: Art and Culture are to "Philistine" as Feeling and Compassion are to what?

texts:
I'm looking for a noun to embody the adjectives "unfeeling" and "heartless" the same way Philistine embodies "uncivilized" and "crude".

I'm looking for something a bit more tactful than say, "a cold-hearted bastard", which is all I've been able to come up with so far.

Does such a word exist?


texts: Is this sentence gramatically correct: "A sub-reddit for questions, discussion and resource sharing on Indians' academics/admissions/education."?

texts:
We have created a new sub reddit on Indian Academics, and are now thinking on the changes for the description to include even the abroad education questions of Indians.

We don't know complete grammar of English, and our user thinks this sentence as to be having grammatical mistake:

  A sub-reddit for questions, discussion and resource sharing on Indians' academics/admissions/education.

We are thinking on there being a mistake in this part:

  on Indians' academics/admissions/education.

Here is the reasoning given by the user:

  im not a specialist in Language/Linguistics so my understanding comes from use and convention.
  so Indian is plural when used in the sentence "indian academics/admission/education" since it refers to indians as a people. Indian's would show possession but it would be incorrect to use "Indian's academics" since correct use would be India's academics. indians is plural but when used as "Indians academics/admission/education" the grammar is off since '/' is a substitute for and-or thus will read "Indians academics and-or research and-or education". thus right convention would be to have "on academics/admissions/education in India" or "on academics/admissions/education for indians.
  Im unfamiliar with the convention of how Indians' is used.

We are discussing here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Indian_Academia/comments/8gmq61/suggest_the_changes_for_the_description_of_the/dyj6opu/

We thought, here we would know on whether the sentence is grammatically correct or not in least time. We are even thinking to have "regarding" instead of the word "on".


texts:
I was thinking about a certain situation.
Suppose that one week ago, I played basketball once, and that today I was talking with a friend.

I: I played basketball once last week.
My friend: Did you have fun?
I: Not bad, but I didn't play well because I haven't played in a long time.

I am really not sure whether I should use "haven't" or "hadn't" here.
Please let me hear your opinions.


texts:
I recently asked someone why they had several instances of "&c" in their writing, to which they told me that &c is another abbreviation for et cetera. I have since looked it up and understand now where this comes from, with the "&" being more than just an "and" symbol, that written correctly it is actually based on, and looks like, "et".

Apparently some people have used it this way before, but "some people have done it, especially in the past" makes it neither correct nor accepted in general. One site I came across in my research on this even states that you should not do this.

  Finally, ‘etc.’ should not be written with an ampersand instead of the
  ‘et’ part (&c) except when an older source is being duplicated or
  transcribed.

That is from a description of when to use etc. from proof-reading-service.com

Is "&c" a correct way to abbreviate "et cetera" in English? Or was it a temporary slang term, similar to "aint", but which never caught on and is used to be quaint?


texts: What's the metaphorical meaning of "Tone-deaf"?

texts:
I understand the literal meaning of "Tone-deaf". As Wiktionary puts it:

  Unable to clearly distinguish the difference in pitch between
  different notes.

But what's the metaphorical meaning?

As a random example, how would I interpret it in this op-ed

  That is a tone-deaf statement, on a couple of levels.


texts: What's the difference between phonograph and gramophone?

texts:
I've been reading about the Grammy award, and found that it was named after the invention of Emile Berliner, the gramophone, after considering the name Eddie (for the phonograph's inventor, Thomas Edison).

I didn't find what's the difference between the two. Sources also mix up the inventors of them.

Notice also that the names kind of consist of the same 2 words, written in different order.


texts: "Thou shalt not pass" and "You shall not pass" hybrid

texts:
Is it technically incorrect grammar to make a hybrid of the well known statements: "Thou shalt not pass" and "You shall not pass"––this hybrid being: "You shalt not pass"?

From what I understand from not 100% trustworthy sources (Wikipedia), "Thou shalt not" is used by the KJV (Ten Commandments, etc.) and is Shakespearean English, whereas "Thou shall not" is the modern equivalent.

My question is (a) if the hybrid statement is grammatically correct, and (b) if "Thou shall not" truly is the grammatically correct equivalent of "Thou shalt not".


texts: What was the idiom for multitasking before chewing gum was invented?

texts:
A colorful idiom for someone who can only do one thing at a time is

  he can't walk and chew gum at the same time

Obviously, this only makes sense if you know what the heck chewing gum is. Was there a similar phrase in vogue before chewing gum became popular?

For that matter, when did walk and chew gum enter the lexicon? Is it true that this is a sanitized version of Lyndon B. Johnson's description of Gerald Ford? (The original purportedly had "fart" instead of "walk".)


texts: Is there any phrase, proverb or idiom that convey "the turtle quarreled with the lake"?

texts:
There is a proverb in Arabic that literally means:

"the turtle quarreled with the lake"

It is used when "A" rejects a favor from "B" to hide his dependence on it, as a turtle's life depends on the lake.

For example, imagine a mom wants to give pocket money to her (~7 year old) son, but the son refuses to receive the money to show his independence by saying:

"I do not need your money anymore, I don't want anything from you."

Here mom might say:

"pfff.., the turtle quarreled with the lake"

Is there any proverb, phrase or idiom to convey this meaning in English?


texts: Feeling of forcing oneself to do something

texts:
I'm looking for a word that captures that feeling of forcing oneself to do something that is not motivating anymore.

Normally when one has motivation, it takes little to no effort to start doing it. It is a natural thing to do.

However, if there be no motivation one may be compelled to do it for other reasons (eg: for social validation). In those cases, one forces oneself to do the task.

Is there a word for it?

I'd think this would be the antonym (in a certain profound sense) of the word "procrastination" wherein one forces oneself not to do something (which one should be doing).  I'm looking for a word wherein one forces oneself to do something (which one need not be doing, as there is no real responsibility to do so; also because there is no intrinsic motivation).

I'll provide some related words so as to help the reader!

sticktoitive (tending to persist or stick to an activity or effort): This looks like the closest answer I could find, but it doesn't quite capture the part where the tendency to force oneself to persist/stick is done despite the lack of motivation or real responsibility.
fidelity (faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support): In particular, the "faithfulness to a [...] belief" part applies here, inasmuch as the forcing is done for "other reason" wherein that reason tends to be some imagined belief (eg: "If I don't do this, I'll be a demoralized"), often rooted in herd mentality. And the "continuing loyalty" part lends credence to the automatic/ semi-conscious nature (as opposed to it being thought-out) of the "forcing".

Example usage:

  Jon [___ (unwittingly forces himself)] to continue participating in
  competition X, despite no longer having the genuine motivation for it.
  It would seem that he strongly believes on the worth of staying ahead
  of others, in order to force himself as that, and thereby risk
  spending time on otherwise meaningless activities instead of doing
  something out of genuine enjoyment.


texts: What does "independent" bind to in this sentence?

texts:
Which of the following two sentences is correct?

A is valid independent of B.
A is valid independently of B.

In other words, does independent bind to "are" or "valid"?  I tend towards the first version.  I also thought that there could be a comma after valid, turning the second half of the sentence more into an explanatory phrase.


texts: A Pre/postposition that resembles Proximity, Multiplicity, and Miniature (or any of the three)

texts:
I am looking for a preposition or postposition that shows one or all of the following characteristics

The order matters:

Proximity
Multiplicity
Miniature

The word I am looking is something like "let" that is added to book to make the word booklet (that resembles miniature). But "let" does not show multiplicity and especially proximity.

I was thinking of "Leaf", but I guess it only shows thinness and miniature. The most important feature I am looking for is proximity and closeness.

Pls let me know If further explanation required. Thanks


texts: must vs have to: British usage and academic rules

texts:
I am teaching 'have to' vs 'must' (British English usage) and, according to the book, the difference is as follows:

must: it's necessary to do it (because the speaker says so)

have to: it's necessary to do it (because it's a rule or law)

The students had no difficulty with these ideas and applied them appropriately, both orally and in the initial exercises. But then we came across the following sentences:

Passengers must / should remain in their seats while the plane is landing.
Students must / may be silent during the written exam.

Both sentences present rules, not situations where the 'speaker says so', so why is the correct modal 'must' and not 'have to'?

I can only assume that the rules presented are incomplete (it happens the same when teaching Present Continuous, which is first taught without mentioning its future arrangement function). But I cannot find a single school book where any other rule, or even exceptions, are mentioned.

I have also searched EL&U and I did come across two related questions:

"I have to" vs. "I must"

It's mentioned that 'have to' usually implies an obligation imposed by somebody other than the speaker and that 'must' is usually a personal obligation. This follows the line of the rule in my book and, again, fails to explain the sentences above.

What's the difference between "I must help her" and " I have to help her"

It's mentioned that, although 'must' is supposedly for personal obligations it can be used for external obligations, and there's even the example "You must show your ID card" which is in line with the two examples from my book.

So I can't help but wonder: why is 'must' preferred in the two sentences above when the rules would have you use 'have to'? And also, when is 'must' preferred over 'have to' to express external obligation?

I'm particularly worried about this because the students became confused and I have no explanations for them.


texts: Is "To proceed setting up your website, click here" a proper sentence?

texts:
Is the following sentence grammatical?

  To proceed setting up your account, click here.

I'm suspicious of the word proceed in this context — isn't the word continue a much better fit?


texts: For example, an aunt saw you come out of a room with another guy. The first thing the comes to her mind is you are having sex with the guy. What words would you use to describe her?


texts: What is the difference between "&" and "and" in writing?

texts:
Can I use either whenever I want to use an and?
e.g.,

I like to play and sing
I like to play & sing
We will walk and she will run.
We will walk & she will run.


texts:
With luck, in a couple of decades, it will seem embarrassing that anyone had to hold a conference to debate the relevance of competition. (excerpt from The Economist Apr. 12. 2017)

Why is  "will" used here instead of "would"? or may I say "it will seem embarrassing that anyone hold....."?


texts:
Possible Duplicates:
  To hyphenate or not?
  When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
  When is it appropriate to use a hyphen?

In the sentence "Portland is known to be one of the most bike friendly cities in the US", is a hyphen necessary in "bike friendly"? As far as I know, the hyphen is only required when leaving it out would cause ambiguity. Wikipedia uses the example of "a small appliance factory" vs "a small-appliance factory".

As far as I can tell, the sentence above is pretty clear. A quick google search for "bike friendly city" brings up instances of both hyphenated and non-hyphenated usage. Thoughts?

Please excuse the poor formatting, sent from my iPhone.


texts:
Farewell; Charles sends you his best love, and Edward his worst. If
you think the distinction improper, you may take the worst yourself.
He will write to you when he gets back to his ship, and in the mean
time desires that you will consider me as
Your affectionate sister, J. A.

This is from Jane Austen's letter to her sister Cassandra. I wonder what does "take the worst yourself" mean in this context.


texts: In a financial sense, what would be a generic name for an entity that can be a single individual or a corporation that has an account such a bank or credit card account? I see the IRS calls it "person", was wondering if there would be a better word for it.


texts: What does "you'll be in your whack" mean?

texts:
Another colorful expression from that British movie I mentioned earlier.  The context of the quote here is that there are these guys trying to smuggle ecstasy pills, and there's another guy hosting their meeting in exchange for a below-the-table bribe, though he's not directly involved himself.  The host is anxious and wants them to move on quickly from the spot he's providing, as he's a civilian -- he doesn't "want to get nicked."  One of the smugglers retorts back to him, "Don't worry, you'll be in your whack", in what sounds like a Cockney English accent.

So my questions are: What does this phrase mean, exactly? What does the whack add to the meaning?  Is it common amongst certain types of British English speakers?


texts:
I'm reading an American book written in the 1930s, and tbe following exchange takes place:

  “What became of her?”
     “I took the liberty of sending her to a place where she could be quiet until morning.”
     “You had a crust, doing that."
      “Why?”
      “Did you know there was a murder case here?”

A quick search turns up no results. Note that it might well be a typographical/OCR error in the Kindle version (there have been several in the book), but I'm curious as to whether ot is a real idiom.


texts: A word for when you only understand a language in its written form

texts:
Is there a specific word to express when you only understand the written form of a language?

For instance: I can read Portuguese, but I can't understand it when it's spoken to me.


texts:
Kindly explain the meaning of whole-animal

  The Country Cat (restaurant) is known for whole-animal, farm-to-table scratch cooking, and at PDX Sappington was determined to break down animals, smoke meats, and make scratch pastries — all out of a 700-square-foot kitchen in the terminal.


texts:
My father's company is named the following:

  Xyz Trading Co. (L.L.C.)

I find the use of periods excessive, at the abbreviation of company and the last period in the parenthesis.

Is it grammatically correct?


texts: Is it acceptable to use "is become" instead of "has become"?

texts:
In the King James version of the Bible there is a verse like this:

  The Lord is my strength, and my fortress, and my song. And He is become my salvation.

Is it still feasible to use "is become" instead of "has become" and what is the semantic difference?


texts:
What's correct/more common way of including them?

Like this:

  This reminded me of the Genesis, the part where God, after finding out
  Eve gave the apple to Adam, He says to the her: "... with painful
  labor you will give birth to children."

Or like this:

  This reminded me of the Genesis, the part where God, after finding out
  she gave the apple to Adam, He says to the Eve: "... with painful
  labor you will give birth to children."


texts: When one orders an "almond milk latte," can "almond milk" be considered an adjective?


texts:
What does it mean when someone says "Would you please indulge me for a couple of minutes?"?

The context in which I heard it makes it seem self-evident, but I may be wrong. Somebody was talking to another person, and the person being addressed was asked by the lecturer to please indulge him. The lecturer went so far as to say, 'I beg your indulgence.' What does this mean? I thought indulgence meant 'something enjoyed as a special pleasure': Good food is my only indulgence.


texts:
Growth solves (nearly) all problems.

The above sentence can be taken to mean "Growth solves nearly all problems" or "Growth solves all problems".

But, is the usage of parentheses correct? If yes, why?