texts:
Please tell me which of the following sentences is grammatically correct. And if both are correct then what's the difference.

  I am a Christian
  I am Christian

I know this is a very basic question but somehow I got confused here.
Thanks.


texts: Is the prepositional phrase possibly called a subject complement?

texts:
Russet leaves were swept by past winds in heaps.
(Original sentence: "Russet leaves, swept by past winds in heaps."— Jane Eyre)

‘In heaps’ can be called as a ‘positional’ complement for verb phrase (were swept), yet it’s not an argument for the verb phrase. And if we regarded the verb phrase as a copular, ‘in heaps’ could be called as a semantic complement for the subject (russet leaves). So ‘in heaps’ may be called as a subject complement. Is this a possible view?


texts: I'm a web professional, recently we wanted to make major changes into our web app and one of our colleagues used the word house cleaning. What phrase do you use to say major changes need to be done.  Can we use house keeping? What is the difference between them?


texts:
I was going through Stack Overflow and I noticed this phrase.

  I am all ears

Is it some spelling error of "I am all yours" or does it mean something like "I am eager to listen"?

What is meant by this phrase & what do you call this type of phrase?


texts: Can a "feeling" be used as a synonym for an "emotion?"

texts:
When the context is clearly about the heart (not the body in general), are "feelings" the same as "emotions?"

The only use I really care about is like this:

  It can help you if you are aware of the emotions [feelings] of joy,
  peace, anger or sadness.

In above example, is it OK to use the term "feelings" to describe heart feelings that just happen in someone's heart without further consideration?

I've read here that emotions and feelings are not the same:

  Essentially emotions are physical and instinctive...You see a
  lion, and you instantly get scared.

  Feelings on the other hand play out in our heads... You see a
  lion behind bars, and your feelings may range from curiosity to
  admiration.

In this case, feelings sound like emotions with an attitude, so more conscious.


texts: Conjugation of "smite" - unsure of all forms

texts:
Smite is an interesting word for which I found a use today. However, my understanding of its conjugation is as follows:

I/you smite
He/she/it smites
We/you/they smite

And then "I was smitten (down/by)"; "I have been smitten"; "I smote my palm with my clenched fist" etc (last one courtesy of Wiktionary).

Smote is debatably interchangeable although 'smote' is the simple past and 'smitten' is the past participle. But for the following, should it be:

"With my argument, I fear I would be smote(d) down in court"
or
"With my argument, I fear I would be smite(d) in court"
or
"With my argument, I fear I would be smitten in court"
or
"With my argument, I fear I would be smit in court"

Which is it?

Expanded meaning of the sentence: "(on the basis of) my argument, I fear I would (have a decision found against me) in court"

Furthermore, is this a case of 'auxiliary would', is this just the plain subjunctive form -- or does the example sentence actually fall into the category of an omitted and inferred 'ordinary past indicative' ('was' in this case, theoretically making the full sentence "If I was in court, I fear I would be smote/smoted/smite/smited/smitten/smit down")?

Apologies for the braintaxing archaic English question on a Friday!


texts: What is 'only' when used with a linking verb?

texts: What about "you are only a boy"? Some claim only modifies are, is this an "exception" to the copula taking adjectives rather than adverbs? (I can appreciate the objection to the insistence on the distinction!)


texts: Should I use commas or semi-colons in this multi-item list within a sentence?

texts:
In the following sentence, I am listing multiple areas of study. Should they be separated by commas or semi-colons?

"In my exposure to this field so far, I have come to appreciate just how multi-disciplinary it is, requiring knowledge in a number of key areas, including the science and technology of robot motion-planning and control; sensing and perception; and artificial intelligence."

In this sentence, the items being listed are:
1) the science and technology of robot motion-planning and control
2) sensing and perception
3) artificial intelligence

Each item is part of the same area of study; hence the pairing of multiple subjects with 'and' in items (1) and (2). If commas are used to separate the items, it's hard to tell whether any given 'and' is ending the list of items, of if it is part of a single item. So I think semi-colons should be used. Is this correct?


texts: Should you say "0.9 second" rather than "0.9 seconds"?

texts:
When looking through the National Physical Laboratory's SI unit conventions, I have found a strange clause in their list:

  For unit values more than 1 or less than -1 the plural of the unit is used and a singular unit is used for values between 1 and -1.

If you follow this rule through, you would condemn the following usage:

  UTC is kept always within 0.9 seconds of UT1 by the insertion of extra seconds as necessary (known as positive leap seconds). It could happen that seconds would need to be removed (negative leap seconds), but so far all leap seconds have been positive.

This quote has come directly from an article by the NPL about leap seconds showing that even they don't follow their own rules.
Google Ngram Viewer contains several false positives but places "0.1 second" above "0.1 seconds" but "0.2 second(s)" is the other way round.

Is this rule kept to?
Does it have any bearing in scientific English?


texts:
What does "Anything more would be cruelty" mean when it is said by a doctor? Does it mean "we can not do anything more for him" or "anything more than this would be illegal"?

Context:

Doctor: You'd best stay with him. Keep him as comfortable as you can.

Man: But he... he's gone the color of brass. Isn't there...

Doctor: I have administered some laudanum to help him sleep. Anything more would be cruelty.


texts: Is there a double-meaning to "picking my belly button" in this context?

texts:
I understand all the individual words in the following remark, but there doesn't seem to be any connection between the first half and the second. I am left wondering whether there is an English idiom that gives a double-meaning to part of it (perhaps "picking my belly button"?), but if so it does not appear to be in any dictionary.

  I'm not Catholic, but I gave up picking my belly button for lint.

Reference: The best God joke ever - and it's mine!


texts: Use of "Term of Office" and "Term of Employment" when translating internal rules and regulations of a university (in Japan)

texts: I am checking the English translation of rules and regulations of Japanese university (Public). There seem too much use of "Term of Office" in the texts. Some of them must be altered to "Term of Employment", or some other words obviously. When to use "Term of Office" and when to use "Term of Employment"? Is there any other words to describe the duration of appointment/ contract/ work arrangement?


texts: Is there a difference between “?!” and “!?”?

texts:
Is there any difference between “?!” and “!?”?

The Wikipedia page on Interrobang describes:

  In informal English, the same inflection is usually notated by ending a sentence with first a question mark and then an exclamation mark, or vice versa. Many people are unfamiliar with the interrobang, and would be puzzled when first seeing it, although its intention is usually self-evident. The interrobang can be hand-written with a single stroke plus the dot. One common application is in cartoons, as a stand-alone symbol of surprise.

Is there a difference, or are they identical?


texts:
Speaking of the alleged inventor of the hamburger, someone asked me

  Can you guess what one of his tasty ingredients were?

It is understandable, particularly in context, but it still feels wrong.  Shouldn't the final word be "was" since the sentence is about one ingredient out of many? Or is this acceptable due to the plural ingredients we are choosing from?

Is there anything else wrong with this sentence?


texts: Why do some questions not start with an auxiliary verb?

texts:
When I learned English, my teachers told me that all questions must have an auxiliary verb at the beginning, just like Are you mad? or Is she playing? do.

But when watching some movies or talking with people who speak English, they just ask using things like You mad? and She’s playing?

Of course, the kind of intonation let me know they are asking a question, but why this happen?


texts:
Is any of these sentences correct?

  Until I played again 2 months ago, I had not played to this game for 5 years.
  Until I played again 2 months ago, I had not played to this game since 5 years.
  Until I played again 2 months ago, I had not played this game for 5 years.
  Until I played again 2 months ago, I had not played this game since 5 years.

And can I just say, "until 2 months ago" instead of "until I played again 2 months ago"?


texts:
I'm wondering what the opposite of a paean might be, or if there's such a word in English. I thought there was, but I can't think of it.

The example I'm using is that Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. It's a novel about a dystopian future where people spend all their time jacked into a virtual reality called the OASIS, neglecting nature and choosing not to live in the real world. Cline's work is a warning against the direction in which we may be headed. This seems to be, to wit, the opposite of a paean to technology. What would this be called?


texts:
Have a look at the context:

Contents
   |
   |--- 1. Fundamentals
   |          |
   |          |--- 1. Browsers
   |          |
   |          |--- 2. Servers
   |          |
   |          |--- 3. Security
   |
   |--- 2. Introduction
   |          |
   |          |--- 1. Lists
   |          |
   |          |--- 2. Tables
   |          |          |
   |          |          |--- 1. Rows
   |          |          |
   |          |          |--- 2. Columns
   |          |
   |          |--- 3. Forms
   |          |
   |          |--- 4. Frames
   |
   |--- 3. Basics
   |          |
   |          |--- 1. Arrays
   |          |
   |          |--- 2. Functions

If I want to locate Rows, I can always say "Chapter 2: Part 2: Section 1". But,

what is a common noun for "Chapter 2: Part 2: Section 1", "Chapter 1: Part 2", etc.
if I want to use a small convention here and call (2,2,1) as a coordinate of Rows and similarly (2,2) as a coordinate of Tables, will the word 'coordinate' be appropriate here? If not what is the better word here?


texts:
I'm not quite sure how to phrase this idea: a state (primarily, federative) split/divide/dissolute by ethnic borders.

I mean (or want to show the meaning) that this process may not be legally enforced and ethnic borders are not drawn by accident like borderlines of african ex-colonies.

Context: This transformation appears during the splits/dissolution/division of patronage states (mainly, of federative type) by ethnic borders. Newly created states usually are not democracies as their population prefers stable public administration to the consolidation of electoral democracy.


texts: What is the best word to define the profession of one who deals with photo editing and manipulation?

texts:
I mean the person who manipulates/edits images for a magazine, for example, or for an ad, outdoor, for a photographer or whatever.

Photo editor is what comes to mind, but it sounds to me like something old, coming from the time newspapers were the main media for delivering news.

A more modern term probably exists...


texts: Expression for temporarily moving into a another place

texts:
I am looking for an expression that emphasizes moving into a friends place without having to paying rent. Only because your friend is doing you a favor.

I am planning to using it in the line below.

  I had to cut expenses by moving out of my place and 'right phrase' friends
  apartments.

This line can change though.


texts: How is unjustifiable (falsely attributed) usage of *we* or *us* called?

texts:
I wonder what the name of phenomenon when a speaker uses we or us to falsely (and, really, deceptively) attach oneself to a group (like when a politician says "hard times await us" in his public speech, when hard times obviously don't await him) or place false collective blame (like in "we went to Iraq", when neither him, nor most of his listeners have even been there) is.

I've learned about something called nosism and also I've read through "Atypical uses of we" section here, but seems that none of the listed instances of usage of we fits my description.
If these are actually instances of nosism I would like to know the precise name of its category.

UPD: Doesn't have to be a matter of linguistics: I simply need to name this rhetorical device.

UPD2: I continued the search was lead to words like populism and demagoguery, but they seem either unfit or too broad for the purpose of understanding.

UPD3: In case of the political speech, would "political we" be a better name? Still waiting for more general (but not too broad) name.


texts:
Having studied English from an early age, I've been always taught that English has a fixed sentence structure and words within it appear in a fixed order.

For example, one is supposed to say: A pen is on the table. Or: There is a pen on the table. According to this principle (the subject coming before the predicate), one shouldn't say: On the table is a pen.

However, reading some English books and articles, I've noticed a violation of this rule. I've seen it in sentences like these:

In the east is the Atlantic coast.
In the far north is the famous Arctic region.
In the mountain region are big deposits of coal.

What is the justification of these structures? Are they correct?


texts: Can the word "crooning" be used as an adjective?

texts:
I've looked up some dictionaries online, but they list "croon" as either a verb or a noun. Can "crooning" be used as an adjective?

For example, She sat listening to a soft, crooning song.


texts:
I was wondering why the first sentence below (where the verb "have scored" is present perfect form) is wrong while the second sentence (where the verb "to score" is infinitive) is correct.

  He became the first 16 year old to have scored a goal for his country.
  He became the first 16 year old to score a goal for his country.


texts:
Different traders and poultry and fish farms located across the country comprise the client-base of the business.
In the above sentence, two 'and'were used to separate two groups of clients; one is different traders and other one is different farms of poultry and fish. Could anyone suggest me if there is any better way to write this sentence without using two 'and'?


texts: Complete the job, as directed. There is a comma. why?

texts:
The following sentences both say that you have been directed to do a job:

  Complete the job, as directed.

vs

  Complete the job as directed.

But which of the two sentences above will assert that you are to do the work, and make sure you do it the way you were told to do it?

If I omit the comma, does it entail a change in meaning, or at least emphasis?


texts:
I am looking for the exact term that describes the amount of money won with a single bet. Something like:

  I bet on that team and I won. My winning(s?) for that bet is (are?) 50$

I need this for the name of a field in a database therefore, I don't need long elegant sentences, just the correct term.

Now, for something even more difficult, I also need the name for the taxes payed on that amount. Is that Winnings Tax, Winnings Taxes, other combinations?


texts: How common is pronouncing the past tense of beat as /bet/?

texts: Personally, I pronounce the past tense of "beat" (to win at a game) as /biːt/, to sound identical to the infinitive. However, I have heard a few people under the age of 30 and from either the west or outer south of Melbourne pronounce it as /bet/. Does this phenomenon happen in other places? In Melbourne it seems to be socio-economic as the west and outer south are the currently developing regions. Is there any documented information about this? Has it happened recently paralleling "to read" /ɹiːd/ "have read" /ɹed/ or is it a long-standing alternate pronunciation?


texts: Is it proper to have consecutive adverbs?

texts:
Is it proper grammar to have consecutive adverbs in a sentence?

e.g. "It was not exactly accidentally....

My thought is that is probably is not proper, especially in this case. The above could have been rewritten, "It was not exactly accidental...".


texts: Name of the category of foreign words with no english translation

texts:
What is the name of this type of word which does not have a one word English translation.  Words such as:

Waldeinsamkeit
(German) The feeling of being alone in the woods. Some Hansel and Gretel or Red Riding Hood reference, I bet!

Tartle
(Scottish) If you’ve ever been talking to someone you’ve been introduced to before but their name has completely disappeared from your brain then you’ve tartled. Essentially means a hesitation in recognising a person or thing.

(I want to be able to research this type of word by entering something besides: foreign words with no English translation.  I thought these words might have a name.)


texts: Relative pronoun structure beginner's question

texts:
I have 2 sentences and I have to join both in a single sentence with a relative pronoun:

  People visit CityA.
  They love to ride the cable cars.

I am confused by the publisher of the question which states the below sentence to be the answer:

  People who love to ride the cable cars visit CityA.

It seems to me that this answer has a different meaning from the question, and the below sentence is more appropriate instead:

  People who visit CityA love to ride the cable cars.

Please advise.


texts: Writing - another phrase that could replace "goes beyond all bounds of decency"

texts:
I am tasked with paraphrasing the writing of others who are substantially better writers than I am. The goal is to keep the language as objectively similar as possible.
Just to clarify, "goes beyond all bounds of decency" is referring to someone's conduct. 'Conduct' may be used before the new phrase. Additional descriptors would be "utterly intolerable" or "no person should be expected to endure it."
Additionally, the part I'm struggling with is mainly "all bounds." Suggestions on words to use in its place would be helpful.


texts: What does the phrase "rival camps from which to compete for resources" mean

texts:
The following sentence is quoted from K. Ishiguro's Nobel Lecture. What does the phrase "rival camps from which to compete bitterly for resources or power" mean?  What is the subject of the verb "compete"?

  For the moment we seem to lack any progressive cause to unite us. Instead, even in the wealthy democracies of the West, we're fracturing into rival camps from which to compete bitterly for resources or power.


texts: What's a more polite word for 'boring' or 'not interesting'?

texts: I can't find the "suitable" words that I can directly say to a person higher in position than me (like my English teacher). I want to be polite, but also say the truth :/


texts:
Is it: Less than/Fewer than 20 percent of the doctors replied.

Thank you.


texts: Is there any difference between “ i was woken up by a ringing bell” and “ i was woken up by a bell ringing”?

texts: I tried looking in the internet but could not find any appropriate answers.


texts:
In the song, you can hear how she pours her heart out with such
  intense emotions in her clear, powerful voice, complaining why
  everything in her life has gone so wrong. Please just listen to her
  voice and see how she wails; the wails that were not only for her but
  also for all those who across generations have found themselves in
  her situation.

Can you tell me whether the "have found" written on the fourth line (bold) of the previous sentence is the correct tense to be used? Should it just be "found" instead of "have found"? Please tell me the grammatical reason for it. Or if you feel the sentence should be written in an entirely different way?

Are any punctuation marks missing in the sentence?


texts:
I know "to get onto the train", but is it correct to say "to get into the train"?
If so, when do we have to use it?


texts: Influence of Spanish and usage of Spanish words in US English

texts:
A recent report by Instituto Cervantes ["El Español una lengua viva, informe 2015"] lists the US as the 4th country in the world with the highest number of native Spanish speakers (41.343.921), following closely behind Spain (42.982.862), and Colombia (47.630.575), with Mexico (117.133.629) as the undisputed leader. The definition of native speaker used in the report might be conservative: The Guardian surveyed the report placing the US right after Mexico. But regardless of the measure you choose, these figures indicate that the number of native Spanish speakers in the US is considerable.

In spite of those numbers, many native Spanish speakers from Spain (including me) know very little about the influence of Spanish in US English. In fact, in school and high school, most of us do not study any variant of American English at all because our system favors British English.

There exists a Wikipedia article List of English words of
    Spanish origin but it does not say anything about usage: for instance, it gives no information about whether certain Spanish words are used in the US but mostly on certain states (say, in New Mexico, California, Texas or Arizona, which have the highest concentrations of native Spanish speakers).

I'm sure many native Spanish speakers such as myself would like to discover more about  this interesting subject:

Question 1. Are there good pedagogical resources   (books, online lecture notes, wikis, etc) to learn about the influence of Spanish in modern American English in the US? I am interested in pedagogical reviews, not in research level papers.

Question 2. How do north Americans view Spanglish?  Have there been attempts to suppress this phenomenon in the US?


texts: Using "to" before the second item in a list

texts:
Which one is correct?

The test is established in order to promote the development of Business English major and to strengthen the competitiveness of Business English graduates in the job market.
The test is established in order to promote the development of Business English major and strengthen the competitiveness of Business English graduates in the job market.

Should I plus to in front of the strengthen or not? And why? Thanks!


texts:
Feral horses, belonging to my grandfather, ran wild over thick banks
  of water hemlock, and there were more than a few rattlesnakes.
  Educated: A Memoir
  by Tara Westover

I was told it is like "thick forest", so thick does not modify banks even it is "thick banks of".

  He was standing at the head of the table; the rest of us perched on
  benches, studying the thick planks of red oak.
  ibid

Here, I think thick is for planks

So, my question would be in the form of "the thick A of B", which one does thick modify, A or B?


texts: Word for wandering in a scared, aimless manner?

texts:
I'm looking for a word to describe someone who wanders, but not in the pleasant meandering type of way. Instead in an aimless, broken, scared kind of way, like a child wandering ruins.
What are my options?


texts: What does it mean to "give somebody a pass"?

texts:
In The Wolf of Wall Street there is a comical scene with Donnie Azoff and Brad Bodnick, where Donnie gets into a public brawl with Brad. Their talk:

Brad: I’m gonna give you a pass. Just give me the case.
Donnie: You’re gonna give me a pass?
Brad: Look, it’s a figure of f*ing speech.
Donnie: Oh, my gosh. The Emperor of F..cksville came down form F..cksville to give me a pass!

From the context I may guess that "give a pass" means something like "ok, I’m gonna forgive you this time". Is it so? Does it have some additional meaning?


texts: Do all together and altogether mean the same and if not, what are the differences?


texts: What does "torn paper into spirals" actually mean?

texts:
non-native English speaker here. I'm here to ask about some words that really confuse me. It comes from 1984 by George Orwell.
The line is here:

  Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere.

The definition of 'tear' is here: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tear

The definition of 'spiral' is here:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/spiral

1984 is here: http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/0.html

Alright, it's impossible that wind would have any way to make paper into spirals. So actually it means some pieces of paper were spinning around like spirals.

The question is, why Orwell would use wind's tearing? Does it contain any idiom usage, or just literature usage? How could I understand this sentence in native? Any discussion appreciated.


texts: Is there a word or phrase for either the people who will laugh at anything or something that describes this and can be extended to be used with people?


texts: "In my career as" — is "as" correct here?

texts:
I have this fragment:

  ... the experience and knowledge gained will be helpful in my career as a neuropathologist.

Is the "as" here okay? It somehow does not sound right to me. Obviously I want to say that it will be helpful to me, during my career in neuropathology.


texts: Expression to say that you did something better than before

texts: I remember that there's an expression in English for this situation but I can't remember which one. Three weeks ago I did my best drawing ever, and now I did one better. This is what's coming up "I think I topped it off with this one" but I don't think it's the correct one. Which one is the correct one?


texts: Should a phrasal adjective be hyphenated when its modifier is omitted?

texts:
With modifier:
We were going on an air-to-air photo mission.

Without:
We were going on our first air to air.

OR

We were going on our first air-to-air.


texts:
Why do Americans use so much redundancy? Is it because of their schooling or their every day influence? Or is it something totally different?

Examples:

It was an even tie. (They reached the finish line together, making it a tie.)
Other countries abroad.


texts:
I heard the expression

  whiffling and waffling all over the place

but can't find a definition for it. Maybe it's a misspelling. What does it mean?


texts:
How to rephrase "the Lord's our Banner" for kids to understand referring to the story of Moses praying for Joshua to win the battle in Exodus 17:10-15.

I am thinking of "God gives us victory" or "He leads us to win".  Any suggestions? Thanks


texts: When to, and when not to pluralise month?

texts:
Can someone please explain the correct way of pluralising month, for instance why do we sometimes use months or month, such as:

"Victor is a 7 month old baby"

and

"Victor is 7 months old"

What is the grammar behind this?


texts: When to use "confirm" and when to use "continue" and when to use "proceed"?

texts: I have a software program, where the user should confirm an action, which might be dangerous. Which text should I display on that button: Confirm, Continue or Proceed?


texts: Pres. perfect + going to + past infinitive

texts:
I have seen the following sentence:

  For four months now John has been going to have finished his novel by
  today.

I hope I understand it (I assume it says that he has been trying to finish his novel for 4 months, every days saying "Today I will finish").

What difference would it make if there was not the past infinitive but just "to finish his novel by today"?

Thanks


texts: What is the name of a document that parties sign when job by one party is done and second party agrees to accept it?


texts: I am trying to find the word that means that follows:  A question or instruction is given, but no reply is made.  The assumption is that since no one has replied that it is okay to go ahead.  For example "Can I have next Tuesday off as annual leave?"  Since the manager did not come back and say "No", my assumption was that it was okay.  I know that there is a word for this, but cannot remember what it is.


texts:
Can you please tell me if my comma in the following statement is correct?  Should there be a comma after "questions" as it is below?

  Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the
  number below.


texts:
Is it correct to say that a submarine floats if it is below the water surface?

According to the dictionary definition, it seems to me that this is a correct way to refer to a submerged submarine.

Merriam Webster - float: to rest on the surface of or be suspended in a fluid.
Oxford - float: Be suspended freely in a liquid or gas.
Oxford - float: Move or hover slowly and lightly in a liquid or the air.

The way I understand it, in a liquid or fluid means within the medium, not on the surface.
Is this the proper meaning?


texts: Word that expresses feeling of safety, security, and being able to relax finally

texts:
I am trying to find a word to represent feeling happy (but in a more content and satisfied way rather than elated) combined with a sense of security and stability in one's life.

E.g.

  After many ups and downs, she finally found a steady job and settled into a comfortable long-term rental. Years of anxiety and stress had taken its toll, but she could now relax and feel _______. Things had worked out in the end.

The best I could come up with was content, but it feels a bit dry and doesn't really capture the depth of feeling.


texts:
The file doesn't work on all platforms

Does it mean "Not every platform does the file work", which means that the file works only on some platforms, not every platform.

Or does it mean "the file doesn't work on any platform"? If it means the latter one, is there any reason to use "all" instead of "any"?


texts: What is the grammatical term for "Defense Minister" vs "Minister of Defense"?

texts: There are lots of situations in English when you can either say "x-er/-ing of y" or "y x-ing/-er". Are there grammatical terms for these two forms?


texts: To + verb, bare verb or verb + ing in noun phrases

texts:
I've asked this around and I'm RACKING MY BRAIN trying to figure it out.

Which one is the correct verb form in the following sentence?

  The craziest thing I've ever done is go / to go / going scubadiving in Belize

Some people say that both the to + verb and the ing forms are correct, because you need a noun there and the bare form is a verb; other people say only the to + verb is the correct one here, because the ing form only applies when you reverse the sentence (going scubadiving is yadda yadda) and not when you place the subject in the end.

I know many people would use the bare infinitive to be quicker while speaking, but that just sounds wrong to my ears as it's a verb!

Can you please tell me, once and for all, which is the correct verb form?


texts:
“Does the color of the pen I use matter?”

What the person asking means is the ink color, not the color of the pen. Is it completely wrong to say “pen color” instead of “ink color” (the question was asked during an English exam)?


texts:
In Insider Secrets To Hydraulics book there are two sentences with price in it:

  1) Befor the distributor can quote you a price on an equivalent pump, a sales engineer has to identify all the specifications of the existing unit, such as shaft, mounting, ports and displacement, and then cross-reference this information to find a suitable alternative.

  2) Assuming the price for the 'Brand-Y' pump is cheaper than the price you were quoted for the 'Brand-X' unit and the two brands are similar in quality, you can use this as leverage to get a better deal from the 'Brand-X' distributor.

Can you explain to me why in 1) there is construction with preposition "on" and  in 2) there is construction with preposition "for".


texts: Looking for a word to describe telling somebody only part of something because of insecurities

texts:
I’m trying to think of a word that would mean how something is being told.
The situation would be in prior communications the first person would only be telling the second person selective information due to anxiety about telling them honestly what they truly felt now the first person is going to tell the other person things honestly and completely
Sentence where word needs to be
“For once I’m trying to tell you just what it is I truly think and feel instead of the_______________ the things I told you before”
Or a sentence with similar meaning
I’ve tried obscured, vailed, biased, influenced, objective, pointed, particular... but none of them seem to convey exactly what it is I’m trying to say as far as the previous things were only what the first person decided to tell the second due to how much anxiety influenced what was told or not I just feel like there has to be a perfect word to express their complete and honest thoughts unlike their prior ____________ ones
(Sorry if this question is confusing or overly unexplained I feel like I’ve worked my brain into a jumbled knot trying to puzzle this out on my own for like almost an hour)


texts:
The thirty-five-year-old patient

Is that correct?

Or one of

The thirty five-year old patient

The thirty-five-year old patient

The thirty-five year-old patient

The thirty five year old patient

etc.

What's the correct way to hyphenate phrases like this?


texts:
I have read some grammar points about adjective clauses, but I still have problems recognizing the right choice in questions requiring them.

For example:

All the students ____ do well in writing.
Correct answer: Dr. Freeman teaches
Why isn’t "that Dr. Freeman teaches them" correct?

And this one seems similar too:

The problem ____ never occurred.
Correct answer: I had expected
Why isn’t "which I had expected it" correct?

Can someone please provide information or resources to get better answers?


texts:
When I want to go out to eat, I say:

  "let's go to a restaurant,"

but when I want to go play on the sand I say:

  "let's go to the beach."

Why is that true? In both cases I'm talking about doing a single activity, that could take place at multiple locations, but I'm able to say "the beach" as though it is a specific beach.


texts: "Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco"

texts: Is this a proverb? What does it mean and what is the origin?


texts:
I feel it is very confusing when I see  sentences such as this one in  papers published in  prestigious scientific journals (written by native speakers):

35S:ZPR2-GFP plants often showed termination of meristem activity and the formation of a pin-like structure.

Someone please tell me why there is no 'the' before 'termination' while there is a 'the' before 'formation'?
Here are  two more similar  sentences that I noticed in another paper:

Formation of mature GCs in rice requires the stomatal maturation bHLH OsFAMA.
Here, we identify a locus responsible for the formation of SCs in Brachypodium.

I really don't know why the definite article 'the' only appears in the second sentence (before 'formation') but not in the first one (at the beginning).


texts: Is there an adjective for people who asks for more than offered?

texts:
In Chile, we say someone is "patudo" when they ask for more than what was offered, like someone who stays for lunch the next day from a party, when offered only to stay the night. Could I rephrase the following sentence with something like "patudo"?

  I know someone that has helped me a lot some time ago, and I could
  ask them for another favor, but I don't want to because I don't want to
  be too 'patudo.'

Is there a word in English for "patudo"?


texts:
I'm a German and our English teacher always told us not to use the German syntax in English. So here are a few examples to illustrate :

"What means this word?" -> correct : "What does that word mean?"
"Have we homework" -> correct :" "Do we have homework?"

That's how I've been taught at least.

I was reading the English version of 'Game of Thrones' today and one sentence is :

"What proof have we?"

Is this sentence correct? I assume it is, since it is a published book. However, if I apply that rule I learned, this would be the correct sentence:

"What proof do we have?"

Where lies the difference?


texts: Another 'me' versus 'myself' usage question

texts:
I am quitting a job. I wrote a letter of resignation and have come upon the following sentence:

"Moreover, I believe [name of restaurant] will be better suited to have an employee that is different than me/myself."

Initially I wrote 'myself' because I am the subject and the 'myself' refers to me as an indirect object. So is it correct to use 'myself'? Or do I simply keep it as 'me'?


texts:
Dictionary.com defines ecocide as an Americanism dating back to 1965–70:

  the destruction of large areas of the natural environment by such activity as nuclear warfare, overexploitation of resources, or dumping of harmful chemicals.

Other sources suggest that its earliest  usages date to  1969 M-W or 1970 Wikipedia for instance.

While Google Books offers a few earlier usage instances such as:

from Official Records of the ... Session of the General Assembly5 (1947):

  One delegation said that while disturbance of ecosystems could be tolerated to some extent, beyond a certain limit it could lead to ecocide. The need for redeployment of industry in the interests of more efficient and less waste- producing ...

When and where was the term ecocide coined? Has its meaning changed through the decades given the greater and greater attention ecological issues  have attracted in recent years?


texts: What Kind of Connotations are Associated with the word 'Bruv'?

texts:
I encountered the slang word 'bruv' for the first time not long ago while playing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

The word is used quite a lot by a genius scientist character named Gladstone Katoa, but I think other characters use it as well. The game was made by 2K Australia, and a lot of the voice actors have Australian accents. It also seems like they're probably using Australian slang, but never having been to Australia I can't say for sure. Some of the characters seem more English than Australian, but they're all in an absurd sci-fi setting on a fictional planet, so they aren't really of any Earth nationality.

To my American ears, this word sounds a lot like 'bro'. 'Bro' has a lot of connotations in American English, summarized a bit in this Wikipedia article. Basically, if you use the word 'bro' a lot, many will think you an uneducated fool.

It may be useful to note that Gladstone does not have a thick accent, and he's not pronouncing every 'th' as a 'v', he's just using this word a lot when speaking directly to the player, whom he barely knows.

Hearing a genius scientist say 'bro' over and over would be a bit odd, and therefore hearing Gladstone say 'bruv' over and over sounds odd to me. I'm wondering if this was intentional on the part of the game designers.

In other words, should Gladstone saying 'bruv' all the time sound incongruous, or would a native British or Australian English speaker feel that it sounded completely natural?


texts: The grammar of 'clothes' versus 'clothing'

texts:
Which of these is correct:

  I didn't realize how much clothes you had on the floor
  I didn't realize how much clothing you had on the floor

Any additional explanation about clothes versus clothing would be helpful.

This other question discusses the meaning of the two words, but doesn't help with the grammar problem above:What is the difference between "clothes" and "clothing"?


texts: What do you call someone whose unmarried partner has died?

texts: What would you call someone whose  unmarried partner has passed away? If they were married, the word would be widow(er). Ex-partner/ex-boy/girlfriend doesn't seem to fit either because the two never broke up, except their partner is dead so they aren't technically together anymore.


texts: have to / must / should / ought as applied to inanimate objects

texts:
have to
must
should
ought

I found a lot of examples with explanations on using this words applying to people, but not to inanimate objects. In the case of inanimate objects, such explanations as “obligatory”, “moral correctness”, “advise” etc. does not work.
What the verbs should be used in the next sentences?

The car _______  turn when the driver turns the steering wheel.
The car _______ not start moving spontaneously.
The (computer) program _______ solve the equation.
If an error occures, the program _______ indicate a message.

I think, different variants are possible and they have different meanings.


texts:
What is the meaning of that and why is said that way?

I read it on a title that says: Becky Lynch's journey from "doctor jail" to WWE TLC

I'm sure that people that is not from the U.S. can't understand the meaning of "doctor jail".


texts:
Not only does "out of doors" sound "rather archaic" to me, it sounds superfluous when English already uses "outdoor(s)". Am I correct? Or does "of" somehow distinguish "out of doors" from "outdoor(s)"?

abroad [13]

It was only in the 15th century that
abroad came to mean ‘in foreign parts’. Earlier,
it had been used for ‘out of doors [boldening mine]’, a sense still
current today, if with a rather archaic air; but
originally it meant ‘widely’ or ‘about’ (as in
‘noise something abroad’). It was formed quite
simply from a ‘on’ and the adjective broad,
although it was probably modelled on the much
earlier (Old English) phrase on brede, in which
brede was a noun, meaning ‘breadth’.

Word Origins (2005 2e) by John Ayto. p 2.


texts: Should the addition of context from a parenthetical footnote be 1 directional?

texts:
... Earth's atmosphere limits how far you can see but let's ignore that for a moment. On such a flat world, you will never see a distant object sink out of sight. It would just get smaller with distance as it moves away from you, but so long as you use good enough of optics, you could see it from any distance¹ ...
1. For example, on a flat Earth, you would be able to see the Himalayas from on top
of the Rockies with a telescope.

In this statement, the author first writes in the body text to ignore atmosphere limits.  This establishes the context that he is now talking about.  Parenthetical footnotes are normally meant to add context to the body text; however, in this case the footnote relies on context from the body text to make sense.

Is the parenthetical footnote assumed to inherit context from the body text, or should the author re-clarify in the parenthetical footnote that they are talking about an Earth without an atmosphere like this?

1. For example, on a flat Earth without an atmosphere, you would be able to see the Himalayas from on top of the Rockies with a telescope.

Are there any formal style guides that either expressly allow or disallow this kind of 2-directional context reliance?

If there is no formal style guide, would this be considered confusing, unclear, or self-contradictory to the average reader?


texts: In a tournament, do I get a "by", a "bye", or a "buy"?

texts:
If there are an odd number of competitors at any stage of a single-elimination tournament, one player is excused from play and continues on as if he had defeated his (nonexistent) opponent.  This is called "getting a by".  Or "getting a bye".  Who knows, maybe it's even "getting a buy", although I doubt it.

My dictionary lists by as meaning "pass" in card-games, so that suggests that spelling.  On the other hand, the image of the referee looking from the single player, to the empty and undefended far side of the field, and then back to the player, shrugging, and saying "Bye", is too strong to easily discard.

Like other parts of the anatomy, everyone's got an opinion.  I'm looking for a cite.


texts:
One simply does not walk into Mordor.

One does not simply walk into Mordor.

Intuitively I feel the first statement more strongly suggests walking into Mordor is impossible whereas the second just implies it is possible but certainly complicated.
Can anyone more explicitly elaborate why this is right/wrong, the statements don't feel equivalent?


texts: Word for where speakers and honoree sit at a comedic roast?

texts:
I've heard this word a few times when watching roasts, and was never able to look up what I thought I was hearing.

I don't know the IPA so I will link to a clip of someone saying it: @3m11s (word start with "d").


texts: What does it mean to 'read the text opposite'?

texts:
In my English learning book the exercise often reads:

  Read the text opposite and answer the questions below.

What does the word 'opposite' mean in this sentence?


texts: Word/phrase for "lingering memory of an unpleasant event"?

texts:
The first word that came to me was aftermath. But it doesn't quite do it. Because aftermath refers to the "lingering" effects and what I'm looking for is the memory, the shadow.

Is there a word/phrase for that?


texts: Word that means something can be turned on or off

texts:
This word would describe a car, light switch, computer, etc. because they can all be turned on or off. I thought of toggle-able, but that doesn't sound right on a couple levels.

Edit: I am hoping for something specific to the idea of 'on' or 'off', if it exists. For example, suppose you have two possible colors for some text in a website, lets say red and blue. You could have a button that toggles the text between the two options, but you wouldn't necessarily say that one is 'On' and the other is 'Off'. I feel that 'toggled' is more general and can refer to more states than just 'on' or 'off'.


texts: Is the /p/ aspirated in /pr/ combination in the beginning of a stressed syllable?

texts:
In English the /p/ is generally aspirated (produced with a strong burst of air) when it comes in the start of a stressed syllable. For example, the /p/ in "pin" is aspirated (produced with a strong puff of air) in Native English speakers' speech: [pʰɪn]
Conversely, non-native English speakers don't usually have aspirated /p/'s on that position. So non-natives might pronounce it without a strong puff of air.
When Native English speakers may pronounce it with a strong puff of air: "pin" = [pʰɪn]. Non-natives: "pin" = [pɪn] (there may be a little aspiration but not strong enough)
I usually have aspirated /p/ on the start of stressed syllable (even though I sound unnatural but I still try). I listened to many words starting with /pr/ (stressed /pr/) but I can't tell apart [pʰr] and [pr]. I don't even know if P before R is aspirated or not.
When P is not in combination with another consonant, and is only before a vowel in stressed syllable, it is easy to tell the difference. But here the /p/ is in combination with /r/.
Do English speakers (native) aspirate the /p/ before /r/? If yes, where does your tongue move for the [r] after the aspiration?


texts:
"Bob asks if Sam remembers his cousin's favourite hobby. Sam stares confused."

Is a comma needed after stares?


texts: Word that describe the feeling when you are too excited about a thing to happen in the way you think it should but it doesn't

texts:
My question is about a word.
I know it's kind of weird but I saw the definition of this word in dictionary once (maybe Oxford or Cambridge, I'm not sure..). But now I cannot remember the definition of the word and also what the word is. Kind of bothering me these days.
That's why I came here and ask you guy this. Have any one seen or known it?

  I couldn't remember this word, and I thought it was this really special word. But, it felt ________ when I figured out what the word was, because it wasn't that special after all.


texts:
Is there any differences between following two sentences. I have seen both in various places and I can't really find a difference between them.

It actually works.
It actually does work.

Does the latter more emphasis on the result ? Is it grammatically correct ? In my view however the latter should be incorrect.


texts:
There is often information “hidden” in the data that is not readily evident.

What does it mean by "readily evident"?


texts:
Suppose that there exists a dataset consisting 1.5m scientific papers. I have done a lot of processing on the table to mitigate the noises in it, handling null values, etc. My extensive work resulted in a much cleaner dataset (of 650k papers). What word can I use:

We ... a dataset consisting 650k papers.

Possible candidates:

made
compiled
built


texts: Looking for a word (or set of words) to describe someone who moves their residence continuously over the years?

texts:
For example, imagine a student who goes to an international university where he studies for 8 months and then comes back to his home country for 4 months. And he has to do this for 4 years, and then an additional 2 years in Grad school. Maybe he also studies in another country for one semester as an exchange student.
Therefore, every time he wishes to - let's say - buy something big (like a car or furniture or appliances), he says to himself something like:

  "I'm ___________ [only going to stay here for another few years]; there's no point
  spending that much money".

Also, since he stays back in his home country for only 4 months every year, he does not really feel like it's his real home either.


texts: After using every, should it be singular or plural?

texts:
Is it correct to use:
Not every student is as rude as you mentioned

Or

Not every student are as rude as you mentioned.

Thanks


texts: Infinitive in complex sentence: 'we will do your best in order to ensure the debate be vivid and fruitful.'

texts:
Is 'We will do your best in order to ensure the debate be vivid and fruitful.' a grammatically correct sentence?

I am not sure if I used the infinitive correctly, is it better to place simply 'is' instead of 'be'?


texts: Is there any difference between these two sentences? I spent

texts:
Let's say I'm talking to someone about my past experience and I want to say that I've been in New York for 2 months.
"I spent 2 months in New York when I was 17."
"I was in New York for 2 months when I was 17."
Do you see any differences? As a non-native speaker, it's hard for me to say how they are different.
Thanks in advance.


texts: "Oh, (a person's name)..." - What does this mean or express?

texts: I have been wondering this for a while now, and looking it up gets me nowhere. But I was wondering what it expressed or meant when one says something like "Oh, (a person's name)..." - What would this phrasing try to express about the person and what would it mean? Thank you so much for reading this and I hope my question gets answered!


texts: Is the sentence "Success is determined by how you are determined to succeed" wrong?

texts:
I understand that the better form of the sentence would be:

  Success is determined by how determined you are to succeed.

but is the sentence I wrote wrong or ungrammatical?


texts: checking parts of speech pattern of this sentence

texts:
I wonder if the following sentence is grammatically correct.

  Foobar is a novel, set in a scenic landscape of farmland and ancient woodland on the banks of the River Foo.

I suppose the word "set" is a verb without a subject noun,  is it ? The usage of comma in the above clauses  is not correct , is it ?


texts:
I've seen a lot of words use an X but be pronounced with a Z. Mitch Hedberg put it best:

  Xylophone is spelled with an X, that's wrong, xylophone's zzzz, X? I don't $%(@#& see it. It should be a Z up front, next time you have to spell xylophone, use a Z. When someone says, "Hey that's wrong," say, "No it ain't. If you think that's wrong, you need to get your head Z-rayed." It's like X wasn't given enough to do, so they had to promise it more. Okay, you don't start a lot of words, but we'll give you a co-starring role in tic-tac-toe. And you will be associated with hugs and kisses. And you will mark the spot. And you will make writing Christmas easier. And incidentally, you will start xylophone. Are you happy, you $%(@#&' X!?!

So why is X used like this and where did it start?


texts: Which prepositions are followed by accusative pronouns instead of reflexive pronouns?

texts:
I have read answers to questions like When is it correct to use "yourself" and "myself" (versus "you" and "me")? but I couldn't find a general rule for using "you" or "yourself", "him" or "himself" that could explain things I see in some examples.

For example, I think that one normally say (according to examples I see in LDOCE dictionary):

You bring something with you.
You have something in you.
You have something on you.
You pressed her to you.

But on the other hand one would say:

You draw attention to yourself.
He killed himself.
You can try it out for yourself.

As a general rule, it seems that the reflexive pronoun is used when the object is the same as the subject of the verb. But for prepositional phrases, it seems more complicated. Do some prepositions (like "with", "in", "on") always come with the accusative form of the pronoun, and some other (like "for") don't? What about "to", that seems to be followed by both in different circumstances?


texts: Can we use appositives before the subject?

texts:
1) Good vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, sense of style--all are basic writing skills.

2) Basic writing skills--good vocabulary,knowledge of grammar, sense of style can be learned by almost everyone.

In (2) the series of appositives are "good vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, sense of style".

So by definition:
 The appositive is a noun or noun phrase that modifies another noun

So it means appositive comes after the subject right?

But my doubt is: Can we use appositives before a subject like in (1) and in (1) which is the subject (i.e noun) that modifies the noun phrases:
"Good vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, sense of style" ?


texts: What is a single word that means both 'Import' and 'Export'?

texts:
In my web application, I am importing and exporting users to/from the application. So, for that I would like to have a single word to generally represent 'Import/Export process'.

I've gone through Hypernym for “import” and “export”?. But it is talking about business trading and all. I'm not expecting that meaning for it.

So, please suggest one. Thanks :)


texts: What is the distinction between "among" and "amongst"?

texts: It seems amongst is quite often used as a synonym for among but it is supposed to sound more distinguished. Is there any difference in the meaning?


texts: "Deposit" vs "down payment" vs "advance (payment)"

texts: What is the difference? What context would I use them in? My native language only uses a single translation for all of these, afaik.


texts: Why does "north" come before "south", and "black" before "white"?

texts:
This website is common in both north and south America.

Or is this better?

  This website is common in both south and north America.

Let's ask Google:

"in north and south": 26,800,00 hits
"in south and north": 592,000 hits

Why there is a huge difference?

There are too many other examples, such as white and black, high and low, etc.

In an academic/professional writing context, if there is no logical reason for any order, should one just preserve the common order? Does using the uncommon order look strange?


texts:
The other day, I read this sentence " I don't like your bossing me around".
I was wondering if this sentence should be " I don't like you bossing me around". Shouldn't be?

Would you please explain it to me?

Many many thanks in advance.


texts:
Is this sentence grammatically correct?

"It can melt away anger and transforms your bad mood into a good mood."

I am confused between transform and transforms.


texts: Difference between turns to and turned into

texts:
What is the difference between between turns to and turns into. Are they same and can be used alternatively. For example

He turns to a recluse during his exam time.
Suddenly his pleasant dream turned into a nightmare.
Roads were turned to mud by days of rain.

Especially, in the third sentence it seems like both turned to and turned into are suitable.


texts: Formal Writing "Persuade" vs. "Convince"

texts:
A colleague of mine is a second language speaker of English. He is seeking work in academia after he graduates with a cover letter. Would it be more appropriate to use "Persuade" or "Convince" a potential employer that he has the skills required for their position?
Which of the following examples would be more professional in a cover letter for a job application:

I hope that my CV can convince you that I have the suitable experience for the position.
I hope that my CV can persuade you that I have the suitable experience for the position.


texts: A synonym for "possible hypothesis" in academic context

texts:
I am currently translating into English an academic article discussing some recently-proposed hypotheses
for deciphering certain ancient steles. Those hypotheses include the so-called "Greek hypothesis", "Celtic hypothesis" etc.
  As the word "hypothesis" keeps appearing over and over in my current draft, I am looking for some synonym to break this monotony.
  The French original uses the word "piste" meaning "track,trail,lead" tempting me to use one of these, except that I never saw those words
used in that figurative sense in English.
  Any quotes coming to your mind ?

Some example sentences :

The Greek [synonym here] explains those similarities better than the Celtic [synonym here].

Let us now explore another aspect of this Greek [synonym here].


texts: When there is more than one conjunction in a sentence linking a set or list of nouns or verbs, are commas used?

texts:
I've been doing a lot of transcription lately and can't find the answer to this question to save my life. I'm sure the problem is in the way I'm asking the question.

An example of this would be, "I ran and ran and ran" or "We skated and biked and laughed." I am relatively certain that if the conjunctions are separated by actual sentences, i.e. "We skated, and we biked, and we laughed," that a comma should indeed be used. However, my editor adds commas to the former examples, and I can't help thinking she's incorrect.


texts: A strange use of the word "disembark", can it have a meaning "to move"?

texts:
Here is a sentence from a newspaper article:

  The new foray [President Trump's statements about the voter fraud] into such a sensitive topic is not likely to go over well with Republicans in Congress, who are boarding buses and trains to disembark Washington for Philadelphia and their annual policy retreat — this time with a Republican president and vice president who are expected to attend.

I understand the general meaning of the sentence, that now, the recent words of President Trump have pretty good chances to materialize into some legal action. But I cannot understand the part about Republicans boarding buses, highlighted with bold.

The word disembark in my dictionary and in the reference provided by Google has only one meaning: to leave a ship, aircraft, or train (or other vehicle). So its use here confused me, because it looks like the Republicans are boarding buses in order to disembark in Washington and then move to Philadelphia for their annual policy retreat. But this is something like a nonsense (why can't they board trains directly to Philadelphia?).

The common sense is suggesting that they are moving from Washington to Philadelphia, but this does not coincide well with the dictionary meaning of the word "disembark".

So could anyone clarify this for me, please?


texts: How does one write "deep south?" It is a proper noun so I believe South is capitalized but what about d/Deep ?


texts: "I'm doing great" appears to be incorrect (to me) because 'great' can be used as an adjective. I would think that it should be: "I'm doing (adverb)." Why is it actually correct to say "I'm doing great"?


texts:
In the article of Time (May 5th) titled “Obama aspire to do Big Things,” I noticed Press Secretary Jay Curney used the word, ‘grit and resolve’ followed by “(and) not in a John Wayne way, but in a commitment and focus,” when explaining Bin Laden death in a press interview held on May 2nd.

I guess ‘grit and resolve” simply means “resolute” from the component words. But I’m curious to know whether they (grit and resolve) are often put together like this as an idiom. Can you teach me?

The Press Secretary’s remark containing ‘a grit and resolve’ is as follows:

“Obama has discussed this thematic connection with his aides in the West Wing, explaining that the death of bin Laden signals something far greater than a national security accomplishment. “He views this as a demonstration of this country’s capacity to overcome skeptics and do things that people had decided were no longer doable,” explained Press Secretary Jay Carney, in an interview Monday afternoon. “There is sort of a grit and resolve. And not in a John Wayne way, but in a commitment and focus.”


texts: What's the origin of this expression recorded in Louisiana, 1867?

texts:
From Freedmen's Bureau records as excerpted in Sterling's brilliant We Are Your Sisters:

Emmeline Ellaby jumped out of the cotton and called them damned bitches and said that everyone of them damned bitches there was shitting and pissing through one quill, and she would put her foot into we dam-d bitches ass so deep that we would have to saw her foot off.

What's the origin of this expression "shitting and pissing through one quill"?
And, as long as I'm asking, regarding "we dam-d bitches," do you think probably "we" like "wee"? If not, what else could it be?
By the way, above snippet is juiciest piece of the excerpt, but if you want more, its in Google Books.


texts: Conjugating verbs for nouns referring to groups of people

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is staff plural?

Frequently when reading tech articles, I see sentences like "Microsoft have released ..." or "Apple have announced ...".
This seems wrong to me because the nouns are singular; Microsoft and Apple are individual companies, even though they refer to groups of people. I have not seen this usage outside of tech journalism, but it's pervasive enough that it makes me wonder: is this actually the correct usage?

As a follow-up question, is it correct to use a plural pronoun for a singular antecedent like this? For example, "Apple has announced they are changing their name to Orange" or "Apple has announced it is changing its name to Orange". The second form seems technically correct but sounds awkward.


texts:
I have lived outside the UK for more than 30 years, and notice that the language changes, of course it does.

Lately Brits have started saying "passed" instead of "died". I find this very strange. OK, people used to say "passed away" when being very sensitive indeed. But "passed" strikes me as affected (and rather ungrammatical).

Now when my father died he did just that, he died. Would Brits find me cruelly insensitive for saying that? Does nobody die any more?


texts:
Can we start a sentence with "And"? Is the following example correct?

From now on, the biochemistry lecture class on Mondays at 10.30 a.m. will be held on Sundays at 11.30 a.m instead. And the anatomy lecture class on Sundays at 11.30 a.m. will be held on Mondays at 10.30 a.m instead.


texts: An expression for what "worriers" do, as scoffing as German "Bedenkenträgerei"

texts:
In German there is a nice expression "Bedenkenträgerei" which is used for what people do who rather express their worries about something being difficult, than open-mindedly contributing to finding a solution. These people try to clad themselves in seriousness, which however is based on fear and lack of imagination.

I try to find a good expression for this type of behaviour in English.

The relevant dictionaries do not help. In one dictionary I found "worrier" for "Bedenkenträger", that's for the person who acts like that. However, "Bedenkenträgerei", as a noun for this type of behaviour, has a quite more ironic or scoffing tone to it. My feeling is that "worrier" is not really scoffing.

So, what ways do you see to express something like that? May be a word, may be sentence - something that would be just spot on in English?

I thought of worriership. But does this sound well?

Here is the context: I was reading an article in The Guardian on a physical experiment with strong light being cast on water vapour to directly extract hydrogen from it. The comments area underneath was dominated by people who communicated truisms like that it is difficult to store hydrogen, and that liquid hydrogen has less energy per kilogram than, say, ordinary hydrocarbon fuel today. Bla-bla. I found this an idiotic 'Bedenkenträgerei', as, yes, these facts are well-known but are not relevant here, and I wanted to blame the contributors for... right... Bedenkenträgerei.


texts:
I recently wrote an article about addiction and referred to addiction as a bully and used quotes around "bully" as to not confuse the addiction with another actual human being who is acting unruly.

So when I make "bully" possessive I assume I need to do that inside the quotes as in "bully's" but I'm not exactly sure of the rules around this.

Is it more correct to write "bully's" or restructure the sentence so that I avoid the apostrophe altogether?

  A "bully's" temperament ...
  The temperament of a "bully" ...*

--- EDIT ---

The core of my question is that "bully" 's is ideologically correct but the grammatical representation is horrendous. Reason being because the "bully" represents the addiction and "bully's" appears to represent something possessed by an actually bully whereas I want the reader to realize I'm talking about something the addiction possesses, not a bully. How do I make that distinction?

The more I think about this, the more I realize the answer is that I need to avoid using possession on a word that represents an idea. I was hoping this question would lead to an objective answer but it's seemingly over complicated which all but forces it to be subjective. That's against the SE rules so I'll close this. -- nvm it's already closed


texts: "Ourselves" versus "Us"—sentence-specific use?

texts:
I'm confused about when to use ourselves and when to use us. I looked at this question, but I'm not sure how to generalize that answer to the sentence I am working with.

  We need to base our judgments about how safely people will act toward ourselves and our children on how well we know them and their behavior in the moment.

My inclination is to tell the author to change ourselves to us. Is that correct?

  We need to base our judgments about how safely people will act toward us and our children on how well we know them and their behavior in the moment.

In the sentence, we refers to parents in general as a whole in society.


texts: Is the "one's" and "their" used correctly?

texts: It is important that one’s decision of their own life is respected.


texts: Why do we say "be to blame", not "be to be blamed"?

texts: I wonder why "be to blame" is used rather than "be to be blamed"? I've googled it, and what I found is that it is considered as an idiomatic expression.


texts: Is there a word for 'what a witness sees'?

texts: I'm looking for a word that refers to what a witness would see. I considered 'observation', but I'm looking for something more pointed and implying focus. Does such a word exist? Many thanks!


texts:
In this, the third volume of my collected stories, I have made a somewhat different arrangement from that which I have made in the others. In those I put the stories I wrote in which the scene was laid in Malaya.
  Someet Maugham's Collected Short Stories

In the last sentence, What does 'which' point out? I guess 'the stories'. I am confused.

Please help me.


texts: A word to describe low cost solutions that work well but lack aesthetics

texts:
I am looking for a word to describe the products or solutions to problems that are made at a very low cost, often home-made or by a very small organization. The products or solutions perform their function very well, but lack the aesthetics found in major brands or finished products at retail stores designed just for that purpose.

Examples include:

hand bags that are reasonably strong and functional, only a lot less attractive compared to expensive ones
a home-made camera mount built by a few pieces of wood, glues and
rubber bands
blocking sunlight from the window with aluminum sheets

EDIT: There have been a few suggestions with "hack" and "improvise". However I do not wish to convey the meaning that the solution is temporary or rushed under time pressure. The key point is low cost and sacrificing elegance, decorations which are unnecessary to make it functional. The goal is cost-effective. I think "utilitarian" comes pretty close.


texts:
I'm a non-native speaker and I'm having trouble using both due to in a sentence.

I want to describe a certain thing, let's say 'A', is a result of two processes, 'B' and 'C'.

I remembered a friend of mine who is a native English speaker advising me to use 'both due to', but I can't remember exactly how.


texts: What is the word for using something for other than its intended purpose?

texts:
I think this is originally a term used in biology or evolution theory. I heard it in a youtube video but I cannot find it now.

Edit: This word does not have negative connotations. For instance, an animal may develop a different way to use an organ intended for something else. Or you can use a big book as a door stop.


texts: Some words I can't hear (Do they even pronounce them?)

texts:
I like watching movies with English subtitles and I totally have no idea how fast some things are being said sometimes. I mean I miss some words like can, could, did. And I can swear they are not being pronounced at all.
For example the subtitle for this audio (https://voca.ro/eJyglMirQXd) was:
How much did those guys leave you?
But the only thing I hear is:
How much those guys leave you?
I can't hear any "did" in that sentence. Is this common like saying "you ready?" instead of "are you ready?"
Another example. https://voca.ro/gGbBSIPFBIX
According to the subtitles she is saying:
"I don't want our kids growing up thinking meat comes from a store wrapped in plastic."
What I hear is:
want our kids growing up thinking meat comes from a store wrapped in plastic.
I don't hear any "I" or "don't" in that sentence, that's for sure. And this happens so many times. So how am I supposed to "fill in those blanks"?


texts:
Is this part of a sentence correct?

...the flow of electrons from atom to atom and from molecule to molecule...

Or I should use articles?

from an atom to another one and from a molecule to another molecule.


texts: I was wondering if this word is in anyway related to some ancient diety or religion, if so which ?


texts: Word for something that is too idealistic and dangerous to pursue?

texts:
I am looking for a word that can be used to describe an effort or endeavour that is idealistic to the point of being dangerous and which is unwise to pursue. Perhaps, an example could be when people try to abstain from food for weeks and months in order to obtain a deeper spiritual consciousness but this act rather leads to near-death or emaciation.

The word would be different from quixotic as I believe quixotic represents a level of foolishness. And I want the word to convey danger or immoderation - something which is likely to lead to a collapse.

If this question has been asked before, I apologize!

Thank you!

EDIT: the word that I was thinking of might be used in a situation regardless of the possibility of self-denial. Another example: the word could represent the type of society which emphasizes maximal profits from work or optimal physical health but the pursuit of which would lead to eventual breakdown because people would lose time for other important things in life or become too narrowly focused on being fit.

*EDIT: thank you to all who contributed @davidblomstrom (special mention), @ermanen (great answer), @dcshannon (helpful research), @danbron (great follow-up), @edwin (the first to respond), @wayfaringstranger, @mystisinha, @ws2, @zibbobz, @nicole, @abathur, @peter, @bohica / @doorknob, @armen, @eatoin, @tessellatingheckler, @dafdarf and @eric! Hugs and Peace


texts: Is the semantics of this sentence correct?

texts:
The speaker tries to say that I could have explained what I mean more accurately which would increase the chances of him solving my problem. He says the following:

"Your attempt at explaining your problem was very inconvenient"

I checked the word "convenient" in the Longman Dictionary and none of the meanings it has make sense in this context. Is this an error?


texts: Name for letter U in words like 'suede' and 'penguin'

texts: What is the letter U called when it says the /w/ sound in words like suede and penguin? I've read that y and w are semivowels but the U in suede and penguin doesn't really conform to the definition of a semivowel, and experts don't recognise it as a semivowel, so I was wondering if there was another category that I don't know about. I'd like to be able to explain why the U says /w/.


texts: Is it acceptable to use Latin abbreviations in formal academic writings?

texts:
Is it acceptable to use Latin abbreviations such as "etc" and "e.g." in formal academic writings? Personally I think, they are. However, somewhere I read I should avoid them. Is it correct?

In general, are not Latin abbreviations more formal than "OK" or "&"?


texts: "Whereäs" as an alternative spelling of "whereas"

texts:
Wiktionary shows whereäs as a valid alternative spelling of the word whereas (see here).

It gives the following quotations to illustrate the usage:

  1 Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses,
  Report of Proceedings  — Milan (1905)

  After a dry season, the influence of heavy rains becomes manifest more
  quickly and more progressively in the
  less wooded basin, whereäs the reverse
  is found in the basin which has a
  larger forest area.

  2 Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift
  (1984)

  Notice that since the range of χ is limited by (5), whereäs that of x is
  unlimited, the transformation (6) does
  not cover the whole of the space-time
  represented by (1).

  3 Hiroyuki Sonoki et alii, Heart and Vessels — Nipradilol, a new
  β-adrenergic blocker, reduces left
  ventricular remodeling following
  myocardial infarction in spontaneously
  hypertensive rats (1997)

  ...after MI, whereäs propranolol promotes it.

That was the only dictionary where I found the word (with that spelling) though. And a Google search for whereäs returns only 209 pages.

Is that really a valid spelling of the word whereas? If yes, where did it come from?


texts: man who is the doctor..or man who the doctor is

texts:
What is the grammatically correct clause mentioned below ?

1.(a) Isobel,whose brother john was,(had heard the joke before.) or
(b)Isobel,whose brother was john,(had heard the joke before.)

2.(a)John,who Isobel's brother was... or
(b)John,who was Isobel's brother.......


texts:
I'm finding myself wondering about which of these you'd find more correct:

"I went to dinner last night with two young men neither of whom was correctly dressed for the occasion"
"I went to dinner last night with two young men neither of whom were correctly dressed for the occasion"

The first one sounds right to me, but I don't know why.


texts: get him to project - what is the correct phrase to say this?

texts:
I am a team lead, I selected a person. i need to update to my manger as like this:

Get him to On Board to the Project.

Is this correct? or Is there any other phrase to express this?


texts: Is there a word for identifying shapes in other objects (i.e., clouds)

texts:
I"m looking for a word that describes the process or act of identifying a shape, symbol, or whatever from another shape.

For instance, if you look at clouds, sometimes you see an animal, or shape.  In TV, there was an episode where a person saw a divine image on a grilled cheese (i.e., grilled cheesus).  Johnny Carson famously brought on a woman who had various shaped potato chips (of which he acted like he ate one, much to the shock and horror of the poor woman).


texts: To alternate biennially? Does word choice suggest BOTH elements in same year?

texts:
2012 Euro Championship
2014 World Championship
2016 Euro Championship
2018 World Championship

Could I say:

A Euro Championship and a World Championship alternate bienally.

Or may this sentence leave open the suggestion that every second year BOTH tournaments occur and interchange in that year?


texts: I was told that when ordinals are used (e.g., first, second, third), the noun they modify should use the definite article "the" (e.g., "the second phenomenon", "the first study on physics"). Are there cases where the indefinite articles (a/an) are acceptable (e.g., "a third phenomenon", "a first study on physics")?


texts: Past tense: "happen to have" or "happened to have"?

texts:
Which is the proper (i.e. grammatically correct) response?

Alice: "The earth is flat, and the sky is green."

  Bob: "The earth is round, and the sky is blue."

Alice: "Can you provide indisputable proof of these claims?"

  Bob: "No. It's just something I happen to have observed."

  Bob: "No. It's just something I happened to have observed."


texts:
How would you say "I'd like to get off the medication" not using the colloquial phrasal verb "get off"? I.e., something that you'd hear someone well-versed in the English language say.

For example, can someone fill in a word or phrase to complete the following sentence:

  I'd like to be ___ medication by next month.


texts:
Does "spring chicken" indicate a negative/critical connotation?

Here out in the middle of this raging storm and you're no spring chicken. I feel awful putting you through all this trouble.


texts: What do you call the amount of money that is added to your bill if you don't pay on time?

texts:
In Russia we have a system where if you don't pay your bills on time, the service providers will keep adding on 1/130th (or something like that) of your debt every day, as a form of punishment.

In Russian, the formal term for that money (that is added on top of your debt) is "pennies" (if you translate it literally).

What is the term for that in English? Or do you guys not have this system?

Is it just called a late fee? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_fee


texts: What is a single word for "No longer employed at this company"?

texts:
I was thinking of "terminated" but that implies the person may have been fired. I've also heard "resigned", but that's a little specific (some people may have voluntarily resigned, others may have been fired).

Can anyone think of a neutral, single word?


texts: Difference between sensors and receptors?

texts:
I am wondering what the difference is between a sensor and a receptor, and whether or not there is a similar pairing between the word actuator and another word.

For instance:

  Receptor is to Sensor as ??? is to Actuator

Motor?


texts: Comparison of equality used as Adjunct - As good/happy as

texts:
I came across this sentence in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini:

As happy as she was about this pregnancy, his expectation weighed on her.

I was trying to parse this sentence and was trying to understand the meaning. I checked The Cambridge Grammar of The English Language (CaGEL) for any possible explanation, but of no help. I didn't find anything similar there. The possible meaning I derived from it is: She was happy about this pregnancy by X amount, his expectation weighted on her by X amount.
Question 1: Is my understanding about the meaning correct? And what is the possible explanation about the sentence structure? Any reference to CaGEL?
I then turned to COCA for similar sentences. But I got more confused. The sentences that made me confused are:

As good as this burger tasted, he should have ordered two. [I think this sentence is semantically different to the sentence I found in the book. I think this sentence means Because this burger tasted so goof, he should have ordered two.]
As good as the food is, it would be even better if the menu were scaled back so Silargorn could concentrate on the dishes that set him apart. [And I think this is semantically different to the other two. I think it means Because the food is very good, it would be even better if ...]

Question 2: What is meaning of the two sentences from COCA? And can you please parse these sentences? And reference from CaGEL?


texts:
Am I using with + ing correctly in here?

  With translation being used as the communication means between/among
  companies and advertisers, many people could express their opinions on
  advertisements and billboards in seminars, lectures, papers, and
  during conferences through the years.


texts: What is the origin of the phrase "pilgrims and strangers in the/this world"?

texts:
I came across the phrase "we are pilgrims, and strangers in the world" recently in something I was reading and made a note of it.  I remembered reading it in David Copperfield, but I seem to have been mistaken about that.  It must be a phrase with deep roots, though, because Google finds a ton of matches in writings about Christianity.

The oldest match I can find for "pilgrims and strangers in the/this world" is in The Pilgrim's Progress (by John Bunyan, London: 1678):  "The men told them that they were Pilgrims and Strangers in the World...."  (Sorry, I don't have enough internet points to post links to all the sources.)

I also found a pointer to Chapter IV of the General Constitutions of the Franciscan order, which is titled "Pilgrims and strangers in this world"  (http://www.ofm.org/ofm/?page_id=485) and which contains the following sentence:  "As pilgrims and strangers in this world, having given up personal property, the friars are to acquire neither house nor place nor any other things for themselves, in accordance with the Rule."  As best as I can tell, this document was written in the 1950s, so it doesn't predate The Pilgrim's Progress, but the chapter title is followed by the following citation:  "(1Pt 2,11; Rb 6,2)"

1 Peter 2:11 is rendered in the King James Bible as, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."  I don't know what Rb 6,2 refers to.

The closest match in the Bible seems to be Hebrews 11:13:  "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."  However, the phrase does not seem to come directly from the Bible since no English translation (http://biblehub.com/hebrews/11-13.htm) renders it as "strangers and pilgrims in the/this world."  And if this is the source why would the General Constitutions chapter heading cite 1 Peter 2:11 instead of this verse?

So what is the specific source of this phrase that occurs in so many places from The Pilgrim's Progress to Franciscan rules to evangelical sermons?


texts:
I'm having trouble understanding this sentence by Noam Chomsky. Noam published many English-related scientific papers in his professional career and I have no doubt that this italicization is purposeful. It seems like he is setting up a contrast, but then the italicization wouldn't be on the word "their." Here's the sentence and its context:

Legitimizing versus Meaningless Third World Elections
“Third world elections provide an excellent testing ground for a propaganda model. Some elections are held in friendly client states to legitimize their rulers and regimes, whereas others are held in disfavored or enemy countries to legitimize their political systems. This natural dichotomization is strengthened by the fact that elections in the friendly client states are often held under U.S. sponsorship and with extensive U.S. management and public-relations support.”

Excerpt From: Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. “Manufacturing Consent.” iBooks.
Note that this is the first paragraph in the chapter, with the chapter title emboldened. Thanks for your help!


texts: Using the past form of verb "got" with "published"

texts:
I am currently having confusion to use or not to use the past form of the verb "get" with the verb "publish", as in:

My first article got published in BBC.
My first article published in BBC.

Is it grammatical to leave out got, and just simply say published?


texts:
Which is grammatically correct?

I can only do so much in this time.

or

I can do only so much in this time.


texts:
I work with thousands of part numbers. Some of the referenced items are now unavailable, and a replacement has been found.

In communicating to my users, do I say
"x supercedes to y" or "x supersedes to y" ?

And in discussing the practice, do I term it supercession or supersession ?

Should I write 'x has been superceded to y' or 'x has been superseded to y' ?

And then, is it different when referring to it from after the fact, eg: 'y superceded x in January' ?

I can't find any answers on this site that address this directly. I have googled it and found conflicting renditions so am no further ahead!


texts: pronoun/noun followed by present participle

texts:
I would really resent him doing this project.
I would really resent his doing this project.

What I suspect is that the difference between in these sentences is that the emphasis is put upon the action of "doing this project" in the first sentence and the emphasis is put upon  the subject of "doing this project.Am I right?
Secondly, how can we know in which part the emphasis is put when we come across a sentence in which a pronoun is not used?


texts: Is a semicolon required in this list after "a lot"?

texts: I've read online that you should "use a semicolon between items in a list or series if any of the items contain commas," but all the examples I see of this have many list items that contain commas. So I wanted to know if a semicolon is needed on a list that only has one item that contains a comma. For example:" I love grapes, pears, which my mother loves a lot[;] and apples." Does a semicolon have to go after "a lot"? If so, I would appreciate a small explanation! Thanks. Also, I know some people are going to tell me to use parenthesis around "which my mother loves a lot" instead, but what if I didn't want to use parenthesis?


texts:
I'm looking for an appropriate word for a certain kind of a smile.

  Are you in love with that girl' asked she with a grin on her face.

I have used the word grin but I guess grin is a broad smile.

The situation here is the girl who is asking the question is in love with the guy. But she hasn't told him yet. She heard from someone that he likes someone else. So the degree of smile is actually a small smile which doesn't reveal much.


texts:
So today I was having a conversation with one of my friends and he used the term "no shit" to mean that I was stating the obvious. Now I am interested to know the origin of such a phrase. Is it particular to Australia?

Edit: I have looked on wikipedia and urban dictionary but both sources only give the meaning/use of the word and not its genealogy.


texts:
What does "let up" denote in "the rain/storm has let up so we can go out/drive back home"?
With a context lacking clarity, should it be understood as, "the [hard] rain/storm has lessened up to a light sprinkle/gentle rain (making it safe to go out, drive, use the Internet again, etc.)," or "the rain/storm has stopped and the weather is now calm"?

let up
: to diminish, as in I hope this rain lets up a little soon. When the snow lets up so I can see, I will drive to the store. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
: to cease, stop entirely, as in The rain has let up so we can go out. [Late 1700s] The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What word means what many people think 'ironic' means?

While irony actually means 'the opposite of what is expected', it is often misused in a context to make it mean 'an unexpected and amusing coincidence or similarity'. Is there any word that does actually mean this?


texts: How do you remember the difference between a "stalactite" and a "stalagmite"?

texts: Is there a good mnemonic for remembering the difference between "stalactite" (hangs down) and "stalagmite" (points up)?


texts: Whether to use quote marks for a certain word in a phrase I need to reference

texts:
I'm looking to quote a funny saying for a poster/t-shirt.
A fan once said of a famous sporting player (who was very limited in his approach to the game, always kicking):

He had six different signals and they all meant kick

Should the word kick be in quotation marks or anything else? The original source quote did not use them, but I am not sure. Thanks in advance.


texts: Choosing the right title for my academic publication

texts:
I'm writing a computer science paper where the concept is "many small pieces would work better that a single big one". Basically the collaboration of multiple small entities would be better that a unified big entity. I'm trying to come up with an interesting phrase or metaphor to append to my general title after a colon. For instance, phrases like Divide and Conquer, or let's split them all, or many smalls is better that a single big, or two kids think better than an adult! or anything like that, which can be entitled something like Towards Efficient Computing: Divide and Conquer.
Is there any suggestions for that? Any thoughts would certainly help.


texts:
What does "$12 psychological term" mean? What does "$12" introduce into the phrase as a modifier to adjective? How should it be read? "Twelve dollar psychological", "twelve dollars...", "dozen dollars...", smth else...

  Let me apologize in advance for using the $12 psychological term self-efficacy throughout the book. I will use the word a lot because it’s central to our research and there’s not another term that comes close enough to it. Another way of thinking about it in practical terms is simply as your belief in your competency to complete a particular behavioral goal. [Norcross, J. C. Changeology: 5 steps to realizing your goals and resolutions. N.Y., 2013. — Subsection "Self-efficacy and beyond".]


texts:
Is the sentence "We are invested" correct?

I found it in a blog and was wondering whether it is correct. I do not want to discuss the usage, but just if the combination of "are" + "invested" is grammatically correct and has the correct sentence structure.


texts: A phrase or word for a security measure which is easy bypassable and provides only nominal protection

texts:
In Russian we have a phrase "honest people's lock" (замок от честных людей), which means a security measure which can be easily bypassed by a resolute and skillful perpetrator but still serves as a protection from an amateur or random person willing to take a chance.

Examples of such a security measure would be:

Three-digit rotary lock on your suitcase or bicycle chain lock
Anti-theft lug nuts of your car's wheel
Disabling copy-paste or a right click on a website as an anti-copyright infringement measure

, etc.

Is there such a phrase or word in English?

  I'm using a combination bike chain lock. Of course it's only a ____, but you don't have to carry you key around with you and it still keeps kids from stealing your bike.


texts: Which dialects pronounce "pen" as "pin"?

texts:
I recently encounter someone who said pen exactly as I would say pin. I looked in my dictionary only to find these pronunciations:

pen — |pen|
pin — |pin|

No crossover was listed or alternative options presented.
I have heard of people doing this before but I was surprised at how exact it was. It wasn't said similar to "pin"; it was said exactly like "pin".
Is there a specific region or dialect where this is common? Are there other instances of e being replaced by i or is it just this one word?


texts:
a penny for your thoughts!

I always learnt that adverbs can only come before (i.e. premodify) adjectives and verbs, e.g.

adj: I am extremely happy

v: I really enjoy football

But I was thinking... in the sentence

The people at this party are mostly/mainly men,

the adverb is placed beside a noun: but that breaks my previously understood rule. Does that mean that the rule is wrong? Or is this grammatically incorrect, and I should say 'mostly male'?


texts:
I've been thinking.

How do I put the sound of growling stomach into words?

I'm also curious about the Onomatopoeia for chewing food and swallowing water.


texts: The position of "always" in different sentences

texts:
I want to know about the position of always in different sentences. For example:

  Always she is tidy and on time.

Is it correct or not?


texts: What does it mean by "It's been good because it's been bad"?

texts:
Once I asked my friend 'how's the summer treating you?', he replied 'It's been good because it's been bad.'

What does it mean? Good or bad?


texts: I am looking for a term that I could use to say that the new Minister of Health removed the present holder of the given post from his position. My first idea was call off, but then I looked up the meaning and learnt that one can call off dogs, not a person from his job.


texts: How should one punctuate the phrase "simply to understand devote yourself"?

texts:
I found an acronym for the word STUDY online. However, the punctuation looks amiss.

It reads

  Simply — to understand, devote yourself!

But I think the dash makes no sense here. Am I right?

Shouldn't it be

  Simply: to understand, devote yourself!

or even

  Simply... to understand - devote yourself!


texts: Is there a term for a word of one meaning but variable pronunciation?

texts:
For example, "advertisement", and "component".

edit: Here's the full list that I have compiled that I had in mind:
advertisement
Arkansas
asterisk
athelete
auxiliary
Berkeley
builded
component
coupon
data
either
employee
February
forte
kilometer
library
Lima
mature
medieval
meme
miniature
mischievous
neither
niche
nuclear
often
ornery
pecan
probably
ribald
route
sherbet
temperature
temperament
Tijuana
vegetable
vehicle
verbiage
zoological
zoologist


texts: If the rule is "such (a) + adj. + noun", why is "such fun" correct?

texts:
According to my Cambridge Grammar of English, 'such (a)' is used in noun phrases with attributive adjectives.

She's such a quiet girl. (such a + adjective + singular countable noun)
They're such nice kids. (such + adjective + plural countable noun)
She always uses such fresh food. (such + adjective + uncountable noun)

And indeed, those are the rules as explained in the manual I use: such (a) + adj. + noun. But then, out of nowhere there's this exercise that requires the answer:

It was such fun for all of us to be together.

There is no adjective, and unfortunately no explanations either. So why is that structure acceptable? Or is it just a 'freak exception'?


texts: Does anyone else experience books, like literally feel the physical pain of characters? What would you call that?


texts:
For example, used in a sentence of the form:

  His research on molecular biology and computational genetics is path-breaking...

My own guess is that it refers to one body of work, hence singular.


texts:
I notice that "let alone" is used in sentences that have a comma. The structure of the sentence is what comes before the comma is some kind of negative statement. Right after the comma is "let alone," followed by the rest of the sentence.

What does "let alone" mean here? Does it mean the same thing as "or even?" Can someone explain this phrase and sentences that have it?


texts: Single preposition to choose with several verbs

texts:
Let's say that I have a compound phrase:
"... to import or export..."
that I want to qualify:
"from a given database"

The issue is that you would use different preposition depending on the verb: "import into" and "export from". So which single preposition would you use and what is the rule?

Perhaps the correct sentence is ".. to import into or export from a given database" meaning that it is incorrect to use a single preposition?

Thanks


texts: In “Member Berries”, is “member” just short for “remember”?

texts:
I enjoy watching South Park on current events. In its tense twentieth season, Member Berries play a crucial role. While I’m afraid of not grasping the overarching concept entirely, I’d like this linguistic detail straightened out:

Is “’member” a common shorthand for “remember”? Is it in this particular instance?

If “member berries” were talking fruits that keep uttering nostalgic phrases, does “member” stand plainly for “remember”, or does it entail some broader indication? Does it simply drop a syllable colloquially, or is it part of some allusion?


texts: The phrase "if only chivalry were dead" sounds right, but is it grammatically wrong? I would like to know if I should be using 'were' or 'was'. This is for a mock press release for university.


texts: Is there no meaning of suggestion in Why don't I (do something)?

texts:
Why don't we (do something) and Why don't you (do something) have a meaning about the suggestion.

So, I'm confused about Why don't I (do something).
For example, Why don't I believe you? means I can't believe you, I think.

Can you let me understand it clearly?


texts: What is this called in English ? (insignia)

texts:
What is this called in English ?

Can we say insignia?

Thank you.

P.S: There is a needle at the back of this thing in order to stick it to a shirt or a jacket.


texts:
Consider the following:

  She drew the curtains.

What does drew mean here? Does it mean that she closed or opened the curtains? According to American English Thesaurus, draw could imply both open and close.

   4. she drew the curtains: close, shut, lower; open, part, pull back, pull open, fling open, raise.

If it implies close, what will be the opposite of drew? I am looking for something better than open.


texts: Are these interchangeable, or is there a semantic difference between them? When should I use serenity vs. sereneness?