texts: Grammatically correct sentence where "you're" and "your" can be interchanged?

texts:
Most grammar checkers are capable of detecting the the misuse of "your" and "you're"; providing the necessary correction.

I'm curious though, is there any sentence that can be constructed where replacing "your" with "you're" keeps the sentence grammatically correct, but changes the meaning?

If this is not possible, what grammar rules are in place that prevents these edge cases from occurring?


texts: the meaning of the word "shade" in this context?

texts:
There is this paragraph in the book called .

  Motivated reasoning is a state of mind in which we find ourselves
  willing (perhaps at an unconscious level) to shade our beliefs in
  light of our opinions; confirmation bias is the mechanism by which we
  may try to accomplish this, by interpreting information so that it
  confirms our preexisting beliefs.

In this context, what is the meaning of the verb "shade?" The following sentence implies that the expression "to shade our beliefs" may contain a similar meaning to the one that says "[to confirm] our preexisitng beliefs." Am I getting this right?


texts: What is the meaning "would have" in this sentence?

texts: None of the days in March are the days that I would have gone to office,but for being on annual leave.


texts: Is there a more general term for "googling" that doesn't imply a particular search engine?

texts:
Nowadays lots of people use the word "google" as a verb, past tense "googled", which generally means to search the web using Google's search engine. When used as a gerund the word is typically "googling". (I'm not sure if these words should be capitalized, but that's not relevant to my question.)

Is there a common word or phrase that can be used in the same way, but that doesn't imply using any particular search engine? I'm curious because not everyone I talk to uses Google.

Example sentence, as a verb:

  I _______ for the words "cute kitty" and found lots of results.

Example sentence, as a gerund:

  I did some _______ but couldn't find anything relevant.

The best I can think of is "web search" or "web searching" but it strikes me as awkward. I'm hoping there's something a bit better and more natural sounding, especially if it's a single word.


texts:
I have a quick question about the atypical grammar of mine. I am a poet using iambic pentameter. The question is whether the following is grammatically correct:

  I she loathes.
  That I loathe.

Something + someone + loathe. (The someone loathes something). In other words, she loathes me and I loathe that. It would indeed be the same as saying:

  She loathes me.
      I loathe that.

I understand that it would be better to use the second example, yet my only goal is to play with grammar (as long as it's not too much).


texts:
I want a phrase that I can use instead of "full of" in this sentence:

The black sky night was full of bright stars.

Does "teem with" work?

The black sky night was teeming with bright stars.

And what is an adjective I could use to describe such sky? Star---(adjective) sky


texts:
I wrote the following sentence and was criticized for using a comma before the quotation marks.

  Steve states: The topic for discussion will be Friedrich Nietzsche's controversial philosophical concept of the, "Superman or Overman."

The "Ubermensch" was Nietzsche's concept but the English translations of it, that Steve insisted I use because other people use them, were not his and more importantly they are both incorrect. The correct translation would be, "Superhuman," as the concept was not meant to be gender specific.

Is using a comma before quotation marks in the above sentence, for the reasons that I have stated, acceptable or not?


texts: Putting two of the same words together in a sentence has always bothered me

texts:
Why is there nothing wrong with this sentence where the preposition for is doubled in the sentence?

  Little does she know that this chance meeting with the gentleman with the alluring green eyes sends her life into a whirlwind of events which she had been praying for for a long time.


texts: purposes(intention) of the inversion of normal word order

texts:
Is it better to make important life decisions on your own or is it better to consult other people?

    There are good reasons for both, I suppose. Ultimately, it’s your life so I suppose you should make the decisions. On the other hand, any decisions you make can affect other people so it seems only right to discuss things with others first. Like many philosophical questions, there’s no simple answer, I’m afraid.

I suppose there are good reasons for both.
There are good reasons for both, I suppose.

I’m afraid there’s no simple answer.
there’s no simple answer, I’m afraid.

Sometimes I hear these kinds of inversions. I think meanings of them are the same. Is there any difference in speaker's intention or purpose?


texts: Name for a problem where one solution has a high known cost and the other has an unknown cost

texts:
There's this type of problem I occasionally encounter in many different parts of my life. In this problem, there are two strategies to success:

High, known cost
Unknown cost, potentially very low or very high

The interesting thing about this problem is that with strategy 2, you might continuously feel like success is just around the corner. Each time you weigh your options, #2 might seem like the better option but in the end you can waste a lot of time.

Here are some examples:

You need to make money. You can work hard at a steady job or gamble (one might consider making a start-up like gambling).
You just got a new appliance and you need to set it up. You can read the manual or you can try random keys and working through the menus using intuition.
You're trying to find something in your house with little to no idea where it is. You could systematically go through every area of every room, or you could semi-randomly look in the most likely areas.
You're stuck in traffic. Nobody is moving at all. The road's shut down but you don't know for how long. You could take a much longer alternate route, or you could wait for the road to reopen.

Is there a word for that? This must be some kind of b-school/game theory thing.


texts: It suffered me a lot or it made me suffer a lot?

texts: I understand that the second sentence (it made me suffer a lot) is correct, but could anyone please explain why? I couldn't find an explanation on the internet. Many thanks.


texts: AE/Scientific language: When to use a comma before "which"

texts:
I'm struggling with the question whether to put a comma before "which" in many instances. While the general rule is "if the content after which is necessary to understand the rest of the sentence, put no comma" and "if the content is merely unimportant/additional information, put a comma", I often fail at applying this rule to my sentences.
Here are a few examples:

Shoaling behavior also holds a crucial role in the life of juvenile animals[X] which form shoals throughout the juvenile phase
(mechanoreception[X] which occurs through highly sensitive inner ears or neuromasts)
This greatly over- or underestimates the degree of phenotypic plasticity[X] which may lead to incorrect conclusions regarding the evolutionary consequences of phenotypic plasticity
Juveniles have great developmental freedom[X] which reduces the costs of being plastic
An example for the latter category are sexual ornaments[X] which are costly
Signal interpretation is modified by both past environments and the environment the signal is perceived in[X] which includes not only the external but also the internal environment
Animals actively searching for a partner are more conspicuous to predators[X] which makes mate choice a costly process.

Thanks for your help!


texts: Word for people who run, but not standard marathon distances

texts:
I regularly participate in mini-marathons (as they are sometime unofficially locally called) that happen around my area. I started with 5 KM and over a couple of years have improved my distance to 10 KM. But this is still not what a marathon or a half marathon would constitute.

I want to write about my interest in running on my resume/website. What would be appropriate?

I am a runner.

I am a mini-marathon runner.

I am a long-distance runner.

Or something else, as the distance doesn't seem to be sufficient for it to be related to marathons or long distance running.


texts:
I'm not English native speaker and I'd like to know correct form of this sentence.

If I want to say that my favorites folder is empty what's the verb I should use in this case? I mean when the sentence will be like 'Favorites is/are' empty.

Could find neither singular nor plural mark in most of modern dictionaries.


texts:
I'm an Australian so I don't understand what this means in the following quotation:

  Painting by numbers, Scott Walker,
  following Reagan's first stroke, took
  on labour. But Walker's Patco moment
  (the busting of the Air Traffic
  Controller's union) has proved an
  overreach.

As requested, here is a link to the original article.


texts: The variations of in/for the last few days

texts:
1.I was not able to gain access to Internet in last a few days.

  2.I was not able to gain access to Internet last a few days.

  3.I was not able to gain access to Internet in a few days.

  4.I was not able to gain access to Internet for a few days.

  5.I was not able to gain access to Internet the last a few days.

  6.I was not able to gain access to Internet in the last a few days.

  7.I was not able to gain access to Internet for the last a few days.

  8.I was not able to gain access to Internet for last a few days.

  9.I was not able to gain access to Internet in last few days.

  10.I was not able to gain access to Internet last  few days.

  11.I was not able to gain access to Internet in few days.

  12.I was not able to gain access to Internet for few days.

  13.I was not able to gain access to Internet the last few days.

  14.I was not able to gain access to Internet in the last few days.

  15.I was not able to gain access to Internet for the last few days.

  16.I was not able to gain access to Internet for last few days.

Questions:

A:Which ones are correct ? Could you possibly give me the numbers please?

B:Is there any difference between the sentence which are correct ones.

C:Which one/ones should I choose in order to imply clearly that I am not able to access constantly whole last days  OR I was unable to access sometimes but I had this problem only for a few days.

D:If I use present perfect tense, does it imply I am still unable to access to Internet.
And which ones for the best for present perfect.
"I have been unable to access to Internet ........."

E:Can using past instead of last in these sentences change the meanings?

Thank you


texts: Australian English: neighbor or neighbour?

texts:
Several sites (say, https://www.grammar.com/neighbor_vs._neighbour, https://proofreadmydocument.com.au/writing-tips/differences-between-american-and-australian-english, https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090413020224AA64USB) say that Australian English favours neighbour over neighbor.

Why is it that a major search engine, on the contrary, favours

  site:.au "neighbor"

over

  site:.au "neighbour"

?


texts: 'Sarah and Jane's philosophy of life' or 'Sarah's and Jane's philosophy of life'?

texts:
I am not sure. I want to say 'Jane's and Sarah's etc' but the 'etc' being both's, is it written 'Jane and Sarah's etc.'? And is this always the case or are there exceptions?

Thanks


texts: What are cambras and coolers in paragraph 3? This device is used for Sous Vide Cooking


texts:
What is the "conjunction" for in large part?

For example:

  Items in this category were in large part based on Doyle and Stern’s
  (2006) definitions of globalization, and in small part based on
  Levitt’s (1983) notion of globalization.

Is this correct?


texts: What does "the touch of the purple" mean?

texts:
I've come across a quote by Teddy Roosevelt which shows his admiration for Alexander Hamilton.  It uses the phrase "the touch of the purple," but supplies little hint as to what it means.

  Roosevelt saw in Hamilton “the touch of the heroic, the touch of the
  purple, the touch of the gallant.”

The best explanation I've found is a possible religious meaning, gleaned from the phrase's inclusion in this Wikipedia article.  I am also aware that purple has a connotation of royalty or nobility in that, some centuries ago, purple dyes were extravagant and therefore used as a symbol of wealth and power.  I'm not entirely convinced that either of these are the sense that Roosevelt was invoking.


texts: I am looking for a noun for what is washed up on the beach by the tide

texts:
Something like residue, but more specific for what's washed in by the tide.
Many thanks


texts: Should there be a comma when you start a sentence with "And"?

texts:
Is it okay to use the word "and" right after another sentence, and should I use a comma?

"And, as a member of my high school's entrepreneurship club, I participated..."

"And as a member of my high school's entrepreneurship club, I participated..."


texts:
I'm looking for a word that means "to make music" without regard to how the music is made (vocal or instrumental), like "to sing" means to make music by passing air over the vocal chords.
Example sentences:

I am going to ____.
Let's ____.

I would like it to not require an object( for example "play" would work, but the meaning is unclear without stating what is being played).
EDIT: To clarify, I am looking for a single word meaning to play music, not a word meaning to write music, although it should be able to apply to improvising(playing and composing music simultaneously).
EDIT2: "Make Music" does not work because it is unclear (it could mean to compose or to play music) and sounds too formal for common use.


texts:
This looks correct to me:

  The people James is concerned about

This is what the spell checker is suggesting:

  The people James are concerned about?

Context:

I'm Australian writing and speaking a dialect of British English
My spell checker is in Microsoft Word, and claims to be using Australian English, but generally gives advice in American English

My question is: Which is correct? "The people James is concerned about" vs "The people James are concerned about"?


texts: What is etymology of the term "right up the Wazoo"?

texts: I'm sure everyone here has heard the expression "right up the Wazoo", meaning "in large or excessive quantities, to disgusting excess". I was wondering if anyone knew exactly where "the Wazoo" actually is?


texts: Origin of the term 'truther' as applied to conspiracy theorists

texts:
Today's Oakland [California] Tribune has a story from the Palm Beach [Florida] Post carrying the headline, "Sandy Hook truther fired by college." The story is evidently quite similar to one that appears in the New York Post under the title "Florida university fires Sandy Hook truther professor." As these two headlines indicate, the term truther is sometimes used as a stand-alone noun and sometimes as a modifier.

A Wikipedia disambiguation page asserts that truther may refer specifically to "people who thought the event [the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of December 14, 2012] was a false flag government attack"; to members of the "9/11 Truth movement"; to a book published in 2011 by Jonathan Kay titled Among the Truthers: A Journey Through America's Growing Conspiracist Underground; or to conspiracy theorists generally.

Leslie Savan, "From Simple Noun to Handy Partisan Put-Down" (New York Times Magazine, November 18, 2009) provides an excellent brief discussion of truther as part of a pejoratively intended -er family of names that opponents have assigned to conspiracy theorists/fringe political group enthusiasts—a word family that may include birther, [John] Bircher, grassy-knoller, mooner, flat-earther, deather, tenther, and teabagger. But aside from suggesting that truther may have been coined in late 2004 by 9/11 Truth movement member Jon Gold (based on a comment that Savan says Gold "wrote on his blog recently"), she doesn't inquire too deeply into the precise origin of the term or into its application to other groups and individuals.

My questions:

Where and under what circumstances did the term truther originate?
Is there any connection between the emergence of truther and the 2004 pop-up 527 political entity Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?
When (if at all) did truther begin to be applied not just narrowly to 9/11 conspiracy theorists and Sandy Hook conspiracy theorists but to conspiracy theorists of any stripe?


texts: What is the difference of “speak at” and “speak of”?

texts:
I am looking for the exact meaning of the verb “to speak at”. When we use speak at something instead of speak of something?
For example what is the meaning of this sentence:

  They allow him to speak at every hazard.


texts: Can we determine a proper verb form of "exegesis" for Biblical scholars to use?

texts:
This is related to a conversation here in EL&U SE.
Apparently the noun exegete is being used as verb in religious circles.

For Biblical Scholars, the word exegesis carries with it a connotation of properly drawing out of Scripture only what is there rather than reading into it what is not there. No other English word immediately brings to mind that specific meaning.

Webster's New World Dictionary, 4th ed., indicates that the probable origin of the word exegesis is the Greek noun exegesis, "explanation", which in turn appears to come from the Greek verb exegeisthai, "to lead, explain".

If the misuse of the word exegete arises from the lack of a verb form of this word, then could we not use this Greek source to introduce a proper verb, i.e. exegisthai. That is difficult to pronounce; but, if there are other English words derived from Greek words with the same verb ending, one could see how that verb ending comes over into English and provide the same verb ending for our word. Then we would have a proper verb to introduce which carries the desired meaning and is easily recognizable as related to exegesis.

Does anyone have any idea as to how this Greek ending comes over into English?

I found this page pertaining to Greek words coming into English
According to what it says here very few verbs come over from Greek, such as baptize and ostracize.  So, what about exegize?


texts:
What is the exact meaning of the phrase let bygones be bygones?

If I had a fight with my best friend and then say it, which of the following does it mean?

I want to forget the past and reconcile and get back to friendship.
I want to forget the past but not reconcile and get back to friendship.


texts: How Can You Describe Someone Leaving A Room In an Unwilling, Emotional Manner?

texts:
I'm writing a short story about a young girl that has emotional issues, such as severe depression and anorexia. I'm trying to come up with a word that best expresses her disinterest and unwillingness to go to work with all the skinny, LA-typical blond girls. Right now, what I have:

  Arriving at work I tossed my faded knockoff leather bag on the table in the back and checked my phone one more time before heading out onto the retail floor. Three missed calls from Mom. I put my phone back in my pocket and headed to the front.

Specifically, this is what I'm referring to, but any constructive criticism is welcome:

  I put my phone back in my pocket and headed to the front.

So, if you have any suggestions on phrasing or sentence structure, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks For Reading,

Luna


texts: Is "on someone's view" standard among academic philosophers?

texts: I've recently seen the phrase on his or her view used by two philosophers to mean "according to him or her" — for example, "On Frick's view, we have a disjunctive definition." The phrase seems odd — how can something be on a view? Is it in common use among philosophers?


texts:
Consider this phrase, would you write this:

  The bucket containing the most items

or in this form:

  The bucket containing the most number of items

Some information here: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=3439

Or would you suggest another form instead of "the most" ?


texts:
Question: What does it mean when something is "wishy-washy"?
Is it informal? Is it American English, British English or both?


texts: Is this statement grammatically correct? [Thank you so much for your time and efforts; I really appreciate it]

texts:
Is this statement grammatically correct regarding the usage of the semicolon, it makes sense, etc? I sometimes put this at the end of an email.
Thank you so much for your time and efforts; I really appreciate it.
.
P.S: I'm not an ESL language learner. This is just a grammar question I had.


texts: “Make sure to” vs. “Be sure to”: Is the first one correct?

texts:
These two versions below are used interchangeably where I live now in the United States:

Make sure to do something.
Be sure to do something.

But I always have found the first version clumsy. It sounds like someone is starting off their sentence saying "make sure THAT you do something" and ending it as if they were saying "be sure TO do something".

I come from a strong linguistic background in the UK where there was an emphasis on grammar, and I can’t imagine my English teachers from private school using the “make sure to” version.

Is “make sure to” correct English in its purest form?

For example, would you approve of the “make sure to” version if you were a professional book publisher or a a grammar school teacher?

PS: I'm not sure what the correct tags are — compound verbs? intransitive verbs?


texts:
Over the years I've been running into many examples (esp. in software source code comments) where people use the word "similar" when, from the context, it seems to me that they really mean "identical".

So my question is: Is it possible to use "similar" interchangeably with "identical"?

And if not do you maybe have any insights why this appears to be an at least not uncommon error?

Added OP's comment: "The most recent example I came across was: "Warn about similar names between variables, events and functions". Yet the code in question was checking for equality not similarity."


texts: What's the history of the mnemonic "Father Charles goes down and ends battle"

texts:
If you work your way around the 'circle of fifths' you work your may through all the major scales. For example, starting with C major if we add one sharp, F#, we get G major. Adding a second sharp, C#, gives us D major and a third, G#, A major. The way English speaking music students remember this is with the mnemonic:

  Father Charles goes down and ends battle

(N.B. Going the other way, adding flats, follows the mnemonic "Battle ends and down goes Charles' father".)

What is the history of this mnemonic?


texts:
I'm unsure about how to punctuate the last part of this sentence. Specifically, I'm don't know what to do about the hypothetical questions. Do I put quotes around them? Do I put a period after the last one? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

  Before an important scene, writers often pause the story and take a snapshot to answers the questions that we, the readers, have about the scene. Questions like, What do the surroundings look like? What objects do we see? Where are these objects located? F Scott Fitzgerald takes it one step further.


texts: a beautiful feeling that is a result of suffering

texts: I need a word that illustrates the idea of how beautiful it is to have become who we are because of suffering, to acknowledge our flaws and work through the struggles of life to become who we are. A passion for survival and the feeling we get from overcoming serious pain and torture. Not enlightenment nor perseverance. Not survival. The closest I have found to this is the Japanese term "Yugen".


texts:
Is the origin/first usage of the phrase 'come on' known? I know there is a similar 'kom op' in Dutch (same meaning, as well as a literal translation of the words), but I don't know which took it from which, or where it came from originally.
NB: I'm talking about the varied but nebulously-connected figurative meanings along the lines of 'get moving', 'stop complaining', 'stop kidding around', 'it's not that bad'... not necessarily the literal 'come on [to the stage]' - I don't know whether that'd be related.
EDIT: I did not believe my question was a duplicate when I posted it, but further searching (prompted by @Cascabel) has turned up an earlier instance after all, from 2012. No clear answer emerged there, unfortunately.


texts: Punctuation following "My question is..."

texts:
Forgive me if this has been asked before (if it has been, I couldn't find it)
What punctuation, if any, should I use after "My question is..."?
For example,

My question is why is ice so slippery?
My question is, why is ice so slippery?
My question is: why is ice so slippery?

Which is the correct way to do it? (If it matters, MLA style please)


texts:
I have seen this written (and have used it myself as well) but never really bothered to notice the meaning before. However, upon further inspection, "scant" is defined as "barely sufficient or adequate". Obviously "little" refers to something that is "small in size". Therefore, I wondered if the phrase "scant little" is considered redundant.

For example, would the phrasing in the following sentence be better as "She can remember scant little of the event" or "She can remember little of the event" or "She can remember scant of the event."

As for popularity, I see "little" and "scant little" used often, but rarely see "scant" alone.

Anyway, this is just my curiosity, it is of little (scant little?) importance, but any information would be appreciated. Thank you!


texts: Ambiguity in the sentence "In case of fire, do not use elevator."

texts:
The aforementioned sentence arises in an assignment of the course Introduction to Mathematical Thinking, where the notion of literary ambiguity is made explicit in our everyday use of language. However, unlike with the sentence "No head injury is too trivial to ignore"(which, to my surprise, has already been asked about on English.SE), I cannot figure out any ambiguity with the current phrasing of the sentence. The answer seeks two ambiguous interpretations which deviate from the originally intended meaning, and I would like this dilemma to be resolved.
(Further tags may be added as deemed suitable, I can only call this a simple case of ambiguity for now)


texts: Word or phrase for "incorrectly or underutilized tool or concept"

texts:
I am looking for a word or phrase to describe a situation where a tool or concept is being used incorrectly or underutilized.

One example would be using a screwdriver as a hammer.

Another example would be teaching a lesson but it has no value.


texts: What is the difference between "progress in" and "progress toward"?

texts:
Are these examples correct?

I made progress in losing weight.

I made progress toward a slimmer body.


texts:
"It was not only nice to see but also well to taste."

I think I have to change 'well to taste' into a correct form but I don't know how.
Please let me know what to use instead of 'well' and why.


texts: Alternative more-to-the-point words for "hot" (as in temperature)?

texts:
What word other than hot can I use to distinguish hot as in temperature from hot as in very spicy food?

Especially in connection with food, the word hot is very ambiguous (well, unless it's chili-spiced ice cream, I suppose).

Many other languages have a distinction and use separate words. What about English?

Clarification: I know that I can use the word spicy, I'm more interested in avoiding the ambiguity when using the word hot (meaning temperature). Perhaps that was unclear.


texts:
Is there a single word denoting "field of interest", or perhaps "field of expertise"?

E.g.: I'm looking for a mentor in my new field of interest.


texts: Idiom/phrase for someone who faced a lot of difficulties in life

texts: I came across the Kannada saying "Benkiyalli aralida hoovu", meaning someone faced lot of difficulties in life. Is there an equivalent idiom/phrase in English?


texts:
In the sentence below, is best an adverb? If so, what does it modify, left or are?

  We’re best left alone.


texts:
I found the word, ‘Pinkie-sized’ in the following examples. From the definition of ‘pinkie’ as ‘small –Scottish / child talk in a dictionary at hand, and ‘small finger’ in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, I guess it ‘small-sized,’ though I’m not sure. ‘Pinkie’ gives me an image just like pinkish, therefore strange combination with 'size.'  What does it mean? Is it a technical term?

Pinkie-sized laser-powered video projectors coming soon ... Resolution is standard definition at 640 x 480, so it's not exactly going to be running your home theater, but that's not the intended use. ...
The brain's pinkie-sized hippocampus, which helps to archive memories, shrinks naturally as we age. But studies indicate that aerobic activities such as walking not only may help the hippocampus stop shrinking, but might even help it grow.


texts: Work around an issue or workaround an issue?

texts:
I'm writing an essay for college admissions, and this snippet is highlighted by my auto-correct as incorrect:

There are many obstacles I face while working on a project, most of which take a lot of time and energy to fix or work around.

I can't see anything wrong with using work around in this context, but I'd like to know how to correctly use this phrase.


texts: how to understand this sentence 'Delightful though it is to gloat'?

texts:
Does it mean

the thing is good enough and the person who said it can be gloating.
although the thing is good and delightful, it shouldn't be gloated.


texts: Shakespeare's Macbeth "Conduct me to (mine) host" Mine host vs My Host

texts:
The first time I heard "mine host" in Shakespeare's Macbeth, I went to Wiktionary to see if it once was used instead of "my," however, I ended up with that it should not be followed by a noun but rather use "my" instead and I can't find further references referring to Shakespeare's usage.

My question is whether it's acceptable to use "mine + noun" as a matter of rhetoric like Shakespeare once did and whether this usage is archaic ?

Further explanation is appreciated!


texts: Why do we have two words to describe post-mortem medical examination?

texts:
Autopsy is defined as

  inspection and dissection of a body after death, as for determination of the cause of death; postmortem examination.

Necropsy is defined as

  the examination of a body after death; autopsy.

In practice, it seems that "autopsy" is generally used when referring to the post-mortem examination of a human body, and "necropsy" refers to the examination of non-human bodies. I see no immediate evidence in the root words that would explain why we have this distinction, except perhaps for the "self" that αὐτός refers to being used to describe post-mortem examination of humans specifically, leaving "necropsy" to mean examination of dead bodies in general.

That is all conjecture, however, and it seems like a stretch. So: where do these two separate words come from?


texts: Is there an expression that describes looking for something that probably isn't there, or looking in unlikely places for a solution

texts: I am looking for an idiom or phrase that describes, in a humorous or funny way, the act of looking for something that probably isnt't there, or the act of looking for a solution in a place where it is not likely to be found.


texts:
the exchange between the teacher and the student promotes learning far different from that which results as the student listens but does not participate.

I think: it should be "differently", since "learning" is just an abstract concept. To make it concrete so an adjective can be added to modify it, it should be "a learning". And since "different" indicate there are difference types of learning, "a learning", one of its kind, is more appropriate...


texts:
I would like to know if anyone has come across the expression "the Earth and his wife" and, if so, where? I would like to learn in what context it's used and, therefore, its meaning. (I believe I heard it used by Simon Winchester in his book "The Men Who United the States: .."; yet another disadvantage to listening to audiobooks is the inability to later "flip through the pages.")

My best guess is that it was used to refer to something very ancient (like, perhaps, a set of circumstances).


texts: singular noun-verb agreement with superlative adjective

texts:
Is the noun-verb following sentence correct?:
"Most metaphysics has been determined by it."

I thought that with the superlative adjective 'most', the subject is made plural; but can it also be considered a collective noun thereby making the subject singular? I've tried the sentence with both verbs in three different grammar checkers and they all recognize both verb tenses as correct.

Thank you,
Jodi


texts: Which preposition should follow "facilitated" (by or with)?

texts:
Which preposition is correct to use with facilitated?

This product is facilitated with three powerful tools to help you in testing tasks.

or

This product is facilitated by three powerful tools to help you in testing tasks.


texts:
There are words like "meeting", "gathering" or "get-together" that describe some people coming together for a certain time, for doing certain things together.

Those words may or may not imply that the people getting together are a group (i.e. 3 or more people) -- a meeting can be between two people, but I'd assume that a gathering is typically understood to mean a whole group of people.

Either case, is there any expression or preferebly a single word which indicates that it's exactly two people getting together for some activity?

Words that are typically used for an appointment between two people -- like date or rendezvous -- usually have a romantic connotation. I'm basically looking for a more neutral equivalent.


texts:
Thesaurus.com lists the following antonyms for 'partisan':

  adversary
  antagonist
  opponent

These carry combative connotations.  Is there a good antonym for 'partisan' that is possibly etymologically related to (or carries minimal further connotation than) the concept of non-affiliation with reference to any given (not necessarily political) party?


texts: How to convey a meaning of 'comfortableness in shopping' in a more concise way or descriptive but meaningful way (not superfluous)?

texts:
What I mean of "comfortableness" is a combination of these elements:

Easy access to the products and services. (also responsive service)
Clean environment and atmosphere (the air is healthy and clean as opposed to dank, messy, dirty or filthy).
Complete collection of products and services /goods (wares). (thus I don't need to look elsewhere)

Example:

Modern brick-and-mortar retail market

Traditional retail market

The context is for Academics related to a research of what made the traditional market lost its edge against the modern, retail market shopping experience.

I tried "comfortable shopping experience" vs "uncomfortable shopping experience"
However, I feel that it lacks something.
If you can help by making a more concise phrase or sentence or probably even better, coin a new word/phrase/portmanteau, it's greatly appreciated! I am doing the writing right now and will update it later.

Thanks!


texts: "Healthy" vs "healthful"— Do fruits and veggies work out?

texts:
The OED doesn't say much other than the two words have long been synonyms since the 1500s.

  healthful - promoting good health

  healthy - being in good health/condition

Why do we say that our bananas and tomatoes are healthy foods when it should be healthful?

Is there any substantial evidence on why this widely used terminology is bungled?


texts: Can I say "As I was given money, there are many ways to make use of them"?

texts: My question is, can I say that? Does it make sense? Or, is that grammatically correct?


texts: Is "none" singular or plural? How can I decide?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  None as plural indefinite pronoun

With words that indicate portions—some, all, none, percent, fraction, part, majority, remainder, and so forth, how can we decide if the verb will be singular or plural?

  None of the garbage was/were picked
     up.
  None of the chairs was/were
     comfortable.
  She inspected all of the plates
     and none was/were chipped.

Can anyone please give some more examples and help me out...

Examples:

  None of the pie was eaten.
  None of the children were hungry.

In a sentence like “None were missing,” there is an implicit noun that answers the question, “None of what?” That noun is what determines whether none takes a plural or singular verb.

Examples:

  None were missing. (None of the
     cookies were missing.)
  None was missing. (None of the pie
    was missing.)


texts: Meaning of "discriminatory disinterest" in this sentence

texts:
Whether motivated by outright prejudice or simple discriminatory disinterest, ...

This sentence-piece is taken from a text written on the illegalization of cannabis, stating that Mexican immigration was the reason cannabis was illegalized in the United States.
Given how discriminatory disinterest is being contrasted to outright prejudice, it would seem that discriminatory disinterest is a kind of discrimination not driven by emotional imperatives (like xenophobia, ideology, racism, etc.), but rather other motivations that simply happen to involve racial discrimination (if e.g. discriminating against Mexicans would somehow be economically favorable).
However, I don't quite see how discriminatory disinterest means that. Does the disinterest perhaps refer to the lack of actual interest in the actual race/ethnicity at hand?
Here's a link to the text it was taken from. You can find the sentence in the first paragraph of chapter 1: Rationale in the West: Class Legislation


texts:
I am quite new to grammar and I read this somewhere.
Micky Mouse was featured in a movie.
Now the answer says Verb is was featured not featured?? but why?
thanks


texts:
Is there any difference between the following sentences?

  Please press the bell if necessary.
  Please press the bell as necessary.
  Please press the bell when necessary.


texts: I feel robust is used too often and incorrectly when describing processes and systems.  What would be other possible words to describe processes and systems besides: effective, efficacious, and sound?


texts: Is it ever acceptable to use "but" after a period/full stop

texts:
View the following text as a generic example, disregarding issues of context, etc.

  Stir constantly as the mixture begins to boil, watching the temperature regularly as the contents begins to settle within the pan. But be warned, <<[etc, etc]>>

I vaguely remember that "but" should never follow directly after a full stop, yet 'but' often falls directly after a pause in spoken conversation. Are there conditions that 'but' can be used after a full stop/period while writing? If not, what is the best way to make a notable pause before a 'but' in such a case?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  “Assume”, “presume”, “suppose”

I would like to know the usage of assume versus presume. It seems to me, that both of them tend to depict the same meaning. So where exactly lies the difference in their usage?


texts: Schedule the meeting in/on the remaining slots

texts:
Hello to the community,
I am unclear whether I should use in or on in the sentence: "Schedule the meeting ___ the remaining slots." I want to express that only a certain number of slots are left, and I wish to schedule a meeting ___ one of those.
Thanks


texts: In the famous autobiography 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain, what the word 'Testament' means? Does it mean 'testimony', 'era', or 'pledge'/'promise'?


texts: alternative to "high depth", "large depth"

texts: After having used "high depth" in a report, I consider it now almost as an oxymoron. But, is "large depth" better English? What would be an alternative adjective? (I'm not looking for the abyss as I am writing a technical report.)


texts: How can the word "perfect" be used conditionally? (edited)

texts:
(edited)
For example, I've heard people on this site use the word "perfect" like a "perfect" effort given the resources, etc. Isn't that a wrong (socially unacceptable) way to use the word?

So I'm assuming "perfect" can be used subjectively (and it is fairly common in the English speaking world), but should it be used conditionally?

Some examples of "perfect" being used conditionally (is it socially acceptable usage?):

I made a perfect score with all the knowledge that I had even though there were several questions I didn't know the answer to.
Given our supplies, which were scarce, we made a perfect siege of the castle. Had we had more cannonballs, we could have broken through the walls faster.
We bargained perfectly for the leather jacket considering we were not fluent in the language.


texts:
"Photosynthesis is the process ---- green plants and certain other organisms use the energy of light to convert carbon dioxide and water into the simple glucose."

It seems "which" is more correct. But answer is "by which". Can you explain to me?

Other question:
"The materials from which soil form is called parent material."

In here, the sentence seems incomplete to me because of "from which".
Thank you for your help.


texts: How did 7 come to be an abbreviation for 'and' in Old English?

texts:
According to A History of the English Language: Revised Edition by Elly van Gelderen, p.53, in Old English  the numeral 7 was used as an abbreviation for the word and:

  Abbreviations are frequently used, e.g. 7 stands for and …

The same book includes various Old English passages with examples of these 7's.  The Peterborough version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is reproduced on pages 83-84 alongside a Modern English translation, which the author has helpfully uploaded to their website:

  An. M.LXVI. On þyssum geare man halgode þet mynster æt Westmynstre on Cyldamæsse dæg 7 se cyng Eadward forðferde on Twelfts mæsse æfen 7 hine mann bebyrgede on Twelftan mæssedæg innan þære niwa halgodre circean on Westmyntre 7 Harold eorl feng to Englalandes cynerice swa swa se cyng hit him geuðe 7 eac men hine þærto gecuron 7 wæs gebletsod to cynge on Twelftan mæssedæg 7 þa ylcan geare þe he cyng wæs he for ut mid sciphere togeanes Willelme ...

The author includes an image of this text on p.84, to which I've added some crudely drawn red arrows showing the locations of the putative 7's:

In the Modern English translation given by the author (by Benjamin Thorpe?), the 7's seem to correspond to and:

  1066 In this year the monastery at Westminster was hallowed on Childermas day (28 December). And king Eadward died on Twelfth-mass eve (5 January) and he was buried on Twelfth-mass day, in the newly hallowed church at Westminster. And earl Harold succeeded to the Kingdom of England, as the king had granted it to him and men had also chosen him thereto and he was blessed as king on Twelfth-mass day. And in the same year that he was king he went out with a naval force against William ...

I'm curious about these 7's!  I don't see any obvious relationship between the numeral 7 (or the word seofon) and the word and, and the book unfortunately doesn't elaborate.

Do we know how this convention came about?  If so, how?  Was it really the numeral 7 or just a similar-looking symbol?


texts:
This, as put forth by Marc Cyr in his essay titled “Randall Jarrell’s Answerable Style: Revision of Elegy in ‘The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner[,]’[,]” is likely Jarrell’s intent.

Where should the comma go in this sentence? I'm confused as the title being referenced references another title. Please pardon the length and redundancy; I'm not a fan of it either.


texts: If cow = beef, pig = pork, and deer = venison, then where is the word for human = [flesh as food source]?

texts:
Maybe it's the season of Halloween, because it's kind of a grim question, but I have seriously wondered from a language point of view - is there a word for human as 'food-meat', or has there ever been, in English or related historical languages?

Obviously there is sanctity of life in civilization in general, and there is a taboo on cannibalism in western history, I know. And of course that taboo alone may explain what seems to be a sort of language gap.

But sometimes taboo doesn't mean there isn't a term for something, it just means a term may be hidden or buried (I'm sorry I can't think of examples off the top of my head but I remember learning about that for my English degree).

In addition, there is the shift between Saxon and Norman English when we ended up with a split for 'living animal' (cow, sheep, deer) and 'dead food-meat animal' (beef, mutton, venison).

But that does serve as a handy dividing line - on this side are the words for live creature, and on that side are the words for food.

If you line up 'cow, sheep, deer, pig' on one side of that line, you have 'food' words to put on the other. For 'human' or 'person' however, you don't.

Again, I know there are historical reasons, but I'm not wondering about the taboo, I'm wondering if there ever has been a word for this?

There is the word 'flesh' and it kind of implies 'non-specific meat.' As in 'deer flesh' or 'cow flesh.' Although it has quasi-religious connotations as in 'flesh of my flesh' and 'take of my flesh and eat it.'

Maybe 'flesh' alone is the word, considering the religious usage in the symbolism of communion?

But is there something more specific for those unsettling times when humans may have had nothing else to eat but other humans for survival - à la the Donner party. This has happened throughout time so is there a hidden word in English or historical languages related to English for human as food meat?

Again, I'm not trying to be grim or unsettling. I've seriously wondered about this for several years.


texts: Name for a classification card with yes/no questions

texts:
How would I call this kind of map / decision tree, typically used by scouts, to identify different kinds of trees, plants, mushrooms, birds, butterflies, etc.?

On every node, there is a yes/no question, and depending on the answer you go to one of the children nodes. You repeat this until you are in a leaf node which gives you the name of the thing you are identifying.

I have tried searching for images with {mushroom, tree, bird} {classification, identification} {tree, map, [search] card} [scouts] but haven't been able to find anything in English, so I think there is some idiomatic expressing that I'm missing. The below image is in Dutch, found by the term "zoekkaart" (search card/map).

Example sentence: "Follow the directions on the X to {identify, classify} the observed item."


texts:
I'm looking for a word to denote the flavor of something while explicitly not including texture, which is usually assumed (eg "This tastes good" usually means you like both the <word I'm looking for> and the texture)

For example:

  This drink _______________ of strawberries, while still being a cool, smooth liquid.


texts: Usage and origin of "clock position" expressions.

texts:
A clock position:

  is the relative direction of an object described using the analogy of a 12-hour clock to describe angles and directions.

So:

  12 o'clock means ahead, 3 o'clock means to the right, 6 o'clock means behind, and 9 o'clock means to the left. The other eight hours refer to directions that are not directly in line with the four major directions.

From which the use of expression like:

  "Watch your six" meaning "beware what's behind your back."

According to wikepedia:

  In aviation, a clock position refers to a horizontal direction; it may be supplemented with the word high or low to describe the vertical direction. 6 o'clock high means behind and above the horizon, while 12 o'clock low means ahead and below the horizon.

and the title of the 1949 movie Twelve o'clock high clearly refer to the system of clock position.

It appears that this way of expressing directions comes from the military world (from the Navy or the Aviation) or from astronomy for instance,  and that with time it has gradually entered common usage probably through movies like the one cited above.
Or it might have a much older and different origin,  after all pocket watches have been used for centuries.

Questions:

Where and when was this way of expressing directions originally used?

Was it first an AmE or a BrE idiomatic expression or was it imported from a foreign languages.


texts:
Most of you have probably seen the section sign (or silcrow), the symbol "§", as it is most commonly used, in legal documents; it is used instead of writing out the word "section".
Is there a similar sign that means "article" (in the sense of an article of a constitution, or a treaty)?
Might have a follow up remark on this, even if there is not one.
Would anyone be interested in trying to design one that can be created using the private character editor on windows?


texts:
I have been told that one should not start a sentence with 'With us". And to be honest, I have never seen it in use either.

So, is it correct to say - "With us, you get access to the finest hotel deals in Florence"


texts: Why “Daddy” in this sentence was written with a capital D?

texts:
Why is Daddy in this sentence written with a capital D?

  Her love letters to and from Daddy were in an old box, tied with ribbons and stiff, rigid-with-age leather thongs.

This sentence is from the essay named My mother never worked by Bonnie Smith-Yackel.


texts:
In an email I received from my university, the following is stated:

  Should you have decided to do the assignment, please send us an email.

My question is whether the inversion and usage of should is right here. To me, ''If'' in stead of ''should'' would make more sense. In my research I've only found present tenses of the ''should-inversion.''

I understand the usage of ''should'' in this case is highly formal, yet the rest of the e-mail is very informal. The more I look at it, the more it seems normal to me.


texts: Plurality of ratios: 0/1 question(s) selected

texts:
How does plurality work with ratios? To me, it sounds like it should always be plural, but I'm not sure.

For each of the cases should it be questions or question?

0/0 questions selected

0/1 questions selected

1/1 questions selected

1/2 questions selected

2/2 questions selected


texts: Are there any expressions to describe being compliant in particular occasions?

texts:
I know that for a person who normally avoids confrontation, in English we have several expressions such as jellyfish, pushover, soft touch ....
But these expressions are too general for my purposes, describing such a person's usual character trait. So what are words or expressions – if any exist – we could use for someone finding themselves a soft touch in a particular instance? In addition, are there words or expressions for putting another person in such a situation?


texts: What's the difference between direction and orientation?

texts:
I frequently see these two words in 3D programming. For example:

the direction of the directional light
the orientation of camera

So, what’s the difference between them?


texts: What does "tearing your résumé apart in a way" mean?

texts:
I asked a résumé checker to check my résumé and she gave me the following answer:

  When you look at the below list of issues, you'll probably think I'm tearing your resume apart. I guess I am, in a way. But, I swear, your resume is pretty good.

What does she mean by tearing my résumé apart?


texts:
For example:

  After an hour of research and [cluelessness], I finally got it to work.

I need a word to replace that word, since apparently it isn't a real word.


texts: There is a disagreement in the office. Are 'center of a circle' and 'shopping center' using the same meaning of the word center? Don't they both mean the middle or heart of the thing being referenced?


texts: The adjective for leaving a position -- as in a job

texts:
What is the adjective used for an employee (of a large company or agency) who is leaving a company? Not retiring... I am looking for the adjective that would apply to an employee as does "rising" senior applies to a student.

Is it "exiting" president/chair/CEO?
Thanks for your help.


texts: If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands

texts:
So I am trying to determine what kind of subjunctive is being used in "if...then" utterences such as:
"If you are hungry, eat something."
"If you are tired, go to sleep."
etc.

These phrases seem to have an unspoken "should" as in: "If you are hungry then you should eat something." and "If you are happy and you know it, then you should clap your hands."

Would this be zero conditional because first conditional seems like it would be: "If you are tired, you shall go to sleep."
Second Conditional would be: "If you were happy and you knew it, you should (?) clap your hands."
And Third Conditional would be: "If you had been happy and you had known it, then you should have clapped your hands."

Thoughts?  Is "should" somehow different in this situation than if it were "will/would have/would"?


texts: "above all else" means the most important?

texts:
I used google translate, I found this sentence means "the most important is xxxx"

ex:

Oh, and above all else, have fun!

It is strange to me, the 'else' here means all above not mentioned, isn't it?
so all the above mentioned is not important?


texts: I was wondering if "vector" is countable or not. I've been using it in plural form (vectors) but I don't know if that is correct.


texts:
I was reading Cochrane's Memoirs of a Fighting Captain when I came across this:-

  However, at 3.00pm, as a large settee was running into the mole of Ciotat, we discharged two shots at her, which went over and fell into the town.

I was momentarily disconcerted by the notion of a seat, for two or more people, with a back and usually with arms sailing around the Mediterranean, pursued by Cochrane's frigate, but I persisted and turned up a vessel with a very long, sharp prow, carrying two or three masts with lateen sails, which makes rather more sense.

This leads me to wonder why a settee (the vessel) is so-called. Its name can't surely be connected with the item of furniture, can it?


texts: What does "That stick through they man through the BS with" mean?

texts:
I'm concerned with the second line of the first verse of "By a Stranger" by Black Rob:

  We came to give love to our die hearted real bitches
  That stick through they man through the bullshit with

It is clearly grammatically incorrect, but I would like to understand its meaning and rewrite in grammatically correct form.

It feels like it should have been written:

  That stick to their men through the bullshit with


texts:
This question is based on this one from English Learners, please read before marking this as duplicated or moving it.
Let me quote my fellow learner @Belle

I want to know the difference between "on campus" and "at campus".
I'm not sure when to put preposition 'on' and 'at' before 'campus'.

Trying to answer her question, I've found these grammar rules in the Cambridge Dictionary

We use at:
with school/college/university

Being the campus

the buildings of a college or university and the land that surrounds
them

why is "on the campus" the commonest? [See N-Gram by @Malik V]
Is "campus" a known exception to these rules? Is totally wrong to use "at"?


texts: Do "normal people" know the terms URL and GUI?

texts:
Would an English-speaking but non-technical audience be familiar with the terms URL (in the sense of link, web address) and GUI (Graphical User Interface), for example in a manual aimed at end users?

If not, are there alternatives to GUI for referring to "the part of the program you can see and interact with, including content, menus, buttons etc."?

Or is it perhaps better to just refer to a GUI as "the program", since there is no visible distinction between the program and the GUI for the person using it?


texts:
Why is this term used only in military, as far as I know, and only to describe destruction?

Dictionary's origin definition: From Irish Gaelic smidirn, diminutive of smiodar, small fragment.

If that description is so then why is it that you never hear it used technically or to describe other setting?

eg: "Starts out as large flakes then it becomes smithereens once it goes through this machine."

It doesn't sound right.


texts: What is an archaic synonym for "teacher"?  I'm looking for an archaic, if possible Early Modern English word for the person teaching in pre-university schools (i. e. High School).


texts: Verbs which do not take indirect object pronouns

texts:
I have a book with exercises of the type:

  My uncle sent a book to my sister.

Which should be transformed as:

  My uncle sent my sister a book.

There are some which do not seem to work well:

  Our teacher explained physics to us.
  Our teacher explained us physics.

Or:

  Could you suggest a good book to me.  Could you suggest me a good book.

I can't find a rule for when this is incorrect. Or, if not a rule, at least a list of verbs which have this property.


texts: I need a common word that in its meaning include either discount or supplement.


texts:
"The Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill had long lead-in times for landlords to get their properties up to code."

Why did the journalist use "times" instead of "time"?

Would it be also correct if it had been written like this:
The Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill had a long lead-in time for landlords to get their properties up to code


texts: Is there any appropriate idiom for the expression " its proved" or " its established"?

texts: Is there any appropriate idiom for the expression " its proved" or " its established" ? For example, its proved and established he's not a good person.


texts: What's the context of "performance" or "performances" in this case?

texts:
This question explains the singular and plural of performance depends on the contex.  One person answers that regarding algorithms, it's always singular, but perhaps other people disagreed.  Here's the passage.

  In the classical model of computation, the state-of-the-art in
  factoring is a composition of four algorithms. Due to their
  performance, they are executed in a specific order in the search
  for a non-trivial factor of the composite number one wishes to factor.

Should it be "due to their performances"?

What makes it difficult for me in this case is the presence of "their".  So I'm not sure this passage can be put in the singular as Peter Shor recommends.

Wikipedia uses the plural in one case, but that example doesn't clarify what should be done in this case.

In this context, I'm inclined to say it should be singular because the performance of algorithms is in many ways a measure of how successful they are, determining the context, but I'm not sure.  What would you say is the context here of this case?

The text could be written to "Due to their complexity classes, [...]" and then plural would be a necessity.  But I'm in the interested in the question asked, not in how it could be rewritten.


texts: Third person equivalent of "yours" and "mine"

texts:
What is the third person equivalent of yours or mine? For example,

  It's not your book; you should take yours.

  It's not my book; I should take mine.

  It's not his book; he should take X.


texts: Whoever vs. whomever where the phrase seems to serve as both indirect object of main clause and subject of subordinate clause

texts: "Would you give my extra points to whoever needs them the most?"  Should   whoever  be whomever?  My "opponent" in this discussion is using grammatical terms that I find unique.


texts:
This is a quote from cracked.com:

  It's a long, grinding game(poker) of patience and attrition. And that's because it's all about tediously waiting for the percentages to line up in your favor -- successful poker players only play about 20 percent of the hands they're dealt. That's right -- 80 percent of the time, they're spectators.

What does line up mean in this context? My feeling is that it could mean "to become", like waiting for the percentages to become in your favour.

This is a definition I found on Merriam Learners Dictionary that I think could fit as well:

  4.
  line (something) up or line up (something) : to succeed in getting (something)
    - He has been trying to line up support for his proposal.
    - She managed to line up a summer job.


texts:
Which is correct?

I work for Jan-Carol Graphics (JCG).
or
I work for Jan-Carol Graphics (JCG.)


texts: Another word for "fraction" that fits in conversation like "percent"?

texts:
In programming I use values between 0 and 1 to represent percentages but the word percent means "one part in every hundred" (0-100). I've also heard people use permil for 'one part in every thousand" (0-1000).

In the past I've used the variable name perun in my code which is a made up word and most likely wouldn't make sense to others without being explained.

So my question: Is there a word that represents a value 0-1 similar to how percent represents a value 0-100?


texts:
In most dictionaries, the plural noun "sea legs" refers to the ability to keep balance while walking on the deck of a moving ship.
My question is whether we can use it figuratively to describe general situations that may happen in our everyday life. For example, would it be correct to say:

Finally, Jane found her sea legs after years of emotional instability.


texts: Word for "transforming a certain form of energy into a useful and desired form"

texts:
I'm looking for a word that describes the act of transforming a certain form of energy into a useful and desired form. It's for a research project in which we are researching the transformation of
kinetic energy into electrical or chemical energy.


texts: difference between "so the Pilgrims believed" and "and the Pilgrims believed so"

texts:
“God made his children prosperous, so the Pilgrims believed. The next
  autumn, that of 1621, brought bountiful harvests and with them the
  first Thanksgiving Day in New England. (From “The American Pageant” by Thomas A. Bailey)

I understand that “so” refers back to the idea God made his children prosperous.

God made his children prosperous, so the Pilgrims believed.
God made his children prosperous, and the Pilgrims believed so.

What is the difference between #1 and #2? Does #1 have a rhetoric effect?


texts: Is it idiomatic to say "learn knowledge"?

texts:
In this book, the author has introduced many good ways to learn knowledge.

Is it good English to say learn knowledge? Is this a common collocation in English?


texts:
Is it standard English to use the modal "will" with the adjective "likely" that follows infinitive verb as in the following examples. I was told that the adjective likely has already the sense of future and it should be used with linking verbs. Therefore, it would be wrong to use modal "will" with it. However, there are many examples written by different sources, such as newspapers, universities, on the Internet.

For example :

  This will likely to do more damage than good.

  ...even though in reality they stand to profit and will likely to do
  so.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/the-trumps-learn-to-love-the-swamp/511442/

Google Ngram also gives different results.


texts: Name for this particular part of a boat?

texts:
In John Dewey's How We Think, there is an example of someone reflecting on the purpose of a particular part of a boat:

  Projecting nearly horizontally from the upper deck of the ferryboat on which I daily cross the river, is a long white pole, bearing a gilded ball at its tip. It suggested a flagpole when I first saw it; its color shape, and gilded ball agreed with this idea, and these reasons seemed to justify me in this belief. But soon difficulties presented themselves. The pole was nearly horizontal, an unusual position for a flagpole; in the next place, there was no pulley, ring, or cord by which to attach a flag; finally, there were elsewhere two vertical staffs from which flags were occasionally flown.

After a bit of reasoning (which you can see in #2 here), the person decides what he thinks the 'pole' is for.

  I formed the conclusion that the pole was set up for the purpose of showing the pilot the direction in which the boat pointed, to enable him to steer correctly.

However, Dewey never provides the name of the actual part. I've been looking around for a word to describe this so that I can find a picture of it! I found this list of words and thought it might be a 'bowsprit' or a 'jibboom'. Both are excellent words but may be inaccurate.

Looking up 'ferryboat' does not help; I think ferries have changed so much since 1910 that finding a matching word, description, or picture using this search term alone is not going to be possible!

Any ideas?

UPDATE:

In both these pictures, you might just about see the part I'm talking about as a dark line angling up and out from the upper deck, in front of the bridge. Assuming that I've read Dewey's description correctly, that is.

FURTHER UPDATE:

I think I have found a clearer picture of what I'm looking for (or is this just a standard flagstaff?) -- see the Eureka, an 1890 ferryboat. But is the end shown below the stern or the bow? [Source.]


texts: What verb tense does the phrase "is been living" belong to?

texts:
I have seen the following phrase:

  We're been living here since April.

And I'm confused what is the verb tense that is used here. I thought it might be Present Perfect Continuous, which is a replacement for:

  We've been living here since April.

Hence, I conclude the following two phrases are the same:

  We're living here since April.
  We've been living here since April.

Am I correct? If no, then would you please explain it?


texts:
Consider the following:

  Check (out) the portfolio and let me know if you are interested via e-mail.

or

  Look at the portfolio and let me know if you are interested via e-mail.

Can I use check, check out or look at?

I need it to be as simple as possible, so take a look is not an option for me right now.

My guess is that look at is the most formal one, so should I use it when talking to a client or is check OK, too?


texts:
In basketball, when you tear your achilles tendon, it can be said that it has been "ruptured." I understand what rupture means, so in the same context, can I say, I ruptured my ACL? In sports, I have never seen anybody (at least not to my knowledge) say I "ruptured" my ACL, it is always I tore my ACL. Is there any reason why I cannot say I ruptured my ACL instead of tearing my ACL.

Disclaimer, I have not suffered any injury. I am just wondering as during basketball season, I have seen many people tear their ACL but never "ruptured."


texts: Word for that certain fear, worrying you might involuntarily jump from a cliff?

texts:
Is there a word for the following fear: being afraid of doing something you don't want to do and you know you shouldn't.

For example: if you're on a high place, you don't want to jump, but you're afraid that you'll randomly do it anyway. I have this feeling sometimes and I wonder if there's a name for this fear/phobia.


texts:
"My friends are mostly non-smokers."

Is "mostly" a focusing adverb that modifies "non-smokers"?


texts:
An expert of older times whose skills have regressed is:

rusty;
out of practice;
formerly skilled;
semi-skilled;
in need of training;
erstwhile expert;
veteran beginner;
false beginner;
remedial learner.

His skill in question is antiquated. I'm looking for a better adjective to state that a skill needs to be refreshed.

For example: I'm out of practice of cooking. (I apologize for the poor sentence. It is the problem exactly).

I've already seen this similar question that does not have an answer.


texts: Which of these is correct "I thought she has it" or "I thought she had it"?


texts:
What is the difference between the following two expressions:

My interview is scheduled on the 27th of June at 8:00 AM.
My interview is scheduled for the 27th of June at 8:00 AM.


texts: What does it mean "may you never take a single breath for granted"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why to use “May” before using “May God bless you”?

I'm amused by the song "I hope you dance" from Lee Ann Womack, but I'm not sure if I understand the meaning of the following verse:
"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted"

It would be much appreciated if anybody helps me to understand the meaning.


texts: Is there an expression or word for a person who is or was ahead of time technologically (for example N. Tesla or O. Heaviside in electrical engineering). The person is or was inventor of technology which was a big leap forward. There is the expression "early adopter" but that is not exactly the same.


texts: "Sneaked off" vs "sneaked into" vs "sneaked away."

texts:
I often get confused about which one to use. Example:

  He sneaked [...] to the rear of the ship.

Or maybe all of them have a different connotation?


texts:
What is the difference between 'go up there' and 'go there'?

Examples:

  The boys want to go up there.
  He didn't want to go there.

Are they interchangeable in the above examples?


texts:
In the following sentence, 'has' is an auxiliary verb and 'seen' is the main verb. What is the role of 'not'? Is it a verb?

She has not seen the movie.

Can you give some evidence about why not is or isn't a verb, and also why not is or isn't a modal verb?


texts:
There's a few threads on here about draft vs draught, but I couldn't find an answer to my question.  As a preface, I'm Canadian, and know that draft (US) and draught (UK) are generally interchangeable, but I'm not sure which is correct in Canadian English.  As an example for a document we use draft, for a leak in the window we use draught.
For what it's worth, I've written draft beer.


texts: Do I "feel gratified" or am I just "gratified"?

texts:
Is one more correct than the other? "am feeling gratified" vs. "am gratified"

Is "feeling" redundant or otherwise unnecessary...?


texts: Why Do Tennis Commentators Talk So Passively?

texts:
I've watched a lot of tennis and heard a lot of commentating.  The various commentators consistently say something like:

"The forehand of Federer" instead of "Federer's forehand".  Why would they do this?  They must receive some sort of coaching/training for commentating, so I assume this is part of the training, but why?

It's not to say that they always speak like this, but they do it far more often then is heard in normal conversation.


texts:
Consider "on the way." (As in "are you coming home?" "we're on the way.")
Is the origin from something relating to "way" meaning a lane or roadway,
or, is the origin something relating to the nautical term way (which essentially means "speed", as in "you need some way to be able to turn")
To rephrase ...
Noting that

"way" is a common nautical term and

indeed many phrases come from nautical phrases, in fact,

did this phrase come from a nautical phrase? (Just as with "under way", the nautical phrase).


texts: Finding a more common word for "mundanity"

texts:
As the title states, I'm looking for a word that emphasizes the mundane nature of something. "The ____ of my job had me bored and itching for something new."

My first thought was mundanity, but it doesn't seem to be very widely used - spell check doesn't even pick it up.

What is another, more common word for mundanity that is more widely understood to reflect the mundane nature of something?


texts: Is my worst enemy my best friend (interpreting negative adjectives applied to negative nouns)?

texts:
"The worst student" is the student who is bad at things. In this case, "worst" simply describes the noun.

Following this logic, your "worst enemy" would be the person who is very bad at being your enemy, thus is actually your best friend. Your "worst enemy" is actually the enemy who is very good at being your enemy. Thus, in this context, "worst" acts to amplify the inherent negative intent of the noun. "Worst disaster" would be another example of this.

Is this just a matter of context or there some science behind the interprettation of a negative adjective applied to a negative noun?


texts: Usage of "prevalent" in reference to a disease

texts:
Is it ok to use word 'prevalent' in the following sentence:

  Flu is very prevalent in the third world countries, that nobody cares about it.


texts: Bitter squelch meaning from a Simpsons episode

texts:
In an episode of the Simpsons, Season 28, Episode 1 Mr Burns is reminiscing about an audition he did when he was a little boy. His mother has a pet name/term of endearment for her son, "little butterscotch."

After the flashback finishes the scene returns to the present day where Mr Burns laments that the butterscotch soon turned into "bitter squelch."

Being familiar with his character, I think I understand the gist of what he's saying, but I looked up "squelch" in a number of dictionaries and failed to find a fitting listing for his use:

The closest I've seen are squelch as a verb meaning to "forcefully silence or suppress," with "squelch" being listed in some dictionaries as a noun as the act of "squelching".

  (Informal) the act of suppressing or silencing; esp., a crushing
  retort, answer, rebuke, etc.Link

Though even that doesn't make complete sense because he says the butterscotch (him), turned into "squelch", the butterscotch being the person, and the squelch being the act.

What am I missing? Or is it that the writers took extreme liberty in using the word? This would have made perfect sense to me if "squelch" was a food or drink, the juxtaposition of sweet butterscotch and the "bitter squelch" would have been very clear as a metaphor.


texts: Any example of when one would pronounce the word "a" with a long A sound?

texts: I am trying to think of any example when one might be correct in pronouncing the word "a" with a long A sound. With the word "the," one would use the long E sound only when the word is followed by a word that begins with a vowel sound, that is, "thee atrium of thuh building can hold 50 people." But I cannot think of any appropriate time for using the long A sound. Can anyone else? Thanks.


texts: Is the use of "would" valid when describing a hypothetical, future situation?

texts:
I am uncertain about the use of "would" in a sentence describing a hypothetical, future situation.

The sentence in question is: "If you feel that way, you'd say it."

In my opinion, the use of "would" is incorrect in the above sentence and if anything it should be: "If you feel that way, you'll say it." or "If you feel that way, you might say it." when it is not certain.

Can somebody please shed some light on this and explain which rules apply to this and whether the above use is valid?

Thank you.


texts:
In this post:

  Let’s be frank: If Trump had Russian business deals and was lying, he,
  just like former national security adviser Michael Flynn, would be
  compromised; the Russians would know what he is saying is not true and
  they would therefore have leverage over the president of the United
  States. That’s quite apart from whether Trump might have felt
  financial pressure or incentive to treat the Russians more gently than
  he otherwise would.

Should it be "Trump might have felt" or "Trump might feel"? Isn't the author talking about the present and the future as well? Why is past participle used there? Should it be "might feel"?


texts: Difference between "inflammable" and "flammable"

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why are not infamous and inflammable the opposite of famous and flammable like incomplete, inactivity, inappropriate and so on?

I'm very confused by the existence of these apparently antonymous words, which actually mean the same thing. Which word should I use? Can both words be used interchangeably?


texts: What are the rules on when to use commas, colons, semicolons and dashes?


texts: Meaning of 'amp' in an emotional-distress context

texts:
What does 'amp' mean in this phrase?

  I am glad they cannot read these signs so they won't get sad&amp


texts: Use of "comma", inside the quotation marks or after it?

texts:
I am having confusion, where to put comma, in the following case after the word water:

There are roughly 1000 different words for “water,” as well as for “louse”.

Or should I use put comma after quotation mark? As in:

There are roughly 1000 different words for “water”, as well as for “louse”.


texts: Can I use a noun clause introduced by "that" as the direct object of "curse"?

texts:
I wrote the following sentence "She cursed that only leaving could cure her." I am aware it sounds odd; I am purely interested in whether it is grammatical. I was told that it is not because "curse" is transitive and requires a direct object.

I believe it is grammatical because Merriam Webster says that "that" can be "used as a function word to introduce a noun clause that is usually the subject or object of a verb or a predicate nominative." For this sense, they provide the example, "[She] said that he was afraid." I feel that my usage is not meaningfully different from the example. They both follow the form transitive verb + noun clause introduced by "that". I believe that "curse" does have a direct object (the noun clause), satisfying the requirements of a transitive verb.

Is there a reason "says" can have its direct object be a noun clause while "curse" cannot? Is there something invalid about my noun clause?

Thanks!


texts: Is "natural" restricted to plant-based material found without human interference?

texts:
The Whole Earth Sweetener Co. markets a stevia-based sweetener as Pure Via. The packaging reads, in part:

  We understand that consumers have different ideas about what natural means. We want to share what natural means to us. We believe that an ingredient is natural if it exists in nature without human interference and has been extracted, or produced biologically, from plant material.

Well, I suppose that's their right. As Lewis Carroll wrote:

  'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

But do others use the word that way? Is the word natural so restricted in common use? I seek evidence from the wild, such as corpora. Note that this definition would brand the following as unnatural, or artificial:

sea salt (not from plant material)
loganberries and triticale (hybrids, hence not without human interference)
any grape currently grown (a cultivar, hence not without human interference)


texts: I found it surprising that ... vs I was surprised that

texts:
I found it surprising that she sang well.
I was surprised that[because] she sang well.

When you translate them in Japanese, the two sentences become the same in meaning.
I feel there’s a difference but I’m not sure. Could you explain that?


texts: "Bride" is to "bridal" as "groom" is to …?

texts:
Instead of taking a bridal portrait, my niece and her fiancé had photos taken together which she insisted on calling groomals. While I guess this term is the accepted name for this new trend, I found it annoying.

What is an adjective form of groom equivalent to bridal?


texts: Attention Americans: Do you use the SILENT H in the beginning?

texts:
English is my mother tongue and we often follow the British pronunciations.

However, something caught my attention recently. In my Oxford dictionary, I noticed that so many words that begin with 'wh' have a leading 'h' as part of the phonetics. Here are some of them:

  what

  when

  wheeze

  wheel

  wheat

  whatever

  whip

and the list goes on...

I have heard many US accents but never encountered this. Perhaps I never noticed it.

Thus my question: Do Americans really use these words with a leading h or at least are they supposed to?

Thanks!

EDIT: I am not using the net as my source here. It's a printed book. So for those who are unsure, here it is:

BTW, the exact title of the dictionary is:

Oxford WordPower

English-Arabic dictionary

ISBN: 0-19-431485-5

NEWEST EDIT: Please do not consider this a duplicate of Hwat, hwere, and hwy?

That discusses the origins of words and various 'accents'. Yes, the examples are related, but my question is different and simple. I'm more keen on knowing if Americans (today) use the leading h pronunciation (at large)?

Ever since I started my study of languages (my mother tongue included), I've tried to stick to a standard pronunciation from the dictionary. Thus in a way I look at the dictionary's pronunciation as the right way to pronounce words, regardless of what people really do. So now after seeing the leading h pronunciation related to Americans, I'm curious to know if they really do so.

And after the kind of responses and links I've seen on this subject today, I don't even think that an average non-academic American really knows this exists. Perhaps I'm wrong.


texts:
We were checking some exercises and I wanted to know what's the correct modal to use:

  Gemma is away in Australia all summer. You ___ (can / see) her yesterday!

The answer is can't have seen, which is I selected. However, some of my classmates were saying that couldn't have seen is also an option. Is this valid too?


texts: When referring to another clause, is the non-relative clause always singular?

texts:
I have seen examples in some grammar website about non-relative clauses that refer to the whole main clause:

  Chris did really well in his exams, which is quite a surprise.

  My friends were all hiding in my apartment, which isn't what I'd
  expected.

  She's studying to become a doctor, which is difficult.

I notice the non-relative clauses are all in singular forms but I am not sure if that's the rule.


texts: What part of speech is "so" or "thereabouts" in "X or so?"

texts:
Every dictionary I've checked defines "so" as an adverb or conjunction.  "Thereabouts" seems only to be defined as an adverb.  So I'm wondering what role the words play in constructions such as

He was about twenty or so.
He was about twenty or thereabouts.

This use is exemplified in OED definition 2 for thereabouts:

Transferred to time, quantity, quality, degree, etc. Mostly preceded by or.

Definition 33b for so is similar:

Or about that amount or number; or thereabout.

I'm wondering what could explain the justification for considering words used in this construction adverbs.  It seems to me like the words are taking the place of nouns or noun-modifiers.

He was about twenty or twenty-one.
He was about twenty or something like that.

Are the words in this construction really adverbs?  If so, what are they modifying and how does the justification work?  If not, what grammatical role do they play?


texts: How can I describe a low temperature that doesn't actually feel cold?

texts:
Last night, I walked home from my bus stop (in Belgium). Since it was around 11 PM, it was quite cold, probably only about 4-5 °C. However, it didn't actually feel cold at all, and I didn't feel like I had to rush to get home for the cold. In fact, I didn't have headwear on, but I didn't get cold ears. It was about the same temperature as this morning, but the difference is that this morning felt a lot colder, probably due to the wind and drizzle.

I tried to describe it in English on Twitter, but I couldn't actually find a proper word to decribe it. I considered "a warm cold" or "a cozy cold", but I thought these were too poetic, more like something you'd use in a fairy tale than in a tweet to a handful of followers.

How can you describe that temperature without it becoming confusing or poetic?


texts: When did the word "brass" come to mean "officer", especially higher-ranked officers?

texts: The word "brass" became synonymous to "officers", "senior officers" or "command" due to their brass rank badges. I'm curious when was the first recorded usage of "brass" in this meaning.


texts: "Put it into the refrigerator" or "Put it in the refrigerator"?

texts: I am sorry if the question is silly, but I think I heard both options spoken by native speaker. So, which one is correct?


texts: "The Christmas ____ which we ate Turkey" What's the missing word?

texts:
I am currently trying to do my English homework and am stuck on the use of a word before "which". My current sentence is below and what I would like to aim is below that.

Current one:

  We eat goose every year at Christmas, except for this year. This year, we ate turkey.

I would like to turn it all into one sentence and am trying to find the correct conjunction and believe it is a word followed by which

Example of the final sentence without the "magic" word:

  We eat goose every year at Christmas, except this year [word goes here] which we ate turkey.

I believe that "which" is the right "helper" word for this but feel free to correct me if you believe something else should be used.

Can anyone help with this? It's got me stumped.


texts:
A couple of weeks back I read the story 2 States: The Story of My Marriage by Chetan Bhagat. In the story, I found a weird phrase: testosterone-charged men. What is the etymology of that phrase testosterone-charged men?

  "I’d have much preferred her place, as I didn’t want her to be the only woman in the dorm with twenty testosterone-charged men"


texts: What's the word for "talking about the same thing but do not realize because using different words"

texts:
The scenario is I'm talking about a particular thing. You are talking about the precise same thing. We are arguing about it because we don't realize that we are talking about the same thing.

Basically, using different words to talk about the same thing. But, we don't understand each other. There is a single word that describes this scenario. I can't remember it.


texts: Do you "have a particular interest" or do you "have particular interest"?

texts:
Maybe it's particular (!) to the "particular" adjective. Without it, it's fairly obvious that I "have an interest" is more correct than "I have interest". But when my interest is particular, I'm not sure if the indefinite article is either redundant or even incorrect.

Also, "interest" has a slightly different meaning when used with the "particular" adjective,
connoting a state of concern, as opposed to a discrete hobby or recreation.

Any suggestions?


texts: Word for "takes over" in context of thought

texts:
I'd like to know a word meaning "take over" when it comes to one's mind.

  Tonight, a dream that's not hers takes over her mind in a way that she can't push it to the background.


texts: Acronym of abbreviation for "At the time of writing this document"?

texts:
I'm wondering if there is some special abbreviation for "At the time of writing this document".
I am writing a document that contains names of individuals to contact in certain scenarios, and it is labeled with its date of creation.

I want to be explicit though about who should be contacted, but remind some potential reader this may have changed if said contact leaves the company or is replaced. Or if there is some kind of global fallout.

Proposal if this doesn't exist: ATTOW - At The Time Of Writing this document.


texts: What literary device is "the footsteps hesitated" an example of?

texts: I know that people are not the only ones who hesitate, so it isn't personification. But "hesitate" is a word which I would normally associate with sentient beings. So what literary device is "the footsteps hesitated" an example of?


texts:
1) "By the time you arrive, I'll already be gone "

2 ) "By the time you arrive, I'll already have gone "

I think both are grammatically correct  but Are there any differences in meaning? And which one sounds better(more natural)?


texts: "Before it was too late" vs. "before it would be too late"

texts:
What is the difference between the sentences below?

  Mary decided to get pregnant before it was too late.
  Mary decided to get pregnant before it would be too late.


texts:
The following sentence seems grammatically incorrect to me as a native English speaker (should be ensure, not enforce):

  People then create laws to enforce that these regulations are being followed.

That said, I can’t quite figure out what is wrong with it. Ensure and enforce are both verbs, and are often grammatically interchangeable with one another.

Is there something grammatically wrong with the given sentence, or is it just a strange wording?
What exactly is wrong with it?


texts: Is there a sound name for 's', 'z', 'sh', 'ch' and 'j'

texts:
I know the sound name of 's' or 'sh' is called sibilant. This pronunciation name is useful and could be used to summarize the pronunciation rules, instead of listing all the individual letters.

But for this list - 's', 'z', 'sh', 'ch' and 'j'(/dʒ/) , what is their sound name? If there is no such a single name to cover them all, what's the descriptive language for them?

This list is special because the final 's' at the end of their plural forms is pronounced as /əz/.


texts: How do we call the style of a word/sentence with series of underscore?

texts:
In Computer Programming, the programmer most often declare a variable or function with series of underscores.For instance,

english_dot_stack_exchange.

Is there a style name for that kind of sentences/words with series of underscores/understrike/low line/low dash?

EDIT:

I would like to know the style's name.Just like camelCase.


texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences:
"I thought you had left us" vs "I thought you would have left us"
I believe there is a distinction, namely whether you did in fact leave or not. In that case, there are two options regarding this sentence, namely:

1) "I thought you ...left us, but you didn't!"
2) "I thought you ...left us and we were right!"

If this distinction is in fact true, which sentence would you use for which situation?


texts: Why is 'adjectival' pronounced with [ai] in the third syllable rather than [ɪ]?

texts: Recently I asserted that the third syllable in 'adjectival' is different from the same syllable in 'adjective'. I was asked why that is, and all I could do was mutter something about the addition of the suffix changing it and something about strong and weak syllables, but I really have no idea why.


texts: Is it common to end a sentence with "very"?

texts:
I've read Practical English Usage by M. Swan to get the notion of ellipsis and find out whether it is possible to make a sentence below but I got to nowhere.

It ends with "very" and I'm not sure about its correctness.

  He's careful but not very.

Instead of the common one:

  He is careful but not very careful.

Please let me know whether it is common to end a sentence with "very" or "much" and how I can use ellipsis in such situations.


texts: When do I pronounce a non-existent “r” between adjacent vowel sounds?

texts:
If I say two words consecutively, with the first ending in a vowel sound and the second starting with one, when is it correct to include a non-existent r between those two words?

Examples from phrases I've heard:

  I saw (r)a movie
  They saw (r)us
  Law (r)and order
  That's the idea, (r)anyway.

I heard the last one in the movie Edge of Tomorrow yesterday.

Is this grammatically correct? If so, is the omission of the r grammatically incorrect? Are there any rules regarding this?


texts: What do you call it when a spectator distracts a player.

texts: Like when a member of the audience yells at a player so he misses his shot.


texts:
Context
I am writing a technical document about some piece of mathematics, the tone of which is intended to be formal and academic.

Question
Directly after a computation comes a sentence, in which I am unsure how to best position the preposition 'above'. The two alternatives are:

  (1) 'The reader should find no difficulty in identifying the six implicit steps in the above computation.'

and

  (2) 'The reader should find no difficulty in identifying the six implicit steps in the computation above.'

In this context, is one of these alternatives to be preferred over the other? I am leaning towards alternative (1), but I am no native speaker of English.

Edit
It has been suggested that my question may be a duplicate. The suggested duplicate fails to address a context and appears to pertain more to grammar than to formal style. I think my question is different.

Edit 2
Davo suggests alternative (2) be replaced by

  (3) 'The reader should find no difficulty in identifying the six implicit steps in the computation shown above.'

I agree with this suggestion; see this comment of mine. Thus I wonder if one of alternatives (1) and (3) is to be preferred over the other? I still lean towards alternative (1), simply because it consists of one less word.

It has also been suggested I number the relevant computation and thereafter refer to this number. Whereas this is appropriate in many cases, I find it unnatural to do so here. See my comment on Carl Witthoft's answer for an explanation.

Edit 3
This comment (in another thread) links to a graph showing which formulation is more common. It suggests alternative (1), and the question is answered.


texts:
Can I use Am I as a question while talking to one other person.
Examples:

Am I meeting you later?

Am I eating there?

Am I going to go?

In these examples I am questioning the other person. The inflection is on the Am I party if the question.  I'm not sure whether this is correct or not.


texts:
I am writing to inquire the correctness of the following sentence:

both work rely on this technique

Or

both work relies on this technique.

While the first one seems more grammarly correct, I do see some usages of the second case. Could any shed some lights on this? Thanks.


texts: If enough people start using a word contextually wrong when does the word's meaning change?

texts:
Example

Say some percent of the English speaking population started using the word "sky" to replace the meaning of "cloud", at what percent would you be wrong in using the word "sky" to refer to the sky.


texts: What is the word for a property's facade construction?

texts:
My native language is Swedish and I work as a web-developer. I am currently working on a real estate website, which is written in English.

I would like to know what to call the facade or front construction of a property?

For example, if the front of the property is built with bricks, you would write:

  "The _____ is of brick construction."


texts: What part of speech does the word warm function as in the expression "stay warm"?

texts: Last week, as I was departing from work, a co-worker said, "Stay warm!" It was very cold that day. My question is how is the word warm functioning in this sentence? What part of speech is it? It appears to be modifying the word stay, but stay is a verb and warm is an adjective.  My understanding is that adjectives cannot modify verbs. Please explain?


texts: What is the idiom for a guy/situation who/where has his own shortcoming but still mocks others?

texts:
What is the idiom for a guy/situation who/where has his own lacking but still mocks others?

Like you are poor but you laugh at a rich man who has just become bankrupt.

For example, suppose like this "A drainer mocks at a needle".

Explanation: A drainer has hundreds of pores, but he is mocking at needle's only one hole.


texts: Why are two-digit numbers in Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" (1726) written in "German style"?

texts:
I have been reading "Gulliver's Travels" (Otherwise known more verbosely as "Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships"), and I have noticed that two-digit numbers are often written in the "German" style, that is it say that the "tens" place is written after the "ones" place.

I marked one example recently, but I have seen several others. From page 125 of the Collins Classics (2010) edition:

"No law of that country must exceed in words the number of letters in their alphabet, which consists only in two-and-twenty."

Some interior shots of the first edition show that the writing, apart from some minor differences still looks very much like contemporary English.

So my question is why the numbers are written like this. Was it common at the time for English speakers to say numbers this way? When did it change?


texts: Can a mathematical object “inherit” properties?

texts:
I have a mathematical object A and a mathematical object B, which is defined in terms of A. It is easy to see that B has some of the properites that A has.

Can I say “B inherits the properties a, b and c from A”? If not, which word instead of “inherit“ should be used?


texts: What does "to phrase it another way" mean?


texts:
What is the difference between using "pretty bad" and "pretty good" in this kind of slang context? It seems to be more of an American English quirk.

  Looks like you hurt your leg pretty bad
  Looks like you hurt your leg pretty good


texts: What verb describes the action of pricing just below a round number, eg $9.99

texts:
We see it all the time: "New Brand X Sedan: $9,999 drive away".

Personally, when I see this my brain registers this as $10K, but many people must filter out all but the first digit and their brains see $9K, because this pricing idiom is ubiquitous.

What is a good verb to describe "discounting" a price such that it falls slightly below a "round" number?

Here's a couple of suggestions:

Price-pointing
Under-rounding

I wonder if there is a commonly used "marketing speak" term?


texts: I often see questions on Stack Exchange sites which I presume are written by non-native English speakers who use the word "doubt" in place of the word "question". Is this a case of misunderstanding the correct meaning or are people being taught that this is correct usage?


texts: what is the meaning of 'to wear one's breeches out' and 'rat-gutted'?

texts:
I am quoting from the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Gloria Scott by Arthur Conan Doyle: "Now, you don't think it likely that a man who could do anything is going to wear his breeches out sitting in the stinking hold of a rat-gutted, beetle-ridden, mouldy old coffin of a China coaster?", end of quote.
I found an definition of 'wear the breeches' in the free dictionary but it doesn't fit the context. As for 'rat-gutted' I couldn't find anything.


texts: What is the difference between "not that X is going to Y" and "X is not going to Y"?

texts:
Not that running away is going to solve everything.
  Running away is not going to solve everything.

I am not a native speaker. Is there a difference between the two?