Tagged Questions
1
vote
1answer
26 views
usage of “Made for”
eg. I would've made for a bad lawyer.
conveying the meaning that if I had been a lawyed, I would have been a bad one.
is it correct usage?
0
votes
1answer
36 views
What's the meaning of “what am I to do” [closed]
Is "what am I to do" be commonly used in daily lives?
Also what do following sentences imply?
What should I do the next?
What am I to do the next?
Please.
1
vote
1answer
49 views
“A tool to do” vs. “a tool that does” vs. “a tool for doing”
I'm the curator of the Open Web Platform Daily Digest link. In the "Tools" section of each daily I write entries in this format:
tool_name, tool_description
For example:
hapi, a server framework ...
0
votes
2answers
90 views
Is it wrong to use “The Albatross is now on the sky”?
Is it wrong to use "The Albatross is now on the sky"?
Is it like we should always say "The Albatross is now in the sky"?
I would like to get an explanation for this. Thanks.
-1
votes
1answer
124 views
Correct use of “happen”
A friend of mine told me that the following sentence is incorrect (copied from an exercise)
Do all sentences tell us what the speaker would like to happen?
He claims that it should read:
Do ...
6
votes
2answers
141 views
Is “my something of choice” the same as “something of my choice”?
Would like to know if it's wrong to use "my something of choice"? Does the phrase have the same meaning as "something of my choice"?
0
votes
1answer
62 views
“As good a car as it gets” — correct?
I need to understand if I could say "As good a [noun] as it gets". Would it mean "the best [noun]"? E.g.
You can buy as good a car as it gets in that store.
0
votes
2answers
109 views
A water circle of few radius is around the park
Look at the below image. Do you see the water in few feet radius around a land? How do you describe this? Let's assume that the land is a park and there is no fountain. Can I express it as "A water ...
-2
votes
1answer
63 views
The ironic correlation of the words “Ineffable” and “Circumlocution”
Both the word "Ineffable" and "Circumlocution" are contradictory by definition. For context;
first The very existence of the words shows defies its definition; so should one say "indescribable" as ...
0
votes
1answer
61 views
“They are there.” and “They're there.” versus “There they are.” and “There they're.”
Are any of the phrases in the title incorrect in any way? Do the meanings differ in any way? Is one preferred over the other and if so then why? I find this particularly interesting for many reasons ...
0
votes
2answers
82 views
“Sometimes also” or “also sometimes”?
I have a sentence where I think I could use either of these two constructions. They seem very similar in meaning, so I'm not sure which I should prefer. There might be some subtle point of grammar ...
-1
votes
1answer
65 views
Is “I need to deposit my checks” correct? [closed]
I haves a few checks and I want put them into my bank account.
What's the approriate and natural sentence to describe my intention at a counter?
Is "I need to deposit my checks" correct?
What is ...
1
vote
2answers
88 views
Why does “for” sound more appropriate than “during” in “I couldn't do anything for the rest of the day”?
I couldn't do anything for/during the rest of the day.
I know that for sounds correct, perhaps because "the rest of the day" is a finite chunk of time like "one hour" or "one week".
However, I ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
Can object complements make any difference to sentences?
I'm reading a grammar book, and I have some questions.
A.
We ate the fish raw.
I want Sue drunk.
I prefer the music soft.
I like coffee black.
We drank the beer cold.
This type of ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
“Choices” vs. “options”
Are the two words synonyms? Is it grammatically correct to say "you have two choices, this or that?" Isn't that one choice? Should it not be "you have one choice, this or that" or "you have two ...
2
votes
1answer
114 views
What is the difference in meaning between 'nonchalant' and 'insouciant'?
OED defines them as:
nonchalant adjective (of a person or manner) feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm
insouciant adjective showing ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
Tense agreement after “if it means that”
I've read that in conditional sentences, tenses don't have to match. Is this true for sentences that contain "if it means"? In the examples below, I'm trying to say something like "I won't write to ...
2
votes
2answers
222 views
“Split in half” vs. “split in two” — which one is correct?
Does the "in" imply multiplication, in which case split in half is correct, or is it division? It sounds like the latter to me, but I've heard it used both ways.
1
vote
3answers
124 views
Usage of “provided” and “providing”
I'm not sure if I used the word "provided" in a right way in the following example:
In general, this algorithm solves Fibonacci problem with higher scores rather than the original algorithm, ...
-1
votes
3answers
70 views
“Move slower” vs. “move less”
What is the proper word to fill the blank?
The more cars there are on a given road, the __ the traffic will move.
The answer is slower. But I wonder whether less is incorrect.
-1
votes
2answers
112 views
“Be accepted to” vs. “be accepted onto”
Do these variations mean anything different, or is one more correct?
I have been accepted onto a course at the University of Stack Exchange
I have been accepted to the Masters programme
Are ...
2
votes
4answers
189 views
“Except for” vs. “except on”
I want to say that I have time to do the homework only on Sunday and on no other day.
So can you help me choose which of the following sentences are considered idiomatic and common for native ...
3
votes
5answers
139 views
Question Regarding Possessives with ('s) and (of)
Question: Is the first one redundant and proper, or is it redundant and not necessarily correct? Thanks!
(1) "He is a friend of Doug's."
(2) "He is a friend of Doug."
0
votes
2answers
90 views
Assemble, Convene A Conference
Is the verb 'assemble' sloppily used as 'convene' here:
link 1
"Mr. Husseini was speaking at a hastily assembled news conference in the mainly Palestinian Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East ...
0
votes
1answer
58 views
On His Post, At His Post
I have this:
link
On 21-22 April 1914, while leading three picket launches admist heavy enemy fire, McCloy was wounded but remained on his post, enabling cruisers to save American lives. For ...
1
vote
4answers
166 views
“First off” vs “first”
First off we need to write down a word; second we need...
First we need to write down a word; second we need...
What's the subtle difference between "first off" and "first"?
Moreover, ...
1
vote
2answers
55 views
Can 'it' be used plurally?
Can 'it' as a pronoun refer to many different imperative verbs? For instance, in the sentence:
Abide by thy customs, thou excellent one: grind thy corn, drink thy water, praise thy cooking,-- if ...
0
votes
1answer
85 views
“It is” + present simple
If it is build here, it will be next to a large housing estate.
Can anyone tell me if "it is build" in the above sentence is correct?
And if so, why isn't it in the form "it is" + past ...
6
votes
6answers
308 views
Is there bad grammar in Cinemark's “No Texting” warning?
The sentence in question is "Do not be the person we ask to leave the auditorium, because we will." It sounds very wrong to me, but I can't put my finger on the exact problem. Nobody on the Internet ...
0
votes
2answers
105 views
“This is a song by Lady Gaga” or “this is the song by Lady Gaga”? [closed]
Which article is appropriate in the blank below, a or the?
— What are you singing? I've heard the song many times.
— This is __ song by Lady Gaga.
0
votes
0answers
78 views
Using “either” to say both the elements are needed [closed]
I want to say using spatial or temporal properties of data individually (separately) cannot help and they should be applied together.
Does the following say this?
While the reliable detection of ...
0
votes
2answers
397 views
Is there any difference between “He won't do something” and “He wouldn't do something”? [closed]
I have read somewhere that He won't do something means He refused to do something and also He wouldn't do something has the same meaning.
Now I'd like to know, what is the difference in usage of ...
3
votes
1answer
132 views
Positioning “only” in “I have worked with X” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Correct position of “only”
Which of the following sentences are correct?
I have worked with only Mr. X.
I have worked only with Mr. X.
I have only worked with ...
2
votes
3answers
73 views
“U.S. stocks were modestly higher at the opening bell Wednesday” vs. “… are higher …”
Here's a news heading from CNN:
U.S. stocks were modestly higher at the opening bell Wednesday as political wrangling over the fiscal cliff continues to dominate the market.
The author used ...
0
votes
5answers
345 views
“Is of the view that” vs. “is of a view that” [closed]
Is there any significant difference in the meanings of sentence 1 and sentence 2 below?
Mr. Jones is of a view that the project is unnecessary.
Mr. Jones is of the view that the project is ...
1
vote
3answers
941 views
'of yet' and 'as of yet'
Can ‘of yet’ be used with the same meaning of ‘as of yet’? For example:
Most importantly, he’s found footprints of dinosaurs that we haven’t found bones of yet.
Does this mean the same thing as ...
-1
votes
2answers
1k views
“Because you have more money than sense” [closed]
I saw an advertising poster on a Samsung shop that was saying "iPhone 5, because you have more money than sense".
But I don't get it, is that even a correct sentence?
6
votes
2answers
449 views
Alleged misuse of the word 'respective'
I was told I misused the word respective in the sentence 'If bilingual, please list the respective languages.'
My understanding is that the word points to the prior mentioned subjects. Here's a ...
1
vote
2answers
222 views
“She can argue her point” right or wrong? [closed]
Is it OK to say in that way?
She can argue her point.
For example, to say it when describing a person. Meaning she knows what she is talking about and her speech can be proved by certain facts, ...
3
votes
1answer
764 views
Is “project in hand” correct?
I am writing my MSc project report in English and I want to use the phrase
"the project in hand"
as a title to a chapter where I will be introducing the project that was undertaken.
Is such an ...
5
votes
3answers
194 views
Is the expression “quote you happy” accepted English grammar? What is its history?
I'm editing a document written by someone who grew up in the UK, which contains the phrase "We'll quote you happy". That doesn't parse for me (I grew up in New Zealand), but a quick search about the ...
-2
votes
2answers
9k views
Meaning of every other day/week [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the meaning of “every other time”?
What does the phrase every other day/week mean? I got some hint from here. But, it is still not clear to me what ...
3
votes
3answers
572 views
“Never saw” versus “didn't ever see”
Do these sentences have different meanings?
I never saw such a thing.
I didn't ever see such a thing.
I never saw him dancing.
I didn't ever see him dancing.
My ...
0
votes
2answers
627 views
Is this sentence correct in grammar and does it even make sense [closed]
This sentence:
You have the right to ask for someone in the United States of America.
Does it have any grammatical errors?
Does it even make sense? I think it is usually ...to ask for ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
“Conformity” vs. “conformance”
I am curious about the differences in meaning, connotations, style, and correctness of using conformity vs conformance.
I haven't been able to find much using a simple web search, only a single ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
“Impact in” vs. “Impact on”
This change has no impact in the system's current behaviour.
Is the preposition in grammatical here? I think we should have used on instead:
This change has no impact on the system's current ...
-1
votes
2answers
2k views
Difference between “combination of ” and “combination between”
I have read both two uses:
The combinations of a, b and c, taken two at a time, are ab, bc, ac.
We can not help but noticing a harmonious combination between classic and contemporary.
Are both ...
1
vote
1answer
8k views
Usage / examples of “of which” [closed]
Could anyone give me some examples or rules of using ", of which"? I mean only ", of which", neither "which" nor ", xxx of which". Any idea is appreciated.
p.s. She discovered so many spiders, of ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
Is “I'm glad it helped” grammatical?
Is the phrase "I'm glad it helped" grammatically correct?
And if it is, does it express correctly that I am more than happy that I could help someone?
5
votes
3answers
231 views
“Went” vs. “went along”
At work, he made up lies as he went along.
At work, he made up lies as he went.
Is one of the above wrong?
