Verbs are words that express an action, occurrence, or a state of being.
3
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2answers
54 views
Using the verb entitle
Is it really proper to say, "The book is entitled 1984"? Entitle seems to be the act of giving one the right to do something or not.
3
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2answers
166 views
Why is “I refuse running” wrong?
I got into a discussion with another user in the comments section of this question. We disagreed over the following phrases:
I refuse running.
I decline running.
To me, they are both ...
0
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1answer
124 views
Is this a complete sentence?
There was an ad on telly I saw, saying
Relax, knowing your home is safe
Is this a complete sentence that is grammatically correct? Could this go in an essay? What is the technical word for ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
Correct Present Perfect Usage: Is it Disappearing? [closed]
Certain verbs such as drink, speak, and swim seemed to be misused more and more with this tense. Is this a regional phenomenon or common in all English speaking countries?
For example, in southern ...
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
105 views
Is it a standard usage of ‘blue’ to be used as a verb to mean ‘being deflated / become pessimistic’?
I was interested in the usage of ‘blue’ as a verb in the headline of New Yorker’s article, “Bibi Netanyahu’s election blues,” followed by the following lead copy:
“The center-left, which had ...
10
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4answers
925 views
Is “drownded” a word?
Is there such a word as "drownded"? I would say "drowned" but I am hearing "drownded" so often I am beginning to wonder.
For example:
He went into the deepest waters and drownded.
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 ...
0
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1answer
85 views
“To try oneself in something” template usage
For example,
I'd like to try myself in farming.
Is this grammatically correct? I want to express that I never have done farming before and wish to begin doing it.
1
vote
1answer
113 views
What's the difference between the following sentences?
For the following sentences:
I was learning to play the piano for five years.
I learned to play the piano for five years.
What's the difference in meaning in relation to the verb and the ...
-1
votes
1answer
231 views
“Take advantage” vs. “make advantage”
I'm worried that 'take advantage' could have a slightly negative connotation. Could you say "make advantage [of a situation]"?
3
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2answers
90 views
“Dysfunction” as a verb?
I wonder if it is possible to use the noun "dysfunction" as a verb.
It is certainly a noun, but in general use it seems to mean something far more awful and much less technical than "malfunction". ...
0
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2answers
60 views
Does “unfold with something” mean “unfold like something”?
Here's a sentence I don't completely understand.
The story leaps back and forth in time with crisp juxtaposing of scenes set in disparate places. The production nevertheless unfolds with the ...
0
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3answers
206 views
Another way of saying “being judged”
What is another way of saying "being judged?"
The context is:
Being judged gave me an open mind about the different ways other cultures are judged and treated as well.
Being criticized ...
-1
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2answers
459 views
Is it “What should he have done?” or “had he done”?
What should he have done?
What should he had done?
Could you tell me which one is correct? (If any.)
3
votes
1answer
113 views
Pronunciations of 'retard' and 'retardation'
Why are the verb form (/rɪtɑːd/, ri-tard) and the offensive noun form (/ˈriːtɑːd/, ree-tard) of the word retard pronounced differently?
While I have heard both variants in use as part of the ...
4
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2answers
123 views
“had me a blast” - what use of “have” is it?
Reading the Summer love lyrics, the lyrics go as follows: "summer love, had me a blast". I know that "have a blast" means to enjoy etc. But I do not think I could say "it has me a blast".
0
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0answers
25 views
“I didn't know that Mary was an adult education student” — does this imply she no longer is one? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
He didn’t know where New Jersey was
“They knew what mercy is” vs. “they knew what mercy was”
Should we use past tense in "Lugo admitted he is the father"?
Present or ...
0
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0answers
41 views
What is it called when you give somebody a drink? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Eat” is to “feed” as “drink” is to what?
If you give somebody food, then you "feed" them, but I can't find a word for giving someone a drink. Any ideas?
1
vote
3answers
280 views
What does “popping bottle” symbolise?
I keep hearing the phrase "popping bottle" in contemporary music. Does it simply mean "opening an alcoholic drink"? Why do they keep using it?
I invented swag, poppin bottles, putting supermodels ...
2
votes
2answers
125 views
When did the term 'get lost' first come to use?
Have tacked this term to be an American idiom. Does anyone know when it came to popular use or was first used there?
3
votes
5answers
162 views
Is the “live” in “He only lived a few days after the accident” intrasitive or transitive?
An example sentence from the Cambridge Dictionary:
[I] He only lived a few days after the accident.
[I] means "intransitive verb". He (subject) + lived (verb) + a few days (noun).
What part of ...
2
votes
5answers
482 views
“I would have liked 'to have seen'/'to see' New York before the cyclone” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Would you have liked to have been” vs. “would you have liked to be”
Is "have" redundant when repeated in successive verb phrases?
Well, let us read the following ...
3
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3answers
175 views
What is the difference between “carry out a crime” and “commit a crime”
Do these both have the same meaning?
John carried out a crime.
John committed a crime.
2
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1answer
63 views
When is the proper time to use “lie” vs “lay” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between “lay” and “lie”?
Which one of the following examples is correct?
Lie down on the bench.
Lay down on the bench.
4
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2answers
136 views
“Decided to do X the next time she went for a walk” vs. “…the next time she goes for a walk”
I came across this sentence in the book Grammar Essentials for Dummies which confused me.
The lion with a thorn in her paw decided to wear sneakers the next time she went for a walk in the jungle.
...
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2answers
123 views
What is the difference between “nudge” and “push” [closed]
I am trying to nudge them towards a practical solution.
What does nudge imply here? Can't we just use something like push?
Is the word outdated or still in use?
I'm not trying to avoid using ...
0
votes
3answers
3k views
“Please note” vs. “please notice” [closed]
When I'm writing a text and want to ask the reader to pay close attention to a point, should I write "Please note" or "Please notice"? Is there any difference?
7
votes
3answers
345 views
What's a word for “to eliminate the need for”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there a word that means “make someone (or something) redundant”?
I'm looking for a word that I can use in a context where I say something like
If you let me look ...
10
votes
3answers
203 views
What is the origin of the word “conk”?
Is it obsolete to use this word? Where does it come from? I couldn't find the origin of this term.
Can I use the phrase "The machine conked out" or should I replace conked out with something else?
2
votes
1answer
40 views
“To consolidate cost”
Is it correct to use the expression "consolidate cost" when you add cost figures in a specific period of time? The context is a description of what a piece of code is doing:
consolidate cost over ...
1
vote
2answers
112 views
“Stop a loophole” vs. “fix a loophole”
Which is the preferred usage — "to stop a loophole" or "to fix a loophole"?
3
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2answers
397 views
Irregular past tense confusion with compound noun/verb. More examples?
Students of martial arts may be familiar with a breakfall, which can (depending on the situation) be treated as a noun or a verb.
I am often amused when speakers, even native English speakers (myself ...
-1
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0answers
39 views
Should I use “has” or “have” to describe what a company [has/have] done [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are collective nouns always plural, or are certain ones singular?
I am writing a company profile, and am struggling with the language style. Which of these is better?
...
1
vote
2answers
357 views
“It was my birthday yesterday” vs. “My birthday was yesterday”
Is there a difference between the following sentences?
It was my birthday yesterday.
My birthday was yesterday.
When should I use "it was something yesterday/a few days ago/..." and when ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
Word for the act of a PC “breathing”
"Breathing" that's right, that's the word I'm looking for. Obviously a computer doesn't breathe, but what does it do?
By this I mean, a computer, more specifically the system unit or a laptop. On a ...
0
votes
1answer
136 views
“Enables you to quickly and easily identify” vs. “enables you to identify quickly and easily” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are split infinitives grammatically incorrect, or are they valid constructs?
I'm currently having a bit of a dispute and would appreciate your help please. Which one is ...
0
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2answers
78 views
On the usage of “epitomized”
Epitomized by right captainship, the ship reached safely to the harbor.
I'm emphasizing the capabilities of the captain here. Is this correct usage?
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Word for “heating food in pot without heat on”
What's that verb to describe "to heat food in a lid-covered pot without heat on"?
For example, when preparing food such as pastas you typically boil it in water for some time maybe 10 minutes or so ...
1
vote
5answers
101 views
Sum up the users? Or sum up the number of users?
Let's say that there is a list of users and I want to know how many users are in the list.
Would I 'sum up the users,' 'sum the users,' 'sum up the number of the users,' 'sum the number of users,' or ...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
“Keep informed” versus “stay informed”
I saw "Keep Informed!" written under the social profiles of a Firefox extension in its release notes.
I think, the writer wants to say "keep abreast of all the developments, bug fixes and new ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Is it customary or grammatical to drop ‘to’ in “I’m not going to go look for it”?
There was a scene a thirty-something wife refuses to go looking for the wedding ring her husband lost in a courtyard when she was asked by her husband over the phone, in the fiction titled “The Lost ...
0
votes
1answer
79 views
deputizing and covering…“for” or not
Which of the following is grammatical?
I am deputizing for him/her.
I am deputizing him/her.
I think in the case of covering you have to use:
I am covering for him/her.
...or do ...
2
votes
2answers
101 views
“Weeks of rain/raining”? “Weeks of fight/fighting”? Is there a rule to use the gerund in those examples?
It’s common and correct to use both after two weeks of rain and after two weeks of fighting. But since fight is also a noun, couldn’t it be used instead of fighting?
Also, why rain and not raining? ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
“Tabled”, US vs UK [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the meaning of the expression “We can table this”?
Here's an example snippet for some context.
Ann had an idea. We tabled her idea.
In the UK this means ...
5
votes
2answers
327 views
The sound of a moving tree trunk
When it's windy out as the wind is blown against a large standing tree, its trunk moves and makes a noise similar to that creaking noise that a door or a floorboard in a house makes.
Do we use creak ...
0
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1answer
185 views
Can a subordinate clause split subject and verb in the main clause?
E.g. are these correct?
Following the rules, even if it's difficult, is essential.
Following the rules, although it's difficult, is essential.
-1
votes
1answer
156 views
Why do “consulting engineers” advise, not consult?
I am interested to find if the two terms consulting and advising are interchangeable, particularly in business.
Generally, one consults someone else, who advises. That is, the seeker of information ...
0
votes
1answer
150 views
Singular or plural verb with two subjects [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Using “do” or “does” for two things connected by “and”?
I'm writing an interrogative sentence questioning someone else's writing:
"Is grammar and spelling correct?"
...
4
votes
3answers
100 views
Word for “moving on a ledge”
Is there a single word in English describing a sideway movement when one is walking with his back along a ledge?
One can see this frequently in movies. A person is high up on a building or in ...
