Verbs are words that express an action, occurrence, or a state of being.
4
votes
2answers
116 views
Why doesn't the second verb agree with the subject of that verb?
In
"We watched Obama speak," what is the technical reason for it not being
"We watched Obama spoke"?
8
votes
3answers
100 views
Make/take a photograph?
In English we say "take a photograph" whereas in some other languages one would say "make a photograph".
The French say "take" even though they "make" far more often than we do in English, and ...
2
votes
1answer
39 views
Is 'quantitate' a synonym for 'quantify' or just a misnomer?
I have always used quantify, but have been encountering quantitate more and more in scientific literature. Is quantitate a "valid" verb and a synonym for quantify? Otherwise is there a subtle ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Meaning of “How'd you know?”: “would”, “did”, or “do”?
Does the question "How'd you know" mean:
How do you know?
How did you know?
How would you?
3
votes
2answers
2k views
“Pay attention” vs. “give attention”
Between 'pay' and 'give' I guess you are most likely to choose 'give' for the blank below. However, 'pay' sounds more suited for the second 'attention.' I wonder why. Is it because the second sentence ...
2
votes
3answers
98 views
Is it possible to use “Achieve” in negative sentences
I've noticed in IELTS reading that there was a sentence as below:
disappointing results were achieved by the Australian Academy.
I looked this verb up in Longman dictionary, It's been said that:
...
5
votes
2answers
657 views
Which one is grammatically correct? Why?
I've a quick question about grammar within a sentence. I'd also like to know why it is like that if someone could provide an answer.
Which one is correct?
Along with fishing, I enjoy ...
0
votes
4answers
167 views
What is THE shortest English verb?
I have heard that two letter verbs are the shortest verbs in English. Is this totally true? Are any of the letters official recognized as verbs?
3
votes
2answers
8k views
Which past tense of “to light” should I use here?
I know that there are two ways to form the past tense of to light (i.e. lit/lighted). Which one is appropriate for the sentence below?
His thoughts lighted our way.
or
His thoughts lit our ...
0
votes
1answer
265 views
“give me five” and “slap me five”, any difference?
What's the meaning of "slap me five"? Any difference between "slap me five" and "give me five"?
There is a book called Slap Me Five.
8
votes
4answers
21k views
“Paid” vs “payed”
I think I have always used these two words interchangeably without noticing until my professor was saying how some students misspelled the word and he was amazed.
Can someone tell me when I should ...
-1
votes
0answers
39 views
Adjective following a verb [closed]
Which of these sentences is correct?
This music sounds great!
You look nice today.
You sing very good.
Which verbs can be followed by an adjective?
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Doubts on relation - Father and Son [closed]
If I have a statement of the form George is the father of James, who is in fact the father of Thomas. Then how do I expand it ?
Is it that
James is the father of Thomas
Or
George is the father ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Which is correct? If I was or If I were for this particular sentence [duplicate]
Which is correct?
1) If I were a little taller, I would be able to reach the top of the shelf.
2) If I was a little taller, I would be able to reach the top of the shelf.
-1
votes
0answers
50 views
Difference between “ask” and “enquire” [closed]
Should I use ask or enquire, in the following sentence?
The young man enquired the direction to the hospital.
Is the following sentence better?
The young man asked the way to the hospital.
...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
how to say recharging the battery and account
I have heard English use the term "recharge" for both account and battery.
I want to recharge my battery.
I want to recharge my account.
Are these sentences correct?
1
vote
2answers
75 views
What's the meaning of “Gets me every time”?
I've heard people say this several times, in response to a funny video they watched,
Gets me every time.
This time I see this response the person put a laughing emoticon at the end. Does it ...
18
votes
5answers
483 views
“Infer” vs. “imply” — can “infer” imply “imply”?
Okay that's a crazy title, but bear with me. Got into a good natured discussion with someone on another stack exchange site, and I was "correcting" him on the use of infer vs. imply.
(The ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
How did “replace” come to mean “put something in the place of”?
Replace has several meanings, but a common one is "to put something in the place of," as in, "After drinking your cola, I replaced it with a beer."
The way in which replace, which seems to most ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Difference between “think of” and “think about”
Is there a difference between "think of something" and "think about something"? I've also met "have heard of/about something".
6
votes
1answer
61 views
Which verb tense is used in OR compound objects?
For example:
We always get work done, regardless of what mood Bill or I is/am/are in.
Which tense of 'be' would be used here?
2
votes
4answers
442 views
Single word for “inhale using your mouth with force or power”
I want to express the following: "Inhale using your mouth with force or power". It does not sound good to me. Is there any single word or a good phrase to express this?
0
votes
0answers
38 views
Stipulated, mandated, ordained, required - w.r.t a law [closed]
Suppose a state's labor law requires that, say, every sign bigger than 1 square meters
Now, complete the following sentence: "The client shall obtain the necessary sign posting permit as ____ by ...
-2
votes
2answers
67 views
How do I use “Baby Steps” in a sentence [closed]
I want to convey that I am putting myself to something new to achieve a dream/goal. Hence I thought of using the phrase "baby steps" in a sentence as follows: "As I am laying my Baby Steps towards ...
2
votes
3answers
489 views
Verb for “to make bold”
Consider the following:
Imagine that you are sitting at your word processor and you need to make a word bold.
Imagine that you are sitting at your word processor and you need to bold a word.
...
2
votes
1answer
128 views
Usage of “accrue” in “it accrued to me to gently ask” [closed]
A newage hippie Facebook friend just sent me this. I was just wondering if it was syntactically correct,
It accrued to me to gently ask if you could consider extending the same respect, you would ...
-1
votes
0answers
55 views
“Take you in the sky” vs. “bring you up to the sky” vs. “get you in the sky” — which one is correct?
If I have got a pilot licence, I will take you in the sky/bring you up to the sky/get you in the sky. Which one is correct?
9
votes
5answers
18k views
“I use to”, or “I used to”
Which is the correct way of saying the following sentence (if there is a correct version)?
"I use to be a hitman"
"I used to be a hitman"
I've read the 2nd recently in a book, but was sure it ...
3
votes
0answers
91 views
Achievement Verbs with the Progressive Aspect
I was reading a grammar and saw this.
Achievement verbs describe actions that occur instantaeously.
He solved the problem.
He spotted the airplane.
These verbs fall into two classes - one is ...
0
votes
2answers
78 views
Determining sequence
I have a question regarding determining the sequence of events.
"It is taking her a bit longer than usual to get back on the game because she had come back from Germany last night. So I gave her a ...
-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 ...
0
votes
2answers
99 views
“I would like to go to a youth center to help and (to) work with teenagers”
Which is correct?
I would like to go to a youth center to help and work with teenagers.
I would like to go to a youth center to help and to work with
teenagers.
The question is whether ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
“Sent” vs “sent off” vs “sent out”
When do we use one over another?
I sent a letter.
I sent off a letter.
I sent out a letter.
Here I found a similar topic but I am still confused.
sent = sent to one or more people
...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
What to do with a list of verbs with different prepositional needs?
For example:
The community was not supportive of, or happy with the result.
The community was not supportive or happy with the result.
So when using two sets of verbs and prepositions (listing) in a ...
2
votes
3answers
549 views
“Varies” or “vary” in this sentence
I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article by Andrew C. Rewkin titled “Misperceived Paths to Energy Savings" in The New York Times, The Opinion Pages, (August 17, 2010).
...
-1
votes
0answers
51 views
How to ask the question in the context? [duplicate]
I have a question regarding asking questions.
For example:
While working on this worksheet, I came across a couple of questions that I needed/need to ask you.
And
While working on this ...
2
votes
2answers
61 views
“Starting with” vs. “starting from”
I would like to ask about the difference between the two phrases starting with and starting from.
Take the following two sentences for example:
Please give me all the names starting with A.
...
3
votes
2answers
60 views
Correctness of questions without inversion, relying on intonation
I hear and read them all the time. I mean stuff like:
You're just going to stay here?
Instead of:
Are you just going to stay here?
Then I write like this out of habit and get called out ...
32
votes
9answers
19k views
“Unregister” vs “Deregister”
The concept of "undoing a registration" is widely used in my line of work. While most dictionaries define unregister as the proper verb for it, several widely used and highly considered sources also ...
-1
votes
0answers
46 views
“Is someone below?” vs “Is there someone below?” [closed]
I know the second option is correct, but I'd also like to know whether the first is. I'm in the process of rooting out my bad grammatical habits, and I can't shake the feeling that I've seen the first ...
-2
votes
0answers
93 views
What is the difference between “say” or “tell”? [closed]
What's the difference between say and tell?
1
vote
4answers
250 views
Why should “be” come after “neither a borrower nor lender,” not before them?
I came across the maxim, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” in the following sentence of Jeffery Archer’s fiction, “The Fourth Estate” (P.54), and found that the maxim came from Lord Polonius’ ...
13
votes
4answers
347 views
The use of “trespasses”
According to a dictionary search for "trespasses":
v. Enter the owner's land or property without permission
n. A voluntary wrongful act against the person or property of another, esp. unlawful entry ...
5
votes
5answers
363 views
Why put the verb before the subject?
The opening sentence to The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien reads,
In a hole in the ground there lived [verb] a hobbit [subject].
I wonder if there are accepted stylistic purposes for such a structure. ...
9
votes
5answers
239 views
Can the verb “wonder” simply take an object?
In this question, the questioner states
I wonder the origin of the word.
Can wonder take a simple object like that? Or should it be wonder about or wonder at or something similar (or something ...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
Can one massacre lives?
"Most were convinced that those responsible were of their own, silently waiting for another chance to massacre innocent lives."
Would you say that the above example is acceptable or unacceptable with ...
-1
votes
4answers
58 views
What's a word I can use to describe “putting a collar on a pet” in a comical way? [closed]
I thought of something like "stick a collar on" but "stick" doesn't satisfy me. What are my other options?
Anything with some "edge" will do if comical is too hard.
-3
votes
2answers
66 views
How do you say “the test was redone”?
I'm documenting some test cases and this sentence in particular bothered me:
After the problem was fixed, the test was redone.
The thesaurus wasn't helping much.
Can it be reworded in a ...
-2
votes
0answers
79 views
“Fit one's needs” vs. “suit one's needs” vs. “meet one's needs”
In a formal letter, which verb should I choose?
The programme perfectly suits my needs.
The programme perfectly fits my needs.
The programme perfectly meets my needs.
-2
votes
2answers
39 views
Is it 'express shipped' or 'shipped express'?
Which one is correct?
He should have express shipped it to me.
He should have it shipped express to me.
