-3
votes
0answers
40 views
British accent and idioms? [closed]
Is there a tutorial on how to learn British accent and idioms? I moved to new Zealand and i almost cant understand their english. I believe new Zealand uses oxford so i assume they uses British ...
-1
votes
3answers
36 views
What phrase or word can I use to describe a bad mix of action?
This is in a Saudi YouTube series that I'm subtitling; I came across a colloquial word which means literally 'a mixture of melon juice, mango juice and corn', and figuratively expresses a bad course ...
-1
votes
1answer
40 views
Proper adjective to use with the word “chance” (“low”, “small”, “slim”, etc.)
What is the proper adjective to use with word chance? Can chance be low, small, slim?
What would be your suggestion?
3
votes
1answer
56 views
Non-finite clause complementation of complex transitive verbs
This question has been bothering me for a while. It came up when I was reading Chapter 16 of "A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language."
How to explain the grammatical structure of the ...
5
votes
3answers
109 views
Do you use both my home and our home to your friends?
I want to hear about your first week. Send us an answer back with
Hedwig [Harry's owl]. (A note from Hagrid to Harry, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone)
Oxford(British English, ...
4
votes
2answers
65 views
Usage of “I'm sorry” and “thank you very much” outside of obvious settings
Why do people say "I'm sorry" at the beginning of a sentence? For example: "I'm sorry, but I don't care for her one bit." On the same note, I would like to understand the meaning of "thank you very ...
2
votes
1answer
54 views
Can one feel claustrophobic?
I often hear people say they "feel claustrophobic" (e.g. in a lift). This sounds wrong. To me, one is claustrophobic, or one feels claustrophobia.
Am I correct in assuming the expression "to feel ...
2
votes
1answer
127 views
What does ‘play the pill’ mean?
There was the following sentence in Maureen Dowd’s article titled “Taxing Times for Obama” in the New York Times May 18 issue. - ...
6
votes
1answer
96 views
Expressions in Tim Minchin's “Angry (Feet)”
I'm having a little trouble with matching some of the lyrics of Tim Minchin's "Angry (Feet)" to the reactions to them of the audience. This makes me suspect I'm missing some of the semantic layers. ...
6
votes
1answer
111 views
Does English have half-graded antonyms?
In a recent question about comparatives, a dispute arose in the comments about gradable antonyms like useful/useless where English speakers strongly prefer to use comparative forms only for half of ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
Is it right to use comma before “here”?
Members of parliament can criticize other members, here.
Note the comma after members and before here.
In this particular case, is it okay? Or should the comma not be there?
-1
votes
1answer
38 views
“in” or “on” operating system? [closed]
I see both "on Windows" and "in Windows" on the Internet. I'm wondering which way is the correct way? Or maybe they have different meanings?
Thanks!
2
votes
1answer
54 views
about the expression 'on someone's behalf'
I know the expression 'on (someone's) behalf' usually reads or is understood as 'instead of someone' but I'm wondering if it's possible for it to have a benefactive reading, that is, if it can be used ...
2
votes
1answer
45 views
“Student has course” vs “Student takes course”
Which is more accurate when describing the relationship between student and course?
the student has a course
or
the student takes a course
-2
votes
1answer
66 views
Meaning of “as it was” in context
What does it mean "as it was" in this context?
She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. As it was, the jar ...
0
votes
0answers
61 views
What does “though” mean in these sentences?
I knew these are American English sentences, and they are informal. However, I would like to know what exactly it means, or it simply means nothing, and people merely want to add something unnecessary ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Punctuation for a Shakespeare quote
I am putting a quote on a plaque, but am uncertain how to punctuate it. Any help would be appreciated.
This above all: to thine own self be true
Do I put in a comma (which is in the original ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Who verbally uses the title “Miss” with a female's first name (regardless of the female's correct title) and why? [duplicate]
Who verbally uses the title "Miss" with a female's first name (regardless of the female's correct title) and why? Example:
Meet with Miss Debbie in the conference room at 2 o'clock.
3
votes
3answers
61 views
Counting stops without ambiguity
A typical conversation on a bus:
Alice: Have we reached our stop yet, Bob?
Bob: No, Alice. Two more stops to go.
Alice: Do you mean "two more stops, then ours" or "one more stop, then ...
2
votes
1answer
39 views
grammar: why do we or omit the “do” [duplicate]
very often we see the description like this:
Many people realize that they didn't do any wrongdoings, so they cannot understand why they have to be punished. or ...., so they cannot understand why do ...
2
votes
1answer
24 views
In film reviews/essays about a book or film, does the title of the movie/book always have to be highlighted/put in italics?
In film reviews/essays about a book or film, does the title of the movie/book always have to be highlighted/put in italics?
I know that at the start you have to put the title in italics, e.g.:
...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Is it okay to omit the space after a comma in square bracket references, e.g. “[45,46,47,64]” in a research paper
Should you still apply the rule that there is a space after the comma, or is it an accepted practice to omit the space in this case?
1
vote
0answers
17 views
is there another way of saying: “shaky structures”? [duplicate]
What expression would an English teacher use to say that the handling of the language is a bit uncertain not with used with precision? In Swedish you can say (translated literally): your ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
what sounds idiomatic [closed]
A Swedish teacher could write on an essay in Swedish (translated: Some of your structures, (the way you use the language) are"uncertain") meaning that it's a bit awkardly phrased and not very ...
1
vote
3answers
95 views
If a room cannot be escaped, it is inescapable. What if a room cannot be entered?
Suppose there is an automatic door to a room. That door may:
simply let people walk in and out as they choose.
let people walk in, but not walk out (deathtrap!)
let people walk out, but not back in ...
3
votes
1answer
45 views
Using the pronouns “he” and “she” for animals
I've been wondering for some time under which conditions the pronouns he/she can be used when talking about animals. I know that they are used when talking about pets (esp. larger ones) and when you ...
2
votes
2answers
36 views
How do you hyphenate 'luminous' over 2 verse lines, 'lumi-nous' or 'lumin-ous'? Help
How do you hyphenate 'luminous' over two verse lines, 'lumi-nous' or 'lumin-ous'? Help.
1
vote
1answer
54 views
Is it “extreme” or “large” diversity for endophytic microorganism subject?
Do I need to substitute the word extreme to large in this text?
Endophytic fungi are molds that are found in the healthy plant tissues. Endophytic fungi is mold that exists in the plant tissue ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views
asking a question with “have”
The context is that a doctor is asking about somebody's child's symptoms of influenza.
Is this question correct: What symptoms has Anne? If it's incorrect, then why?
It looks strange to me, I would ...
2
votes
1answer
44 views
“As if” & “As would be the case if”; Also, “As though”
On a Q&A site in Japan, I read an expression that as if comes from as (would be the case) if.
Are both about the same thing?
Is this claim historically true?
If so, what does "as though" come ...
1
vote
2answers
67 views
“It was still bright/light outside.” Is one of these incorrect?
If I want to say it's still somewhat early in the evening and it's not so dark outside so that you can still see things quite clearly almost like during daytime, which of the following sentences would ...
0
votes
1answer
38 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?
2
votes
0answers
78 views
What does 'trout-shouldered' mean?
In an episode of the television show Archer one character refers to another as being "trout-shouldered."
“This pathetic, trout-shouldered excuse for a boom operator is Chet Manly."
What might this ...
0
votes
2answers
66 views
Is “more optimal” correct grammar? [duplicate]
As a math and computer-science person, I use the phrase "more optimal" quite often, such as "This algorithm gives more optimal results." However, I was recently corrected, and told that "more ...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
Utilise or Utilize
I am writing in UK English and would like to confirm that we use utilise instead of utilize. I cannot seem to find a answer for this online.
-1
votes
1answer
46 views
Jukebox - I know what a Box is but what exactly is a Juke? [closed]
What exactly is a Juke? I only know this word if: 1) it's attached to -box; 2) an athlete confuses his/her opponent with a series of moves.
But what is its exact origin? JEP
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Which one to use as general Personal Pronoun: he, she or it [duplicate]
The issue
On my mother language, Portuguese, we have a lot of little differences to English on Pronouns.
My question
Which phrase is correct? Since I don't know if user is a man or a woman (or a ...
3
votes
2answers
49 views
“best thing since X”
If you were to read some news like “Movie X is the highest-grossing since (earlier) Movie Y” or “Earthquake X is the deadliest since Y” or “Gold prices are highest since the spike in year Y” or ...
1
vote
3answers
44 views
Word similar to “indecisive” but more conflicted
I was trying to describe the facial expression in this GIF and couldn't come up with a single word.
On the surface, it looks like the feeling expressed by this character is indecisiveness, but it ...
-1
votes
0answers
43 views
A specific word that describes a feeling or thought [closed]
I have a friend I have not seen for some time. We email quite often. I share a lot of funny stuff that cracks him up.
Here is my problem: This is strictly platonic, but we want to see each other ...
0
votes
2answers
47 views
Plaque Wording and Capitalization
When writing a message on a plaque using multiple lines to communicate the message, is it appropriate to capitalize the first word of each line, even if the line is a continuation of a sentence shown ...
-1
votes
4answers
74 views
Understanding sentences with double-negation [duplicate]
How should the following sentence be understood?
"There isn't no happiness".
a) meaning: There IS some happiness . (Because the two negations cancel each other out)
b) meaning: There is ...
0
votes
1answer
41 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
4answers
38 views
Successfully submitted vs Submitted Successfully
When data has been submitted through a form online, which sentence below make the most sense to use? Is one grammatically correct more than the other?
Your information has been successfully ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
How do I compose an imperative sentence that tells a parent to “Ask” a child?
We are putting together a kit of picture books and a narrative on how parents can use the books to help a child with early literacy. We want to use an imperative sentence to tell the parent to ask the ...
2
votes
2answers
46 views
How to reply to a status update for a job application?
I received an email today telling me that I will be notified about next steps for my job application by mid next week. I want to be polite and respond something brief, but since I'm not a native ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Usage and spelling of “wordlength” and “bitbreadth”
As far as I know, these are the meanings:
wordlength — for instance, 4 bytes when the bitbreadth is 32 and 8 bytes when the bitbreadth is 64.
bitbreadth — for example, 32 or 64 or 4 bits for a ...
1
vote
4answers
73 views
Looking for a word that means the opposite of 'gilded'
I'm looking for the opposite of gilded when used as:
having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.
Most of the antonyms listed from different sources mean ...
-1
votes
1answer
36 views
What word/title should I use in an email asking for updates [closed]
I would like to contact my recruiter (via email) asking for updates on my application.
What should I put in the title so it is informative, but also at the same time does not sound like I am too ...
0
votes
2answers
57 views
Plural of “uh-oh” and “oh-no”
Does the plural form of uh-oh and oh-no include an apostrophe? So is it "uh-oh's and oh-no's" or "uh-ohs and oh-nos"?
I've seen it both ways and cannot find a definitive answer anywhere.
