All Questions
0
votes
1answer
15 views
Use of “very” to modify verb participles used as adjectives - correct or not and why?
I have seen several obituaries with this kind of wording: "He is very missed." It looks and sounds wrong, perhaps because "very" can modify adjectives ("He is very tall") and adverbs ("He walks very ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
How to use quotes in a list with commas
This is a sentence that I wrote:
In the text, words such as greenbacks, ironclads, and blockade were used.
However, I think there should be quotations around the words. How would I place them? ...
0
votes
4answers
52 views
Understanding sentences with double-negation
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
41 views
“Ten times fewer the number,” versus “one-tenth the number”?
After a fruitless search on the internet with numerous combinations/permutations of words and phrases such as "X times fewer," "X times less," "mathematical expressions of 'times fewer' as opposed to ...
-1
votes
0answers
11 views
Can someone help me rephraise or correct this to make it sound more professional [closed]
There I really need your help english has never been my strong suite. and I am trying to promote my business. could you help me fix these erros and make it sound more professional thanks.
Great ...
1
vote
1answer
54 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
62 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.
2
votes
2answers
35 views
FCE exam's troubling transformation sentence
Today my students were given the following transformation sentence as part of their FCE exams:
I am reading a book which is irrelevant to school work.
Do:
The book I am reading is ...
-1
votes
1answer
30 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?
5
votes
4answers
192 views
Expression: Bag of hammers
I know that there's a film with this title, but is it also a common English expression with stable meaning?
4
votes
3answers
69 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, ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
Would you say “wanna” when you want something?
Would you say "wanna" when you want something? For example, "I wanna a new PC", instead of "I want a new PC"?
2
votes
1answer
39 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 ...
-1
votes
0answers
22 views
“Rumour has it ” [closed]
In the song "Rumour has it" by Adele there is the line :
"Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it, "
Is the line grammatically correct?
2
votes
2answers
647 views
Capitalising a sentence whose first word is explicitly lowercase [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Capitalization of names that begin lowercased, at the beginning of a sentence
Let's say that you have a word that should be typed with leading lowercase letter. Perhaps ...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
What is the correct capitalization of code examples when beginning a sentence? [duplicate]
I am writing a technical book and a lot of it is structured as explanations of code examples.
For instance:
var links = data.map(function (d) {
return {source: nick_id(d.from),
...
-2
votes
1answer
57 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
28 views
How to separate two phrases in a grammatically correct way?
In all stackexchange sites, there is an edit summary field provided when you try to edit a question or an answer. I find myself frequently writing there the following:
"edited title, added a tag"
or
...
22
votes
15answers
6k views
What are some examples of awkward sounding but grammatically correct sentences?
What are some examples of awkward sounding but grammatically correct sentences?
3
votes
2answers
55 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 ...
-1
votes
2answers
24 views
What phrase or word i can 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 ...
-3
votes
3answers
53 views
“James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher” Correct Sentence? [closed]
How "James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher" is Correct Sentence?
Can anyone explain?
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Capitalise 'squadron'?
Should the word 'squadron' be written with a capital? In some contexts it seems more appropriate than in others, but I'd like to do it consistently.
The 12th squadron set sail.
versus
The ...
3
votes
4answers
271 views
A general word that decribes “the residue” left behind when a fluid runs over a surface
I'm looking for a word that describes the film left behind when a fluid touches a surface.
For example:
A blood drop runs down a wall -> it leaves a ...
A puddle drying-out leaves a ...
Oil that ...
-1
votes
0answers
31 views
British accent and idioms?
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
vote
1answer
207 views
Who decides the casing of newly coined words?
We are creating a product which is online hosted CMS solution (something like WordPress), and we want to call it Site Pack. However, there are places where we need to join these words together (like ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Would like a specific word that describes a feeling or thought
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
48 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
71 views
Word for secret or in-joke
There is a word, somewhere in my dictionary, that means a joke that only a particular group understands i.e., in-joke. I can't remember it and have failed to find it with an online thesaurus, but it ...
1
vote
2answers
45 views
Origin of “Homeward ho!”
In the English translation of an essay by Leon Trotsky that came out in Foreign Affairs, I read [emphasis added]:
Now it turns out that the world exchange is the source of all
misfortunes and ...
17
votes
7answers
9k views
Why did English become a universal language and when?
As we all know, English is the universal communication medium. Now we know how powerful it is to convey our thoughts. When did it become a common language? Why did they opt for this language?
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 ...
7
votes
3answers
806 views
Is there a gender-neutral word for [aunts and uncles], parents' siblings?
Brothers and sisters are siblings. Husbands and wives are spouses. Mothers and fathers are parents. Sons and daughters are children. Grandparents, grandchildren... but what about uncles and aunts, ...
31
votes
2answers
3k views
If the plural of ‘man’ is ‘men,’ shouldn’t the plural of ‘German’ be ‘Germen’?
What makes these two words so different that 'man' is changed to 'men', but 'German' is changed to 'Germans'?
4
votes
2answers
50 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
42 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
56 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 ...
6
votes
1answer
15k views
“Would you mind to do something?”
Is it correct to say "Would you mind to do something?". I've seen this usage in a few places, but it doesn't sound right to me. I would guess that it's proper to use "Would you mind doing something?" ...
6
votes
5answers
3k views
What is the origin of “stitched up like a kipper”?
I've heard the phrase so many times, but only now am wondering where it comes from.
I know it is used to mean that someone has been tricked, or has in some way fallen for a trap.
e.g.
Bob: So I ...
0
votes
4answers
11k views
“Recommend you [do something]” or “Recommend you to [do something]”?
Will anyone make a clear comparison between "recommend + subject + to infinitive" and "recommend + to + subject + to + infinitive"?
As an example:
We recommend you to buy a new car.
We recommend to ...
2
votes
1answer
89 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
65 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. ...
-1
votes
1answer
44 views
Who verbally uses the title “Miss” with a female's first name (regardless of the female's correct title) and why?
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
70 views
Is a ship's biscuit a biscuit or a cake?
Cakes go hard when they are stale. Biscuits go soft when they are stale.
So, what about a ship's biscuit?
2
votes
2answers
502 views
Use of “is” vs. “are” when both singular and plural countable nouns follow
This is a question I've been wondering about for some time, and I finally came across an example today that I can quote. Consider this sentence (from):
No longer is the main primary exchanges the ...
0
votes
0answers
29 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?
10
votes
5answers
792 views
fait accompli – to italicize, or not to italicize
Background
I was looking up the rule about italicizing foreign phrases and found an apparent consensus that the criterion is if the phrase is familiar. Well, who gets to decide that? I know perfectly ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Are “wonder” and “wander” etymologically related?
Especially in lyric-writing, where used more figuratively than literally, e.g. (mental) wandering and wondering, the two seem often interchangeable. And I can see wondering being conceived as an ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
I can't make heads or tails out of this paragraph. It's a complex pun. (Warning: Mildly “bad language” and urban lingo))
Here it is:
It's your brother's MR. T PUPPET, which of course is kept in the apartment with a sense of profound humorous irony. But as usual with your BRO's exploits, this is no ordinary irony, or ...
0
votes
4answers
335 views
Confusion with Use of “Though” [closed]
Today I came across this sentence:
Though I don't sell photos taken by me it still makes me feel good/appreciated/wanted
I want to know exactly what this sentence means. I assumed two possible ...
