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Multiplication sentence grammar: indefinite article before the product: ‘a ten of twos is a twenty' or '‘a ten of twos is twenty"

In the English oral multiplication sentence, is the indefinite article before the product required? So is it ‘a ten of twos is a twenty' or '‘a ten of twos is twenty"? Intuitively the former ...
  • 103
1 vote
0 answers
14 views

What explains the restrictions on determinative "you"?

As Huddleston & Pullum note, "you" can sometimes be used as a determiner: You idiots never learn. I'll never understand you idiots. But this generally can't occur in the singular: *...
  • 6,093
1 vote
2 answers
28 views

A binge is on its own

I am quiet sure that the sentence There was a binge yesterday is grammatically correct. But what about semantics? I mean, there was an event like a drinking party yesterday. Do I use the binge word ...
0 votes
0 answers
20 views

Meaning of "was to have" [closed]

Mr Macron was to have hosted the king at a banquet at the former royal palace of Versailles. This sentence confuses me a little, especially the fact that "was" and "to have" are ...
-1 votes
0 answers
12 views

Sound pattern/poetry [closed]

Is "feet" or "foot" similar to "meter" in case of poems in literature?If there's any slightest difference anyone know of please let me know how to distinguish between ...
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-1 votes
0 answers
24 views

Comprehension of lines [closed]

I am not able to comprehend the meaning of 2nd paragraph, and especially the line which talks about descendants
0 votes
0 answers
19 views

If you have to choose one, which sentence is more correct? [closed]

If you speak English, you will not find it hard to let other people understand what you want to say or If you speak English, you will not find it hard to make other people understand what you want ...
  • 1
1 vote
1 answer
62 views

How are words ending with "-edly" pronounced?

I knew that "-ed-" in supposedly and assuredly are pronounced out as a syllable unlike when they don't have "-ly". I found a list of words ending in "-edly" (1), and ...
  • 185
1 vote
2 answers
45 views

Name for the category of complex tasks/process where the standard is perfection

I'm looking for an English adjective, idiom, phrase, or principle to describe complex tasks/jobs/processes/things where the baseline is "perfection". And where people only notice the ...
-1 votes
0 answers
14 views

'Structural Integrity Assessment' vs 'Structural Integrity Evaluation' [closed]

What are differences between the meaning of "structural integrity assessment" and "structural integrity evaluation"?
-2 votes
0 answers
21 views

Documentary by a man that tried different hallucinogens from different cultures [closed]

I watched a documentary probably more than 10 years ago where there was a man that I believe was an author. He traveled the world and visited different cultures, how they make their hallucinogen used ...
2 votes
1 answer
39 views

Term for (humorous) sentences that end in unexpected ways [duplicate]

I'm trying to find the term that refers to a certain type of joke. These jokes generally have the following characterstics: generally only one sentence long the first half is straightforward and ...
-2 votes
0 answers
19 views

What is the difference between "confirm" and "affirm"? [closed]

What is the difference between "confirm" and "affirm" ?
  • 127
0 votes
1 answer
46 views

Meaning of " trapping "? [closed]

This is the passage I'm reading: Using this method—and both human and inhuman spirits can do this—the entity bypasses the physical eye and projects the desired image directly to the ‘mind’s eye,’ or ...
1 vote
2 answers
69 views

Knowing who can be?

This is a phrase from one of my favorite songs by John Lennon, LOVE. Love is knowing we can be As a speaker of English as a second language, my first response was like we can be what? I know it's ...
3 votes
4 answers
107 views

Established onomatopoeic word for sound of rolling chairs?

I attempted to search for an onomatopoeic word for a chair rolling the floor- such as an office chair across a tiled surface- but to no avail. All that comes is "scraping" and similar for ...
1 vote
4 answers
768 views

When to use "the" in front of plural demonyms? "Americans" vs "the Americans" vs "the American people"?

When do you use the before plural demonymic expressions like "Americans", "British people" or "Chinese people"? Chinese people celebrate Lunar New Year on the first days ...
  • 5,246
4 votes
1 answer
50 views

Usage of "high school" and "secondary school" in British Columbia

I grew up in British Columbia, Canada. In the area where I grew up (Greater Vancouver), the school system was generally separated into elementary and high school, with elementary starting at ...
1 vote
2 answers
58 views

(The) unemployment in the country has fallen recently

I have been recently wondering about the reason why is "the" omitted in such a phrase like the one quoted below. "The unemployment in the country has fallen recently." My ...
-1 votes
0 answers
26 views

The effects of non-homogeneous complements on lexical aspect [closed]

Which sentence is more felicitous? She loved dogs in five minutes. She loved the dogs in five minutes. Does sentence 2 imply 'start to love'?
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-1 votes
2 answers
59 views

Is there a proper word that conveys the same meaning as “stealthed”?

I’m looking for a word to replace the word “stealthed” in my manuscript. I’ve been using it as an verb/adjective to mean “to enter stealth mode” or “currently in stealth mode” as the characters I’m ...
0 votes
0 answers
49 views

Is there a word that cover "length of things"? [closed]

There's several measurement words that shares the same standard units, e.g. Measure Unit Example Size of things/animals feet/metres The crab is 91 cm (35.8") long Height of things/animals feet/...
  • 181
0 votes
2 answers
70 views

Plain coffee or tea VS black coffee or tea

A coffee drink with no additives- no sugar no cream or no milk is called "black coffee". Can it be also called "plain coffee?" If yes, then can these callings be carried over to ...
1 vote
1 answer
50 views

How to write s/he at the beginning of a sentence? [closed]

In a document I want to use the gender form of personal pronouns. But if I use "s/he" at the beginning of a sentence, are both "s" and "h" to be written in capitals? It ...
22 votes
8 answers
4k views

Can you use 'amok' without 'run'? How?

I've only ever seen the word 'amok' used in conjunction with the verb 'to run'. As in, 'running amok' or 'to run amok'. Is there an accepted way to use 'amok' without the verb 'to run'? Do you have ...
1 vote
3 answers
49 views

Synonyms for "use" with positive conntotion?

"First, we will look into the representations of the mind as multifaceted and beautiful, examining how Moore [uses] these aesthetics to challenge notions that the mind is solely useful for its ...
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Does the idiom "step on a rake" mean making the same mistake twice?

In Russian there is an idiom "наступать на грабли" which is literally the same as "step on a rake" in English. I'm trying to figure out whether these idioms have exactly the same ...
0 votes
0 answers
27 views

Report vs. Narrative? What is the difference linguistically? [closed]

I am a sociolinguist and I am working with a data set where speakers were asked to (i) talk about a time when they were close to death (i.e., Labov's danger of death prompt) and (ii) talk about this ...
-1 votes
0 answers
15 views

Use of THIS in writing a paragraph [closed]

In constructing a paragraph, can we use "this" to refer back to parts of a text of previous paragraph?
8 votes
7 answers
2k views

Is there a term that describes reducing a person's identity to certain characteristics?

Is there a term that describes reducing a person's identity to certain characteristics, behaviours or traits that are not physical? The term should have a negative connotation. I've heard the ...
10 votes
18 answers
2k views

Word for "separating a group of similar-but-not-the-same things into categories"?

I'm writing up the changes I have made to some software; said changes include separating some things into categories (I'm trying to avoid making this readable only to people who know about programming)...
0 votes
0 answers
12 views

happens next vs would happen [closed]

The dog went barking at them What is the difference between What happens next? and What would happen now? to complete the above sentence
-3 votes
1 answer
54 views

What's the word for when you implement a variable? [closed]

What's the word for when you implement a variable? I'm sorry it's a bit of a simple question. I just can't seem to remember the word. It's not implement, assign, or pass. I tried reading a few lists ...
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

Is the phrase "in place" a good synonym for "appropriate"? [closed]

Would it be appropriate to use "in place" as a synonym for the word "appropriate?" In this sentence, for example: "I thought it would be in place for us to erect a statue for ...
0 votes
1 answer
56 views

What is the proper handling of Mach number?

My question mainly concerns named numbers like Mach, Reynolds, Weber, etc. Considering the eponymous noun is 'Mach number', is the following grammatically correct? His plane reached Mach 2. ...
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0 votes
1 answer
36 views

What is a prepositional phrase starting with "in" that substitutes "necessary"?

To elaborate using an example, I'll use the following sample sentence: "It would be necessary for us to expand our office campus." The substitution would look like this: "It would be in ...
-1 votes
0 answers
16 views

"on/in browser on/in my phone"? Which one is correct? [closed]

Statement is - Twitter is not working properly "on/in Chrome browser on/in my phone" Which one is correct in each case?
14 votes
8 answers
3k views

Word for a choice that is not really a choice

A long time ago, I read an article about wearing or not wearing a hijab. In the article, there was a term that described the fact that while, on paper, there was a choice, that decision would be so ...
1 vote
1 answer
29 views

Why is a plural noun followed by present participle incorrect? [duplicate]

Discussing what they do to earn extra cash, a friend told me: "I get paid for dogs walking." I think they should use the singular, "I get paid for dog walking". My friend replied,...
1 vote
2 answers
58 views

Get the path "to" vs "of" vs "for" a file?

Which phrase would be most correct to use? Or are they all correct, and it just depends on the situation, which to use? In my case it's regarding getting a path from a method in a Java program. A ...
  • 163
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

What is the negative form of "As soon as I saw her, I recognized her"? [closed]

Whether "No sooner had I seen her than I recognized her" is equivalent to the expression " As soon as I saw her, I recognized her" or " As soon as I had seen her, I recognized ...
0 votes
1 answer
31 views

Using "grow" in a subject + verb collocation

I have a problem with the usage of the word “grow.” Sentence 1: The wings grow. Sentence 2: The chick grows wings. I know “the hair grows” but not “I grow my hair.” But how about the sentences above? ...
-1 votes
0 answers
22 views

competitive exam question [closed]

Comprehension: Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are ...
0 votes
3 answers
46 views

Difference between how and why

I know how and why are different, but in certain situations it seems like the same answer would work for both of them. “How is the boy so big?” “Why is the boy so big?” Would the answer to both of ...
  • 11
5 votes
3 answers
117 views

Can two verbs have the same direct object?

I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job. Is whatever a direct object for do and takes?
  • 51
0 votes
0 answers
19 views

What kind of reforms WERE or WAS made? Which one is correct? [duplicate]

What kind of reforms WAS/WERE made? I usually know the subject-verb agreement. But someone asked me this, and I'm now questioning what I know about this. He said it should be "was" since ...
  • 9
0 votes
1 answer
36 views

"Set in" vs "Set to"

I came across a sentence while proofreading, and it sounds wrong to me but I don't have the knowledge to understand why. Set it in the OFF position The following sounds more natural to me: Set it ...
  • 366
1 vote
0 answers
45 views

Y'all pronounced as "yah"

I grew up in Texas, and I've heard and often said "yah" instead of y'all. I've never seen it listed as an alternative word to y'all. Has anyone else heard this pronunciation? I cannot seem ...
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
51 views

Word order after "that"

Why are we not able to delete those questions which are downvoted by someone that we have no clue what was in their mind? Is the first sentence grammatically correct? I think it is probably wrong to ...
0 votes
0 answers
9 views

Is the text written correctly? [closed]

Think of something you have tried to do and failed. How long was it before you gave up? What made you finally give up? Let me see. I can’t even count how many times I gave up. I think it depends on ...
  • 1

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