Questions tagged [context]
A context describes the surroundings for a sentence.
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8 views
Which tense fits the context best?( would win or won) [migrated]
The Super Grocery Store organized a competition for kids. Whoever could guess the correct number of jellybeans in the big jar,________(to win) a prize.
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1answer
37 views
Interpretation - “my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.”
I couldn't accurately understand what is the meaning of the following sentence.
"Oh, brothers! I don't care for brothers. My elder brother won't die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything ...
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0answers
16 views
-ic vs. -ical adjective forms when talking about categories/fields [duplicate]
I will bring forward examples coming from my field of studies.
For long time I have been wondering whether there are rationales or regional variances applied to the usage of dichotomies like:
...
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0answers
33 views
Can you brew wine, or is the word “brew” specific to Beer, coffee, and tea? [duplicate]
I would like to know whether or not wine can be brewed, and secondly if the wine-making process is considered brewing. It seems that some definitions are specific to beer, coffee, and tea, where ...
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2answers
61 views
Can 'whom' be used in this context? [closed]
I would like to know if whom can be used in this sentence:
I commend the authors for discussing the discrepancy between minority
medical students and the disproportionate percentage of whom apply ...
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3answers
60 views
Help me understand “mortal man never smoked their superior in quality.”
I am a Korean reading The Lives of the Great Composers by Harold Schonberg.
There's part of an article quoted from the New York Times describing how Americans welcomed Offenbach in his visit to New ...
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1answer
45 views
What is the definition of dig? If someone begins to cut into a surface is it considered that they have dug something? if not, why not?
According to the following extract:
Mrs. Baker wanted to go ice fishing. She read several books on the subject, and finally, after purchasing all the necessary equipment, she went onto the ice. ...
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2answers
81 views
Is it okay to use “babysit” verb in context of own kids?
Say, my wife has to run some errands in the morning, and I have to announce at my work that I will be missing for some time.
Are both correct?
I have to babysit in the morning.
I have to watch my ...
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1answer
82 views
Meaning of “it pools in a little heart around the meat”
"When Pop plates it, the liver smells, but the gravy he made to slather on it pools in a little heart around the meat, and I wonder if Pop did that on purpose."
"it pools in a little heart around the ...
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1answer
336 views
Inappropriate meaning of “inappropriate”, depending on context
The meaning of the word "inappropriate" somewhat changes depending on context.
In the sentence
In an email reply to my professor, I misunderstood what he told me and
wrote something ...
1
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0answers
124 views
Difference between “label”, “categorize” and “arrange”
Can the verbs, like label, categorize, and arrange, be used to mean the same, as in:
The states are labeled with their U.S. postal abbreviations, their founding date and capitals.
The states ...
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2answers
57 views
Sit and stand are oppositive, but look alike in some context
As a second sense, astride means extending across. But I am getting confused with some of its usage examples.
I found an example of a preposition astride used with the verb stand in an Oxford English ...
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1answer
1k views
Correct usage of “consists of”
I found a confusing usage of "consist of" in Belles Make Up site:
Water consists of 70% of our whole body.
I think that above sentence is wrong because water is within our body, not the body ...
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2answers
1k views
Meaning and usage of “as well as”
We use "as well as" to mean "and in addition", "and also", but the following sentence completely made me confused:
There are roughly 1000 different words for “water,” as well as for “louse”.
I ...
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2answers
247 views
Correct usage of “fine”
"Fine" as an adjective means:
of very high quality; very good of its kind.
very thin or narrow.
[in Cricket] directed or stationed behind the wicket and close to the line of flight of the ball when ...
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1answer
39 views
Usage of “improve.”
I recently read a WikiHow article, How to Be a Hard Worker, where I encountered the following usage of the verb "improve":
"Maximize potential and
improve weaknesses." —WikiHow
Is the phrase "...
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2answers
122 views
“Ultimately” meaning
I have a question regarding the usage of "ultimately" in the passage below, quoted from an article here:
The reports about Thales show him employing a certain kind of
explanation: ultimately the ...
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0answers
64 views
Which preposition to use when considering the “social media” as a virtual counterpart of the “real” world?
So, what is then the correct distinction between the "in"and "on" preposition, when connected with the "social media" as a virtual space/entity - in oppposition to the "real" - physical reality...
...
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1answer
5k views
What is the difference between “justice served” and “justice given”?
I read a statement somewhere that said "Justice will be given" rather than the usual "Justice will be served". Even though I understand that both statements mean the same, there is certainly some ...
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2answers
267 views
Verb Tenses and Auxiliary Verbs
Our train leaves at four-thirty tomorrow morning.
This is probably a simple problem, but I am having difficultly finding a source that answers my specific question. I am having some trouble ...
0
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1answer
35 views
get the door for her so she doesn't scrape in on the curb? what does it mean? [closed]
the expression comes from the link below
https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/391742867559861412/
'get the door for her so she doesn't scrape in on the curb'? what does it mean?
get the door, I get that ...
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1answer
115 views
“Precision clock becomes a bag of worms” [closed]
"Precision clock becomes a bag of worms."
In this sentence, I don't get the meaning of 'precision clock' and 'bag of worms'.
I mean, I know the meaning of each phrase, but not under this context.
It ...
4
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1answer
206 views
What's the difference between the “me” and the “I” used in the quote below?
I read the next words (part of a bigger sentence, coming from musical lyrics):
But my parents, they lived through the Blitz years, and me, I was sent to a farm.
Why are me and I used, instead of:
...
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1answer
9 views
the context of part of sentence
If they go for it, I think Spurs will score on Saturday, it is just what else happens at the other end that is the worry for Pochettino' side.
I don't understand the context of this sentence.
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1answer
85 views
The meaning of 'stop-start' in this phrase
This year it has been far more stop-start, from the high of the Champions League games against Real Madrid and their 4-1 win over Liverpool, to performanaces that have been so poor, they have been ...
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1answer
85 views
Is it odd to use “mutter” instead of “murmur” in the following context?
I know that we usually mutter when we're annoyed, but what about the other situations? I mean, for example, is it odd to use "mutter" instead of "murmur" in the following context?
"I love you," she ...
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1answer
380 views
Are the questions “Would you like to do something useful?” and “I will remember it” rude or offensive in English? [closed]
Are these two questions rude or offensive in English:
"Would you like to do something useful?" (referred to somenthing that needs to be done urgently)
and
"I will remember it" (said to a person but ...
2
votes
2answers
342 views
antonym of “recently”
What are the antonyms of recently?
I have checked with a thesaurus and I got just two:
before
later
Neither of those seems to fit into my call to action sentence - visit 10 URLs that were not ...
0
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2answers
88 views
“That's got carpet tile written all over it. ”?
I'm watching a british TV show "The Great British Bake Off" and stumbled upon this conversation.
(One contestant(B) trying to pull out a cake lifter after placing a cake on a stand. Another person(A) ...
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6answers
4k views
Realm vs Kingdom
Is there any difference between "Realm" and "Kingdom"?. Effectively I've always seen them with no difference.
In some forums people point to a more metaphorical usage of "Realm" but also "Kingdom of ...
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3answers
113 views
Does waiter still applied as male server? [closed]
I am not native English speaker.
Want to ask, does 'Waiter' still applied to male specific gender of 'Server'?
Or could we call female server as Waiter too?
The thing is I am currently developing a ...
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0answers
148 views
What is the appropriate context for 'jovial'? [closed]
When one should use the word "jovial", is there any specific context discriminating it from, to mention one, "merry", or are they quite similar in usage?
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1answer
132 views
meaning of “farmers who receive state subsidies” in context
Western involvement in Africa should go far beyond the purchase of oil and minerals, and requires sacrifices from all wealthy countries, Western and non-Western. The matter of agricultural subsidies ...
2
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3answers
170 views
Why does this use of “of” sound incorrect?
A recent thread on ELL has raised a question in my own mind regarding something in an answer. Consider these two sentences:
All the computers in this section are the same price.
These watches ...
7
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10answers
1k views
A word that refers to a shrill sound vibrating in someone's ears and alerting the senses
Click, click. The rapid shrill sound constantly came and went,
_____ing in my ears.
Which word can best fit the blank in the sentence? Ringing or echoing fit, but seem too lackluster and mediocre ...
1
vote
1answer
60 views
Meaning of **power** in this context
I've recently come across this sentence in which I've managed to understand all of the new words for me except for the last one - power. After looking it up in several dictionaries I still haven't ...
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1answer
68 views
English language question combined with Math from Movie Heat
I asked about this to an American, I couldn't understand why 'additional 40%'
instead of 60%.
Look, Van Zant. Nobody knew the merch was yours or
they would have respected it. Be that asit may: now
...
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votes
1answer
65 views
“Simply obfuscate in pretending” - meaning [duplicate]
Consider the following sentence:
"The president simply obfuscates in pretending that the world would be the same even if it were not for the Iraq war."
The way I understood it: The president is ...
23
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32answers
8k views
A word with two meanings though misuse could be lethal [closed]
I'm currently writing an article that includes two contexts of communication: effectiveness and competence. Incompetent people can misuse terminology all day and the ideas are effective and do ...
1
vote
1answer
141 views
'white-sleeve badge? [closed]
Can somebody please explain this expression from a Mark Twain story:
'Sedgemoor trade-mark, white sleeve badge'?
Here is the context:
Among other things he said that my character was written in my ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
What does “modest station of judges” mean?
The Washington Post (March 20) carries an article under the title, “
Supreme Court nominee promises to remember ‘modest station’ of judges in a democracy,” which follows:
Judge Neil Gorsuch promised ...
1
vote
3answers
612 views
Word for a team whose members play perfectly together all having different talents
I am looking for a word that describes a team whose members all have different talents, excel at those talents perfectly and are able to, despite their different skillsets, work together seamlessly ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
What does the “Swiss heroes” phrase allude to?
While translating an article about innovative design tools, I came across the "Swiss heroes" phrase. I'm pretty much sure it isn't used literally and the author refers to some well-known object or ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the meaning of “fit the time” in the context?
check out the sentence:
As measurement devices have improved, maps have become more accurate
and also less artistic. The following maps are from the region in
which the current superpowers, ...
1
vote
1answer
127 views
Is it compatible with the same meaning ?? Each country's perception / perception of each country
As far as I know the meaning of "perception of people" is "perception about people"
but when I want to say "people's perception, can I also change it to "perception of people" form with the same ...
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1answer
100 views
The usage of infinitive (supine) in the sentence
Consider this sentence:
He carried the taxed grain in large ship in 1863 to pass the water
channel with the sea men and officials to leave the daily situation as
the record in simply ways like ...
-1
votes
1answer
700 views
Meaning of simple sentence in different tenses [closed]
Hello I would like you to explain me the discrepancies and the nuances of using this simple sentence in different tenses. I would like to know the context when each of this should be used this will ...
2
votes
1answer
101 views
the function of “the origin ” in the sentence
Consider the following sentence:
A shell mound exhibition center was constructed in 2002 to
reproduce the distribution of the relics and lifestyle of the
Neolithic age, the origin, distribution ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
he knocks ashes out against the bars?
I'm reading Jerome K. Jerome's 'Three men in a boat'
The above is about fishermen's bluff.
My question is in the above paragraph a man knocks ashes (from his pipe) against the bars.
But what is bars?...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
If …or less meaning here
What does this sentence convey : "If applicant holds diploma or less, attaching high school certificate is required" Does it say: wether applicant holds diploma or lesser education proving document ...
