Questions tagged [context]
A context describes the surroundings for a sentence.
85
questions
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3answers
28 views
alternate word for “coupling”
I'm writing a scientific article.
In my study, the amount of food we eat affects the bodyweight for example. We call it "coupling of food and bodyweight" because bodyweight depends mainly on food ...
1
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1answer
23 views
Meaning in context
Provine writes: “I forge recklessly into the paleohumorology fray, proposing my candidate for the most ancient joke—the feigned tickle. (Real tickling is disqualified because of its reflexive nature.) ...
1
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1answer
41 views
Inquiries Concerning Context Clues, Syllables, and the Use of the Dictionary [closed]
The following are consists of three questions with the possible choices for each along with my reasoning for each question. I ask of you to provide me assistance in guiding me towards the answer for ...
0
votes
1answer
12 views
Flexible change another prepositon [closed]
Here is the sentence:
" I argue with you"
Most of the time I have been taught that ARGUE + WITH is the function that I have to remember. But recently I have read some books about lexicon and they ...
0
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0answers
13 views
Proper context for “fall out of favor”
I know the meaning of the idiom "to fall out of favor", but I am wondering if it is common and correct to use it in the academic context like:
This method has fallen out of favor because of ...
0
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1answer
49 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 ...
0
votes
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:
...
1
vote
0answers
37 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
63 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 ...
1
vote
3answers
64 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
57 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. ...
3
votes
2answers
101 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
88 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 ...
0
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1answer
395 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
vote
0answers
136 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
61 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 ...
1
vote
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 ...
6
votes
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 ...
1
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2answers
304 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
44 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 "...
0
votes
2answers
131 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 ...
1
vote
0answers
67 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...
...
2
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1answer
6k 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
277 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
37 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
124 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
votes
1answer
210 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:
...
0
votes
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.
0
votes
1answer
94 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
90 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
437 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
364 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
votes
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) ...
8
votes
6answers
5k 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 ...
0
votes
3answers
121 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 ...
1
vote
0answers
163 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?
0
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1answer
154 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
votes
3answers
174 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
votes
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 ...
0
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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
...
-2
votes
1answer
67 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
votes
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
145 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 ...
13
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
662 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
91 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
132 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 ...
-1
votes
1answer
103 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 ...
