Questions tagged [nuance]

Nuance: a subtle difference or distinction in color, expression, meaning, etc.

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2 answers
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Where are the outer limits?

When one talks about the "outer limits" of something, what, or where, does it mean exactly? (I mean, where to pinpoint?) Thinking of a limit as an outermost line, is it the area closest to ...
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Nuances between 'more' and 'better' (than something) [duplicate]

For this sentence, which one is correct or more suitable, 'more' or 'better'; or are they both equally valid? Are there any nuances between them? I like baseball ______ than soccer. Please give a ...
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Work ON a farm, work IN a farm or work AT a farm? Which one is correct, why and the incorrect ones why not? [duplicate]

As the title says. Please help me out with this :)
2 votes
1 answer
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what does the expression "I was feathered" mean?

I'm reading "A Day No Pigs Would Die." I’d just wound up running away from Edward Thatcher and running away from the schoolhouse. I was feathered if I was going to run away from one darn ...
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1 answer
432 views

Difference between "provocative" and "thought-provoking"

In some dictionaries, provocative has two meanings: (1) Causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction, especially deliberately. (2) Arousing sexual desire or interest Some other dictionaries ...
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1 answer
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Help me with understanding the context

I'm having difficult time to understand the dialogue below. It comes from "Project Runway season 19." KRISTINA: Did you start to put your zippers? CHASITY: It's not gonna be the last moment. ...
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3 votes
2 answers
116 views

‘should’ versus ‘expected to’ [closed]

I have the following piece of college regulation. Staff and students should have access to teaching rooms on the hour. Allowing time for setting up equipment and finding seats, this means that formal ...
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1 answer
37 views

I'll be at the concert tomorrow evenif/while/if it means queuing for tickets all night [closed]

In my Cambridge English book there is a practice sentence where I have to put in a clause. The options are 'while', 'despite', 'if' and 'even if'. The context is contrast clauses. The sentence is: I'...
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How to say that you can wear a garment "by itself?"

I can't seem to realize if this sentence is okay: (I'm writing about some kind of a top) "It is a versatile piece that can be worn by itself or as an overshirt." Q1. Is versatile the right ...
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1 answer
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Does the addition of a second “some” change the meaning of the following sentence?

I’d like know to whether the following sentence retains its nuance and meaning with the addition of “some” before the word “others”. “I’m good at some types of art and bad at others.” “I’m good at ...
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2 answers
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Asymmetry of "not good" and "not bad"

I'm not sure about this but it seems to me that "not good" always has a firm negative connotation, i.e. it is equivalent to "bad", whereas "not bad" doesn't necessarily ...
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Is there any difference between "putting on" and "faking" (an accent)?

I know they both mean "pretending to have" (a particular accent). Yet, I'm unsure if they can be used interchangeably. Are they both disapproving? For example, He was just faking a Scottish ...
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What's the difference between "subject to" and "subjected to" in contracts? [duplicate]

Applicants are subject to testing ... Applicants are subjected to testing ... When employers use "subject to" or "subjected to" in this way, does "subject to" imply they ...
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Difference between a 'condo' and a 'condominium' [closed]

They seem to be a really similar words, but I wonder that there is a difference between the two words? Location, size of the house, or facilities in the building?
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2 answers
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What is the difference between the two sentences? (Have you been ... before? AND have you ever been...?)

Have you been to Japan before? Have you ever been to Japan? What is the difference between the two sentences? Thank you.
2 votes
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What is the difference between “[I] may [be] ...” and “even though ... ”? [closed]

The above is a question that has occurred to be fairly recently. I admit that there are plenty of cases where they are not even close to equivalent, but how about the following? I may be visually ...
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1 answer
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Is there a word that has no nuance and refers to the literal property of something being new?

Sorry for the rather confusing title. I'm writing a research paper regarding COVID-19 and am trying to write a sentence along the lines of: The main challenge of building a COVID-19 domain QA model ...
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"not so useful as" vs "not as useful as" [duplicate]

I do not understand whether the first or the second sentence is correct, or perhaps both? No other metal is so useful as iron. No other metal is as useful as iron. Although the latter feels ...
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2 answers
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Looking for a Very Specific Adjective

Is there a word to describe a person who is both of the following? a) insidious - in the traditional sense...that they have a tendency to use or harm people in such a way that the victim does not ...
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1 answer
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Is there a difference between Lenience and Leniency? Google defines them the same way but is one the modern version and the other the older one?

The Google definition for both words is: he fact or quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected; clemency. Which one is used most nowadays? Thank you.
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1 answer
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meaning of "ghetto kids" [closed]

I'm going to translate the following sentence into a language in which there may not be an exact equivalent for the word 'ghetto'. He taught ghetto kids in New York's public school system. (...
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1 answer
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What is the difference between 'To study English is not easy' and 'Studying English is not easy'?

What is the difference (nuance) between these two sentences? 'To study English is not easy.' 'Studying English is not easy.'
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1 answer
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The difference between '' It is ... '' and '' Is does be ... ''

1 John: Does the fax machine be used any more ? Mary: Yes, it does be used on occasion. 2 John: Is the fax machine used any more? Mary: Yes, it is used on occasion. . Are these different tenses ...
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2 answers
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Present Unreal Conditional and speaking about present

I would like to ask, if the sentence below is grammatical and how can we understand this sentence: If the car was sold in the last week, you wouldn't see this in the public database yet. Also, can ...
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2 answers
874 views

What are the differences in nuance/meaning between I hope you will spend some time with me, and I want to spend some time with you [closed]

Could anyone help me understand differences in nuance/meaning between 'I hope you will spend some time with me', and 'I want to spend some time with you'.
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1 answer
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Difficult construction with Past Perfect + have to

I'm a little bit confused with grammatic construction which includes Past Perfect + "have to". The first question which appears here is: if this construction is grammatic or not? The law changed ...
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4 answers
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Draw my attention (from something) to something

"A beautiful woman always draws my attention". "While I was chatting at Laura's party, a beautiful guy suddenly drew my attention". «Now I wish to draw your attention to what has attracted my ...
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1 answer
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Future Simple vs. Future Perfect in difficult sentence

I would like to ask three questions: 1.) If the sentence mentioned below is gramatically correct. Everything will be spotless by the time they get here. 2.) Is it correct to use Future Simple ...
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2 answers
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Tenses - Differences in meaning of two sentences

I would like to understand the difference between two sentences and ask if they are gramatically correct. 1.) Sam gained weight because he had been overeating. So, he ate much in the past and gained ...
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6 votes
3 answers
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Allegedly vs. apparently - Differences in connotation?

I am a non-native speaker trying to find the right expression for my sentence. There is a study that reports a 55% decline in the number of trades, however, I cannot examine the data or the study ...
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kicking off or kicked off

Collins Dictionary: If an event, game, series, or discussion kicks off, or is kicked off, it begins. The shows kick off on October 24th. [VERB PARTICLE] The Mayor kicked off the party. [VERB ...
2 votes
2 answers
691 views

Meaning of "dismay"

What is the exact meaning of dismay? Is it close to shock and surprise? Or is it closer to disappointment and unhappiness? Or does it mean embarrassment? When I looked the word up in the ...
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Use of an indefinite article associated with a particular person's name [duplicate]

Indefinite (and definite) articles are sometimes associated with a person's name. This answer by Jon Hanna is the best summary of the uses I have found. Also, another question addresses the issue ...
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2 answers
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"Extreme" consequences of argument

I am trying to say that an argument (a philosophical reasoning for what it's worth) is not taken to its extreme consequences, in the sense that it is not brought and explored to its logical deepest ...
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1 answer
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Nuances of "I move to speak"? [closed]

I heard a lawyer say "I move to speak" in a sitcom and I wonder what its nuances are. Searching for the phrase doesn't give many results, so it seems like it's not a common phrase. Is it only used ...
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0 votes
2 answers
12k views

could get vs could've gotten

Is there any difference between could get and could've gotten? Obviously, "could get" can be used for future, hypothetical situations, but I can't see what the difference is, if any, between the two ...
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A comparison in two sets of quantifiers and adjectives

I learn almost every word on my own, in my productive if a bit peculiar way. I inevitably get perplexed by the ambiguity and the interchangeabilty between the words that I discover with more details. ...
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What is the difference between "fate" and "fait accompli"? [closed]

Is there a qualitative difference, or in the sense of finality, or irreversibility or changeability, some negative connotation, e.g. fate may be affected by future actions, but fait accompli is not? ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Stripped-down vs bare-bones

I understand that "stripped-down" and "bare-bones" probably mean the same thing for most people, but are there nuances that make them different? I tend to feel that "bare-bones" has all the ...
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1 answer
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Is "bankroll" preferred to "fund" as a verb in formal writing?

In formal, factual writing, is it more appropriate to use as a verb the word "fund" rather than "bankroll"? [Example: "An anonymous donor [bankrolls/funds] the food pantry."] To me, "bankroll" has a ...
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experienced in VS experience with VS with experience in [closed]

I wonder how to improve my sentence more intuitive in English. I want to say 1) I am a Designer. 2) I have experience in(or with) Websites Design. 3) I researched to design the sites. Could you ...
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5 answers
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Can "nude" or "naked" to refer to a half-covered body?

From my knowledge of the definition is that one has to be completely uncovered to use those two terms. However I have seen it being used in shows (and maybe books) where a half-covered person is ...
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get, have etc a grasp of something vs a grip on something

Is there a difference between having/getting etc a grasp of something and a grip on something, when you mean knowledge/understanding? Merriam Webster defines grip , in this sense, as "mental grasp", ...
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Craving vs longing vs yen

What is the difference between long, yen, and crave, as verbs and nouns both? Longman: Longing - a strong feeling of wanting something or someone Craving - an extremely strong desire for ...
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1 answer
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Differences between "give" and "give way "

What's the difference between give and give way. I'll start with what I know so far, and what I think to be the case, please set me straight where you think I'm wrong. Dictionary definitions Give=...
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4 answers
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Is there any difference between "straighten out" and "sort out"? [closed]

Is there any difference between straighten out and sort out? I already know what they mean, so I'm interested in nuances. I'm going to give a couple of examples, let me know if any sounds unnatural, ...
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1 vote
2 answers
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"in doing this" vs "by doing this"?

We hope that in doing this we have reduced at least some part of the frustration this issue has brought you. I’m having uncertainties regarding the in doing this vs. by doing this. I don’t want it to ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Difference between "under a consent" and "under consent"

From what I understand, "consent" is an uncountable noun when it refers to the agreement of all of the members regarding specific matters, and it is countable when it refers to a documentation of ...
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1 answer
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A word for something that is deeper, more compelling than what is obvious or visible

Is there a word to describe the quality of something that is deeper, more substantial, or more compelling than what is obvious or originally thought? I am thinking of something abstract, like a ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Is to be "very weak at/ on something" insulting?

In this example here, He is very weak at speaking English Do the words "very weak" sound rather insulting or are they objective? I am asking this because my friend found it very insulting ...