Questions tagged [phrasing]
Questions about how something should be put into words in order to express a certain meaning.
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How to correctly create a transition from a phrase to an unintelligible scream?
I'm trying to create a transition effect in a situation when a character suddenly finds himself falling, and his last word, which ends in '-y', is transitioning into an unintelligible scream.
However, ...
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* makes it * for * to be * [duplicate]
Is a sentence like the following correct English?
This search engine makes it hard for less popular sites to be found.
Variations would be
X makes it easy/difficult for Y to be discovered/...
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Will vs want - can they be used interchangeably?
Here are two sentences that sort of mean the same thing, but need your help in identifying which one would be more appropriate.
I do already have an idea as to which phrase would be more appropriate ...
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Proper phrasing for - top X% of Y based on Z
Suppose I have a list of pupils and 3 types of scores (academic, discipline, sports) for each student.
Is there a better way to write - the top 1% of students based on sports performance?
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How to properly phrase a sentence in which the two key words of the OR clause use different prepositions
Given these two sentences:
The mixin is a method of adding to the properties of a Javascript class.
The mixin is a method of removing from the properties of a Javascript class.
I'd like to combine ...
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How should I phrase this question? [closed]
I have some supplies for my son's classroom. I need to let his teacher know that I have these supplies to give her, and I need to know how she would like me to get them to her. BUT I would like to ...
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Is the use of "boot" in "it'll boot you none to try" weird or strange?
I seem to have a phrase in my head for a long time that i can't remember where I picked it up.
It will boot you none to attempt this/try.
The implication being that there will be no advantage or ...
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Is "somebody else" just as fine as "someone else"?
I was wondering if somebody else and someone else were interchangeable, as the former rolls off the tongue better in the context I want to use it.
Can one say somebody else, or is someone else more of ...
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How to say something seemed like it was out of the blue?
Then, in what seemed like it was out of the blue, they started to interact.
This is what I'm trying to say but it's definitely phrased wrong. How should this be phrased?
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Can we say '' a proof of my ...'' instead of ''a proof of myself being...'' [duplicate]
I have a question regarding A PROOF OF MY, as opposed to A PROOF OF MYSELF/MINE. The context is formal work email, and I was just wondering if it is proper use of an english saying/turn of phrase, or ...
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What is the best way to reword the parenthetical plural "diagnosis(es) and remedy(s)"?
What is the best way to word the following sentence?
A diagnosis(es) and remedy(s) remain elusive as we continue to seek help from various medical professionals.
Since diagnosis ends in -is, should ...
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Please Help: "Audience" usage
I want to write "My whole life, I have been audience to a..." Does that make sense? Should I instead write "been the audience to..." or "been an audience to..." Am I ...
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How to parse/interpret the unusual wording on a diploma?
My SO just earned a PhD and received their diploma, and we were both puzzled by the wording. I'm copying it line by line, including punctuation (but omitting the school/personal specifics in brackets)....
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Different phrasings for "analyzing of all possibilities in the list"
I'm currently writing a paper in mathematics.
In the beginning of the article I present a big list where each line consists of a sequences of numbers. Through the rest of the text I discuss whether ...
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Does, "... gas, electricity, and any other costs associated with the internet," mistakenly imply gas and electricity as a cost for internet?
In the utilities section of a rental agreement, a paragraph ends with the sentence, "Tenants shall be responsible for gas, electricity, and any other costs associated with the internet." In ...
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"Under what form would our government operate?" Is this correct phrasing? [closed]
In this sentence
Under what form would our government operate?
I am wondering whether Under what form or In which/what form would be the correct phrasing, and I realised that I can't find the answer....
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How to express gratitude to an interviewer regardless of the interview outcome? [closed]
I'm drafting a thank-you note to the recruiter after a series of onsite interviews with the team. And wondered if it might seem less polite or render a discounted feeling if I included the following ...
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"Humanities studies is my zone of interest." Is that sentence natural?
"Humanities studies is my zone of interest." Is that sentence natural?
I want to express that I love anything related to the humanities division.
Should I use "is" or "are&...
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A word or 5-6 word phrase for "an aliquot can only be a member of a batch one time"
I'm a software engineer trying to come up with a word or phrase to describe that relationship in a way that future software engineers can look at the code I've written and either understand what's ...
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How would you say a person has made a choice out of being of noble character?
Let us say a person is noble/of noble character/noble-hearted. As in, he isn't a person of a social rank of nobility, but rather is a good, selfless person.
I'd like to say that this person has done a ...
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Wording a sentence for "A, B, C, D, or E" with inclusive and exclusive "or"
In my papers, I often need to formulate disjunctions textually (for example, when providing conditions for the fulfillment of a statement).
Let's see two examples:
When you eat (a) apple, (b) pear, (...
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"Open onto" vs. "open into"
When is one preferred over the other?
This is in the context of the door to a large room. My sense is that "into" is preferred for closed spaces and "onto" for open spaces. This ...
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Which adjectives can describe 'intellect' and 'education'?
I use 'great' too many times, I would need something more lively and original. I have a sentence like this:
In order to acquire this, one does not need a great intellect, nor a ... education
Thank you!...
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Can I say "how eager" and "awaits me"?
The fish used to bawl when I left, and the chicken would tell me how eager the fish awaited me.
Disregard the chickens and fish, I just needed something tangible.
ABC is sad when I go; XYZ tells me ...
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Ambiguity in assigning a clause to one of the two preceding clauses
Consider the sentence:
We use a transmitter to communicate with a device that is placed in the package using a new technology.
Here, the part "using a new technology" applies to "We ...
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Word for compound event: "At least one of these events will happen"
Over on Math.stackexchange I was discussing probability jargon. Typically the events considered in probability theory are constructed from other, simpler events by a series of unions, intersections, ...
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Examples of people that have really low name recogniton?
Not exactly sure how to phrase the title, but here's the sentence I'm asking about:
Our job? Somehow get XXXXX, (a candidate with less name recognition than _____ ) to the top of the polls.
I was ...
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"-Based" vs. " Based"
I am in the process of finalizing an academic research paper and I am struggling to identify the correct hyphenation for the title:
Option 1: Adaptive Chirplet Transform-Based Machine Learning for ...
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Should I use "the" in the phrase "the check-in for a flight", in this context?
I have this sentence in Russian I need to translate into English:
"Звучит объявление о регистрации на рейс Кабул - Гонконг."
The best I can come up with is this:
"An announcement rings ...
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How to word "...but with whom we shared..."
I just told my life's story to someone I've known for only two days, but with whom we shared an instant, platonic connection.
I know that we in this sentence "should" be I, that this ...
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How can I construct phrases only to work with one of Given, When, or Then?
I think the following is a problem which falls firmly between two stools, so please forgive me if this is the wrong place, but I think it's more of a linguistic question than a computer question.
...
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What is another way of saying "we cannot guarantee"?
1. Summarize the problem
I work for an IT solutions provider and we always try to get the customer anything they inquire. We also want to avoid negative connotations with our brand, so we avoid ...
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It's a great honour to find myself being [closed]
I have received an email from someone I admire. Is there anything wrong or unidiomatic about the following sentence? How would you say it?
It's a great honour to find myself being addressed/approached ...
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Is the usage "multiple logistic regression analysis" correct?
I encountered a manuscript where the author writes:
Risk associations for metabolic syndrome and diabetes were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analyses..."
In this case, is the ...
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Whats a word for saying that someone said something but later turned around on it?
Im trying to find a proper word or phrase to describe this situation.
A person initially claimed that theres no pollution. Then later he or
she turned around to say that there is some pollution ...
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Wording for post-graduation plans
I am sending announcements about my daughter’s graduation from college. I want to include a sentence about her post-graduation plans. Originally I wrote,
Rose will pursue her master of ...
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A better way to say 'very different'
What is a better way to say 'very different'?
Is there one word that is an extreme of 'different'?
Example: Person A and Person B embraced the spirit of evil in very different ways.
Is there a ...
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How do other words can you use for “the way something is written”?
I was racking my brain when pressed with a discussion posting in math class the other day, and I was coming to answer someone’s question when I got stuck in a bind.
The question was pre-Calc, and I ...
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Does "One example of that would be it's trophic cascade" make sense?
I'm trying to write a paragraph for a question for my biology class. The question is "How are organisms (and non-living things) interconnected within Serengeti National Park? He wants us to include "...
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"What time is it? At 8 o'clock" [closed]
I am unsure about this phrasing, does answering the question "What time is it (now)?" by saying "At 8 o'clock" or "It's at 8 o'clock" sound natural?
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Can an inanimate object “get something wrongˮ? [closed]
The following is an excerpt from an article about spelling mistakes:
Can you spot the mistakes? Building signs which get standard English phrases wrong; posters and other material featuring ...
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Indicating Possession Between You and Another Person
Is there a good way to indicate that something belongs to you and another person when you want to mention the other person by name?
As an example, suppose some friends ask you "Where's the party at?" ...
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What ways do you describe changing from existence to non-existence?
In a paper, I need to talk about things "coming into and leaving" existence multiple times. I feel this phrase is clumsy and there are definitely better ways of saying it that I just can't think of ...
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How do you describe a study which attempts to isolate the compounding effect of factor A on factor B? [closed]
Shameless cry for academic help here.
I'm working on my thesis, which is a study that will focus on the compounding effect of group dynamics on persuasive technology. The control and treatment group ...
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Idiom/phrase for "example picked purposefully"
For example, when one is talking about a chemistry equation and they use values one wouldn't see in real life to illustrate a point better, or give a specific example that requires extra steps that ...
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Can a writer refer to himself as "your author"? [closed]
I am drafting a nonfictional manuscript that, not being about me, seldom refers to me. I do nonetheless appear in the manuscript, though—or at any rate my perspective explicitly emerges—a ...
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Should a comma be included when listing age?
When listing age under someone's name for reference, does there need to be a comma between "age" and the number?
My company is running an ad for a beauty supplement featuring our brand ambassador for ...
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Where should I put swiftly?
These treatments can swiftly help patients be on their way to a more active life.
or
These treatments can help patients swiftly be on their way to a more active life.
Please help!
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"Happy Birthday <name>" or "Happy Birthday to <name>" on a cake? [closed]
What is better to write on a cake? "Happy Birthday <name>" or "Happy Birthday to <name>"?
Or are both of them equally fine? Or is there an alternative that's better than both?
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How can I make this sentence correct? It sounds wrong to me [closed]
The sentence, "Innovation requires more exploration and risk-taking than architects are typically used to." sounds incorrect tome, but I cannot put my finger on what the problem is. Please help me ...
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