Questions tagged [phrasing]
Questions about how something should be put into words in order to express a certain meaning.
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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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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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"Sorting on" vs. "Sorting by"
Recently asked a question of a colleague:
Are you sorting this list by acronym?
He responded:
Yes, I’m sorting on acronym (ascending).
Emphasis mine in each case.
Is one correct and not the ...
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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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Wishing someone that something goes easily for them
I'm trying to phrase a sentence in which I'm wishing that something goes easily for someone, but can't get the wording to sound right, and not awkward.
For example, someone may be studying for a test ...
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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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"Half" or "A Half"
This argument has come up at work, and I actually found it pretty interesting.
My colleague is arguing that you might say "a quarter of a pizza", whereas you'd just say "half of a pizza" rather than "...
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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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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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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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Words or phrases to describe how street beggars typically look?
I'm writing a scene in which I wish to describe a typical street beggar - his way of dressing in particular. Check for example such a dude as the one below
I could use descriptions such as: snobbish, ...
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What's the name of this kind of act?
What's the name of this kind of act? It is commonly seen between friends. (I mean the act between two people, not necessarily 4 people like this one.)
Or can you describe it with a few words?
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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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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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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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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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Looking for a word that means "a lack of listening skills"
This is my first time here, and I am hoping this community can help me out.
The context is as follows:
I witnessed a slow transition from awareness and excitement to
Wallace's "natural state" - ...
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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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Is there a word for when you use a descriptor in place for a word/phrase you've forgotten?
Best example I can give is a post I saw a while back where someone was trying to remember the name for a manta ray and described it as a sea pancake instead. Logically you could call it a sea pancake ...
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"Regardless to the fact" vs "Regardless of the fact"
I want to say that something will happen regardless of whether something else happens. However, in my particular situation, using regardless of sounds awkward.
Some arrangements work better than ...
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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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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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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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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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"-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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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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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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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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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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President of [Country][Name] vs President [Name] of [Country]
I came across the following sentence in The Guardian (emphasis mine):
President Vladimir Putin of Russia said the EU was putting pressure on Kiev and organising mass protests against President ...
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