Questions tagged [sentence]
A sentence is a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate.
1,905
questions
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How many spaces should come after a period/full stop?
In the past — or at least, when I was in elementary school — periods/full stops were followed by two spaces. Lately, it's become more and more common to see just one space. In the modern ...
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125
votes
19
answers
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Is "women men girls love meet die" a valid sentence?
Is "women men girls love meet die" a valid sentence? If so, what does it mean?
The sentence shows up in academic papers about the "Sausage Machine" for natural language processing. ...
- 2,411
79
votes
3
answers
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Donald Trump's run-on sentences
In every Trump speech, almost every sentence is a run-on sentence. Here is a quote from one of his speeches last year
Look, having nuclear—my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer, ...
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votes
10
answers
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Grammatically correct sentence where "you're" and "your" can be interchanged? [closed]
Most grammar checkers are capable of detecting the the misuse of "your" and "you're"; providing the necessary correction.
I'm curious though, is there any sentence that can be constructed where ...
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votes
3
answers
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How do you capitalize a proper noun such as "iPhone"?
I was always taught to capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, and also the first letter of proper nouns. In the last few years it's been common for certain firms to name their ...
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39
votes
3
answers
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"Outside" or "outside of"?
The word rarely turns up outside that context.
and
The word rarely turns up outside of that context.
Which one is correct and why?
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33
votes
4
answers
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Complete the job, as directed. There is a comma. why?
The following sentences both say that you have been directed to do a job:
Complete the job, as directed.
vs
Complete the job as directed.
But which of the two sentences above will assert ...
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31
votes
11
answers
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Can a sentence start with "Because"?
In my grade school days, I recall a teacher proclaiming to the class:
You should never start a sentence with the word "Because".
Of course, I've since seen lots of examples to the contrary, and ...
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31
votes
12
answers
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"Nothing to tell" versus "nothing to say"
There's nothing to tell.
There's nothing to say.
Can anyone explain the difference between those two statements and give some examples on how they should be used? I think I do have a basic ...
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25
votes
5
answers
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views
Is it really incorrect to start a sentence with "and"?
I know it's wrong, but I do it all the time or else my sentences would go on forever.
- 1,135
24
votes
17
answers
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Shortest comprehensive sentence in English [closed]
What is the shortest comprehensive sentence in English?
22
votes
7
answers
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Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Is there any rule you think is valid that discourages the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Because I suspect the answer is no.
But it would be good to have a blanket answer to this kind of ...
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21
votes
6
answers
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views
Russian speakers and "I feel myself to be ..."
I was told that it is a typical mistake for Russian speakers to say I feel myself badly instead of I feel ill.
I wonder to what extent such constructs sound wrong to native speakers?
I feel myself ...
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21
votes
3
answers
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How should I end sentences with a URL as the last word?
For example,
The website I was referring to is hosted at http://english.stackexchange.com.
How should I place the fullstop at the end?
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19
votes
6
answers
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Is there an online sample sentence database or search engine?
Sometime, I am not sure if I use a specific word correctly. I would like to get some sample sentences to learn from.
So, is there a online sample sentence database/search engine?
17
votes
5
answers
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What is the correct punctuation after "as follows"?
I am consistently confused by by the usage of "as follows", in particular, I don't know if I should end "as follows" with a period, or with a colon.
Should I always use a colon, or ...
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17
votes
3
answers
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Starting an independent statement with "I mean, ..."
A friend was noting that his daughter would occasionally start sentences with the phrase "I mean, " simply for emphasis, not for clarification:
Friend: How was the Miley Cyrus concert?
...
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16
votes
6
answers
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Why use "the" in "than the 3.5bn years ago"?
Why has the been used before 3.5bn in the sentence below? Doesn't the sentence make sense without the the?
Researchers hope rocks collected here will confirm that volcanic activity on the Moon ...
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votes
5
answers
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What is the appropriate phrase to say if two people are on the same track?
I am sharing my understanding regarding a particular matter with a colleague just to make sure that both of we have same understanding. This is just to avoid any conflict or confusion among us. ...
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15
votes
3
answers
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What does "find someone well" mean?
I got some email from a stranger that contains:
I hope this email finds you well.
So what does "find you well" means here? Does it mean "Are you well" or "The email find the right guy"? I'm a ...
- 2,211
15
votes
4
answers
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Can I start a sentence with "i.e."?
While writing a rhetorical question I ran into a case where it seemed natural to start a sentence with "I.e":
How do we handle the case when the list is empty? I.e., if the filter matched no ...
- 253
15
votes
2
answers
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Initial capitalization of foreign surnames when starting a sentence
In the book, "The Crystal Shard," by R.A. Salvatore, a character is surnamed "de Bernezan." Which of the following complete sentences uses the correct English-language capitalization:
de Bernezan ...
- 163
15
votes
4
answers
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Comma in compound/complex sentences
Is there a rule, which states that one must or must not use comma before "then" in a sentence like this:
If you can read this, then you might want to answer this question.
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15
votes
1
answer
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How to deal with abbreviations at the end of a question?
In a sentence like
Should we host them on imgur et cetera?
where I want to abbreviate the "et cetera", what is the correct punctuation? Using a period after the "etc." like mid sentence usages ...
- 346
14
votes
6
answers
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Can you use two "and"s in a coordinate noun phrase?
For example,
I like chocolate, vanilla, and lemon and orange ice cream.
Indicating "lemon and orange" is a combined flavor, as an item in the list needing an initial and.
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13
votes
4
answers
7k
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Why must you capitalize the first word of a sentence? [closed]
My suspicion is it provides more visual indication that a new sentence is starting, but it bothers me because I think a period / exclamation / question mark seems sufficient to me. Plus, if a proper ...
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votes
3
answers
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Can a sentence have two or more successive separate sentences in its womb?
This website, upon crossing the milestone of 250 reviews, has sent me a message (in the field entitled "Achievements", being one of three fields that are there on the left side of the black band ...
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votes
6
answers
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What's wrong with "We hope you will find our Qualifications to be well-organized, concise, and most of all, to exceed your expectations."
Why is the following sentence grammatically incorrect?
We hope you will find our Qualifications to be well-organized, concise, and most of all, to exceed your expectations.
I've asked three ...
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votes
6
answers
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What does “Has it come to this?” in “Republican leaders quickly voiced horror at these tactics. ‘Has it come to this?’ said John Boehner” mean?
There was the following sentence in July 19 New York Time’s editorial titled “Democrats Gain the Upper Hand”:
“Senator Patty Murray, a member of the Democratic leadership, said Monday that her party ...
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votes
4
answers
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Can I start a sentence with "Whereas"?
The sentence is supposed to be contradicting a previous situation explained thoroughly in the precedent paragraph. The contradiction is on the same subject (in the past/now). Can the sentence be ...
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11
votes
6
answers
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"Since" vs "ever since"
Example:
Tufy was our Chihuahua. He'd been in the family (ever) since I was
born.
Would adding ever change the meaning of the sentence?
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votes
2
answers
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views
Is it okay to start a sentence with a Greek letter (variable)?
Is it okay to start a sentence with a variable? Do I need to rewrite a sentence just because the subject is typeset as a Greek letter?
For example:
Φ is treated in a special way.
vs.
The ...
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votes
4
answers
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Usage of "in contrast"
I want to explain something in the first sentence and then say some opposite thing in the second sentence. I thought, I could use the phrase in contrast to make the flow of a paragraph.
For example:
...
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votes
3
answers
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The sentence with the most prepositions at its end -- does it really work?
What did you bring that book that I don't want to be read to from out of about 'Down Under' up for?
I was wondering whether this sentence is actually correct and if it is, whether someone could ...
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votes
2
answers
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What does the phrase, “there is properly no history, only biography” mean?
I found Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous words, “there is properly no history, only biography,” in his “Essay I” being quoted in the article titled “Keeping the dream alive: A biography,” appearing in ...
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votes
1
answer
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"As for me" in the beginning of the sentence
Could I use "As for me" in the beginning of the sentence?
For example, when somebody asks the whole group of people what was done, and one in that group answers what he did: "As for me, I did that ...
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votes
3
answers
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Comma before "including"?
Does this sentence require a comma before including?
He has written on a range of moral issues including poverty, globalization, and euthanasia.
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votes
3
answers
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...gave me (the) strength and inspiration to [closed]
In this sentence:
His support gave me strength and inspiration to continue my campaign without wavering.
does using the before strength imply a restriction?
His support gave me the strength and ...
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10
votes
3
answers
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The "ask". Is this a buzzword or just bad grammar?
The ask, or my ask is used in places such as:
My ask of you is that you fill out the true and false questions first.
Similarly, I have see the ask...
Why are people using this? I believe it is a ...
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10
votes
4
answers
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views
Why am I always compelled to begin a response with "Well, "?
Because of a certain 140 character limit I've learned where I can trim characters on responses but even after all this time I still reply with "Well, so and so . . ." and I go back and have to delete ...
- 1,135
10
votes
2
answers
587
views
Help me parse this sentence so I can understand what joke my ancestors played on the King
I'm reading an old history book about my ancestors entitled "Rulewater And Its People: An Account Of The Valley Of The Rule And Its Inhabitants" published in 1907 by George Tancred. In it, I'm having ...
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3
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Do listeners understand different adjective orders?
I found What is the rule for adjective order?,
but I keep wondering if listeners actually understand what I mean when I don't follow that order. For example, if I say, "a lovely long white coat," I ...
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3
answers
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When to use "most" or "the most"
I came across with this sentence and it cast me doubt the usage of "most" and "the most"
The sentence states: "But what I remembered most is moving a lot"
Would it change the meaning of the ...
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votes
4
answers
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"If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be..." What does this mean?
I'm translating a book, which involves logic and quoted the sentence from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass:
"If it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain'...
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votes
7
answers
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"Viewer discretion is advised"
This program contains material that
may be disturbing to some viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised.
Is that 100% correct English? This is the text shown before some TV programs. When I first saw ...
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9
votes
1
answer
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"It is good for me." or "It is good to me." [closed]
I am confused between these two statements.
It is good for me.
It is good to me.
Which one is correct? or both are correct? When which statement should we use?
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votes
3
answers
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Ambiguity of "I don't know what you know."
This sentence is interesting to me:
I don't know what you know.
It seems ambiguous. It has two possible meanings. It is so ambiguous that I'm actually struggling a bit to explain the differences ...
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votes
5
answers
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'balls have dropped' what does it mean?
I am seeing an episode of a British sitcom, The Thin Blue Line, where an officer makes a remark
Just once in a while, I'd like to nick someone whose balls have dropped!
What does this sentence ...
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9
votes
3
answers
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Should I use "him" or "her"?
Which is correct, and why?:
If my daughter was born a boy, I would have named her Harry.
Or
If my daughter was born a boy, I would have named him Harry.
I'm sure my reasoning for both is self ...
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5
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Meaning of "She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing" [closed]
Can you tell me what the following means?
She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped exactly nothing.
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