Questions tagged [usage]
For questions on how and why certain words are used in varying ways within various contexts.
2,498
questions
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Use of “but” by Jack London
The subordinate clause "From the way..." I understand the meaning of, however the main clause's meaning I do not. Would, if rephrased as, "I wouldn't wonder this time but what he [would ...
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18 views
You ‘Speak To’ and ‘Talk With,’ not ‘speak with’ or ‘talk to.’ [closed]
A fundamental understanding of proper English diction.
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27 views
Which is more accurate in the context “quick exam” or “quick test” and why?
Look at what we did at today's lesson and we'll have a quick exam/ test tomorrow morning.
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1answer
28 views
“International themed” or “internationally themed”?
Would you say “an international themed party” or “an internationally themed party”?
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37 views
Do you have to be intelligent to be a sapiosexual? [closed]
Please, anyone? I recently saw some of my friends arguing about this so I want to be certain.
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2answers
39 views
usage of 'more common'
We all know that tigers are found only in Asia and not in Africa. So is it correct to say that tigers are "more common" in Asia than Africa?
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3answers
265 views
What's your poison - origin
The question "What's your poison?" is an informal way of asking someone what they would like to drink. Apparently it has been used in this way since the mid-1800s. I read recently that the ...
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1answer
23 views
Can “filter for x” be used in two opposite senses?
Can "filter for" be used in the following sense:
"ABC is very important as it filters for high quality and reliable results."
Filter for has been used as filter out:
"8. to ...
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0answers
28 views
Is it okay to say “you are asked to do something” instead of “Please do something”? [migrated]
For example, "For the beginning, you are asked to download the file" instead of "Please download the file".
I know "Please download the file" is more casual, but I want ...
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2answers
42 views
problematic prescription [closed]
It makes no sense to say that a good marriage requires parity, as most marriages in the world and throughout history have been based on entirely different principles. You might even conclude from ...
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0answers
36 views
Is there a semantic difference between 'supply-demand gap' and 'demand-supply gap'?
I have confirmed that both 'supply-demand gap' and 'demand-supply gap' have been used, although the latter is by far more common.
I wonder if X-Y gap suggests that X was higher than Y, or vice-versa?
...
3
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1answer
71 views
Nutrition Information vs Nutritional Information: Why is the first more common than the second?
We've probably all seen at some point a panel on food packaging that lists quantities of sugars, fats, vitamins, minerals etc. found in the food.
Some packages I come across label this table as "...
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1answer
57 views
I don't like either X or Y vs. I don't like X or Y either
Do the following two sentences mean the same thing:
I don't like either cherry juice or soda.
I don't like cherry juice or soda either.
Although they both convey the idea that the speaker doesn't ...
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32 views
Is (the reason ) “is his expecting otherwise” grammatically correct? [duplicate]
(1) "But maybe the fear in his eyes" "Is him expecting otherwise." I understand it is not grammatically correct (indirect object) but please provide more info as to why it's not.
...
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0answers
49 views
“sic” with “explicitly” (and other adverbs)
I was reading a Wikipedia article on Fermat's principle that quoted some older English text, and one bit confused me:
The principle of Fermat, although it was assumed by that mathematician on ...
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0answers
12 views
You will never know before/until/unless
You will never really know the corporate culture before/until/unless you have worked at a company for a number of months
I have two questions:
a. Can I use "before" here?
b. What's the ...
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1answer
35 views
Need help completing this dialogue
Using the verbs say, come, and speak for the first, second, and third blanks, respectively. What tenses make sense here?
Mary: I wonder what he ___________ now.
Ann: Well, his girlfriend __________ ...
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0answers
12 views
Lessons/meetings/events at a certain time/at certain times
I am referring here to the lessons schedule and want to know if the person has preferences for a certain time slot or don't they mind having lessons at any time (very flexible).
Can I say "Do you ...
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1answer
40 views
Is using “than with” to connect an independent clause to a dependent clause is grammatically correct?
"Human processor model of interaction, in cognitive psychology, views the user as another computer in the system. In this model, the user is like a computer processor that takes input from the system ...
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1answer
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Did the word “Crocodile” have a dreadful connotation in London 1600s?
I am writing a period-piece play based in London circa 1660s and wrote a poetic line that alludes to the crocodile as a "fearsome foe" or of much "danger and dread".
I examined every mention of the ...
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3answers
678 views
BELIEVE IN the notion or BELIEVE the notion?
When I don't trust what someone says, then I need to say,
I don't believe you.
without 'in'.
But for the notion, it's a concept, so I think I need to say,
I don't believe in the notion.
but ...
0
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1answer
35 views
Which one is correct “XYZ movie has released this week.” or “XYZ movie has been release this week”?
i am confused between "has been released" and "has released". I don't know which one I should use. Here is the example:-
"XYZ movie has released this week."
"XYZ movie has been released this week."
...
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1answer
52 views
When and how did the word “dimension” take on the popular connotation of “parallel universe”?
Especially in the mid-twentieth century, popular science fiction would often talk about "creatures from another dimension" and use similar language that suggested that a "dimension" refers to some ...
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To hyphenate or not to hyphenate “chemically treated”? That is my question
chemically treated nanostructured powder Should I hyphenate chemically-treated? I really don't know cause I googled it and couldn't find it hyphenated. I think that according to the rules it should be,...
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1answer
26 views
Correct or Incorrect? “Iterate on”
I came across a sentence that uses 'iterate on'. Is this usage correct?
"Unpack customer insights, and iterate on the content and the overall
design to produce innovative products and features."
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1answer
50 views
Is it correct to write “the adjacent room” even if there are multiple adjacent rooms?
Recently, I posted a puzzle on Puzzling.SE.
The puzzle describes a prison containing thousands of hallways which all run next to each other, like the pipes in a pan flute. In my description of the ...
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1answer
61 views
How is malice different from aggression?
I am having trouble understanding exactly what malice is and how it is different from aggression? In social psychology, aggression (which is contrasted with accidental harm) is defined as intentional ...
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1answer
36 views
How common is it to use the present tense when speaking of deceased persons?
In my native language (not English) it is customary to use the past tense when speaking of properties and (posthumous) actions of deceased persons.
But in English, I occasionally encounter statements ...
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1answer
29 views
Requesting in a more subtle/formal manner
I am writing a formal email. In the end, it goes like this:
If this..... were to happen, then it would be great.
I am actually asking sth which I am not entitled to and depends entirely upon the ...
0
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1answer
30 views
Usage of 'but' in a sentence
In this passage from Book III, passage 2 of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, does Lionel Giles use of the square-bracketed "but" effectively make the first sentence convey the meaning that ALL modern ...
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1answer
33 views
Can a Figure discard something?
I have been criticized for the following usage of to discard:
Figure 7 shows [...]. It is striking to observe that [surprising fact]. However, [tempering the previous fact]. Thus, Figure 7 clearly ...
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0answers
24 views
Automotive: “Part-makers” or “Parts Makers”? [duplicate]
I see the term "parts maker" in use a lot in automotive industry news, and I'm wondering if the term is a correct construction (grammatically speaking).
When this term is used in Japanese it is ...
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1answer
36 views
A problem with a prepositional phrase in the sentence of a poem
The following is the sentence:
Is it the graceful blessing
that vivifies the existence
and whose nectar for seekers
is an unparalleled opulence?
My problem is with the position of the ...
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1answer
54 views
Can you refer to yourself with “yourself” instead of “myself”? Is this interchangeable?
For example:
"Yes, I like to read news from other part of the world because it's a good way to keep yourself up to date with the rest of the world."
using yourself to refer to reading news as "a ...
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2answers
32 views
Usage of comma with “thanks”
Which of the following sentences is correct, and why?
Thank you Bob for scheduling the call. I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow at 4pm.
Thank you, Bob for scheduling the call. I look ...
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4answers
924 views
Can the word, “whammy” be used for good news?
I found the following headline in today’s (May 11) New York Times:
“Triple whammy of good news led by Coronavirus Hopes catapult
Dow more than 900 points.”
I was under impression that the usage of ...
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1answer
49 views
Difference between If I hadn't and If I didn't
Could I know what's the difference between these sentences?
If he hadn't believed in that, none of it would have happened.
If he didn't believe in that none of it would have happened.
I presume ...
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1answer
85 views
To put “the” or not to put “the”
I am sometimes confused about whether to put the in front of a noun or not, so to solve such dilemmas, I have come up with the following strategy.
When in doubt, whether to put the in front of a ...
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34 views
Which is correct , it is related to or it related to
For example: I thought this (term ) is related to happiness but I found that it is related to depression. (With is /are) or without them.
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2answers
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Why don't recipes use the word “of” as in “1 cup milk” instead of “1 cup of milk”?
It really confuses me and I can't seem to find the reason for that. It's amazing how it apparently never bothered anyone.
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1answer
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The usage of apostrophes - is the sentence “Save message file parameters to database” correct? [closed]
A little confused - here is the sentence: Save message file parameters to database. Is it correct? Or should I add an apostrophe after message word?
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1answer
28 views
In reference to the calculation, should one use “mean” or “mean of”?
I am writing a scientific paper and am unsure if I should be using "mean" or "mean of" each time I refer to a calculated mean number.
For example, should it be:
A) The samples had a mean of 54.1 ...
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1answer
24 views
What’s the difference between solipsistic and narcissistic?
From my understanding, both solipsistic and narcissistic refer to self-absorption but in different ways. Could someone please explain the difference? Thank you in advance.
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“Give advice” with or without “to”?
I saw the sentence "Which advice would you give to yourself?" on a language exchange website and had the gut-reaction that the "to" doesn't belong.
I'd happily use "to" in a declarative sentence ...
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0answers
14 views
Expressions for “a wish dedicated to one self”
I was translating a short story about a mortician (someone who does makeup for the dead) when I came across an idea I don't know how to express. In the story, the protagonist was talking about her ...
0
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1answer
33 views
usage of the conjunction “nor”
Cooking quickly doesn't mean omitting flavor, nor does fast food have to be junk food.
I can't understand this sentence. "nor" is tentative for me to understand.
Can I understand it this way:
"It ...
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1answer
83 views
“Please think to send me your solution by next Friday. ” Is it correct? [closed]
I would like to ask my students to send me the solution of an assignment. The deadline is Friday.
Is it correct to write "Please think to send me your solution by next Friday." ?
Thanks for your ...
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3answers
79 views
Is there a difference between the terms “duty” and “obligation”?
I know only the German terms. There, Pflicht and Verbindlichkeit are not 100% the same but 99% percent of the time used interchangeably.
edit: Within the context of legal discourse.
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english Vocabulary
Many a time I experience problem in learning new words, like I learn and I know them but still whenever I have to write somewhere, I am using the same old words, is there a way to retain them easily?, ...
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Word-choice when modifying preceding nouns, among past participle, “which”, and “as”
Please see the following phrases.
(i) "the language used in"
(ii) "the language which is used in"
(iii) "the language as used in"
(iv) "the language as it is used in"
I understand that a past ...
