All Questions
125,992
questions
130
votes
7
answers
52k
views
When should compound words be written as one word, with hyphens, or with spaces?
Some compound words are written without hyphens (nonaggression, nonbeliever), some with hyphens (well-intentioned), and others with spaces (post office).
Is there a rule or good guide as to which ...
- 58k
12
votes
2
answers
17k
views
Can "anyways" be used at the beginning of a sentence?
For example, is it acceptable to say “Anyways, I love Stack Exchange" or should "anyway" always be used?
- 223
238
votes
7
answers
396k
views
17
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Tendency of using pronouns 'she/her' when talking about a random person
Reading different specifications and manuals I've noticed that more often and often pronouns she or her are being used when some unknown person's behavior is described.
For example: "when user opens ...
- 539
3
votes
3
answers
978
views
"Toy for your kid" or "Toy for your kids" as you don't know how many kids they have? [closed]
Say you are a toy shop owner, who wants a slogan.
- 1,477
6
votes
4
answers
910
views
Is domain-specific meaning acceptable/advisable when used in a document directed outside the domain?
Here's the problem. Many common terms in the programmer's lexicon--i.e., used in information communication and in published texts--are identical to everyday words; others are slight 'distortions' of ...
- 421
49
votes
6
answers
549k
views
"Speak to" vs. "Speak with"
What are the differences between these two phrasal verbs and what are the best situations to use each?
- 7,148
11
votes
5
answers
1k
views
What does Maugham mean by "his spaghetti were"? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Was the usage "Spaghetti were" ever acceptable or common?
[Following up from, but not a duplicate of, this question by another user, which was unresolved…]
Somerset ...
- 27.1k
25
votes
4
answers
222k
views
What is the correct pronunciation of "Caribbean"?
Sometimes I hear the emphasis placed on the second syllable, and other times on the second to last syllable. I myself use both pronunciations depending on context, and it makes me wonder if there is ...
- 1,932
5
votes
2
answers
539
views
Equivalences between Australian English and American English
Where can I find a good source (book or web page) of equivalences between Australian English and American English? I am looking for ordinary words, clothing-related words, food-related words, etc.
- 151
14
votes
1
answer
25k
views
Possessive form for words ending in "y"
Which of the following is correct?
The fortune 500 companys' assets are vast.
The fortune 500 companies' assets are vast.
- 1,619
31
votes
11
answers
14k
views
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 ...
- 617
36
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Why are clothes “hung” but men “hanged”?
It is said that clothes can be hung but men are hanged.
Is this correct, and if so, why?
- 483
50
votes
4
answers
362k
views
Is "yay or nay" an acceptable alternative to "yea or nay"?
Is "yay or nay" an acceptable alternative to "yea or nay"? I have seen it several times in recent weeks, enough to make me wonder whether it is an emerging usage or just a common typo.
- 6,111
5
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Are there cases where a possessive pronoun is omitted?
Are there cases where the possessive adjective is omitted in a sentence, or is it always used?
For example, in a sentence like "Susan was walking with her hands in her pockets", is it necessary to ...
- 58k
21
votes
5
answers
10k
views
Term for catchy tune that stays in your head
Is there a term for a catchy tune that stays in your head after you hear it? The Germans call it an earworm.
- 1,176
31
votes
3
answers
66k
views
Is "prepone" being used outside India?
Prepone is a great word - it's the opposite of postpone. When you prepone a meeting, you change its scheduled time so that it occurs sooner than originally planned. Has his usage spread beyond India? ...
- 1,176
3
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Is a person "under contract" or "contracted" to do something?
Which is the better choice, and why?
- 1,176
10
votes
5
answers
4k
views
What do you call the word used in prose to describe the surroundings to make prose richer?
There is a word in English which is used to describe the technique used by authors where they describe the surroundings (like sight, sounds, smells, etc.) to make the scene more rich.
Like "there was ...
- 999
35
votes
4
answers
118k
views
Why are there two pronunciations for "either"?
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with an individual who told me that pronouncing the word "either" is wrong when pronounced like \ˈī-thər\ instead of \ˈē-thər\ , but I didn't argue the point ...
- 754
18
votes
4
answers
33k
views
Difference between "due to" and "thanks to"
When should "due to" be preferred over "thanks to", and vice versa? When can they be used interchangeably?
- 95.8k
7
votes
3
answers
27k
views
Correct usage of ‘on’, ‘at’ and ‘in’
As a foreign English speaker who never really studied too much English grammar other than the basics at high school, I often struggle to decide what is the correct preposition to use in certain ...
6
votes
5
answers
25k
views
What is a word called that has more than one syllable?
You can say e.g.:
The word "on" is a monosyllable.
but it seems that the word "multisyllable" has been outdated since 1913.
What is the correct term for a word that has two or more syllables, e.g....
- 13.8k
14
votes
10
answers
3k
views
Why do words like "expectorate" sound more posh than words like "spit"?
I think English is unique in having a set of "bad words" each which has its "more refined" equivalent, e.g.:
spit -> expectorate
piss -> urinate
shit -> defecate
f*ck -> fornicate/...
- 13.8k
12
votes
9
answers
37k
views
Is "non-vegetarian" a correct word?
I've heard that the words "non-veg" and "non-vegetarian" are not legal English words (i.e aren't in the dictionary). Is this true? If so, what is the right way to say that something contains ...
- 223
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
In what contexts is it important to maintain your accent or dialect?
I'm an American who lives in Germany and hear many kinds of English spoken by many nationalities.
Just as "one can either write organization or organisation but the main point is to be consistent" I ...
- 13.8k
2
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Is the line blurring between "accent" and "dialect"?
The definition that I have had in my head for most of my life is:
dialect: a variation of the original language (usually regional), sometimes even using different vocabulary and grammar
accent: a ...
- 139
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How should a (North American) Native English Speaker prounounce the word 'Afrikaans'?
I've always had trouble with the word 'Afrikaans'. I could say it the way South Africans say it, but then I'm not sure if I'd just be saying the word with a South African accent. After all, I don't ...
- 151
3
votes
4
answers
12k
views
What is the meaning of the phrase "a man of the world"?
The name of one of the Ernest Hemingway's short stories is "A man of the world". It seems to me that I understand the meaning of this phrase out from the context of the short story. But all the same ...
- 9,993
20
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Can "real" be used as an adverb to describe an adjective?
Is this correct?
That is a real cool answer.
I learned that that was incorrect, since "real" is an adjective which can describe a noun, e.g. "real answer" but it is not an adverb which can ...
- 13.8k
32
votes
5
answers
75k
views
Punctuation around abbreviations
I always stumble when using abbreviations in a sentence, as they inherently contain a period in them. How do I use a comma or a semicolon after an abbreviation? How about a period?
E.g. (This is an ...
- 3,912
46
votes
7
answers
33k
views
Are the endings "-zation" and "-sation" interchangeable?
What is with words that have forms that end both in -zation and -sation, such as localization and localisation?
Many spell checkers recommend -zation.
- 605
94
votes
13
answers
88k
views
Which is correct: "could care less" or "couldn't care less"?
What's the deal with the phrase "could care less"?
Whilst growing up, I've always known people (parents etc) to use the phrase "couldn't care less", but I've also come across people who use the ...
- 1,531
10
votes
3
answers
225k
views
Are both "in regards to" and "regarding to" correct?
Do in regards to and regarding to imply different meanings or is it okay to use them interchangeably?
Example:
This mail is in regards to your inquiry.
This mail is regarding to your inquiry.
- 7,148
13
votes
3
answers
150k
views
Does the phrase "fine with me" have a negative connotation?
I have always thought that you could answer "it's ok with me" or "it's fine with me" when you agree with something that somebody proposed, like a meeting time.
But apparently the phrase can have a ...
- 21.3k
88
votes
12
answers
115k
views
Is "I'd've" proper use of the English language?
While reading a book, I came across the word I'd've, as in:
I'd've argued against it.
While it was obvious what it meant, it left me puzzled. Is I'd've a proper word?
- 1,573
52
votes
10
answers
11k
views
Is "rather" shifting to become a verb?
In colloquial English, I constantly run across sentences of the form:
I rather my [noun] [verb]
A quick Google search returns tons of examples:
I rather my opponents don't find out.
I ...
- 95.8k
2
votes
2
answers
19k
views
When should one use the "recent past"? How much time should have passed?
When we can use "recent past"? How much past time qualifies for "recent past"?
- 605
80
votes
12
answers
186k
views
"Synced" or "synched"
Which is correct: synced or synched? Is one of these American and the other British spelling or are they interchangeable?
I have only ever seen sync used in the computing industry.
14
votes
7
answers
9k
views
How can I practice differentiating between the /æ/ and /ɛ/ sounds in English phonology?
For a non-native English speaker like me, it's always been hard to sound /æ/ and /ɛ/ differently. For example, "salary" and "celery" are two words that I tend to pronounce ...
- 34.9k
10
votes
4
answers
2k
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 ...
- 1,115
17
votes
5
answers
34k
views
Is it correct to use 'Forgot password' or 'Forgotten password'
Many websites use the phrase 'Forgot password?' when prompting users to renew their login passwords. Is this correct usage or should it be 'Forgotten password?'.
- 349
10
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Is it okay to say and write "ain't" yet?
Over 10 years ago saying "ain't" was discouraged but it was gaining momentum. What happened? Seems like it's still discouraged. Maybe in another 10 years?
- 1,115
5
votes
1
answer
6k
views
What can I use to remember the difference between "well" and "good"? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between “good” and “well”
Okay, I actually have no idea when it's okay to say well or good but once again I vaguely remember a ...
- 1,115
180
votes
12
answers
1.0m
views
When to use "If I was" vs. "If I were"?
If I was...
If I were...
When is it correct to use "If I was" vs. "If I were" in standard English?
- 2,031
8
votes
3
answers
10k
views
What are the correct ways to express parenthetical comments?
I've seen parenthetical comments that are inserted mid-sentence (like this) and I've also seen parenthetical comments that are inserted after the terminal punctuation symbol of a sentence. (Like this.)...
- 1,071
15
votes
11
answers
279k
views
Is there a more modern way to say "it's a pity"?
Is it okay nowadays to use the phrase "it's a pity" in the everyday conversation in the contexts like in following example:
"Please how do I get to airport?"
"It's a pity, I don't know."
If not,...
- 9,993
32
votes
8
answers
3k
views
What is the best way to explain how to choose between "its" and "it's"?
Probably one of the most frequent grammar mistakes in the English language is:
The dog sat on it's mat.
Since spelling checkers don't catch it, and it is even logical, since you would correctly ...
- 13.8k
10
votes
4
answers
55k
views
"Before" vs. "in front of"
Especially in speeches I often hear a sentence like
I stand here before you...
However during my English classes in school (I'm German) we were told that before should only be used if you're ...
21
votes
3
answers
6k
views
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?
- 2,551