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a. He had examined five documents that I didn't know about. b. He had examined five documents, but I didn't know about it. c. He had examined five documents, but I didn't know about that. d. He had examined five documents, but I didn't know he had examined them. Which of these could be used when: He had only examined five documents, but I didn't know that. and which could be used when He had…
TRAP (transitive) to catch or hold something in a tight grip or narrow space so that it cannot be moved or is painfully squeezed: I trapped my finger in the door . Microsoft Encarta (2009) What meaning of in is used here? Compare: I caught my shirt on a nail . I caught my fingers in the mailbox. foot-in-the-door technique -------------------- EDIT ------------------ DOOR (noun) The gap that forms…
I have a little idea of the meanings of both 'grim' and 'gloomy', but I don't have a notion of which one is the correct synonym for 'overcast'.
I want to ask if "what are the odds" is a recognised phrase or not,because I looked it up on Google and I do not see it cited on any of the famous dictionary websites,except for one. What's the odds is there, Yes but it doesn't cite the meaning I am looking for In movies, I have seen people use "what are the odds" as an exclamation to something of a rarity that has taken place, please do correct…
According to New Heart's rules , page 66, the acceptability of a word division depends greatly on the appearance of each part, balanced against that of the spacing in the text: even if neither obtrusive nor misleading, as in con-tact , it may be unnecessary at the end of a long line of type, whereas a poorer division, such as musc-ling , may be necessary to avoid excessively wide word spaces in a…
Make and party do not collocate to mean to have/hold/throw/host a party. Nevertheless, you can say 'Let us make a party out of this,' meaning to turn a mundane situation into an enjoyable one. Cambridge Dictionary Don't say 'offer/make/prepare a party', say have/throw/organize a party : We are making a surprise party for my sister. We are having a surprise party for my sister. Don't worry. I'll…
Are the tenses here used idiomatically? Can we use this kind of time descriptor after 'till'? That guy in Alaska trusted Grizzlies too…till he shouldn’t have. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2920334041636712/?comment_id=1412226110836905&__tn__=R
Relative clauses need something such as nouns to refer to, and the relationship ought to be clear. Don't try to make an entire clause an antecedent for a relative clause, as in - I need to purchase an entirely new computer system, which upsets me . Say instead - I need to purchase an entirely new computer system, and this/that upsets me . Microsoft Encarta (2009) Why are this/that clearer than…
From The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle: I took a cab after that and reached my brother’s rooms in Pall Mall, where I spent the day. Now I have come round to you, and on my way I was attacked by a rough with a bludgeon . Apple’s built in dictionary gives: rough: (mainly UK) a disreputable and violent person bludgeon: a thick stick with a heavy end, used as a weapon The passive clause “on my…
I called the police and had the place examined. From The Final Problem by ACD Can “the police” here be regarded as the complement of “called”? Literally, in “we called the police”, “the police” is what received the action of calling. Without “the police”, the sentence is incomplete; we would not know who “I” called. Such a noun phrase seems to be completing the sentence. I know some other examples…
Girl is used more often as an alternative for woman, especially in reference to a young woman, than boy is for man. However, the use of girl for a teenager or an adult is often regarded as patronizing or disrespectful, especially when it comes from a man. Microsoft Encarta 2009. How should men reference/address a female teenager, then?
WOMAN (noun) wife or girlfriend : a wife, female lover, or girlfriend (informal) ( sometimes offensive ) Microsoft Encarta 2009 According to Garner's Modern English Usage (GMEU), the linguist Raysor Hancock observed in 1963 that Americans are divisible into three groups when it comes to using lady instead of woman : (1) in preference to woman for female adults of any social class (a group that has…
The now widely used pronunciation of social /ˈsoʊʃəl/ in which the "sh" sound becomes "s" can be associated with some regional U.S. speech patterns. Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 The grapheme < ci > occurs medially, e.g., in commercial, crucial, delicious, judicial, logician, magician, official, racial, social, special... What U.S. speech patterns is the article referring to?…
According to Microsoft Encarta (2009) Household (noun): the people who live together in a single home Many consider home an affectation when used anywhere that house would be appropriate, as in Home for Sale . Home is nonetheless useful to express the idea of dwelling places of various sorts, including apartments and condominiums, hogans and huts, and other dwellings that are not accurately…
Here's Mary and John. I have come across the above sentence in Wider World (level 1) coursebook by Pearson: I wonder how grammatical it is as I want to know the so-called standard formal English, the one you can use at an exam and not be afraid that you will be penalised for it. I have found out that according to John Eastwood in his Grammar Finder Reference (Oxford Learner's Grammar) "The verb…
Is it true that I can use present perfect after "since" only if the action continues to the present and otherwise I have to use simple past? I haven't played football since I have broken my leg - wrong. Even if my leg is still broken the act of breaking already happened in the past once I haven't played football since I have lived in London - correct but only if I still live in London otherwise I…
I have a question about the pronunciation of the word "promptly." I've checked several sites, but it seems there are two variations. One pronounces the word with the "T" as "prompt-ly," and the other with a silent "T" as "promp-ly." Should it be promp-ly, prompt-ly, or promptly with a unaspirated t sound? Which is the correct way to pronounce it, and is there a rule for words like this? Thank you…
Cambridge University: When a clause follows these (subordinating) conjunctions , it becomes a subordinate clause, which needs a main clause to make a complete sentence. Link Let's take a look at this example: We went home early because we were tired. Here, 'because we were tired' described as a incomplete thought and sentence due to mentioned grammar rules because it has followed a subordinating…
They denote states, which do not develop over time in different phases the way that events evolve but remain the same. Merriam-Webster defines: (4)-> used as a function word to introduce a subordinate clause modifying an adverb or adverbial expression By this definition, can ‘that’ be replaced with 'in which'? So as in There are many reporting verbs which you can use to show the way in which…
Gold plating in the project means needlessly enhancing the expected results, namely, adding characteristics that are costly, not required, and that have low added value with respect to the targets ― in other words, giving more with no real justification other than to demonstrate one’s own talent. *source; ‘ Empowering Project Teams: Using Project Followership to Improve Performance ’ written by…
The following sentence is from a letter written to a mother who has cancer in order to give her hope, courage and strength. "Remember who you are and whom you are." Link I can understand "Remember who you are" because it is grammatical and very easy to understand, but I can't quite understand what "Remember whom you are " means? What do you think it means?
Higher prices would not stop them from using car as their first choice of transportation What's the grammatical reason that this sentence is incorrect, and "the car" or "cars" has to be said instead of simply "car"?
Present perfect talks about a time period that starts in the past and continues into the present. In the following sentence, however, the time frame doesn't continue into the present, the moment of speaking. Why can the present perfect work? Every day, by the time we get home from school, mom has prepared the dinner.
I heard native speakers use present tense in the following sentence. Would it be alright if I take a rain check? Would it be alright if I call you Annie? But I think the correct grammar is took and called. Are there any circumstances to allow present tense in subjunctives?
Take an umbrella lest it should rain. I know the above sentence is correct, but consider: He took an umbrella lest it should rain. Is this sentence grammatically correct? Can we use "should" after "lest" both in the present tense and past tense?
We use 'be+ to- infinitive' when discussing formal or official arrangements or to give formal instructions or orders.It is also used frequently in newspapers, radio and television reports to refer to future events. It expresses near certainty that what is forecast will happen. Ex- A man is to appear in court later this morning charged with the murder of the footballer, Darren Gough. I found this…
Is “billions of dollars worth of satellites” (without an apostrophe after dollars) grammatically incorrect? In the fragment “billions of dollars’ worth of”, is my analysis of the syntax (below) correct? [billions of dollars] : noun phrase [billions of dollars]’ : determiner of ‘worth’ = adjective phrase
On the Cambridge dictionary website, if you search "hooked", the US IPA given is /hʊkt/. and if you click the audio button, it does indeed end with a "t" sound, I know the spelling and actual pronunciation isn't always a perfect match in English, but I don't recall ever seeing an exception where a "d" is pronounced as a "t", or maybe I've just been illiterate my whole life Is this a special case…
I am wondering how the modal "shall" affects the interepratation of the following sentence in traditional British English: My voyage is only now delayed until the weather shall permit my embarkation. Does the until-clause mean the same as "until I am certain the weather permits my embarkation"?
I understand the basic rules to convert a statement to a question, for instance, That is a cat. What is that? the grammar pattern is what + be + pronoun . In one of my posts ( Is "the first time" a type of signposting language or something like that? ) I said "distinct episodes (times)" from what? some other kind of episodes (times)? What would that be ? A complete form of that would be What kind…
Is this still common in British English to use the modal 'shall' with a third person pronoun? If so, what is the difference between the following? He shall repent. He should repent.
I read the poem 'A Roadside Stand' by Robert Frost, and I have accumulated a few questions through the poem. So, I will be posting some questions from the same poem, if you can please answer my other questions as well. Thanks to all :) Here you can read the whole poem. Below I have given the particular paragraph. In the lines - I wonder how I should like you to come to me And offer to put me…
Which one is more formal? To represent the company in front of / before the community, or in dealing with the community.
A car went and the smoke flew in our house. "The car smoke is stink." "The exhaust smoke is stink. He told me. It should be car smoke or exhaust smoke when we telling someone the stink was came from the a car's exhaust?
This post questions the presumed interchangeability of in case vs. lest . Take an umbrella with you in case it rains. Take an umbrella with you lest it (should) rain. Now, lest means "so as to prevent something from happening." (The other use of lest is following adjectives denoting fear, worry, etc., to basically mean "that". This use is outside the scope of the present discussion.) Accordingly,…
I just would like to know if this sentence would be grammatically correct and in which cases should I use it: I don't know when he is back instead of I don't know when he will be back . I know the rule with when "no will" in most cases but we can say "please let me know when it will be available" or "when it is available" If that's not correct let me know why please
Are there any differences in term of meaning between these two sentences: maybe it was with the album orders which didn't get dispatched yet that's all. maybe it was with the album orders which have not been dispatched yet that's all. does the first one implied that the albums have been sent now and the second one that the order will be sent pretty soon Why past simple and not present perfect?
I was wondering if a native could say which sentence from among the following sentences does not sound correct: That child does nothing but watch TV. That child does nothing except watch TV. That child does nothing except for watch TV. For me only #3 does not work. Because after 'for we have to use a noun or a gerund, whereas here according to the sentence we have to use infinitive without to…
Is this sentence correct? I'd like 5 pounds top up for lyca mobile, please.
I have two sentences. The cars underwent a rapid change from the application of mechanical technology to digital, that currently takes advantage of artificial intelligence. Currently, they have become large. Can I say: Currently, the ones have become large?
