Questions tagged [phrase-usage]
This tag is for questions about how to use a particular phrase. If your question is a request for a phrase to use, you should use the "phrase-request" tag.
2,223
questions
-2
votes
0answers
19 views
Implication of “rebuttal” [closed]
He rebutted that HRA (1998) is to be adhered.
Does the speaker refute that the HRA (1998) is to be followed, or vice virsa?
2
votes
2answers
26 views
Can we say “turn around something” to mean “rotate/revolve around something”?
I know we can use the phrase "turn around something" to mean "cause something to face the opposite direction" like in "He turned around the phone to see the camera." What ...
1
vote
1answer
17 views
Is it correct to say “So, you want to jump down from up here/there”?
Is it correct to say "So, you want to jump down from up here/there" as shown in the picture?
1
vote
1answer
19 views
“In the day” vs. “in the daytime”
Could you tell me if it's correct and natural to use the phrase in the day meaning in the daytime? For example:
I like to go fishing in the day when there are no mosquitos.
Is there a chance in the ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
What does “be so much with something” mean?
I have come across it in the fifth episode of the tenth season of Friends. Here is the context:
Friends
Monica: Hey Rach, the adoption agency needs letters of recommendation
and we were wondering if ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
A girl tied her hair with a rubber band. Is it correct to say “she is the girl with a rubber band on/in her hair”?
A girl tied her hair with a rubber band as shown in the picture.
Is it correct to say "she is the girl with a rubber band on/in her hair"?
Some native speakers says "in", others ...
0
votes
2answers
20 views
Can we say “I rub clothes with washing powder to wash them”?
rub [transitive, intransitive] to press two surfaces against each other
and move them backwards and forwards; to be pressed together and move
in this way
rub something She rubbed her hands in delight.
...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Can we say “4 peels of the banana”?
peel 1- [uncountable, countable] the thick outer layer of some fruits
and vegetables orange/lemon peel (North American English also) an
orange/a lemon peel
2- peels North American English(also ...
-2
votes
1answer
38 views
How can I learn fully/more about the various ways Americans use the phrase “I guess” nowadays?
I wanna learn like all about it. Its intonation, the context, the volume of voice, the pitch, etc.
Because I don' think any online dictionary can probably help you with that. So do you guys have any ...
6
votes
2answers
623 views
Meaning of the phrase “I got nothing” in context
It's from the second episode of the tenth season of Friends. Here is the scene. It's at 1 minute and 49 seconds.
Chandler: I'd love to, but I gotta get back to talking to your
parents. They're ...
1
vote
2answers
27 views
Can you say “take a bite” to your son when you give a spoon of soup or pancake to him?
You spoon-fed your son by spooning some soup or a piece of pancake into his mouth.
When while holding the spoon in front of him, is it correct to say "Yum! Yum! Take a bite"?
I don't ...
-1
votes
0answers
22 views
Is it strange to say “One get only life”? [closed]
Is it strange to say "One Get Only Life"?
If it does, Could you explain?
2
votes
2answers
35 views
Is it not ambiguous to say “the child is crying for Mom”?
I remember that people often say "don't cry for me" when "I" have some problem or I hurt and people feel sorry for "me" so they "cry for me".
Let's say a child ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
Is it correct to say “You're sitting sideways in the stroller. Please turn to face forwards / Please turn to face straight ahead”?
Look at the picture.
Is it correct to say:
You're sitting sideways in the stroller. Please turn to face forwards / Please turn to face straight ahead!
0
votes
0answers
21 views
My child stands with her feet on my feet, I hold her hands to balance, I walk and move her. Is it ok to say “She's walking on my feet”?
My child stands with her feet on my feet, I hold her hands with my hands to keep balance, then I walk and thus move her along as shown in the picture.
Is it correct to say "She's walking on my ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
“He leaned into the window to kiss her” and “to climb out of / into the window to get āout of” or āinto" the house?
There is a man inside a room on the 2nd floor. Is it idiomatic to say the following?
"Don't lean out of the window. You may fall out."
Now, there is a man standing outside a house at the ...
-1
votes
0answers
11 views
Meaning of 'Added element of *something*' [closed]
What is the meaning of 'added element of something' and it's usage?
0
votes
0answers
31 views
What is the word to express “to raise your both arms up and rotate them several rounds from back to front or the other way round”?
This is a very common warm-up exercise that most people do but I don't know how to say it.
You raise your both arms up and rotate them from back to front or the other way round as shown in the picture....
1
vote
1answer
21 views
Is it idiomatic to say “I cut myself and blood came out” or “I cut myself and the / my blood came out”?
In this English exercise, they say
The girl had cut herself with a knife and blood was coming out of her
thumb.
Why not "her blood was coming out"?
"I cut myself and blood came out&...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Is it correct and natural to say “get one's life set” meaning to become successful and financially secure?
Is it correct and natural to say get one's life set meaning to become successful and financially secure? For example:
Not that you got your life set, have you thought of going on a round-the-world ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
Does the phrase 'die in surprise' exist?
In my country, when people surprised so much we speak:
I almost died in surprise.
When you get astonished so much, you feel a bit of pain in your heart. And you feel you might die from it.
But I don'...
0
votes
0answers
15 views
Does it need a comma after 'that is'?
The following sentence is taken from a school textbook. I don't understand the use of'that is' in this sentence. Does it need a comma after 'that is'?
This means that as human beings, we wish to be ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Do we call the tiny part running from the knot to the open-end of a balloon “the stem of the balloon”?
After blowing up a balloon, in order to prevent the air coming out you have to tie its open-end as shown in the picture.
Do we call the tiny part running from the knot to the open-end of the balloon &...
2
votes
1answer
27 views
Is it natural to say “don't step on that empty carton box as you might get your leg caught/trapped in it”?
Your child is standing on an empty carton box.
Because the box is not strong enough to support the child's body so his leg might get in the box.
Is it natural to say "don't step on that empty ...
1
vote
2answers
15 views
the usage of 'twice more thanā¦ā
Can we say that her new mobile phone costs her twice more than the one she bought last year? Is there a problem with the grammer? Compare it with ātwice as much asā¦',which one is better? Thank you for ...
0
votes
1answer
10 views
contribute to vs account for
Poor transport facilities and lack of resources raw materials and energy also partly _______ the job in contrast fulfillment.
In dictionary, I could find both have similar meanings. I wonder which one ...
0
votes
1answer
11 views
Do we say “lean the broom in the corner of the wall and the wardrobe” or “lean the broom in the corner between the wall and the wardrobe”?
corā§ner 1 /ĖkÉĖnÉ $ ĖkÉĖrnÉr/ āāā S1 W2 noun
1 WHERE TWO LINES/EDGES MEET [countable] the point at which two lines
or edges meet
He pulled a dirty handkerchief out by its corner and waved it at me.
...
1
vote
0answers
18 views
Is it ok to say “in order to climb over the barrier, you need to put one of your legs on top of it and then twist or turn your body over it”? [closed]
You are training your child to climb over a barrier. Sometimes, he just hangs himself on one side without knowing what to do next.
Is it ok to say to your child "in order to climb over the ...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
Do we say “the cap doesn't fit on the mouth of the bottle” or “the cap doesn't fit the mouth of the bottle”?
fit [intransitive, transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses)
to be the right shape and size for somebody/something
I tried the dress on but it didn't fit.
That jacket fits well.
My shoes fit ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Correct word order. Is it correct to say “read and write” or “write and read”?
I was reading some literature from an English language school when I came across the phrase "children learning to write and read..."
As a native speaker, "read and write" sounded ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
“Don't do it!” or “Don't do that!”
Assuming you're parents that see your young son doing something you don't like, and you want to avoid him to do it. What's of these following ways more natural?
Don't do it!
or
Don't do that!
0
votes
2answers
17 views
Is it okay to say “you are asked to do something” instead of “Please do something”?
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Is it idiomatic to say “He sneaked the spider on his mom's shoes to freak her out”?
A child wanted to make his mom freak out by secretly putting a spider on Mom's shoes.
I had no experience of using the verb "sneak", so I just followed the dictionary
sneak: 2 TAKE/GIVE ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
X lead you to Y
Is the following sentence correct grammatically?
The knowledge that I have gained through reading various reports on
the future of the workforce and the experience that I have had
precipitated a ...
2
votes
1answer
27 views
Take a guess or make a guess
What's the difference between "take a guess" and "make a guess"? Seems like they're both grammatically correct.
For example:
I don't know how old she is, I can only make/take a ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
“seen before” vs “already seen”
Please clarify the exact difference between:
I've seen your hands before
and
I've already seen your hands
Which sounds more natural in everyday English and which sound more common in formal talking or ...
1
vote
0answers
21 views
Meaning of 'All-out brawl'?
I know the meaning of 'brawl'.But what does this phrase 'all-out brawl' mean?
Thanks in Advance.
0
votes
1answer
34 views
Is it correct to say “hold the balloon by its handle, not by itself”?
You don't want your child to hold the balloon by holding itself because the balloon may get burst and it is not convenient.
You don't want your child to hold the handle of the balloon.
Is it correct ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Are “to splint his broken legs” and “to set his broken legs” the same and can they be used interchangeably? [closed]
The dictionary has the noun "splint" but doesn't have the verb "to splint". However some technical medical sites say "he splinted his broken legs".
splint noun /splÉŖnt/
...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Is it natural and correct to say “let's introduce to each other”?
Is it natural and correct to say let's introduce to each other? For example:
I am your new teacher so let's introduce to each other.
Would it be better to say
I am your new teacher so let's ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
We say “we got on the large ship” but “we got in the small boat”. Do we say “we leapt off the large ship” and “we leapt out of the small boat”?
Because a large ship has a large platform, so we say "we got on the large ship".
And, because a small boat has a very small platform, so we say "we got in the small boat".
Now, you ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
You told a child that the boy's about to jump into the pool. Now, the boy has just jumped into it. Is it ok to say “there he goes” or “there you go”?
You and your child are watching a boy standing by the pool.
You told your child that you expected the boy to jump into the pool in a few minutes.
Now, the boy has just jumped into it.
Is it okay to ...
3
votes
1answer
149 views
Is there any difference in meaning between the phrase “clear the air” and “have it out with someone”?
Is there any difference in meaning between the phrase clear the air and have it out with someone? For example:
I think it's time to clear the air with Kate.
I think it's time to have it out with Kate....
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Is “discover him from another side” idiomatic?
Is it okay to say "to discover a person from another side" meaning "to find out something new about a person"?
Google returns zero results for "discover him from another side&...
0
votes
0answers
5 views
How to say name has been cut?
How to say that the name of a student has been removed from the school-register, that the student is no more a student of the school now? Is cut or cut off a correct expression of the idea?
My name ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
How to talk about the climate
How to mention climate of a place? Could you check out following examples I wrote if they sound normal and are grammatically correct?
The city ( where I live) has a Mediterranean climate.
We have a ...
0
votes
2answers
24 views
Is “There would have not been a need” a common phrase in English?
Is "There would have not been a need" a common phrase in English?
It is very common in my first language and is used very often in daily conversations. For example,
Had you been a bit more ...
2
votes
2answers
34 views
“as much as” and “insofar as”
What will be the correct choice in the following sentence
_______ he is kept away from me at all times, I am ready to come home again
Options are
As much as
Insofar as
I was given the following ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
What are the differences between “I fell off / out / down / over / in”? [closed]
What are the differences between "I fell off / out / down / over"?
What I understand is that:
"off" is opposite of "on". So if you are "on something" and "...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Doubt about the correct word to use in this phrase
I was insecure about which verb use in this sentence between: allowed, eligible, permit and be able.
Only people who bought tickets were ___ to win a prize.
It has been told me from some English ...
