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.
2,053
questions
2
votes
1answer
35 views
is it idiomatic to say “leave it as it is” when you want someone not to alter the current structure of something?
Suppose your child is about to untie the bow on his shirt & you say "leave it as it is".
is it idiomatic to say "leave it as it is" when you want someone not to alter the current structure of ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Is the usage of “am” without “I” allowed?
For years, I got uncomfortable whenever I see non-question sentence/phrase begin with "am" instead of "I", such as:
"What are you doing?"
"Am eating."
Or
#amwriting
The problem is, that last word (...
0
votes
2answers
23 views
“The Act doesn't state the criteria for X; it has delegated [this] responsibility to …” ~ What does “this” mean here?
I wrote the following sentence:
The Employment Insurance (EI) Act doesn’t state the criteria for establishing, delineating, and reviewing EI regional boundaries; it has delegated this ...
0
votes
1answer
9 views
“brought in” vs. “introduced”
We brought in advanced technology from abroad.
Can I change the phrase "brought in" to "introduced" here?
Thank you.
0
votes
1answer
23 views
“alone” vs. “by myself” vs. “on my own”
As a German speaker, I'm surprised to hear by myself/yourself/himself... or on my/your/his... own where I would have expected the word alone or myself/yourself/himself... (without by). Meanwhile, I ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
How can I improve this message?
I'm making some video to spread awareness about coronavirus. In the end, I need to give people a message that along with washing hands, you should also clean your laptop, mouse, phone and similar ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
When mom is going to work, the kid says “Mom, come home to / with me soon, ok”. Is that a correct expression?
When mom is going to work, the kid says:
-"Mom, come home to / with me soon, ok". I am not sure "to or with"
or
-"Mom, come home soon and be with me, ok"
But I remember I read this sentence ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
How do you ask the age of a person in a picture?
I am confused between these two sentences :
How old are you in this picture?
How old were you in this picture?
Which one of these is correct or more accurate?
0
votes
0answers
14 views
when can i add (verb ing) at the end of sentences?( when can i omit “while”?)
I came home crying screaming.
I came home smiling.
I went to the bar carrying baggage.
I woke up forgetting it was a public holiday.
I was running towards you waving my arms yelling "don't do that".
A ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
Do we say “the police found many ivories in the bag”?
i‧vo‧ry /ˈaɪvəri/ ●○○ noun (plural ivories)
1 [uncountable] the hard smooth yellowish-white substance from the
tusks (=long teeth) of an elephant
an ivory chess set
2 [uncountable]...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Present Perfect, Past Simple and Present Simple in one phrase at once
Am I right that these sentences are possible in use in one phrase and that the signification of the phrase is definitely clearly?
I have seen Paula lately. I saw Paula yesterday. I don`t know where ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
are they valid and roughly similar: “The dog bit into his leg”, “The dog bit him into his leg”, “The dog bit his leg”?
bite [intransitive, transitive] to use your teeth to cut into or through
something
Does your dog bite?
Come here! I won't bite! (= you don't need to be afraid)
bite into/through ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
“Before I know it” vs “before I knew it.”
Should I write "before I know it" or "before I knew it" when speaking in the present tense?
Example sentence:
"This boss is too tyrannical. Before I know it/before I knew
it, I'll/I'd become his ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
How to use these structures “take something apart” and “put something together”, the “something” is plural or singular?
take somebody/something apart phrasal verb
1 to separate something into all its different parts OPP put together
Tom was always taking things apart in the garage.
put something ↔ together ...
0
votes
0answers
15 views
Where i can learn more about the uses of phrase “ i guess ( that)..”?
You guys think you could help cite/recommend me some good source or resource/s where i can learn more about the different uses of the phrase " I guess " by Americans, ( like the most common and ...
0
votes
1answer
9 views
Is it correct and natural to use “put out” in the sense of maiking something available, such as a product or transportation?
Is it correct and natural to use put out in the sense of maiking something available, such as a product or transportation? For example:
Because the buses are overcrowded athorities has decided to ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Is it okay to say 'fraud oneself to the office'?
Multiple times, I came across structures like '[verb] oneself to/into/through [something]' that mean "by doing [verb] achieve/pass etc. [something]". Is my expression 'fraud oneself to the office' ...
1
vote
1answer
16 views
On that one , though
The following took place in a board of trustees meeting :
Speaker 1 : The college has always based its legislative initiatives on local control, and this kind of articulates that .If
you see ...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
“Add up to” ambiguous?
I was asked for a quote and this is what I said:
“An infographic costs $10 but since I’ll also be conducting the research, it’s going to add up to $20 per infographic.”
Does the phrase “add up to” ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Is the question “what lies behind your thinking?” a valid and natural phrase when I want to ask why someone has a particular opinion on something?
Is the question what lies behind your thinking a valid and natural phrase when I want to ask why someone has a particular opinion on something or caused them to think in a particular way? For example:
...
0
votes
2answers
31 views
Trend in usage “irregardless of” vs "regardless of'
We see in US English a trend towards saying "irregardless of" in place of "regardless of". The trend is discernible on Google Ngram since 1980. Even "educated" writers in US use it. I don't see it at ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
“My work finishes at 8” or “I finish work at 8”?
Which one of the following sentences is correct when I want to say that my workday is over at 8?
My work finishes at 8.
I finish work at 8.
If both are equally natural, which is more common?
0
votes
1answer
17 views
Use of as many as in two different sentence
I hope that you read books as many as I do.
I hope that you read as many books as I do.
What is the difference between two sentences. I thought first one means that I read books and I want you ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
using 'the same as' to liken two actions
Is the usage of 'the same as' in the following sentence correct?
Jack does to Fanny exactly the same as what Fanny has done to him.
If not, what's the idiomatic way in English to express the ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Is it right to say “as certain as can be”?
Can we say that somebody is as certain as can be without referring to a subject?
If so, what could this mean?
0
votes
0answers
18 views
What does (for the last day) mean?
He has locked himself in his room for the last day .
does this mean that he's been in his room all day long ?
i could understand it if someone said they have been doing something for the last two ...
0
votes
0answers
12 views
Free will for coming
Is it correct and understandable to use "Free will for coming" as "having ability of choosing between being born or not"?
in a circus tent:
STEPAN
You see? People are getting constantly excited and ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Visit Australia
I saw this phrase today in a meme
Visit Australia - Where there is stuff the bites the heads off crocodiles.
Because of the way my natural language works, makes more sense to me if there was an of ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
are they roughly similar? “the child climbed up the chair” & “the child climbed up onto the chair”?
climb 1 /klaɪm/ ●●● W2 verb 1 MOVE UP/DOWN [intransitive always +
adverb/preposition, transitive] to move up, down, or across something
using your feet and hands, especially when this is ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
“Go over for” meaning “go for”
A line from the movie Killers grates.
You just pulled a robot voice. All right, don't worry. There's a certain segment of the population that goes over big for that sort of thing. (for more context ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Is it ok to say “eye drops are for putting into eyes”?
ˈeye drops noun [plural]
special liquid which you put into your eyes because they are sore or
dry, or as a medical treatment
--
My son: What is it?
Me: It is a bottle of eye drops. Eye ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
Are they the same “She is drying her hair off” and “She is drying her hair up”?
dry 4 PLATES/DISHES ETC British English to rub plates, dishes etc dry
with a cloth after they have been washed
dry something ↔ up
I’ll just dry up these mugs and we can have a coffee.
dry ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Usage of phrase with “of”
My wife’s fear of spider
If I say the phrase below instead of the one above by making propositional phrase with “ of” would it means the same or would it means “fear of my wife’s spider. I thought ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Use of in a state of being
A tooth extracted from a human was delivered in a state of being soaked.
Would it be correct if I say phrases below instead of in a state of being soaked?
A tooth extracted from a human was ...
0
votes
3answers
35 views
In a way vs in a state
When he came to home he was wet up to knees . While describing this situation which phrase below would be better.
He came to home in a way that is wet up to knees
He came to home in a state ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
what is the grammatical function of 'those' and 'who' in the phrase 'those who live in urban areas'
I want to know the part of speech of the words 'those' and 'who' in the following phrase:
those who live in urban areas.
because some of my students make mistake and write 'who live in urban areas', ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
is my toddler wrong when he says “I suckle the boob”?
suckle [transitive / intransitive] : to feed a baby, especially a baby animal, with milk from the organ in
the mother that produces milk, or (of a baby, especially a baby
animal) to drink milk ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Where I can learn more about the uses of “ I guess ”?
You guys think u could help cite/recommend me some good reliable source or resource where i can learn more about the different uses of the phrase " I guess ", ( like the most common and informal ones)...
0
votes
2answers
64 views
Is it idiomatic to say “gaps between your hair” or “gap-haired”?
gap-toothed (adj): having gaps between the teeth
Some people were born with gaps between / in their teeth. It is not a condition or an illness or whatsoever, it is just a body feature, just like some ...
1
vote
0answers
26 views
Which of the following sentences is more natural and grammatically correct?
Which of the following sentences is more natural and grammatically correct?
Without their having been read, the books were returned to the library.
Without having been read, the books were ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Misunderstandable grammar structure
I was reading model answers on CAE writing part and in one of the essays found out a grammar structure I misunderstand:
In my opinion, whilst any facility would be a positive improvement, I have ...
2
votes
1answer
22 views
The meaning of “planes and angles”?
What is the meaning of this phrase in describing a person's face?
He looks at me, and sees me looking. He has a French face, lean,
whimsical, all planes and angles, with creases around the mouth ...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
Miss you saying or your saying
I miss your saying '' I love you''.
I miss you saying '' I love you''.
Which phrase should I use after the verb '' miss'' you or your. As far as I searched on the internet I couldn't find any ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
How to say correctly?
The question is mostly for native speakers. What is best:
"Prices for Linux app" or "Linux app prices"
and why?
0
votes
1answer
23 views
Can “not only, … but also” be used like “either .. or”?
You can reach the place via not only Route A but also Route B.
I created the sentence above to intend that there is no need to use both Route A and Route B to reach the place. Is this usage correct?
0
votes
1answer
30 views
What is the idiomatic way to express “we have no power to run this machine”?
power 7 [noncount] a : energy that can be collected and used to
operate machines
electrical/nuclear/solar/wind/battery power
The car's engine yields more power while using less fuel.
...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
Let's go vs Let's get going
I watched an English lesson where it was claimed that there is no difference between the expressions "Let's go" and "Let's get going". Is this really the case?
0
votes
0answers
32 views
How to idiomatically express “to make the ballpoint tip of a pen stick in” in simple terms to a child?
Have a look at the picture
My child sometimes plays with pens, which could be dangerous because the ballpoint tip of the pen may poke him in the eyes.
How to idiomatically express "to press the end ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Is natural to use the phrase “take something after someone” in the sense of inheriting a certain behavior or physical feature?
I am aware that there is such a phrase take after someone which means to behave or look like your relative. But is it natural to be more specific when using the phrase? For example:
She takes her ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
How to express “In-toeing & Out-toeing” in simple terms to a child?
When feet turn inward — a tendency referred to as walking "pigeon-toed" — doctors call it in-toeing. When feet point outward, it's called out-toeing. (from kidshealth.org)
How to express "In-toeing &...
