Questions tagged [phrases]
A phrase is a group of words that make a unit of syntax with a single grammatical function.
1,110
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Are they the same meaning?
In the following sentence, is the meaning of the evidence to base policies on the same as the evidence on which policies base?
[...] but what they often lack is the evidence to base policies on.
If ...
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2answers
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Get your fingers caught
Can "You'll catch your fingers in the door!" be used instead of "You're going to get your fingers caught in the door!"?
You want someone to stop closing the door again and again ...
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1answer
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Difference between “last year” and “over the last year”
In this sentence,
The investment in equipment last year ___ a significant increase in sales.
Between "is causing" and "has caused", I think I have to use "has caused". ...
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2answers
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The demons assailed me; and fever came, and delirium, to people the waste with shadows. --“to people the waste”?
In the following paragraph, I cannot figure out the meaning of the part in bold, and the grammar concept behind that (It comes from the story "Told in the desert"):
The red demons of thirst ...
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1answer
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There wasn't a single color I didn't see
I was talking about 'Gardens by the bay' which is in Singapore. I said:
"There were flowers from practically all over the world. It was so colorful there wasn't a single color I didn't see."
...
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1answer
26 views
What does the phrase “to spin the Payload Event Wheel” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "to spin the Payload Event Wheel" in the following sentence from the description of the game FRAG Pro Shooter:
Starting in November for ...
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0answers
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in terms of communication
This is the first time I reach out to my teammates. And I want to ask them how they like to communciate in the future, with email, imessage, groupme, etc. How should i phrase my sentence?
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1answer
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What does the phrase “wall-run around threats” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "wall-run around threats" in the following sentence from the description of the game Super Glitch Dash :
There are some spots where you ...
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0answers
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“Would you like to go on a holiday together?” — is this correct English?
One person asks another person:
Would you like to go on a holiday together?
or
Would you like to go out together?
I take it that "with me" or "with us" is implied.
Is that use ...
0
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1answer
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Are the phrases “comes down to” and “boils down to” interchangeble?
I do get the meaning of the phrases separately, but I would like to know if they can be used interchangeably at least in some scenarios.
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1answer
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What does “though if” mean
I know "as if/as though" means but never heard that sentence starts with "though if".
Can anyone help me with this ?
Thanks in advance
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1answer
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Verbs after “In case”
As a grammar hint, it is stated under the entry for "In case" within Longman Dictionary of Contemporary that we have to use simple present/past or should after in case, for example:
They ...
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1answer
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Correctness of “Live by rumors”
Is the preposition used correctly or should there be another one? And is the phrase clear?
I want to say that the person believes in rumors, not facts.
Live by rumors.
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3answers
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What does the phrase “pitch is in flight to line up your swing perfectly” mean?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "pitch is in flight to line up your swing perfectly" in the following text from the description of the game "Ballistic Baseball":...
0
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1answer
34 views
What does the phrase “Elven for AI” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase Elven for "AI" in the following text (not available online):
Grimes has a fascination with AI. So much that the “Æ” in her son’s name is ...
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3answers
106 views
“to be in a shape of” or “to have a shape of” dinosaur
Which phrase, if any, of the following, is correct with regard to each single element of my puzzle design:
element has a shape of a dinosaur
element is in the shape of a dinosaur
element is of the ...
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1answer
21 views
day three part of speech of three
In the phrases, day one, day two, day three etc what part of speech is one , two, three? I know that day is a noun, and cardinal numbers are conventionally used as determiners or as fused heads in ...
0
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2answers
42 views
Why is “personal reasons” always plural?
Why is the phrase "personal reasons" is preferred to "personal reason"?
Example: I'm on leave due to personal reasons.
I hardly have seen anyone saying "I'm on leave due to a ...
0
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0answers
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thank you phrase
I'm looking for a sentence to end the acknowledgement section of my book, I was thinking to:
And to you who are reading these lines, thank you.
Does it sound good in english?
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1answer
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“between A and B” vs “between A or B”
The following is the headline of an article from ClutchPoints, sports news web site.
Matt Nagy speaks out on making the call between Mitchell Trubisky or
Nick Foles
While the phrase "between A ...
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2answers
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What is the difference in meaning between the phrase “so there it is” and “so there is that”?
What is the difference in the meaning between the phrase so there it is and so there is that? For example, would it be possible both in the sentence below? If so, what would be the difference?
The ...
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1answer
27 views
“Outdoor socializing is in, business trips are out.”
It’s an article from NY Times predicting people’s life after the coronavirus.
Below is a paragraph:
Thousands of stores and companies that were vulnerable before the virus arrived have disappeared. ...
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1answer
26 views
What does the phrase “try filling in” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "try filling in" in the following text from the description of the game Genshin Impact:
You can use earth elemental combat skills to ...
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1answer
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Which is the proper use of an age group: 65 years OR older or 65 years AND older
For use in scientific journals: Is it "more correct" to use the phrase "65 years or older" to describe an age group or "65 years and older".
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2answers
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What does “content writing” mean?
Isn't the phrase "content writing" weird? Why do we have the word "content" here? Isn't it obvious when we say "writing"?
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0answers
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Presses on the accelerator
Michael is in a car and is backing away from some cops, trying to flee
from them. Michael then sees that there is another cop behind him, so
he turns the speed up a little (he's still backing) to hit ...
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1answer
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compare “book the first” and “the first book”
I started to read a book. In first pages It says:
"A Series of Unfortunate Events
Book the First
The Bad Beginning"
Why it says "Book the First" instead of "The First Book&...
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1answer
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Usage of “stand for” and “stand up”, which one is correct?
I came across this sentence somewhere and could you tell me which one is correct?
It takes a lot from within to stand for who we really are.
It takes a lot from within to stand up for who we really ...
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1answer
25 views
What does the phrase “shape up” mean here?
What does the phrase "shape up" mean in the following sentence from the description (not available online) of the game "Griddie Islands"
Help these tropical getaways shape up.
...
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2answers
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What does the phrase “slid down tubes” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "slid down tubes" in the following sentence from the description of the game "Minion Rush":
For six and a half harrowing minutes,...
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1answer
34 views
Right way to say this
I was watching a TV drama along with my friend recently when this scene came up.
Scene goes something like this :
Two guys were having a conversation when a third person overhears ...
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2answers
43 views
Is “bump over” okay here?
The guy fell and the police car bumped over him.
I was told on another forum that "bumped over" would not be natural here, but is it still okay to use it instead of "ran over"?
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1answer
51 views
Which is correct: “had gotten along with” or “had got along with”?
I once texted a sentence like "It reminded me of a friend whom I had got along with," and someone pointed out that I should use "a friend whom I had gotten along with."
It's a bit ...
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1answer
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Can “mess around” be used in this context?
So I stepped out on my porch and yelled at him to get the (swear word) off my lawn. At first he thought I was joking, but then he ran. He could tell I wasn't messing around.
Is "wasn't messing ...
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1answer
697 views
Is «ado» used often?
The following expression seems to be quite common:
without further ado
Despite “ado” is a word with its own meaning I do not hear native speakers use it much separately. Is it the word that is ...
0
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1answer
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Use of present perfect passive “has not being” or “was not being”
Industrial sector has not being attractive enough to absorb excess labour in the agricultural sector.
(Wanted to explain an Ongoing process from past to present)
Industrial sector was not being ...
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1answer
46 views
Can a phrase be a part of a clause?
I want to know if a phrase can be a part of a clause. For instance :
Atul did not come to the class yesterday.
Did come is verb phrase in this sentence. But Atul did not come is a clause because it ...
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0answers
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What is the grammatical name/grammatical funtion of this sentence ending?
All the students sympathized with their class monitor whose father was involved in an accident
What is the grammatical name and the grammatical funtion of the highlighted part of the above?
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1answer
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Does this phrase make sense here?
When the client feels the invoice isn’t fair enough for the quality of design:.
In the above sentence, I used the word fair for invoice. Basically I want to say that the client feels the quality of ...
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4answers
26 views
What’s that supposed to mean vs what does that suppose to mean vs what’s that suppose to mean
I, for some reason, can’t figure out the grammar of the following phrase - “What’s that supposed to mean?”...
Why isn’t it “What does that suppose to mean?” or “What’s that suppose to mean?” I know it’...
0
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1answer
25 views
Is there any difference in meaning and usage between the phrase “even better” and “better still”?
Could you tell me if there there any difference in meaning and usage between the phrase even better and better still? For example:
You'd make a lot of progress if you learn five new words a day. Even ...
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2answers
36 views
How are the word piece, song and work used to describe music?
After researching the use of the words: piece, work, song, I am becoming confused about how these words are used to describe music (or how they relate to music).
So far, it seems that a work of music =...
0
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1answer
51 views
Does the phrase “a dragging experience” make any sense?
I am trying to come up with a pun for a specific situation.
In a playground, there is a kid sitting down at the edge of a
merry-go-round with his legs sticking out touching the ground. While
it spins ...
0
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1answer
26 views
What does the phrase “tool manufacture and food for your livestock” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "tool manufacture and food for your livestock" in the following sentence (not available online) from the description of the game "...
1
vote
1answer
27 views
What is the meaning of I have been broken
If you see, I was broken makes sense to me. It means you're having a very difficult time due to say some tragedy.
But I want to say it like Once you are broken, it will always xyz. But to me, it seems ...
0
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2answers
29 views
What does “leave work until the last minute” mean?
I saw a new phrase today in ''Interchange'' Book #2 page 21:
Some people leave work until the last minute, this is a bad habit that can cause trouble.
What does this phrase mean?
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0answers
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What does the phrase “spin each puzzle around” mean here?
Please help me figure out the meaning of the phrase "spin each puzzle around" in the following sentence from the description of the game "Spek":
Shapes merge and separate as you ...
0
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1answer
15 views
How do you use phrase named “get along ”?
I have learned one English phrase recently but i am facing doubt of it's using.
According to dictionary "get along" means be friend or deal with something.
So aren't these question right ...
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2answers
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Is this phrase okay to use to convey bathing with bucket and mug?
In India, most people use this kind of thing for bathing (Shower is for rich people and luxury. Not everyone can afford it here.). A bucket of water and a mug.
Now, I want to say that "Yesterday,...
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3answers
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Formal phrases in scientific texts
I am writing a formal text (thesis) and I would like to use the formulation
... results must be taken with a grain of salt.
Although it seems that it is used in scientific papers (see this question),...
