A phrase is a group of words that make a unit of syntax with a single grammatical function.
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can we say “All in a day's disappointment”?
What does the phrase "all in a day's disappointment" mean?
Look, Lacy has forgot to put her toys in the box after playing again! All in a day's disappointment, I guess.
Would it be wrong to modify ...
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1answer
15 views
Usage of “How I wish I could…”
How and when is the phrase "How I wish I could..." used?
I came across this phrase at at least two instances:
How I wish he could question the Indian powers!
How I wish I could. But I have a real ...
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15 views
In fact, Indeed
Jair Bolsonaro is the new president of Brazil. Indeed, this last election provoked a division of opinions among voters.
In this phrase is normal use "in fact" or "indeed"? These words are synonymous?
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Responding to a company which potentially will hire me [closed]
The message i got :
Dear xyz,
Thanks for your interest in XXX. We were introduced to your profile via xyz.
We are glad to inform you that we believe you could potentially be a great fit
for the ...
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1answer
40 views
Rephrasing of “a person with this habit/with a habit of”
Is it grammatically and lexically correct to call a person with a particular habit "a habit holder" or "a habit carrier" for short?
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34 views
It doesn't work AS WHAT THEY SAY IT IS (phrase/expression)
Let's say you have downloaded an 'adblocker' app on your phone. Then, when you are testing it, it's not working, you are now grumpy due to that because you feel that you have been fooled by the app's ...
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1answer
23 views
Meaning of “no more right”
Man has no more right to say an uncivil thing than to act one
According to me the meaning of this phrase is:
Man has equal right to say an uncivil thing and to act an uncivil thing.
Am I right?
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51 views
Is “that makes sense” a neutral reply?
I wonder if it is neutral (in a sense close to that no positive or negative things implied) when an American utters "that makes sense" after hearing an explanation. I would like to know if it is used ...
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On the right usage of “had they been …”
I need to know if my usage of the term had they been. This is a phrase:
Had they been aware of the danger, they would perform regular checks
I want to say if they have been aware of the danger, ...
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2answers
29 views
Apologizing informally
Is it appropriate to say
'Sorry for making this hard for you'?
Some context: We tried to set up a time to meet but we have conflicting schedules so we decided to meet later at night.
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1answer
32 views
Writing a sentence starting with “To do so” in a semi-formal essay
Can I start my essay with "To do so"? Does it sound too informal?
These are the sentences: the teacher could give a lecture ... To do so, they should train ...
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1answer
23 views
What does “free somebody for something” mean?
I get confused when I read this sentence: "An increasingly efficient agricultural industry freed British workers for factory employment." Does the phrase "free...for..." exist? Does it mean "workers ...
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Why use “like” In the question "What is a typical home like there?
I found this Question in a student book and I can't understand why not "What is a typical home there?"
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41 views
What are these structures called and how do they differ?
A long serving member of the Army, he recieved many decorations including The George Cross, the most fitting conclusion to his distinguished career.
People often pass away because they've simply '...
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23 views
You already have stopped smoking by now(phrase)
Let's say you have a friend who can't stop smoking cigarette, and you don't believe him saying that he is concern about his health. And you say:
"If you were really concern about your health, ...
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1answer
33 views
What is the grammatical points in these sentences?
I'd like to know the grammatical points of the phrases "when children have a job" and "due to their age" in these sentences and how I can find more details about building sentences ( a common ...
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40 views
What does the phrase 'in the enterprise' mean?
I saw it in the title of a book.
My guess would be "on an enterprise level", is that correct or does it convey something more than that?
Edit:
I can understand what an enterprise is, but why is it ...
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34 views
Why do you say “Second to none” (the best) when “Next to nothing” (means worthless) [closed]
I saw this question What does "For next to nothing" mean? and it got me thinking about "The man with the golden gun" lyrics.
An assassin that's second to none
If you think about it, ...
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Breaking down sentence with phrases
Schools use the feedback from Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint to make strategic decisions, drawing upon a pool of information
and specialist reporting tools that are built into the tests.
...
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1answer
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Which is the correct phrase to be used here ? (since, from, was born, born) [closed]
Which one of the following is the correct answer sentence ?
Que: "Which is your favourite game ?"
Correct answer phrase ?
1) "The one I have been playing since the day I born"
2) "The one I have ...
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1answer
52 views
Go down the hall meaning? (For giving directions)
When I asked for the directions to the HR's cubicle, I got this reply:
Go down the hall then take the first left, You will find the HR's cubicle there.
(I don't remember exactly what he said.)
I ...
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0answers
53 views
A phrase to describe someone's immediate liking toward some negative activity?
How to describe someone's immediate liking toward some negative activity?
For example, in the example below, I was told that "He took an instant liking to bullying" doesn't sound well:
When this ...
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1answer
91 views
What does “I cannot be more thankful” mean?
What does "I cannot be more thankful" mean?
I want to say that I am very thankful for having this opportunity. Can I say something like the following?
... and I cannot be more thankful for having ...
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1answer
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to think things through for oneself
I came across the following sentence and I would like ask to if it is grammatically correct?
There is a phrase " to think through" which means to think carefully over something and there is a phrase "...
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2answers
43 views
Take credit for work they didn't contribute to(phrase)
In this World, some people do act like they did something amazing, wherein they didn't even have contributions to it. Putting it this way:
''Some people take credit for work they didn't even have ...
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1answer
19 views
Switch back (to) use(ing)
I was trying to find some information on using "to + Ving" The following was the closest I got, but I still have a question.
In the following snippet out of context:
...which causes him to switch ...
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What does 'to assume the first chair' mean? [closed]
No further back than 1834, Professor William P. Dewees assumed the first chair of obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania.
What is the meaning of 'assume' here? What does 'to assume the first ...
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1answer
37 views
what's the meaning of “in the spirit of Hegel”?
I want to know what "in the spirit of Hegel" means. What does it mean in the context of philosophy
I tried spirit but it didn't help me understand.
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48 views
What is the meaning of 'a little too + adjective'? [duplicate]
What is the meaning of the phrase "a little too + adjective" ?
For example:
This is a little too hard for me.
Does it mean same as:
This is slightly hard for me.
?
How are the following ...
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1answer
70 views
Pulling teeth vs Pulling nails
So, my friend said "getting a compliment out of X is like pulling teeth". Somehow I always remembered that expression as "pulling nails with a plier". He pointed that the expression doesn't exists. So ...
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2answers
377 views
Phrase:I can't remember what (_something_) WAS THAT/IS THAT
Let's say you are watching a video clip, then while watching, there is a portion that suddenly reminds you of a book. You know that book but you can't recall its name. And you say:
"I can't ...
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1answer
43 views
What are the meaning of “put to bare” in the sentence and the meaning of the sentence?
the context is as follows
...or complex moment where ethical reasoning skill will be put to bare where they will have opportunity to discuss online their reactions to that particular film...
First,...
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“Call in sick” meaning [closed]
I always drank until past midnight, and there we'd sit, at 5 a.m. in the morning, waiting to get on the clock, waiting for some regular to call in sick.
In here what does "to call in sick" mean
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Is 'to avoid company' a correct expression?
I am trying to convey the next message:
Being an introvert doesn't mean [avoiding company/to avoid company].
Is it correct to use 'to avoid company' in the meaning of 'to be alone, to keep ...
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1answer
43 views
What is the meaning of “Although we may seem worlds away, I hope you know I am right there with you.”?
What is the meaning of this sentence? Can anyone explain it to me please:
Although we may seem worlds away, I hope you know I am right there with you.
I tried to google it and I understood that ...
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1answer
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“To solution, …” and also “To this problem, … ” are these even proper phrases?
Consider this phrase:
"To solution, an equation is derived to describe the particle motion."
And also this phrase:
"To this problem, the new proposed method can reduce the weight of the payload ...
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1answer
40 views
What does “high to take care” mean?
I need to translate an item from a questionnaire: “My parents were too drunk or high to take care of the family.”, but I don't understand the part "... or high to take care ...". How to understand the ...
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1answer
51 views
Why isn't a possessive pronoun used in some phrases before the word 'mind'?
Is there a reason why we don't normally put a possessive pronoun before the word 'mind' in some phrases?
For example, it is not used in the phrases
come to mind
keep in mind
but it is used in some ...
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2answers
29 views
“the US hegemony” or “US hegemony”?
Which sentence is correct, why?
There are countries that think they must follow their own interests by forming an alliance against the US hegemony.
There are countries that think they must ...
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0answers
22 views
Replacing the noun in a fixed phrase for it/ the
I need a help with my poor translation of a quote from my native tongue:
Instead of keeping both feet on the ground you can sometimes lie down on the ground.
I can't stand the word ground ...
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2answers
47 views
in the name of vs on sb's name
a fully paid ticket on the applicant’s name will be required
a driving licence in the name of William Sanders
I think these two phrasings (on the someone's name and in the name of someone) mean ...
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1answer
9 views
Any more than that?
"the mental constitution of crowds is not to be learnt merely by a study of their crimes, any more than that of an individual by a mere description of his vices."
is "any more than that" in this ...
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2answers
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Uisng “go so far as to” with location not thing
The phrase "go so far as to" say or do something, is common. But if I want to describe extreme distance such as traveling to a distant country. Can I use something like:
I could not imaging I could ...
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1answer
232 views
Meaning of the phrase “little too”?
Does the phrase 'little too' mean same as 'very', or is it mild form of very ? For instance, I am little too comfortable talking to you. Does it mean same as 'I am very comfortable talking to you' ?
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Where/what you get yourself into
a person is inquiring about another person's decision on being included in a bridesmaid thing, then he asked:
Inquirer:
Are you sure you know where you get yourself into with this whole ...
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2answers
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Meaning of “roll down” in “Bill and I rolled down the runway not knowing whether this airplane would leave the runway in a controlled manner”
In a book I'm reading there is a phrase "roll down" as follows:
When we checked the airplane again in the morning, it had been repaired - it turned out two wires had been crossed. My RIO, Bill ...
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1answer
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How to quick understand in continuous parentheses?
The problem comes when I try to understand (multiple) continuous parentheses, for example:
Summary of text leading up to this: someone purpose to eliminate 13 majors about humanities since they are ...
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2answers
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expression “to be the date of birth”
In her akward TED talk, Christen Reighter talks about physiological exams for her bodily autonomy. She mentions:
I wanted to give that doctor every piece of evidence that I was not
the date of ...
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3answers
129 views
“Asking price” vs. “Asked price”
Why is the phrase “asking price” instead of “asked price”?
Asking price: is the amount of money asked by a seller, so why isn’t "asked price” instead of “asking price” because the price is asked not ...
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3answers
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I know there is difference between “grow” and “grow up”, but it is hard for me to tell when it comes to an example
It is said in some dictionaries that "grow" means to increase in amount, size, number, or strength, while "grow up" means one changes from being a child into being an adult or to stop behaving in a ...
