Questions tagged [phrases]
A phrase is a group of words that make a unit of syntax with a single grammatical function.
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1answer
7 views
Beating one's head against the wall / a brick wall
Dictionaries say that the idiom "beating one's head against the wall" means:
To attempt continuously and fruitlessly to accomplish some task or achieve some goal that is or seems ultimately ...
1
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1answer
23 views
Why is “more than meets the eye” grammatical in some cases?
I find this idiom very interesting, idiomatic and intuitive but not that grammatical to me. Why should we use meets, the third-person singular simple present sense? Can I change it to any other senses?...
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0answers
13 views
“A determinative factor”, “A determinant” and “A decisive factor”
To me, and based on dictionary definitions a "determinative factor", a "determinant" and a "decisive factor", imply a truely "crucial factor" which can lead you to make a decision about something.
...
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0answers
22 views
From (somebody's / something') side VS On behalf of (someone / something)
Please consider the following sentence:
I went on a long-term mission from the company side.
I need to mention that the company's authorities have sent me to this mission and they have asked ...
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1answer
20 views
What does the phrase “group into” mean here?
Here is a sentence from a schedule planner app:
In the app, you can easily group to-dos into projects and drag tasks within
and between them.
I am not sure if the word "group into" is used in ...
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1answer
18 views
Last year I took the bus to work. Since then I've taken the train
Just read this in a textbook (not written by natives I believe).
Is that correct, unambiguous? I would expect "Since then I have been taking the train".
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2answers
16 views
Is “World Top Education” correct?
Is World Top Education grammatically correct for a section label that wants to summarize that a country's education/universities are among the bests of the world?
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0answers
16 views
What is the meaning of “worked themselves out” in this sentence?
I read a sentence in a chapter in my book which was:
A whole complex of emotions and issues, traditions and loyalties worked themselves out in the revolt of 1857.
I am not able to figure what out ...
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2answers
33 views
Does “the overall sake” mean “for the sake of the majority of people”?
I was certain that the "phrase" (the) overall sake exist until I have typed it on Google search box to find no result containing it as a whole.
So, I want to know if it exists in English and if it ...
0
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1answer
49 views
How to say sarcastically “Wait for a long time (perhaps forever)”
Which one of the following phrases can be used in the context below in natural English:
A) Let me go! I won't come along with you. I don't like the company of such people.
B) But believe me; ...
1
vote
3answers
40 views
Usage of the phrase “give-and-take”
In accordance with the Oxford's explanations:
give-and-take
- willingness in a relationship to accept what sb else wants and give up some of what you want:
- If the dispute is to be resolved ...
1
vote
1answer
49 views
Is “One's life of them” a valid phrase?
I want to use a phrase that takes the form of possession. It may be a matter of an apostrophe with s or a usage of a possessive pronoun, I suppose.
What I want the phrase to mean and indicate is that ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
correct usage with phrases
Why doesn't just a sense work as the subject in the following sentence? Why does it need in a sense?
A sense we were witnessing someone pushing boundaries and defying conventions.
You could have:
...
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2answers
36 views
To burn the midnight oil
Please consider the following scenario:
a) I'm really jealous of him; he's a really successful engineer.
b) Instead, I'm really proud to have such a colleague! You see! He's been a truly ...
0
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1answer
28 views
Whether a length of time should come with “for”
I came across two sentences with a similar structure. The instance is shown below.
For how many weeks is the lecture series given?
How many weeks of the lecture series can non-engineering ...
1
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1answer
17 views
“Reply about” or “Reply to”
"I'll reply about this later.", is this correct grammatically and right usage of the proposition "about"?
or should I have used "to"?
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1answer
48 views
The meaning of “corruption of the best is the worst of all”
I have searched the web and found out that the proverbial sentence the corruption of the best is the worst of all has some Latin roots:
Corruptio optimi pessima.
Which apparantly is ...
3
votes
1answer
31 views
A very slow, weak and loose person
How would you normally in informal (not vulgar) English criticise a slowpoke how normally is very loose, weak and drags his feets when it comes to performing a task and you find it really difficult to ...
1
vote
2answers
20 views
What do you call the market for a certain job?
I am not sure, but the only phrase that comes to mind is "X market" as in "janitor market", but I think it may sound odd in certain situation.
Here's an example that might help understand what I mean:...
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1answer
58 views
Is the sentence a noun phrase/clause
Is the part in bracket
He is not sure (where to start a new business)
A noun clause or noun phrase
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4answers
356 views
Which types of prepositional phrase is “toward its employees” in Philosophy guiding the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad?
The philosophy that guides the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad.
The philosophy guiding the organization's policies towards its employees is not bad.
The organization's ...
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votes
1answer
17 views
which types of prepositional phrase is it in “ He is a man at heart?”
He is a man at heart.
I love a man at/by with heart.
Are they two correct? Which types of prepositional phrases are they? I mean whether they acted as adjectival or adverbial prepositional phrases?...
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1answer
37 views
Thank you email at office [closed]
Could you give me better phrases than this?
The situation is that you took 1week leave for vacation and want to say thanks to coworkers.
" title: Thank you
Thank you so much for your assistance ...
3
votes
1answer
28 views
It is so lovely a day
I know "such a lovely day" is definitely correct, but what do you think of "it's so lovely a day"? Is it okay as well?
This part of an exercise I did in FCE use of English, 'it's so lovely day' is ...
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1answer
23 views
How should I understand “is its own”?
In general I do not understand the usage of "is its own" in a sentence. For example how should I understand "is its own" in the following sentence?
Since the hand of a clock is its own clearly ...
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1answer
18 views
Preposition: its peak is (at) by the end of a/the day
What is the correct preposition and phrase here:
Overall, the highest number in terms of consumption of energy is in winter and its peak is by the end of THE day in England
Vs.
Overall, the ...
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vote
2answers
36 views
A phrase ”follow into" in a context
I'm a (an old style) basketball fan and when I was reading this article
And I encountered this line,
Walton inherited a team that was ripped to the studs by Kobe Bryant's retirement tour and ...
3
votes
1answer
24 views
In hindsight VS Come to think of it
How should I differentiate "in hindsight" from "come to think of it"? For me, both mean identical as it sounds like "now that I'm looking back"?
For instance, how the following sentences semantically ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
What is a “tomato word”?
In this explanation of the word myopic I get stuck by this sentence:
In terms of pronunciation: it's a tomato/tomahto word: pronounce it
"my-OP-ick" or "my-OH-pick," although that short o sound ...
0
votes
1answer
17 views
the meaning of “but” in the sentence quoted
These are not like the typical U.S. trade associations, which provide
important services, but often services that increase the success of
efficiency of individual members at the margins.
Here, ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
“To split hairs” vs “To be pedantic”
How shall I semantically distinguish to be pedantic and splitting hairs while they both indicate the same message about a person who is paying too much attention to some unnecessary details?
0
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2answers
21 views
An absolute phrase or just omitting "While…be…)
"While most politicians are downplaying the dire economic situations the people are facing, this candidate stresses that improving the lives of the citizens is a matter of import."
My mind somehow ...
1
vote
1answer
16 views
Be behind someone, be ahead of someone
Are the phrases I used in the sentences below used in English? Are they natural and common in colloquial language?..
Like someone falls behind someone, can these sentences be used:
I'm behind ...
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votes
1answer
20 views
Phrase “A existed as little as B years ago”
I'm curious about phrase
"A existed as B (adverb or adjective) as C years ago"
or more specifically,
"A existed as little as C years ago"
The original sentence is like the below.
Active ...
10
votes
8answers
2k views
“You are your self first supporter”, a more proper way to say it
I want to say that the person himself/herself should be the first supporter of himself/herself. I came up with two different ways of saying that, and I want to know if they are all correct, and which ...
3
votes
4answers
87 views
How to parse this sentence “I heard him drop his keys.”
"I heard him drop his keys"
I = subject
heard = verb
"him drop his keys." = direct object.
But how can I understand 'drop his keys'?
"I heard him singing in the shower."
Here, "singing in the ...
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votes
0answers
26 views
How to say this in American English?
Say, someone gives you wrong or bad advice and you tell him jokingly that he should not be giving advice. How do you reply in this case?
I want to say something like this:
"Giving advice is not ...
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1answer
175 views
Nice read / Nice reading [closed]
When you read a book and you want to express your excitement, what do you say:
"it was a nice read"
OR
"What a nice read"
OR
"Nice reading"
OR
There's something else which is most suitable?
I ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Hey ! I used the indicator to indicate that I was turning left
My mom was driving,when she was going to take the next left,she used her indicator to indicate that. But when she was turning,a car speeded past was while she was turning.(in the direction we were ...
2
votes
3answers
254 views
Is “for causing autism in X” grammatical?
I am not sure, but "for causing autism in X" seems ungrammatical when X is a person, when x is a particular group of people it doesn't sound off, but when it's a particular person, it sounds ...
0
votes
2answers
72 views
“Consider me in”, about the phrase and its negation
I have wanted to ask about the proper negation of the phrase "Consider me in", but as I have found nearly no result when I searched it on Google, I need to know first if it is common and correct. I'm ...
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votes
1answer
23 views
'Alex is a son of Smith.' and 'Smith is a father of Alex.' carry same meaning or different meaning?
In terms of Data Modeling, either of the following two relationships imply the same meaning. I mean I can use any one of them. (For Specific two Individuals)
IS_A_SON_OF
IS_A_FATHER_OF
Example
Alex ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
does this mean what I think it means - 4th last time
I'm moving out of my current place in a few days. When I'm doing something a little annoying to my roommate, I joke, "sorry, this is (will be) like the 4th last time I do this", to mean that I'm only ...
3
votes
1answer
167 views
Involved in or involved with
there are two sentences:
The HR department
will also be involved with training and professional development of the company's staff.
A company's HR department may also be involved in making ...
0
votes
3answers
54 views
As a man sows, so shall he reap
Are there any cooler/better-matched/modern phrases to express that you have to recover your own fault or make up your own mistakes by yourself?
I found the phrase in title by search, but I guess the ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
What is the phrase for :I should do a task in two days? [closed]
I want a simple phrase to describe this:
If I should do a task in two days then which phrase is more natural to use:
2 Days deadline
2 Days Grace period
or a better phrase you recommend...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
The correct preposition after “I'm dying”
Saying "I'm dying" alone is normal and correct, but what if it was followed (for any reason) by a preposition? Would "at" be the correct one to use as in (I'm dying at this)?
It was stated in that ...
1
vote
2answers
45 views
Can “take off” be used instead of “remove” in this context
A told B:
Take off(to mean "remove") the grill,I have to clean it. I looked it up online.
Is the use of "take off" instead of "remove" natural?
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2answers
34 views
“I love you so”
I've encountered (in songs, mostly) the phrase "I love you so". I understand what it means, but I can't make grammatical sense of it. It's very different in meaning from "I think so" or "I told you so"...
0
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1answer
15 views
Can the phrase “air pocket” be used figuratively?
I read a sentence in "The Hindu" which was:
With its most ordered plane's fate undecided, Boeing may well be heading towards an air pocket.
Merriam Webster dictionaries define "air pocket" as a ...
