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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Use of the phrase "to where"
An example might be: "We need to apply enough coats of paint to where no one will be able to see the color underneath it."
Is this phrase improper?
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Can I use "we're on the way" to talk about "we're here to tell you something"?
I'm going to use "we're on the way" to say "we're coming to tell you and offer you something in writing email letter",so will it be ok to use? Is it correct? I want to know whether ...
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How can I tell if a phrase has the function of an adjective, adverb, preposition, etc.?
The phrase 'call it a day' has the function of a verb. It acts as a and replaces a verb.
Let's call it a day - Let's eat
I called it a day - I yawned
It's time to call it a day - It's time to eat
...
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What does "four corners" mean here?
What does "four corners" mean here? A studio, or a room in an apartment?
In our area, an apartment is nearly $2000 for four corners.
Which sense in https://www.merriam-webster.com/...
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What do sewing concerns and tide pole mean? [closed]
In https://youtu.be/KxSBHqFgrCw
Starting from 15:50
You've got Elon musk and Trump still out there sewing concerns about
mail in ballots
What does sewing concerns mean? Is it showing concerns ...
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Why doesn't "for this week" sound natural?
I am working part-time as a retail clerk. I work only three shifts a week. I had my third shift today. When leaving, I said to my colleague.
(1a) I said, "This is my third shift. I am done for ...
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When a participle phrase follows a prepositional phrase, what is the participle phrase modifying?
Per title, when a participle phrase follows a prepositional phrase, what is the participle phrase modifying?
For example, in:
Jim tripped, falling to the floor.
"Falling to the floor" ...
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Rarely but right on target
Is there a phrase or idiom to describe something that happens rarely but it's always spot on?
Would you say?:
rarely but right on target
He speaks rarely but right on target (implying that speaks ...
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Can noun phrases have only one word?
In Saad is now a grown man. I think that Saad is a noun phrase.
Can noun phrases have only one word?
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Please explain "I thought not"
As per title, is there any difference between 'I thought not' and 'I didn't think so'? Thanks.
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Clauses and Phrases
Please identify clause and phrase in this sentence.
Our hard drive is indestructible.
I think there is no phrase in this sentence. This sentence has only one clause that is independent clause. ...
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What does "smudge one's clock face" mean?
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4873807-trump-harris-debate-reaction-podhoretz/ says:
Former President Reagan speechwriter, John Podhoretz, said former
President Trump caused problems for ...
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What is the difference between the three sentences?
Exhausted by the work,Jane got a cup of coffee and sat down.
Jane,exhausted by the work,got a cup of coffee and sat down.
Jane got a cup of coffee and sat down, exhausted by the work.
What is the ...
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What does "rising at the best part of two kilometers a minute." mean?
This is a part of the book "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley in which a pilot and a passenger are in a helicopter and being the flight. They ascend vertically.
"The speedometer showed ...
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Let's talk about this
Looking for better understanding about the below phrase.
Let's talk about this.
Is this phrase used to explain anything in step by step way?
As always! Thank You.
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Why is "FOX 5 NY’s Duarte Geraldino introduces us to the artists" not "introduces the artists to us"?
From Meet 'Rappin Max Robot'
With the first ever Olympic break dancing competitions happening in
Paris, a special tribute will be on display back here in New York
City. It comes in the form of a ...
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Why does "take for granted" have to have the "for" in the phrase?
Why does "take for granted" have to have the "for" in the phrase?
For example, why can't we use:
I took my dad's contributions as granted
I took my dad's contributions granted
...
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An 'autopsy-esque table' or 'autopsy table-esque table'?
In this sentence I drafted, I am unsure if the modifier 'autopsy-esque' is correct or not for a table:
At the funeral home in Suzhou, the body of my friend was placed on an autopsy-esque table, in a ...
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What does "as to" mean in "to request to be quiet, **as to** start (a meeting)"
A definition from the Collins dictionary for the phrase "call to order" states:
"to request to be quiet, as to start (a meeting)"
Does "as to" in this context mean...
as ...
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Usage of word interception noun / verb and other grammatical way over the simple English
Assume I am penalised in one among the men or a lady where I stand before the counsel and I am not at all a guilty person. I must justify with my simple English, where even political influenced ...
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Welcome as short version of "you are welcome"
Is it possible to say welcome instead of you are welcome?
What would be the short response to a thank you, especially in written communication?
Saim Doruklu
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What do American people call the classes that students go to after school for SATs?
What do American people call the classes that students go to after school for SATs? In Taiwan, we call it a cram school, but there is no such phrase in any American dictionary. Could Americans please ...
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Poetic construction - phrases placement
I am told by a friend that in English, words and phrases can be placed differently for added poetic expressions, rhythm and readability.
#1 How different has turned the promises of the lady who [...]!...
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Out of love for something/someone
Is the phrase above a natural choice in these two sentences below.
(Let's say on a bag of flour, you can read the the following)
We made it (the flour) out of love for baking.
They gave her a present ...
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What are the original and derived senses of "sound off"?
Merriam Webster says:
sound off
intransitive verb
: to play three chords before and after marching up and down a line of troops during a ceremonial parade or formal guard mount
: to count cadence ...
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Why is there no 'that' before 'meets' in 'more than meets the eye'?
Like, it seems to be more grammatical to say,
There's more to his personality than that meets the eye.
By the way, since we see it with both our eyes, why is 'eye' in its singular form in the ...
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Why is a Hyphen Used in 'Mid-May' but Not in 'Early October'?
I'm trying to understand the rules for hyphenation in compound time expressions. Specifically, I noticed that "mid-May" is commonly hyphenated, while "early October" is not.
Mid-...
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Should the phrase 'beat that time' be replaced by 'surpassed the record'?
In an article on sporting achievements, the author has compared the performance of two sprinters, Jesse Owens and Usain Bolt [Ref : Burlington English (UK) lesson] :
In 1936, Owens set an astonishing ...
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Emotionally and professionally unavailable
Is there a phrase to describe a person who is emotionally unavailable to commit?
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a phrase for describing "shaking hands"
Is there a phrase that describes a "handshake" when reaching an agreement? Where no paper was signed and the "handshake" represents the signing of the contract.
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Is it natural to say that houses are "closer/lower to the ground" (compared to apartments)?
Old people like living in houses, closer to the ground compared to apartments.
I feel that this is a suitable phrase, but I googled it and didn't find many examples using it. So I'm wondering if it ...
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Meaning of English phrase "put oneself at someone else's head"
What is the meaning of the phrase "Kemal planned to put himself at their head"?
Saw it in the book "A peace to end all peace". I am not a native English speaker. This phrase ...
moviso
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How does "head over heels" mean upside down?
How does "head over heels" mean upside down?
I can't find its etymology in https://www.etymonline.com/word/head%20over%20heels.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heels%20over%20head ...
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How do you answer when someone asks you to do something?
When someone asks you politely to do something and you want to do it, how do you answer?
I was using "ok", but it seemed too general and thought about "of course". I want to know ...
user187687
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Meaning of "As can trying"
I found several sentences using this phrase, such as:
Physical activity can help, as can trying to relax your body – if we are tense it often causes us to tense our shoulders, for example.
Isolation ...
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What does "pull out" mean in "Democrats pulling out all the stops against RFK Jr."?
The title of https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4606148-rfk-jr-robert-f-kennedy-jr-nicole-shanahan-libertarian-democrats-joe-biden-donald-trump/ is:
Democrats pulling out all the stops against RFK ...
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Whats the difference between "need no" and "no need"?
I've studying English, and I ran into these 2 phrases
example 1: The boy had no need for the love of his friends
example 2: I need no protection!
So I'm in doubt about this two ways of usage. My ...
curiousUser
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Confused about 'word of'
I came across a sentence today:
Our client said this would be our last deal, seeing as word of our plan got out.
What does the phrase 'word of' refer to? Is it equal to '..., seeing as the detail/...
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What is the meaning of "pass" in "in passing"?
"in passing" means briefly, by the way, incidentally, ...
Is "pass" in it a verb? A intransitive verb?
What is its meaning? I can't find one from https://www.merriam-webster.com/...
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Every other something
I'm a bit confused with the usage of "every other something"
I know that "every other" means each alternate in a series of things.
However, the phrase "I interviewed 6 ...
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News headline for "local police officer hit by male driver who's a university student on traffic stop"
I want to create a news title for the following sentence:
A local police officer hit by a male driver who's a university student on traffic stop
What I'm struggle at is how to properly shorten the ...
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Seeking an English Equivalent for the Concept of "Evil Eye"
I'm trying to understand how to express a concept from my culture in English. In my language, we have a term, which roughly translates to casting the evil eye. This term is often used in situations ...
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Phrases formed by pattern "preposition + adjective" such as: "In general", "In particular", "In short"
There are several structures formed by the pattern "In + Adj." such as: "In general", "In particular", "In short".
Collins dictionary lists those three ...
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Is the phrase "alone work" legitimate?
For the purpose of a cover letter, would it be legitimate to use the phrase "alone work" to describe your past professional activities that were conducted individually? Is it grammatically ...
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Is "put ~ at ease" compatible with "with"?
I can say "I'm at ease with something".
And I think "put ~ at ease" consists of "put" and "at ease".
Then, can I say "somebody put me at ease with ...
user182348
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Meaning of "be on" and "break"?
In one episode of the "How I met your mother" series, Ted is talking about his possible future wife (Robin). Here's the script:
Ted: I just met a perfect woman! She was like this:( He ...
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What is the difference between "the game is so fun" with "fun" as an adjective and "the game is so fun" with "fun" as a noun?
What is the difference between "the game is so fun" with "fun" as an adjective and "the game is so fun" with "fun" as a noun?
I don't know if "fun" is ...
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Is "help (to) do sth for sb" right?
I am a English learner. When I had English class, my teacher told me a phrase.
help (to) do sth for sb
I felt very confused about this phrase. Because there is a verb that has a verb phrase as an ...
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Sheep heart? Mutton heart? etc
I had a student ask me about the following. I began to confuse myself to be honest. I know that we can use the phrase "beef heart." But what about when talk about sheep heart - do I ask my ...
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phrase: after the restaurant
I have made up the sentences below.
(1) This morning, I did some shopping at ABC Mall and had breakfast. After the restaurant, I walked to DEF Park to meet my friend.
Is "after the restaurant&...
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