Questions tagged [sentence-construction]
This tag is used for questions about the proper construction of sentences.
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1answer
19 views
What is the alternative of “primarily…secondarily,… and thirdly,… ”?
I am writing a scientific manuscript in which I have to describe an experimental protocol. The used sentence should show the priority of picking up biological samples depending on their origins.
The ...
0
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0answers
13 views
How to say: You do not have enough background knowledge to take/continue a course?
I am trying to write an email and do not know how to say this properly: You should not/ cannot take a course in college, because of some pre-requisites that you lack.
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2answers
16 views
I've been to/in London for three years
I usually get to see :
I have been to London.
But, what if I say:
I have been in London.
Do they carry the same meaning?
Thank you.
1
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3answers
44 views
Is this an incomplete sentence? (from The Great Gatsby)
Over the great bridge, with the sunlight through the girders making a
constant flicker upon the moving cars, with the city rising up across
the river in white heaps and sugar lumps all built with ...
2
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0answers
13 views
Why is it “try and stop”? [duplicate]
In a break with the president, Congress voted for the first time to
invoke the war powers resolution to try and stop U.S. involvement
in a foreign conflict.
Why is it not "try to stop"?
1
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1answer
31 views
Is “he has to eat more” a complete sentence?
Is this a complete sentence? It has both a noun and a verb, but I am unsure if it expresses a complete thought.
It seems to me that more is modifying a noun that is missing from the sentence. He has ...
0
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1answer
10 views
consider somebody/something + adj. | consider somebody/something (to be) something
Is there a difference between these two forms ?
1- A dog is considered old if it lives seven years.
2- A dog is considered to be old if it lives seven years.
5
votes
2answers
778 views
Using “nakedly” instead of “with nothing on”
I need to know whether it is possible to substitute the following bold part with the adveb "nakedly" in a manner that it doesn't change the meaning and doesn't make it ambiguous:
She went to ...
0
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0answers
12 views
Take something for granted
I am looking for a substitute for the idiom: "take something lying down" that can only be used for an occurance, a negatively cited statement, a bad event and so on! But as you are well-aware one ...
-1
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1answer
32 views
Conditional sentence - usage of tense
Using conditional sentence I want to express a situation but not able to decide which is correct sentence out of below 2. Could an expert please help me understand along with reason and if possible ...
-2
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1answer
22 views
“analysis of” vs. “analysis on” [on hold]
Which one is correct?
We conduct an analysis on more than X devices
Or,
We conduct an analysis of more than X devices
0
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1answer
24 views
Take your money/right… lying down
There is such an idiom in English "take sth lying down" which means to endure something unpleasant without fighting back.
e.g.
He insulted me publicly. You don't expect me to take that lying ...
0
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1answer
10 views
Which sentence structure is the best?
Which one is better ? What's the difference ?
For those who aren't aware yet, PRODUCT NAME is now available !
For those who aren't aware of it yet, PRODUCT NAME is now available !
Thank you ...
0
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0answers
35 views
Is this sentence grammatically correct? If not, why so? [closed]
Many celebrities have been involved in scandals, some of whom having been made to look bad in people's eyes because of mass media.
0
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1answer
31 views
How to avoid multiple negatives in sentence [closed]
I have written few lines, but I feel those could be more better in English, even I am not sure about grammatical mistakes. Please correct my below sentences
"But that didn't go well as I didn't ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
When in order to prevent someone from getting upset you want to clarify the subject of your words [on hold]
How to say: the person who I'm talking about is not you, so take no offence?
I have several similar and self-made sentences listed below, but have no any idea which one works correctly in this sense ...
0
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1answer
19 views
focused on OR focusing on
It involved producing new or improved products with evolving marketing methods focused on core market targets.
I think which are can be understood to be between methods and focused:
..with evolving ...
0
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1answer
14 views
Using the time marker “All day”, are my sentences correct?
Good day! I would like to ask if both sentences are correct or not. And please tell me the difference in meaning between the two.
We were looking for that phone all day. I thought I lost it. (Past ...
0
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1answer
21 views
sentence construction - ,(comma) noun after a complete sentence
The 4-year-olds often chose to look at the marshmallows while waiting, a strategy that was not terribly effective.
Is "which is" omitted before "a strategy" ( ... waiting, which is a strategy ...)?
...
1
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2answers
27 views
Using “their” or “its” when referring to an inanimate object
I'm a bit confused on the usage of "their" and "its". For example, if I had the following phrase:
Each of these programs had ______ code reviewed by an expert.
Will I use "their code" or "its code"...
0
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3answers
50 views
“There is/has got to be an explanation.” — which verb to use there?
I just came across the following sentence;
There has got to be an explanation.
I think has has been wrongly/mistakenly used there and should better be replaced with is.
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Can “in which” be used instead of “which” to express something in a more stronger way?
I have used "which" in a situation where two entities use things, but one entity used a different thing in the second time while the other entity stuck to the same thing it used in the first time.
I ...
2
votes
2answers
49 views
Call somebody over VS Call over somebody
As far as I know, the structures "call somebody over" and "call somebody over somewhere" are correct. How about "call over somebody" and "call over somebody somewhere"? Can we use these too?
For ...
0
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1answer
18 views
Using discriminates with/without against
I am not sure if discriminate should always followed by against?
Example:
.. and discriminates against its users in terms of ..
Or,
.. and discriminates its users in terms of ..
0
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1answer
31 views
0
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1answer
33 views
“Who” or “Whom”?
Please have a look on the following examples:
1-1- Who does he look like?
1-2- Who does he resemble?
1-3- Whom does he look like?
1-4- Whom does he resemble?
As far as I know, for “he”’ ...
0
votes
1answer
15 views
When you distress someone by your words and want to apologize him/her
Imagine in a meeting, you say something upsetting to a friend who did not expect it from you in a social setting! After the meeting you take the person aside and talk to him / her in private and want ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
When you are going to make clear that who you were just talking about was someone else and not the person you are talking to
How naturally shall one indicate that who I was talking about / who I mentioned ... was someone else and not you (the listener)? I have made some examples and have no any idea if they work properly ...
1
vote
2answers
31 views
Verb without “be” in sentence
Are the below sentences are incomplete?
a) Police arrested the person who killed his brother.
It is unable to understand without context that killing referring to past or present.
That is, would ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
when I meet a friend who is a foreigner and come to my country. I ask him: “who have u come with?”
when I meet a friend who is a foreigner and come to my country.
I wanna ask him "who have u come with?"
does this sound natural?
0
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2answers
33 views
Instantaneous insanity
Imagine a murderer who has been arrested and imprisoned recenly and he has been tried in the court several times! The judging team members, have reached to an agreement on his case and unanimously ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
Tenses past ind. Past perfect
Which one us correct?
Jane studied the lawyer's face carefully before she answered him.
Jane had studied the lawyer's face carefully before she answered him.
1
vote
2answers
49 views
How to identify an adjective or the past tense in English?
A history sheeter convicted in 2013 for raping a five-year-old girl in the neighbourhood, was released in 2018 early for good behaviour in jail.
I have below questions about this sentence, ...
0
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1answer
28 views
Is it correct to say A (which is made up of X+Y+Z) includes a wide range of X, such as m, n, o, p, etc.?
I am facing a technical problem with the following idea. According to many dictionaries, the word "include", when used, must not precede a complete list.
In my case, I have a "thing" called Support ...
1
vote
2answers
25 views
Clauses, same structure but different results
What he did to the company to cause employees to resign is unforgivable.
In this sentence , i bolded the noun clause,
and the entire sentence is considered correct with clear meaning.
He made a ...
0
votes
2answers
20 views
Past Tense Vs Passive Voice
Que : Why are you late ?
Ans a) : I was stuck in traffic.
Ans b) : I stuck in traffic.
Which sentence should I use ? Simple past tense or Passive voice?
I want to refer past event and both ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Native speaker's saying for “move up and down” in this context
To operate a hand pump of water one has to move the handle (lever) up and down.
As a basic learner I would say:
Jack, move the handle up and down to get water.
Do native speakers use any short ...
0
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1answer
17 views
Different ways of saying “ I am not following the conversation” when someone is speaking and ask you a question but you are absent minded? [closed]
The following options cone to my mind
1. Sorry, I am not following you.
2. Sorry, I did not get that.
3. I am sorry, can you repeat that?
4.Say that again!
Please advise for more options, ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
When you are going forward from among a crowd
Please imagine a big number of journalists have swarmed to the location in which a renowned politician is going to give a speech! An independent journalist has fallen behind and is going to elbow his ...
1
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1answer
23 views
Can we schedule it (a call) for 15:30? [closed]
I got an email with the following content:
I'm available next Tuesday evening if that works for you.
And I want to reply with:
Yes, can we schedule it for 15:30?
But I'm not sure if the ...
0
votes
3answers
37 views
How do I say “for + there be” correctly?
I want to say
This method is only used for there is no real error code.
I think "for" always links "doing", so this sentence is grammatically wrong. Or maybe I could say,
This method is only ...
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votes
1answer
31 views
What is the significance of “with” in this context:
To get over---- to overcome an unpleasant situation.
An example in Cambridge dictionary:
I'll be glad to get these exams over with.
What if I would omit the 'with'?
Would it change the meaning?
...
0
votes
1answer
16 views
All of the queries vs all the queries that you may have
Let's say you are an appointment setter. Then you said (from your company's script) this line to your potential client.
"Hello, I'm gonna ask you only 3 questions to verify the information that we ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Depend Vs. Become / get dependent
Please imagine a girl that has recently gone through some emotional problems which occured between she and her boyfriend; they are about to break up now, but they have not cut ties yet! The girl feels ...
0
votes
0answers
17 views
“Had I better go (or gone) with you?” — which verb to use there?
I just came across the following sentence (which can be found here);
Had I better go with you?
I think, that is correct; I just don't know what the context/meaning would be!
Amazingly, Google-...
0
votes
2answers
23 views
To depend sb on oneself
Please suppose a girl that has a compassionate friend who is older that she! The friend knows the girl well! Due to some problems the friend feels that her friend is getting emotionally very ...
0
votes
2answers
18 views
This is being to + infinitive (the reason)
Original sentence.
a) The reason being that you will be free from extra shipping for the transfer.
Can we reconstruct the sentence as,
b) This is being to make you free from extra shipping for ...
1
vote
2answers
68 views
Which is the correct one “You idiot” OR “you're an idiot”
"You idiot" OR "You're an idiot"
I want to know which one is correct because in the first one there is no auxiliary verb.
As I know if I wanted to say that someone is like someone/thing I'll say
"...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
The same to you or likewise
Imagine when it comes to say goodbye, someone says:
-Have a good day.
In order to indicate the message: "the same to you", would it sound idiomatic to answer
-Likewise.
The word "Likewise" is an ...
4
votes
1answer
457 views
Proper way to express “He disappeared them”
While watching an early episode of the TV show, "The Blacklist," one of the characters used the phrase:
We got the list of the people he disappeared.
I'm sure they meant the people the bad guy ...
