Questions tagged [sentence-meaning]
Use this tag for questions about meanings of whole sentences rather than phrases.
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It was decided that the old building (should/would) be pulled down
(1) It was decided that the old building be pulled down.
(2) It was decided that the old building should be pulled down.
(3) It was decided that the old building would be pulled down.
[(1) and (2) ...
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What's the meaning of this sentence:
What's the meaning of this sentence:
"I knew, in a way that I could think better than I could say, that it was different."
I suppose that its meaning is that "he understands the ...
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Is my understanding of back-to-back here correct?
If I have a sequence of 100 monotonically increasing numbers, and if I were to expand it back-to-back to 200 numbers. Is it the right way to understand "back-to-back" here, that it means the ...
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"I'm starving to death" or "I'm hungry to death" can mean "I'm very hungry"?
Is it acceptable to use the sentence "I'm starving to death" or "I'm hungry to death" just in the meaning of "I'm very hungry" (rather than of a real pathological ...
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How to understand "Beat the jolt, check the volt"?
"Beat the jolt, check the volt" is an electrical safe slogan.
For example: https://sloganshub.org/electrical-safety-slogans/#google_vignette
I know "volt" is the unit of electric ...
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Do Americans use the expression "it looks common"? If so, what does it mean?
Since the US is not based on a class system, is this expression used at all or does it belong to the peculiarities of the British language?
common adjective (LOW CLASS)
disapproving
typical of a low ...
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What is the meaning of the sentence at the end of this passage?
It seems like a joke, but the last sentence is hard to understand.
Smile, Please! (~200 words)
One day, when Henry was working in a restaurant, a snake suddenly appeared and bit his hand.
A few days ...
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Closest in meaning to "It isn't necessary for you to complete this by Tuesday." - is the question's answer wrong? [closed]
Today I encountered this question in an English test:
Question: Select the answer that is closest in meaning to this sentence "It isn't necessary for you to complete this by Tuesday."
...
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What's the pun in "The wedding is a soft launch"?
source: "For All Mankind" S03E01 00:19:45 / 00:57:22
... the stock price for the space tourism company Polaris
shot through the roof this morning
as its new hotel hosts the first-ever ...
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How do you question yourself for your failing in the past: "Why couldn't I have done more?" VS "Why couldn't I do more?"
This is from the BBC where a mom, whose daughter has a phobia of talking, tells about her feelings. Phobia of Talking (See:4:49-4:54)
"....Why didn't you notice it. Why couldn't I have done more?&...
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Do these have the same meaning: "...finding out what his life has been like." VS "...finding out how his life has been."
"She spends time with him finding out what his life has been like."
The question structure "What something is like" seems to have the same meaning with "how something is?"...
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growth of 11 million vs an 11 million growth
I want to know whether a/an X million growth is the same as a growth of X million.
The year 2001 witnessed a growth of 11 million in the number of households that live in a rented accommodation.
The ...
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Do the sentences "Yes, you did, very well so" and "Yes, you did so very well" have the same meaning? [closed]
Consider the following sentences:
Yes, you did, very well so.
Yes, you did so very well.
Do those sentences have exactly the same meaning? If they don't have the same meaning, can someone explain to ...
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'It is impossible' followed by a that-clause vs. 'It is impossible' followed by a for + Noun Phrase + to + Infinitive construction
It is impossible that everyone is telling the truth.
It is impossible for everyone to be telling the truth.
What on earth is the difference between the meanings of two sentences above?
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What does mean this sentence? "the sweep of his arm took in most of Main Street"
"the sweep of his arm took in most of Main Street"
What does this "sweep of his arm" mean?
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Is during also an adverb?
People often focus on a quake’s magnitude, a measure of the size of, and to an extent the energy released during, the rupture in Earth’s surface. What made the earthquake in Morocco so devastating
...
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Any difference between: "Did you know anybody else that old?" AND "Did you know anybody else as old?"
Somebody asks a very old lady "How old are you"? And she says:
"I am 101. Did you know anybody else that old?" Old lady (see:00:49-00:53)
I sometimes hear that another structure ...
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Contextual meaning of the text
"I'm very glad... That was a grand day we all had—and a fine game, too."
"One o' the best days aht I ever 'ad in me life. Wish it was then and not nah—straight, I do. I'm off to Frawnce ...
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Does this mean "Jerry was being taken aback by a stranger”
Jerry Paiz recalled being taken aback by the stranger on the street
corner inquiring about compassion.
David Begnaud, CBS News, 30 June 2023
Does this mean Jerry was being taken aback by a stranger ...
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What does "compromise" mean in this sentence?
Orwell didn’t live to see the compromise which English Socialism now
represents – a minimum of public ownership, a social-security
apparatus that costs too much, a mass of ‘equalizing’ laws not easily
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may(=possibility) vs. can(=possibility)
There is generally a difference between can and may in the sense of 'possibility'. Notice, for example, that in We may see you tomorrow, can could not replace may without a considerable change in ...
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"There are scientists out there actively looking for solutions." What is the function of "....out there..." in the sentence? [duplicate]
This is from the BBC Earth Lab Super volcanoes (see:9:50-9:55)
"It is, however, reassuring to know that there are scientists out there actively looking for solutions."
I think the ".......
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How should I take the following sentence?
In this context, how should I take the sentence 'Concourse alone is best'?
I don't catch its interpretation.
What does the word 'Concourse' mean?
Context:
In that noble Toleration Edict, Asoka says: “...
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What's the main difference between "You are not to use the elevator." and "You don't have to use the elevator"?
Aren't "be supposed to" and "be to" the same?
You are not to use the elevator.
You are not supposed to use the elevator.
You don't have to use the elevator
What's the main ...
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I've been reading a lot of books or I've read a lot of books?
I want to say that I started reading a lot of books when I was a child and I continue to do so. So is the present perfect continuous the right tense or should it be the present perfect simple?
I've ...
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may(=permission) and general permission which has already been given
Can is used to talk about permission that has already been given or refused, and about things that are allowed by rules or laws. May is not notmally used in this way.
(from Practical English Usage ...
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Using the word "waver" for moving away from diet
Context: Chatting with a friend on Whatsapp. We both were following a diet plan, but today I didn't commit to it due to a family occasion.
How do I communicate this properly:
"Today went well, ...
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How should I understand the following sentence?
In this following context, how should I take this bold and italic sentence?
The verbs 'incur' and 'enter' make me confused.
What does the word 'question' mean here?
Context:
In Buddhism there is no ...
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What's the meaning of "Making demands on someone" in the following context?
She (Julie) spent her time doing little more than taking care of him (Mark) and the children. Now her sister was getting divorced and would doubtless be making
demands on her too.
Does it mean that ...
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Does "I came hiking with you" mean "I arrived with you by hiking" or "I have arrived for the purpose of hiking"?
Does I came hiking with you mean I arrived along with you by hiking, I have arrived for the purpose of hiking with you, or both?
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Is "oneself" a reflexive pronoun in the following example?
Pass the buck is an idiom meaning "to pass responsibility for a problem to another person to avoid dealing with it oneself."
Could you elaborate about this word and its meaning?
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the use of to-infinitive
Colloquially, can (= ‘possibility’) is very often a proposal for future action: We can see about that tomorrow. In fact with second- and third- person subjects, can expresses a familiar though tactful ...
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It is as though~ vs. It appears as though~
Colloquially, can (= ‘possibility’) is very often a proposal for future action: We can see about that tomorrow. In fact with second- and third- person subjects, can expresses a familiar though tactful ...
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What is the reference of the pronoun "which" in the following sentence?
To be more precise, the verb in the dependent clause may be included, which requires "than" to be treated as a conjunction.
Cathy is more talented than he is.
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Neither A nor B equals C - A and B always separate entities? [closed]
I found an example of "neither/nor" on a site about logic puzzles:
Neither the pink tattoo nor the Pisces was Sheila's.
It states:
Sheila didn't get the pink tattoo, and Sheila didn't get ...
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"I cried for joy when I heard the news". Should it be "....cried with..." or "...cried out of...?
This is from the BBC news, abortion ban temporarirly lifted for medical emergencies
"Lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski said that for the first time in a long time, I cried for joy when I heard the ...
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What's the meaning of "financial" here? [closed]
His motives were purely financial.
I know,Financial means —Connected with money
Can I interpreted the sentence as:—
His intentions were completely connected with money in some ways.
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"I will eat apples upto 10 hours" Does "upto" mean "with in ten hours" or "for the period/duration" of ten hours" or it could mean both? [closed]
"I will eat apples upto 10 hours". Does "upto" mean "with in ten hours" or "for the period/duration of ten hours" or it could mean both?
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what does "in spite of free fall" mean?
Here is the sentence that confused me
The work helped keep calcium in his bones in spite of free fall.
It comes from https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/976wsz/the_road_not_taken_part_2/
I know, &...
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Who's planning ahead? [Context in description]
Tyler went to buy groceries because he was running out of food. Robin went to buy groceries because he had run out of food.
Who is planning ahead? Why?
Answer was Tyler but I didn't understand this ...
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What's the meaning of the dialogue "We will take them before last night's beer"?
Please look at this picture.
From "Peaky Blinders", Season 1 Episode 2
What does this dialogue mean?
We will take them (talking about future) before last night's beer (something happened ...
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Does "Aren't you a silly girl!" mean "You aren't a silly girl!"?
my example:
(1a) Are you a silly girl!
As I understand, (1a) means (1b):
(1b) You are a silly girl!
wordreference.com:
(2a) Aren't you a silly girl!
Am I right that, by analogy with (1a), (2a) means (...
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Does "The Lord will make you the head and not the tail" mean "you have been the tail, the Lord will make you the head"? [closed]
Does "The Lord will make you the head and not the tail" mean "you have been the tail, the Lord will make you the head"?
The former is written in the Bible, and the latter was ...
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What does it mean "The interruption of an action in progress can be another action in progress."?
I didn't understand the exact meaning of this paragraph, could you explain it?
The interruption of an action in progress can be another action in
progress.
While I was trying to fall asleep in ...
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Why does this sentence have a "back": "Loving India back since 1924."
This is from British Airways (see: 6:21-6:25) At the end of the video, it says:
Loving India back since 1924.
I can't quite understand, why it says "....back since..." instead of "since ...
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Meaning of the verb "authenticate" in contexts
Here is a sentence from Cambridge Dictionary:
They used carbon dating tests to authenticate the claim that the skeleton was 2 million years old.
Does the sentence imply that the authentication was ...
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What does this part mean: " ........ for as long as there's been into continental air travel." [closed]
This is from the BBC. British Airways (see: 25:40-25:47)
Hong Kong is the airline's foothold in China. It's part of the colonial furniture a legacy of empire. It's been flying here for as long as ...
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Does "You have a surprise coming" mean "You have a surprise for somebody" or "Somebody has a surprise for you"?
stackexchange.com:
(1) Have you got a surprise coming!
I don't understand what (1) means.
To simplify it, let's rewrite it this way:
(2) You have a surprise coming.
Does (2) mean (3) or (4)?:
(3) You ...
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"That is very not true, actually." VS "That is not very true, actually."
Two doctors talk about myths about the brain, and they try to correct it. First they say the myth, and then they talk about it. One of such myth is:
"You can't prevent a stroke."
A: Noooo, ...
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Are both sentences idiomatic and same in meaning: 1-John got the nearest. 2-John came the closest
One person is describing something to other three people, and the other 3 are trying to guess what it is. But, in one case, after the description, all three showed their answers written on paper, but ...
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