Questions tagged [sentence-structure]
A complete sentence contains at least a subject and a verb, with all of the words being used in the sentence arranged in such a way that they express a complete thought.
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What did you say / said?
What is the correct sentence :
What did you say?
or
What did you said?
The second sentence seems correct, but I am not certain.
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When a sentence includes a word like 'today' that indicates present time, can a past form of verb be used?
Today an excruciating accident has taken place in our vicinity.
Today an excruciating accident took place in our vicinity.
Today indicates the present time. So I prefer has taken, which has been used ...
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Alternative ways of saying "...., right?"
What are some alternative ways of confirming a point, situation, etc. apart from saying “…, right?” at the end of a sentence to make it a question? (e.g. You are going tomorrow on the 11:30 flight, ...
user6200
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Can "Wow!" be a sentence?
The question is clear. Can "Wow!" be a sentence?
Imagine a hypothetical context where I'd utter something like this:
Wow! What an amazing idea! I should think about a way to push this fix.
We see ...
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"I'm happy when you're beside/s (of) me"
I have a doubt about the following sentence how it should be made correctly.
"I'm happy when you're beside/s (of) me"
Beside or besides, me or of me?
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One of my friend's OR friends' wife? (My friend has only one wife)
Anita is Neil's wife. Neil is one of my friends. Now, how do I refer to Anita? Think that I'm telling someone who does not know the couple.
One of my friend's wife
OR
One of my friends' wife
...
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"How is this called" vs "What is this called"?
Which of the following is more suitable as a title for a picture with an arrow toward a part of the body's anatomy?
How is this called?
What is this called?
I need this for a picture of a ...
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How to identify if a sentence is in the Passive or Active Voice?
Examples:
"A car was parked outside of the gate."
"My work volume is increased"
"He was arrested"
"He was informed about this"
“My heart was broken”
All ...
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Usage of any with except
Can I use plural nouns after any in the following sentences?
1- We don't have any options except to go there.
2- I don't have any friends except John.
3- I didn't meet any officers except him.
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Finishing or Having finished
My friend says that "Finishing her homework, she went for a walk." is wrong.
She thinks that this sentence implies that she is trying to finish her homework while taking a walk. If the girl went for ...
Naomi Lilly
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When someone has a plastic surgery on the face
Imagine someone has done a plastic surgery on the face. What is the best and the most natural way to say this in English? What comes to my mind is:
He had a plastic surgery on his face.
But ...
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Can "said someone" appear at the beginning of the sentence?
The film debuted at No. 2 in both France and Italy, generating the year's third-best box office return on an opening weekend in Italy. Said Roberto Proia, distribution chief of the film's Italian ...
user87715
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Meaning of "from whose known good sense he fully expected to have just such" from "Persuasion" by Jane Austen
I don't understand the structure of the bold part of the sentence below. It's from Persuasion by Jane Austen.
Mr Shepherd, a civil, cautious lawyer, who, whatever might be his hold
or his views ...
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Help me with construction of this interrogative sentence
Why did you not tell the truth? Can you tell me?
Now join them in one sentence. What is the result?
Can you tell me why did you not tell the truth?
or
Can you tell me why you did not tell the ...
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Problem in using "has"
I am conveying the work status that I witnessed to my boss. I have doubt in below sentence
"SS top and trolley wheels are to be attached" or "SS top and trolley wheels has to be attached"
I am ...
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Analyzing a sentence
Do my analyze is correct? If don't then correct it.
Sentence: The tsunami and the undersea earthquake which triggered it, the largest ever recorded in the region, killed nearly 20,000 people, ...
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What does this 'where' mean in this context?
“It is an art where you’ve got to deal with the demands
of every day but at the same time place it strategically
at the heart of what the company is doing.”
— Jeroen
Tas, group CIO of Philips ...
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3
answers
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To do or To be done
Which of these are correct
This is easy to do
This is easy to be done
The question is easy to answer
The question is easy to be answered
That box is easy to carry
That box is easy to be carried
...
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He bought the same car as me
Is it correct to say
Dilbert bought the same car as me.
If it is, what are other sentences for other pronouns such as he?
Dilbert bought the same car as David/he/him
I know you can say
...
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"Norway to ban full-face veil in nurseries, schools and universities" - is this correct? [duplicate]
Some minutes ago, I've seen news (here on BBC) where the title is:
"Norway to ban full-face veil in nurseries, schools and universities"
I understand that the meaning is "> "Norway is going to ...
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Connecting two sentences with comma and without a connector
In the below sentence, why there was comma without a connector or transition? What rule allows separation of two sentences with comma and without connector?
Is this phrase (the fulfillment of ...
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"Should I" or "I should"?
Should I give it to you or I should keep it with myself?
Should I give it to you or should I keep it with myself?
Which one is correct? Or which one is better?
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"I invite you for / to coffee" is correct?
If I'm inviting a person to drink coffe with me, then can I say "I invite you for / to coffe" or should I add a noun or a verb such as "I invite you for drinking coffee" / "I invite you to drink ...
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'Have never seen' or 'had never seen'
'past perfect tense' or 'present perfect tense': Which one should I use in the following context?
The FIFA World Cup is one of the greatest shows on Earth. Of all the FIFA World Cups I have watched, ...
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Is "named" an adjective in this sentence?
"Let's pretend that this monkey belongs to a girl named Bianca"
In this sentence, could anyone help me identify what sentence instruction is given using "named" in this sentence?
Is 'named' here an ...
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what does mean "it there"?
In the following sentence, it seems it should end up with "like it" or "like there". Why the both of "it" and "there" have come together?
I have been to Washington several times, and I like it ...
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Can it be quickly? Or it should be quick
I'm just a little bit confused about the following example:
If we must kill them, let it be quickly and cleanly, without excuses.
compared to the following one:
Let it be quick, she ...
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' being ' in participle clauses
According to the source " we can use an adverbial participle clause to express reason or cause as an alternative to a because/since/as clause. Using a participle clause in this way is more ...
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What's the grammar of "Me, Benjamin Clawhauser, ... stereotyping you"?
"Zootopia" around 00:14:04/01:48:32
Benjamin Clawhauser: O.M. Goodness... They really did hire a bunny. [Laughs] What!? I gotta tell you, you are even cuter than I thought you'd be!
Judy Hopps:...
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Questions about the phrase "but of tea not a glimpse" from "Great Expectations"
I still have a question about the phrase "but of tea not a glimpse" from the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
I rang for the tea, and the waiter, reappearing with his magic clew, ...
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Use of the passive voice with the verb "drown"
A)They had been drowned.
B)They had drowned.
What is the difference between the above two sentences.
(They were looking for the dead bodies of the three boys because they assumed that they 'had ...
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"Reality Winner pleaded guilty in June". Why is an adjective "guilty" following a verb "plead"?
I have read this sentence in a newspaper
Reality Winner pleaded guilty in June to a single count of
transmitting national security information.
[Handout via Reuters]
Why is an adjective "...
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What's the difference between the exclamations "what" and "how"
What's the difference between:
What a rude person you are!
How rude you are!
How rude of a person you are!
How rude of you!
Which one is correct? Please give me some elaboration so I can understand, ...
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1
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Grammatical explanation of a sentence that begins with "there" [duplicate]
There was a loss of 36 billon.
I don't know how to explain the grammatical concept of this sentence. Can you kindly explain me? Please tell me the sentence pattern of this also.
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Thank you for (spending / putting / taking) your time
I wonder if you could let me know which one of the listed sentences below is more appropriate for thanking someone when the spend some time to help you?
Is there any uncommon or unidiomatic sentence ...
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The best way to enjoy a fine wine is slowly - Help parse the sentence
Can you please help me parse this sentence:
The best way to enjoy a fine wine is slowly.
Please explain the structure of the sentence. I am mostly having trouble with slowly after is.
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The meaning of 'formal'
In a very formal style, think is sometimes followed by an object and an adjective or noun complement.
They thought her fascinating.
We thought him a fool.
(M. Swan, Practical ...
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Can I say "It's right answer" instead of "It's correct answer"?
In the context of proper answering on question, what is more suitable or acceptable?
It's correct answer!
It's right answer!
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“what do you think” + wh questions
Could you make my sentences correct please? I want to learn the general rule by that.
What do you think is the best restaurant in the town ?
What do you think what the best restaurant is in ...
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Slighly cutting your body when your skin gets red (not bleeding yet) or when you bleed very slightly
How do you mention these types of wounds?
Based on my mother language and dictionaries' definitions, the only word which can work here is: "scratch". So I need to know if the following sentences are ...
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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 ...
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"By doing [something], you are [something]." - Is the structure correct?
I have phrased the sentence below awkwardly, I assume:
By numbering the examples, you are a genius.
I want to know how it can be fixed to fit a proper and clear structure. And I suppose it would ...
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Help me to understand this usage of periods in quotations and with incomplete sentences
Help me to understand this quote:
"You should never read just for 'enjoyment.' Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends’ insane behavior, or better yet, ...
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Can "A game a few would play" be a valid structure?
This is a line in a "poem", but I have changed two words to "game" and "play" with preserving the sentence exact structure.
Indeed, a game a few would play.
I have searched for this structure ...
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Usage of a gerund and a verb in the present simple
Being sick, he, nevertheless, left home to go to work.
Getting sick, he, nevertheless, decided to come to work.
Are these sentences grammatical? Do they make sense? I am concerned about whether it is ...
user11470
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Inversion in the sentence
Is it possible to use an inversion in this way?
Only after people had started working harder, did they improve their skills
Is it natural enough or awkward?
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A noun must be missing in which/that or what clauses?
Can I simply conclude that a noun must be missing in which/that/who or what clauses, even though the missing noun might be an object behind an infinitive verb, gerund verb or a preposition?
I wrote ...
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What's the syntax of "It's everything you've ever heard it is"? [closed]
Source: "Boardwalk Empire" Season 01 Episode 07 00:29:19
Mary Dittrich (the girlfriend of the photographer Robert Dittrich): Relax. It's not like he saw us together.
Angela Darmody (the ...
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What age are you?
Is the question of "what age are you" idiomatic,common or does it sound naturally in the meaning of "how old are you"
Can we say this structure could be used for materials as "how age is it"?
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How to ask someone to get back to the main subject of the discussion?
Imagine in a conversation over an important issue, between two people, the other side starts talking about a different topic which differs with the main subject under discussion. This way in an ...
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