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.
1,897
questions
0
votes
2
answers
35
views
Can you use "after" without it being preceeded or followed by any duration?
I just had them doing stretch routines, and after, they got really good at it.
We usually see "after" being preceeded or followed by something. For instance "2 hours after something&...
- 5,676
0
votes
0
answers
29
views
Can subjective and experimental literature be extended?
Considering the extended subjective and experimental literature of the
published studies in valid international datebases and the fact that
this kind of attitude toward the research in this field ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
872
views
Is this sentence clear: "More of them say they want a job than are officially unemployed."
This is from the BBC Re-hiring retired people
"...these people are called "economically inactive". In fact, more of them say they want a job (1.7 million people) than are officially ...
- 5,676
1
vote
1
answer
31
views
Noun replacement in the sentence with the verb "composed of"?
I was reading a book and there was a paragraph of explaining about a word composed of. There was few examples of its usage and I swap the word places in the sentences to improve my vocabulary. I want ...
- 35
2
votes
1
answer
147
views
How to understand 'A is as simple as B is complicated'?
I see one sentence in my book:
It is easy to see that A is as simple as B is complicated.
I know the subject of the sentence is "it" that is "A is as simple as B is complicated", ...
- 1,189
0
votes
2
answers
28
views
Can someone help analyze the structure of the second clause?
Below is the example:
Wind will power the tower’s motion, making it the first self-powered skyscraper in history.
Since participial clauses share the same subject. Is "wind" the subject ...
- 13
-1
votes
2
answers
53
views
Using 'whose' to show possesion [closed]
I am trying to figure out how to use whose to indicate possession.
Which of these sentences are grammatically correct?
(1) That is the friend who sold me his car.
(2) That is the friend whose car ...
- 69
0
votes
1
answer
35
views
Is this sentence structure wrong: "Is death like when you were not born yet?"
1-Is death like when you were not born yet?
2-Is death like it was before you were born?
I have seen the number 2 structure in a philosophical forum which includes both native and non-native spekers.
...
- 5,676
0
votes
1
answer
24
views
Help to understand and explain "be those" in a sentence
Using rooftops creatively allows us to tackle many of the challenges faced by cities today – be those environmental, social, technological, or cultural. source
Here how could I understand the ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
86
views
Explain the grammatical difference between "My parents would've never allowed that behavior." and "My parents would had never allowed that behavior."
What is the difference between "My parents would've never allowed that behavior." and "My parents would had never allowed that behavior."
0
votes
0
answers
29
views
How do you differentiate a sentence connector from a conjunction when analysing the sentence?
I never heard about sentence connectors (other than in my mother tongue but it's not equivalent) up until now and they appear to work quite similarly, but I don't understand the rules of how you're ...
1
vote
0
answers
41
views
Does the use of the em dash work here? Should there be a comma after the second em dash?
Presenting two main aspects of her practice—slow art and language—this exhibition is a coalescence of her enthralment with everyday marvels and her fascination with the intricacies and nuances of ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
19
views
"Is" or "are"? What is the corret form here?
In the sentence below which one is correct to use?
Little things like that are what will make your life together worth living.
Little things like that is what will make your life together worth living....
- 1,153
0
votes
0
answers
174
views
Is "to be likely doing something" a correct usage?
We know that the most likely is commonly used in this way "to be likely to do something". For instance "He is likely to come to the party".
When it comes to the negative version of ...
- 5,676
0
votes
2
answers
107
views
at a rate unparalleled ( question about the position of the adjective)
I got stuck with this sentence 'This is also a period of enormous physical change and adolescents experience changes in their physical development at a rate unparalleled since infancy.'.
I am confused ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
24
views
"Mother of Sara, who stabbed two citizens has been releaseed". "Sara's mother, who stabbed two citizens has been released"
"Mother of Sara, who stabbed two citizens has been released"
I assume in this sentence, it was sara who stabbed citizens but her mother has been released.
"Sara's mother,who stabbed two ...
- 469
0
votes
0
answers
24
views
What would be a more idiomatic version of this sentence: "You won't be the only one affected, it's all of us."
The following is from the BBC and is about a person who finally understand cutting down forests will be very bad. So he starts planting saplings and warns other people when sees them -still doing it- ...
- 5,676
1
vote
3
answers
90
views
Order of words: 'that said my teacher' vs 'my teacher said that'
Often, I invert the conventional order of the words. I mean, I like to put the predicate before the subject. When I wrote something like:
"The Absolute is perfect". That said my teacher ...
- 240
0
votes
1
answer
19
views
"this pays almost double what the bookstore does." Is the verb "pay" or "double"?
This pays almost double what the bookstore does.
I am a bit confused by the structure of this sentence.
Not quite sure about the meaning of this sentence.
For example, what is the verb? pay or double?...
- 775
0
votes
1
answer
40
views
What kind of sentence structure is this and what does it convey?
"Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not expected this".
I have seen sentences with similar form before too, which begin with an adjective followed by "as+he/she/...
- 351
1
vote
2
answers
100
views
Omission of is to be verb
in the last test there was an argumentative question. The question goes like:
My aim is to be an engineer and my sister's aim is to be a doctor.
Here, What has to be omitted?
This question is about ...
- 39
1
vote
1
answer
33
views
Can the subject of a while clause be omitted?
For example, instead of saying "consumers no longer take the horsepower of cars as the only criterion, while they also care about the fuel-consumption", can I say: "consumers no longer ...
- 113
0
votes
2
answers
56
views
Ram is the man I thought to have killed/ have killed my brother
Ram is the man I thought to have killed my brother.
Ram is the man I thought to kill my brother.
Ram is the man I thought have killed my brother.
Ram is the man I thought killed my brother.
Are ...
- 487
0
votes
1
answer
23
views
Missing Auxiliary Verb in the "The more" Structure?
Why is the first part of this sentence correct?
The more thoughtful your ambitions, and the more clearly you can explain them, the higher your chances of admission.
Shouldn't it be "The more ...
- 35
0
votes
0
answers
26
views
How do you ask, if you want to find out how much time should pass before you get competent: "How much later?" OR "how long later?" OR "How later?"
Someone is teaching piano to someone else. The learner is impatient and want to play a tune soon, but he can't even play the simple things like the scales. So, the teacher says:
Scales first, tune ...
- 5,676
0
votes
1
answer
47
views
I met my boss three years ago
Could I answer in three ways like these:
It’s three three years since I met my boss.
It’s three years since I last met my boss.
It’s three years since I first met my boss.
I think the first and the ...
-2
votes
1
answer
20
views
Positive and comparative degree of same adjective [closed]
A little less virtue and I might have lived longer.
Reference: THE ANGEL AND THE AUTHOR -AND OTHERS by Jerome K. Jerome
As less is a comparative degree of little, it's here being used right after its ...
- 309
0
votes
2
answers
65
views
Is the word "copy" redundant here?"Please get a copy of the book" vs "Please get the book."
A teacher is giving some information about the class at the very beginning.
"For this course you need the book. Here it is: British Life and Language Level 1 Student's Book. **So, please get a ...
- 5,676
-1
votes
1
answer
23
views
Can you refer to "THIS" as "IT"? For example: Is THIS the library? a) Yes, IT is. b) Yes, THIS is
This is from the British council's speaking content. A student is looking for the library and comes to the place, but he is not sure if he came to the right place. So he asks:
Student: Is this the ...
- 5,676
2
votes
2
answers
54
views
He considers it important to cooperate. vs. He considers it is important to cooperate
I have a friend studying for an English test and she asked me to explain something to her.
In her textbook, the sentence
"He considers it is important to cooperate." - is marked incorrect, ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
25
views
Unadvertised cold spells mean?
He would not go abroad he had once tried it, but had chanced to strike the Riviera during one of its carefully unadvertised cold spells.
The phrase its carefully unadvertised cold spells is a little ...
- 309
1
vote
1
answer
36
views
Omitting coordinating conjunction and verb "be" in literature
Here's the sentence I'm asking about:
I sat trapped in my seat, my false smile stretched so tight that
I lost all feeling in the lower half of my face
If I were to write the same sentence, it would ...
- 43
2
votes
1
answer
42
views
The subject of the infinitive verbs with to
I was reading a English grammar books. It says: when you use the structure: ... first (or last etc) n + to + v, there must be subject-predicate relationship between n and v.
Then it give an example:
...
- 279
1
vote
1
answer
50
views
"They had a son in July 2010." Does the sentence mean: "They have a son now." or does it mean "They did have a son in the past but not anymore."
They had a son in July 2010.
When you are talking about a time period (year, month etc) in the past, this sentence might mean;
1-On that date in the past, they had a son. (but they don't have a son ...
- 5,676
0
votes
1
answer
30
views
Which one is more idiomatic: "Count backwards from 100 in twos." or "Count backwards from 100 by twos."
Count backwards from 100 in twos.
Count backwards from 100 by twos.
I have seen both "in twos" or "by twos" are used in the same sense. I wonder which one is more idiomatic?
- 5,676
0
votes
1
answer
141
views
The usage of the structure "be planned to"
1 The factories are planned to be removed.
Is this sentence correct in the context of describing future plans?
I have recently read some sentences that use the structure "be planned to". ...
- 1,050
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
The glasses were too thick for her to see well (in/with)? [closed]
The glasses were so thick that she couldn't see well with them.
The glasses were so thick that she couldn't see well in them.
The glasses were too thick for her to see well.
The glasses were too thick ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
54
views
What is the meaning of "They have different entangled experiences" in this YouTube video?
What is the meaning of "They have different entangled experiences" in this YouTube video at 15:13? I looked up the meaning "entangled" in the dictionary. It shows "...
user164163
0
votes
3
answers
287
views
To pay or To paying?
In Arnel's Everday English Youtube video there is the following exchange:
A: The client is refusing to pay. She owes us 1500
B: Maybe she'll agree to paying in installment
why does B is using "...
1
vote
1
answer
47
views
So I locked myself in my office and went to work
So I locked myself in my office and went to work so I could share my
Intention Point techniques for the post-pandemic world.
In the above sentence, does I locked myself in my office mean:
I have ...
user164163
1
vote
1
answer
28
views
Meaning of Quite?"Quite how that misunderstanding arose, maybe it was lost in translation, I don't know, but clearly they have all been looked after
This is from the BBC Disturbance in London Immigration Center
"Quite how that misunderstanding arose, maybe it was lost in translation, I don't know, but clearly they have now all been looked ...
- 5,676
0
votes
0
answers
23
views
prepared for it
In Russell’s essay he put
“To bear misfortune well when it comes, it is wise to have cultivated in happier times a certain width of interests, so that the mind may find prepared for it some ...
- 509
2
votes
3
answers
213
views
Is it idiomatic to say "Let's have a check."? Or should I say "Let's check it." or "Let's check."
Is it idiomatic to say "Let's have a check", just like we say "Let's have a look", or "Let's have a listen."?
If not, should I say: Let's check or Let's check it.
- 5,676
2
votes
2
answers
304
views
"I went to see if she had woken up yet." vs "I went to see if she woke up yet."
The following sentences are from a grammer web site Exercises on Sequence of Tenses See, number 7.
I went to see if she woke up yet.
I went to see if she had woken up yet.
I thought both sentences are ...
- 5,676
1
vote
3
answers
430
views
I can't understand how this sentence is grammatically correct: "I miss my dad more than I will miss anything."
The following sentences are given as correct examples regarding Sequence of tense
I miss my dad more than I missed anything.
I miss my dad more than I will miss anything.
I can't really understand the ...
- 5,676
1
vote
1
answer
46
views
"Do you ever stop talking?" Is this structure "Do you ever+....." considered rude or sarcastic? [closed]
"Do you ever stop talking?"
Is this sentence a bit sarcastic/rude or is it a neutral request that someone be quiet?
- 5,676
0
votes
2
answers
48
views
Is "I thought+clause" is neutral in meaning or does it automatically imply "I was wrong".?
I thought that Tom was kind.
I get confused with such sutructures about the meaning, because this structure can have 2 meanings. It can mean "I thought he was kind and he turned out to be really ...
- 5,676
1
vote
2
answers
29
views
A way to do something is (to do something)/(doing something)/(by doing something)? [closed]
Which ones are correct and how do they differ?
A better way to curb crime is to provide free education.
A better way to curb crime is providing free education.
A better way to curb crime is by ...
- 1,050
10
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Can "too" occur in a negative sentence? "That effort too came to nothing"
The following sentence is from the BBC web site Trapped
That effort too came to nothing.
We were taught in English classes that too can be used in positive sentences, and either in negative sentences.
...
- 5,676
0
votes
1
answer
16
views
Which is the best position for a modifying phrase coming from an adverb clause?
I forgot to call my brother because I was writing that email. [full sentence]
if I wanted to change the adverbial clause to a modifying phrase, can I move it around the sentence?
[Writing that email]...
- 69