Questions tagged [usage]
For questions about how certain words, phrases or grammatical aspects are typically used.
188
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
2
votes
0answers
61 views
Run it under water, hold it under water, run water over it
The following sentences are about rinsing something under running water, be it a whisk (or any utensil for that matter) or a scald, wound/cut.
Just run it under water.
Just hold it under water.
...
2
votes
1answer
216 views
Why wouldn't/don't I share this? Which should it be?
So I was about to write something on my Facebook wall then I find my old post then I thought about to share it so what would be right.
Instead of writing new post I thought:
Why wouldn't/don't I ...
2
votes
1answer
53 views
People He Thought Were/To Be
I have a question about this:
1a. The people he thought were missing showed up.
1b. The people he thought to be missing showed up.
2a. The people he guessed were missing showed up.
2b. The ...
2
votes
1answer
154 views
"occupying tourists" vs. "keeping tourists occupied"
There are many sights in KL to keep tourists occupied.
There are many sights in KL to occupy tourists.
Which sentence is natural? Thanks a lot.
2
votes
1answer
8k views
Good Wishing for someone's success
Here are some sentences:
Can I use 'May' for wishing someone? For example:
May you get success in your goal.
OR,
Is it compulsory to use the word 'wish' for wishing someone ? For example:
I ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Limitation or limitations?
I am confused about the following sentence:
Despite limitations from a lack of funding, the study for the first time paints a picture of children prone to suicidal thought.
Isn't 'a lack of funding' ...
1
vote
0answers
23 views
Is it incorrect to use "I'm" to replace "I am." when that is the whole sentence?
Is it incorrect to use I'm. to replace I am. when that is the whole sentence?
Are you going to the beach?
I'm.
I haven't ever seen or heard I'm used this way. Is it technically incorrect?
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Meaning and usage of "/"
The use of "/" is to highlight the differences or group similarly related?
Do we use "/" as a substitute of "and" or "or" or both?
Designer/Coder Micheal won ...
1
vote
2answers
72 views
What's the difference between 'have become p.p.' and 'have been p.p.'?
I think the two are interchangeable, but I am not sure.
Given that the Internet has become integrated in everyday lives and the communication of social support is an important part of
interpersonal ...
1
vote
0answers
28 views
Can you use "abase oneself" positively?
Longman dictionary defines "abase yourself" as:
to behave in a way that shows you accept that someone has complete power over you
I gave an extensive lookup on the internet on the phrase. It ...
1
vote
1answer
22 views
"Grade(s) 1 to 6 are basic education for kids." - with "s" or without "s"?
Is "car 1, car 2, and car 3" equal to "cars 1 to 3"?
Is "step 1 step 2, step 3, step 4, and step 5" equal to "steps 1 to 5"
Is "Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, ...
1
vote
0answers
26 views
my reason to call him dishonest Is it wrong?
Are the following sentences correct?
My reason to call him dishonest...
The reason for me to call him dishonest...
I have a reason to call him dishonest...
I have reasons to call him dishonest...
I ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
When we have a clear context, can we omit words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences?
My question:
When we have a clear context, can we omit words, phrases, clauses, or even sentences? Because I think they are sometimes too long or kind of wordy.
Is there a rule of thumb or something ...
1
vote
2answers
69 views
Do I 'Log Into', 'Login To', or 'Log In To'?
I've been speaking English for a long time but I've only been logging in for a couple of decades and every time I write it I am confused about the proper usage.
Do I log into the system?
or
Do I login ...
1
vote
1answer
18 views
"Municipality of <municipality-name>" or "<municipality-name> Municipality"
I was discussing with some people about which form is more correct regarding a Municipality, or other territory divisions.
For example, regarding to a map of the municipality, is it more correct to ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
“to check IN on someone” OR “to check on someone“?
If I mean : “to make sure someone is doing okay, be it in their work, health, or otherwise”,
Have “to check IN on someone” AND “to check on someone“ the same meaning ?
Also, recently, someone wrote me ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views
In the sentence "...redirecting your focus on to what is working..." Why ON TO and not only TO?
At first when I saw that sentence I thought the preposition ON was related to the verb focus, but at a second and third analyzes I sort of notice that focus is not being used as a verb in this ...
1
vote
1answer
19 views
Either in need of a or requires
I think is in need of a wash is more appropriate choice to fill in the following blank
The brown shirt_________.
Because meaning of in need of is Macmilan
But the right choice in my book is ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
For/to all intents and purposes
What is the error in the following sentence?
Although there was still a faint heart beat, the patient was for all intents and purposes dead.
On many of the websites I found that instead of for, to ...
1
vote
0answers
23 views
Does this sentence sound natural, 'We read to the children from books in the library'?
If it does, how about paraphrasing the sentence into 'We read books in the library to the children.'?
1
vote
0answers
239 views
Intuition vs insight vs instinct vs gut feeling vs sixth sense?
Do all of these mean almost a same feeling? If yes, can we also add"suspicion" to this list,as also having same meaning as those in title
If not, please kindly explain in simple words with examples, ...
1
vote
0answers
35 views
Past perfect continuous for continuing events in the past
My Cambridge Dictionary's grammar section contains the following explanation about the past perfect continuous tense:
Continuing events in the past
We use the past perfect continuous to talk about ...
1
vote
0answers
63 views
X minutes left before
Do these sound fine instead of "It's five minutes to/before ten":
There are five minutes left before ten.
We/I have ten minutes before ten.
And if someone asks:
How many minutes are left ...
1
vote
0answers
142 views
My shoes got swapped with someone
I had taken off my shoes(we're supposed to take them off before we enter the music room). When I came back and put them back on, I realized they weren't mine. (There had been a lot of shoes there, now ...
1
vote
1answer
17 views
In the running vs in training
First, I want to confirm the grammatical correctness of the following two sentences:
I'm in the running for the position.
I'm in training for the position.
In other words, if using the ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
Mistakes which are made by native English speakers
Which difficulties do native English speakers face when they learn their mother tongue at school or just in life(especially I'm curious to know about high school when people are already supposed to ...
1
vote
2answers
34 views
What is omitted between 'the task' and 'and'?
What is omitted between the more tasks and and? 'the to-do lists had'?
The results in the Journal of Experimental Psychology confirm that not
all pre-sleep writing is created equal. Those who’d ...
1
vote
1answer
230 views
"In the end" or "At the end"
Which of these phrases is correct:
"We are in the end."
"We are at the end."
I know that most of the time when using "at the end" there should be a noun. Like, "...at the end of something". But ...
1
vote
1answer
508 views
It is with A as with B
I saw the following passage and am wondering whether "it is with A as with B" is current English. What is it used for? And what does "it" refer to?
It is with learning as with wealth. A few cannot ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
Extend something to somebody
We usually say extend something to somebody but in the following sentence
The law created a group called ‘Socially and Educationally Backward Class’ and included Marathas as the sole group under the ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
Understanding the definition of "preposition"
In my grammar book definition of preposition is given as follows:
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to show in what relation the person or thing denoted by it stands in ...
1
vote
1answer
191 views
Is it proper to use "dedicate oneself" together with a quantifier?
I see TheFreeDictionary gives one of the meanings of "dedicate" to be
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
, in which "entirely" implies totality without any ...
1
vote
1answer
703 views
was looking or looked in this sentence
When I woke up this morning, she was sleeping on my bed and she looked very happy!
The sentence is about a female cat who was ill.
Why isn't was looking (at this precise moment she was looking)? ...
1
vote
1answer
4k views
Can we say sentences like "They are so/too good of people"
As far as I know we can say "He is so good a person" for meaning "He is a very good person" or "He is a person who is so good" while we can't say "He is a so good person". Also we can say "He is too ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
All you politicians are the same
Are these five sentences correct and interchangeable?
1) "You politicians are all the same."
2) "All of you politicians are the same."
3) "All you politicians are the same."
4) "You ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
A good place to start would be (with)
I have a question about some sentence in this Economist article:
Reserve prison for the worst offenders. Divert the less scary ones to drug treatment, community service and other penalties that ...
1
vote
0answers
66 views
Harnessed .. to the task of
I have a question about the verb "harness". According to definitions of many dictionaries, including definition 2 for the verb "harness" in this dictionary, "harness" should be used according to ...
1
vote
1answer
42 views
What is the difference?
What is the difference between
I baked the cake myself
and
I myself baked the cake
1
vote
2answers
957 views
"having to decide" or "deciding"?
I have a question about the differences in meaning, if any, between writing the following sentence as:
"In other words, I have personal experience with some of the anxieties many tennis players go ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Am I the receiver or sender?
My friend recently recieved an email about a warning of an attachment might contain virus because of being an executable file. The email is like this;
xxx@gmail.com is sent an email contains "...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
A Meeting In/On His Schedule
Suppose we are talking about someone's schedule of things to do
There is a management meeting in his schedule.
There is a management meeting on his schedule.
Should it be "in" or "on" ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
passives vs adjectives
Past participles can modify nouns in much the same way as adjectives. For example
I am told = I am a told man.
You are invited = You are a invited man.
He is questioned = He is a questioned man.
...
1
vote
1answer
148 views
Correct use of Word Phrase
It was like using a watch that runs slow. (It=Egyptian calendar)
What was the Egyptian calendar similar to?
using a watch that runs slow
a watch that runs slow
Which one is correct?
1
vote
2answers
105 views
why does the author write 'This makes sense and is a logical argument ~'?
I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, why does the author write This makes sense and is a logical argument ~ ? Does it mean that in the perspective of eastern folks, it is sensible to think that way ...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
Why did the author use a comma in the sentence?
Why did the author use a comma between upright and the way? Isn't it redundant?
One reason that so many of us are fascinated by penguins is that they
resemble us. They walk upright, the way we do, ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Can A.K.A. be used in formal writing?
I have seen using the abbreviation A.K.A. (also known as) in several online forums and in some social media posts.
Can we use this word in formal writing (such as articles, formal letters, etc.)?
0
votes
0answers
15 views
Is it possible that the simple present tense and the past perfect tense are used in the same sentence?
Why does the author write the past perfect had discarded instead of the simple past discarded? Is it possible that the simple present tense and the past perfect tense are used in the same sentence?
...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Why was 'which' used instead of 'what' in the passage?
I know the following definitions of what and which.
what : asking for information specifying something
which : asking for
information specifying one or more people or things from a definite
set
But ...
0
votes
0answers
47 views
“For as long as possible” vs “as long as possible”
How do you distinguish in their usage the two expressions: “for as long as possible” and “as long as possible”?
In the latter expression, the long is, probably, almost always an adverb.
However, when ...
0
votes
1answer
13 views
Prefix "in-" meaning / usage - any rules?
I'm surprised prefix in- can add opposite meaning: (not) inactive, indefensible vs (extra) invaluable, inflammable. Are there any rules to intelligently guess its meaning for newly learn word? The ...
