Questions tagged [verb-usage]
The verb-usage tag has no usage guidance.
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added vs included
Which is more appropriate:
xyz feature is included in the abc website
OR
xyz feature is added to the abc website
when talking about a new software release?
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2
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I loved her when I first saw her
Is the following sentence okay? Does the "love" mean "fall in love with"?
I loved her when I first saw her.
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Is this use of the verb 'tell' correct?
Is this use of the verb 'tell' correct?
Suppose we have this situation. Mary tells Jack to wait at home until she comes back.
Can I say this?
Jack waited at home as told.
I'm also in doubt whether ...
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What does the verb ''have' mean here? [duplicate]
In this following definition does the verb ''have'' play in causative meaning? or what?
Please, simplify it to me...
for oneself (idiom):
rather than have someone else (do or share
something)
She ...
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49
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need to do VERSUS need for doing
I know "need to do" is correct.
I need to read this article.
Sometimes I come across "need for doing"
I see no need for doing it.
Incidentally, I wonder if "need for doing&...
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The rate for a room is £30, but breakfast is extra.(the verb "be" as "exist")
The rate for a room is £30, but breakfast is extra.
The verb "is" in the sentence above means "exists", thus, extra is an adverb?
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The terms have been agreed. vs. The terms have been agreed to
The terms have been agreed.
vs.
The terms have been agreed to.
The verb 'agree' is used as 'transitive or intransitive'.
I wonder which sentence is more common: with 'to' or without 'to' in case of ...
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What does "would like to have + v3" mean? [closed]
I would like to have them removed but the process is a little confusing.
I would like to have it deleted, but do not know the procedure.
I would like to have saved it, obviously, but the game was on ...
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The phrasal verb "go off"
If a sound goes off, does it mean the sound starts or the sound starts and lasts for some time?
In other words, can I say "an alarm was going off all night"?
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If I was there, I am not alive now or I would not be alive now.(indicative or subjunctive usage) [closed]
If I was there yesterday, I am not alive now or I would not be alive now.
If I had been there yesterday, I am not alive now or I would not be alive now.
Which one between 1 and 2 is more widely used ...
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How to use 'wish + noun' for myself?
I have this confusion when I am trying to construct a sentence concerning the usage of the verb wish. I've tried to look up dictionaries, but I'm still perplexed because it has a lot of options. ...
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What's the difference between verbs "spot" and "see"? What verb fom follows them?
How does a differ from c, and b from d?
a. John spotted Bill enter the house.
b. John saw Bill enter the house.
c. John spotted Bill entering the house.
d. John saw Bill entering the house.
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Does the word "Yahoo" have a verb meaning?
Reading this article, I noticed a fun expression saying, "DO YOU, UH. YAHOO?" Checking it on the Internet, I found several sites quoting the wording. From the context in the article, what ...
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Is "give" or "gives" the correct way in this case? [closed]
I am trying to understand what form is correct in this sentence.
"Full access" gives/give permission to see the report about scheduled hours.
For context, we are explaining what "full ...
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Is it correct to use "derive from" in the following context?
According to dictionaries, "to derive" means "to get something from something else" and "to come from something". But I'm not sure if it can be used in the following ...
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treat with the enemy for peace (is this phrase idiomatic?)
treat with the enemy for peace
'treat' is used like: treat people with respect
I wonder if the phrase above is idiomatic or not.
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She’d come off her new bike and hurt her knee. (she'd) [closed]
She’d come off her new bike
and hurt her knee.
before you see and hurt her knee.
What was the intrepretation of 'she'd' when you (as native English speakers) first read the sentence above?
she ...
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object of "refill": food or container?
I think "refill" as a verb only takes containers such as cups and bowls as objects. However, I am wondering whether it can take food as objects. Could we say "refill one's rice, beer, ...
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3
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Overtake, cut off usage
I have two questions:
Relating to the usage of the word 'overtake'. Is this word common in colloquial English? If I say 'I overtook the truck in front of me', does this sound unnatural or very formal ...
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Which is more appropriate? "I was married" OR "I have been married"?
Suppose, we're (I and my wife) asked by people how long our marriage is since we got married. Which tense should I use? Past tense or perfect tense or else?
We were married for 15 years.
We've been ...
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2
answers
53
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Using the verb "fix" in the following context
I made up the sentence:
A and B agreed to meet each other at 8 a.m. tomorrow to sign the contract.
How to express this sentence idiomatically using the verb "fix" instead of "agree&...
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meaning of "braced for more sobbing" [closed]
This passage is from The Children's Bach by Helen Garner
someone laughed up high, there was a scuffling somewhere in the house,
Dexter was up, he would see to it. Her muscles let go and she was away.
...
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"You must not forget ..... (turn) off your stove, it's very dangerous."
I saw this fill in the blanks question on my practice book and it left me confused
You must not forget ..... (turn) off your stove, it's very dangerous.
For the book, answer is to turn. My answer ...
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2
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The committee split over government subsidies. (split-split-split)
The committee split over government subsidies.
How can I make clear the meaning of the sentence in case I want to differentiate 'present form of split' from 'past form of split'?
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407
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arrange a party vs arrange for a party (Is there any difference?)
arrange a party vs arrange for a party (Is there any difference?)
The verb 'arrange' can be transitive or intransitive.
Is there any difference?
There is another example: arrange an appointment vs ...
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2
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What's the common verb to describe a rainbow?
For whatever reason, I had in mind that the common verb used to describe a rainbow's "state" is bent, as in "a rainbow bent over the landscape".
However, I just Googled "...
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Thrive-throve-thriven vs thrive-thrived-thrived
thrived vs throve
Could they be different in their usage?
There are two forms of inflection: ed-ed (regular) vs. irregular (like drink-drank-drunk)
When native speakers use the verbs as past which ...
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49
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How to use the verb "assume" in the following situation?
I am a secret agent pretending to be Donald Trump.
Which is the correct way to express that using the verb "assume"?
I assume Donald.
I assume the name of Donald.
I assume the name "...
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Is 'wet' only meant to be used for water and watery substances?
Today I stumbled upon this question:
"If you dip a glass rod in water it gets wet while if you dip that same rod in Mercury it doesn't. Give reason."
I know that's a physics question and I ...
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Meaning and usages of "short circuit" as a verb
What is the meaning of "short circuits" as a verb in the following sentence:
Technology short circuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.
Is this use formal and where it can be ...
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How to use "soak"?
Which is incorrect?
I soaked the beans overnight.
The beans was soaked overnight.
The beans soaked overnight.
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"An arm bruises" vs "an arm is bruised"
Which is incorrect?
I have bruised my arm.
My arm has bruised.
My arm has been bruised.
My arm got bruised.
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2
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Move off/Head off/Leave
Tom is at a party, hanging at the bar. A guy he knows, Matt, comes up to him to say hi. They talk, then -
Matt: Well, it's good to see you again. Enjoy the party.
Tom: Thank you.
Matt moves off/heads ...
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would have usage
I know that the usage of would have carries two main meanings: one is often paired with but, say, I would have loaned you the money, but I didn’t have any; the other is used in conditional sentences ...
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Trained ECDL or taught ECDL
Which verb is better to use:
He trained ECDL to them last year.
or
He taught ECDL to them last year.
P.S:
ECDL stands for European Computer Driving License
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"Manage the summer heat" or "manage with the summer heat"?
Could you tell me if I have to include with in the following question?
How do you manage (with) the summer heat, especialy when it's scorching hot days on end?
What I am trying to aks is how the ...
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Is it natural and correct to say "I can't feel my fingerst" meaning my fingers are numb?
Is it natural and correct to say I can't feel my fingerst meaning my fingers are numb? For example:
I guess I had better go to the doctor. I can't feel my fingers at all.
If it doesn't sound right,...
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229
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Verbs for pliers?
What are verbs for pliers?
Like, can it be a verb? Such as they "pliers" something.
Or, do one use pliers to clip, tweeze, pince, grip, or slam something? I am not even sure if these are proper ...
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Can the verb "kick start" be used in this sentence? Kick-start your skills in just 1 month
Can the verb "kick start" be used in this sentence?
Kick-start your skills in just 1 month
Context: Let's say I want to invite somebody to take a 1-month course and improve his/her skills. I want to ...
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2
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way to say a woman had been runing to the house and now near the house
I have the text which have the "run to" construction:
I held my breath as the woman ran to the house.
For me the text in up means: "I watched the woman and held my breath in the moment she began ...
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"shift by 1 day" vs. "shift 1 day later"
I wonder which form(s) are correct amongst the following:
All deadlines have been shifted by 1 day due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All deadlines have been shifted 1 later due to the ongoing ...
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General term to refer to acquiring knowledge of news or an event
I am trying to find a way to refer to acquiring the knowledge of something new or to be aware of something that recently happened.
Usually we can say,
I heard on the news...
I read on the ...
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On the usage of 'to call'
I cannot recall where exactly but in a book that discussed some common mistakes in English I got to read about why the sentence What is it called in English? is purely (or at least highly) ...
user68840
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1
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Can we use "distinguish" to convey "to make something distinguishable"?
I know about the very common usage of the verb distinguish:
By age of 10, a human being should be able to distinguish bitter from sweet! (self made sentence)
I am wondering if I can reword
We ...
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OK to use "Thank you so very much"?
I have already heard both
Thank you so much
and
Thank you very much
Is it OK to use:
Thank you so very much
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The use of 'totter' in this context
"Smooth," said Ron approvingly, as the waiters popped up on all sides, some bearing silver trays of pumpkin juice, Butterbeer and Firewhisky, others tottering piles of tarts and sandwiches.
...
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Present Perfect Vs. Simple Past in my sentence
Which one should I use?
I've read The Little Prince, Chapter XVIV. It has been pretty good - It has been about [...]
Or
I've read the Little Prince, chapter XVIV. It was pretty good - It was ...
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Can we use present tense with subjunctive mood?
1.If such a huge meteor had really crashed into the Earth, why isn't there even a little piece of evidence such as crater anywhere on
Earth?
2.If he were really a famous singer, why can't he ...
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Use "bridge" as an intransitive verb?
I found the following sentence:
The system controller interfaces to the PCI bus and bridges to other buses.
I can guess the meaning of it, but looking at all the dictionary the verb "bridge" does ...
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Usage of verb Would
I am wondering why is "would" used In this sentence.
When she was younger she 'would' shrink away from me whenever I spoke to her.
Is using simple past without "would" grammatically wrong, or does ...
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