Questions tagged [verbs]
A verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence.
1,876
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“The obvious choice was” or “the obvious choice were”?
Which is correct?
The obvious choice was posters.
Or
The obvious choice were posters.
I'm confused because "obvious choice" is singular. On the other hand, the actual choice is plural (posters)...
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1answer
14 views
You keep me hanging on
What is actually the phasal verb in a sentence:
You keep me hanging on
"Keep on" or "hang on"? What do we have here? Double phrasal verb? I am trying to figure this out for a while today... This is ...
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1answer
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A verb following another verb
We'll see how much they can do come the postseason.
In this sentence, is the word 'come' used as an infinitive or a past participle? At least it makes sense to me it is a past participle, but how ...
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1answer
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Use of the verb”complete” in the sentence
When we send partial truckload of product it mostly costs too much. This is why we always try to send full truckload of product. In this case if I use the verb” complete” to describe this situation ...
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What “verb” to use for “stop flowing” in this context
Do not let the rain water (...blank)... otherwise mosquitoes can emerge as a big problem.
Can I use the verbs like:
gather or accumulate?
I would like to know both the spoken and formal.
Thanks ...
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Subject verb agreement of either
Are either of these books his?
Is it correct or not? The error may or may not be in verb. Please let me know if we use a singular or plural verb.
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1answer
51 views
To be V-ed vs to v-ed
I don't understand why I can't use "to be locked up" instead of "to locked up" mentioned in this right sentence "I've often wondered what it would be like to locked up in a house for twelve weeks with ...
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1answer
40 views
Proper use of “lay” and “lie” in figurative present tense
I know there are multiple threads regarding proper use of "lay" and "lie", but I'm hoping to get some additional insight to distinguish their usage when used in figurative form. Which of the following ...
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1answer
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Trying to undertand if a noun an be an adverb given the struture of a sentence
I'm trying to teach my 7 year old daughter English and am clearly failing given I'm asking a question here.
The following sentence has me a little baffled in regards to the noun, verb and adverb.
...
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1answer
24 views
Opposite of 'park' : to leave vehicle in place
What's the name of the procedure reverse of parking?
To park a car is to guide it from the road into a parking spot and then stop the engine.
To ____ a car is to start the engine, and reverse it out ...
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A verb following 'than' without a subject
'Previous studies have found that children living on farms have a wider range of microbial exposures than occurs in the reference groups'
Is the verb directly following 'than' without a subject ...
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1answer
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Alter in a sentence
I want to say about changing a tradition, formerly elders used to gift goods to children, whereas nowadays their gifting money, can I say "gifting money is altered gifting goods"?
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As if that wasn't bad enough vs. as if that weren't bad enough
I'm aware that should use was when talking about an event in the past. And you should use were if it's an hypothetical situation that hasn't happened.
I'm not sure to which category "as if that wasn'...
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1answer
29 views
Definite article (the) in front of personal name
I know that "the" should not be used with people's names.
But what about when refering to mutiple people with the same name in one place? Like "the Thomas" for example ? I've heard this phrase in ...
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“Wipe” or “wipe down” in context?
Let's say I am eating ice cream with a friend and the friend got some ice cream on their face. And I point that out so that he will remove it. Do I say
you have some ice cream on your face, wipe it
...
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1answer
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Best type of past for a questionnaire
I'm writing a medical questionnaire in English. My doubt is related to the best type of past that I should use in the questions, I'll write an example and see if some native speaker can explain better....
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The use of the verb “go” in the sense of getting to places without mentioning the places
Tell me please if the followig sentence sounds natural.
I like going by bus.
What I am trying to say is that I like to go to some places, such as libraries, stores, post offices etc, using the bus....
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1answer
39 views
Is it better to say “This feature allows you to…” or “This feature lets you…”?
In the context of a web application, is it better to say:
"This feature allows you to (do something/action)."
or
"This feature lets you (do something/action)."?
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3answers
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Is there any difference in meaning between “work” and “work out” when used in the sense of having a positive result?
Is there any difference in meaning between work and work out when used in the sense of having a positive result? For examle:
My plan to make easy money didn't work.
My plan to make easy money ...
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1answer
115 views
Sit at the examination
In the following sentence
I did not________at the examination as my circumstances are bad.
Which one of the following two would be correct?
1.appear
sit
I think it should be sit, because sit an ...
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1answer
46 views
In what context would native English speakers say “happen with” as opposed to “happen to”?
Let's say I have given up my job and started drinking out of a sudden? Would be natural to say happen with? For example:
You quit your job, started drinking. Whatever happended with you?
In what ...
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1answer
23 views
Best verb for situation below
For example When I buy something from my supplier he allow me to make payment after 30 days .In this case which verb should I use in sentence below?
My supplier provides a payment term of 30 days ...
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1answer
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What clause elements has this sentence? (That doesn't sound like him.)
I've been struggling to analyse this sentence in terms of its clause elements.
"That doesn't sound like him."
What I mean by the clause elements are the following: verb, subject, object, subject ...
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3answers
141 views
Does “not” modify main verb or adverb?
I was trying to understand why can't we say I have not money, and the answer was that have doesn't mean possession here, it is an auxiliary verb(AV) to make a perfect tense, which requires main verb --...
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1answer
22 views
trace the route
Is "trace the route" in the following ambiguous between a finger-moving action and actual driving, walking, or otherwise moving along a route in the real world?
John traced the route on the map.
I'...
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1answer
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felt with past participle
We say “I felt honored to have won such a prestigious award.”
In the first sentence, we use felt+past participle form. Why we use past participle form? is it any rule like be+past participle?
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To agree with someone
According to Cambridge Dictionary the phrasal verb agree with someone can be used in the following way:
If a situation or new conditions agree with you, they make you feel healthy and happy:
...
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“I have been graduated from XYZ University in ABC-MSc” is correct?
graduate verb is intransitive and as far as I know, this sort of verbs couldn't be used as a passive form. Am I right?
I have strangely seen it is correct in some website like this:
https://answers....
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1answer
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Confusing verb “make” in this context
God made me to help others.
I am very confused as to whether God himself wants to help others by making me or God want me to help others.
Please help.
Thanks in advance.
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Which is correct? …the same as one will feel, would feel, or feels
Which is correct?
If he pursues the breakthrough in technology for the sake of advancement in science and not for his own fame or desire, he will not feel the disappointment or despair as one who ...
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0answers
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Verb tense after stated expectation
In the following sentence:
The newspaper expects its editors to check the facts.
What is the grammatical role of "to check"? Why can it not be replaced by "checking"? I thought they were both ...
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0answers
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The objects of prepositional verbs
This is a follow up question, from the one asked here: previous question.
Swan goes on to say that if there is already a direct object, the second object (after the preposition) cannot become a ...
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1answer
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Intransitive and prepositional verbs
To give you some context, I'm reading Michael Swan's 'Practical English Usage', and I'm at a section covering passive voice and verbs with prepositions in the passive.
The author states that "The ...
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1answer
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Wishes I was gone vs. wishes I were gone
"She wishes I were gone" has 7 results on Google Books.
"She wishes I was gone" has 3.
The difference in results isn't very big.
What's the correct version? Or both are correct depending on the ...
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1answer
44 views
Is “assume a noun” possible, instead of assume that~?
The verb to assume is followed by a clause or to infinitive.
Though dictionaries don't mention it, for me, it seems correct to use this structure: assume + a noun. For example:
Assume a sudden ...
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1answer
28 views
“hear him tell” vs. “hear him tells”
Which one is correct :
Now let’s hear Marco tell his story.
Now let’s hear Marco tells his story.
And why?
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2answers
31 views
Subjunctive mood in the past tense
If I organise an event and allow only people who bought a ticket, how do I construct a sentence with "require" and the subjunctive mood to express the requirement?
We require that everybody bought a ...
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1answer
24 views
using of give to make an offer [closed]
Can I use give? or get or bring are better here
A:I am thirsty.
B:I will give you some water.
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1answer
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Hyphen in a verb
We use hyphen to make nouns and adjectives, like: cooking-oil, 13-year-old, over-grown etc. But, can we use a hyphen to make a verb, like: ’post-process’, ‘re-purchase’?
I’m writing sentences with ...
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2answers
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Use of open and start in a sentence
I am confused at the use of open here.
The office opens early in the morning.
The office starts early in the morning.
which is right? open or start?
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1answer
44 views
What is the difference between 1.differentiate and 2.distinguish
Both words are verb transitive.They are of the same meaning.There are many words in dictionary and thesaurus which words are differentiating in their usage. If we use other words of the dictionary ...
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1answer
52 views
“had to stop” and “was” vs “must have stopped” and “were”
The sentence in question was on a grammar activity:
During a tour of the factory, health and safety inspectors declared
that the company had to stop / must have stopped production until a
...
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1answer
40 views
‘Is’ / ‘are’ the same [duplicate]
My university offers two courses, ECN470 and FIN470. If I ask someone whether they both are same courses(by study materials), what should I ask?
‘Is’ ECN470 and FIN470 the same course?
Or
‘Are’ ...
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1answer
39 views
What “find out” implies in this context?
The Times: last Sunday night I turned on the TV to find out
what was happening in Libya
Does this means that I turned on the TV intentionally to know what is happening in Libya because I heard ...
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1answer
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Past continous adverb placement
In the phrase:
The stock scandal was extremely damaging to his company's reputation.
What is the verb tense? I think "was damaging" is past continuous and "extremely" is an adverb modifying "...
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1answer
53 views
In a letter, we may write “Attn. to: Mr. XYZ”. What is the verb for “Attn. to”?
So if I want to write a letter which is "attention to" XYZ. Is there any verb for substitution?
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2answers
51 views
To ‘improve’ or ‘improving’?
The real secret to ‘improve’ your fluency is to enjoy the learning process.
The real secret to ‘improving’ your fluency is to enjoy the learning process.
Which one is correct here?
And if the ...
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1answer
33 views
Use of “to” with “want” and “can”
I'm not an expert at grammar, but I'm a native English speaker. I'm trying to help a Spanish speaker learn English. She confuses when to use "to" with "want" or "can". For example, she will say, "I ...
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2answers
46 views
What does “To be it to be followed” mean
In this sentence :
This trend, were it to be followed, would spell disaster for the country
What does it means and how to use it please ?
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1answer
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Is the phrase “ranging from” a noun or an adjective?
I have seen many present participles, some act as a noun, e.g. Reading is fun, and some act as an adjective, e.g. Look at the reading boy.
However, I am not sure whether it is a noun or an adjective ...
