Questions tagged [word-in-context]
The word-in-context tag has no usage guidance.
191
questions
0
votes
1answer
50 views
what comes before and after “namely”
I'd like to know whether there's any relation between what comes before and after "namely." Are the following sentences both correct? If not, why?
John bought a wolf-like dog, namely, a ...
3
votes
1answer
656 views
What does [ABC] mean inside a text?
I saw it many times in many texts. There will be a word or a phrase inside a text and surrounded by square brackets.
Examples:
This is [the] main purpose of xxx.
And it was called [xxx].
There are ...
0
votes
2answers
33 views
To pull off wearing something
I found the text below in a comedy series episode:
No matters how big you are, in Cleveland everybody
seems to think they can pull off wearing shorts.
What's the meaning of pull off in this context?
0
votes
2answers
24 views
“Putting the number billion in a tangible way blows your mind” is this sentence correct?
So I want to convey the message that the number billion when expressed in a realistic example that even a layman can relate to using the word tangible. And how can I say the same thing using the word ...
0
votes
2answers
41 views
The difference between characteristic, feature, aspect, attribute and quality, their definitions are defined using each other
It's annoying the Dictionary always happens to me this absurdity:
Characteristic - distinguishing feature or quality
Feature - a distinctive attribute or aspect of something
Attribute - regard a ...
-1
votes
1answer
30 views
What means supporting surface in this sentence?
I interpret ambiguously the highlighted phrase (supporting surface), what really means?
lie1 /lī/
I. verb — [no obj.]
1. (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a ...
4
votes
3answers
427 views
much to one's despair - meaning?
I know the meaning of despair but I can't understand what the phrase much to his despair means in the following sentence.
His friend went back on his word much to his despair.
Could anybody please ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
What is the semantic difference between everybody and anybody in `doing` context?
Please explain what should I choose for what context in the following examples:
it lets everybody do whatever they want
it lets anybody do whatever they want
What is the semantic difference?
0
votes
1answer
15 views
got or went burgled
Could anybody please help me to identify if there is a difference between the meaning of the following two sentences? Or do both the sentences convey the same meaning?
Our house got burgled.
Our ...
1
vote
0answers
20 views
Uses of the verb “get”. Pandora's box [closed]
Hi! I'm learning the language and I can't understand all the different meanings of the verb get in order to use all the meanings of the word... Is it there a trick, rule/s to identify when to use it? ...
0
votes
1answer
14 views
Is the use of the word “better” correct in this text?
Is the use of the word "better" correct in this text? Or rather, does the text, as a whole, make any sense?
I'm completely exhausted. Sometimes I really feel that I better get myself out of ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
What exactly does “walking around the house” mean?
I am confused of the word “around”.
A person is outside and walking along the house?
A person is inside the house walking in any direction.
Does it mean number 1 or 2? If both are correct, how can ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
What's the opposite of wrinkled banknote?
What's the opposite of wrinkled banknote? Can I say simply "Look at this banknote, it's flat like new"? Or there is a more appropriate word for this context?
0
votes
0answers
9 views
How to say name has been cut?
How to say that the name of a student has been removed from the school-register, that the student is no more a student of the school now? Is cut or cut off a correct expression of the idea?
My name ...
1
vote
2answers
62 views
Is the word 'perform' idiomatic in this context?
If my friend told me that he ordered online, a service of blood tests (made by a nurse) and he has one month that this purchase is valid from the time he paid for it, then he asked me when to perform/...
0
votes
1answer
12 views
Dead Tap/Pipes?
I know that the word 'dead' can be used to describe a dead phone line or dead power outlet, but can it be used to describe a non functioning tap or water pipes connected to it, if no water is passing ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Usage of the word Console
Console means to comfort someone at a time of grief or disappointment. I wrote a sentence in one of the paragraphs
Everybody knew it was written by Sam and they came to him turn by turn to console.
...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Care/Care about
Psychiatrist: As a psychiatrist it can be depressing listening to clients' problems all day, but that's the job.
Person: So is it just a job to you or do you actually care?
Psychiatrist: I care.
Is ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
It doesn't match to context “we're in the car, we're fighting traffic… basically just trying to stay awake”
Chandler: The problem is, though, after the concert's over, no matter how great the show was, you girls are always looking for the comedian again, y'know? I mean, we're in the car, we're fighting ...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
Are 'partly' and 'part of' synonyms in this context?
"Partly, I think it's my fault that Peter and Andy got into an argument."
"A part of me thinks it's my fault Peter and Andy got into an argument."
Do these sentences have the same meaning or rather ...
0
votes
3answers
175 views
Brother and sister while they aren't biological siblings - how to call such usage?
I'm looking for a word or term that describes the way poeople use familial words to describe their friends, such as: "brother" or "sister" (while they're not really brothers and sisters from the same ...
1
vote
1answer
34 views
“Take your change for / from / on your $100” - Which preposition should I use?
"Here's the change back for / from / on your hundred"
"How much change do I get for / from / on a $100 note?"
"I doubt I have change for / from / on $100"
Which prepositions are correct to use?...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
“We're stuck between floors two and three”. Is the definite article implied?
When you name the floor you're on, you say "I'm on the [an ordinal number] floor.", which totally makes sense!
So why do people, for example, say "We're stuck between floors two and three"?
Do they ...
1
vote
1answer
32 views
“Lend someone a hand” x “Give someone a hand”
I have seen many uses of “lend someone a hand” and “give someone a hand”, and despite the fact the use of the second one seems to be more common, it always seemed to me that they both have the same ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Doubt about “put ‘something’ behind”
I’ve seen some uses of “put ‘something’ behind” with a pronoum (not really sure if it’s a pronoum) after “behind” and other without. Here are some examples:
You should put those bad memories behind ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Go for a ride x Take a walk x Go for a walk
Translating go for a ride from English to Portuguese using Google Translator results in dar um passeio (the only translation provided). But translating dar um passeio from Portuguese to English ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Use of “by themselves” and “on their own” in this context
Can both “by themselves” and “on their own” be used with the same meaning in this context?
I think the better thing to do is just wait. Sometimes things can get
better by themselves.
I think ...
2
votes
1answer
50 views
Have built x Will have built
In The Beatles song "O-bla-di O-bla-da" Paul Mccartney sings:
In a couple of years they have built a home sweet home
As far as I can understand he is singing about something that will occur in the ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Use of “to can” meaning be capable of doing something
Can the verb “to can” be used when saying that someone is capable of doing something bad or reprehensible like in the sentences below:
I know we are talking about kidnapping and murder, but you ...
2
votes
2answers
57 views
Dark or darkness in this context
I already did some previous researches and found a lot of explanations about the differences between "dark and "darkness", including answers to a question here in StackExchange, but I'm still in doubt ...
1
vote
0answers
312 views
English grammar is not (so difficult/very difficult/too difficult/difficult enough) to understand
I can't decide which is the right option to choose. I can say that 'difficult enough' is not the right option, because it doesn't make much sense. But, so difficult/too difficult/very difficult look ...
0
votes
0answers
15 views
“Can't” or “couldn't”
In the phrase below:
I know sometimes life can be extremely tough and make you feel just
like if you can’t count on anyone else.
...which is basically a literal translation of the same phrase in ...
1
vote
2answers
30 views
Describing a light that is far and weak
In a poem could any of the three adjectives below be used to describe a light (of a star, a lighthouse, a lamp, etc) that is weak and distant and which you can barely see:
Faltering
Timorous
...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
What's the meaning of “therethen”?
I'm studyng the content found on another question on this site and the expression "therethen" is used on some sentences in the answers. In one of the examples it's explained as being related to "...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
“to be” or “to be in”… which one should I use?
Assuming the sentence below makes any sense (which I'm not sure about) would I have to include the preposition "in" after the verb "to be" at the end or is it not necessary?
And therefore, because ...
0
votes
2answers
33 views
Talking about a specific place to people who doesn't know this place
Let’s say I want to describe something that occurred at a specific place (althought the place where it occurred isn’t important at all - I’m just mentioning it) but the people I’m talking to doesn’t ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
Hospital vs. Clinic vs. Polyclinic etc
How to distinguish between the place were sick people lying (hospital) and work 24 hours a day, to the place where people go for check-ups or as primary medicine (G.P. / family doctor)? In many ...
0
votes
1answer
181 views
Move over / Move aside
Is there any difference?
I read somewhere said that "move aside" implies a little bit of ordering rather than asking.
Is it true?
Mom was cooking dinner and her little daughter was blocking her ...
0
votes
0answers
35 views
Use of “intense” when talking about someone's drinking
"He's on the fifth drink or something since we got here. It looks pretty intense. Maybe we should go talk to him."
Is the line of dialogue okay or is "intense" unusual in the context?
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Can I use the verb 'forgo' in this context?
Cambridge says:
forgo (v.) to not have or do something enjoyable:
I shall have to forgo the pleasure of seeing you this week.
So, can I use the verb forgo in this context?
For example, if one ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
We warm / heat-up / or reheat bread that laid on the table from yesterday?
I have a bread that's laid on the table from yesterday but it's neither cold nor hot, and I want it to become a little bit warm because I like it fresh. What's more fit in this context? Do I want to ...
2
votes
1answer
29 views
Describing something which exist in one month and doesn’t exist in the next!
I wanted to describe to my friend a situation where i wanted to mention that something exist in January, but doesn’t exist in February, exist in March, but not in April, exist in June but not in July, ...
33
votes
3answers
11k views
What does IKEA-like mean?
I found the text below in a website and I'm trying to understand the meaning of IKEA in the context:
Technically, this kit allows you to follow an IKEA-like manual and put
together a guitar, ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
May the word “Blue”, when refering to musical genre, be used in the singular?
For instance: may a singer say...
Now I'm gonna sing a blue I wrote twenty years ago.
Or should he say...
Now I'm gonna sing a blues I wrote twenty years ago.
1
vote
0answers
39 views
Rewording sentences when a sentence beginning with “Not” is used
In the phrases below may I omit the subject and verb before the word "not" and still make sense?
I could hardly recognize her when we met at a downtown restaurant last night.
Not the skinny, shy ...
1
vote
2answers
20 views
Understand the use of 'raise the stakes of'
I am reading a book Blue Ocean Strategy. There was this sentence in the book:
Placing the kingpins in a fishbowl greatly raises the stakes of inaction.
The problem with sentence is that ...
1
vote
1answer
129 views
Long-standing effort?
Does long-standing sound right to native speakers in this context? Example: Your long-standing effort has paid off.
Does this sound idiomatic?
2
votes
1answer
25 views
The adverb “reasonably” can be about the level of language knowledge?
The adverb "reasonably" can be about the level of language knowledge?
For example, can I say "He speaks English reasonably", meaning he speaks in a level he can speak and understand the most of the ...
0
votes
2answers
25 views
Use of “break out”
What is the meaning of the phrasal verb "break out" in the phrase below:
My husband, notoriously bad for forgetting to add things to the
calendar because it was too much of a hassle to break out ...
3
votes
1answer
30 views
Meaning of “in the open”
What's the meaning of the expression "in the open" in the phrase below:
This is partly because fear is uncommon and short-lived in the open.
The page where I found this sentence is: dictionary....
