Questions tagged [word-usage]
This tag is for questions which a dictionary cannot answer about the meaning or correctness of a word in a sentence. Give as much context as possible.
1,014
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
1
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1answer
66 views
Where to put “more”?
1) You sound more like a native speaker.
2) You sound like a native speaker more.
I know the first one is correct, but can I use the second one?
1
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1answer
98 views
Does “frame” or “framework” work for the following context?
I want to say that someone can study by-himself but he needs a "frame" or "framework" meaning that he needs to be in an institute that will manage and coach him.
Now based on my native language the ...
1
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0answers
3k views
“capability of doing” or “capability to do”
I would like ask if there is any semantic difference between the following sentences:
What makes us different from other animal families is that we have a
complicated brain that has the ...
1
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1answer
2k views
represent in “front of, before or in dealing with”
Which one may more officially works?
To represent company "in front of" community, "before" community, or "dealing with" community.
1
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2answers
67 views
Do we care about the rules of “Speculation Modals” when we change speculation modals from “direct into indirect speech”?
According to the rules of "Speculation Modals", we use "may / could / might + inf" to guess things in the present
Eg: I may / might / could be late today
"Speculation Modals" say that we use "may / ...
1
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1answer
390 views
What's the meaning and usage of “One such proposal is FOR” and “The concept is OF”?
Could you guys please explain about these sentences?
One such proposal is FOR the vertical farm.
The concept is OF multi-storey buildings
I can't understand about FOR and OF in these sentences....
1
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3answers
62 views
Is “commiserating” same as “sharing”?
I'm having doubts regarding the usage of "commiserate." One meaning is that people who commiserate have the same negative feelings about something. Is the usage okay in the following sentence, where ...
1
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1answer
27 views
even when making money is a problem
When making money is not a problem for a company, making money is a means, and the dream is the aim. However, even when making money is a problem, making money itself is the aim.
Can I use even to ...
1
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2answers
177 views
Is it normal to say that something “Breaks in two”?
:)
I was wondering if one could say in a poetic way that
"a seed breaks in two"
...or should one say
"breaks apart"
or even something totally different?
1
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1answer
65 views
<at> (the) last moment/night
I am confused about using these terms.
1- He came at last night.
2- He came last night.
3- He came at the last night.
4- He came the last night.
1.1- He came at last moment.
1.2- He came last ...
1
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1answer
59 views
Is the use of “present during” in “…capturing feelings present during a reading…” correct?
Art style and music create a very mysterious and terrifying atmosphere accurately capturing feelings present during a reading of this short story.
I want to say that a movie's atmosphere captures or ...
1
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1answer
286 views
“The+ comparative” form
I know that when something changes (whether it increases or decreases in size, number, or whatever) along with another change, it can be expressed with
" the+ comparative, the+ comparative" form.
ex) ...
1
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2answers
6k views
“to build” or “to be built” or “to have built”
In an English textbook, I found the following sentence.
a. "The Swiss tunnel took 17 years to build."
(The full article follows.)
"A tunnel" is supposed to be built, so I think
...
1
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2answers
16k views
“a chance to meet” vs “a chance that we meet”
Please let me know if there is a chance that we meet somewhere in or outside Chicago.
Please let me know if there is a chance to meet somewhere in or outside Chicago.
Which one between these ...
1
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0answers
686 views
Do we use “would do” or “would have done” after “if it wasn’t/weren’t for…”?
In dictionary,
if it wasn’t/weren’t for…:
used to say that somebody/something stopped somebody/something from
happening
If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive today. (seem like ...
1
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1answer
3k views
Is there any difference between “was always doing something” & “would always do something”?
This is an very interesting grammar point.
I just want to know how native speakers think about this.
The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something ...
1
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1answer
100 views
Have I used “Such a” in an appropriate way?
Have I used "Such a" in an appropriate way?
Congratulations for having such a little bundle of joy.
1
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1answer
22 views
Is the usage of nonetheless in the below sentence correct?
I have written the below sentence.
Panicked that his presence had been exposed, by his own folly
nonetheless, Diego immediately jumped in the cover of the tree.
The sentence here is supposed to mean ...
1
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1answer
44 views
does 'self-' mean 'of/by one's own'?
I have come across the words 'self-operated' and 'self-owned' in corporate documents. The meaning seems to be 'operated by oneself' and 'one's own'. Examples:
The company has five self-operated ...
1
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1answer
104 views
Using reported speech, should I use “having passed” or “passing”?
Using the reported speech, I would change the following sentence in these ways.
"You have just passed your exam. Congratulations!" Tom said to me.
Tom congratulated me on having passed my exam.
...
1
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4answers
290 views
Regarding a gown: Pull up, pick up, lift up, hike up, hitch up, hold up?
If someone is walking up the stairs in a long, fluffy ball gown, and thus has to hold it in order to climb up the stairs, what sounds natural:
She had to pick her gown up to climb up the stairs.
...
1
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2answers
1k views
What does “how do you find" mean?
The context as blow:
How do you find your new apartment?
The author says it means "what do you think of something"
What do you think of your new apartment?
I have a feeling that this phrase means the ...
1
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1answer
63 views
Is “et al.” one or two words?
I use et al. to refer to a paper with more than two authors. However, the word et got separated by a line (due to line end) and the word al. cam in the beginning of a new line.
... Authorname [end ...
1
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1answer
396 views
“Mail something”, “Send something in the/by mail”
Are the following phrases correct?
To mail a package
To send something, other than an envelope, in the mail
To put something, other than an envelope, in the mail for someone
To send something, ...
1
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1answer
429 views
Which is more natural English: “I don't know what the cause is” or “I don't know what is the cause”?
I don't know what the cause is.
I don't know what is the cause.
and do you have any difference between these sentences.
if you have, could you explain it.
e.g. 1) is for writing, 2) is for speaking
1
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1answer
61 views
Do we need ''from'' after the word ''leave''?
The river bus leaves from Pier 4.
This sentence is from Oxford Advance Learner Dictionary.
Do we need ''from'' after the word ''leave''?
1
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1answer
66 views
“in feeding” instead of “food source”
But like the male mosquito, females feed only on nectar for their food source.
If I rephrase this sentence,
female mosquitoes are compared to male mosquitoes in feeding.
But I have a doubt ...
1
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1answer
133 views
Whether the use of 'are born' is formal
"When heroes are born, history is created."
In the sentence, I'd like to know whether the use of 'are born' is formal. Thanks in advance.
1
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1answer
315 views
can we use “to worry about” & “to be worried about” interchangeably?
to worry: to keep thinking about unpleasant things that might happen
or about problems that you have Source
Ex: Don't worry about me. I'll be all right.
to be worried about: thinking about ...
1
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1answer
2k views
The difference between “somebody” & “anybody” & someone" ,specifically in this context
Do you know somebody here?
Do you know anybody here?
Do you know someone here?
If there is any difference in meaning, could you please paraphrase each question, so that I could understand what the ...
1
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2answers
233 views
“it is often considered that” vs. “it's considered by many that”
This is an example from an IELTS test.
It is often considered that change is more beneficial to people than trying to avoid it and have everything remain the same. Do you think the advantages of ...
1
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1answer
54 views
could we use the verb “poke” without an agent who caused it?
poke [intransitive, transitive] to quickly push your finger or some other pointed object into something or someone
poke somebody/something with something
Andy poked the fish with his finger ...
1
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1answer
666 views
why we need dummy subjects and it's usage?
There is a book on the table -- existential clause
A book is on the table -- basic version
A book is there -- (there= on the table, adverb of place)
An existential clause is a clause that refers to ...
1
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1answer
122 views
Is the usage of “Adequate” right in this context?
I checked Cambridge dictionary and it defined 'adequate' as "Enough or satisfactory for a particular purpose". I want to use the word as a synonym for 'enough'. So, is it right in this context:
"...
1
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1answer
158 views
Acknowledge, show, let on Vs. demonstrate
Imagine two people are talking about something privately and someone else just passes through the way they are staying and unwantedly, hears an important issue from among their' words, but does not ...
1
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1answer
198 views
Can the adjective “ripe” be used with fields? As an attributive or a predicative adjective?
Is it correct to say in a poem or a rap song, "the fields are ripe the wheat is white" Thanks very much.
1
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1answer
33 views
Can a verb “secure” be used in this context?
Can "Secure your iphones" be used in the context that iphone stocks are running low at a market and one ought to purchase it as quickly as possible?
In Christmas, can a dad say a sentence like "I ...
1
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1answer
100 views
the usage of “as”
My first job after college was as a teacher in Cotulla, Texas, in a
small Mexican-American school.
(My first job after college was a job as a teacher in Cotulla.)
His main scientific ...
0
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1answer
17 views
In the phrase..“at the request of” .. why do we use 'at'?
In the phrase.."at the request of" .. why do we use 'at'? I understand it refers to someone specific making a request...but I would like to know why we use "at".
0
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0answers
28 views
Are they similar, “Their mom is getting them excited with the gifts” and “The gifts are making them excited”?
It seems that not many people know why sometimes we say "get something + adjective" and "make something + adjective".
It seems noone knows general pattern of how to use "get ...
0
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0answers
20 views
Which country is the slang “moola” used?
There is a slang for money called moola. Where do they commonly use it?
I have rarely heard American or British people using this word. And in which situations could we use it?
0
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0answers
26 views
What is the difference between “a clumsy bag” and “a cumbersome bag”?
In the dictionaries:
cumbersome (adj): 2 heavy and difficult to move
a large cumbersome
machine
clumsy (adj): 2 a clumsy object is not easy to use and is often large and heavy
What is the ...
0
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0answers
23 views
humankind and well-off
Are word "humankind" and "well-off" formal or not?
Can I use, for instance, in academic writing so:
Humankind has all possibilities to make all people well-off
And are there any ...
0
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2answers
18 views
enable or activate an option of computer program?
If I want to turn on an option on the settings menu to for example turn the wifi on or on another computer program should I use enable or activated and after it has been turned on should I say that it'...
0
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0answers
17 views
Is “approaches” used perfectly here?
The soldier starts walking toward the mother and her child. The mother protectively steps in front of her child as the soldier approaches.
Is my use of "approaches" perfectly natural here?
0
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0answers
19 views
a restaurant [at/on/in] the [road/street/avenue]
I want to describe the location of the restaurant which I will go with my friends.
a restaurant [at/on/in] the [road/street/avenue]
Which one is correct?
Is there a difference between those sentences?
0
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1answer
11 views
Is the usage of 'per' in the following sentence correct?
Per research collected by Northern Illinois University, lifelong bilingualism can deter the effects of natural aging. (source)
I read this in a blog and was confused by the usage of "per" ...
0
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0answers
16 views
What's the difference between: How long , How long+for and "For+how long
What's the difference between:
1 "How long have you played this game"
2 "How long have you played this game for"
3 "For how long have you played this game"
0
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0answers
22 views
Is there any difference among the words “incensed”, “irate”, “infuriated”?
I've seen those words "incensed", "irate", "infuriated" in texts. Is there any difference among them? Or are they just interchangeable words?
0
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1answer
19 views
What is different in any day, someday, one day?
I'm wondering about the differences between in any day, someday, one day
Are they perfectly synonymous? OR they have some differences?
