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This tag is for questions which a dictionary cannot answer about the several possibilities available for a particular meaning, and which one of them would be the most appropriate.
19
votes
Accepted
Should I use "could" or "would" in the following case?
...wouldn't/couldn't have guessed...
Using "wouldn't have guessed" gives the meaning that it would be unexpected (an improbability) for him to guess that he would win the lottery.
Using "couldn't ha …
6
votes
What's the difference between "hang out" and "play"?
I haven't seen the film (or read the books), but based on your description of the scene, I would say that the other kids mock the "wide boy" for using play because it has more of a childish connotatio …
33
votes
Accepted
in order for I to do something -- "for I"? why not "for me"?
This is a mistake, perhaps the result of hypercorrection on the part of the writer.
As the object of the preposition for, the pronoun I should actually be me.
A grammatically correct version of the …
7
votes
How does a native speaker choose one word over its synonym(s)?
An in-depth answer to this question could probably fill a book; I'm just going to scratch the surface.
As native speakers (of any language, certainly not just English) learn their language, they form …