58 votes
Accepted

Why is it "crouching tiger hidden dragon" but not "crouching tiger hiding dragon"?

Something that is hiding is taking some deliberate action to hide. Something that is hidden is just not in view (literally or figuratively), possibly due to outside factors. The book/film title ...
TypeIA's user avatar
  • 12.2k
46 votes

Is "molten" the past participle of "melt"?

Molten was formerly a past participle of melt: (the OED says "Middle English– molten (now archaic)". In modern use it is only an adjective.
Colin Fine's user avatar
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30 votes
Accepted

Is "molten" the past participle of "melt"?

'Molten' is not the past participle of 'melt' in modern English, although that may be the etymology of the word. It now describes a state of matter, namely that it has been heated to very high ...
Astralbee's user avatar
  • 96k
23 votes

In the sentence "The table was set for lunch" is "set" a verb or an adjective?

As is, there is not enough information to be able to tell, definitively. i.e. The answer depends on the context in which the sentence appears. If, for example, it were to be preceded by "I looked ...
Richard's user avatar
  • 516
17 votes

Perfect fit for a grammatical error

3 and 4 are both grammatically correct, though 4 is clearly the most natural, so it is the correct answer according to the wording of the question, "the most appropriate option". 4 is ...
gotube's user avatar
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16 votes

Why was 'Having seen that it is about to rain...' not the correct answer?

had better I suspect that you were caught out by the word “had”. After all, “had” is the past tense of “to have” (“I had a dog”), and it’s also used as a helper to signify the past perfect (“I had ...
KrisW's user avatar
  • 788
15 votes
Accepted

Words to describe the situation in which my diary book has a few fresh pages left

Instead of "fresh pages" you should use "blank pages". Then you could write: My diary (book) only has a few blank pages left. I will need to start a new one soon. or My diary (book) is almost ...
user3169's user avatar
  • 31.1k
15 votes
Accepted

The ambiguous "he is buried"

There is no ambiguity. In a present-tense narrative, it could be passive "He marries, he dies, he is buried" but in any other context, it is adjectival. He is buried is a copular sentence, where ...
Colin Fine's user avatar
  • 73.7k
11 votes
Accepted

Grammaticality of "a list is added an Item"?

No, it's not right. The verb add does not take an indirect object the way give does. You can give a person a present. You cannot add ✳a list an item. That's because give is a ditransitive verb (one ...
tchrist's user avatar
  • 8,128
9 votes

In the sentence "The table was set for lunch" is "set" a verb or an adjective?

A verb, a past participle and a passive construction seem to be a reasonable analysis. As a participle, we could ask for the active form and would get "Someone set the table for lunch." ...
James K's user avatar
  • 202k
7 votes
Accepted

'Close group' Vs 'Closed group'

The "closed" in closed group does not mean "intimate". It means "not public". It's opposite to the "open" in "open forum", a forum where everybody can ...
Helix Quar's user avatar
  • 1,810
7 votes

Words to describe the situation in which my diary book has a few fresh pages left

Correcting what you were trying to say in your question, I would say: My diary is almost used up. But these sound slightly clearer: My diary is almost full. My diary is almost finished
Numeri's user avatar
  • 172
7 votes

How should I make a (double-)negative sentence using "could have + past participle"?

1: I could have not answered this question, but... Both OP's example and mine are completely grammatical, but it's worth pointing out that even native speakers (especially when not paying close ...
FumbleFingers's user avatar
7 votes
Accepted

'miss call' or 'missed call' when it is 'yet to be missed!'

The common term is missed call Since the type of call is intentionally not to be answered (usually the caller will hang up after a ring of two) and it will show up as "missed" on the recipients ...
Peter's user avatar
  • 66.1k
7 votes

Why is it "crouching tiger hidden dragon" but not "crouching tiger hiding dragon"?

Yeah, basically, what TypelA said in their answer. But then there is also the issue of grammar, I think. In "crouching tiger hidden dragon", both "crouching" and "hidden" ...
AIQ's user avatar
  • 9,984
7 votes

In the sentence "The table was set for lunch" is "set" a verb or an adjective?

Let's set the table for dinner. [i.e. put out forks, knives, spoons, glasses, plates, etc.] [A Mother says] I usually set the table for dinner but sometimes my kids do. It is set by them. [To father;] ...
Lambie's user avatar
  • 41.2k
7 votes

Is "molten" the past participle of "melt"?

Normally, only viscous liquids with a very high melting-point are molten, especially when something that’s normally very solid gets so hot that it changes and becomes hazardous, like molten rock, ...
Davislor's user avatar
  • 8,393
7 votes

"I don't want to get bit by mosquitoes"-Is that correct?

In standard English, the "past participle" is "bitten" not "bit" (like "forgotten" as opposed to "forgot". "Bit" in this sense is archaic (...
Colin Fine's user avatar
  • 73.7k
7 votes

"I don't want to get bit by mosquitoes"-Is that correct?

Language all depends on context. Also known as the register. The register could be formal or informal. So your answer could be perfectly correct depending on context. So, in the North of England, for ...
Dan Leighton's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

How should I make a (double-)negative sentence using "could have + past participle"?

Consider this potentially tricky dialogue: “I went to the picnic yesterday.” “You didn’t! How could you have done that? You really shouldn’t’ve!” “What do you mean by shouldn’t’ve?” “I mean you ...
tchrist's user avatar
  • 8,128
6 votes

'Close group' Vs 'Closed group'

In Facebook, a "closed group" is a group that is closed to members who are not specifically allowed in by a group administrator. See this explanation from the Facebook help pages. The term is a bit ...
BobRodes's user avatar
  • 14.9k
6 votes

what does it mean by "used to" in the context below?

This is easy to understand when explained simply: to be used to + verb with ing (gerund: living): We are used to living = We are accustomed to living VERSUS Subject + used to + verb without ing (...
Lambie's user avatar
  • 41.2k
6 votes
Accepted

I was chose or I was chosen?

I was chosen is correct. The passive voice always takes the past participle form of the verb, not the simple past. So, I chose, I was chosen. With most verbs (all the regular ones, and many of the ...
BobRodes's user avatar
  • 14.9k
6 votes

Why is it "crouching tiger hidden dragon" but not "crouching tiger hiding dragon"?

The reason it is not "Crouched Tiger Hidden Dragon" is already included in TypeIA's answer. Unlike the dragon, the tiger is taking a deliberate action to crouch. There is a tiger that is ...
Mark Foskey's user avatar
  • 3,103
5 votes

'Something is arrived' - is this use of a participle as an adjective acceptable?

BE arriving is grammatical: the progressive construction. BE arrived was at one time grammatical. Through Early Modern English, most verbs of motion (come, go, arrive, depart, move, and so forth) ...
StoneyB on hiatus's user avatar
5 votes

A confusing sentence with Past participle

SUPPLEMENTAL BACKGROUND: The answers by Rathony and avid19 are excellent explanations of how you should understand this. I'd just like to add an explanation of why we use given this way. Given is ...
StoneyB on hiatus's user avatar
5 votes

Beauty risen or beauty rose- which one is correct?

Beauty risen from the darker side of the moon is a sentence fragment, but sentence fragments are common in poetry, so if it's what you really want, it's fine. An online grammar checker is generally ...
phoog's user avatar
  • 1,768
5 votes
Accepted

Past participle vs being+past participle

tl;dr The two participle clauses you cite are in the passive voice, and being puts them in the present continuous tense. They are continuous passive participle clauses. Compare: Continuous ...
P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica's user avatar

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