79
votes
Accepted
(In, On or At) GitHub?
Github's own preference seems to be on:
Host and manage your code on GitHub.
I can't think of a specific rule for it, but on feels right to me. In English, we generally seem to use on for things ...
- 40.8k
73
votes
Is it grammatical to say "according to the law" instead of "according the law"?
In the usual context of these words, as others have pointed out, one invariably says 'according to the law'.
However, you can use 'according the law', just not in the context you're referring to. To ...
- 6,146
68
votes
Accepted
Is it grammatical to say "according to the law" instead of "according the law"?
When an average person hears the words according and law, the first thing that probably comes to their mind is the expression according to the law. So, no, according the law is incorrect. You should ...
- 37.5k
61
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between making something “in ten minutes” or “for ten minutes"?
If you do something in a certain period of time, it implies that you have completed the task. The fish and chips are cooked and ready to eat after ten minutes.
Doing something for a certain time just ...
- 49.6k
53
votes
Accepted
Is it correct to say you are talking “to Skype”?
I would say talking on Skype.
"Talking to Skype" means that you are talking to Skype the company.
- 73.7k
47
votes
Why "years to life" instead of "years of life"?
Because it isn’t “years of [her] life,” describing where the years are coming from—that’s implicit.
Instead, it’s a range: from a minimum of 14 years, to a maximum of “life,” that is, until the ...
- 4,964
43
votes
Accepted
Do we say "it is on the news" in both American and British English?
The explanation you got is technically correct, but misses the main difference between the two.
If something is "on the news", it means news shows (usually TV or radio) have mentioned or ...
- 48.9k
42
votes
Accepted
“Jump out the car” Vs. “jump off the car”?
jump out of means to leap from a place which is understood to be (or to belong to) an enclosure of some kind.
He jumped out of the wagon.
He jumped out of the car.
He jumped out of the ...
- 121k
42
votes
Accepted
What sense does "I approve of this message" make?
To approve of [something] is a prepositional verb which means: to speak or think favourably of something, or to have a good opinion of something.
To approve [something] means: to officially agree to/...
- 3,672
40
votes
Accepted
Why usually is the word "halfway" used with "down" rather than "up"?
Why usually is the word “halfway” used with “down” rather than “up”?
I doubted that. I can't imagine that there is some kind of rule to use down rather than up. It's possible, but I didn't see one. I ...
- 45.4k
40
votes
You can contact me on/over/by Skype
Technically you can use quite a variety of prepositions with the word Skype. For instance on, in, over, by, with, through, and via.
But most people prefer "on Skype" as it is similar to "on the phone"...
- 24.9k
39
votes
Accepted
'Back in 2000' vs 'In 2000'
You would say "back in XXXX" to emphasize that it happened some time in the past. Otherwise there is no difference in meaning.
I graduated high school in 1984
I graduated high school back in ...
- 88.1k
39
votes
Is it acceptable to omit "about" in this sentence? "I love everything (about) math."
The form "Everything + noun" is a recognized form, often used in the context of marketing, meaning everything that has a connection to whatever the noun is. A shop might advertise itself as ...
- 727
38
votes
Accepted
Do "once a year" and "once in a year" mean the same thing?
There is a slight, but meaningful, difference.
"Once a [time period]" implies frequency observed over a range of time greater than [time period]. "Once in a [time period]" implies an observed ...
- 531
38
votes
Accepted
Cut the price "by" or "to" or "in" half?
All of those prepositions could be correct in this context, but it's worth knowing what they all mean so you can use them correctly in different situations.
To cut something by an amount means that ...
- 48.9k
37
votes
Accepted
Is the word "like" a preposition or verb in "You made me like this."
Without context (or the pronunciation pattern), it's hard to tell. The sentence is ambiguous - it can very well be both.
"You made me like this." with "like" as a verb would mean "You forced me/...
- 9,467
37
votes
"In" vs. "Since" in "She has graduated in/since 1990"
Neither you nor your teacher are correct, as neither "in" nor "since" would be grammatical (at least not without a lot of background information).
The problem is with the present perfect has ...
- 88.1k
37
votes
"The books arrived TO you" or "The books arrived AT you"?
The verb arrive means to reach a place at the end of a journey. Since it focuses on the end of the motion, not the whole motion from beginning to end, it doesn't work with "to [a destination]&...
- 27.5k
34
votes
'I wish to speak WITH a British accent' or 'I wish to speak IN a British accent' - is there a difference?
@Maulik is quite right that for OP's exact context, both prepositions are acceptable (though outside of "Indian English", with an [X] accent is far more common. But having said that, consider...
1: ...
- 68.9k
34
votes
Stubbed my toe... which preposition?
by is used to show the person or thing that does something. You can't really use by with a table in this sentence, because it's you that's doing something (kicking the table). You could use by about a ...
- 59.1k
33
votes
Accepted
Why is "of" dropped in 'as X (of) a something'?
Of is not 'deleted' in the second sentence; it is improperly intruded into the first.
This intrusive of has been common in colloquial English at least since I was a child in the 1950s, but it is not ...
- 175k
33
votes
Why is it "you lied TO me" and not "you lied me"
Those are the rules. The rules are not always logical.
English has some verbs that have an object. And some verbs that do not.
The verb "lie" is similar to verbs like "talk". ...
- 204k
32
votes
Is it correct to say "turn the air conditioner up/down" when we want the air conditioner to make the room cooler/less cool?
I would argue that the usage is unclear, and is best avoided.
I have a pet peeve with my refrigerator because of this ambiguity. On many refrigerators, you can control the temperature, perhaps with a ...
- 10.6k
32
votes
Understanding "of" use in "all I could think of was"
In this case, of is a part of a larger phrasal verb--in this case, 'to think of.' To think of something is to be reminded of it, to consider it, or to make an opinion about it. It is almost a synonym ...
- 2,106
31
votes
By the year 1582 vs in 1582
"In 1582" means that the event happened in 1582, plain and simple.
"By the year 1582" means the event happened sometime during or before the year 1582. (This would be the more apt wording if we ...
J.R.♦
- 109k
30
votes
Accepted
Hit By or With a plastic Bottle
Traditionally, by indicated an agent, the doer of the action, and with indicated the instrument used by the agent.
However, there's a large grey area between the two.
If a fan hit Andrew with a ...
- 25.7k
29
votes
Accepted
"You must wear a suit TO an interview" vs "You must wear a suit FOR an interview"
The difference is fairly slight. Some cases you could use either and others one or the other would only work.
To would be used for a location or an event (could imply motion)
For would be for a ...
- 4,485
29
votes
"To death" vs "to the death"
"To the death" is used as an idiom with verbs and nouns meaning "fight"
We shall fight to the death
A battle to the death
We will defend the castle to the death.
It means "until one party is dead" ...
- 204k
29
votes
Accepted
Into his pillow vs. onto his pillow
Onto portrays the pillow as a surface.
Into makes sense if the pillow is fluffy and partially surrounds your head. Assuming an ordinary-sized pillow, "He sank into the pillow" is another way ...
- 4,284
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