Unanswered Questions
4,982 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
5
votes
2answers
99 views
ambiguity?: to infinitive phrase as a purpose clause or an infinitival relative clause
I think the grammar of To-infinitive is the most difficult part of learning English because it is hard for me like ESL students to know which is which.
I mean, I'm, well, just wanting to classify the ...
4
votes
1answer
103 views
Have a good command of something – is “command” countable or uncountable?
I am confused, the following examples are from the Oxford dictionary, all from the same entry (2). Why in some cases it is "a command" and in some it is treated as uncountable?
‘he had a brilliant ...
4
votes
2answers
106 views
I had a bullet going through my arm x I had a bullet go through my arm
I already know the main use of have when it's is used as a command:
I had the security kick him out.
I also know its use in sentences of cause, for example:
His jokes were so funny that they ...
4
votes
3answers
156 views
Usage of Have got
Can I use "have got" like those?
For examples:
My mother wants to have got a child (or) My mother wants to have a child.
He may/might/could/can/should (modal verbs) have got a car (or) he (modal ...
4
votes
3answers
124 views
Past perfect continuous for a non continuous action
http://www.eltbase.com/get_quiz.php?id=22
Level 3 - Narrative tenses quiz : a creepy story
So who...or what...______________ around upstairs?
The options are: 1) had walked 2) walked 3) had been ...
4
votes
2answers
125 views
More… Every or Every… More
What expression is more natural for native speakers?
I'm tired, more every day.
Or
I'm tired, every day more.
4
votes
1answer
309 views
What is the pronunciation of “Will you” in fast/connected speech?
I usually pronounce "will you" as "/wɪ/ + /lju:/", but seems that people have some troubles understanding me (at least here in the UK). Is my pronunciation wrong? That's the way we usually make the ...
4
votes
2answers
135 views
Ask a big ______ of you: question or favor?
In my textbook, there is a question like this,
Fill in the blank:
I’ve come to ask a big _________ of you.
and the answer is “favor”.
Is it wrong to put “question” in the blank? If so, why ...
4
votes
4answers
538 views
What is the difference between “benefited” and “was benefited”?
What is the different between (The company was benefited from xxx) & (The company benefited from xxx) and which is better?
4
votes
3answers
210 views
How to use “not so much [x] as [y]”
I wrote the following sentences:
He drives not so much quickly as recklessly.
He does not drive so much quickly as recklessly.
He does not drive quickly so much as recklessly.
Which one ...
4
votes
2answers
388 views
Use of Past Perfect Tense and Simple Past
Yesterday I called my doctor but could not get his appointment. Hence Today I again tried for his appointment.
I started our conversation with receptionist as follows.
Yesterday, I had called for ...
3
votes
2answers
32 views
“Why not do it” vs “why not to do it”
The following sentence came up and started a discussion between me and a friend over the grammar and the use of the word to:
Now that the weather is frightful, why not (to) spend the time indoors ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
why can we say “faster than necessary” but not “closer than safe”
These crazy motorists were driving faster than necessary. grammatical
And these a-holes were tailgating, getting much closer than safe, risking our lives. ungrammatical
Why is "closer than safe" ...
3
votes
2answers
66 views
“I am planning a trip for January” vs.“I am planning a trip in January”
I will be traveling next year and I am curious as to which of the following sentences is correct:
A: "I am planning a trip for January"
B: "I am planning a trip in January"
I have been ...
3
votes
1answer
29 views
“twice the height of” is it a noun or an adjective?
[A] Which is correct?
Tower A is twice the height of tower B.
Tower A has twice the height of tower B.
Is the phrase "the height of" used as a noun (height) or as an adjective (high)?
...
