Friday, April 23, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Meaning of "as one would in a democracy"

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 09:44 AM PDT

When I was reading the following sentence, I stuck and could not understand the meaning of the sentence:

As one would in a democracy, one looks to the requirements of all beings.

Is there any case that "would" becomes the main verb, not a modal verb? May I ask you to explain what the above sentence means?

Is there an idiom for when two things are the same, like tomayto-tomahto, that works well in written form?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 09:21 AM PDT

"Tomayto-tomahto" /təˈmeɪ.t̬oʊ - təˈmɑː.təʊ/ is a spoken idiom playing on the different US and UK pronuncation of the word "tomato", used to express when two seemingly different descriptions in fact refer to the same thing.

I'm looking for an idiom for this case that works well in writing too, instead of relying on pronunciation. As the cited idiom inherently works only in spoken language, written versions of it feel somewhat dull and far-fetched. How to write it down was already discussed in two questions, here in Correct, clear, concise way to use "potato-potato" in writing, and on ELL in Expressing potayto-potahto, tomayto-tomahto correctly in writing, but these ask how to represent this exact idiom in writing, not for an alternative.

So, is there any?

"of the opinion" vs "at the opinion"

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:24 AM PDT

Can the sentence 'at the opinion' be used anywhere? I know that 'of the opinion' is heavily used. I remember someone saying the first is correct, but I could not find anything on the internet.

Strict Style Guides

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:03 AM PDT

In earlier times, writers did not always use the most concise or active language, nor did they always write short sentences. Today, style guides discourage these freedoms in potential literature, urging writers to follow strict rules.

What changed in society for this to happen?

If this question is not allowed, then do you believe we should always follow these style guides?

Why is a county in China called a prefecture in Japan, but a prefecture in China is at a higher level then a county? [closed]

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 07:32 AM PDT

The administration division called 县 in Chinese is translated to "county" in China, but translated to "prefecture" in Japan. However, the word "prefecture" is also used in China for the administration division a level higher called 地. This is confusing and why do the Japanese use such a bizarre term?

Difference between "besides", "apart from" and "except for". Prepositions vs adverbials

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 07:24 AM PDT

I am studying discourse markers and ended up checking online (in crownacademyenglish) about the difference between these expressions.

Firstly, this website affirms that they are prepositions, which I disagree with. They can also be adverbials. Secondly, I am not sure I agree with the difference in meaning it suggests. I would like you to confirm my doubts with examples, if possible. Also, to show if, in fact, it is their word type that could produce such a difference in meaning in some contexts.

The text states that besides adds something to the clause. It means "plus". Except (of) means minus; it has a meaning of excluding something. Apart from is a combination of the two, meaning plus / minus depending on the context.

So, basically what I'm hearing is that a sentence like

  • Next week, I'll be in London every day besides Monday

is incorrect. Is this so?

Perhaps I am wrongly influenced by their equivalent expressions in Spanish, but to me, they mean basically the same.

To add something to the post, this is the definition of besides in an online dictionary:

As an adverb:

  • Meaning moreover; furthermore; also: "Besides, I promised her we would come."
  • Meaning in addition: "There are three elm trees and two maples besides".
  • Meaning otherwise; else: "They had a roof over their heads but not much besides."

As a preposition:

  • Meaning over and above; in addition to: "Besides a mother he has a sister to support."
  • Meaning other than; except: "There's no one here besides Bill and me."

Is there something I am not grasping? Thanks.

Stating the name of a character

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 06:44 AM PDT

"The main character is a brave army colonel named John Mackenzie"

"The main character is brave army colonel John Mackenzie"

I am struggling to find any better ways to state the name of a character. Are these two variants correct, and is there any difference between them?

As much as I am

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 06:39 AM PDT

Is it grammatically correct to write a sentence like this: I enjoy spending my time with people who are as much sarcastic as I am.

Or the "much" should be omitted?

Thanks

type1 and type2 superparasitism generate or generates?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 06:30 AM PDT

guys

I am having a big problem here. I have this sentence: "Self- and conspecific superparasitism GENERATE/GENERATES similar offspring survival rates."

*superparasitism is an uncountable noun, but I want to focus on the different types of superparasitism; thus, can I consider "Self- and conspecific superparasitism" as a plural subject? My preferred option is "Self- and conspecific superparasitism generate similar offspring survival rates", but is it grammatically correct?

What is the correct way to phrase this sentence?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 05:57 AM PDT

(1) In the first chapter of Born a Crime, author Trevor Noah explores an incredulous childhood anecdote that reveals how race and religion play a ubiquitous role in his life.

(2) In the first chapter of Born a Crime, author Trevor Noah explores an incredulous childhood anecdote, revealing how race and religion play a ubiquitous role in his life.

(3) In the first chapter of Born a Crime, author Trevor Noah explores an incredulous childhood anecdote, and reveals how race and religion play a ubiquitous role in his life.

^I'm trying to keep the words "ubiquitous" and "incredulous" in there--it's part of the assignment. Also, I can't have any comma splices or fractured sentences, so I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly.

mischevous misnomer

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 04:38 AM PDT

What is the literary device used to describe what is happening here:

A The drug was produced by British firm Astra-Zeneca (when things were going well)

B The drug was produced by British-Swedish firm Astra-Zeneca (when things were a little tricky)

What literary device is this & what is it called?

is it "mischevous misnomer" or something else?

Is this the correct way to form this sentence?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 07:55 AM PDT

I'm not sure how to construct this sentence:

"Imagine buying a house, information about which has been withheld."

or

"Imagine buying a house about which information has been been withheld."

Is it clear that I'm saying the information has been withheld rather than the house? Are these sentences grammatically correct?

Could some please explain what's going on here grammatically?

I am a Buddhist Monk, I am studying English. Can anyone help me check for my assignment, please [closed]

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 04:10 AM PDT

A Poor Old Man returned 1 Billion VND

VINH PHUC: On April 15, the police of Vinh Phuc province said that a poor old farmer in the commune found a bag with 1 Billion VND (45.000$) in it. He asked a police officer for help and returned all the money to who lost it. On the afternoon of April 15, the 70-year-old man reported to Vinh Phuc commune police about picking up a bag on the road. During the verification process, Vinh Phuc Commune Police received information about the loss of property from a 47-year-old woman from the same province during the transportation of goods on the road. Inside the handbag were one billion VND, an iPhone, and many other identification papers. The 70-year-old man is the local farmer. Although He has a difficult life, when he had picked up the valuable money, he did not greedily take it for his own but tried to return it to the person who had lost it. When the woman received her lost property, she could not hide her happiness. "I really don't think I can find my bag, it is all I have," she said. Then, as thanks, she gave a small portion of the money to help her benefactor. The action of the poor farmer was rewarded. And the president also informed journalists to report this news. They believed that it would inspire everyone to study and imitate the old man.

How you say to take notes/information in this context?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 02:12 AM PDT

The idea is that take notes means to store info about something, so is this context correct?

I placed an order, but they didn't note well my info.

When you are taking somebody's info, how do you say it? You write it down? You note it? You take notes?

Sorry, I'm Spanish and in Spain you say "apuntar". Ellos apuntaron mal mis datos. But I don't know how to say it in English.

How could you say that in the next phrase?

I placed an order last friday and it has not arrived yet. They may not have noted it well

Why are "mobile" and "automobile" pronounced differently?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 04:41 AM PDT

I just came across the words and then I looked them both up in the dictionary app, which shows the word "mobile" pronounces as /'məʊbaɪl/, whereas the other word-"automobile", which ends with the same spelt "mobile" pronounces as /'ɔːtəməbiːl/? I'm not sure if this "mobile" word pronounces differently as shown in the app or they actually pronounce the same?

What is a word/expression for useless advice?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 09:37 AM PDT

In Czech there is an expression "hraběcí rada". It refers to meaningless/useless advice - something which is factually true but cannot be meaningfully applied by the recipient of said advice. The best example would be the phrase "Let them eat cake". Another example given in the Czech thesaurus is:

A: Man these loans are killing me. I can barely keep up the payments on time. What should I do?
B: Well if you didn't get a loan in the first place, you wouldn't be in this situation today...
A: Please stop with your <expression I'm looking for>

Is there an equivalent expression in English?

What does HMU budget mean?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 07:03 AM PDT

I asked for an interview and received this response:

I will be check her schedule, but wanted to see if there might be a HMU budget for her?

English isn't my first language. What exactly does HMU budget mean here? Are they asking if we pay her for this interview?

Do I need to put comma if I use "here" in the middle of a sentence?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 07:09 AM PDT

Imagine, there is a sentence such as:

The chair here can not be used.

From this question, I get to know that this is a perfectly structured sentence. But should I use a comma before & after the word "here" for formal English? Or is it good to go?

What is the origin of the phrases "stairway to heaven" and "highway to hell"?

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:33 AM PDT

Where did these two phrases come from? Why stairway and highway?

My own research didn't turn up results on Google that traced the origins of the phrases. I can only speculate (as stated in the comments) that the "stairway to heaven" phrase may derive from Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28 of the Bible, and that "highway to hell" may have just meant "the main road to hell" more than a century ago. Wikipedia says that highway once may have meant "the main road", as modern highway systems, that differ from ancient roads, are 20th century constructions; and I can find the phrase "highway to hell" as far back as the 1600s.

Word for "evaluating only the necessary components"

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 10:02 AM PDT

I am looking for a noun whose definition resembles "evaluating only the necessary components".

This is for our research, Chapter 3 under Ethical Considerations. The first two on the list are Beneficence, and Confidentiality.

I am looking for a single word (as much as possible) to parallel the first two on the list.

reference - demonstrative determiner

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:09 AM PDT

I bought a pen and a pencil yesterday. What is surprising is this is more expensive than that.

In this sentence, I am not sure what "this" and "that" are referring to. I first thought that "this" refers to "pencil" and "that" refers to any pen that is distant from the speaker.

How can I infer what 'this' and 'that' represent here? Can the represented element of both be inferred from what precedes, ie "a pen and pencil"?

Is it okay to use 'to name a few' with a colon

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 03:07 AM PDT

Is the following sentence correct?

The list had a variety of foodstuffs: oranges, apples, bananas and sardines to name a few.

Is it okay to use the phrase 'to name a few' with a colon, and also do I need to put a comma before 'to name a few'?

Correct pronunciation of figure

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:27 AM PDT

I'm American, from the Midwest in particular and I always pronunced the word figure as ˈfi-gər. I rarely have gotten any comments on that, though I have gotten comments on a similarity to a Canadian accent, such as a relaxed about along with process with a long o, (but that's for another time). It wasn't until recently that some friends of mine started commenting on the way I say it. I haven't done too much research, so is my pronunciation technically incorrect?

Name Pronunciation with Apostrophes

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 08:45 AM PDT

I was trying to understand how to properly pronounce certain names. My teaching has said words and names with apostrophes require a separation for a missing letter, like O'Malley would be pronounced like "oh"+"mally". Or a name like D'Andre would be "deh"+"andray". Basically an apostrophe is substituted for a vowel.

My question is when you run into names where the vowel is present, do you double pronounce the vowel, or another presumed vowel.

Example: De'Andre Is this pronounced "day"+"eh"+"andray"

Another: La'Quanda Is the apostrophe for another a or e, such as "Lah"+"ah"+"kwanduh" or "Lah"+"e"+"kwanduh"?

Is there a missing consonant? Reading these names make it difficult to understand how they're supposed to be pronounced.

All had taken or had all taken [closed]

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 05:08 AM PDT

The players all had taken a card

The players had all taken a card

Please can you explain the meaning of above sentences and why changing the position of "all"? These sentences, I have taken from Rodney huddlestion's, Cambridge university book, page - 102 verb chapter 3

Generic term for 'row' and 'column' [closed]

Posted: 23 Apr 2021 05:03 AM PDT

Is there a single, more generic term that can be used to describe both a row and a column?

In English, we can refer to a line as being horizontal or vertical, but unless we say 'a line of something', that implies a one-dimensional line—it doesn't communicate a row or a column of things. So what could we say instead…? A horizontal or vertical _______?
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