Thursday, April 8, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

"Steve has won the first prize in the wall painting competition" Change the voice

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:22 AM PDT

The title says it all. This question had come up in my exam and I wrote the answer as follows

"The first prize in the wall painting competition has been won by Steve**"

But the teacher though, says that its "The first prize has been won by Steve in the wall painting competition" (I feel it doesn't sound right)

I am confused now, though I was confident of the answer. Please help me. Thanks

Is the use of 'takes' and 'came back' in this sentence correct?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:06 AM PDT

"It takes an old friend who came back after 5 years studying in England to get her out of her shell"

context: the 'her' here never went out anywhere. it is only now when her friend is returning after years of studying abroad did she finally come out of her residence.

Is the use of 'takes' and 'came back' in this sentence correct? is the above sentence grammatically correct?

Is it simple or compound?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 08:40 AM PDT

Is it simple sentence or compound ?

The old man got up and walked slowly away.

As much as we have learned the compound sentence is composed of two independent clauses.

The basic contents of any clause is to include S + V

I see the sentence above is simple and ( AND ) is used to join the compound verb.

If we divide as bellow it becomes two full sentences.

I know

The old man got up. The old man walked slowly a way.

I see the only way to make compound is as follow:

The old man got up, and he walked slowly away. ( the second clause : it has S + V )

Anyway, it looks better on its first version.

Is it "in jargon" or "on jargon"?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 08:51 AM PDT

I am choosing which preposition to use before jargon – "in jargon" or "on jargon"? I know that it's usually "in %language%": "in english", "in hawaiian", "in mexican", but google translator gives "on" for jargon and "in" for %language% jargon ("in nigerian jargon"). Google shows about 300 000 results for both "in jargon" and "on jargon" search requests within quotes.

The full phrase I wish to write is: However, this is not enough ("not sufficient", in/on?? jargon of math books).

Correct way to say apply powder on skin of child

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 07:22 AM PDT

What is the proper way to say I'm applying talcum powder on my child's body? I always wonder whether 'applying powder' is correct in this sense.

Seeking a word with specific connotations of excessive, unashamed hypocrisy

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 07:15 AM PDT

There is a word, which I'm sure exists, but which has eluded me for the best part of a year; it's driven me so mad as to finally buckle and write this question in the hopes of drawing it out to the surface at last.

I'd tentatively define it as follows,

Of a person's action or comment that is so hypocritical as to be unbelievable* that they'd try to take such a position. *(The word itself could be used here to describe the unbelievably hypocritical behaviour)

The idiom, "That's rich (...coming from you)", sums up the sentiment, but if normal hypocritical behavior is rich, then the word I'm looking for is the mud-cake rich version of it.

Examples of situations where the word could be used to describe the (insert word) hypocritical nature,

  1. A dubious politician takes a hard stance against a respected senior public servant for allegedly making misleading comments.
  2. A social media influencer, who gains all their wealth from posting selfies to Instagram, has a go at society for its modern revelry in vanity.
  3. A wealthy individual, who pays substantial sums to accountants to maximise what benefits they receive from government initiatives, criticises people with disabilities who receive government welfare.
  4. One person, with extremely partisan political views, has a go at another person for their holding of their own extremely partisan political views.

An example sentence referencing an above scenario would be,

Their behaviour was utterly (insert word).

I've searched through various thesauruses without luck (merriam-webster, wordhippo, Macquarie, ect.). Two words that keep blocking my mind's eye are incredulous and egregious; I believe the word in question likely sounds similar to these, therefore. However, these don't fit as it has to relate specifically to the demonstration of excessive hypocrisy which is unpalatably rich.

Can i use "among" instead of "in"?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 04:28 AM PDT

This extension can run in Chrome, Firefox and the latest Edge.

"Within its vault are more than 4.5 million maps." Preposition and Prepositional Phrase Confusion [closed]

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 03:56 AM PDT

Within its vault are more than 4.5 million maps.

If "within" is a preposition, where is the prepositional phrase?

I'm confused about this because I cannot find the prepositional phrase.

A Barista prepares espresso-based coffee, what's the term term for someone who makes filter-based coffee?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 03:36 AM PDT

It came up in a meeting. It was thought that Barista applied to all coffee, but is defined as someone who prepares espresso-based drinks.

What would you call someone who makes filter coffee?

Compound subject with "is" or "are"

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 04:00 AM PDT

I'm proofreading a text that includes the following passage:

Semiology is defined in A Glossary of Literary Terms as 'the systematic study of signs, as these function in all areas of human existence'. So perhaps this is what all modern literary and artistic study is.

It's the second sentence I'm having trouble with, particularly the phrase, "what all modern literary and artistic study is."

I can't decide whether that sentence should end with "is" or "are". If I were editing, I would just rewrite the sentence, but I don't have the remit to do that as a proofreader.

A compound subject linked with the word "and" would normally take the plural:

"…what all modern literary [study] and artistic study are."

But neither "is" nor "are" sound correct to me.

I'm assuming that it is a compound subject in that it is referring to two types of study (literary study and artistic study) rather than a single subject (study that is, at the same time, both artistic and literary).

Is this a compound subject, as I'm assuming it to be, or a single subject? Or is there a better way to think about this problem?

Does the sentence 'Boy, are my arms tired' mean 'Boy, my arms are tired.'?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:21 AM PDT

I found a meme that says 'I flew in from (wherever) and boy are my arms tired!'. I can understand what's funny about this meme but I can't understand why 'are my arms tired!' is used instead of 'my arms are tired!'. that's not an interrogative sentence, right? why does there have to be an inversion?

can't help + gerund, can't help myself from, can't help but laugh at

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:15 AM PDT

Are all the three following sentences paraphrases of the sentence:

It's impossible for me not to laugh when he starts singing.

  1. I can't help laughing when he starts singing.
  2. I can't help myself from laughing when he starts singing.
  3. I can't help but laugh when he starts singing.

Confused about 'What she likes I like that.'

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 03:11 AM PDT

Let's look at the sentence :

I like what she likes.

This is a correct sentence. Here 'what she likes' acts as object of the verb like and it is a noun clause. So we can consider the above sentence as a single sentence with subject, verb and object.

Now let's have a look at another sentence:

What she likes I like that.

Is this a correct sentence? What type of sentence is this? What type of clauses are there? What are the object and the subject? Can I consider it as one single sentence? I'm totally confused. Please explain it.

phonetics of certain words with "i"

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 01:58 AM PDT

I have from time to time noticed the different pronunciations of some words like civilization and organization where the "i" phonetically sounds like "aay". It is more clear in civilization since the first two "i"s sounds normal and then the third "i" is pronounced completely different. I sadly dont have a concrete example to show up and I'm a non-native. So I'm wondering, is this just an old pronunciation? Something to do with British- or American English? Maybe more narrowly, just something to do with a (old) dialect?

Must sentences that declare truth be declarative syntatically?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 12:19 AM PDT

I'm reading a book about discrete math written by Kenneth H.Rose and in it he states that in mathematical logic,

A proposition is a declarative sentence (that is, a sentence that declares a fact) that is either true or false, but not both [1].

Isn't it redundant to use the word "declarative" here? My reasoning is that any statement in English that is either true or false must syntactically be declarative. I'm feeling anxious though, because I think I'm missing out on some meaning and don't want to misinterpret this statement.

Reference:

[1] K. H. Rosen, "The foundations: Logic and Proofs" in Discrete Mathematics and It's Applications, 7th Ed. : Mcgraw Hill

What tense to use when reading a story to children?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 12:26 AM PDT

I read short stories for children learning English as a second language. I'm a bit confused on what tense I should be using when I read these books to them.

For example, I showed the kids a picture book about a kid who did laundry. In the story, the kid was holding a dirty shirt and said "This shirt is dirty". I need to read the story by describing it in a narrative way.

Would I say:

  1. The kid held a shirt and said "This shirt is dirty"

  2. The kid is holding a shirt and says "This shirt is dirty"

  3. The kid is holding a shirt and said "This shirt is dirty"

Any tips and help would be appreciated, thank you!

All that which Vs All that

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 01:09 AM PDT

I usually find in some examples "all that which" followed by a verb but in other similar examples "all that" (without which) is used instead. So, in which cases should we use the first and in which ones should we use the second? Consider this example:

  • When he travelled away from home, he was separated from all that which is familiar.
  • When he travelled away from home, he was separated from all that is familiar.

I would be grateful if you could tell me what is the difference between the two, which one is correct and why.

Is there a word that means not forcing yourself to say something you don't think of saying? [closed]

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 06:16 AM PDT

Is there a word that means not forcing yourself to say something that you don't mean to say? The word I'm looking for means not talking just to be recognized or gain approval. The word I am looking for also has a positive connotation to it.

Do "sleep in" and "oversleep" mean the same thing? If so, what is hidden after "sleep in?"

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 08:00 AM PDT

Assuming "sleep in" and "oversleep" mean the same thing, it seems there's something missing in "sleep in." What is supposed to follow after "sleep in?"

Difference between the prefixes "pre" and "ante"?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 05:03 AM PDT

Thinking of the words "precedent" and "antecedent" led me to this question. They seem to mean almost exactly the same thing in their more general usages, but "antecedent" seems to imply causation while "precedent" does not. Is there some difference between "pre" and "ante" that I don't understand, or am I just misunderstanding the definitions of "precedent" and "antecedent"?

"go too far" -- suitable for academic writing?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:12 AM PDT

I am revising the following sentence in an academic paper:

The de facto XXX seems to go too far and notably undermine the readability.

where XXX is a named of a new technique.

I feel like "go too far" is a bit verbal. So my question is whether this is suitable for academic writing, and if not, what is the proper way of emending this?

what you call a person living in a safe house

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 07:03 AM PDT

What would you call the person that lives in a safe house, to save them from a much worse situation, say a person seeking freedom, escaping violence. The text I am translating refers to the African Americans who were offered a place in Underground Railroad safe houses during the period of slavery in the US.

I'm looking for a generic word (not the official "freedom seekers" or similar) - something that has to do with them being "protected" (a synonym for "protectee") The sample sentence is:

The comforter on the bed has star and moon patterns... Mother didn't make it herself... it was a gift from one of her poor protectees when we arrived here. It was a gift from Mrs Dillard, as thanks for the help she'd received.

'I came' vs. 'I went'

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 10:08 AM PDT

I was recently speaking to my friend over the phone. She asked about the whereabouts of my other friend, to which I replied "I don't know. I went home already." (Keep in mind that while saying this, I was already at home. After hearing this, my mother proceeded to comment on my incorrect grammar in the above dialogue. I was just wondering if 'I came back home' should be used instead of 'I went back home', and if the latter is grammatically incorrect in my situation. Thank you for answering.

(in)direct question after the copula

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 03:07 AM PDT

I'm wondering which of the following options is correct in writing:

  1. The question is how do we improve our French.
  2. The question is, how do we improve our French?
  3. The question is: How do we improve our French?
  4. The question is how we can improve our French.

Is there a term to say yes to something without being committed to it?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 06:11 AM PDT

I feel that this would be reeeally, really useful. A term that wraps up this sentence nicely would be swell:

'Yes, though as of during now till then if I think of a logically sound reason why  the thing I just agreed to is actually kinda dumb, I would like the option to not   do/attend said thing at any time, without it looking irresponsible'.

Because if there's not a term to describe all that. Then there needs to be.

Do Brits often use 'blag' where Americans use 'chutzpa' (for an extreme degree of impudence, gall)?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 04:56 AM PDT

The word "chutzpa" (pronounced "HOOTS-pah") took root in American English towards the end of the Nineteenth Century. Originally Aramaic (don't hold me to it: I don't know whether Jesus used it; I doubt it: it's a pretty tacky word, if you ask me), it somehow sneaked into Yiddish prior to landing in the States.

It means - well ... An extreme degree of impudence; gall; ballsy obnoxiousness; in-your-face impertinence; aplomb and confidence - all at the same time. A conversation involving chutzpa would go something like this:

"You owe me twenty bucks."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Pay up."
"But I don't even know you."
"Before you married your wife, she and I went out on a date, and she borrowed a twenty from me, and never paid me back."
"I've been married for twenty years."
"So what? Come on, let's not drag this out. Make with the twenty."

You get the gist. Chutzpa is very useful in a con, long or short, and invaluable in big business, or so people who are more familiar with such matters than myself have assured me on numerous occasions.

Some years ago I read an article in a magazine that was back then regarded as reputable by people who subscribed to it (I didn't - I don't believe in reputable magazines). The author of the article compared American and British English, and mentioned, very much in passing, that the Brits said "blag" instead of "chutzpa."

I don't know. Do they? Do you?

Is the split in pronunciation of "detail" regional, semantic, or irrelevant?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 09:49 AM PDT

Or maybe just haphazard? Something else?

When I want to refer to a small military unit put together to carry out a specific task, I'll call it a DEtail, accent on the first syllable.

When I want to refer to a particular portion of a larger whole, I'll call it a deTAIL, emphasis on the second syllable.

In my mind, in other words, there is a semantic difference between the pronunciations. Nevertheless, I have noticed that some speakers of American English tend to stress the first syllable, and some don't. Is there any rhyme or reason to the variation in pronunciation of this word?

How is "deque" commonly pronounced?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 01:48 AM PDT

deque is a standard container in the C++ programming language. Its name stands for Double Ended QUEue. I am wondering how this word should be pronounced:

  • like deck (this is how I've pronounced it so far)
  • like dequeue
  • like Dee-Ee-queue

I realize that this word is not in the dictionaries. I just want to know how most programmers pronounce it. Hope it's on topic.

Who invented "dooblidoo"?

Posted: 08 Apr 2021 01:28 AM PDT

The word dooblidoo is used by several different youtube channels as a different word for the youtube description bar. I've seen it used by the vlogbrothers and by PBS Idea Cahnnel.

Who was first to use and invent the term?

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