Friday, May 14, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Does English have a way of referring to female/male teachers?

Posted: 14 May 2021 10:14 AM PDT

In Swedish, you can say "fröken" to mean "female teacher" (but it also means "Miss"), or "magistern" to refer to "male teacher". There's also "lärare" (neutral/male teacher) and "lärarinna" (female teacher).

In English, is it just "teacher"? You cannot reveal the gender of the teacher in the single word used to refer to them?

Which brand this shirt belongs to? Is that the right structure of this question?

Posted: 14 May 2021 10:14 AM PDT

"Which brand this shirt belongs to?" I don't know lot of grammar in english that's why i need to know is this the right structure of this question?

Why does ou change to o when adding the suffix -ous in ‘humorous’?

Posted: 14 May 2021 09:44 AM PDT

Background

I realised today that humour when made an adjective by adding the suffix -ous, loses its -ou- spelling to -o-. There are some other words which have a change in spelling, such as miracle → miraculous (presumably from Latin influence (mīrāculum), or mischief → mischievous (probably to represent the change from unvoiced to voiced pronunciation between vowels). But there is no change in pronunciation to argue the case for a change in spelling in the word humorous, as noted in the Oxford Dictionary:

humour
Pronunciation /ˈhjuːmə/

humorous
Pronunciation /ˈhjuːm(ə)rəs/

Yes, the schwa is bracketed, but the schwa is a weak vowel in any case, and it is in both cases on an unstressed syllable; one would expect it to (have the option of) be(ing) lost when concatenated with suffixes and/or words. The dictionary further comments that:

Usage
Note that although humor is the American spelling of humour, humorous is not an American form. This word is spelled the same way in both British and American English, and the spelling humourous is regarded as an error

Question

Why isn't the -ou- spelling preserved when adding -ous to humour? Is this in some way a rule in British English when adding specific suffixes? (Talking about spelling rules in English is a challenge, I know.) Are there etymological reasons for this, or perhaps etymological fallacies?

Notes

These questions are tangential:

  1. Root pronunciation change when adding suffix
  2. How come 'ou' was reduced to 'o' in the US?
  3. "ou" versus "o" in spelling words like "color"/"colour"

What is the act of drinking blood called? [closed]

Posted: 14 May 2021 08:53 AM PDT

I am curious as to what the action of drinking blood is called. Its not exactly cannibalism as the person is not eating the entire body (and it also can be blood of another species), and I don't think that 'vampirism' (the actions or practices of a vampire) would fit completely here either.

For instance, is there a word that I can use, such as 'so and so is a ____' or would the best option for me to describe them as is simply just a person who drinks blood?

What does this phrase mean? I especially couldn't understand the second sentence

Posted: 14 May 2021 08:09 AM PDT

It takes two to make things go right. It takes two to make it out of sight.

Is it a correct slogan for my saffron company "It is a criterion for measuring authenticity and quality"? [closed]

Posted: 14 May 2021 07:17 AM PDT

I want to show that my company is a place for measuring authenticity and quality, I would like to know if my slogan is correct or not. Here is my slogan — "It is a criterion for measuring authenticity and quality."

Term for 'going back to fight an old war'?

Posted: 14 May 2021 08:43 AM PDT

Is there any phrase that figuratively yet succinctly captures the meaning of 'going back to do something difficult that has been done in the past yet has never been resolved'?

For example, imagine a never-ending debate over some political issue. The two sides have temporarily decided to put the issue on hold but eventually go back at it again (although there is hardly any hope for resolution).

'Going back to fight an old war' (that I mention in the title) seems to be one way to say this.

'Going back to the old trenches' seems to be another.

But I am wondering whether there is an even simpler and perhaps commonly used way to express this in literature/ writing?

Edit: Clarified that I am looking for a figurative expression and I added an example of a situation that would satisfy the expression.

Use of auxiliary verb again after "and"

Posted: 14 May 2021 10:36 AM PDT

Should we use the auxiliary verb again after and as in the following case or not?

The data has been collected and has been proved to be significant.

or

The data has been collected and proved to be significant.

What is the verb for when someone attempts to appear superior to you?

Posted: 14 May 2021 09:22 AM PDT

For instance, if you bring a cake to your friends for you all to enjoy together (without there being any particular occasion) and the next day one of the friends goes out and gets a much bigger and more expensive cake, what would be a verb for the behaviour driven by such an attitude?

Is it ok to use the article 'the' before the person's name sometimes? [migrated]

Posted: 14 May 2021 05:42 AM PDT

Can we use the article 'the' before the name (Martin) in the below sentence? Generally, we do not use article before the person's name.

"Please provide the Martin's signature."

usage of "will" in this sentence [closed]

Posted: 14 May 2021 04:08 AM PDT

A sell rating is a recommendation to sell a specific stock. This rating means that analysts project the price of a stock will fall below its current level in the short- to mid-term. It also implies that analysts have identified major challenges that exist at a company. (resource:https://www.warriortrading.com/stock-analyst-ratings/#:~:text=A%20sell%20rating%20is%20a,that%20exist%20at%20a%20company.)

I asked because I got confused what the grammatical usage of "will" is used in this sentence.

Word to describe someone who composes artistic writing

Posted: 14 May 2021 06:33 AM PDT

I want to confirm or consider suitable choices for describing some one who writes artistically. The trouble is I'm having trouble finding a word with the right scope:

  • Lyricist - This was my first choice, but after thinking on it, I suppose this word would exclude broader forms of artistic writing like, poetry.
  • Poet - The converse of the preceding problem.
  • Versist - doesn't seem to be a word?
  • writer - Alas, the vanilla "writer" is too broad and includes prose

Was simply hoping to find a "-ist"-type of word to refer to the entire universe of artistic writing, are there any likely suitors?

Word for when someone lies about another person but those lies actually describe them

Posted: 14 May 2021 02:05 AM PDT

I want to know; is there a word to describe a person that lies about somebody, but those lies are actually describing the one lying?

For example, my boyfriend is telling everyone that I am controlling that I want everything my own way, that I don't let him decide and he has to do what I want all the time. In reality he's the controlling one, he's always trying to get his way and doesn't want me to have any opinion of my own. He's telling everyone that I want him attached to my hip when in reality he wants ME attached to his and wants to have the final word.

" Sunday excluded" [closed]

Posted: 14 May 2021 02:30 AM PDT

Buses run every hour, Sunday excluded.

This appears in a dictionary as an example to define the verb" exclude". I doubt about the highlighted part; what structure is it and is it ambiguous?

My confusion focuses on two points below:

  1. Is the highlighted part Absolute Constrution?
  2. Without a context, the sentence seems ambiguous as the highlighted part might refer to three possibilities on Sunday: buses run more frequently or less frequently or no bus runs.

My bad vs. Our bad

Posted: 14 May 2021 01:01 AM PDT

Has anyone one of you heard the phrase in the plural form? I'm about to translate a rap song :D and I don't really want to say 'we're sorry' there. 'My bad' would be a perfect fit, but the thing is this is a group of people whose 'bad' that is. So, is it a thing, 'our bad', and if it's not, maybe you've got some other suggestions?

Definite article and restrictive clause

Posted: 14 May 2021 01:01 AM PDT

To the best of my knowledge, 'the' - definite article - is used with non-restrictive clause. However, I came across a few sentences that indicate otherwise. An example as follows:

  • Did you see the books that I bought yesterday?

I believe the sentence should be written as follows:

  • Did you see the books, which I bought yesterday?

Kindly confirm which amongst the above two sentences is grammatically right.

What does "It's Mandarin for purgatory" mean?

Posted: 14 May 2021 06:16 AM PDT

The phrase is taken from a TV series called "Arrow". In the beginning of the first episode Oliver says: "The name of the island they found me on is Lian Yu. It's Mandarin for purgatory."

I've never seen a sentence like this one and don't even know how to google it.

What is a word for the thing or idea that something personifies?

Posted: 14 May 2021 05:51 AM PDT

For instance, I am writing a paper in which I am arguing that the Ancient Greek mythological Harpies originated as personifications of the Sirocco (dry wind from the Sahara). The Harpies are the personifications of the Sirocco; the Sirocco is the _______ of the Harpies.

The closest I can come up with is the term "signified" from semiotics, but this doesn't really work. I've even tried "counterpart," but ehhhhhh, so unspecific. Anyone have any better ideas?

Thanks!

Is there a term for a child born after the death of its sibling?

Posted: 14 May 2021 05:52 AM PDT

A couple loses their only child and some time later they have another child. Is there a term for that second child? I once heard a parent use a phrase to describe it, but can't remember anymore.

"To comprehend x, it is necessary to understand y." Is this a dangling modifier?

Posted: 14 May 2021 04:05 AM PDT

Because I often think of sentences in the "we must"-form, as in:

"To comprehend x, we must first understand y."

when I write things that demand I do not write "we," I instead often write sentences like this:

"To comprehend x, it is necessary to understand y?"

Is this a dangling modifier? Or is it wrong or ugly in some other way?

Grammar of "all are agreed"?

Posted: 14 May 2021 09:21 AM PDT

The oft-used phrase "all are agreed" doesn't make grammatical sense to me.

It means "all agree" or "all agreed", or even "all are agreeing", with "all" being the subject.

"All are agreed" instead appears to make "all" the object, with some unspoken subject, as might be the case with "all are accredited" or "all are married". So what would be the subject here?

Or is the phrase just an idiosyncratic idiom? And if so, I wonder how it came about?

(Of course, it could mean "all are engaged in being greedy" I suppose :-) )

Verb tense confusion - how to correctly use past perfect in a past tense narrative

Posted: 14 May 2021 02:07 AM PDT

Okay, scenario: In a novel set in narrative past tense, there's a sentence, "We had become friends when nobody had liked him and it had seemed no one ever would." Is the past perfect being used correctly? Is "when" perhaps too ambiguous and unhelpful?

To my mind, there are three different times here: 1. the "now"; 2. the moment the boy and girl became friends; 3. the time when the boy had no friends. Put like that, the solution seems simple--use past perfect for the time when the boy had no friends because it occurred before the moment he and the girl became friends. E.g. "We became friends when nobody had liked him and it had seemed no one ever would."

However, because the novel is already set in past tense, I'm afraid using past simple for the moment they became friends, which is in the novel's past, would get confused with the "now," which is also written in past simple. So is it more appropriate to use past perfect for both past events, even though they didn't occur at the same time?

In that case, are all three hads necessary, or can it be used with only the initial verb (became) then understood to also apply to the two others (liked, seemed)? E.g. "We had become friends when nobody liked him and it seemed no one ever would." I swear I see that in novels all the time, but I can't find any sources to confirm it's a thing. Maybe that's a misconception on my part. Or maybe it's just super common to misuse past perfect.

Help :(

"Does X resonate with you?" or "Do you resonate with X?"

Posted: 14 May 2021 10:06 AM PDT

I'm writing up an assessment and I was wondering if I was using the idiom "resonate with" correctly. Do both of these make sense?

Select the option that resonates with you the most.

Which of the following options do you resonate with the most?

not to infinitive

Posted: 14 May 2021 07:03 AM PDT

This following is from the book The pig that wants to be eaten by Julian Baggini. But I feel that one sentence is awkward. So I think "not" should be left out. What do you think about that?

Alongside this duty to make good our promises, though, there must also surely be a concomitant right to change our minds as our circumstances and beliefs change. Many people, for example, say things that begin 'shoot me if I ever …', especially when young. And although it is often just a figure of speech, it is frequently said with the utmost sincerity, and often by people who are of the age of majority and so considered adults capable of making decisions about their own futures. To hold people to these vows, however, would be ridiculous.

But why, twenty years later, is it ridiculous not to punish, if not actually kill, someone for going back on their vow not to vote Republican, but reasonable to expect them to try to maintain their marriage vows? There are significant differences. A marriage vow, like a mortgage agreement, involves responsibility and commitment to a third party. If we go back on these, others suffer. If we change our minds about matters of politics or religion, however, we do not, on the whole, breach any agreement we have with others.

How to use comma with both ... and ...?

Posted: 14 May 2021 01:04 AM PDT

In the sentence below, is the comma placed correctly? Why?

"Her performance was highly acclaimed, both for her rich and beautiful voice and for her powerful stand"

Affect vs impact

Posted: 14 May 2021 10:08 AM PDT

I read some advice at vocabulary.com which said that

since sometimes people mix up "affect" and "effect" (for example, me), then some people tend to use "impact" rather than "affect". Don't be one of those people!

Is this good advice? Why not use "impact"?

Here is my sentence:

Certain type checks allow reordering without affecting semantics.

It seems clearer to me to use "impacting semantics" or "changing semantics".

Why use a potentially vague word when a more precise word is available?

Can the modal auxiliary verbs be considered to be in the present tense (form, not meaning)?

Posted: 14 May 2021 05:03 AM PDT

According to Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, modal auxiliary verbs do not normally have past tenses:

The modal auxiliary verbs are will, would, shall, should, can, could, ought, may, might, and must. Their grammar is different from that of other verbs: for example, they have no infinitives, participles or past tenses [...] Modal verbs do not have infinitives or participles (to may, maying, mayed do not exist), and they do not normally have past forms.

So can each modal auxiliary verb be considered to be in the present tense (in form, not meaning)? Since the modal auxiliary verbs are finite and they do not have past tense forms (according to Michael Swan's Practical English Usage), each must be in a present tense form.

Or are will, can, may and shall the present tenses (in form, not meaning) and would, could, might and should the past tenses (in form, not meaning)?

What about the modal auxiliary must?

Turn "in to" or "into" a lonely lane?

Posted: 14 May 2021 09:07 AM PDT

I have a sentence I'm writing where I describe making a turn, as I run, into an empty alleyway. Here is how I would like to say it:

I turn into a lonely lane...

The problem I find is that it may mean that I am changing my direction to run into a lane, or it may suggest that I am becoming a lane -- however unlikely that may be, realistically.

Is there a better way to write the sentence without disrupting the flow of my writing? (I understand that I can say, "I make a turn into a lonely lane..." but am afraid that that might cause some incontinuity.)

For example, could I say this?

I turn in to a lonely lane...

"that which" used together

Posted: 14 May 2021 04:40 AM PDT

When I read essays from Eliot, I find him using "that which" frequently, e.g.

  1. the combination which is the murder of Agamemnon is probably as complex as that which is the voyage of Ulysses.
  2. A very small part of acting is that which takes place on the stage!
  3. They belong to a different race. Their crudity is that which was of the Roman, as compared with the Greek, in real life.

I can kind of guess its usage, but I want to know more about this grammar structure. Searching on Google mostly gave me the simple difference between "that" and "which", and some examples using "that which":

  1. that which we call a rose (from "Romeo and Juliet")
  2. that which we persist in doing

It is a pity that Google search does not direct me to any useful page about "that which". Can someone explicate its grammar for me?
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