Monday, May 24, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Where do I put the period when I'm quoting?

Posted: 24 May 2021 09:36 AM PDT

If I quote someone, the quote ends in a period, and I end the sentence with the quote, where do I put the period? Inside the quotation marks or outside the quotation marks? I'm tempted to put a period inside the quotation marks and a period outside the quotation marks, but I know that's wrong (and it also looks stupid).

Update: I use British English rules for quotation marks. I could find advice for American grammar, but not British.

Term to define the phenomenon of explaining poorly by assuming your audience is more knowledgeable than it is on a subject

Posted: 24 May 2021 09:57 AM PDT

Before I get started, I am not looking for "layman's terms". That involves "dumbing down" concepts to make them simple to understand, but often result in the analogies and descriptions being inaccurate.

What I am referring to is the phenomenon of a subject matter expert writing a poor or unclear explanation due to not realizing that some aspects of what they are describing are not obvious. or common knowledge in the target audience. It is something that I see repeatedly happening when reviewing software documentation and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) but am unsure if a word to describe the whole thing without having to explain it every time exists in english.

For example, you may write extensive documentation on how to resolve Alert 1875 on System X. Your document goes into extensive detail about what logs you are looking for in order to establish the root cause of the alert, etc. And a neophyte to the team raises their hand and asks "Ok, how do I check the logs?" because the expert took for granted that people reading the document would be familiar with what convention/system/application is used to access said logs.

If such a term exists in english, I would want to use it when telling someone I want my SOP to be reviewed by a person who is my contemporary but is not knowledgeable on the subject in order to catch myself being guilty of <insert-word-here>

Or "Dan hasn't touched System X yet, be sure to have him review your SOP to avoid <insert-word-here>"

Just 'carry' for 'carry weapons' and just 'lift' instead of 'lift weights'. What linguistic phenomenon is it?

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:54 AM PDT

There are English verbs that can be used without an object while meaning a certain object. E.g.

  • Carry = carry weapons
  • Lift = lift weights
  • Use = use drugs
  • Possibly, 'investigate' (an incident, a crime, a statement) as well.

Some examples I saw:

California may issue permits to carry if a person meets the requirements.

For years I lifted just because I loved to lift.

The FBI was called in to investigate.

This is what I'm wondering:

  1. Any more examples that spring to your mind?
  2. Is there a word or a term in Linguistics for this sort of phenomenon?

I found and read a few articles about null objects / context null objects. They mention examples like 'Beat [ø] until stiff'. Are my examples the same phenomenon?

Thank you.

Which verb mood should be used with "ideally"? [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:49 AM PDT

I'm not sure which verb form is most suitable to go with "ideally":

  1. Ideally, an X is able to handle Y.
  2. Ideally, an X would be able to handle Y.
  3. Ideally, an X should be able to handle Y.

Or even a different one?

What does the expression "a shiver of" mean or imply?

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:57 AM PDT

What does the expression "a shiver of" mean or imply in the following sentence : All of a sudden, electricity flows in an unfamiliar pattern, a shiver of current across a circuit board of cells.

I looked it up in a dictionary but I'm still bothered by the curiosity. Can you help me?

"Will all be" or "will be all" or "all will be"?

Posted: 24 May 2021 07:48 AM PDT

Which one of these is correct, if I want to say something akin to "everything is going to be okay":

This will all be over soon.

This all/These all will be over soon.

This will be all over soon.

Does "by the time" require perfect tenses, when talking about future? [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 07:08 AM PDT

Since this is a question about using English, I deem it appropriate to post it here:

A) Mary will leave by the time you get there.

B) Mary will have left by the time you get there.

C) Mary had left by the time you got there. (I'm sure this is correct)

D) Mary left by the time you got there. (I surmise this is utterly wrong)

I have been comparing two resources (The first and the second) which seem contradictory:

The first states:

Don't use certain strict expressions denoting time that require certain complicated tenses. For example, "by the time" requires the perfect tenses. If you replace "by the time" with "before" or "after", you can use the simple tenses, especially in everyday speech.

I will have finished the report by six. I will finish the report before six.

The second:

Sometimes, you can use the future perfect tense and the simple future tense interchangeably. In these two sentences, there is no real difference in meaning because the word before makes the sequence of events clear:

Linda will leave before you get there. Linda will have left before you get there.

But without prepositions such as before or by the time that make the sequence of events clear, you need to use the future perfect to show what happened first.

To recapitulate, according to the second resource "there is no real difference in meaning" in the sentences A and B and I "can use the future perfect tense and the simple future tense interchangeably"

Whereas, according to the first resource "by the time" requires the perfect tenses, that is I cannot use the simple future tense in A.

Now, what source is correct? Am I misinterpreting something? Which sentences are correct?

Mass noun equivalent of 'music' for 'movies'

Posted: 24 May 2021 07:49 AM PDT

Do we have a mass noun equivalent like 'music' but for 'movies'? If not, what nature of the meaning of 'music' makes it a mass noun as opposed to countable nouns like 'movies'? I was wondering why something that is so close in meaning has two different types of conceptualization in our lexicon.

What is the appropriate (postpositive) adjective for this?

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:23 AM PDT

Many believed that John the Baptist was Elijah incarnate.

Where incarnate means

invested with bodily and especially human nature and form

But suppose I want to liken someone to some fictional character who exists but in the imagination, what adjective used postpositively would apply in that case?

This, for example:

His friends think that he is Bilbo Baggins....

Adjective to describe a significant natural disaster "which only occurs once every century/millennium"?

Posted: 24 May 2021 05:27 AM PDT

I'm looking for an adjective that expresses the rarity in terms of scale or impact of an event (especially a natural disaster like a flood or an earthquake). Words like disastrous, catastrophic, and devastating all describe the severity of impact, but don't stress the chronological rarity. In Chinese, there is an expression 百年一遇 which literally means "seen only once every century". I'm wondering if there is an English word or expression for that.

meaning of underlying

Posted: 24 May 2021 05:42 AM PDT

The pool of loans underlying the mortgage bond conformed to the standards, in their size and the credit quality of the borrowers, set by one of several government agencies: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae.-The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis

I've searched meaning of the word "underlying" and found several meanings, but I'm not sure of which one is correct one.

a)Lying or situated under something. [Lexico.com]

b)used to describe something on which something else is based [Cambridge dictionary]

c)anterior and prior in claim [Merriam-Webster]

What is a clever saying that means, 'It's impossible to stop natural phenomena? [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 05:01 AM PDT

What is a popular-refrain that means it is pointless to try and stop a naturally occuring phenomenon?

Is it offensive to call a man frigid? [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 09:18 AM PDT

Is it offensive to call a man with a low sex drive frigid? I've seen people say that referring to a woman as frigid is misogynistic, but I can't find any information on whether saying that a man is frigid is offensive. Would it be objectionable in that context, or would that be acceptable?

Double meaning of relief

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:35 AM PDT

I was writing a report for an assignment and found myself wanting to write the following sentence.

The resulting landscape shows more relief.

In Dutch, "relief" only has the French meaning (cf. le relief) related to geography so it came natural to me. Then I realized that "relief" in English also (and probably mostly) refers to the feeling. I double checked if it could even be used with the French meaning and found this: https://www.thoughtco.com/relief-geography-definition-1434845.

My question is whether the sentence above makes sense or is there an other word I should use instead to describe the "non-flatness" of the landscape?

Additionaly, is the word pronounced differently when using it with its meaning in French?

Using "and" with Paired Adjectives [duplicate]

Posted: 24 May 2021 05:20 AM PDT

I thought the following rule was set in stone: don't use 'and' between a pair of adjectives preceding a noun:

http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/stonebrink/ESL022/Paired%20Adjectives.htm#:~:text=bag-,Using%20%22and%22%20with%20Paired%20Adjectives,called%20coordinate%20%26%20cumulative%20adjectives

However, someone in the comments on the following question disagrees, saying: it's not a hard rule, it's a matter of style, and here are some examples to back it up.

https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/284703/implied-plural-before-vs-implied-singular-after

I thought to get confirmation and a second opinion.

EDIT 1

It can probably be generalized to a list

Is it better to list adjectives, with an "and"?

EDIT 2

Thanks for confirming what @Lambie said. I have to admit that

It involves a technological, theoretical challenge

didn't sound so good, or at least

It involves a technological and theoretical challenge

sounded better (in the first place).

Moreover, the link that I supplied does say in the beginning that there are exceptions such as a black and white shirt.

EDIT 3

Regarding the suggested link

Commas for multiple adjectives

It suggests a test for coordinate adjectives. First, the test of replacing the comma with an 'and' doesn't clearly say (like @Anton confirmed) that it's a correct option that can be used (until @Lambie corrected me, I thought you can't use 'and' at all). In both cases, it says you shouldn't.

Moreover, according to the test, both of my examples

  1. It involves a technological and theoretical challenge.
  2. He wore a black and white shirt.

fulfill the coordinate adjective test, and the link says that comma should be used instead of 'and'. I believe this to be incorrect.

If I had to guess, I think the rule might be related to the order of adjectives:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/adjectives-order

If the adjectives belong to the same category, then they would naturally pass the coordinate adjective test. However, since they belong to the same category, 'and' should be used instead of a comma. At least I think it applies to my two examples above.

A link on the subject that might be useful:

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/adjectives/what-is-a-coordinate-adjective.html

What is the technical description of the pronunciation of the "t" in "countdown"?

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:28 AM PDT

I've looked up the pronunciation of "countdown" in a few different dictionaries and they all give it as some variation of
/ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/.

However, the "t" is clearly not pronounced as /t/ in casual speech because of the following /d/ which is another stop differing only in voicing. The "t" is only pronounced as /t/ when said as two very separate words. I can't work out if it's:

  • /ˈkaʊnt̚ˌdaʊn/ (no audible release)
  • /ˈkaʊnʔˌdaʊn/ (glottal stop)
  • something else

Are either of my guesses correct? Both in different environments? Neither?

Is this the correct way to form this sentence?

Posted: 24 May 2021 09:05 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?

Comprehension Reading from a paragraph. I need help in this one [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 08:08 AM PDT

According to the following paragraph obtained from: https://www.gofluent.com/blog/importance-of-writing-in-language-learning/

"Writing is a much slower process, letting you organize your thoughts more before shaping your sentences. When writing, you can gradually process your words, maybe even looking them up first before transferring them onto paper or even a digital document. With that, you're also able to learn new vocabulary, spellings, and pronunciations as you go. Once you're done, you can also look back on what you've written and correct them if needed."

What is the correct answer? and why?

- The writing process is:

a. A good practice to outline your ideas.

b. A receptive skill.

c. The ability to recognize pronunciation.

Repeating words in enumeration: '... senior executives, decision makers and policy makers.'

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:03 AM PDT

Just got the comment from a co-worker that we shouldn't repeat the word 'maker' in the following enumeration:

A unique learning experience for senior executives, decision makers and policy makers.

My gut feeling tells me this is the correct way to write it, but I'm not a native English speaker, so your advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

One word to describe "someone who made a pact"

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:38 AM PDT

I'm looking for the one-word equivalent to the german word "Paktierer".

"to do a deal with so."

In relation to making a deal with the devil / making a deal with a demon (or perhaps other similar entities). It would translate to: "A person who made a deal with the devil / a demon."

We use the term frequently while playing DSA (The Dark Eye, german RPG) and I always wondered about a good english equivalent. The word should be usable to describe a person: "Bob is a X".

Why does dense mean 'stupid'?

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:39 AM PDT

It would seem that 'dense' would be 'packed with brains', which is the opposite of stupid.

Extremely silent

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Is there a word which describes the unnecessary use of adverbs in front of adjectives, usually added to provide emphasis, if the adjective is binary?

For example, take the sentence "He was extremely silent." Since the definition of silent is "not making or accompanied by any sound", he is either silent or not silent, but not partially silent.

I was thinking of "hyperbole", but that doesn't quite fit the meaning.

"Lying on couches is boring" vs. "Lying on couches are boring" [closed]

Posted: 24 May 2021 04:55 AM PDT

Using the example sentence in the title, would you use the plural linking verb "are" or singular linking verb "is"?

The same question can be applied to anything with the following format:

(action verb ending with -ing) (prepositional phrase) (singular or plural linking verb) (adjective)

To take a step further, here are my reasoning for the two in the title.

Lying on couches is boring.

And the other example:

Lying on couches are boring.

Is 'the majority of' singular or plural?

Posted: 24 May 2021 07:27 AM PDT

I have the following question:

The majority of fund studies has or have agreed that a common attribute for superior performance is due to managers' skill.

What does it mean by "3 Month Paternity Relief Contract"?

Posted: 24 May 2021 07:08 AM PDT

I'm reading a job description where it mentions "3 Month Paternity Relief Contract". That doesn't make sense to me. Does it mean employee can leave 3 months for paternity leave?

Word for the opposite of "hypochondriasis"

Posted: 24 May 2021 09:48 AM PDT

Is there a word for the opposite condition of hypochondriasis? For example, someone who denies being sick when they clearly are? I would just say that they are "in denial". Is there any other adequate word?

I thought about the obvious 'hyperchondria' but it doesn't seem to be used anywhere and doesn't look suitable as—from checking the origin of the word—just replacing 'hypo' by 'hyper' wouldn't fit well:

1555–65; < Late Latin < Greek, neuter plural of hypochóndrios pertaining to the upper abdomen (supposed seat of melancholy), equivalent to hypo- hypo- + chóndr ( os ) ensiform cartilage + -ios adj. suffix

Meaning of "education level"

Posted: 24 May 2021 06:55 AM PDT

I am filling in a CV and I have to choose my "level of education". I am on the third year of university education (junior), and I wonder if "level of education" means the education I have already got (high school diploma in my case), or the education I am getting now (Bachelor's degree in my case).
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