Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange |
- Is using 'that' 2x repeatedly proper? Example:
- Is to, of course, have | Split infinitive
- too many this tilts his thumb to his lips; is this metaphor?
- What's the meaning of the sentence 'The Exorcist marries three scenarios into one plot.'?
- I may go VS I would go
- How to call different types of grid/tilemap with (1+ words or sentence)?
- I picked up the habit of skipping "I am", as in "Looking forward to it" instead of "I'm looking forward to it" — is this incorrect?
- Funny metaphor or colloquialism for reliable
- Two verbs after a modal verb: should the second verb come with to? [migrated]
- Are there any collections of "autological cycles"? (e.g. calque -> loanword)
- "switch to + gerund" structure [closed]
- What words should be placed in the blanks? [closed]
- Five children and it>> [closed]
- Which preposition should be used in this case? [migrated]
- Is "Enrich mindsets" acceptable? [closed]
- What does this sentences really mean? [closed]
- What is the property of being right versus left called?
- Is this sentence right " how may people can there be" [closed]
- Is "He should feel guilty although she is not." grammatically correct? [migrated]
- Among this translations of the bible, which one has the meaning of being intoxicated? [closed]
- What is the correct way to reply “What is the XXX”? [migrated]
- What case of 'I' should be used in a Participle Clause? [duplicate]
- I stand corrected vs I stand to be corrected
- Why are 'electric', 'electricity' and 'electrician' pronounced differently?
- Is there an alternative grammar term for 'auxiliary (verb)'?
- Can a place name modify something else
- The meaning of "takes two to know"
- What is the meaning of 'Well noted."?
| Is using 'that' 2x repeatedly proper? Example: Posted: 09 Jun 2021 11:23 AM PDT "Saying that that sounds interesting"  |
| Is to, of course, have | Split infinitive Posted: 09 Jun 2021 10:49 AM PDT Is it possible to split the "to" from the verb in this example:
Is it correct? Does it sound strange to your ears?  |
| too many this tilts his thumb to his lips; is this metaphor? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 10:53 AM PDT
What is "too many this tilts his thumb to his lips"? Is it a metaphor? If it is not, what is it? An action that meaning something else?  |
| What's the meaning of the sentence 'The Exorcist marries three scenarios into one plot.'? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 10:27 AM PDT I was reading about the movie The Exorcist and found the sentence The Exorcist marries three scenarios into one plot. Please explain the meaning of marries over here since the literal meaning of marry is to engage in matrimony which makes no sense in this sentence. Reference: The Exorcist (1973) Based on the 1971 novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist marries three scenarios into one plot. The film opens with Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) on an archaeological dig in Al-hadar, near Nineveh, in Iraq. He is alerted that a small carving is found in the dig, resembling a grimacing, bestial creature. After talking to one of his supervisors, he travels to a statue of Pazuzu; the small carving resembles the head of the statue. He sees ominous figures and two dogs fight viciously nearby, setting the tone for the rest of the film.  |
| Posted: 09 Jun 2021 11:00 AM PDT ''I … not go there because it will be hot and crowded'' which one is correct 'may' or 'would', or both are correct but have different meanings? I think 'may' is correct, but people told me that 'would' is also correct. The problem is that 'would' is in the past, and there is no if clause in the sentence, so why is it correct to use in the sentence?  |
| How to call different types of grid/tilemap with (1+ words or sentence)? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 11:19 AM PDT Grid - "A pattern or structure made from horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other to form squares". Tilemap - "A two-dimensional grid made up of rectangular tiles of equal size". Hexagonal "grid/map". 3D "grid/map". Regular "grid/map". But it could also be anything that doesn't have a definite pattern to it. Like Navigation Mesh. It still consists of small parts/triangles that create whole "grid/map" area. I guess that could be called just "map", but how do I define them afterwards? hex-map, 2D-grid-map, navigation-mesh-map? Does that sound ok to you (hex-map sounds good, but it's the usual case)? Or the closest I could think - The reason I need this, is I am working on a program and 1 component will encompass behaviour/visual representation of all of those things depending on the settings. So I have to give that component a name that will describe all of these cases. How do I call all of these types of grids/hexagons/other types with (1 word or sentence) that defines them all?  |
| Posted: 09 Jun 2021 09:46 AM PDT I picked up this habit from a friend, who skips "I am"/"I'm" most of the time:
Is this completely incorrect, or accepted casual language?  |
| Funny metaphor or colloquialism for reliable Posted: 09 Jun 2021 09:37 AM PDT I'm trying to find (preferably funny) metaphors or colloquialisms to express being reliable. (I have been described, that I am as reliable as a ...?) Toyota, a well maintained machine, wildlife mowing my lawn with their teeth. (These examples don't read as that funny though.)  |
| Two verbs after a modal verb: should the second verb come with to? [migrated] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 09:34 AM PDT I came across the following sentence:
According to "the rule", because can is a modal verb, it should be followed by a bare infinitive without to. But here we see the rule acts only for the first verb. Wouldn't it be more correct to write it this way?
 |
| Are there any collections of "autological cycles"? (e.g. calque -> loanword) Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:57 AM PDT I am interested in a natural generalization of autological words: cycles of words that each describe their successor (but not themselves). e.g. an autological 3-cycle is a set of of words "A", "B", and "C" such that A describes B, B describes C, and C describes A. The only example I'm aware of is one I discovered incidentally on Wikipedia: calque -> loanword. That is, loanword is a calque (but not a loanword), while calque is a loanword (but not a calque).
Wiki has collections of autological words (e.g. here and here) and a definition/discussion of paradoxes, but I've not been able to find any references to cycles.  |
| "switch to + gerund" structure [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:36 AM PDT I wonder if it's possible to use a gerund after "switch to". For example, can I say the following?
Does this sentence make sense grammatically and semantically?  |
| What words should be placed in the blanks? [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:05 AM PDT Yoga is a kind of exercise _ together physical and mental discipline. For the gradual development of the _, yoga trainers don't jump to complex activities for _ kinds of practitioners.  |
| Five children and it>> [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 05:57 AM PDT I've just finished translating five children and it but I just need help with a couple of sentences. The first one from chapter 8: wish if he didn't injure his poor little brains trying so hard to think.—Shut up, Bobs, I tell you!—You'll have the whole show over." Can't understand (You'll have the whole show over." Number two: Cyril was just tearing off his coat so as to help his brother in proper style, when Jane threw her arms round his legs> Can't understand the meaning of "in proper style">  |
| Which preposition should be used in this case? [migrated] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:08 AM PDT A person is holding sand in his hand and it starts to fall from it. Is the sand:
Which would be correct? If none, which preposition should be used instead?  |
| Is "Enrich mindsets" acceptable? [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 05:19 AM PDT Except "enrich our minds", is it acceptable to use "enrich our mindsets"? "Enrich" means to improve its quality, usually by adding something to it. "Mindset" is the general attitudes and the way people typically think about things. If I want to express the idea that we can have more perspectives on thinking process, can I say "enrich mindsets"? Thank you!  |
| What does this sentences really mean? [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 04:05 AM PDT I just came across an article, read it and found that I didn't understand 2 both sentences (bold) actually. So, What do the 2 sentences really means in this context ???? . This passage is in an article of National Geographic. Thank you first !! The model analyzes costs and measures plastic leakage into the sea when various scenarios, involving plastic use are employed. For example, use of plastic can be cut by 47 percent by increasing the use of other solutions, including: elimination of unnecessary plastics and reusing containers (30 percent); composting and substitution of different materials, such as swapping filmy shopping bags for paper bags (17 percent). "The writing is on the wall," says Andrew Morlet, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit working to transition global industries to an economy that reuses products and materials. "We actually have to leave the oil in the ground and keep the flow of existing polymers in the system and innovate."  |
| What is the property of being right versus left called? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 04:03 AM PDT One could use "direction" to describe this property, but it is too wide, and I would like to find a term that narrows it down further, to describe the property (of a direction) of being either to the left or to the right. So, you could say for example that the xx of the object yy is left, where xx is the name of the property. Or you could say, "the xx of parts of the brain determines whether they're dealing more with logical thinking, or more with artistic creativity".  |
| Is this sentence right " how may people can there be" [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 03:57 AM PDT Is this sentence right " how may people can there be" if so what are some other ways to say it and if it wrong how do i say it and what are some different ways to say this.  |
| Is "He should feel guilty although she is not." grammatically correct? [migrated] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 04:02 AM PDT Is "He should feel guilty although she is not." grammatically correct? Or should it be:
 |
| Among this translations of the bible, which one has the meaning of being intoxicated? [closed] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 04:09 AM PDT The Biblehub contains a various translations of John 2:10. The original Koine Greek verse contains the word methiosin which means "to get alcohol intoxicated." It's pretty clear in this Hermeneutic StackExchange question Does "well drunk" mean "to be drunk"? However, most of the phrases used in English translation don't seem to mean that. For example, in https://biblehub.com/john/2-10.htm Some phrases use words like Do all those phrases means getting drunk or intoxicated? What would be the most obvious words in English for saying someone is under influence of alcohol? Intoxicated (which can mean being poisoned), drunk (which can also mean past participle of drink), or what? Perhaps it's a bit off topic, if I want to be blunt, which of those translations translate the word https://biblehub.com/greek/methystho_sin_3184.htm μεθυσθῶσιν (methysthōsin) correctly? Are there actual bias in those translations? Is it reasonable to think that whoever translate the bible doesn't want to imply too obviously that the party goers are drunk?  |
| What is the correct way to reply “What is the XXX”? [migrated] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 03:25 AM PDT What is the correct way to reply "What is the most expensive food in the market"? Should I say:
 |
| What case of 'I' should be used in a Participle Clause? [duplicate] Posted: 09 Jun 2021 04:14 AM PDT Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
I think that the third sentence can be easily ruled out since My being not at home would be a gerund, and we need a participle here. I have seen sentences like Him being dead, there was no one remaining to challenge her. and I think they are grammatically correct. Following this trend of using the objective case, I believe that the second sentence would be the correct one, but my teacher says that it should be the first one (probably because the second one does have an informal feel to it). So, which one of them is the correct one, and why?  |
| I stand corrected vs I stand to be corrected Posted: 09 Jun 2021 10:03 AM PDT What's the difference between "I stand corrected." and "I stand to be corrected."?  |
| Why are 'electric', 'electricity' and 'electrician' pronounced differently? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 11:26 AM PDT Why is the ⟨c⟩ in electric, electricity and electrician pronounced differently?
My main question is: why is the second ⟨c⟩ in all these words pronounced differently even though they're derived from the same root?
The root word had a [k] sound which is the same in the word electric but when it's suffixed, the [k] changes to [s] (in electricity). As for electrician, I assume it was pronounced with /sj/ which coalesced into /ʃ/ due to yod-coalescence (assimilation), it's clear. But why is the last c in electricity not pronounced as [k]? Other examples are eccentric - eccentricity, authentic - authenticity etc. Consider panic:
When panic is suffixed, we add the letter ⟨k⟩ in order to keep the same pronunciation as the root word because if we don't add the orthographic ⟨k⟩, the pronunciation will change (i.e. [k] will change to [s]).
So why don't we add a k to electricity, authenticity and eccentricity? Or why do why add ⟨k⟩ to panicky? NOTE: Most of the transcriptions are from Cambridge Dictionary  |
| Is there an alternative grammar term for 'auxiliary (verb)'? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 05:08 AM PDT The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language consistently uses the term "auxiliary (verb)" to refer to be, have, do, will/can/may/must, etc., but CGEL doesn't treat auxiliaries as mere assistants (i.e., auxiliaries) of lexical verbs since CGEL adopts the catenative-auxiliary analysis over the dependent-auxiliary analysis. The former analysis treats "auxiliaries" as the heads of the VPs whereas the latter analysis treats them as dependents of the following lexical verb. Why would CGEL keep the term "auxiliary (verb)", which I think is incongruous with the catenative-auxiliary analysis? Is there an alternative grammar term for 'auxiliary (verb)' that is in use in a modern grammar that adopts the catenative-auxiliary analysis? This question arose out of an earlier answer to the question Is "Helper Verb" Old School?  |
| Can a place name modify something else Posted: 09 Jun 2021 03:29 AM PDT I have looked up the proper way to punctuate place names (for example San Francisco, California) and am wondering if they can be used to modify something else. Here is what I have so far: The "Spicy Ramen Festival" of San Jose, California, was held on April 7th at the Johnson Community Center. But it sounds better to say verbally: San Jose, California's "Spicy Ramen Festival" was held on April 7th at the Johnson Community Center. It this grammatical? Thank you.  |
| The meaning of "takes two to know" Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:52 AM PDT I know lyrics meaning is not a kind of a thing English SE is supposed to specialize in, but before looking for possible figurative meanings of the song excerpt that I put below I just want to reassure the phrase in bold is not a rare idiom or something. There is a song by Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne. It has the following lines:
What does (it) takes two to know mean? Is it an idiom?  |
| What is the meaning of 'Well noted."? Posted: 09 Jun 2021 06:54 AM PDT I got a job offer and I have to attend a psychological test tomorrow, 08:30 am. I can't attend at that time so I ask for a reschedule on next Monday. The HR person replied to my email with:
I don't understand, is it a 'yes' or 'no'? Or is it meaning that the HR person will ask her boss (user) if he/she can or not?  |
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