Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Sometimes, just thinking about making it would suffice

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:48 AM PDT

I am doubting this sentence, and wonder if anyone has a pointer or two.

The context is, you don't necessarily need to make art... Sometimes, just thinking about making it would suffice. Sometimes, just thinking about making it will suffice. Sometimes, just thinking about making it suffices.

To me, it sounds more correct to say, will suffice, as in it will do. rather than, it would suffice, as in, it would be enough. But, perhaps suffices, as in, it does the trick, is better?

Or maybe they are all correct in their own way?

Thanks in advance

Are the sentences “I could yell” and “I could have yelled” semantically equivalent? [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:46 AM PDT

Are the sentences "I could yell" and "I could have yelled" semantically equivalent?

If so, why is the second form used?

Personally, I find the second form confusing, because "have yelled" seems like it's in past tense, which it's not?

Can Past Simple and Past Perfect be used in this way?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:13 AM PDT

I found such a sentence in 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen:

Till he came and had examined the child, their apprehensions were the worst for being vague; they suspected great injury, but knew not where; but now the collar-bone was soon replaced...

I am surprised by the use of he came next to had examined in this sentence. Could someone explain the grammar?

Is this a "new" way to use the word Demise?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT

I have worked in the construction industry in the UK and in Australia and have increasingly heard the term "demise" being used to mean "within the boundary of" in both countries. For example:

We are seeking construction drawings for the structure within the demise of the room/building/project/site

OR

those services do not belong to the demise of the room/building/project/site

Definitions I've found of demise don't really fit this usage, which seems to be more closely related to the word "demesne".

While I try not to be a prescriptivist, I do find it slightly jarring because I've never associated this word with this meaning. Any thoughts on the origin of this usage?

Does this sentence make any sense? [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 06:32 AM PDT

Blockquote

A robot that was a precise model of a human would have 244 degrees of freedom.

Whats a short and sweet word for "Stay on top of things"? [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:09 AM PDT

I'm looking for a short word that means "stay on top of things".

I'd like to use words like "agile", "tophat", etc., but they are not what I am looking for. The examples I gave are just for how short and easy it sounds. Even if it means a person who stays on top of things, it's much welcome.

Single word request that means 'make a question stronger"

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:40 AM PDT

If I, for example, ask a question, and then later on someone answers the question with an answer that only makes the question - for lack of a better term - more stronger...what do you call that term?

Example: I ask..."how did we measure and determine that space is infinite if "infinity" by definition means immeasurable?" to which someone answers "it's because we've determined that infinity exists and space fits that definition". To that answer, I'd like to reply "if anything, your answer only _________ens my question."

Basically "_________ens" would mean that if my question was asked with only %80 perplexity (%20 understanding) and I asked the question in order to get better understanding (with the ultimate outcome being %0 perplexity/%100 understanding), now after your answer, my question stands at %100 perplexity (%0 understanding), essentially making my question bolder. So if the question was written...."blah blah blah blah?" , it would now be written "blah blah blah blah???"

What is wrong with the following memo? [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 03:11 AM PDT

I write to share the problem of the stigmatization of mental health disorders in special education and its implications for our team. Adams County School District has seen an increase in students who qualify for special education resources. However, we have not seen a corresponding increase in students who qualify due to mental health. Because of the increase in students seeking services, we assume that all needs are met. However, students and their families may not seek resources due to the stigma of mental health issues. This is an anomaly that we should explore. I suggest we address this problem by collecting better data on student diagnoses and reviewing our training program. Please give me your suggestions. Sincerely, Jane Doe

Introduction doesn't state the purpose
Improper date line
Uses organizational markers
Has a salutation and signature

What do Americans call a tubelight? [migrated]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 03:37 AM PDT

A tubelight is a layman's term for a fluorescent tube lamp in South Asia. Will an American reader understand that this is what I am talking about if I state, "the store was lit by a single flickering tubelight"?

tubelight image

Is there a grammatical difference between "heart of oak" and "hearts of oak" in the British patriotic song "Heart of Oak?" [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 04:20 AM PDT

A British patriotic song titled "Heart of Oak" has two versions that are widely sung.

The chorus in the first version goes like this:

Heart of oak are our ships,  Heart of oak are our men,  We always are ready, steady boys, steady,  To charge and to conquer again and again.

The chorus in the second version reads as follows:

Hearts of oak are our ships,  Hearts of oak are our men,  We always are ready, steady boys, steady,  To charge and to conquer again and again.

Is there any grammatical difference between using "heart of oak" versus "hearts of oak" in the song? Are both versions grammatically correct?

In addition, is it grammatically correct to use this construction in other contexts? Can I use "heart of aluminum is my car" for "my car is made of aluminum?"

I recently read the lyrics of this song online and I have never seen this grammatical construction used before, so I am wondering about the grammatical aspects of it.

Is a comma needed in a backwards sentence? (E.g. "For B do A")

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 10:45 AM PDT

As far as I know we don't need a comma in the following sentence

Do A for B.

But what about a backwards way of saying it

For B do A.

Should it be

For B, do A.

with a comma between them?

"Even your professors have come off of the stage you're in" [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 02:21 AM PDT

I was talking to a student where he was telling me that his professor knows all the mischievous things he does. So I replied to him:

Every professor has come off of the student life you're in

Does it mean "every professor once was a student"?

Can we use the phrase to come off of something instead of gone through something?

For example - "Every Professor has gone through the student's life where you're in"

Is there an English word for someone who is *not* a little person or who doesn't have any dwarfism related disorders?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:12 AM PDT

Pretty much every minority group has words for people outside said minority group. For example: Gay & Trans people call outsiders "Cishet" (short for cisgender & hetersexual), Asexual people call outsiders "Allosexual," intersex people call outsiders "Dyadic," people of the Jewish faith call outsiders the "Goyim" or a "Gentile," Native Hawaiians calls outsiders "Haole," etc.

But I couldn't find one for people who are not little. The Little People of America website often refers to non-little people as "people of average stature" which is kind of a mouth full. Since my search didn't turn anything up, I thought maybe there isn't an official word for a non-little person but there could be a slang term little people use privately. That's not exactly what I'm looking for. So I came to this website to see if there is an official English word that little people use for non-little people and the "average stature" world in general.

If you don't know the answer directly, any helpful links would also be greatly appreciated.

Is the hyphen in the adjective phrase “just-[past participle]” mandatory?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:14 AM PDT

I came across the following sentence:

The target can be resolved through one of the just mentioned record types.

I believe it should have been written as "… just-mentioned record types", with a hyphen.

Reasoning

The word "just" has 2 meanings which are relevant here (definitions from Oxford Languages):

  1. (adjective) based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair
  2. (adverb) very recently; in the immediate past

With the given sentence, I believe that the first meaning of the word, as an adjective, takes precedence. To make it clear that the word is used in the second meaning, as an adverb, I would expect hyphenation ("one of the just-mentioned types").

Is the hyphen in "just-mentioned" obligatory or optional?

A digger or an academic

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 03:41 AM PDT

In one of Jeffery Archer's Prison Diary books (written ca. 2002) he asks a fellow inmate, a PhD student, whether he is "a digger or an academic".

What is the meaning of "digger" in this context? I see occasional use of the term "goal digger", an obvious play on "gold digger", presumably someone who just wants collect the credential versus one who intends to pursue a career in academia.

Would that be a correct guess as to the meaning?

What does a "weary room" mean? [duplicate]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 06:20 AM PDT

A Pink Floyd song titled "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" starts with this line:

"A restless eye across a weary room"

I started looking up the various meanings of "weary" to see what it means in combination with room, but I didn't find anything that makes sense here. I just came across the same combination used in some hotel ad and that was all.

Would somebody in the know kindly help?

"Please certify that I am not aware..." [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 04:09 AM PDT

I need to sign a document to clarify I am not aware of something. The negative statement on the document goes like this:

Please certify that I am not aware ...    [YES]         [NO]

So which one is correct? I was thinking either of them are meaningful.

  • Yes, I certify.
  • No, I'm not aware.

Note that it was "certify" instead of "clarify", and it's a pdf file of "Code of Business Conduct", so I have to check one of the options.

Is "equals to," as in "one plus one equals to two," ungrammatical? [closed]

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 08:00 AM PDT

I study mathematics alongside many Chinese students. They will often use the phrase "equals to," as in "one plus one equals to two." Is this usage incorrect?

Word for someone who remains calm (and taunts) in arguments

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 09:00 AM PDT

Is there a word that describes someone who remains calm in arguments, even when the other side is extremely angry? For example, someone who smiles and replies to angry remarks? I thought of taunting, but it doesn't suit the situation I'm thinking of.

Example sentence: He was even when the English teacher yelled at him, making the teacher extremely angry.

Note: It shouldn't mean calm, but more like taunting or sneering, in a calm way.

Analyzing 'genitive/accusative + V-ing phrase (gerund-participle phrase)' as different constructions

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 02:59 AM PDT

(1) I regretted [his leaving the firm].

(2) I regretted [him leaving the firm].

(3) I regretted [leaving the firm].

(4) He didn't bother [giving me a copy].

Regarding the above sentences The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Page 1190) has this to say:

If (1) and (2) are analysed as quite different constructions, with only the bracketed portion in (2) a clause, then which of the constructions would (3) belong to?

This problem would be particularly difficult to resolve with those gerund-participials where it is not possible to include an NP before the verb, as in (4). We avoid these problems by treating the optionality of the initial NP as simply a matter of the optionality of subjects in non-finite clauses.

Here, CGEL is basically arguing that the bracketed construction in (1) is no less a non-finite clause (with his as its subject) than that in (2) is (with him as its subject).

So, CGEL is basing this argument on the presumption that the bracketed portion in (2) is a non-finite clause. But I wonder why that has to be the case.

PROBLEM of CGEL's APPROACH

CGEL's approach cannot explain the potential semantic difference between (1) and (2), as explained in Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage (as quoted in this Language Log):

The accusative pronoun is used when it is meant to be emphasized.

Because CGEL's approach analyzes (1) and (2) as the same construction only with some difference in register (formal vs. informal), I think it fails to accommodate the semantic difference shown above.

SUGGESTED APPROACH

What if we considered the verb 'regret' as taking two complements in (2), one being him and the other being leaving the firm, where the former is construed as the semantic--but not syntactic--subject of the latter?

In this approach, him in (2) would be a raised object of the verb 'regret', whereas the verb 'regret' in (1) would be analyzed as taking only one complement, a non-finite clause shown in the bracketed portion.

Then, (1) and (2) would be "analysed as quite different constructions".

This way, there would be no "problem" analyzing (3) or (4).

More importantly, the suggested analysis treats (1) and (2) as different constructions, thereby possibly accommodating the semantic difference quoted in the Language Log (shown above).

QUESTION

I'd like to know what others think of this suggested approach vis-à-vis CGEL's, and if any existing grammar employs something like the suggested approach.

Word describing the act of giving someone false confidence

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 10:02 AM PDT

I'm having trouble coming up with a word. I need to know what word describes the act of giving someone false confidence. An example would be...

Someone made a batch of home brewed beer and gave it to a master brewer. They said that it was good but the home brewer knows that it isn't. The brewer only said it was good to be polite and encouraging but that's not very helpful in the long run for the home brewer.

It's not really that the master brewer is patronizing the home brewer, he's not being condescending or acting superior, but "patronizing" is the only word I can think of at the moment. Maybe "enabling" would be a better description but I was wondering if anyone could think of a better term to describe this situation.

“Price of goods” vs “Prices of goods”

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 05:05 AM PDT

I was just asked, in referring to the sentence: "The price of goods in big cities is usually higher than in small cities," if it's okay to swap "price of goods" for "prices of goods." I said that goods is a singular group, and prices would only be acceptable if you put a modifying adjective that breaks the singular group into multiple groups such as "the prices of various goods in big cities," but now I'm starting to wonder if that's correct.

What's the difference between "seem" and "seem as if"?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 07:02 AM PDT

What is the difference between following sentences:

  • The children seemed tired
  • The children seemed as if they were tired.

Does the second sentence indicate an imaginary situation?

Draw my attention (from something) to something

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 03:39 AM PDT

"A beautiful woman always draws my attention".

"While I was chatting at Laura's party, a beautiful guy suddenly drew my attention".

«Now I wish to draw your attention to what has attracted my attention most». (Enigmas of Psychical Research)

But can I say, e.g., "my research in social psychology has drawn my attention to the relevance of theoretical physics for behavioral sciences"?

What it should be conveyed in the last phrase is the idea that you were doing something – studying social psychology – and that brought you to do something else which, externally, seemed quite different from the first activity. The attention, as it were, strayed from the first topic to the second one and that was due to the first topic's inner feature. I would not conceive 'attract the attention' as a valid alternative, for it lacks that compelling and coercive element 'draw' seems to imply.

Word order in: What would be the further steps?

Posted: 07 Jul 2021 06:19 AM PDT

What is the right word order in sentence:

What would be the further steps?

or

What would the further steps be?
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