Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Books have(been) sold [duplicate]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 09:49 AM PDT

I read somewhere the following sentence "My! ... all the books have sold."

Is the above sentence correct?

As books are the objects here, they don't sell themselves. Someone(Subject) must sell them. So I think passive voice should be used here.

Shouldn't it be "My! ... all the books have been sold"?

Please help.

Is there a prefix that indicates something happening eight times per year?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 09:42 AM PDT

I'm looking for the inverse of "octennial".

Frequent Comparisons

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 09:38 AM PDT

I'm working on a paper and have to compare two groups (in percentage) who either do or do not do particular activities. I don't want to use the same structure again and again throughout the text. Are the following sentences easy to understand? Thank you.

In the case of daily reports, A% of participants are required to write reports on a daily basis, while B% of the staff provide no information.

From a gender point of view, 60% of men (vs. 40%) and 70% of women (vs. 30%) do this particular activity.

Is the second one suggesting that 60% of men do the activity and the other 40% don't? I have to do this for a couple of times in the rest of the paper. Any suggestion for other possible structures is greatly appreciated.

What is the English equivalent for "向...交代“ (meaning how am I supposed to face someone if I fail to keep the promise I made)?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 07:41 AM PDT

This is usually used in family-related settings. The audience is usually some family member of the person with whom you made a promise. I'll give you a typical example.

Tom is dying, so he asks his friend Jerry to help take care of his son John after he dies. Jerry agrees and tries his best to play the role of a father. However, John keeps acting up and even becomes addicted to drugs since his father's death. Frustrated by John's behavior, Jerry says to John: "How am I supposed to 向 your father 交代? I made a promise to him to take care of you."

In this example, Jerry is implying that he couldn't even face Tom in the afterworld (if it exists). What do people in English-speaking countries usually say in such situations. My question is not necessarily a translation question. I just want to know the English equivalent(s) for these expressions.

Why is "The older desktop computer," better than, "The desktop older computer"?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 09:43 AM PDT

This could be a moderately pedantic point, however, as a native English speaker the word order of,

The older, desktop computer.

somehow "feels" more correct than

The desktop, older computer.

Is this just me being odd, or is this an actual rule in English?

To be clear, in this context, one can have a "desktop computer" or a "rack computer".

'Has been launched' or 'was launched'? [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 09:21 AM PDT

Suppose Jaguar XE was launched in the US yesterday. Now, consider the given statements.

  1. Jaguar XE was launched in the US at a starting price of $39,900.
  2. Jaguar XE has been launched in the US at a starting price of $39,900.

If I'm writing a news report, which sentence should I prefer? I believe the first sentence is correct because 'launching' is not an ongoing process but an event of the recent past. But I've seen many writers using 'has been launched' in similar situations.

Which one is correct?

Is this sentence right?Any improvement? [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:57 AM PDT

Is this sentence correct?Any improvement?

I always find difficulty understanding the phrase "inverted control flow". So could you please elaborate(elaborate ) on the word "inverted" in this context "..."?

What's the meaning of "Using a thread-per-connection for ~2 million simultaneous operations is a design that is dead on arrival." [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:52 AM PDT

What's the meaning of "Using a thread-per-connection for ~2 million simultaneous operations is a design that is dead on arrival."

Here is the context:

My personal experience using Asio stems from the scalability aspect. Writing software for supercomputers requires a fair amount of care when dealing with limited resources such as memory, threads, sockets, etc. Using a thread-per-connection for ~2 million simultaneous operations is a design that is dead on arrival.

A sentence from 'correct the following sentences' assignment [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:41 AM PDT

'Either of the friend is tall'

Is this sentence correct?

If no, what should be the correct one?

Details will be appreciated.

Is the phrase "refreshing lives" grammatically correct?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:01 AM PDT

Someone shared a mail, where among the contents, he said - its been 14 years of refreshing lives. We are arguing whether the word refreshing is being used in the right context.

Potentially ambiguous sentence/understanding

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 07:49 AM PDT

I was reading the Monty Hall problem to discuss it with a friend.

The problem is defined as:

Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, "Do you want to pick door No. 2?" Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?

And a whole documentation about this problem is available (for instance) here: Wikipedia: Monty Hall problem

When discussing it with my friend, the sentence "You pick a door, and the host opens another door" caused a conflict between us because my friend (who speaks English and is in the US) told me that this means that the host opens the initial door and another one since, the action consists in "opening another" which means it applies to the initial and another one.

My understanding of this sentence is " what is opened ?" -> another door. How is defined "another door" -> it is a door different than the initial one. So what is opened ? a door different than the first one.

Thus my understanding is that after I chose a door, the host opens a single one, that is different than mine (thus the second or third in the problem situation).

My friend tells me that my reasoning is incorrect because is not how English works (and she tells me she knows this better since I am not a native English speaker). However since, I know this logical problem pretty well, I was quite confident with my understanding and look for a strong grammatical/syntaxic/semantic/linguistic/morphologic/etc... arguments/proof that could provide a definitive understanding of this and that I could share with my friend and definitively convince them.

Do these sentence have adjective of verb 3 instead of passive simple present tense (buried, closed, defeated, published)?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 02:33 AM PDT

  • Most of my family are buried near my home.
  • The case is dismissed.
  • I am defeated. Nothing left to look forward to and nothing left to hold on to.
  • Your first question is published.

What I have realized with these sentences is that they don't explain a general case but explain a situation. For instance, my father is buried here doesn't mean I bury my father everyday or once a week but shows the current situation of my dad i.e., he is buried and dead.

When I say "the case is dismissed" it is not like we dismiss this case generally or often but it explains the situation of the case i.e., it is no longer a valid case. So I thought that these four words (buried, dismissed, defeated, published) are not verbs in the form of passive simple present tense but they are adjectives in the form of verb 3.

My question is "am I right?". If I am right, can we use almost all the verbs in English like this i.e., by creating adjective in the form of verb 3 and use them like in these sentences?

Despite a break of traditional rules, my sonnet still be called a sonnet?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:27 AM PDT

I am having to do a sonnet for a class poetry slam, and in reviewing what I have at the moment, realize this as one of my lines:

.../so briefly, in the multivalent chagrin, the gray of conformity, that which I myself struggle through.

A sonnet has alternating rhyming: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, and GG; they are in iambic pentameter and ten syllables long per line (five feet); clearly, this line here does not follow the rules. Many other lines in my sonnet disobey line length (the number of syllables) and iambic pentameter, but it still keeps the number of lines and rhyme scheme of a traditional sonnet.

However, in spite of the break of this rule, can it still be considered a sonnet?

There have been some breaks in rules especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, not only in the line number but in the nature of the meter and rhyming themself.

Given this, could I still present my sonnet as a sonnet?

A message from my financial adviser [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 02:09 AM PDT

A message from my financial adviser is titled

1 in 3 aren't getting the right investment advice.

Is this grammatically incorrect?

One or two full points after "cc" meaning "centuries"? [duplicate]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 01:46 AM PDT

Would you put one or two full points after "cc" (referring to "centruries") when "cc" is the last word of a sentence? For instance:

This event had a great impact on the country in the 15-16 cc.. At that time, religious wars tore Europe apart.

Venice was an important centre of trade in the 13-16 cc.. Merchants from all over the world came to the city to sell their goods.

Word or expression to describe the feeling of nostalgia for a place that you used to like, but not any more, and are eager to leave behind again

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 01:58 AM PDT

This question was inspired by a situation in a role-playing game.

Basically, the character in question had been forced to relocate and live for a good chunk of her childhood in a very bad slum, and it was a miracle that she wasn't a victim herself.

Later, she relocated into another city which, even if it wasn't perfect, looked like paradise in contrast to the hell where she was. Even then, she eventually realised that it's not much of the ideal life either; it was better only by comparing it to her previous city. Upon revisiting the place many years later, she says:

Is there a word for feeling nostalgic for a place you can't wait to leave again? I don't miss this place... But I miss the feelings I had when I lived here.

An example of how I could use a word or an expression to express it:

Friend: How do you feel about this place?

Me: Sad, or rather [the word or expression].

Friend: Why?

Me: I've had good times here, but it's not what it used to be.

Is there a different meaning of unsufficient and insufficient? [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 12:49 AM PDT

Is there any semantic difference of unsufficient vs insufficient?

Unsufficient seem to be most common in USA, UK and India. Ref 1

Where as insufficient seem to be common all over the world. Ref 2

How would the queen of England say the f word? [closed]

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 01:08 AM PDT

I am looking for a very posh way of cussing after a failed task. Like dropping a hot cup of coffee or tripping on a tree branch. But it has got to be very polite, posh, and high-mannered. The closest I have got to a proper answer would be something like "Damn it!" or "Darn-it!" but I don't imagine someone as posh as the queen of England would resort to these sorts of exclamations only those ill mannered utilize.

Interesting use of "so much"

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 04:29 AM PDT

When I use the phrase "so much," I normally mean it as a quantifier of an uncountable noun. That sounds pretty obtuse, but let me give examples:

  • Don't use so much sugar
  • The patient is in so much pain

This is similar to "Don't use so many potatoes," but you can count potatoes easily, but sugar is difficult, and pain is uncountable. Alright?

Here's the usage that confuses me:

  • You threw them away like so much trash. (from an episode of The Rookie)
  • Mama's giant cross-stitched bedspread would never be finished, and was so much ash. (from The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal)

Clearly, this usage is different, and it isn't meant to quantify the trash or the ash. It seems to emphasize the contrast between the subject and object (them vs trash, bedspread vs ash), and maybe to emphasize the negative aspect of the trash and ash. And yet, you could easily leave "so much" out of those sentences and not affect the meaning at all.

Am I missing a nuance?

And more importantly: Is there a name for this? Are there other phrases used in the same way? Are there rules about proper usage?

What word describes whether a number is cardinal, ordinal, or nominal?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 12:59 AM PDT

Cardinal numbers are those which represent a quantity and generally have some unit of measurement.

Ordinal numbers represent order, such as rank on a leaderboard.

Nominal numbers are those used to identify something, such as an IP address, ZIP code, or SSN.

Is there a word that refers to this specific aspect of a number? "Category" and "type", are too vague, and generally are taken in a mathematical context. "Use" seems to be closer, but still rather vague.

In the field of bookbinding, where does the term "Davey Board" come from?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 04:20 AM PDT

There is a generic material called "Binder's Board". Which is the board that the covers of hardcover books are made from. In the industry, it is also called "Davey Board". I have done quite some searching around, but have not found a definitive source for the term. Does anyone know where this came from?

Davey seems like a person's name, so I can only guess that a person named Davey made this board or was one person who was well known at some time in the past.

How did "muggins" come into use?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:52 AM PDT

In an episode of "Yes Minister", the Rt. Hon. James Hacker is appointed to be "Transportation Supremo" - in charge of devising an integrated transport policy. His permanent secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, explains that it's politically detrimental to hold this position. Then this is said:

Hacker: "But I'm going to be Transport Supremo..."

Appleby: "I believe the civil service vernacular is Transport Muggins."

So, muggins is an interesting word. the Merrian-Webster dictionary suggests that a muggins is a "simpleton", and the other definitions imply that a muggins acts carelessly, or without proper awareness of their environment or the consequences of their actions.

But it really doesn't sound like an adjective to me. Almost seems to be a plural form. I also wonder if it has anything to do with the verb "mug" (perhaps the person being mugged is a muggins?)

So how did "muggins" come into use?

"Within me" or "within myself"

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 06:01 AM PDT

I always hesitate between within me or within myself when the subject is I. Is there a rule that can help me decide? For example, in this sentence

The fullness of life that we receive within us/ourselves every time we (do something).

I just can't decide which one is correct and sounds more natural. I know I could omit within us/ourselves, but I am not asking for a re-writing of the sentence. Within is important for the text and needs to be there. My question is how I can decide which pronoun to use after within. Definitions in dictionaries like Cambridge, and M-W don't address this issue.

Edit: Please note that I do know that both variants, with us and with ourselves, exist, so I do not need examples of it, especially if these are examples with other prepositions. I find within a particular preposition with a certain notion of reflexive connotation, if I may call it that way. Also, I am interested in within marking direction as in my example: receive denotes a movement of something from without within, so examples of within used with static verbs like experience or be do not really match what I am looking for. And yes, it is important that the subject is of the same person and number with the pronoun after within, as it seems to make the reflexive pronoun mandatory, yet in some cases it does remain optional. Whence my dilemma.

Edit 2: This was meant to be a comment but the link has too many characters and doesn't fit. This GNgram convinces me that receive within oneself does exist, but it is outdated (which I welcome - this is the tone of the text I am working with). I wasn't aware though that it was (almost exclusively) restricted to religious contexts. I am quite amazed by the discovery.

What does "it got twisted up" mean?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 08:10 AM PDT

I've tried to translate the lyrics of one of my favorite English-language songs into Croatian. A part of the lyrics is: The country that you died for, mate, you wouldn't know it now. The future that we dreamed of, mate, got all twisted up somehow.

But what does it got twisted up mean? I looked it up in several dictionaries and I couldn't find it. I translated it as izjalovila, which is the word Croatians use for a plan that turned out to be impossible to realize. It rhymes in my translation, and I guess it's correct, but I am not sure.

What do you think?

"Have you got familiar with new working environment?" Which tense should i use in this sentence?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 01:07 AM PDT

I have been confused by the use of some tenses. Especially when i have to use state verb. To the sentence above, Can i use simple present tense here. Like: Do you get familiar with new working environment? Or Did you get familiar with new working environment? Does it have the same meaning? Thank you for helping me.

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

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 07:02 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!

The future as reported in the past

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 08:00 AM PDT

Is (1) correct, or must it be written as (2)?

  1. John told me yesterday that this contract will not be renewed when it ends next month.
  2. John told me yesterday that this contract would not be renewed. It would be ending next month.

Is it appropriate to use the salutation "Dear All" in a work email?

Posted: 21 Sep 2021 12:38 AM PDT

I have observed that in my work place, whenever a mail is sent to more than one person( like an information, meeting request or a notice etc.), the mail starts with the salutation "Dear All". This, somehow, doesn't seem correct to me. For me, a salutation should address the reader individually, at least in its singular form, as in "Dear Colleagues".

Am I correct in thinking that?
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