Sunday, September 5, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Why ships and countries are 'her' in the old texts but not 'it'?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 09:31 AM PDT

I have read both of these two good questions and answers and I got the answer of my question, that in the modern English "it" is used more than "her" while referring to a ship or country.

  1. Using 'her' vs. 'its' to refer to a country
  2. Is it a good practice to refer to countries, ships etc using the feminine form?

My question is not to use which of "she" or "it", but my question is why in the past "she" had been more prevalent than "he", specifically when you read history, you see that the people (of English-speaking countries) in the past had been more "masculinist" than now?

are these sentences grammatically correct to use? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:54 AM PDT

I have completed the file and submitted the same. Please review it and get back to me. Awaiting for your valuable feedback.

The usage of the slang phrase "no cap"

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:07 AM PDT

Today I've learned about a phrase, "no cap".

Example:

  • This was the hardest question on the test, no cap.

I wonder how often it is used in everyday conversation in England or the US. Or maybe it has some restrictions

P.S. I am not a native speaker, and though I've graduated from a linguistic faculty, sometimes it is difficult for me to judge how a particular phrase or word is used in everyday speech. I live in Armenia.

What are the linguistic features in grammar? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:06 AM PDT

For instance, if you are asked to identify a particular tense type and their linguistic features in an extra or passage. How would you do that?

Should I avoid using "I think" and "I believe" in a research proposal? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:01 AM PDT

If yes, give me some alternatives please.

exponential blow-up in �� or exponential blow-up with ��?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 06:41 AM PDT

Continuing http://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/123509/exponential-in-terms-of and How to indicate that a function is exponential? (nonetheless different from them), let us speak about a particular quantity, let us call it the number of gizmos, which depends on the number of thingums, doodahs, and hickeys. Mathematically, we have a function 𝑔 (gizmos) which is represented by an expression with variables 𝑡 (thingums), 𝑑 (doodahs), and ℎ (hickeys).

Now, let's assume that know (𝑎(𝑡,𝑑))ʰ ≤ 𝑔(𝑡,𝑑,ℎ) ≤ (𝑏(𝑡,𝑑))ʰ, where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are some integer-valued expressions with values exceeding 1 and depending on 𝑡 and 𝑑, but not on ℎ.

Moreover, let us assume that this characterization of the number of gizmos is rather unenlightening to experts (e.g., because 𝑎 and 𝑏 are very far apart or unknown (only their existence is known) or because unresolved conjectures were assumed; explaining the real reason would lead us astray).

Referring to the above characterization, I wrote:

The above characterization does not reveal too many details about the exponential blow-up in ℎ from a theoretical viewpoint.

My English teacher corrected this to

The above characterization does not reveal too many details about the exponential blow-up with ℎ from a theoretical viewpoint.

The teacher said with would be more idiomatic. I find blow up with strange but cannot prove or disprove the teacher's point. Is the teacher right™ or wrong™?

I welcome answers from mathematicians who are native AmE speakers and have an excellent command of English.

Comparative Construction - She can get through more work in an hour than I can get through in a day

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:14 AM PDT

I was reading the Comparative Construction Chapter from The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language by Pullum and Huddlestone.

There on page 1109, I came across one sentence:

He is more afraid of her than [she is __ of him].

It is written there that the contrast lies not in the head of the comparative phrase (afraid) but in the post head dependents. And that is why "__ of him" is an Adjective Phrase with a missing head and missing degree modifier. It is possible to repeat the head in such circumstances. Thus the quoted sentence above can be written as follows -

He is more afraid of her than [she is __ afraid of him].

But on the same pages a little further down another sentence is illustrated:

She can get through more work in an hour than [I can get through __ in a day].

If we analyse this sentence like the one above we will see it is the contrast between the amount of "work in an hour" vs that of "work in a day".

Then why in the last sentence it is wrong to include work?

How to use multiple "as a" in a sentence? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:00 AM PDT

I am writing SOP for my graduate applications and I am not sure about the grammatical correctness of this sentence. Basically, which of these two sentences is correct?

  1. Having worked as an intern in both research and industry, as a professional software engineer, and as a volunteer for student bodies, open source organizations and public service programs have given me the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to undertake this position.

  2. Having worked as an intern in both research and industry, professional software engineer, and volunteer for student bodies, open source organizations and public service programs have given me the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to undertake this position.

"That's a relief" = "That's [adjective]"

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 04:07 AM PDT

What adjective can be used instead of "a relief" in "That's a relief"?

The only one I can think of is "relieving", but I hope there are better ones.

What's it called when somone doesn't tell the complete truth? [duplicate]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:46 AM PDT

It's not "lying" and it's not "deceiving" because deceiving requires an intention to mislead...to decieve.

It's more like omiting info (sometimes vital) from what's being said for whatever reason. That reason does not have to be malicious. It can even be regarded as good.

For example:

"why were you late?"

"I was late because of the traffic".

Although it is technically true, the speaker omitted the fact that it was because there was a shoot out and the road was blocked.

It's not a lie, it's a ____________.

How to write this sentence in a more academic manner ('many other phenomena still need to be investigated')? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 04:10 AM PDT

My question concerns academic writing

I would like to express something like 'only this phenomenon has been investigated while other phenomena which are numerous and interesting await to be investigated' (see also another paraphrase in the title).

But I don't know how express it in an elegant and academic way.

Do you have any suggestion?

Does 'was' get changed in Indirect speech [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 01:29 AM PDT

My friend says: " My father was a postman" So basically his father used to be a postman but now he is not a postman anymore.

I want to say this in an indirect speech but I don't know how the word "was" is going to be changed.

Is the following sentence correct in Indirect speech?

My friend said his father was a postman.

I feel that 'was' remains same in Indirect speech in this scenario but don't know why.

Please help me.

The phrase "As well as" [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 01:55 AM PDT

Can "as well as" be used interchangably with "in addition" as in: In addition/ As well as, we also offer a wide range of dishes.

What is it called when you use a specific example of something to say something more?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:44 AM PDT

What is it called when you use one, very specific example/description which implicitly includes lots of other things, for example when you are describing a person?

I'm not talking about a metaphor like "she is my sun". What I refer to is more like, instead of describing qualities or feelings, you use one example that implies those qualities.

Example: "She is the one who showed up at every football match" instead of describing "She always showed up and she was always there for you".

It's implied that she was not only fantastic because she watched every game, but because she always showed up, but you use an example instead of describing. (It's not the ultimate example but I couldn't come up with another right now.) The example says something more about the thing described than just the literal meaning.

Correct way to say apply powder on skin of child

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 09:06 AM PDT

What is the proper way to say I'm applying talcum powder on my child's body? I always wonder whether 'applying powder' is correct in this sense.

What's the word for 'reading multiple books from different perspectives to form your opinion'? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 02:01 AM PDT

I remember reading a word that means reading multiple books to form your opinion on a subject, but I forgot the word.

All that which Vs All that

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 03:02 AM PDT

I usually find in some examples "all that which" followed by a verb but in other similar examples "all that" (without which) is used instead. So, in which cases should we use the first and in which ones should we use the second? Consider this example:

  • When he travelled away from home, he was separated from all that which is familiar.
  • When he travelled away from home, he was separated from all that is familiar.

I would be grateful if you could tell me what is the difference between the two, which one is correct and why.

What is “what” in “what has been called“?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 04:04 AM PDT

Climate change is thus a prime example of what people have called a "social ecological system" with factors from different domains interacting on different spatial and temporal scales.

The above sentence is a part of an exercise in my English course. I was asked to change this sentence to passive voice. So, I made it like this.. Climate change is thus a prime example of what has been called a "social ecological system"...

My question is what is the function of what (after a prime example of...) in this sentence? Is it a subject of noun clause or is it a pronoun of social ecological system? This is really confusing to me. Please help explain.

Thank you so much.

Is there a single word for two phrases which are synonymous with one another?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 08:58 AM PDT

Is there a single concise word for two phrases which have the same or nearly the same meanings as one another? Lately, I have found myself Googling phrases like "loath to admit synonym" or "take for example synonym," in the hopes of findings phrases of a similar construction and of a similar meaning. This feels imprecise.

Though Webster's Dictionary defines a synonym as:

one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses

I can't help but feel as though I am not living up to my full Googling potential. Any help?

Which analogies can be used in a hyperbole? [closed]

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:34 AM PDT

I want to ask if we can use any kind of analogies when using an hyperbole in a sentence? For example, are these acceptable examples of hyperbole?

  1. He changed his decision faster than a pion could decay.
  2. She reached the place faster than light could.
  3. His screams echoed throughout India.
  4. She was done even before an electron flipped its spin.

Please feel free to edit the question to make it better and add/replace tags.

Is "in the years to come" only used as a verbal expression?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 10:07 AM PDT

I want to use this expression in my writing but my teacher said it's a verbal expression. However, I have seen it in some formal speech. Please tell me if my teacher is right.

Do we need to add a comma before "as"

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 05:01 AM PDT

Do we need to add a comma before "as" in the following sentence?

I am writing to inform you that I would not able to attend the course from 19 February as my new shift timings match the course timings.

Common phrase for "to name the issue exactly"

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 02:27 AM PDT

I'm looking for an expression/phrase which is common for when in a discussion somebody points to the exact issue / cause of the problem or named an argument which corresponds perfectly to your own opinion. It also expresses that the argument is formulated very straightforward without any reservation and might even make others uncomfortable.

For comparison in German one would say "Den Finger auf die Wunde legen", word-by-word translation would be "You put your finger on the wound".

I only found "put your finger on the weak spot" and "to bring up the painful subject", but I guess there might be way better expressions?

How can I describe someone who changes clothes frequently?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 09:30 AM PDT

Suppose one of your friends puts on different clothes every day. Is there any word or phrase to describe someone like that? I think luxury is not very close to that meaning.

What are differences between a "panel" a "board" and a "think tank"?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 07:07 AM PDT

I am sorry if my question is stupid, but I can't figure out the difference between these three.

Should I use "who" or "whom" as the only word in a sentence?

Posted: 05 Sep 2021 01:57 AM PDT

I understand that "who" is for the subject and "whom" is for the object. However, sometimes they are used as the only word in a sentence. For example:

Person 1: Yeah, he ate the entire cake.

Person 2: Who(m)?

Which form is correct? I can see it being short for both "Who is the person who ate the cake?" and "Whom are you talking about?"
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