Thursday, October 14, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

What is a 'nonexagerated' word for egotistical?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 11:28 AM PDT

Webster defines egotistical : characterized by egotism : having, showing, or arising from an exaggerated sense of self-importance. And other dictionaries add conceit and self-centered.

Webster defines ego: the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world, and it's use associated with self esteem or self care.

What word in this family includes a healthy amount of ego, that is not exagerated? We all need to value self, and sometimes above others, but when it harms others unnecessary, it become excessive ONE ASK, or when someone is consumed by self apart from others it's narcissistic SECOND ASK.

im looking for the term that's parallel with egotistical that is not narcissistic or harmful to others, but instead, is healthy and good. Here's how i would use it in sentences:

His behavior was recognizes as egotistical, but in fact was quite xxxxxxx.

We all need to be more xxxxxxx and less egotistical or oblivious to our own wellbeing.

His xxxxxxx behaviour was exactly what he nneded to learn for is own well being.

Do I separate a list of "blank to blank to blank" with commas?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 11:05 AM PDT

The specific sentence is "The man moved from Paris to London to New York." Would I separate the names of cities with commas?

Ameliorate example sentences

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 10:28 AM PDT

Ameliorate in Oxford's dictionary means "make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better." Since I am new with this word, I want to know whether these sentences (that I made) are correct :

  1. The professor asked a student to ameliorate his essay (to make his essay better).

  2. If you desire to attain first place, you must ameliorate your performance (to make your performance better).

  3. Please ameliorate your grades in order to gain a better prospect of entering a good university (to make your grades better).

  4. The company decided to ameliorate their product after receving negative reviews on the internet. (To change their product so that it is better).

Please correct them if they are wrong.

PS: can you tell me the difference between repair and ameliorate. For instance, in sentence 3, can you replace ameliorate with repair?

The chart shows the unemployment situation in Australia in the year 2012 [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:55 AM PDT

The line graph illustrates the Australian out of a job in 2012. The time added into four quarters of the year. Overall, the percentage of unemployment has fluctuated sometime. Urban areas unemployment rate increase whereas rural areas unemployment rate decrease Looking at this data , Rural areas start at 6.5% of people unemployment higher than urban areas unemployment rates 4,4%. In the second quarter, rural areas unemployment rate were decrease 2% while metropolitan areas increase by approximately 2 %.. Furthermore , with next quarter,outback areas drop 2% was approximately , 3,5 % less than development areas . Civil areas were grew moderately 1, 3 % but still lower rate than rural areas 0,2 %

When writing someone a letter telling them, "I wasn't sure if you needed both documents." Should I write "in need" or needed?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:48 AM PDT

My letter:

Hello,

There are two documents in the file. I sent you both documents because I wasn't sure you needed them both.

Should I write "in need" or "needed"?

What sound does a tornado siren make (onomatopoeia)?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:52 AM PDT

I am trying to write a story about a paranormal tornado but don't know what to write to describe the sound of the tornado warning sirens.

I have tried stuff like waaaaaaaah, but it just doesn't feel right for the text

How do you say that "while" is frequently followed by past continuous?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:12 AM PDT

I usually explain grammar in private lessons and there's an expression I would like to know.
For example, I was trying to explain that when you use while, it is frequently followed by past continuous.
In Spain we say, "Cuando utilizas while, normalmente va con past continuous".
I would like to know if the literal translation is "When you use while, it usually goes with past continuous"
Or what is the most common way to say, that while is frequently followed by past continuous ?

Thanks!

Can quotes be included in summaries? [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:54 AM PDT

I will be taking an editing exam shortly, and one of the questions involves writing a summary of a complex text. I have been provided with sample questions, which tend to include lengthy quotes from politicians. My question: is it appropriate to include quotes in a summary, given that it is supposed to outline the key points of the text? If quotes can/should be included, would it be better to remove direct quotes and change them to reported speech?

What is the difference between settlement and colonies? [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 09:00 AM PDT

I am unsure of the difference between a settlement and a colony. I know that 'colony' means a place where people settle, but the way they run the government is tied to their original practice. But I can't understand the meaning of settlement. It seems they use the words settlement and colonies interchangeably.

I don't like people telling me [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 05:39 AM PDT

what does it mean? I don't like people who tell me or I don't like it when people tell me...

thanks

Do we use 'do' or 'does' when 'and' is uniting two different nouns?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 04:59 AM PDT

In the following sentence should we use 'do' or 'does'? Why?

As well as this, America's foreign policy and geopolitical strategies does not seek to minimise China's influence in the country, but to pursue its own alliances with countries like Israel or the Gulf countries.

I would say it's 'do' because 'and' unites both nouns ('policy' and 'strategies') but I rather double-check with your guys!

company policy vs. company's policy [duplicate]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 03:46 AM PDT

Is there any difference between company policy and company's policy in meaning or are they the same in practice?

Gold market, oil market and bond market all sounds perfectly normal, but why do English speakers choose to say financial market, not finance market?

Use of modifer sometimes seems inconsistent and therefore confusing to non-English speakers.

Which one is better between "for" and "that" [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 04:17 AM PDT

I'd like to know if the below phrases are correct. Also, which one is better, "that" or "for" in this case? I know they can both indicate a consequence to an action but I'm not sure if "that" sounds right here.

A whisper not small enough, not low enough, that John couldn't hear it.

A whisper not small and low enough for John to not be able to hear it.

Thank you!

Definition of "That choice is yet before her"? [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 02:11 AM PDT

I can't completely understand what the following means?

That choice is yet before her.

This sentence is in the Lord of the Rings movie. The scene with Lady Galadriel and Strider where they are talking about the gift that Arwen has given to Strider.

Forecast Entry - Can this mean the process of entering data into a computer form?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 02:41 AM PDT

Our company's customers are forecasters. Some of them (non-native English speakers) use the term Forecast Entry to describe the process of sitting in front of the computer and entering a weather forecast into a form, populating the items one by one.

To me, this doesn't sound like a correct usage of the word entry. The word entry in this context sounds to me like forecast item or forecast record, which is wrong, of course.

Can the phrase Forecast Entry mean the process of populating a form, or can you suggest a better term?

Which one is grammatically correct "The Role of Young Agri-entrepreneurs in/on Food Safety in Bangladesh"? [closed]

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 12:50 AM PDT

Which of "in" or "on" is grammatically correct in the following?

The Role of Young Agri-entrepreneurs in/on Food Safety in Bangladesh"

This is going to be the title of a research project. It feels like "The Role of Young Agri-entrepreneurs in Food Safety in Bangladesh" sounds natural. Or you can suggest a good one.

Why is the verb "Pilot" capitalized in Robinson Crusoe?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 10:34 AM PDT

The following is an excerpt from Robinson Crusoe (Oxford World's Classics, p39).

my Business was to hold my Breath, and raise my self upon the Water, if I could; and so by swimming to preserve my Breathing, and Pilot my self towards the Shore, if possible;

I understand that in the English of the time first letters of nouns are capitalized, like in modern German.

Why "Pilot" instead of "pilot"? I read "Pilot" above as a verb. Am I simply wrong on this or is it just a misprint?

Is it possible for "thus to" to replace "in order to"

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 10:22 AM PDT

I'm struggling to understand if the sentence below is correct:

The first time they ventured in this bookshop, thus to find refuge and protection from the rain lashing on cobblestones outside, Paul immediately fell in love with the place, as for John, he didn't want to leave it anymore.

Is it possible for "thus to" to replace "in order to"? I'm never sure about the correct usage of "thus"... Also, is it possible to start a sentence with "thus"?

Thank you.

“Who are you known to”

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 11:16 AM PDT

My English teacher asked me to construct the passive voice of the sentence "Who knows you?". Then, I could immediately make up the sentence "To whom are you known?". My English teacher said that it was absolutely correct.

But she constructed another sentence: "Who are you known to?". I could understand that the sentence is grammatically correct as the preposition "to" is at the end now, and the interrogative pronoun "who" is not a prepositional object. But still I could not appreciate that the meaning of the second sentence should be as clear as the first one. How should I understand "1. Who, are you know to?" and "2. Who are you, known to?"? I could not make out the meaning of the sentence "Who are you known to?".

Please explain the reasoning leading to the right interpretation.

Can I not use the article 'the' before the word 'selective note-taking'?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 11:18 AM PDT

I used the grammar check website, and I got this result.

Selective note-taking is more efficient.
*Selective note-taking technique is more efficient. (error)
The selective note-taking is more efficient.
The selective note-taking technique is more efficient.

Why is it ungrammatical to say 'selective note-taking technique' without the article 'the', while it is grammatical to say 'selective note-taking' without the article 'the'?

Thanks for your attention, have a great day!

How to use the word adjustable here

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 07:08 AM PDT

How can I say this: These are adjustable (in/for/as far as/through) their angle and height

Which alternative in parenthesis is correct? Or you have other better suggestion to say this?

Prepostions followed by that-clauses

Posted: 13 Oct 2021 11:06 PM PDT

It's commonly said that prepositions take declarative clauses without that. However:

  1. The apartment is nice except that the rent is too high.
  1. You can't always count on it that someone will help.

It seems that Prepositions "except" and "on" are both followed by that-clauses(serving as objects).

In the second example, why should "it" be used and placed between "on" and " that"?

"the tyranny of the people with a chip on their shoulder and time to burn"

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 06:46 AM PDT

A Hacker News commentator wrote:

if you open up moderation then you'll get Tyranny of the Majority [1]. But in the internet age it would actually be tyranny-of-the-people-a-chip-on-their-shoulder-and-time-to-burn.

[1] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority

I wonder if there is a better or at least shorter term for "the tyranny of the people with a chip on their shoulder and time to burn"?

Do we pronounce the vowel at the beginning of the word with a preceding glottal stop?

Posted: 13 Oct 2021 11:22 PM PDT

My understanding of stop in general is that we block the airflow in the vocal tract at the glottis and then release it. For example, when I say the word "pie", I 'stop' the airflow at the lips for the /p/ sound and then immediately release it - which is the reason they are called "stops".

The same thing happens with a glottal stop but instead of the lips, the glottis is used where the stoppage of air occurs. This happens for example with the 't' in the word "water" in many Englishes (Estuarian/Cockney).

Vowels by definition have no stoppage or releasing of airflow but the air moves freely without obstructions.

But what if we have vowels at the beginning of a word?

Example: Enter, important, and even the letter I.

At the start of a sentence, how is "enter" pronounced? Is it /en.tər/ or /ʔen.tər/? And is 'I' /aɪ/ or /ʔaɪ/?

I hear a clear obstruction at the beginning of those words. It is kind of weak sound but it is definitely not a vowel.

Do native speakers do that a lot? It is reasonable because when we are pronouncing words that begin with vowel and there is no other sound before that, our vocal tract is closed so It is possible to have a glottal stop.

Question:

Do we pronounce the vowel at the beginning of the word with a preceding glottal stop?

Biding their time to reveal their hidden depths

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 10:02 AM PDT

Is there a phrase for what a person is or is doing who is underrated by people but then shows themselves to contain hidden depths? Not quite a diamond in the rough. Sort of like dark horse. Hmm? Not sinister hidden depths. Like when my intellectually disabled daughter surprises all who underestimate her by blurting out an insightful comment or clever joke.

A word to describe the desire to climb a mountain

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 10:29 AM PDT

I'm looking to find a way to describe the feeling of seeing a mountain and thinking, I want to climb to the very top of that in one word. I know it is a common feeling but there does not appear to be a succinct way to describe that emotion/sensation. I've looked in websters, OED, online and have found nothing.

Can you vs. Do you think you can

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 02:13 AM PDT

Is there a right or wrong way to ask someone to do something? The other day I said to my husband, "Do you think you can fax this paper for me?" He said that was insulting and I should say "Can you fax this paper for me?" Thoughts??

What is the name of the area of skin between the nose and the upper lip / mouth?

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 02:45 AM PDT

What is the name of the area that is between the nose and the upper lip, circled in figure 1 below?

enter image description here

source of face image

I have found that the area circled in figure 2, the small indentation under the nose, is called the "philtrum," which is what the many searches I have tried have yielded, but I cannot figure out what the entire area is called.

Words pertaining to the senses and the corresponding disabilities

Posted: 14 Oct 2021 06:11 AM PDT

I need help on finding words relating to the senses/perception. I mean this in a neuronic/biological or philosophy-of-mind kind of way.

A word for...

  • pertaining to the senses (Is it sensory?)
  • pertaining to vision (ocular?)
  • pertaining to smell (olfactoric?)
  • pertaining to taste
  • pertaining to sound
  • pertaining to touch
  • unable to smell
  • unable to taste
  • unable to feel/touch
  • unable to perceive (unconscious?)
  • (unable to see: blind)
  • (unable to hear: deaf)
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