Saturday, October 16, 2021

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Comma between two relative clauses connected by “and”?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 09:04 AM PDT

Is the comma in the sentence

Let

𝜑: ℛ → ℕᵏ,  (𝑏₀,…,𝑏ₙ₋₁) ↦ ({𝑖<𝑛|𝑏ᵢ=𝑡ᵣ})ᵣ₌₀ᵏ⁻¹

be the map that, loosely speaking, counts how many copies of each of the 𝑘 balls there are in a row(,) and that returns a vector of these counts.

Is the comma (,) before "and"

  1. necessary,

  2. forbidden,

  3. optional with a change in the meaning, or

  4. optional without a change in the meaning?

As you see, you have two relative clauses there, introduced by "that" and connected by "and". The simple maths is there solely to come close to the original sentence (which would be neither typesettable nor comprehensible here).

Trend of possible unnecessary use of demonstrative, "that" [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 07:19 AM PDT

I've noticed in the last 5 years of normal conversation (usually with a sales person) that the demonstrative, "that" is over-used.

I've typically heard:

(After paying with a credit card) "... now, here's that credit card and I'll need that signature."

With a cable service call person: "Okay, let's check when we can re-schedule that installation ..."

Is this considered a proper use? I realize it may be common to use it but I was wondering what anyone else thinks about this?

My assumption is that you would use "that" when you are pointing out a particular choice of many. In the above cases, I am only using one credit card. I only have one signature and not several of them (at least he is not aware of others :-) ). Also, we were only talking about one installation for cable service (not many of them in many different buildings).

Which one is the correct format between the two sentences?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 06:34 AM PDT

  1. It is not your fault but ours.
  2. It is not your fault but is ours.

Correct grammar for "due to" in the past

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 09:19 AM PDT

I'm pretty new to this community, so sorry if I do anything wrong. So, I have this sentence:

By the time the rescuers arrived, which took a long time due to the helicopter not being able to lift up, they had only eaten 2 peanuts each.

Is it correct to say the helicopter or the helicopter's ?

What I'm trying to say, is that The rescuers arrived late, because the helicopter was not able to lift up.

People tell me that this sentence is grammatically incorrect, and the correct version is:

By the time the rescuers arrived, which took a long time due to the helicopter was not able to lift up, they had only eaten 2 peanuts each.

I want to know which one of these is correct, and if it's the second one, what's the reason that my sentence is wrong?

Fairly big (passive) vocabulary but awkward sentences [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 04:49 AM PDT

I posses a fairly decent vocabulary, but the sentences I produce in everyday interactions tend to be a bit awkward. My sentences are unnatural, I say things that normally you would say in another way. I forget to use the expressions that I understand when I hear them.

What is a good way to train having more natural sentences? I think I need to train some sentence pattern structures and remember to use them so that I remember to say them again.

Difference between "bail on" and "scrap" in oral?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 04:46 AM PDT

In the australian context, I heard somebody said "scrap that" or "..bail on the van". Both basically mean "abandon, get rid of..", but was wondering what specific context shall I use them precisely, in terms of oral english.

Thanks a lot!

rephrasing practice [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 02:57 AM PDT

¿Are these three sentences similar in meaning?:

  • Many of the unemployed refuse to think about their future until they are made to.
  • Many of the unemployed only thought about their future when they were made to.
  • Only did many of the unemployed think about their future when they were made to.

What would an intelligent underwater species call their "atmosphere"? [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 02:54 AM PDT

We live in a sphere of air and call it the atmosphere.

If sharks were intelligent (and could speak English) and had a name for the place they live in, what would they call it? An option would be hydrosphere but that word means:

[...] the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the surface of the planet, underground, and in the air.

Which also includes the water outside of oceans.

Oceanosphere would be my next guess but apparently there so no such word. Is there a better option or should I stick to oceanosphere?

It is important that the word comes from the perspective of a species that doesn't know what it's like to live on land or in the air.

Usage:

The intelligent species of X lived on the ocean floor and could only breath and thrive in the water, a place they called [the word].

I made out the meaning

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 03:11 AM PDT

When a foreign friend asked me if the sentence, 'I made out the meaning', made sense my straight instincts told me that it was wrong. However, she meant it as in 'I understand the meaning', and now I'm confused.

'What I can't make out is why you have changed your mind.' In this case the word 'understand' is interchangeable with 'make out'.

'Make out', has various meanings (ahem*), and I can't explain why it is wrong so I don't know if it is wrong.

'Make out' is a phrasal verb. So my understanding now is that, it falls in the same category with, 'I guessed the meaning' and 'I assumed the meaning'. Can someone justify if it is correct?

Should i use don't or didn't with I have checked [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 02:21 AM PDT

I want to know if the below sentence is gramatically correct or not?

I have checked the log and don't find any that can tell us the redirection is removed.

Award vs. Reward [closed]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 12:01 AM PDT

The team members were ______ after winning the league.

a) rewarded
b) awarded
c) a and b

I think it's c, but I was told that's wrong. It's really confusing.

When analysing texts, does the writer always mean what they say? [closed]

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 10:52 PM PDT

When writers like Shakespeare write their plays and stories and when we analyse them, are our analysis the same as what the writer wants to say.

For example, a writer writes, "John ate Spaghetti covered with tomato sauce." When we analyse it, we say "The tomato sauce symbolises John's remorse for killing the man, an symbol for the way the man's body was left..."

Which English word for the person who helps travellers while travelling?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 04:23 AM PDT

While travelling, a person joins travellers to help, explain and introduce the place we travel. What is the English word for that person?

I'm looking for a word that describes a thing that looks like another thing (both inanimate). Is there one…?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 05:28 AM PDT

I thought up pragmamorphism but somebody beat me to the punch with an anthropocentric definition that I was trying to avoid. I've looked at a couple of other Ancient Greek word constructs, but outside of mineralogy, they don't make sense. Does the word I'm searching for exist?

For example, 'The tapioca looked like frogspawn with perfect _ _ _ _'.

Word(s) for the act of expecting others to believe the same things one does

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 12:41 AM PDT

To elucidate a bit: I'm trying to find a word that means believing strongly in something and expecting others to believe in it as well. I've found words like "domineer" and "proselytize", but the difference there, as I understood it, is that those rather focus on the action itself of asserting one's will; what I'm looking for is more something like having a belief, not consciously enforcing it, but judging and criticising others for not thinking the same way. Is there such a word?

What is a word for when you enjoy something, but wish you didn't. Or you don't want to enjoy something but you end up finding it funny anyway?

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 11:50 PM PDT

I need a word for this emotion and I can't think of one. Thoughts?

Which one is more correct, "White-eye Man" or “White-Eye Man”？

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 11:01 PM PDT

My son loves white-eyes, a kind of bird,very much. He wants name his storybook like spider man or iron man, so he decides to name it "white-eye man".

I am not quite sure which one is correct if it is placed in the title or in the context.

A verb to describe defensive behavior/action in an attempt to deny embarrassment

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 10:03 PM PDT

I am looking for a verb/term to describe someone's aggressive argument with twisted logic in an attempt to cover up his/her embarrassment arising from his/her mistake. Similar to projecting. Are there other words which can be used to describe such behavior more accurately?

(Not) do subtle

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 03:58 AM PDT

DO1 (v.tr.) 1c. To perform the tasks or behaviors typically associated with (something), especially as part of one's character or normal duties:

That talk show host just doesn't do subtle.

https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=do

Is subtle an adverb here? Or rather do is a copulative verb?

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

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 09:45 PM 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"?

in vs for ( regarding time )

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 04:02 AM PDT

Which one sounds more appropriate?

  1. I haven't had a good sleep in the past few days.
  2. I haven't had a good sleep for the past few days.

I reckon they both may be correct with different context, so could you please explain to me, when do we use 'in'and when do we use 'for'.

General word for the property of something that describes how full something is

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 04:26 AM PDT

I'm looking for a general word. A few examples to help illustrate:

  • If a class has 10 spots and 4 people have registered, the class' ____ is 4.
  • If you're filling up a container of unknown capacity and it takes a while and someone asks on your progress, they may inquire about the container's current ____.
  • If a battery or capacitor is 50% charged, its ____ is half.
  • If a progress meter or a loading indicator hasn't progressed very far, its ____ is low.

The closest I've come up with is "fullness" (or "level" in the container example, though that's usually used along with a reference to the thing filling the container, as in "water level" or "the level of the dirt"). But those don't seem quite right. I think something more generic that could be used in these and other similar cases is what I'm after - any place you have a total and you're after the current amount filled, whether or not the total or the current amount are specific numbers or general amounts (like nearly empty or nearly full).

"This is what I understand" or "This is how I understand it", etc

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 01:05 AM PDT

Which one of the following statements is correct or do all of them make sense?

  1. System A works independently and does not affect System B. This is what I understand.

  2. System A works independently and does not affect System B. This is how I understand it.

  3. System A works independently and does not affect System B. This is my understanding.

"Kind" or "Kinds"? [duplicate]

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 02:06 AM PDT

I understand the basic singular/plural agreement when using kind/kinds:

This kind of person
Those kinds of people

But what do you do if the subject is not the plural "those" but rather the singular "one of those"? In a sentence like this, would you use the singular "kind" because of the "one of" or the plural "kinds" because the "one of" is referring to a separate plural clause:

You're one of those spare-the-rod kind(s) of people, right?

I could always suggest a rephrase as

You're a spare-the-rod kind of person, right?

but I'd like to know how to properly work the original sentence too.

Thanks!

I'd appreciate it if + <past tense> + until + <present or past tense?>

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 12:09 AM PDT

These three examples have the same construction of

I'd appreciate it if you + past tense verb + ... + until + subject + present or past tense verb...

The first one has the present tense verb finish after until whereas the other two have the past tense verbs got and were:

From the movie 'Kingsman' (video clip):

(1) Listen boys, I've had a rather emotional day. So whatever your beef with Eggsy is, I'd appreciate it enormously if you could leave us in peace until I finish this lovely pint of Guinness.

From the book "The Ultimate Plan: A Financial Survival Guide for Life's Unexpected Events":

(2) So if you must have an attack, I'd appreciate it if you could wait until we got to Broadway.

From the book "Touching Darkness: Number 2 in series":

(3) 'Still, Melissa,' he said, 'this is a classroom, and I'd appreciate it if you waited until you were out in the hall before turning that thing on.'

Note that all the verbs after until (finish, got, and were) describe a future situation.

Can you have the past tense verb finished in (1)?

Also, can you have the present tense verbs get and are in (2) and (3), respectively?

Is there a rule that determines the tense of the verbs after until?

What does “two-by-six crashing" mean?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 12:04 AM PDT

Recently I came across a phrase, "two-by-six crashing" in the following paragraph in Dan Brown's fiction, "Inferno":

"Langdon had feared as much; the last thing they needed now was to send a two-by-six crashing through a Vasari canvas – P.265"

I know the word, "two-by-four" as a finished wood used for building that measures two inches wide and four inches deep, but I'm new to "two-by-six (crashing, explosion, shock, impact)."

Google provides a sequence of headings of "two-by-six" as a quote from Dan Brown's "Inferno" without any definition or meaning of the phrase.

Google N-Gram shows that the phrase has existed since 1820's. The usage peaked during 1900 to 1920, and is dwindling off to 0.000.000.20% incidence level today.

It seems to me the phrase means an enormous impact, but I'm not sure. What does "two-by-six" something mean? Is that usage coming back to life?

Saying condolences if relative is hospitalised?

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 09:29 AM PDT

Is it offensive to say 'condolences' to people with a relative who is hospitalised? Apparently there's this kind of assumption 'condolences' is sometimes reserved only to express sympathy/empathy re grief for actual death, so it's like some kind of jinx if I say to a potentially dying person. However, the assumption appears to be false.

Please explain answer and provide sources.

Bounty note 1: please give references/sources (i already said sources above though). Eg for things like this

Because the word is so strongly associated with death, its use in a situation where a person might be going to die, could be taken as suggesting that the patient was as good as dead already. In such a situation it would be tactless, and potentially distressing, to say "Condolences". So, yes, it could be offensive to use the word when a relative has been hospitalised.

sounds like a personal opinion. sounds like a really good and well-founded opinion. but an opinion nevertheless

Bounty note 2: i'm a dumbass. the thing of davidlol from 2017 does say death only for UK. so davidlol are you arguing this: like in the UK definition of Cambridge it is death only?

Meaning of "three points" in the context of salary / equity

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 07:10 AM PDT

Alice: What (how much) are you guys getting?
Bob: Three points each.

Does "three points" mean three thousand/grand in this context? If yes then I assume it would be per month.

update 1: I heard this in the TV show named "Silicon Valley", in which the dudes use lots of informal/slang words/expressions.

update 2: They are also talking about the amount of equity they each get in their start-up company.

Episode transcript

What's this syntax called: "Him being the nice person he is, helped her."?

Posted: 15 Oct 2021 11:07 PM PDT

Or "He, being the nice person that he is, helped her."

Which one is correct and what's the construction called?

Difference between "Does she have the book?" and "Has she the book?"

Posted: 16 Oct 2021 05:56 AM PDT

What is the difference between "Does she have the book?" and "Has she the book?"
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