Sunday, April 10, 2022

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Recent Questions - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

Help me identify these parts of the sentence in the given question

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 06:38 AM PDT

This is the question that I am answering: name as many part of the sentences as you can;

As she was crossing the street after she had picked up her dry cleaning from 'Britain's dry cleaning Wonder Shop', Claire wondered if Shane hadn't been in such a hurry that morning, he would have remembered their anniversary. Suddenly a red car came out of nowhere and she had to leap out of the way.

Would you be so kind and guide me, what is the role of:

'street': (direct object)? (crossing the street)

'Britain's dry cleaning Wonder Shop'?

'Morning'? (in such a hurry that morning)

'nowhere'? (out of nowhere)

'way'? (out of the way)

Looking for a more gender inclusive terms for 'mother' and 'father'

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 06:36 AM PDT

I try to be very inclusive when it comes to gender, especially when teaching kids so they will in term be inclusive. This is particularly important since I often visit kids who have trans parents that can complicate terminology at times. For instance I know a kid whose father was pregnant with him, but the kid doesn't yet know the father is trans (they're waiting until they believe the kid can be trusted not to go telling everyone) and so presumes the father's wife was the one that was pregnant which would make it very difficult to answer a question about his 'mother' or pregnancy to him...

Thus I'm looking for a more inclusive term that would refer to the person that was pregnant or the person that provided sperm regardless of their gender. I've previously tried male parent and female parent, but ignoring the fact that it became awkward that term still excludes intersex parents.

Is there a clean, not-too-awkward word or phrase that can better cover a parent who carried or provided sperm for a child regardless of their gender? Ideally I'd like something that would work even when talking to young children, most of whom already have some notion of sex and gender not always being the same, but it may be asking too much to have something a young child will understand and flows easily.

Question about Dog and Dog's female

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:51 AM PDT

I am a non-native speaker trying to learn English. I have a question about an animal.

Why is "dog" considered a good word and while its female equivalent, "bitch", is considered a bad word? In essence both are the same animal just masculine and feminine. I have even seen people calling a "bitch" as dog while they call other animals by their female terms.

Please do not get me wrong I am just trying to understand why there is so much differentiation between male and female versions of the same animal?

Long sentence between "make" and adjective

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:40 AM PDT

Consider the text below, which is an attempt of translation from Italian.

This is needed in order to make all the editorial processes the manuscript will undergo transparent.

The boldface words show the connection with the transparent adjective, which is supposed to be connected with the make verb. But the sentence between the verb and the adjective seems too long, and therefore it could be uncomfortable or difficult for the reader to make this connection.

If we could use them to refer to the editorial processes, then we could say:

This is needed in order to make them transparent.

which is much clearer.

But when there is a longer sentence in between, rather than a single pronoun, how can we make the text easier to read? Can transparent be placed immediately after make? (although I don't think so because the "object" being made "transparent" would end up after the adjective). Something like this:

This is needed in order to make transparent all the editorial processes the manuscript will undergo.

Or perhaps the only way is to completely change the structure of the text? If this is the case, how would you change it?

Usage of "even when" in a sentence

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:47 AM PDT

Does the meaning of this sentence change if "even when" is placed in the beginning? Removing the word "even" gives the sentence clear meaning, does adding it change the meaning??

Larceny occurs even when the victim lacks the mental capacity to consent.

Letter correction [closed]

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 02:59 AM PDT

I have an exercise: "You had arranged to meet a friend next week, but you have realized that you will not be able to go. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: Cancel the meeting with your friend and apologize/Explain why you cannot be able to meet your friend/Suggest where and when you could see each other instead." (at least 120 words)

And this is my letter:

"Dear Tony,

How are you feeling today? I'm very well, and I wish you'd be fine, too.

I'm writing this letter to inform and apologize to you a thing. Do you remember the previous letter that I suggested we should meet together next week at Centre Cinema? I'm terribly sorry that we have to put off that arrangement. You know that recently I've got a toothache, so I decide to go to the dentist at 8 a.m. this Friday morning. Unfortunately, the timetable coincides with our meeting, so I think I can't meet you that day.

Next Saturday I'll have to go with my parents to visit my grandma in the suburb. I think I won't have much time for us if we choose that day because I haven't seen my grandma for a long time. I think I should spend more time caring about her. So do you think 8 a.m. next Sunday is suitable for you? I'll have more spare time to spend with you. We'll meet at Centre Cinema as I've said before.

I think my time changes won't let you upset and feel annoyed. If my suggestion isn't okay for you, let me know soon. I'm looking forward to seeing your letter.

Write to me soon,

_________"

Please fix my mistakes in my letter. I would be grateful if you do this for me. Thank you so much.

Is there a term for a person that can’t masturbate [closed]

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 09:05 PM PDT

I am looking for a term for a person who is unable to masturbate. This being a person who is unable to do so even if they would want to. Their body does not react to their own touch. Gender inclusive.

Can something be incomplete without starting something first?

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:51 AM PDT

I'm just curious about this word. The definition of incomplete is:

  • not having all the necessary or appropriate parts.
  • not full or finished.

Is this grammatically correct - "The fibre in cereal help us feel fuller" [duplicate]

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 01:39 AM PDT

There's a disagreement going down on this subreddit thread as to whether the sentence is grammatically correct. It's taken from a cereal ad:

The argument is:

"The fibre in Sultana Bran help us feel fuller"

is grammatically incorrect and should be

"The fibre in Sultana Bran helps us feel fuller"

Fibre is referring to an abstract amount of multiple or uncountable fibres, so it's fine to refer to it as just fibre. Assuming this, we can say:

"They help us feel fuller"

This sounds correct and is what the original sentence follows. If we follow the argument people are making, it doesn't make sense

"They helps us"

Am I wrong here?

Why does one use infinitive in "He be saying nonsense."?

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:06 AM PDT

I hear some people using infinitive form especially with the verb "to be" in songs or regular conversations. I don't know exactly it mean means grammatically. Can anyone help?

For example:

He be saying nonsense.

Is the word order in "know what's what" correct?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:19 PM PDT

There's an expression: "to know what's what", as in: "He's been around for a long time - he knows what's what." (ref: Cambridge Dictionary).

But recently I started wondering: isn't it an embedded question? If so, shouldn't it actually be: "He's been around for a long time - he knows what what is."?

Word that describes a person that works with paper and implements of writing

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 04:51 PM PDT

I'm looking for a noun which can generally refer to anyone that uses a writing implement as a primary part of them job, ideally something more specific than "writer".

This could include those that author or scribes books, cartographers, draft designs (like in da Vinci's notebooks), etc.

Draftsman is probably the closest word I've found, but I'm not sure that includes authors and scribes.

Not necessarily looking for a word that describes those that produce paper or writing implements though.

The word can (and even ideally be) an old-fashioned or antiquated word.

It is a noun, so the sample sentence feels a bit unnecessary, but to meet the criteria, a sample would be "authors, scribes, and cartographers are all ".

"Otherwise" or "If not", What's the difference? [migrated]

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:16 PM PDT

I'm really confused about this and I need someone to help me.

For example :

You will get this job if you study hard, [otherwise\if not] you won't.

Is there a difference between otherwise and if not?

What word could I use to describe singular defects of a surface?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 05:10 PM PDT

My master's thesis topic is about automatically detecting defects on wood surfaces.

Whereas most research in the field is concerned about "regular" defects created by processes (such as sawtooth marks, undersanded spots, etc.), I'm specifically interested in "singular" defects. By that, I mean defects that don't repeat, like dents and scratches caused by mishandling or accidently hitting the surface with a tool.

These are fairly large defects that aren't caused by the wood itself (like knots) or any of the work that was done to it. They each have their own separate origin and appearance. In a way, they give a similar vibe to the lonely mountain from the Hobbit novels: they "stand out" on the surface of the wood (planet) and aren't connected or related to other defects (mountains).

I've thought of words like unusual, extraordinary or anomalous, but these aren't correct since my defects aren't necessarily a rare occurance. Singular, particular, and independent are a bit better but they don't feel quite right. Salient is the closest I can think of, but it feels like there's a better term.

I'm looking for an adjective or word that can properly describe this type of defect, or perhaps two adjectives that can make the distinction between the two types more obvious.

What’s the term for an acronym that refers to another acronym?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:07 PM PDT

For example, AIM stands for AOL Instant Messenger, and AOL stands for American OnLine. This isn't quite the same thing as a recursive acronym, which refers to itself. Maybe the term is nested acronym?

Should I use the plural or singular verbs for the biological classification of orders, families, tribes, genera etc.?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:40 PM PDT

Some examples from Wikipedia:

The hydrangea is a genus...

The Heliantheae (sometimes called the sunflower tribe) are the third-largest tribe in the sunflower family (Asteraceae).

The family Asteraceae (/ˌæstəˈreɪsiː/),[citation needed] alternatively Compositae (/kəmˈpɒzɪtiː/),[citation needed] consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae were first described in the year 1740.

Asterales /æstəˈreɪliːz/ is an order of dicotyledonous flowering plants that includes the large family Asteraceae (or Compositae) known for composite flowers made of florets, and ten families related to the Asteraceae.

What is the regularity or rule for using singular or plural verbs for them, and why?

"under the ten minutes" vs "under ten minutes"

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:48 PM PDT

By the end of Chapter 5 of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, there is a usage that I have never seen before: "under the ten minutes".

The context:

Until we got three-quarters down Regent Street. Then my gentleman threw up the trap, and he cried that I should drive right away to Waterloo Station as hard as I could go. I whipped up the mare and we were there under the ten minutes.

Is "under the ten minutes" exactly the same as "under ten minutes"? Or do they have different shades of meanings?

Can "what" mean "what role" in this sentence?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 10:56 PM PDT

I'd like to know if "what" could convey the meaning of "what role" in the sentence below as "what role others expect from us" is mentioned.

As a flight attendant, my uniform can imply both what role others expect from me and what I should play.

Confusion with parallel construction of the infinitives "to acknowledge" and "to accept"

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:47 PM PDT

In the following sentences, the parallel construction of the infinitives "to acknowledge" and "to accept" have, at least temporarily, befuddled me. Should it be

To acknowledge the equality of black folks would also, so it was believed, accept a lowered status for rural whites.

OR

To acknowledge the equality of black folks would be also, so it was believed, to accept a lowered status for rural whites.

Paraphrasing "My favourite..."

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:33 PM PDT

Would it be correct to say

The animal that appeals to me most is...

or

... is the animal that greatly appeals to me.

in the meaning of "My favourite animal is..."?

Adjective/adverb modifier

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 06:05 AM PDT

  • The decision affects people at large.
  • The decision affects people in general.

What role do the phrases at large and in general perform here? Are they used as adjective modifiers of the noun people, or adverb modifiers of the verb affects?

Something proved "sound" ultimately, not beneficial... in line with my skills and goals. Is there a word for this?

Posted: 10 Apr 2022 05:57 AM PDT

Although my path to radiology has been somewhat untraditional — I made the transition to nuclear medicine after transferring from radiology and, prior to that, training briefly in ophthalmology — my career decisions proved "enlightening" ultimately.

I am trying to make the point that my decision proved "sound" ultimately or "correct for me" ultimately or "in line with my eventual interests, skills etc."

I just seem unable to come up with the nuanced word for this sentence.

When introducing an initialism for the first time in a paper, but the noun is possessive, do I make the initialism possessive as well?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:36 PM PDT

E.g.,

Mobile network operator's (MNO's) networks are overloaded.

Or

Mobile network operator's (MNO) networks are overloaded.

What do you call a question you know the answer to, but you want an answer?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 10:39 PM PDT

Consider this hypothetical scenario:

  1. You make plans with a significant other
  2. They bail on you because they are too tired
  3. You find out they went out with someone else
  4. You ask, despite knowing the answer, "did you end up going to sleep early last night?"
  5. They respond, "Ya"
  6. You respond, "That was a(n) _________ question"

I don't think it's rhetorical because you're expecting an answer. However, the question is asked for a different purpose than a traditional question since it's a test to see if the friend (or whomever) will lie or tell the truth. Is there a name for this type of question? Like... "unveiling question" or "truth-seeking question"?

EDIT:

The goal of this question is to determine whether the other party will speak the known truth. With that said, it is not a:

  • trick question. There is a correct and obvious answer
  • loaded question. There is no assumption - it is factual
  • trap question. The question can't expose ignorance since both parties know the answer.
  • interrogation. This is too generalized for what I'm looking for. "To question thoroughly"
  • prompt. This isn't a means to encourage a hesitant speaker

I'm unsure of whether "leading" is correct. To me, a leading question is one where the questioner doesn't actually have an answer to the question, and also needs to make the question specific for legal reasons. Whereas the questioner in my scenario above knows the answer, and doesn't necessarily have to ask a specific question, but rather uses it to expedite the unveiling process since the question in itself is a guise for an ulterior goal.

Also, I'm not looking for a general saying, nor an idiom - I'm looking to fill the blank in my scenario. Similar to how one would ask a rhetorical question where the questioned party answers, you would respond stating, "That was a rhetorical question."

EDIT #2:

I'm not looking for a word to describe the question (appending a word to "question"), but rather a word that is the type of question, but also flows well with the sentence and atmosphere. I'm essentially hoping/looking for something like "rhetorical question," but for this context.

If someone asks a rhetorical question and someone answers it, you can state that it's a rhetorical question, which is both the type of question, as well as a standalone explanation where the other party immediately understands that the question was unneeded. However, in this context, I want this type of question to make the other party immediately understand that they made a mistake and are in trouble, without having to add additional explanation.

Relatively recent history of bloodbath

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 10:49 PM PDT

Bloodbath is a very common term used both literally and more often figuratively. Given its possible derivation from the images suggested by wars and battles, I was surprised to see that its origin is relatively recent.

There is no entry for bloodbath in Etymonline and both Wiktionary and Random House Dictionary date its origin around 1860s

  • Coined in 1867. Compound of blood +‎ bath, the latter used referring to a metaphorical deluge.

The following book from 1851 appears to suggest that the term was probably a translation from the term "Blutbud":

The Life of John Sterling by Thomas Carlyle:

  • He made a ' Stockholm Blutbad' still famed in History (kind of open, ordered or permitted, Massacre of eighty or a hundred of his chief enemies there), 'Bloodbath,' so they name it; in Stockholm, where indeed he was lawful King, and not without unlawful enemies, had a bloodbath been the way to deal with them.

But according to Merriam-Webster the year in which the term was first used was 1814.

Questions:

Where does "bloodbath come from? Was it coined in English or was it imported and translated from abroad? What year does its first usages really date from?

What is a word or a phrase for a person who runs computer simulations?

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:44 PM PDT

I am looking for a word or a phrase that would refer to the person / agent / entity (not-necessarily human) who controls and can arbitrarily manipulate a computer simulation.

Example sentences:

  • "If Nick Bostrom's simulation hypothesis is correct, the _____ could make simulation changes, which, to us, would appear as strange or mysterious events."
  • "The sims continued with their days without realizing that their lives could be instantly changed by the _____'s decisions."
  • "The ____ controlled the rules, parameters, and external events of the simulation of a network of cities and their inhabitants."

Criteria:

  • Connotation: neutral/objective
  • Register or level of speech: formal/academic but not necessarily
  • Part of speech: noun

Similar words:

  • Simulator: Refers to the machine or software that computes the simulation, I'm looking for a word that refers to the person/agent that chooses what to simulate and what manipulations/changes to make.
  • Player/Modeler/Scientist: Implies that the purpose of the simulation is known: a video game, a mathematical study, or a scientific experiment. I'm looking for a general word that does not imply a specific purpose.
  • Deity/God: The simulated people might call the person/agent that, but I'm looking for a word/phrase that is objective/perspective-independent.
  • Simulant/Simulacrum: May refer to the simulation but not to the person/agent that controls it.

"I was made to understand ..."

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:23 PM PDT

It is absolutely common in Malaysia, especially within a large community here, to use the phrase "I was made to understand ...." It can be heard in daily conversations as well as as read it in formal written pieces.

Examples:

  1. I was made to understand that the flight will be delayed due to the bad weather conditions.

  2. I was made to understand that your hotel does not have family suites.

While most people here understand the meaning and why this phrase is used, I would like to ask if peoples in other parts of the world understand it. What is your interpretation when you hear this phrase?

Idiom for unintended consequences

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 10:47 PM PDT

I am looking for a phrase/idiom that expresses the risk of unforeseen consequences of an action. Fake context: Someone develops a treatment for cancer that is later found to cause Alzheimer's. So far, I have found "better the devil you know..." and "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Neither quite get this right.

Antonym of "insightful"

Posted: 09 Apr 2022 11:54 PM PDT

What is the antonym of insightful? I want to say that the information provided is not insightful. I searched in various dictionaries. The most common antonym is unperceptive, but that does not exactly carry the meaning of un-insightful.
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