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David, many thanks for your reply. Much appreciated - BRead More...

Hello, Rasha, We use the progressive in the passive voice in the same types of circumstances in which we use the progressive in the active voice. The progressive allows us to talk about what is or was happening at a certain time or time period. The comma before "to help planes land" tells us that the main point of the sentence is that it was the first time radar was used at all. The fact that it was to help planes land is a parenthetical detail. I don't know whether you have access to the...Read More...

Hi, David, Sir, you helped me to grasp the difference. Thanks. PS: However, the intervening period has given rise to a further question which I will be posing soon.Read More...

Hi, Ahmed55, Yes, "will go" is incorrect. You have titled this thread "present or future," but "go" is not the present tense here. It is the present subjunctive . The common alternative to using the present subjunctive in a clause complementing "suggest" is to use "should" + [base form]. She suggested that he go fishing tomorrow and he liked the idea. She suggested that he should go fishing tomorrow and he liked the idea.Read More...

Thank you so much, Gustavo! I agree your sentence (5) is better than (1). The sentence (1) may be a less preferrable form, but it can be considered grammatical, which I think is interesting.Read More...

I agree with your tense choice, Ahmed. "Mention" is normally a transitive verb. That seems to be the motivation for your revision to "Before what you mentioned about him." Webster's dictionary doesn't even list an intransitive usage. But I do recognize it, and it's fairly common among native speakers. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) devotes a fair amount of space to it. I'd describe this intransitive usage as normal but a bit informal.Read More...

Hi, Emad, We say: ' a depressing film'. See here: https://thegrammarexchange.inf...epressing-depressiveRead More...

Hi, Ansonman, "Transition" can be used as a verb, and the verb is sometimes used in the progressive. But that sentence makes no sense. Perhaps he was trying to say: (1a) Are you planning to make a career change? (1b) Are you transitioning into a new career? (1c) Are you going through a career transition?Read More...

Hello, Ansonman, Your friends are correct in this case. Let me know if there is an issue here that you wish to explore in more detail.Read More...

Hi, Ansonman, No, we don't say "take a rest." We do, however, say "take a break." You could say: I was very tired and had to take a few breaks. I was very tired and stopped to rest a few times.Read More...

Re: contain vs includeRead More...

Hello, Blue_Delta_47, Please note that you should refer to relative clauses as being restrictive or non-restrictive . Both types of clauses, restrictive and non-restrictive (or defining and non-defining) are relative or adjectival. I liked your examples about the lions. You main question seems to revolve around this: The answer is yes (provided we understand that you refer to "non-restrictive" clauses, that is, those set off by commas). They do add extra information, and that extra...Read More...

Thanks David so much for the examples you have provided me. It helps to see how the idea is expressed naturally. Thanks again.Read More...

I'd like to add something to this historical answer given by the Longman editor. Even though the main clause of conditionals like "If you get this answer right, you have a good brain" refers to the present, there is an implicit element of futurity. Notice that the "if"-clause ("if you get this answer right") does refer to something in the future. At the present time, it is unknown whether "you will get this answer right." If you do, then the conclusion will follow. Therefore the real meaning...Read More...

Hello, Emad, Both answers are right. Because of the adverbial "when the crime was committed," the past perfect is not needed to show that the working occurred further back in the past than "was able to prove." But the past perfect is also correct. The fact that the past perfect isn't necessary doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. And if you think the test makers believe (mistakenly) that the past perfect is needed, it would be prudent to use it.Read More...

Hello, Jeff2019, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange! What was the context in which you heard people say that? Did they say it once? If so, what was happening in the surrounding extra-linguistic context when they said it? Did they habitually say it? If so, what were the circumstances in which it was habitually said? Answers to the above will help us to ascertain the meaning. Once we know the meaning and the context, I will be able to tell you whether the usage is correct in American English.Read More...

Thank you so much, David. You gave me the very answer I needed. appleRead More...

Yes. You're right. The same punctuation is in (1.2) and it's supposed to be a grammatical mistake. Thank you so much, David.Read More...

Hi, Mr Ahmed, You mean to say either " I'm totally confused about the usage of historic and historical" or " I get totally confused about the use of historic and historical." You mean they make the matter more confusing to you. The distinction between "historic" and "historical" has been discussed many times on GE. See this thread: https://thegrammarexchange.inf...storic-vs-historicalRead More...

Hi, Mr Ahmed, Please put your question in your post. Initially I had no idea what you were trying to ask. Then I looked at your title and was able to infer what you intended your question to be. The reader should not have to work so hard to find the question. The answer is "respectable." The individual being spoken of had a position in the medical profession that was worthy of respect . That's what "respectable" means. Whether or not people actually respected the position, it was worthy of ...Read More...

Hi, Navi, Proper names are the most specific of all nouns and, as such, will not normally take a defining or restrictive clause. That said, I find (2), (4) and (6) to be much better than the others. I also find (6) to be superior to (4), where the thing described (the shout) is defined by means of a person (the shout was not the person, but came from the person). The person-person connection is clearer in (6): - I heard someone shout. It was John , running towards me like a madman.Read More...

Thank you, David, always. appleRead More...

Re-reading the question above, I must say that I completely agree with David's answer. This question is nothing but rubbish.Read More...

Hi, Ahmed55, Both "is" and "was" are correct. You can take your pick. with backshift : My sister asked why the sky was blue. without backshift : My sister asked why the sky is blue. You don't need to backshift with eternal truths, but backshift isn't forbidden with them, either. The sky isn't always blue, I realize, but it is when there is daylight and there are no clouds or any other conditions clouding the view of the sky.Read More...