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Rhyme
Thai and sigh give the same (rhyme - rhythm). Which one is correct?Read More...
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February 2021
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Choose giving reasons.
Before I read this story, I --------- dreams were of so much importance. A) haven't thought B) wouldn't think C) didn't think D) don't thinkRead More...
Thanks , sir. I got your point concerning how to ask a question.Read More...
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run out / run out of something / be out of something
Now I am confused that somebody or something can be used as a subject in the following idioms. 1) Run out of Somebody run out of something: We were running out of food 2) Run out Something run out: The milk has run out. 3) be out of something 3-a) Somebody be out of something: Would you mind going to the store? We're out of milk. 3-b) Something be out of something: The official Olympic umbrella is out of stock. My question is, 1) "Run out of something" can be used with Somebody as a subject?Read More...
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Reported speach
I asked him who had broken the window, but he..........he didn't know. [ said \ answered ]Read More...
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Adjective Clause or Noun Clause as Appositive?
I have been wondering whether "which they did not realise was being publicly live-streamed " from following sentence is adjective clause or noun clause as appositive ? "An entire school board has resigned after making disparaging remarks about families in an online meeting which they did not realise was being publicly live-streamed ." Thank you so much.Read More...
Hi, alwayslearner, I invite you to read this recent thread , which deals with the topic you are asking about.Read More...
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she is said to be ill or to have been ill
When turning the sentence "They say she has been ill" into the passive pattern, is it possible to say "She is said to be ill"? Or "She is said to have been ill" is the only correct sentence?Read More...
Hi, Ane4ka, and welcome to the G.E, I see that the perfect infinitive works much better as it mainly replaces either the present perfect or the past simple in the impersonal passive structure. 1. 'She is said to be ill' refers to a present state and is the same as 'they say she is ill'. 2. 'She is said to have been ill' refers to the fact that she has been ill for a period of time and it is the same as 'they say she has been ill for ....'.Read More...
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wish could - would
Hello. Which one is correct? - I wish my son (could - would) join the faculty of Engineering. This is my dearest hope. Thank you.Read More...
Hi, Ahmed, "This is my dearest hope' refers to the future. I'd go with ' would '. Using 'could' implies that my son is not able to join this faculty.Read More...
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whether , if
Hello. Which one is correct? He asked me (whether - if) I had written my report or not. Thank you.Read More...
Hi, Ahmed, Both are grammatically correct here. However, some people would prefer 'whether' because it is more formal than 'if'. ' Writing a report' is something formal. BTW, 'wether' can also be the only correct choice if you say "He asked me whether or not I had written my report." That's because 'if' can't be followed directly by or not.Read More...
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Grammatical construction
I'm curious about the grammatical construction of this sentence: I am glad you are here . It appears to contain 2 independent clauses, which doesn't seem right (no conjunction) . Possibly "that" is understood which would make the second clause dependent, but again, that really doesn't seem right either. I've tried diagramming it, but I can't make it work properly. I guess I'm just missing something. I'm betting someone here can explain this sentence's construction. Thanks for your help.Read More...
I've been thinking that the "that"-clause can also be said to complementize the adjective "happy." The verb is "am." "Am glad" is the main verb phrase. Complements can express the reason for the emotion or feeling denoted by the adjective, after adjectives like glad, happy, sorry, pleased , or function as a content clause after adjectives of cognition, such as sure, certain, doubtful, aware.Read More...
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A minor change or changes
Which of the above is correct? Thank you for the draft version and I just made a minor change/changes? assuming I made few changes and I wanted to use the word "minor".Read More...
Hi, Tony, You can say, "I have just made some minor changes (to...) "Read More...
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fight to keep his job
1) He has to fight to keep his job. 2) He has to fight for keeping his job. I think '2' means he has to fight because he kept his job, which is probably a strange thing to say. '1' seems to mean 'In order to keep his job, he has to fight.' Is that correct? Gratefully NaviRead More...
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chicken, a chicken
Hello. Which one is correct? I'd like (a - no article) chicken, please. Not some. Thank you.Read More...
Hi, Ahmed, In that case, you should use no article because "chicken" is a non-count noun.Read More...
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What's the name of this grammar rule?
I've seen native speakers using question form to talk about strong emotion instead of asking question like this. >> I ate my girlfriend's cooking last night. Man, Was it bad! >> I got a massage yesterday. Does it feel good! Does anyone know the name of the grammar rule for this kind of expression?Read More...
Thanks, Jack.Read More...
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a single chair 'vacant'
Hello, everyone, “ Many people were standing, for there wasn't a single chair vacant nor any space left on the benches .” Could you explain to me why the writer prefers ‘a single chair vacant ’ to ‘a single vacant chair’ in above sentence, while I often see such a post-modifying adjective in “There is noun ~ ” pattern? What is the writer intending through the post-modifying adjective? Thanking in advance,Read More...
Hello, Jack Milgram -- really appreciate your comment with note, which helps me a lot. Best RGDS,Read More...
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who is
A says: "My coworkers drink a lot." B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who did you say drink a lot?" B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who drink a lot?" Are B's sentences correct in this context or should it be 'who drinks'? ============ A says: Our neighbors smoke. B asks: "Who smoke? Your neighbors above you or the ones below?" Is B's sentence correct in this context or should it be 'who smokes'? =================== A says: "Tom's brothers are naive." B asks: "I didn't hear you. Who did you say are...Read More...
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Confusion about using the definite article with adjective + noun
Hello, One thing that always confuses me about using (or not using the definite article) is when to omitt it before an adjective and the noun it modifies. For example: 1 T he education system (here we are describing what type of system= the education system.) 2. simple tools (here we describe what type of tools) but no article is used). Both 1 and 2 above use the same adjective + noun structure, but I don't understand what the rule is here and hope you can it explain it to me. Thank you as...Read More...
Hi, Mrchuffie, The rules that determine whether the definite or the zero article should be used before a singular or plural noun do not change if the noun is modified by an adjective. For example, "simple tools" is a plural noun phrase referring to all simple tools in general (that's why the zero article is needed). If you refer to some simple tools in particular, then the definite article will be required. "System" in the singular always takes an article, irrespective of whether it has an...Read More...
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Count and NON
Is it ok or not? Ten is the least number of cars........ Be care of «TEN», it expresses the amount!!Read More...
Hi, Mahmoud—"Ten is the least number of cars" is correct. Do you mean to ask why the verb is singular? As you say, "ten" expresses the amount. The sentence is not about ten things. The sentence answers the question "What is the least number of cars?" There's a famous saying in English: "Three's a crowd."Read More...
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Too impossible
Can I say , " It is too impossible to do something." ?Read More...
Thanks.Read More...
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causative case
Hi, "I got the students to stop sleeping during the class.", "got" here means...... a-persuaded b-forced And does the meaning of "got " differ from "made" if we say: "I made the students stop sleeping during the class."Read More...
Thanks a lot DavidRead More...
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withholding vital information "from"
Hello, everyone, While I have a single sentence quoted from Longman dictionary - “ She was accused of withholding vital information from the police .”, which interpretation is correct in following two?; 1. She was accused of holding back vital information which was received from the police. (= She was accused of refusing to give someone vital information which was received from the police.) 2. She was accused of holding back vital information against the police. (= she tried to keep vital...Read More...
Hello, David--you have really been enlightening me on the sea of English like a huge lighthouse. Thank you million times.Read More...
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The function of the phrase "in turn"
a. What is the role/function of the phrase "in turn" in the sentence below? Preposition, conjunctions? b. What is the best replacement word for "in turn" in lay terms for the sentence below? example: As the case for most of the employee shares, he cannot exercise the options straight away, rather these options only vested and in turn became exercisable over a 4 year period after he became an employee.Read More...
Hi, Tony—With "rhetorical usage," I am referring to the phrase's customary use in discourse, to indicate that one thing naturally follows another. As the OED puts it, the phrase is "used rhetorically to indicate an act duly or naturally following a similar act on the part of another, but without the notion of a pre-arranged series."Read More...
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possessive s
Hi, is the following sentence OK "We spent our two weeks' journey in a hotel."Read More...
Thanks a lotRead More...
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Conditional structure - type 2
When we talk about something hypothetically, I believe we have to use conditional formatting of type 2, that is past tense, followed by past future tense. But I often see people use past tense followed by present tense instead as in the example shown below. Please kindly shed some light regarding this. e.g. if the underlying asset was acquired by the vendor and is not subject to main residence exemption, there are no CGT consequences. Why don’t we say there would be no CGT consequences?Read More...
Hi, Tony—That type of conditional doesn't fit in with the three celebrated ESL types. It doesn't involve a prediction about the future (tentative or confident), nor is it a counterfactual conditional. It is simply asserting that if one thing (the underlying asset) possesses (right now) two properties (the properties of having been acquired by the vendor and of not being subject to "main residence exemption"), there are "no CGT consequences."Read More...
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Exercise as countable and uncountable noun
Swimming is good exercise. Swimming is a good exercise. I checked all the major dictionaries and they say that it is uncountable when it means (physical or mental activity that you do to stay healthy or become stronger) I have seen the following examples - Swimming is great exercise. (Longman Dictionary) Swimming is great exercise. (Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary) Cycling to work is great exercise. (Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary) None of them have used "a" before exercise...Read More...
Hello, Saifuddin. Well, I'd say no. All the activities modified from verbs + ing ( swim + ing , dance + ing , smoke + ing , etc.) are uncountable. That's why they don't actually mean " a set of movements ," they are more about the process as a whole .Read More...
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required by or required of?
Hi I came across the following in a job description in a call for applications: PERSON SPECIFICATION - The experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills and attributes required by the job holder. In my opinion this is incorrect and should read, required of. Anyone can verify this please? Thanks!Read More...
Hi Jack......... thanks for the confirmation . This argument will definitely work in favour of the applicant Cheers!Read More...
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