query_id stringlengths 1 6 | query stringlengths 15 149 | top_5_doc_ids listlengths 5 5 | top_5_chunks listlengths 5 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
19399 | Is "a wide range of features" singular or plural? | [
113395,
186113,
119073,
138822,
140824
] | [
"I'm trying to write a list of features available in my product, and I'm confused what the title should be: Should I say \"Features List\" (features are plural) or \"Feature List\" (feature is singular). Thanks in advance.",
"Is it correct to say \"there are a lot of aspects\" like here (see the first comment) or... |
5987 | Is there any rule for the placement of space after and before parenthesis? | [
24519,
114306,
2119,
6632,
130219
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Is there any rule for the placement of space after and before parenthesis? Should you put a space in between the outside of parentheses and punctuation?",
"Should you still apply the rule that there is a space after the comma, or is it an accepted practice to omit the space in this... |
57488 | Word for two people who are the same age | [
26896,
31275,
102588,
160136,
187467
] | [
"What is the term for two siblings born on the same calendar day, one or more years apart? I know there's a term, and I'd know it if I saw it, but I can't for the life of me remember it.",
"I'm in my mid 40s and dating this lady of a similar vintage. I am trying to find a good word to describe our relationship, b... |
97154 | What’s the pronunciation of “ s’ ”? | [
180743,
114025,
52650,
111922,
161931
] | [
"It's almost impossible to pronounce something like [sð] (e.g. ‘it's there’). I have heard a lot of natives pronouncing this conjunction, and every time it sounds a bit different for me, so I can't get what sound(s) exactly I hear. Would appreciate some examples with IPA transcriptions.",
"I know the sound name o... |
270 | What is the correct plural of octopus? | [
13135,
26168,
103914,
58714,
7276
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Octopuses, octopi, or octo? What is the \"proper\" plural of \"octopus\"? A web search turns up three candidates, but is there a \"right\" answer?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"Octopuses\", \"octopi\", or \"octo\"? I've heard octopi, octopuses, octopodes, octopoids, and every... |
195514 | is "is" or "are correct? | [
128960,
11768,
132734,
15769,
47909
] | [
"I was writing this sentence: > Why are there more of them on some nights than on others? Is _is_ or _are_ correct here? I was told that _is_ is correct, but to me, _are_ sounds better.",
"Which is the correct grammar? Which is correct?",
"Is the verb agreement correct in this sentence ( _... is real_ and not _... |
88027 | What weather! What a pity! - phrases with and without article - why? | [
65896,
85445,
93970,
140507,
131271
] | [
"There are two correct (I hope so) sentences with _weather_ taken from a book: > * Was _the weather_ nice? > * Did you have nice _weather_? > Can somebody explain why there's an article in the first sentence and there isn't an article in the second one?",
"Why do we use the indefinite article in the expressio... |
53730 | "Aren't I" vs "Amn't I" | [
34452,
29299,
56730,
11210,
163831
] | [
"Since \"amn't I\" is so clunky, is \"aren't I\" grammatically correct? Or is the only way to say this \"Am I not\"?",
"Why do we say \"ain't I\" or \"aren't I\" instead of \"amn't I\"? What's the history of this usage? Are there any other similar patterns in English? I'm guessing it has something to do with the ... |
10705 | When do the "-uple"s end? | [
31675,
5475,
80136,
187554,
39824
] | [
"After singletons, twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, and octuplets, what comes next?",
"I'm not sure what these are called, but how can I form a word like \"quadruple\" for any number I want? Like 5× as much is quintuple, what is 31× as much or 147× as much? I want to know how the... |
21616 | How are "yes" and "no" formatted in sentences? | [
78678,
182113,
47624,
171517,
133778
] | [
"There appears to be some disagreement over what function _yes_ and _no_ perform in the following sentences: 1. _Yes_ , you are right. 2. _No_ , you are mistaken. According to ODO (yes, no), they are being used as _exclamations_ which are presumably the same as _interjections_. Webster (yes, no) and Macmillan (... |
21612 | Using superlatives for comparing two things | [
182799,
159297,
139016,
27683,
57216
] | [
"What is the comparative and superlative for little?",
"For example, 'he's the bigger of the two guards' or 'he's the biggest of the two guards'? The comparative indicates that something is bigger/more difficult than another member. If there's only two members of the set being described, then surely both forms ar... |
124351 | position of "only" | [
173239,
74962,
115136,
159768,
97351
] | [
"I am always unsure about the position of \"only\" in the sentence. For example: > This ticket _only costs_ 5 dollars. > This ticket _costs only_ 5 dollars. Are there any difference? Which one is better?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Correct position of \"only\" > Use of \"only\" and word-order Should o... |
69175 | What do you call a person who takes pleasure in the success of others? | [
103430,
163716,
174922,
48940,
142289
] | [
"One word to denote a person who derives pleasure from another's misfortune?",
"I frequently want to express a feeling of pleasure to be associated with someone who is doing something exceptional. The phrase that comes to mind is, \"I'm proud of you,\" but I am troubled by a certain sense of the word that suggest... |
45445 | "There's something wrong among us" or "There's something wrong between us"? | [
45,
152566,
55643,
64623,
49775
] | [
"Is it better to say \"what's wrong **with** _something_ \" or \"what's wrong **in** _something_ \"?",
"Is it correct to say \"between you and **me** \" or \"between you and **I** \"? I am not a native English speaker, so please bear with me.",
"One of Twitter's error messages reads: > Something is technically ... |
125405 | What do you call it when someone misunderstands a homonym? | [
138812,
189010,
32889,
117197,
48564
] | [
"Specifically, I'm looking for the term for when a person uses a word correctly, but intends a different meaning. For example: > I empathize with you. When the person really means: > I sympathize with you. Both sentences are grammatically correct. They both have meaning, and as sentences they are both \"correct\"..... |
46867 | Word for application that is both sender and receiver | [
66546,
122533,
55253,
43943,
123954
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Word for application that is both sender and receiver In the sentence _\"There are many ways to receive and send information.\"_ , is there a word that can replace _\"receive and send\"_? I was thinking of the word **transmit** : _\"There are many ways to transmit information.\"_ , B... |
158716 | singular event with singular verb | [
140772,
185404,
152833,
47628,
178929
] | [
"When you have a singular noun as subject, a singular verb follows. However, the pronouns \"I\" and \"you\" are singular but singular verbs do not follow after them. Does anyone know something about this reason or historical explanations? For example, you say \"I live\" instead of saying \"I lives\".",
"In senten... |
193820 | Does the word "hope" require the use of the subjunctive mood? | [
47744,
163345,
149071,
145210,
133205
] | [
"I had always understood the subjunctive mood to mean a hypothetical present tense. However, I think it might also imply that the hypothetical event is outside the realm of possibility. Is that necessarily the case?",
"Why is the phrase \"I hope this computer work\" unacceptable? The word \"hope\" makes the phras... |
193827 | Can "sitcom" be considered an "acronym"? | [
33532,
168592,
87381,
97710,
3755
] | [
"What are some of the earliest acronyms and did they know it was an acronym at the time?",
"Typical acronyms represent a phrase with a fixed word order. For example, _NATO_ (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is not coherent when reordered to, say, _ATNO_ (Atlantic Treaty North Organization). Yet a form of 'anag... |
114224 | Plural of "uh-oh" and "oh-no" | [
189517,
71395,
119892,
34249,
37358
] | [
"For example if somebody is saying: \" _Ooooooh myyyyyyy Gooooood_ \" or if they realize something and go \" _Ooooooh!_ \" or Darth Vader's \" _NOOOOOOO!_ \", usually all of these extra vowels aren't included in the words(you won't find it in a dictionary), but does this phenomenon of multiplying have a name or a t... |
112956 | Choosing between “to experiment with” and “with which to experiment” | [
59169,
44601,
37507,
128742,
5320
] | [
"If I am correct, both _experiment_ and _experimentation_ exist in English. Which one should I use? Can I say the following two sentences? * This week, I am conducting new experiments at the laboratory * This week, I am conducting new experimentations at the laboratory If the answer is yes, is there any differe... |
13056 | "The thing is, is that..." | [
97818,
85510,
91237,
117652,
90864
] | [
"I often use expression \"The thing is\" as filler a lot like this: > See, the thing is, they did not want to watch the movie that is why went > there. I might as well say it without **it** , since it does not really change the meaning, but sometimes I just say it instinctively to give my self some more to time to ... |
62084 | What's the correct plural of person? | [
32966,
2677,
52738,
6903,
160002
] | [
"The plural of \"person\" is \"people\". The plural of \"people\" is \"peoples\". Person-people-peoples is the only sequence like this that I know of, but I'm looking for another. (The equivalent question is, is there another plural noun which has become a singular countable collective noun?) **EDIT** For those of ... |
156653 | What is the difference between "farthermost" and "furthermost"? | [
19680,
154300,
4407,
164073,
148239
] | [
"My spellchecker insists on replacing \"furthest\" with \"farthest\". I was under the impression that _farthest_ is strictly speaking in terms of distance, whereas _furthest_ is more abstract. A poster on this forum gives the following example: > The further [quantity] you walk, the farther [distance] you get. What... |
1176 | When is it correct to use "yourself" and "myself" (versus "you" and "me")? | [
62123,
67210,
59357,
69001,
89708
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it correct to use \"yourself\" and \"myself\" (versus \"you\" and \"me\")? Are both _It's ideal for **you**_ and _It's ideal for **yourselves**_ grammatically correct? If not, why certain persons use 'you' while other ones use 'yourselves'?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > ... |
23509 | Like to vs like + ing | [
115290,
40023,
188780,
187301,
122273
] | [
"What is the right way to say “Nobody like (likes) _doing something_ ”? What word I should use: like or likes?",
"Can we make up such a sentence which means \"start liking something\"? > I get to like this pastry. And also should it be \"get to like\" or \"get liking\"?",
"I am confused if I need to use 3-perso... |
65884 | Asking question about position of a person in a list | [
20773,
103216,
194744,
131683,
196251
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Framing a question to which the answer is an ordinal number would it be if i asked what is your relative position terms of birth order in your family",
"When I'm asking a person about something where should I put a person's name? Which of the following is correct? > 1. Jem do you... |
8543 | What is it called when an interjection is inserted inside another word? | [
55964,
43117,
56215,
83848,
182914
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is it called when an interjection is inserted inside another word? Is there a term used to describe words such as _un-fucking-believable_ or _a- whole-nother_? These words have other words inserted inside of the original word, creating a sort of compound word.",
"Is this word ... |
92266 | "This month" vs. "next month" | [
143216,
35742,
56282,
144552,
157493
] | [
"What is the difference between the following two? > * On the first of every month... > * Every first of the month... >",
"Which is more natural between the two of these sentences? > I plan to move house next month. > I plan to move houses next month. Are there any places where _move houses_ should be used... |
55628 | "there are still a few administrative i's to dot and t's to cross" | [
63552,
67488,
80801,
118339,
41957
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"there are still a few administrative i's to dot and t's to cross\" From here there is a sentence: > If you fail to dot an “I” or cross a “T,” you could be banging your head > against the wall for hours. What does the author mean by `dot an \"I\" or cross a \"T\"`? Thanks.",
"Dott... |
149920 | Can "since" and "for" be used interchangeably? | [
151192,
11433,
139627,
83958,
1358
] | [
"`since` is used to refer to a point of time in the past and `for` is used with time interval. However I've come across this phrase \"I haven't seen you since ages\". Is it correct usage of `since` since `ages` denotes an interval of time?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > When are \"because\", \"since\",\"for\" ... |
149922 | How do definitions of words imbue meaning? | [
33127,
140232,
20542,
29142,
17302
] | [
"They seem to be used interchangeably, yet somehow, I feel there is a difference. Are there situations when one would use \"definition\" above \"meaning\", or \"meaning\" instead of \"definition\"? For example: > He gave the definition/meaning of the word \"blow\". as well as > The dictionary gave definitions/meani... |
60905 | How do I pluralize Italian foods, like pasta noodles (spaghetti, macaroni)? | [
170,
59927,
182270,
160990,
166758
] | [
"In W. Somerset Maugham's _The Moon and Sixpence_ , there is a line about Dirk Stroeve which goes _His spaghetti were …_. Spaghetti is plural in Italian, but is this ever a normal usage in English? Spaghetti seems to be entrenched as an uncountable (mass) noun these days.",
"Is \"rice\", for example only, conside... |
396 | What are the differences between "assume", "presume" and "suppose" | [
19927,
167309,
62346,
40088,
170560
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"Assume\", \"presume\", \"suppose\" I would like to know the usage of assume versus presume. It seems to me, that both of them tend to depict the same meaning. So where exactly lies the difference in their usage?",
"Imagine you are working on a formal research paper (several autho... |
93137 | When do you use 'monies' in plural? | [
147689,
16350,
121181,
129379,
65366
] | [
"Is anyone aware of a list of plural names of currencies? I don't really care what conventions are used; I just want to avoid using an obviously wrong plural form.",
"Usually when discussing monetary amounts, people will say \"That cost one hundred million dollars\" or \"one hundred million pounds\". But I have a... |
143990 | by/until which one and why? | [
77147,
164849,
64106,
147363,
6989
] | [
"The OED's definition of the word 'until' lists the following as its etymology: > Middle English: from Old Norse und 'as far as' + till (the sense thus > _duplicated_ ) Etymonline similarly states: > c.1200, from O.N. _und_ \"as far as, _up to_ \" (related to O.E. end; see end) > + till \"until, _up to_ \". Looking... |
180338 | Is it correct to say someone "does not so much do something as do something else" | [
180339,
170296,
36892,
48789,
1498
] | [
"Are we grammatically allowed to say that sb/sth do not so much do sth as (they) do sth: Daniel does not so much study as he talks to his friend/ She did not tell off his boyfriend as felt sorry for him.",
"Is there a single word or phrase that describes a person who: 1. Does something that is _not important_ o... |
21935 | Is "grammar nazi" politically correct? | [
81703,
73948,
80162,
192177,
5458
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Is \"grammar nazi\" politically correct? Or is it comical? What about terms like \"grammar nazi\", \"food nazi\", \"safety nazi\", \"breastfeeding nazi\", \"safety nazi\", \"feminazi\", \"islamofacist\" etc. Are these offensive or comical? Does it make a difference if we are speaking... |
194317 | 'Make' vs. 'makes' in "this makes" and "this does make"? | [
107049,
128742,
156030,
90278,
71918
] | [
"I have trouble choosing between _make_ and _do_ in a sentence. Could someone please explain them to me?",
"I have come across both _make_ and _do_ with the noun _experiment_.Are there any differences in meaning? Thanks.",
"When we build software using Make or a similar build tool, is it correct to say \"We did... |
102364 | Default gender for pronouns | [
28628,
19503,
122529,
148334,
148453
] | [
"There have been attempts to use other contemporary English pronouns to stand- in as a true gender-neutral pronoun, given that English is lacking a commonly- accepted one for adult humans (non-humans and even babies can be referred to as 'it'). Examples of this include 'he/she', 'one', and the singular 'they'. Howe... |
80599 | "s" vs. "z" in BE vs. AE | [
84103,
106040,
150964,
3666,
38232
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"s\" vs. \"z\" in BE vs. AE > Are the endings “-zation” and “-sation” interchangeable? I was asked on a translation assignment to use UK English but with -ize spelling. What is the more widely used spelling in use in UK English? What is the more correct form of using it: -ize or ... |
15700 | What is the word that denotes the words preceding these nouns? | [
24680,
146910,
90354,
57768,
161662
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the word that denotes the words preceding these nouns? Would it still be a noun, an adjective, or something else? **Example:** > A **stone** fortress",
"Words like thenceforth, aforementioned, notwithstanding, wherein, therein, thereof, whereof, henceforward, aforesaid, the... |
9752 | Capitalization for a bullet list | [
42907,
15131,
55048,
5241,
174894
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Capitalization for a bullet list When using a list, like this: * first item * second item * third item should the first word in each item be capitalized? I.e., is this better style: * First item * Second item * Third item Does this depend on the content of the list, i.e. ... |
30336 | "It is me" vs. "It is I"? | [
43413,
99897,
10643,
194155,
137199
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Which one is correct to say: \"It's me\" or \"It's I\"? Which of these is correct? \" _It's me_ \" or \" _It's I_ \". I hear these both colloquially but need the grammatically correct statement if one is preferable over the other.",
"Referring to a picture, the question is \"Who is... |
143433 | How can I improve my comprehension of rapid dialogue? | [
142299,
165959,
95138,
141431,
164538
] | [
"From the beginning I had some problems listening to foreign accents. Like when someone from my native country (India) speaks English I understand it at once, but if someone from a foreign country especially US speaks English, I have to make them repeat the sentence several times to understand it. Also, I have noti... |
35214 | Use of ‘or’ when it means ‘and’ in negatives | [
89788,
103812,
159166,
40079,
87903
] | [
"In the following sentence, the “and/or” seems odd in a case of total negation: Evidently some people are not able to interpret and/or analyze at that deeper level. Because the sentence says “are not able to”, total negation would seem to unambiguously require “or”. In a positive sentence, “and/or” is sometimes use... |
87900 | "going to" vs "will" | [
101480,
2035,
445,
64923,
102581
] | [
"What is the difference between the two verb forms: \"can\" and \"be going to\".",
"Does _going to_ only express an intention and _will_ some kind of prediction that doesn't necessarily happen? EDIT: Thanks for all your answers. I asked this question because I always fail to complete exercises like this from an E... |
95796 | How to pronounce al- at the start of a word? | [
33026,
66608,
52683,
68132,
100575
] | [
"I'm confused about how to pronounce _-al_ at the end of the word. These words end with _-al_ and are pronounced without a \"ə\" sound. * dig·it·al _/ˈdijitl/_ * men·tal _/ˈmentl/_ These words also end with _-al_ , but are pronounced with a \"ə\" sound. * lo·cal _/ˈlōkəl/_ * glob·al _/ˈglōbəl/_ * herb·al ... |
43859 | "Needs to be X" vs "Needs X" | [
78482,
124656,
60475,
138029,
45583
] | [
"I want to be able to say something like: > There either needs to be X to do either Xa or Xb or there needs to be Y. ( **edit** : since from some answers it doesn't seen to be clear, I mean that that Xa and Xb would only happen under X, not Y. ) Is there any way I can make it less cumbersome or more clear which \"e... |
63028 | What expression would be the opposite of "Deal Breaker"? | [
185051,
55018,
70835,
43878,
122319
] | [
"In one of my short stories, I have to compare a guy who is a heartbreaker to someone who is exactly the opposite of him. Instead of describing the opposite character of the guy, I am looking for a word that I can give to this non- hearbreaker character.",
"This may be as simple as a synonym for _hallmark_ , but ... |
6776 | Where did prefix exceptions originate? | [
17672,
146809,
195349,
12226,
53985
] | [
"It seems that _exemption_ and _exception_ have the same meaning. However, they seem to be used differently. When should we use one and not the other?",
"Looking at a Prefix/Suffix chart confirms that the prefix \"in-\" is _supposed_ to mean 'not' or 'without', just wondering why the exception only occurs for cer... |
182435 | Term for someone who lost something | [
57424,
28663,
156501,
56246,
52331
] | [
"Is there a specific term for the loss of something by theft, or the non- specific suffering of theft? I am looking for something like \"lose\" but more specific.",
"Can anybody give me a single word for a person who suffers great loss as in the context below. The word loser is not appropriate: > Mike lost everyt... |
124115 | Why does "lemon" mean "inferior"? | [
53509,
32736,
40816,
169092,
40791
] | [
"Related questions: * What does \"lemon on\" mean in this context? * What is the origin of the phrase \"when life gives you lemons, make lemonade\"? In the above questions, \"lemon\" is used to mean a faulty or defective item. A typical use might be to describe a second hand car that, once bought, turns out to ... |
140854 | "There Is"/"There are" depends on plurality of the first list element or not? | [
171703,
193792,
33393,
185448,
166825
] | [
"I believe it well established that the choice of whether to use \"There is\" or \"There are\" with the phrase \"a lot of\" depends on the following word. For example, you would say: 1. There **is** a lot of wine. 2. There **are** a lot of cars. What is the right form to use for **_a pair of, a bunch of, a grou... |
192576 | Asking about date | [
113573,
162629,
107724,
153232,
120077
] | [
"A standard date question would be: > What date is it today? But is > What date is today? acceptable?",
"Someone asks \"I want to know about your girl friend. Is that still a thing?\" to his friend. What does he exactly ask about? I don't understand. Please help me understand.",
"I was talking with a friend abo... |
170911 | could have done vs could do | [
30629,
149571,
50715,
192995,
180273
] | [
"I am not referring to _could_ as a past tense of _can_ What is the difference between the following sentences? > You should do it. > You could do it.",
"In the sentence \"Who would have thought he _could_ do it!\" does \"could do\" mean \" _was able to_ do\" or \" _would be able to_ do\"?",
"What is the dif... |
5057 | Difference between 'If ..was' and 'If ...were' | [
18275,
660,
68587,
30090,
192802
] | [
"Is it correct to use \"were\" or \"was\" in the following? > whenever either of two somethings [were/was] applied [...]",
"My question of whether to use _if I was_ or _if I were._ Which one is incorrect or nonstandard?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"If I was\" or \"If I were\". Which is more common, and w... |
38566 | What is the practice of pricing goods at numbers such as 3.95, 69.90, 198 called? | [
7025,
107238,
146668,
148075,
119585
] | [
"What is the name for the pricing strategy where the item price is just below a psychologically significant amount? For example $199 instead of $200, $2.95 instead of $3, $49,990 instead of $50,000.",
"I'd like to know the correct way to read dollar amounts after the expression \"priced at.\" If I want to read th... |
175240 | A single word for "non-empty" or "not empty" | [
123002,
102771,
15406,
114147,
74131
] | [
"Empty doesn't seem to have a gradable antonym. If something is _not empty_ and _not full_ , then it is **not empty** , but is there a single word expression for this? ## Edit: To make it more evident, I'm looking for something like what _warm_ is on the scale of _cold_ and _hot_.",
"Is there a single word which ... |
44223 | Verbing, or turning nouns into verbs | [
15473,
35100,
23706,
155871,
158702
] | [
"Is it possible to verb anything other than a noun? Although slightly meta, I noticed that English SE has verbing as a tag, rather than verbing-nouns.",
"When a noun is used as a verb, linguistically, this process is termed as morphological conversion: > Fish (n): This is a fish. > Fish (v): I'm fishing in the... |
44227 | What is the word for an unmarried female? | [
102273,
50048,
83765,
28821,
62659
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the word for an unmarried female? What is the word for an unmarried female? The above closed question is unanswered as _bachelorette_ implies both unmarried and divorced/widowed. _Spinster_ is for old women. _Bachelor_ is a never-married man. Is there no such female equivalen... |
123947 | Title Capitalization Help | [
194631,
5007,
14,
21019,
6560
] | [
"Is it necessary to write all the title in capital letters or is it fine to write only the first word in capital letters and the rest all small?",
"What is the motivation behind capitalizing the first letter of each word except prepositions in news, articles and blog post titles?",
"Are there any concrete rules... |
83631 | English expression "pear shaped" | [
36167,
174832,
80001,
47245,
71706
] | [
"I said to a person that she is \"chubby\" and, apparently, she took it very seriously. What I meant to say is that she's not skin and bones, she carried more pounds than needed but, precisely because of that, she should be actually more attractive. In Italian I would say that she is \"in carne\" but I don't know i... |
174119 | Do you need to get "a" -or- "an" European ID | [
138856,
153522,
114131,
46230,
109905
] | [
"It seems like \"A European\" is the correct one but why ? Is this a general rule about Capitalized words?",
"I find it interesting that not only do British and American English speakers both use the noun 'ID card' as a verb in the context of (trying to be in a position of) purchasing age-restricted items, but ab... |
178471 | "Did used to" vs. "did use to" | [
165627,
128,
16480,
30035,
130027
] | [
"According to the various grammar books that I have read, the question and negative , with \"used to\" starting with \"did\" has two forms. One for example is \"Did he used to smoke Cigars?\" and the other is \"Did he use to smoke cigars?\". I would just like to know which form is correct and widely used.",
"It i... |
76209 | "Where are you now at?" — grammatically correct? | [
18444,
110241,
67145,
146402,
187546
] | [
"Is this sentence OK? Is the \"now\" at the end of the sentence redundant?",
"Is the use of the redundant \"at\" a regional idiosyncracy? As in \"Where are you at?\" when asking someone their physical location, or progress in a project? It seems to be a Chicago regional saying.",
"What does \"by now\" stand for... |
12580 | Creating a new word | [
34889,
137207,
107036,
112805,
124226
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Creating a new word > What are the criteria to adopt new words into English? What if I want to use the term _supertibi_ somewhere accompanying _superego_? We have _superego_ in dictionaries all over the world, but _supertibi_ is a new term morphologically based on the same compone... |
185998 | Specifying geography with cardinal directions | [
80031,
168646,
119883,
120150,
143661
] | [
"If I want to speak of _North, South, East, West_ in a general sense I could, for example, use the term _cardinal direction_. Which term is appropriate to sum up _horizontal_ and _vertical_ in the same manner?",
"I'm writing a research proposal in which I frequently reference the cardinal and inter-cardinal (ordi... |
16000 | "We've" vs "We have" | [
11958,
44106,
105647,
134461,
112990
] | [
"When do I use _have_ and _have got_? Are \"I have the answer\" and \"I've got the answer\" both correct?",
"Where should we use **\"has/have been\" and \"had been\"**? What is the difference between them?",
"What is the correct form? \"We have been in a dilemma\" or \"We have had a dilemma\"? Or are the two of... |
16008 | UK English: Is "dived" a valid word? | [
82764,
25040,
85111,
126407,
139359
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > UK English: Is \"dived\" a valid word? Can anybody explain the difference between _dived_ and _dove_ in the following sentence? > He **__** in to the pool yesterday to have swim. Which one is better to fill the blank field?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > UK English: Is \"div... |
116353 | Using quotations and commas in a list format | [
133388,
186432,
64557,
121809,
137825
] | [
"When stating a book title, is the comma before or after the quotations?",
"I have a list of classes (titles) which have colons as a part of the titles, in this list should I use commas or semi-colons to separate them? (there are no items which have commas internally to them)",
"A basic list is punctuated like ... |
90875 | 'Comes in' instead of 'is coming in' or 'came in' | [
171075,
177580,
32849,
139130,
6552
] | [
"Why do two adverbs follow _come_ in the phrase, **_come on in_**? I know _come in_ , _come on_ , _go away_ , but when I hear _\"Come on in\"_ in American movies, I can't figure out its grammatical structure.",
"I ran into this sentence in a ESL testing, \"It really is like a dream come true.\" Just wonder why sh... |
90874 | Capitalization rules for "the" | [
93402,
115643,
171250,
14,
131398
] | [
"I'm starting a new business and recently decided on a name. The problem is that the name has the word \"the\" stuck right in the middle, like so: _**___** the **___ _**, LLC My question, should the \"the\" be capitalized or not? **Edit/addendum:** I believe the following capitalization rule should be used, but am ... |
121970 | How do I use parentheses to pluralize something | [
56576,
154151,
14252,
153294,
178261
] | [
"If a set of parentheses lies between a subject and its verb, and the parentheses contain an substitutive subject whose singularity/plurality disagrees with the original subject, whose singularity/plurality should be chosen for the verb? In other words, in the following example, should \" **questions** \" (and its ... |
81383 | The difference between "to think about" and "to think of" | [
71003,
97188,
127687,
53446,
141576
] | [
"Is there a difference between \"think of something\" and \"think about something\"? I've also met \"have heard of/about something\".",
"I was amused by the line “I got to thinking about something” in the following answer to the question, “You don't want to answer this word-placement question, now do you?” which ... |
192051 | Usage of Who and Whom | [
181327,
18777,
56,
9144,
111441
] | [
"What is the difference in the usage of \"whom\" and \"who\"? please also tell me the rules behind their usage and some examples to clarify their difference.",
"I understand that \"who\" is for the subject and \"whom\" is for the object. However, sometimes they are used as the only word in a sentence. For example... |
186457 | Are the hyphens necessary in "hard-to-find" or can they go without? | [
8666,
128909,
889,
151631,
34583
] | [
"Do I need hyphens? Should I use the indefinite article or zero article?",
"Does the hyphen belong there? Thanks!",
"Some words are written without hyphens ( _nonaggression_ , _nonbeliever_ ), and some words are written with a hyphen ( _well-intentioned_ ). Is there a schema in the use of a hyphen?",
"Are hyp... |
45630 | "Dysfunctional" vs. "disfunctional" | [
47617,
24604,
101410,
111229,
122151
] | [
"Dictionaries give both _dysunction_ and _malfunction_ the meaning 'failure to function properly'. Are they complete synonyms?",
"Is this word spelt **dysfunction** or **disfunction**? Are there any correct spellings at all for this word? The reason I asked is because I've always learned to spell it as \"disfun... |
42176 | "1 out of 100 chickens is" or "1 out of 100 chickens are"? | [
13284,
64575,
93007,
56754,
114738
] | [
"Should the phrase be \"one or more _is_...\", or \"one or more _are_...\"?",
"Take the examples: 1. \"One in ten children are dyslexic.\" 2. \"One in ten children is dyslexic.\" 3. \"One in ten children has dyslexia.\" 4. \"One in ten children have dyslexia.\" The \"one\" is singular so 2 and 3 should b... |
63256 | Which is correct: "has died" or "died"? | [
114991,
55146,
134918,
63471,
95030
] | [
"I came across a question in Chinese@SE, which is about a status update of someone's cat. I asked the OP in the comment whether the cat _was dead_ at that time: > I assume his cat was dead, can you confirm this? But a friend of mine later told me that this usage is not correct because _was_ implies \"previously was... |
21408 | Is the past tense correct in "Did you know Fred was a doctor?" | [
3585,
139879,
104409,
90611,
121648
] | [
"I came across this sentence today in a wait screen for a twitter client: > Did you know that this wait is actually Twitter's fault, not ours? Is \"Did\" correct usage in this case? I didn't know it earlier, but I became aware of it as I read it. Hence this seems logically correct. But a \"Do you know...\" sounds m... |
21406 | Is it correct to say "Lets Answer me" or "Let's Answer me"? | [
107208,
180971,
7344,
108672,
12834
] | [
"Why are \"answer me\" and \"answer the question\" acceptable but not \"answer me the question\"? Is it similar to \"explain me (something)\"?",
"What is correct - \"If anybody answer this question please let me know\" or \"If anybody answers this question please let me know\" Thank you.",
"What's the right usa... |
168543 | List of names when there is ownership associated | [
91330,
17707,
188266,
175351,
178548
] | [
"I have to describe owners of certain properties and those can be persons or companies. I was thinking of naming them _entities_ , but that seems too broad.",
"We use _owned_ to denote something that we possess or that belongs to someone. What can we call things that do _not_ belong to someone? [ **Editor's note*... |
79724 | Is "Betty learned that Albert telephoned after Isaiah visited" ambiguous? | [
106682,
119631,
68298,
182246,
103313
] | [
"I often read or hear statements like \"Joe robbed the bank because I saw him running away with the money.\" Clearly, the literal interpretation is not the intended meaning and there is an understood \"I know/state/believe this\" before the \"because.\" Today I came across similar wording in a new ad campaign: \"If... |
79728 | Does modifying a collective noun with a number make the subject plural? | [
80822,
21751,
192314,
14932,
189429
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > Plural/singular verb agreement with units > Does modifying a collective noun with a number make the subject plural? Can anyone help me determine the correct verb in this sentence? I am not sure what to do. If it were not such a complex introductory phrase, it would be more obvious... |
144622 | Is there a single word for the conjunction "and/or"? | [
79287,
124459,
64683,
121577,
190014
] | [
"What is the best way to join 'or' and 'and' together? 'or/and' or 'and/or'?",
"In the expression \"one or more of A, B, C, [and, or, and/or] D,\" what is the correct conjunction? Examples of all three choices abound with apparently equivalent intended meaning.",
"Are there (better) verbs for \"and\"ing or \"or... |
178734 | "is my hair" or "are my hair" when I'm referring to all my head hair? | [
9951,
163029,
102571,
189253,
144004
] | [
"When one says _I was washing my hair_ , is it singular or plural? What is the singular for _hair_?",
"I understand that \"hairs\" is plural when talking about multiple hairs, as in \"my hairs have split ends\", and that \"hair\" is singular when talking about ones collection of hairs, such as \"my hair is blue\"... |
148995 | can't have worked vs mustn't have worked | [
192998,
153956,
140310,
151284,
141589
] | [
"What's the difference between \"could not have been\" and \"must not have been\"? For example, > * That could not have been an easy task. > * That must not have been an easy task. > I've seen both used. What's the difference?",
"1. Can \" _You mustn't have done that_ \" have a similar meaning to \" _You shou... |
126344 | Data as a plural noun | [
3718,
180801,
50427,
94135,
56574
] | [
"I know that the singular of data is datum. I know that data is a plural. However, common usage of the word \"data\" suggests it is used as a \"collection of data\". > Here is [the collection of] data. In which case, is the word _data_ now a singular again, or still the plural? If so, what is the correct use of the... |
148025 | "I don't understand you" vs. "I'm not understanding you" | [
148123,
117665,
21649,
19854,
65129
] | [
"\"I couldn't understand this.\" Is that more polite than saying \"I can't understand?\"",
"> I don't think you understood me. / I think you misunderstood me. Do these senteces mean the same thing? If not, what's the difference? **Edit:** I just realized that I asked something different from what I originally wan... |
110515 | Proverb/Idiom for Free from certain problems only to get trapped into other? | [
31867,
38103,
38243,
95775,
92927
] | [
"Are there idioms or expressions in English that describe going from one bad situation to one that's even worse? I heard \"between a rock and hard place\" but this describes a dilemma not really a transition. I am looking for an expression that describes someone trying to get out of a bad situation but after much e... |
115922 | If you place an ly adverb after the verb is the meaning different than if it were infront of the verb? | [
107777,
49545,
143779,
149621,
79547
] | [
"When a negative adverb (or adverbial phrase) is placed at the beginning of a sentence, we exchange the normal placement of subject and verb. Why is that?",
"Where should I place the adverb? 1. Potentially, it could be moved back to where it was. 2. It could be potentially moved back to where it was. 3. I... |
115928 | "The above technique is a double-edged sword" | [
154628,
60728,
133613,
95376,
185359
] | [
"Can someone give me a few synonyms of \"Double-edged sword\"? I generally need a phrase that describes a situation that can go good and bad.",
"When something can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences, the term `double-edged sword` is often used to describe it. Why? Does a `double-edged sword` have un... |
35586 | Why is 'that' sometimes optional before dependent clauses? | [
192295,
188688,
93683,
40795,
8145
] | [
"When is it necessary to include \"that\" in a sentence? In what case should \"which\" be used, and is it ever optional? Some examples: * I didn't know (that) you had to leave. * My grandma said (that) her cocaine is far more concentrated than mine. * The dog jumps six times for every banana (that) I throw. ... |
56471 | What tense to use for a dead person's permanent contributions? | [
156588,
108057,
118682,
186231,
120110
] | [
"Given a wish of the form, \"May he rest in peace,\" what tense is being used?",
"I heard a lady talk about her late husband today and was curious about her verb tense usage. She said, > \"He was a loving father. He always took the kids out on weekends. He would > stop whatever he was doing for the kids.\" But th... |
138595 | Are there two comparative forms of "clear"? | [
24517,
34761,
51214,
104903,
79772
] | [
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"More clear\" vs \"Clearer\", when to use \"more\" instead of \"-er\" What's the comparative for the word _modern_?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"More clear\" vs \"Clearer\", when to use \"more\" instead of \"-er\" Which of these two terms is correct? If they are both correc... |
57787 | In which form should verbs following nominal phrases like "none of you", "either of you", etc. be? | [
159907,
55580,
183103,
140677,
33739
] | [
"When we refer to two people, which is right — \"both of you\" or \"the both of you\"? Are both the same or is there any difference between them?",
"> **Possible Duplicate:** > \"Neither Michael nor Albert is correct\" or \"Neither Michael nor Albert are > correct\"? > Is \"either you or [third-person]\" fo... |
32058 | What is the tense of "I would have been happy to..."? | [
133549,
150660,
151734,
125063,
60770
] | [
"This question is about conditionals > If I had money, I would give it you * conditional 2 (present tense) > If I had money, I would have given it to you * conditional 3 (Past tense) But I've come across people mixing conditional 2 and 3 like > If I was there, I would have done that What does this statement mea... |
99957 | What is the difference between 'can', 'could', 'may' and 'might'? | [
192912,
8470,
1,
64374,
9938
] | [
"We can use _can_ , _could_ , and _may_ for requests and permissions, but is there any difference between the meanings of the following three versions? > 1. **May** I go? > 2. **Can** I go? > 3. **Could** I go? >",
"When should I use each of the following: * This _may_ help. * This _might_ help. I alw... |
75096 | "To be mad at somebody" vs. "to be mad with somebody" | [
16843,
17721,
43671,
55817,
38377
] | [
"Can anyone tell me what the difference is between 'I'm cross with you' and 'I'm angry with you'? I have the feeling that _being cross with someone_ (by the way, can you be cross 'at'? or is one always cross 'with'?) is more used in Britain than in the US. Is that correct?",
"When Americans say something like, \"... |
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