| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| object agreement with noun | 11/16/2009 |
Q: In the following sentence, would "coding" or "coding rules" be the grammatically correct answer and ...
A: Lisa, Actually, both coding and coding rules could be grammatically correct depending on the ...
|
| use of his or him | 11/15/2009 |
Q: I wonder which of these two usages is correct and why: Did you know about HIS doing the work? Did ...
A: Diane, About is a preposition needing an object. Him is objective, and his is subjective. Therefore ...
|
| Grammer Correction | 11/11/2009 |
Q: In my english class we are given a word to use in a sentence. I got the following three wrong: ...
A: Letta, Try these: Exemplify means make an example of. We commemorate or celebrate.... Penn State ...
|
| Grammar Question | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I have a grammar question - I work at a law firm and one of our documents has the following phrase: ...
A: Kelly, Since the subject of this clause is taxes (plural), the verb should also be plural (are). If ...
|
| like - preposition and conjunction | 11/9/2009 |
Q: Webster defines LIKE as a preposition and a conjunction: ...
A: Pat, Here is the rule: Always use "like" as a preposition, never as a subordinating conjunction. ...
|
| English grammar | 11/9/2009 |
Q: Below are some sentences. 1. a) you are lost b) you have lost. 2. a) i am woken up b) I ...
A: Pankaj, 1. a. means you don't know where you are b. means something that belongs to you (watch, ...
|
| Slang terms | 11/8/2009 |
Q: ...I just had a thought. "to crank a car" is that a southern slang term, or is that how it is said? ...
A: Kayla, Cars in the 30s and early 40s had to be started (cranked) by hand since they had no ...
|
| My apologies! | 11/3/2009 |
Q: I'm SO sorry...my entire question didn't print the first time! Here it is again: Hi, I work for a ...
A: Tricia, Try this: During the xyz test, John answered, "'Can you help me with this?', 'Can you ...
|
| mix-up | 11/3/2009 |
Q: Leone--I sent a query yesterday (below). I received a reply from you today that said, "You are very ...
A: Scott, The suffix -ify means to make as in: mummify, liquify, justify, intensify and ratify. ...
|
| commas and adjectives | 11/3/2009 |
Q: Why is it that we say "a serious English teacher" without commas but " a young, French, physics ...
A: Mariam, There is no comma between serious and English because: Use a comma to separate two ...
|
| Reference | 10/29/2009 |
Q: Define and elaborate your understanding of the following by giving examples: (a) Transitional ...
A: Muhammad, My dictionary defines transitional markers: One way to ensure your writing meets this ...
|
| vocabulary | 10/28/2009 |
Q: 1.please explain "dialect" and "slang". 2.what does the phrase "the boat man" mean? and use it in a ...
A: Jerald, The Oxford Concise Dictionary defines dialect as "a form of a language which is peculiar to ...
|
| usage of words and grammar | 10/28/2009 |
Q: 1. I'd like to find out which of the following sentences is correct: (a) She works with others in ...
A: Karen, 1. The issue is not correct or incorrect; you have two preposition phrases that both modify ...
|
| Titles | 10/27/2009 |
Q: Are titles always necessary? For instance when teaching students how to write a paragraph and the ...
A: Antonio, No, they're not necessary! You are correct when you say that we don't title a letter, nor ...
|
| Whatever, whichever | 10/19/2009 |
Q: Could you tell me what the meaning of: whatever, whichever and whomever? and give me examples ...
A: Susan, Whatever means anything or everything. Take whatever you want, I don't care! Whichever ...
|
| Grammar/ sentence structures | 10/13/2009 |
Q: could you tell me the dependent and idependent clauses of these sentences in the conversatin between ...
A: Monica, Cheshire Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that (independent or simple sentence) if you only walk ...
|
| Using aspect | 10/9/2009 |
Q: We have a sign that reads, "Support sustainability! Use your porcelain mug. [Name of company] is no ...
A: Pauli, No, you're not spitting hairs. Is no longer does imply that in the future this trend might ...
|
| Using aspect | 10/8/2009 |
Q: We have a sign that reads, "Support sustainability! Use your porcelain mug. [Name of company] is no ...
A: Pauli, I actually like both renditions. The company's since it begins with a justification of why ...
|
| literature in english | 10/7/2009 |
Q: please can you tell me 50 figures of speech in literature
A: Stella, Try these: SCHEMES: accumulation: Summarization of previous arguments in a forceful ...
|
| Grammar | 10/5/2009 |
Q: 1. A: Why don’t ask your friend to help you if your computer doesn’t work? B: (1.) I just don’t ...
A: Oppo, 1. I just don't like asking people for help. 2. There were several lessons learned from the ...
|
| Grammatical use of Herewith. | 9/25/2009 |
Q: My boss; when distributing information by e-mail tends to start his sentences with the word ...
A: Wayne, Your boss must have some type of legal background; herewith is courtroom formality for ...
|
| Grammar | 9/20/2009 |
Q: 1. (1.) A: How often do you go to your English class (or classes)? B: (1.) Every week. ( Once a ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, but I like "I never miss my Friday class" better. 2. No, I think the subjunctive ...
|
| Capitals in english | 9/20/2009 |
Q: actually i have a confusion regarding capitals.generally whenever we write god or goddess the first ...
A: Anabell, We capitalize God when it refers to Jesus Christ or the Christian concept of the Supreme ...
|
| editing blog | 9/17/2009 |
Q: My have a fairly strong background in English grammar and usage. I also edit our Web site. We are ...
A: Ed, If a blog is truly intended to show the TRUE person, you probably shouldn't edit it at all! ...
|
| meaning of the words "just" and "simply" | 9/16/2009 |
Q: What is the meaning of the words "just" and "simply" in the following sentences? 1."You shouldn't ...
A: Glen, 1. I like "merely" as the replacement here. 2. For the only reason fits for just because. ...
|
| sentences | 9/13/2009 |
Q: 1.Do the sentences of each set have identical meanings? I went to the photo shop to have my photos ...
A: Oppo, 1. The technical term for making photos larger is enlargements. Expanded gives me the ...
|
| colon usage | 9/13/2009 |
Q: The King James Bible translation of the second commandment reads: A. Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make ...
A: Harold, As a rule, a colon informs the reader that what follows proves, explains, or simply ...
|
| comma use | 9/10/2009 |
Q: I transcribe psychological reports for school psychologists. The following sentences are used ...
A: Patricia, 1. Yes, you have two complete sentences (independent clauses) that are connected by a ...
|
| salutations | 9/10/2009 |
Q: What is the correct salution for many Mr's and Ms's. Is it Msers's?
A: Tim, Messrs. is the abbreviation (pronounced "messers") for messieurs and is used in English. ...
|
| Can two prepositions follow each other in a sentence | 9/8/2009 |
Q: 1. Is the use of the prepositions "to" and "herein", correct? 2. Is the sentence punctuated ...
A: Batha, 1. Neither are prepositions! Adhered to is a verb form and herein is an adverb that modifies ...
|
| conversations | 9/5/2009 |
Q: Do all the conversations below make sense? A: Did you copy the documents? B: Yes, I made the ...
A: Oppo, Try these: A: Did you copy the documents? B: Yes, I made copies. A: What do you think of ...
|
| Sentence structure and usage of 'are' vs. 'is' | 9/4/2009 |
Q: I hope you can settle an office debate. Which sentence is correct? If all are incorrect, please let ...
A: Lena, Since the subject of the sentence is singular (exception), the verb must also be singular ...
|
| Active/Passive Voice | 9/3/2009 |
Q: Why do we say "The physics exam began just a few minutes ago"? Can I say "The physics was begun just ...
A: Rita, In both cases you may use either the active or passive voice. The exam began (active)... or ...
|
| possessive singular and plural ending in "S" | 9/1/2009 |
Q: Are these correct? And what are the rules? I received Travis's time sheet. The babies' nap was a ...
A: Dawn, The rule states that possessive is shown by adding an 's or s'. However, when the noun or ...
|
| coordinating conjunction | 8/13/2009 |
Q: In Acts 2:38, in the KJV Bible, the following is written, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and ...
A: Phillip, No, what follows is not a phrase but rather a clause (subject + verb). It is not called a ...
|
| active/passive voice | 8/13/2009 |
Q: What's the difference between "I am finished" and "I finished"? Why do we use passive form for "I am ...
A: Rita, I finished is simple past tense. I am finished . . . Finished is an adverb . . . as in “I am ...
|
| Interrupted Dialogue | 8/11/2009 |
Q: How do I write dialogue where the speaker is interrupted by another speaker, as in a dash (em, en, ...
A: Mark, Although there are no specific rules for this situation, that I know of, I would prefer to ...
|
| Grammer | 8/10/2009 |
Q: Can you tell me the difference between a misplaced gerund and a danging modifier?
A: Gheomell, I believe they do about the same thing. A gerund that does not modify the noun it follows ...
|
| Sport teams is/are it/they | 8/9/2009 |
Q: I get quite confused if names of sports teams are singular or plural and what if I just use the city ...
A: Calvin, Whether the team is considered singular or plural depends upon the context of the sentence. ...
|
| Sentences | 8/8/2009 |
Q: 1. Because/Since/ As there were many complaints, we withdrew the item from the market. Do ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, they all work grammatically but because would be the most accurate since it tells ...
|
| i need help, its simple | 8/8/2009 |
Q: i was wondering ,if u could helpin this......am in 8th grade ,female and 12 years ......is it ok if ...
A: Themoonphace, Studies show that the quieter your surroundings when you study the more effective is ...
|
| Subject Verb agreement anomaly | 8/6/2009 |
Q: Should the next words be "use his own equipment" or "uses his own equipment" I know the correct ...
A: Cheryl, It is recommended that the student uses his own equipment. This is grammatically correct ...
|
| Hyphenated Last Names | 8/4/2009 |
Q: If the wife uses a hyphenated last name but the husband does not, is it more appropriate to use the ...
A: Brittany, It depends greatly on where you're addressing them (party, Christmas card, invite to ...
|
| Grammar | 8/2/2009 |
Q: 1. Participate in a meeting/ party/ club/ class/discussion/ tour/ Join a ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, you may. 2. Yes, I would say they mean about the same; ground below the water line ...
|
| On tv sex n violence | 7/28/2009 |
Q: Hai, do you mind explain & describe to me what this whole sentence means, please "Television sex and ...
A: Warm, The author is saying that what we see on TV and in the movies does not cause that sex and ...
|
| Grammar | 7/27/2009 |
Q: 1. These pants are too big on (or for) me. Does using “for” change the meaning of the sentence? 2. ...
A: Oppo, 1. In one case (on me) indicates he has (or is trying) tried them on while for me indicates ...
|
| Grammar | 7/24/2009 |
Q: "These eruptions,somewhat surprisingly and contrary of logical expectation" Please explain why two ...
A: Robert, According to usage, an adverb may only modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb: We ...
|
| Single space | 7/23/2009 |
Q: Please show me what single space writing looks like. I have not been to school in 20 years and just ...
A: Shane, This answer is single spaced: Please show me what single space writing looks like. I have ...
|
| Grammar | 7/20/2009 |
Q: What is the rule for making an affirmative sentence into a negative one? What is the rule for making ...
A: Julie, Adding no, not or none will make an affirmative sentence negative: You have no right being ...
|
| simple present | 7/15/2009 |
Q: what are the uses of simple present tanse ? what are the adverbs used with this tense ?
A: Asma, The simple present tense is used to describe action that is taking place at this moment: I ...
|
| words | 7/8/2009 |
Q: 1. What is the difference in the usage of the words “these” and “those”. ? 2. I have heard some ...
A: Rajesh, Try these: 1. These are objects that are close by; those are things that are farther ...
|
| tense | 7/6/2009 |
Q: 1. “…it would mean that I denied you the rights to talk.” Is the sentence right or should I have ...
A: Rajesh, 1. Since denied is past tense and meant might have happened before it, I would make it past ...
|
| Verification of grammar | 7/3/2009 |
Q: "Indoor plants can also be highlighted with artificial lighting that do not emit heat and are ...
A: Devi, Try these: Indoor plants can also be highlighted with artificial lights that do not emit ...
|
| Correct usage | 6/27/2009 |
Q: is it correct to state: "Water should not to be taken in large quantities on a trek, for it weighs ...
A: Devi, I wouldn't say it weighs on you stomach but rather that it adds weight to your stomach. Adds ...
|
| especially vs particularly | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I think there is a subtle difference between the two words and looking up different dictionaries ...
A: Majid, I have to disagree that there is a subtle difference. The fact that you did not find that ...
|
| capitals and punctuation | 6/19/2009 |
Q: I'm not clear on when the first letter of the first word in parenthesis is capitalized...in the ...
A: Lee, Following the rules of punctuation and capitization, if the material inside the parenthesis is ...
|
| speech/logic | 6/16/2009 |
Q: Does this make sense to you in general? If I were color-blind for purple, I would say that purple ...
A: Ron, I'm not sure I agree with your original premise. People who are blind do not believe that ...
|
| Grammar - other's or others' | 6/14/2009 |
Q: My question is concerning the possession of the word others: Which one is correct, other's or ...
A: Luis, They both are correct. Other's is the singular possessive of other while others' is its ...
|
| Is "flexibly" used correctly? | 6/10/2009 |
Q: A dedication in my child's school yearbook states,"We will miss your flexibly nature, organizational ...
A: Pam, Since nature is a noun, it should not be modified by an adverb (flexibly). The correct usage ...
|
| grammar | 6/5/2009 |
Q: Why do we say "This many people", but not "these many people", but we say "these people"? Or did I ...
A: Cheryl, Many is singular with many people so this (singular) modifies many. With these people the ...
|
| using an or a before a word | 5/7/2009 |
Q: Would I use the word "an" or "a" before a word beginning with a vowel? Example: She ate "a" or "an" ...
A: Janice, Yes, the rule reads use an A if the next word begins with a consonant SOUND. (This is a ...
|
| Use of word "only" and word order | 5/6/2009 |
Q: I'm writing an article reviewing a new car for an online car magazine, and the use of the word ...
A: Andy J, Try this: The C200 is available only as a sedan in base trim level, whilst the C230 ...
|
| grammar | 5/4/2009 |
Q: Leone, I've read in lots of grammar books that in Active Voice after verbs of senses like see, ...
A: Maria, I don't know of any hard-and-fast rules on any of this. I'm not sure there are any. What you ...
|
| engliish 101 | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I need help figuring out if the following sentences are simple sentence, compound, complex, or ...
A: Sal, 1. I will meet you for lunch unless you call to cancel. (compound) 2. If he is motivated, a ...
|
| I am looking forward to hearING from you! | 4/24/2009 |
Q: A friend who speaks English as a third language wrote to ask if one says, "I am looking forward to ...
A: Christina, Try this: I - subject am looking - predicate forward - adverb that modifies verb to ...
|
| English grammar | 4/23/2009 |
Q: In the sentence 'he did that pretty well', is 'pretty' an adverb? Also does the same apply for 'it ...
A: Lesley, Yes, it is an adverb that modifies the adverb well. Two adverbs can modify each other. ...
|
| echo questions | 4/22/2009 |
Q: is an echo question a Repeat question?
A: Michelle, According to my grammar book: An echo question is a question that occurs in the turn ...
|
| Grammar and conversations | 4/19/2009 |
Q: 1. Does "I could really use some help" have the same meaning as "I really need some help"? 2. Do ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, they both mean you're in trouble! 2. A: Some of the chickens here are mine. B: ...
|
| Grammar | 4/15/2009 |
Q: Jerry. Is there any difference in the meanings of these sentences (other than the distinction ...
A: Jim, I agree that not liking all means there is at least one (perhaps several) ideas with which you ...
|
| WRITING | 4/14/2009 |
Q: I was told the following has errors. I tried and could not see any. This is part of my website. ...
A: Joe, Try this: Bipolar disease affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans and is considered ...
|
| conversations | 4/12/2009 |
Q: I have created some conversations below. Do they all make sense? A: How often do you see a movie? ...
A: Oppo, Try these: A: How often do you see a movie? B: I don’t go to the movies often. (It could be ...
|
| right-handedness vs. left-handedness, Roman right-handedness | 4/12/2009 |
Q: Leone: Kindly please share your information source for or enhance my understanding of the statement ...
A: Doctor Tom, The Roman (Latin) word for left-handed was sinister, from which we derive our word for ...
|
| words | 4/9/2009 |
Q: please use the words below in a sentence. 1. scruple 2. qualm 3. fastidious and also explain me the ...
A: Rajesh, 1. He showed no scruples in taking the money from his parents desk. 2. Without any qualms, ...
|
| meaning | 4/9/2009 |
Q: Good morning, Mr.Leone Is there a difference between benefit and allowance? Can I both use ...
A: Maria, Benefit means medical coverage, eye and dental care, vacation time, personal leave and ...
|
| syntax-meaning | 4/7/2009 |
Q: Good morning Mr.Leone, Would you like to help me organise a surprise party for your father? "would i ...
A: Maria, Would I ever means I would love to or I would relish the idea. You use it when you are ...
|
| Sentences | 4/5/2009 |
Q: 1.Do both sentences of each set have identical meanings? He is holding his head. He is holding his ...
A: Oppo, 1. No. You could be holding your head in your hands at knee level and that would not be high. ...
|
| definition | 4/5/2009 |
Q: Please give me a definition of acronym. I'VE BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT HAD TO BE ...
A: Joanne, According to my Webster's Dictionary, an acronym is an abbreviation of several words in ...
|
| transitional words | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I am an Iranian English teacher writing a general English book for my students. I would like to ...
A: Maryam, Transition words and phrases help establish clear connections between ideas and ensure that ...
|
| Sentences | 4/2/2009 |
Q: 1. Do all the sentences in each group have identical meanings? Is the paper discounted at 15% ? Is ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, total price of the paper minus 15 percent. Yes, there will be 20 cartridges in ...
|
| word usage | 4/1/2009 |
Q: I need to edit a Health and Safety Plan. The plan uses the words assure, insure and ensure rather ...
A: Remelle, Basically, the words assure, ensure and insure all mean the same thing: to guarantee or to ...
|
| comma in a double predicate | 3/29/2009 |
Q: I would like to know whether it is incorrect to split a double predicate with a comma or not. I've ...
A: Leeroy, Yes, it is incorrect grammatically to split a compound predicate with a comma: His two ...
|
| Capitalization of the term | 3/24/2009 |
Q: I work in a corporate setting and we have an ongoing debate in drafting documents and minutes when ...
A: Shonna, He joined the board meeting would be fine since it is not a proper noun. There again, it ...
|
| general writing | 3/24/2009 |
Q: Leone, It's me again Maria. I've got 2 queries: 1)She enjoyed sitting down on a bench ....... just ...
A: Maria, 1. 1)She enjoyed sitting down on a bench ....... just watching all the different kinds of ...
|
| Capitalization of the term "Board Meeting" | 3/23/2009 |
Q: I work in a corporate setting and we have an ongoing debate in drafting documents and minutes when ...
A: Shonna, If you talk about a specific board (the Pittsfield Village Board Meeting), then it should ...
|
| Grammar | 3/23/2009 |
Q: 1. Staff (of) an environmental group will hold a meeting in the Hilton Hotel. Staff (of) an ...
A: Oppo, 1. I prefer from, but I have no grammatical reason. 2. They are too similar and I don't care ...
|
| WRITING | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I have questions about quoting. I want to quote someone but within the quote I want to add something ...
A: Al, Clarification, or parenthetical information as it is commonly called, can be set off from the ...
|
| usuage of conditional | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I enjoyed your earlier postings and hope that you can help me with thisI notice that many people say ...
A: Anne, If I would have is future perfect conditional or subjunctive. It is not past participle as ...
|
| grammar - syntax -meaning | 3/18/2009 |
Q: 1)If i want to say I am not interested in sth can I both use uninterested and disinterested? 2)It ...
A: Maria, Uninterested and disinterested are very similar in meaning; both mean indifferent. If there ...
|
| grammar - syntax | 3/17/2009 |
Q: First of all, I would like to ask you the syntax of albeit. Secondly, could you please analyze the ...
A: Maria, Albeit is a conjunction meaning even though, although, or notwithstanding: clear albeit cold ...
|
| Grammar | 3/17/2009 |
Q: We have an on-going debate in our house; does one take something 'from someone', or 'off someone', ...
A: Rob, Generally, we take from: I took the book from her or She took flowers from her garden. There ...
|
| Synonyms | 3/17/2009 |
Q: What is the difference of usage among flippant, light-minded, frivolity, and levity?
A: John, Flippant and light-minded are adjectives and need an accompanying noun: a flippant remark ...
|
| English grammar | 3/16/2009 |
Q: Ok - so this phrase "as well as" - what part of speech does one classify either the phrase or the ...
A: Jean, As well as may be a preposition, meaning in addition to, or a conjunction, meaning and in ...
|
| grammar | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I would like to know if I am using the words "will" and "on" correctly in the following sentences. ...
A: Lisa, Try these: 1. Jerry contacted Susan by phone to inquire about her children attending daycare ...
|
| Correct usage of per se | 3/12/2009 |
Q: A co-worker of mine at the university where I work has sent me a copy of a fax she sent in regards ...
A: Evelyn, I like the literal meaning of per se, namely "as such". What the fax is saying is that GI ...
|
| Grammer | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I am writing a paper and am confused as to when to use a hyphen. Is a hyphen needed in the phrase ...
A: Jenny, Words are hyphenated to express the idea of unit, when two words serve as a single adjective ...
|
| words | 3/11/2009 |
Q: can you please frame sentences for each of the following word, i don't know how to use those words. ...
A: Rajesh, Try these: The team was decorous, despite losing the championship on its home turf. ...
|
| using "God" in a sentence | 3/8/2009 |
Q: The "Opinion" section of my local Sunday paper ran a piece about the need for parental communication ...
A: Sharon, The rule you are quoting refers to God in the Christian sense. The icon of the church is ...
|
| Sentences | 3/6/2009 |
Q: 1. Does the full moon make people behave strangely? Does the full moon make people misbehave? ...
A: Oppo, 1. No, there is a difference between strange and misbehavior. You can and should be punished ...
|
| When to use said/say | 3/5/2009 |
Q: I am writing a novel. All the classes I've taken, the teacher said you should write in the present, ...
A: GR, Said is past and perfect while says is present so there use is dependent upon when that action ...
|
| Use of only in grammar construction - help for my website! | 3/4/2009 |
Q: I'm creating a car website, and need some help with the grammar. I am trying to state that certain ...
A: Other, Try these: In New Zealand, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is sold as only as a sedan for now, ...
|
| Sentences | 3/1/2009 |
Q: 1. Do all the sentences below have identical meanings? I Won’t be able to make the meeting. I won’t ...
A: Oppo, 1. Yes, all three mean you won't be there. 2. No, the first means that there is a chance ...
|
| Help with editing, expression and sentence structure | 3/1/2009 |
Q: This is my entry to Allexperts in a long time and if it does not bother you, I would like you to ...
A: Min, Try this: I have something to say in reference to students' misbehavior toward an instructor. ...
|
| fall and fall by | 2/6/2009 |
Q: How are you. I'm new to English language. So, my question could be a little silly but I'm very ...
A: Jaesul, Again, I see absolutely no difference in meaning between the two. However, usuage wise fell ...
|
| writing/speech | 1/28/2009 |
Q: What words are used mainly for writing, but are rarely spoken in a regular conversation?
A: Erin, Experts say the "average" person has about a 15,000 word spoken vocabulary while his/her ...
|
| comma usage | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I am helping someone out on some copy editing but am wondering if I am rusty! I have seen the same ...
A: Chris, You're not as rusty as you thought you were. Try these: Soak it in, of course, and compose ...
|
| sentences | 1/11/2009 |
Q: Modal verb choices: 1. The project (may, could) finish in two years time. Can I say, “..will ...
A: Oppo, Your confusion is over the meaning of the three words will, can and may. Will, the future of ...
|
| adverbs | 1/5/2009 |
Q: I am trying to help my son with his homework and am having a heck of a time. I need 5 adverbs for ...
A: Toni, Keeping in mind that no word is an adverb, or any part speech for that matter, until used in ...
|
| hanging off/ | 12/18/2008 |
Q: 1. I was hanging off the shirt-tails of anyone that could help us in any way. --- what does it mean ...
A: Luke, I noted that you are asking me these musical questions that are not in my area of expertise. ...
|
| credit/balance/had their way | 12/18/2008 |
Q: 1. Then one day I said to the band would they mind calling me X from now on? "Sure Paul!" But to ...
A: Luke, 1. This is a commonly used idiom, meaning a real plus for them or as difficult as it was, ...
|
| nickname | 12/15/2008 |
Q: It was my friend Reggie Manuel, the Bad Dog, who persuaded me to go to that first meeting. ---Do ...
A: Luke, 1. Reggie Manuel was a member of U2 and was called "the Cocker Spaniel and the Mad Dog". 2. ...
|
| 3 quotes | 12/13/2008 |
Q: how are you? 1. Son says about his father: He was very measured politically. He could pick and ...
A: Luke, Try these: 1. Alternative living, perhaps the middle of the road. 2. That's about it, ...
|
| Gambia/The Gambia | 12/11/2008 |
Q: Could you explain why we should say "The Gambia" and not just plain old Gambia? This seems to be an ...
A: James, The proper name of the country is The Gambia or the Republic of The Gambia, but it is ...
|
| diagramming | 12/11/2008 |
Q: how do I diagram, The boy who ate the most cookies appeared happy. ?
A: Abby, Try this: The - adjective modifying boy boy - subject of the verb appeared who - relative ...
|
| Is this necessary? | 12/6/2008 |
Q: We're developing marketing materials and I think there's a needless word in the materials (probably ...
A: Jennifer, If pets could talk, we know what they’d say. (Past conditional) Reason: Change the 2nd ...
|
| word usage | 12/4/2008 |
Q: Please tell me the difference between: homophones, homonyms, and homographs. I know what the words ...
A: Diana, Let's begin with homonyms. This is the generic word. Both homographs and homophones are ...
|
| word usage | 12/3/2008 |
Q: Please tell me the difference between: homophones, homonyms, and homographs. I know what the words ...
A: Diana, Here are my simplified definitions: Homonyms are words which have the same spelling and ...
|
| drape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 12/2/2008 |
Q: What does drape mean?
A: Rachel, As a noun, it is a window treatment that hangs loosely over the curtain, shade, blinds, ...
|
| rephrasing | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I have another question related to the text I'm reading. Over the years the band has really ...
A: Luke, Since the drums provide the beat that keeps all the other instruments in rhythm, he prides ...
|
| Microcosms | 12/2/2008 |
Q: I am confused about the meanings of microcosm/macrocosm and I was wondering if this sentence makes ...
A: Jenny, Microcosm comes from the Greek, meaning small world. My dictionary defines it as: a small, ...
|
| Capital letters in a "Subject" sentence in a letter | 11/21/2008 |
Q: I would like to have information regarding the capitalize letter we use in the "sujbect of a ...
A: Caroline, This is more than you asked for but keep them for further reference: Rule 1. Capitalize ...
|
| reading | 11/14/2008 |
Q: I'm in year 9 but i need to improve my reading skills have you got any advice please
A: Zoe, Reading skills are like sports skills or musical skills. The more you practice the better you ...
|
| Political Office Title | 11/13/2008 |
Q: The question on my mind is in the case of Sen. Barak Obama, as in any yet to be sworn in politician, ...
A: Duane, Since President-Elect is a more significant title than Senator (there are 100 of them and ...
|
| use of numerics and captilization | 11/13/2008 |
Q: Should the word "improvement" in the following sentence being captilized? 86 (6.2%) improvement, 1 ...
A: Alna, Unless it is somehow a proper noun (like a title) used as an adjective to modify "notices," I ...
|
| Usage of word | 11/12/2008 |
Q: While I love to write and usually find that I am correct regarding the usage of words in all their ...
A: Amber, Sorry to say, but he is right....weren't is correct. The key word in the sentence is "if" ...
|
| there is vs. there are | 11/9/2008 |
Q: I have recently come into a dispute about correct usage of "there is" vs. "there are." Here are two ...
A: Christa, 1. The keyword in this sentence is group, the subject which is a collective noun (one ...
|
| writers block | 11/8/2008 |
Q: Can you give me some strategies on over comming writers block?
A: Aninicer, Many authors work on a specific schedule (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) so they develop writing as a ...
|
| Back to school | 11/8/2008 |
Q: I am thinking about going back to school as a communications major and a minor in English. I am 36 ...
A: Lori, Enroll in a couple of creative writing courses at a local community college. You might even ...
|
| neologisms in advertising | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I'm Russian and I really need your help! Well, I want to clear it out what I'm looking for - words ...
A: Elena, Several words were used in advertising to save space: sno = snow, lite = light, mello = ...
|
| It's very embarassing | 11/2/2008 |
Q: Could you pl. correct the following letter. I haven’t received my passport for which I made an ...
A: Sundar, Try this: I have yet to receive the passport for which I made an application to RPO, ...
|
| simple/continuous | 10/30/2008 |
Q: 1.Paul was tired because he worked hard. 2. Paul was tired because he was working hard. Can I use ...
A: Luke, The major difference is that in #1 Paul has completed his job and is no longer working. ...
|
| grammar | 10/28/2008 |
Q: Before i start, i'd like you to know that my english is not very good. So I hope you could ...
A: Susan, Try these: The couple new door have a new born baby. Newly born babies are kept in the ...
|
| parts of speech | 10/28/2008 |
Q: Can you help me understand how to identify predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives in a ...
A: Allyson, Predicate nominatives (nouns): Richard is a senior. My dad is an Elk. Her sister is a ...
|
| fortunately | 10/27/2008 |
Q: Would you check the following sentences? #1 We were late, but fortunately, the shop wasn't closed. ...
A: Lie, Both sentences have the same meaning, but the sentence best reads: We were late, but the shop ...
|
| Sentences | 10/26/2008 |
Q: 1.The train makes intermediate stops at A and B. What does "intermediate" mean in the sentence? 2. ...
A: Oppo, Try these: 1. Brief or very limited time stops at both A and B. 2. Yes, since you are not ...
|
| Sentences | 10/23/2008 |
Q: 1. Ex1: While global warming is a worrisome trend in today’s climate patterns, El Nino is another ...
A: Oppo, Try these: 1. a. Though or although will work b. observed and recorded will work ...
|
| Phillip and I or Phillip and me | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I receive emails daily that say..Please discuss it with Phillip and I. I had thought it was Phillip ...
A: Cynthia, Sound doesn't always work because we hear so much bad grammar. Ask yourself what does the ...
|
| habits of consumers | 10/22/2008 |
Q: This memo needs to be regarding the shopping habits of different types of consumers for example, ...
A: Andy, Try this: To: All Team Members From: Mike Jones, Manager Date: October 11, ...
|
| Sentences | 10/21/2008 |
Q: 1. Ex1: I have been too busy to try the Italian place on the corner. I think I’ll eat at that ...
A: Oppo, 1. They're okay. Try: I have been too busy to try the Italian place on the corner; I think ...
|
| hit the rocks | 10/17/2008 |
Q: Here is the sentence troubles me: "Please prepare an agreement on procedure if the one on substance ...
A: Netty, It is wise to agree on how to solve a problem but developing a set procedure or methodology ...
|
| Punctuation help. | 10/16/2008 |
Q: How do I punctuate the following sentence: I discussed surgical intervention with her in detail ...
A: Abbie, Try this: I discussed surgical intervention with her in detail including: indications, ...
|
| 'Mum' or 'my mum' | 10/16/2008 |
Q: I am in the UK writing my autobiography and when writing about my mum and dad, I cannot decide what ...
A: Nathan, When writing an autobiography you want your personality to show through your words. If your ...
|
| punctuation of sentence | 10/14/2008 |
Q: Please clarify the correct punctuation in the following sentence: We believe that, if Scott had ...
A: Bonnie, Try this: We believe if Scott had not been ill and he had been able to focus on his estate ...
|
| It started raining / started to rain. | 10/11/2008 |
Q: I have read in the "Collins Cobuild Student's Grammar" that "start" and "bother" can be followed by ...
A: Jesus, You are misconstruing the phrase "with little difference in meaning". That means that there ...
|
| correct | 10/9/2008 |
Q: Which are correct: 1. Tell me what these people are doing 2. Tell me what are these people doing 3. ...
A: Luke, 1. Tell me what these people are doing? 2. Tell me what are these people doing! 3. I wonder ...
|
| give away the farm | 10/9/2008 |
Q: Is "give away the farm" an idiom? How to understand its meaning? Thanks!
A: Netty, Give away the farm is an idiomatic expression which means bet everything I own; the odds are ...
|
| the diffrerence between ...is still... and ...still... | 10/8/2008 |
Q: What it the different between these two sentences: He is still waiting for someone He still waiting ...
A: Susan, The first is a statement (declarative) sentence and should end in a period. You are stating ...
|
| english | 10/8/2008 |
Q: how could i summarize that? Ian writing definition essay about love i found one paragraph which i ...
A: Sandra, Try this: You love someone for who and what he/she is, not what you can make out of them ...
|
| Direct vs Paraphrased | 10/7/2008 |
Q: What is the difference between direct quotes and paraphrased quotes????
A: John, Direct quotes are word-for-word translations of what a person says or what comes out of his ...
|
| Correlative Conjunctions | 10/4/2008 |
Q: Leone: Thanks for being here. My question is on punctuating correlative conjunctions. I have ...
A: Ruth, I would write the sentence this way to follow the rule: The newspaper reported that not ...
|
| complements | 10/2/2008 |
Q: Mississippi riverboats passing by Davenport gave Bix Biederbeck his first taste of jazz. What are ...
A: Nora, Try this: Mississippi riverboat - subject passing - participle agrees with subject by ...
|
| to comma or not to comma | 9/30/2008 |
Q: I have a question! I am a comic artist and need your help. I want to have one of my characters ...
A: Greg, You're dealing with what is called direct address. The person(s) spoken to (John) is set off ...
|
| when | 9/27/2008 |
Q: What part of speech is "when" in this sentence. "When the last remaining packhorse went lame they'd ...
A: Joe, In your example the man who gave us the money, the who clause is not a relative clause. ...
|
| sentence | 9/26/2008 |
Q: Would you please tell me how to understand this sentence? Do you think there are something wrong ...
A: Netty, Other than being a bit too long, I really don't see anything grammatically wrong with the ...
|
| phrases | 9/24/2008 |
Q: What do these phrases mean?Also give a sentence using each phrase. 1. close on the heels of 2. ...
A: Goodwill, 1. close on the heels of (directly behind, in very close pursuit) The hounds were close ...
|
| Goodnight, good night, or good-night | 9/23/2008 |
Q: My question is: what is the truly correct form of saying "departing to bed?" Is it: goodnight (as ...
A: Andrey, I think the dictionary.com refers to the concept of saying good night. Notice the example ...
|
| help writing a formal introduction | 9/23/2008 |
Q: I'm a student who has just started university studying sciences, I have been asked to to write a ...
A: Elizabeth, Begin by introducing yourself by name, where you're from, family background, a bit about ...
|
| meaning of phrases | 9/22/2008 |
Q: What do the phrases in quotes mean?Also,please,correct the statements if they are grammatically ...
A: Goodwill, 1. Nobody wears such a hat; it would be noticed "a mile away". (from a long distance ...
|
| Indefinite pronoun or adjective? | 9/17/2008 |
Q: In this sentence, "All the circus performers were fleas," is the subject "All" or "circus ...
A: Tammy, I can make a case for both answers. Since there are no commas (All, the circus perfomers), ...
|
| warranty and guarantee | 9/17/2008 |
Q: Would you please tell me the difference between Warranty and Guarantee? Thank you!
A: Netty, Here's the poop right from my brother-in-law, who is lawyer: A guarantee: - Is usually ...
|
| freshman composition 101 | 9/16/2008 |
Q: in relation to basic sentence parts can you tell me about complex subjects and complex predicates. ...
A: Shama, Complex subjects are two or more subjects in a simple sentence: Mary and Jane got on the ...
|
| Did I offend this guy? | 9/13/2008 |
Q: A little background first to understand the contest of this real-life example: >> Chuck is a ...
A: Adian, Chuck is a bit thin-skinned for being offended by your sentence. You did, however, indicate ...
|
| Punctuation with quotations | 9/11/2008 |
Q: What is the correct placement of a period at the end of a sentence which ends in a single quotation ...
A: Shauna, Since the quote is a complete sentence, it should have punctuation at the end (a period or ...
|
| word definitions and uses | 9/10/2008 |
Q: I came across a word today that I had herd before but never really understood. The word that I am ...
A: Francis, In my opinion they all mean the same. The words extensible and extendible, however, have a ...
|
| Help with Subject-Verb Agreement | 9/10/2008 |
Q: Which is correct?: He is one of the men who (do/does)the work. The Labrador is one of those dogs ...
A: Benedict, The relative pronoun who refer back to He, which is the subject of the sentence. Since ...
|
| noun phrases | 9/8/2008 |
Q: my question is what is the proper English grammar while making a noun phrase with meals or drinks or ...
A: Pointer, Try: tea with sugar, coffee with (or without) sugar (or cream). Chocolate ice cream is ...
|
| test question | 9/7/2008 |
Q: This is a test question from a Chinese governmental exam. But we have different answers to it. Would ...
A: Netty, Try these: My interest with computers began with video games I used to play at a local ...
|
| 2 questions | 9/6/2008 |
Q: 1. If I have my head screwed on, I will know what to do. ---is it alright to say so? 2. I know that ...
A: Luke, 1. If I have my head screwed on straight, I will know what to do. 2. I will have been gone ...
|
| Use of the word "instigate" | 9/4/2008 |
Q: In a document that I was preparing I used "instigate" in the following manner: "The issue is whose ...
A: Mike, Good synonyms for instigate are urge on, incite, goad, stir up or foment, which are not ...
|
| group of sentences | 9/2/2008 |
Q: Please have a look at these sentences and tell me if they are OK. If it's possible, please do not ...
A: Luke, Try these: 1. tend to, attend to, straighten out, improve, look into 2. Do not go to bed ...
|
| feeling-out | 9/2/2008 |
Q: Please tell me the meaning of "feeling-out"in this sentence. "This occurs in part because of the ...
A: Netty, Feeling-out mean pre-judging, scouting, warming up to, estimating, sizing up or getting ...
|
| questions | 9/2/2008 |
Q: Will you check the sentences below for me? If something doesn't sound OK to your ear just correct it ...
A: Luke, Try these: 1. Stomachs usually ache rather than have pain. Pain is a result of an injury or ...
|
| Essay Critique | 9/1/2008 |
Q: I would love if you could take a look at the essay that I wrote for college admissions. I do not ...
A: David, In critiquing any written piece the major concern is audience. You refer to college ...
|
| meanng of phrases | 8/30/2008 |
Q: what do the phrases within quotations mean? 1.But his anxieties " of late" had ceased to "weigh upon ...
A: Goodwill, Try these: 1. recently, bother or concern 2. mixed up, jangled 3. considered or ...
|
| charges' minds | 8/29/2008 |
Q: The trainers like to implant the possibility of failure firmly in their CHARGES' MINDS to keep them ...
A: Luke, Charges are the athletes the trainers take care of. The concept comes from the idea that ...
|
| Word choice | 8/29/2008 |
Q: What is the difference between saying 'disinfected the entire house' and 'disinfected the whole ...
A: Lakshmi, Entire (derived from French) implies each separate part, not skipping around. We painted ...
|
| use of his/her | 8/27/2008 |
Q: What is the correct usage of his/her in this sentence, "Your child has brought home his/her homework ...
A: Sally, I use his/her quite often or (s)he when I'm dealing with nominative case. Yes, their would ...
|
| Impaired vs Poor | 8/24/2008 |
Q: "He has poor judgement." "He has impaired judgement." Is there any difference in meaning between ...
A: Sue, Impaired implies some physical disability (sight, hearing, mental, etc.) in his judgement, ...
|
| hi | 8/23/2008 |
Q: can you tell me if you what is the difference between the use of adjectives and the use of adverbs? ...
A: Whitedove, Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify adjectives and other adverbs Adjectives: white ...
|
| "Also" in front of a verb | 8/18/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble with the placement of "also". A coworker insists on putting it before a verb but ...
A: Megan, Where you put the also changes the meaning of the sentence. I also means you, in addition to ...
|
| just/already | 8/16/2008 |
Q: I have a similar question to you like the one last time about "just" and "already" What are the ...
A: Luke, The difference is in degree. Just started means that she isn't too far into the process while ...
|
| grammar | 8/16/2008 |
Q: Please I want to ask you aAs you think: What is the difference in usage between (so that) and (in ...
A: Mahraman, Both are quite similar in meaning. What follows so that is generally preventive ...
|
| english | 8/9/2008 |
Q: i want no?how could i improve my enlish vocabulary?
A: Nusrath, The best way to improve your vocabulary is by reading. Read everything you can get your ...
|
| order of "only with" or "with only" | 8/8/2008 |
Q: The question is about the order of the words only and with in the following example: The defect may ...
A: Jean, That all depends upon meaning; both are correct for a specific situation. With may be only ...
|
| similes | 8/6/2008 |
Q: Okay, a fellow poet asked me about something, and I can't give him a great answer: When "as" is ...
A: Janet, The definition of a simile is the comparison between two object using like or as in the ...
|
| grammer | 8/5/2008 |
Q: What is the difference between 'enquiry' and 'inquiry' when using it in a sentence? Thanks, Laura
A: Laura, Traditionally, the distinction between enquire and inquire is that enquire is used for ...
|
| MEANING OF A PHRASE | 8/4/2008 |
Q: I have a question I came across this phrase in a novel I was reading, "It isn’t only her looks that ...
A: Lilly, Liz Katzman wrote this diary entry to herself shortly before her death. It explains why she ...
|
| garage sale | 8/1/2008 |
Q: hy, this is something that iv wondered about for years. if the sale itself is called a "garage ...
A: Corner Likker (do your friends call you Kit?), This area is very nautical, as a matter of fact, it ...
|
| The Difference between Possessive Nouns and Compound Adjectives | 7/30/2008 |
Q: I am a little confused with the following--------------------------- -- How far is it from your home ...
A: Xuexin, I would say: I take a twenty-minute walk every morning. Yes, you may use the article, but ...
|
| grammar | 7/30/2008 |
Q: Conditional doesn't apply because action is completed: "Even if it was a dance, the Tango wasn't ...
A: Pat, He was dressed as if he were a clown. (correct) Even if it were a dance, it was not ...
|
| grammar | 7/29/2008 |
Q: Conditional doesn't apply because action is completed: "Even if it was a dance, the Tango wasn't ...
A: Pat, Conditional (subjective) is designated by plural verbs in the singular (If I were...., as if ...
|
| were/have been | 7/26/2008 |
Q: What is the difference in meaning when I ask: a) where were you? b) where have you been? Which of ...
A: Luke, Where were you requests an exact moment (when I called, when the lightning hit, when the ...
|
| English & UK English - Hospital | 7/24/2008 |
Q: Why, in English do we say, "He was sent to the hospital," and in UK English they say, "He was sent ...
A: Michael, We call these differences localisms or colloquialisms. I am a New Yorker now living in the ...
|
| lottery/tax | 7/22/2008 |
Q: Is it OK to say, facetiously: Those who play lottery games pay tax on illusion OR Those who play ...
A: Luke, A luxury tax is placed on unnecessary goods -- products not considered essential. A luxury ...
|
| echo question | 7/20/2008 |
Q: Have you ever heard about echo questions? there are three sentences: 1. I don't like cheese 2. He's ...
A: Luke, Try these question tags: 1. I don't like cheese, do you? 2. He's never been abroad, has he? ...
|
| Transition Words/Conjunctive Adverbs | 7/19/2008 |
Q: next). They are part of a lesson that has a "how to" aspect - (how to pitch a tent). I have to do ...
A: Leigh, When taking information from the Internet, always consider the source. The (they are not ...
|
| Transition Words/Conjunctive Adverbs | 7/19/2008 |
Q: next). They are part of a lesson that has a "how to" aspect - (how to pitch a tent). I have to do ...
A: Leigh, Keep in mind that conjunctive adverbs, by definition, must be used to connect two ...
|
| hi | 7/18/2008 |
Q: i would really appreciate it if you could give me a few tips on how to improve my grammar. i really ...
A: Sara, I would like to play golf like Tiger Woods or hit a baseball like Derek Jeter, both are my ...
|
| German/hair | 7/17/2008 |
Q: Which is correct: He is German OR He is a German Also: Can I say: She wears her hair in tail or in ...
A: Luke, He is a German is used to denote someone who was born in Germany. He is German is used for ...
|
| Responsible To vs. Responsible For | 7/16/2008 |
Q: I learned that a person is responsible "to" a person or entity and responsible "for" tasks. The ...
A: Ben, Or, it could be merely a throw back to job descriptions where you are responsible: to keep ...
|
| intransitive verb | 7/14/2008 |
Q: My dictionary say the word "run" is intransitive in this sentence but I think it's transitive. Would ...
A: Roger, By definition, a transitive verb is one that takes an object, e.g. My sister ran the vacuum ...
|
| English language | 7/8/2008 |
Q: Please could you tell me if the following sentence is a paradox? Scared to call you but I would ...
A: Imogen, According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a paradox is a seemingly contradictory ...
|
| A quck 'dashes' question | 7/8/2008 |
Q: What does this mean in this sentence to put dashes in here? Moderate drinkers have little trouble ...
A: Keith, I think these are just good examples of sufficiently strong reasons. Dashes are generally ...
|
| Direct object | 7/6/2008 |
Q: My grammar book says that "bank" is not a direct object in this sentence: "The bank was robbed." ...
A: Roger, Was robbed is a passive voice verb. That means that something was done to the subject ...
|
| punctuation effect on meaning | 7/3/2008 |
Q: In the following sentence, "In order to maintain the asthetic enviroment of the community, no ...
A: John, I'm not sure I'm answering your question, but this sentence is too crowded and poorly written ...
|
| Grammar Questions | 7/2/2008 |
Q: I have some more questions: 1. Why does "also" not require commas in the middle of a sentence while ...
A: Pat, 1. Yes, as I indicated above he did several things including skiing. If he is part of a group ...
|
| street porter | 7/1/2008 |
Q: The difference between the most dissimilar characters, between a philosopher and a common street ...
A: Luke, I know I am out of my area of expertise here, but I do know that this passage comes from Adam ...
|
| what have you | 7/1/2008 |
Q: You can go to the doctor, or go to the butcher, or what have you. What does "what have you" mean? ...
A: Luke, You will note that going to a doctor and going to a butcher appear as opposite ends of the ...
|
| Grammar Questions | 6/30/2008 |
Q: I have some more questions: 1. Why does "also" not require commas in the middle of a sentence while ...
A: Pat, 1. In your first sentence, the adverb modifies the verb which means he did several other ...
|
| short text | 6/27/2008 |
Q: Will you check if everything's fine with the short text below? Hello X Sorry that I kept you ...
A: Luke, Try this: Sorry that I kept you waiting so long with my answer, but I was just unsure if I ...
|
| Grammar Help | 6/26/2008 |
Q: My question follows: "The result was that the noise of the pipe attracted the dogs from the near ...
A: Sandy, Noise is the subject of the clause that begins that the noise and ends with the ...
|
| Proposal for creating a club at my high school | 6/22/2008 |
Q: I am creating a club at my high school that aids animals, particularly homeless ones. I wrote up a ...
A: Jane: Try this: Purpose: Although ____ High School has created many successful clubs that appeal ...
|
| 3 sentences | 6/17/2008 |
Q: Are these good sentences: I’m just wondering if I should take with me for the course any of my ...
A: Luke, Try these: I just wondered if I should take any English grammar books with me for my ...
|
| been/was/the | 6/14/2008 |
Q: Can I say "I don't remember when I've been in the cinema last time" CAN I USE THE PRESENT PERFECT ...
A: Luke, I don't remember when was the last time I have been in the cinema. That will work! Yes, for ...
|
| How to get to the point... | 6/13/2008 |
Q: This is really funny. I asked a question in the pharmacology field, but it was too long, so it got ...
A: Billy, Like many technically-trained people, you tend to ramble! You want to cram all your ideas ...
|
| grammar | 6/13/2008 |
Q: We've had 3 listeners call and complain that one of our radio commercials is not grammatically ...
A: Sharon, Without knowing the rest of the commercial, I would say that you and me are the objects of ...
|
| been/was/the | 6/13/2008 |
Q: Can I say "I don't remember when I've been in the cinema last time" CAN I USE THE PRESENT PERFECT ...
A: Luke, Simple past would be best: "I don't remember when I was in the cinema last." You need the ...
|
| Comma Punctuation | 6/12/2008 |
Q: When writing a list of numbers, what punctuation should you use as a separator, for example: 2,345, ...
A: Terry, Although this area is not my forte, I would use the third list since it presents the least ...
|
| speak/away | 6/12/2008 |
Q: how are you? Shall I use the present perfect or the past simple tense in the sentence below: "I've ...
A: Luke, You confused me with English/German! I thought you meant a broken English-German combination. ...
|
| speak/away | 6/12/2008 |
Q: how are you? Shall I use the present perfect or the past simple tense in the sentence below: "I've ...
A: Luke, 1. I have been away for the past five days and I was away for the past five days don't have ...
|
| Possessive Punctuation | 6/11/2008 |
Q: 1. When reading this sentence aloud, "Diane is waiting in Dr. Ross' office," how many "es" sounds ...
A: Shayde, 1. just two, which is fine 2. too many (three es sounds) 3. Both forms are grammatically ...
|
| was/were | 6/11/2008 |
Q: I have two grammar questions. 1. a)If everything was..... b)If everything were.... I suppose that ...
A: Luke, In both cases the verb should be singular since everything and no chance are both singular. ...
|
| Grammar | 6/11/2008 |
Q: What`s the difference in the usage of `very much` and `very well`? For example "I like him very ...
A: Hanna, In my opinion, there is often no difference, and the two terms can be used interchangeably. ...
|
| grammar | 6/9/2008 |
Q: I have mentioned few examples for direct into indirect speech. please advicve the following ...
A: Priya, There is no such rule. Charlie says we have to pick him up on the way to school. The ...
|
| remembering a peom | 6/4/2008 |
Q: Can you identify a poem with the words ...If you can keep your head when all about you are losing ...
A: Amanda, The name of the poem is IF by Rudyard Kipling. Here is the first stanza: IF you can keep ...
|
| Passive voice | 6/3/2008 |
Q: Jerry. When I write a Word document, sometimes my spell checker tells me I am not using correct ...
A: Judy, Passive voice means the verb is acting on the subject rather than the subject doing the ...
|
| English Grammer questions | 6/2/2008 |
Q: What is the correct name for a statement? What tells how, where, when, or to what extent? What is a ...
A: Cassandra, A declarative sentence is a statement. An adverb tells how (softly), where (here or ...
|
| short passage | 6/1/2008 |
Q: Could you have a look at the short passage below and correct it. Some time ago she taught English ...
A: Luke, Try this: Some time ago she taught English for almost two years. Then, she had a two-year ...
|
| English Grammar | 6/1/2008 |
Q: Should I italicize ships, aircrafts, or spaceships?
A: Lydia, Yes, you should italicize ships ("Nimitz", "Forestol", "Enterprise", "North Carolina", ...
|
| ENGLISH TERMS USAGE | 6/1/2008 |
Q: Two areas to consider. First, what is the distinction between the terms group, category, class and ...
A: Brian, Sorry, but no they are not interchangeable. As you noted, usage is determined by standard ...
|
| ENGLISH TERMS USAGE | 5/30/2008 |
Q: Two areas to consider. First, what is the distinction between the terms group, category, class and ...
A: Brian, Diabetes is classified as types (1, 2 and 3). There are no categories when dealing with ...
|
| Capitalization and Punctuation | 5/27/2008 |
Q: I am working on wedding invitations for a friend. What would be the correct way to capitalize and ...
A: Angela, Try this: This day I will marry my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, love. ...
|
| bright | 5/25/2008 |
Q: May I ask about the word "bright"? Can I use "bright" for weather instead of "light" in the ...
A: Lie, No, I mean that weather is rain, snow, sleet, hurricanes, tornados, floods, 80 degrees, ...
|
| interview | 5/23/2008 |
Q: I desperately need your advice to improve my interview skill. I have attened lots of interviews but ...
A: Priya, Try this: When I was asked that invisible question in my interview, my answer was: "If I ...
|
| interview | 5/22/2008 |
Q: I desperately need your advice to improve my interview skill. I have attened lots of interviews but ...
A: Priya, Try this: I desperately need your advice to improve my interviewing skill. I have attended ...
|
| Grammar and Writing | 5/20/2008 |
Q: What is the role of grammar in essay writing at the university level?
A: Ola, Many think it depends upon the type of essay written. Grammar is extremely important in an ...
|
| Grammar - using "starting" vs. "starting from" in relation to time | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I'm confused about using "starting from" vs. "starting" in reference to time. i am seeing more and ...
A: Susan, To me, starting June 2nd means that as of that date, such and such will happen. I don't need ...
|
| Like to Verb v.s. Like Ving | 5/18/2008 |
Q: Could you tell me what's the difference between " I like to swim" and " I like swimming" ? Thank you ...
A: Emma, There is a little difference in their meaning. I like to swim means that you like being in ...
|
| comma and sentence structure | 5/17/2008 |
Q: I am writing a sentence that reads: Could you correct the following sentence? I am not sure of the ...
A: Barbara, When there are two or more adjectives (educational and outreach) modifying the same noun ...
|
| Can see or See? | 5/17/2008 |
Q: I'm confusing with the use of the verb See in the Present Simple and in the Past Simple with the ...
A: Jesus, You see is present simple indicative. (It states the fact that you are able to do ...
|
| stressed syllable | 5/15/2008 |
Q: What is a stressed syllable?
A: Elizabeth, First, a multi-syllable word has a prominent syllable. This is called a stressed ...
|
| Words | 5/14/2008 |
Q: I would like my staff to get away from jargon/buzz words (in business writing), and have been fairly ...
A: George, Would you settle for these: empower - authorize, sanction facilitate - ease, aid, ...
|
| commas and quotes | 5/13/2008 |
Q: Can you please tell me which comma placement is correct and why? Thank you! a. While not all of ...
A: Laura, First, you have a complex sentence with the dependent clause starting the sentence so it ...
|
| English 111 | 5/12/2008 |
Q: In this sentence---"All of the reports except one were completed." I need to know the subject and ...
A: Debbie, 1. Send - verb with you implied. That you intend is an adjective modifying message. 2. ...
|
| verbs with cold | 5/8/2008 |
Q: May I ask about the verb using with "cold"? When "cold" is used as an illness, you use such as ...
A: Lie, You are using cold (illness) as a noun when coupled with verbs like catch, get and have. You ...
|
| most/worst | 4/18/2008 |
Q: Are the phrases: "at the most" and "at the worst" similar, or different in meaning? Is one of them ...
A: Luke, They similar but one deals with extent or number (most) while the other deal with condition ...
|
| do | 4/16/2008 |
Q: Is it a good sentence:Where in the world do more women play basketball than men? I would write this ...
A: Luke, Leaving out the word "do" changes the meaning of your sentence. You are asking for a place ...
|
| use of the article "an" | 4/11/2008 |
Q: why do so many in the media say or write "an historical", as in, for example, "it was an historical ...
A: Chuck, Here's the rule that I follow: The choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic ...
|
| translation/market | 4/10/2008 |
Q: 1. I've been dealing with translation. 2. I've been dealing with translating. Which is better in ...
A: Luke, I've been dealing with a translation. or, I've been dealing with translating. I like ...
|
| grammar | 4/7/2008 |
Q: I have 2 questions i am stuck on in my school work, the first one is Suppose you're scanning an ...
A: Michelle, 1. I'm not sure what they are getting at without knowing what scanning is all about, but ...
|
| proper grammar | 4/2/2008 |
Q: when is the correct time to say "Chris & I" or "Chris & me"? Is it true to take out the persons ...
A: Amber, The technique you use works well but here is the reason: Chris and I is subjective case ...
|
| difference between the second and the other | 3/30/2008 |
Q: Your honour Iam a teacher of English in Syria and a trainee in world links. I and my students are ...
A: Intesar, The other is any one beside this one, it could be a third, fourth, seventh, tenth, etc. ...
|
| grammar | 3/29/2008 |
Q: What do you think about this sentence: The problem is that, while it is easily possible in regular ...
A: Luke, Sentences of this length and complexity are difficult for the reader to comprehend. I would ...
|
| grammar | 3/28/2008 |
Q: Is there a difference between the following two sentences: - I would have liked to see - I would ...
A: Ralph, Mary would have liked to see a Broadway play, but she ran out of vacation money. (contrary ...
|
| subject pronouns | 3/18/2008 |
Q: i am an english teacher.I am not a native speaker though.so when one of my students asked me a ...
A: Pointer, The only order of words that I am aware of in a sentence is subject/verb/object. That ...
|
| quotation marks | 3/9/2008 |
Q: In two books I have recently read ( No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy and The Good Rat by ...
A: Fred, This is a practice that has been employed by playwrights since the genre began. Prose writers ...
|
| Confusing Prepositions | 2/11/2008 |
Q: Leone:Here's my1-When must we use "Round"and not"Around"? e.g.I read"Round the wourld in 80 ...
A: Bayan, Fowler's Guide to English says, "In almost all situations, the words are interchangeable and ...
|
| has been or had been | 2/6/2008 |
Q: I read on the local newspaper "She said has has been..." this morning. Should it be "She said he ...
A: Ong Chin Hui, He has been (past progressive) indicates that he has appeared in Canada all morning ...
|
| song | 2/1/2008 |
Q: What does this sentence mean: "They stack the odds 'til we take to the street." Especially the ...
A: Luke, Stack the odds means to rig the situation so that winning is more possible or more highly in ...
|
| try and | 1/29/2008 |
Q: One more Q, thanks so much for your earlier prompt response! What do you believe to be the ORIGIN ...
A: Carsi, I believe it might be an unconscious effort to combine two verbs (parallelism) e.g. try and ...
|
| good vs well | 1/22/2008 |
Q: My sister recently asked me how I was and I said "good" and she said one does not say that one says ...
A: Nina, Forms of the verb to be (is, are, was, were, feels, etc.) are followed by a predicate ...
|
| How do I lump "youth, street and college slang" into one term/entity? | 1/18/2008 |
Q: 1/17/07 9:51 PM Hello: I saw your response to my original question in my e-mail. I often go and ...
A: Jason, Sorry, but your question makes no sense to me! Youth and street just don't go together. And ...
|
| i need advice | 1/16/2008 |
Q: I'm 13 and i have already wrote a book that is almost 100 pages long but i am not sure that I should ...
A: Jackie, Reading your brief question leads me to believe that your work need some serious editing ...
|
| dependant clauses | 1/15/2008 |
Q: Following are 2 clauses: 1. Having been a career night student, I am aware... 2. As an adjunct ...
A: Jim, #1 is a participial clause (having been). Try: As a perpetual night school student, I am ...
|
| Possessive vs. descriptive | 1/12/2008 |
Q: This is a punctuation question, so I don't know if you can help me. I am Secretary of the Board of ...
A: Carol, Sorry about the "probably" but even Experts are not dead positive about all the answers ...
|
| grammar/diagram sentence | 1/11/2008 |
Q: I am having a hard time diagramming the sentence "It is just one of those things that happen." I ...
A: Karen, It - subject of the sentence is - main verb just - adjective modifying one one - ...
|
| Possessive vs. descriptive | 1/10/2008 |
Q: This is a punctuation question, so I don't know if you can help me. I am Secretary of the Board of ...
A: Carol, Most newspapers use their names as descriptive not possessive e.g. Dallas Times, Chicago ...
|
| Writing Skills | 1/10/2008 |
Q: PLease check my answers before I sent my test in. I am having a hard to on this subject. Please ...
A: Andrea, Try these: 1. B (up is not need after raised; you can't raise down) 2. C is correct) ...
|
| . With or without IT? | 1/10/2008 |
Q: With or without IT? - We make IT move in the way that we want (IT?) to. - They did it in a way ...
A: Jesus, I think that IT is essential in the first sentence since we want it to move and not we to ...
|
| Identifying parts of speech | 11/13/2007 |
Q: I need assistance in identifying the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, clauses, infinitives, etc.) in ...
A: Paula, Try this: (All I want to do) is a noun clause that is the subject of this sentence. The ...
|
| possessive genitive | 11/9/2007 |
Q: Leone, I am trying to understand the terms "Genitive Case", "old Genitive Case", Possessive ...
A: Rich, In Latin the genitive case was used to show possession. Today, we call it possessive case ...
|
| "before" or "ago" | 10/22/2007 |
Q: I saw a sentence on a book written by a non-native speaker. It goes like this: "You've touched him ...
A: Sandy, What makes it sound awkward is the fact that "before" is misplaced: "You've touched him on ...
|
| realize and notice | 10/19/2007 |
Q: Is it similar to say or write " I realized..." and " I noticed..."
A: Angel, Realize, sense, notice, felt all mean about the same thing...to become aware of. Noticed ...
|
| grammar question | 10/18/2007 |
Q: Questions on verb tenses: 1. “Is cleaned” = simple present? 2. “Is being cleaned” = present ...
A: pat, 1. “Is cleaned” = present passive? 2. “Is being cleaned” = present progressive passive? ...
|
| grammar | 10/1/2007 |
Q: 1.If it matters it will be going to the Western Union in California. 2.If it matters it will go to ...
A: Luke, 1. Means that in the future it will be going on a regular basis (continually) to Western ...
|
| "Toward" and "towards" | 9/29/2007 |
Q: What is the difference between these two words: "toward" and "towards." Thank you in advance.
A: Tom, There really isn't any difference between them, both are acceptable in English grammar. ...
|
| grammar | 9/28/2007 |
Q: What part of speech is the word "done" in the following sentence: "I need some repairs done." How do ...
A: Pat, "Some repairs done" is a noun clause, used as the direct object of the verb "need" (it tells ...
|
| I have a problem | 9/23/2007 |
Q: Good morning ,sir I have aproblem with writing. I am an excellent students in grammar but most of ...
A: Deena, One of the easiest ways to learn to write is to start simply. Keep a daily journal, write ...
|
| Compound sentences | 9/22/2007 |
Q: Are these sentences compound sentences? I'm unsure if the second sentence in the compound are ...
A: Pamela, By definition, a compound sentence is one made up of two independent clauses ...
|
| Transition words: more important vs more importantly | 9/19/2007 |
Q: Jerry, Does it matter which to use as transition - more important or more importantly? Do ...
A: Austinea, Lastly, secondly, finally, next, thirdly all act as adverbs that modify the verb since ...
|
| english improvement | 9/12/2007 |
Q: I have need somme help for a short text, can you help me to improve this text ?? best regards ...
A: Flo, Try this: Reconfigured computing is certainly one of the most important emerging research ...
|
| Grammar question.. | 9/11/2007 |
Q: Can a complete subject in a sentence also be a complete predicate at the same time? Can there be ...
A: Katie, Think about what you are asking me! How can a subject be a predicate at the same time? The ...
|
| Writing an anniversary date | 9/5/2007 |
Q: We are writing anniversary letters to employees what is the proper way to say 20th anniversary spell ...
A: Lisa, The rules that apply here as follows: Spell out numbers nine and under for both ordinal and ...
|
| The difference between "On the contrary" and " On the other hand | 8/25/2007 |
Q: Leone, I have a question that has been in my mind for some time. Doe the phrase "On the contray" ...
A: Wis, Although they are quite similar and often used interchangeably, they have a slight difference ...
|
| forget | 8/21/2007 |
Q: dont tell Dad that I forgot....... my room. a)to clean b)cleaning c)to work d)working the ...
A: Pointer, Verb forms that begin with "to" are infinitives, e.g. to think, to dream, to smoke, to ...
|
| Word Usage | 8/18/2007 |
Q: Jerry, My question is about the proper usage of forecast v. forecasted. Just heard on the television ...
A: Ray, Forecast is the simple present while forecasted is past and passive tense. Meterologist ...
|
| Infrastructure development or Infrastructural development? | 8/16/2007 |
Q: Is there any subtle difference in meaning between "infrastructure development" and "infrastructural ...
A: May, Infrastructure is the noun and infrastructural is the adjective form. They both deal with ...
|
| "who" or "that" in this situations? | 8/16/2007 |
Q: Could someone shed light on which ones are better?: "There is a child in us who wants things to be ...
A: Daniel, Just remember that who is for people and that is for things, thus: She is the one who ...
|
| Around and about | 8/9/2007 |
Q: It seems popular practice nowadays for people to use the phrase "discuss ... around", for example: ...
A: Sue, Many expressions that have become "popular practice nowadays" don't make them correct ...
|
| guided bird walk | 8/7/2007 |
Q: i came across that word in a book as an activity, but i can not exactly get the meaning of ...
A: Pointer, I am guessing that a guided bird walk is one where a bird expert points out various ...
|
| Letter of Recommendation Guide | 8/5/2007 |
Q: I am a voice from the past. You helped me a few times, some five years ago, when I decided to go ...
A: Michael, Make your letter sound sincere, but not a eulogy of the boys. Tell what they have done in ...
|
| Regarding to Some and Few | 8/3/2007 |
Q: Where to use Some and Where to use Few? With love. S.RAVI
A: Revi, Some indicates an indefinite quantity. It might be 5 or it might be as many as 50. I like ...
|
| Grammar usage for the word "welcomed" | 7/30/2007 |
Q: We have a client who needs business cards and letterhead printed for a new business venture she is ...
A: Mary Ellen, The difference between welcome (present) and welcomed (past and future) is in tense not ...
|
| foundation | 7/30/2007 |
Q: I know that it is correct to write "The Management Board of the Foundation" Can I also write: "The ...
A: Luke, I don't like The Foundation Management Board since there is no possession. The management ...
|
| I want to learn to speak english. | 7/27/2007 |
Q: My name is Firas.I have penpals from other countries but my english is not really good. How do I ...
A: Firas, Enroll in a ESL class at your local high school or junior college. Obtain a copy of English ...
|
| How to study continuously? | 6/21/2007 |
Q: I'm a student. After I study hard for a day, I can't help myself from wasting my time the next day. ...
A: Chirag, The best thing you can do is to get good grades as a result of your hard studying. These ...
|
| correct usage of "bring" and "take" | 6/20/2007 |
Q: Here is my question, plain and simple! There is an ongoing debate over the following situation I'm ...
A: Lisa, You bring toward and take away. Bring me flowers from the garden. Bring home straight A's. ...
|
| gram. ? | 6/17/2007 |
Q: what's wrong? what's the answer? 1-No doubt the world is getting warmer. 2-I can't think af anybody ...
A: Rameen, 1- No doubt, the earth is getting warmer. 2- I can't think of anybody to invite. 3- Would ...
|
| Spacing | 6/10/2007 |
Q: How many spaces should be after a period. I prefer one, it saves time and looks better. My fiance ...
A: Matt, Those who used the typewriter (remember those???), including secretaries skipped two spaces ...
|
| Writing Help | 6/6/2007 |
Q: I need help on my writing skills. I think that maybe I am good at writing, but my writing skills are ...
A: B., Run on sentences are a result of trying to cram too much information into the same sentence. ...
|
| last name grammar | 6/4/2007 |
Q: when painting a mail box, and referring to a family as a whole, would there be an apostrophe "s" ...
A: Sara, If you wish to convey that the Hollohan family lives here, use Hollohans (plural). On the ...
|
| passive voice and danglers? | 6/1/2007 |
Q: "Key muscles were identified to address the following deficits." I was told by an editor that "to ...
A: Rebecca, The editor is correct in one respect. As an infinitive (verb form) it can not modify a ...
|
| Bigger Vocabulary | 5/29/2007 |
Q: What do you think is the best way to learn new words, don’t forget them, and then use them when we ...
A: David, All of these skills can be improved by reading. Read everything that you can get your hands ...
|
| eduacation | 5/26/2007 |
Q: How we can teach writing by computers
A: Zuhair, You don't teach writing by computers, you teach it with computers. It doesn't matter ...
|
| whom or who | 5/9/2007 |
Q: I was just wondering what are the appropriate times to use who and whom? Thanks
A: Jevon, Use who as a subject: Who is your best friend? Who picked these grapes? Who did this ...
|
| writing | 5/7/2007 |
Q: How can I teach students steps of writing a good coposition? ANSWER: Najah, Start with simple ...
A: Najah, I used to use a 1, 2, 3 system. 1 was given for work that was relatively error free ...
|
| think about/of | 5/6/2007 |
Q: Could you please tell me what the difference between thinking about or thinking of something is? ...
A: Vicky, If you say I'm thinking about you or I'm thinking of you, I don't think there is any ...
|
| Question about Extended Metaphors | 5/1/2007 |
Q: For my class I need to write an example of an extended metaphor. So I decided to compare Learning to ...
A: David, In its simplest form a metaphor is the comparison of two unlike object where A is a B. When ...
|
| speech | 4/26/2007 |
Q: My sister is getting married this June. I have to put together a speech for her wedding. I am very ...
A: T, A good speech should come from the heart. Relate a couple incidents that have happened to you ...
|
| learning English | 4/21/2007 |
Q: Which is the shortest approach to teach English?Grammar or communicative aproach . Best wishes
A: Mohamamd Mansoor, I have used both methods numerous times over the years. Because English grammar ...
|
| Over use of the word "Closure" | 4/18/2007 |
Q: Jerry - NYS Dept of Transportation is BETA testing a new service of text messaging road information ...
A: David, I agree that the media has overdone the word closure; we need some type of closure for ...
|
| Metonymy example | 4/17/2007 |
Q: Is the use of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit a type of metonymy? If not, what would you label this if ...
A: Sharon, My understanding of a metonym is a simple word or phrase that represents a more complex ...
|
| resume | 4/16/2007 |
Q: I have a job interview in a few days and i'm having trouble with typing a resume. I have most of it ...
A: Jason, I would be more than happy to look over your resume when complete. Send it to me through ...
|
| plural tense of noun "expertise" | 4/13/2007 |
Q: What is the plural tense of the word "expertise"?
A: Lissette, Expertise is a noun, and as such, has no tense...only verbs have tense. I believe that it ...
|
| Wish vs hope | 4/12/2007 |
Q: I teach English to non-native speakers and am having trouble explaining the difference between ...
A: Teri, According to my dictionary: Wish is most commonly used in hypothetical (or imagined) ...
|
| English usage | 4/10/2007 |
Q: I, a Japanese, often come across "internal control" and "internal controls" when reading materials ...
A: Toshio Ota, 1. That is very accurate. Internal controls might be overhead cameras, light sensors, ...
|
| Direct Quotes Vs. Paraphrasing | 4/9/2007 |
Q: My question is; What is the difference between a direct quote and paraphrasing? I know that a ...
A: Timna, You pretty much said it all! A direct quote uses " .... " marks before and after the quote ...
|
| "have" or not? | 4/5/2007 |
Q: Ex 1. I had read 2 books. Ex 2. I read 2 books. Can you please elaborate what the difference is ...
A: Eunice, I read and I had are both simple past. They mean in is one past event I read two books and ...
|
| 'when' vs 'by the time' | 3/29/2007 |
Q: I am an English teacher and I was correcting an essay. The student wrote the following sentence: " ...
A: Patricia, I think (My daughter had been taught or was taught English...) would sound better or the ...
|
| punctuation | 3/27/2007 |
Q: 56.My garden is full of water,because of yesterday's rain. a.correct b.incorrect (a) 57.Sally wants ...
A: Terrie, 56. b no comma 57. a 58. a semicolon is needed 59. a extra information 60. b 61. b ...
|
| more or less? | 3/24/2007 |
Q: If circumstances make you do one of the following and you have not other choice which one should you ...
A: Angela, Most writing teachers (high school or college) are more concerned with the quality of the ...
|
| English Terminology | 3/23/2007 |
Q: cen you tell me which term describes other words that remain the same whether they refer to the ...
A: Benjamin, The nearest I can come are called "plurale tantum" words. Although these are defined as ...
|
| RE: WILL AND WOULD | 3/21/2007 |
Q: Jerry, sometimes I'am confused on when to use would or will. For example: Would/will you come over ...
A: Jerry, Use "will" when expressing a certainty. Use "would" when noting that something is ...
|
| using the with both | 3/18/2007 |
Q: Why is it acceptable to use an article with both, as in the phrase, welcome, the both of you. I ...
A: Diana, Like so many of us who taught the language for many years, I have great difficulty listening ...
|
| grammar help . | 3/18/2007 |
Q: i need help with several question i just cant seem to understand the error in these sentences and ...
A: Elijah, 1. She needs to go to the dentist. Subject/verb agreement 2. Yuki doesn't feel well. ...
|
| using the with both | 3/15/2007 |
Q: Why is it acceptable to use an article with both, as in the phrase, welcome, the both of you. I ...
A: Diana, There is no grammatical reason here; they are both acceptable. I think both of you and the ...
|
| conjunctive adverbs | 2/12/2007 |
Q: Is it ever appropriate to begin a sentence with "however"?
A: Leslie, Since the word conjunctive implies connection, I don't like putting however at the ...
|
| singular or plural | 1/31/2007 |
Q: "Regular communication and exchange with staff and fellow volunteers creates and enjoyable ...
A: Sara, Go with your gut; change to: "Regular communication and exchange with staff and fellow ...
|
| writing | 1/29/2007 |
Q: Will you check please if everything's all right with the sentences below? 1.Seemed to be funny, but ...
A: Luke, Try these: 1. It seemed to be funny, but only in memories. 2. Besides, it (the custody) ...
|
| English | 1/22/2007 |
Q: Can you tell me what is a good thing to do or use to get better in English gramer and spelling for ...
A: Renee, The best thing to do is read. Read everything you can get your hands on. Read newspapers, ...
|
| punctuation and quotation marks | 1/20/2007 |
Q: I've always been taught to put all punctuation marks inside quotation marks. But I have a hard time ...
A: Lee, Here are the simple rules: Rule 1: Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even ...
|
| grammar/writing | 1/15/2007 |
Q: Can I write "gymnasium" (I was going to gymnasium) or maybe it would be better to call it "a middle ...
A: Lucas, Gymnasium in the USA is a recreation or physical education area. Middle schools here are 6-8 ...
|
| affect vs effect | 1/15/2007 |
Q: Everytime I think I've got this straight I forget! Can you tell me the difference between these two ...
A: Tonya, Effect is a noun and affect is a verb. How does noise affect your ears? (verb) I hope the ...
|
| Myself versus Me | 12/24/2006 |
Q: Do you have any insight as to why people are now using the word "myself" in place of the word "me"? ...
A: Dee, Myself is a reflexive pronoun to intensify the meaning of me. It should never be used to ...
|
| English Grammar-Parts of Speech | 12/13/2006 |
Q: I need help with these six sentences, I need to find in these sentences, the nouns, pronouns, verbs, ...
A: Denise, 1: Because C you P can V offer V a A sizeable A discount N, I P am V confident V that C you ...
|
| I were, I was | 12/8/2006 |
Q: I have been getting conflicting suggestion and am now quite confused as to when to use "I were" and ...
A: Mrs. Welder, I was very cold last night. That is a statement of fact. I was is simple past tense. ...
|
| street | 11/30/2006 |
Q: "at Main street/Street" "on Main street/Street" Do I have to write "street" with a capital letter? ...
A: Luke, Since Main Street is a proper noun, you must capitalize both words. If you are talking about ...
|
| Definitions | 11/29/2006 |
Q: Can you please explain the difference between the words 'cosmology' and 'cosmogony'. Thank you ...
A: Charles, Although very similar in meaning, both dealing with the universe, cosmogony is a ...
|
| rock bands and subject-verb agreement | 11/29/2006 |
Q: This is about single nouns with plural sounding names. Is it proper to say that Pearl Jam needs ...
A: Augusto, Pearl Jam would be considered singular, thus needs. A group with a plural name so need. ...
|
| need | 11/28/2006 |
Q: when can i use has been, have been, has in a sentence
A: Francis, Try these: has been (past perfect of "have"): He has been waiting at the bus stop for ...
|
| punctuation | 11/17/2006 |
Q: Mom finds safe substitutions for thing which bother her: homemade hand soap, special salt deodorant, ...
A: Sandy, Try this: Mom finds safe substitutions for thing which bother her: homemade hand soap, ...
|
| one-sided comparison | 11/14/2006 |
Q: The term they were looking for was "analogy". Thanks for you help anyway.What is the term for a ...
A: Millie, The dictionary defines analogy as is the comparison of two pairs which have the same ...
|
| Referring to the Family as a whole | 11/14/2006 |
Q: I get which is plural and possessive. Which one goes on the ornament?Say I want to put my family's ...
A: Heidi, That depends upon what you want the ornament to say. If it represents your family, the say ...
|
| Verb/Noun Matching | 11/11/2006 |
Q: I can never remember how this works. In the following text does "seventy percent" take a plural or ...
A: Ruth, Here is the basic rule: With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, ...
|
| minute taking | 11/11/2006 |
Q: How is the best way to capture a meeting of around 10 people when taking minutes. I tend to get lost ...
A: Erol, I have several suggestions that I used to teach my reporting classes: 1. Try sitting away ...
|
| i need to write a personal letter. | 11/1/2006 |
Q: below is my CV and cover letter, please give me your expert comment. Thanks Faiza Mohamed Al Ali CV ...
A: Faiza, You have included too much information in your resume. Much of this should be saved for the ...
|
| here is my personal letter.what do u think? | 11/1/2006 |
Q: Here is the letter I wrote: Dr. Mark John Department of Dermatology 866 West 10th Avenue Toronto ...
A: Faiza, Try this: Dear Dr.John: After reading the description for the dermatology residency ...
|
| i need to write a personal letter. | 10/31/2006 |
Q: How are you ? I'm working as a dermatology resident, and i want to apply for a higher study program ...
A: Faiza, I am reluctant to write a cover letter for your CV or resume since, like so many other HR ...
|
| A correcton to one of your past answers | 10/31/2006 |
Q: Your answer to the following question contains a blatant error: ...
A: Mary, Thanks so much for the correction. I found the mistake. I try to answer the questions as soon ...
|
| meaning | 10/31/2006 |
Q: What do the below phrases mean: 1. Genius me butt! 2. Let's give it a shot! 3. This is apples and ...
A: Luke, 1. Real smart, my keaster (ass)! 2. Let's give it a try; we've nothing to lose! 3. When ...
|
| grammar | 10/30/2006 |
Q: Are they interchangable? When do you use the past perfect tense?Hi, When would I use "I moved" vs ...
A: Maria, The simple past tense is used when an action is completed and not likely to happen again: ...
|
| at best | 10/29/2006 |
Q: What does the phrase "at best" in the sentence below mean? "The sentence is a bit awkward at best" ...
A: Luke, "At best" can be considered a "backhanded complement". The sentence is so awkward that there ...
|
| - | 10/26/2006 |
Q: Could you have a look at these two sentences and point out the mistakes 1. The remuneration ...
A: Luke, 1. The remuneration will be appropriately deducted by the principal, according to the rules ...
|
| difference/differential | 10/21/2006 |
Q: I hear sports announcers say of a score, the differential is three points. I think it should be ...
A: Charles, Although they both mean the same (disparity, diversity, distinctiveness), difference is a ...
|
| Word Usage | 10/19/2006 |
Q: When and how do you use "might and may", "can and could, "will and would" and "shall and should"? ...
A: Ardin, Use may and might to express past possibility in the following ways: 1. I may have done ...
|
| Dates - style and commas | 10/16/2006 |
Q: The date format - Question 1: I contend that the most correct format for the date when used in ...
A: Jim, I agree with your contention in #2 that you always use the comma between the day and year, ...
|
| articles usage | 10/15/2006 |
Q: That is what I've come across in "Grammar and Vocabulary" by R. Side and G. Wellman (Longman). "We ...
A: Arcady, Here's a simpler rule to remember: use "a" before nouns that begin with consonants and "an" ...
|
| vocab. | 10/14/2006 |
Q: What do these words mean? 1. "far cry" "There is a far cry between equal rights and forcing equal ...
A: Luke, 1. A far cry is a lot of difference or much disparity between one faction and the other. 2. ...
|
| Grammar - commas & tenses | 10/10/2006 |
Q: I have two quick questions re: some sentences that recently appeared in my company's communications. ...
A: Chris, 1. Since the concepts and theories are still in effect, I would say "are" is more accurate. ...
|
| Grammar | 10/10/2006 |
Q: ..In the following sentence I am wondering if a semicolon between "orientated" and "and" would be ...
A: Sandy, Try this: There are the Bert’s- logical, serious, and task- orientated; and there are the ...
|
| English Borrowings | 10/6/2006 |
Q: Greetings!! America is often called a "melting pot", and this is reflected in American English as ...
A: Therasa, These are a few that I come up with easily: Spanish: manana, banana, sombero, hombre, ...
|
| Grammer | 10/5/2006 |
Q: Would appreciate your advice. We are discussing which is correct in each sentence shown below. ...
A: Massy, A. "Am" means that you are in the back at the present moment. "Do" indicates that you sit ...
|
| passage | 10/4/2006 |
Q: "Cristina: OK, when you come out * from the tube station, you have to turn *on your right. And then ...
A: Luke, Try this: Cristina: Okay, when you leave the tube (?) station turn right. Stay on this ...
|
| vocabulary | 10/4/2006 |
Q: I don't know how to understand some certain words in the texts below: 1. "Even if your Baggage has ...
A: Luke, 1. Means get approval from customs or make sure customs passes it as legal. 2. You haven't ...
|
| For or To? | 10/3/2006 |
Q: Hy there! In sentences with two objects, like "I gave my husband a present" what's preposition ...
A: Erica, The indirect object (my husband, my sister, the person recieving the object) has to in front ...
|
| grammar help | 10/3/2006 |
Q: Please be good enough to make grammar corrections in this letter City Tek (Model: T-L95S Serial ...
A: Yvonne, Try this: Dear Sir: City Tek (Model: T-L95S Serial No: 0229) City Tek (Model: ...
|
| grammar | 10/2/2006 |
Q: we are two students in 10th grade in a college prep english class. we need help with the following ...
A: Katie, I did not say you looked in World Book or any other reference book but was giving you an ...
|
| English Composition | 10/2/2006 |
Q: . This question is from an English 101 essay. I have asked this question of others but have not ...
A: Sandy, Try this: Suddenly, Dad flung open the basement door and shouted down the stairs,"Pat is ...
|
| Varied | 9/30/2006 |
Q: Come lie with me. (Here I mean "come lie down with me." Can you omit the word "down" and still be ...
A: Mike, 1. Yes, lie is find by itself since lie down is understood. The homonyn lie doesn't apply ...
|
| English Composition | 9/30/2006 |
Q: ..For an essay, I wrote in short, choppy sentences intentionally to show action, like my textbook ...
A: Sandy, You have used a nice assortment of short, choppy sentences plus some longer compound and ...
|
| Use of "There" in a sentence | 9/28/2006 |
Q: Although the word "there" may be used as an adverb, in the following sentence, it is not. One ...
A: Grace, There and it are often used at the beginning of a sentence merely to fill in a space or to ...
|
| Parallelism Practice | 9/28/2006 |
Q: I am suppose to underline the words or phrase that are parallel and then write the form of the words ...
A: You can register for the test by mail, by phone,or on the Web. I have by mail, by phone, or on the ...
|
| grammer | 9/28/2006 |
Q: what is conjection in English grammer
A: Enayat, A conjunction is a word that connects two elements or parts of speech such as nouns, ...
|
| writing essay for IELTS exams | 9/26/2006 |
Q: ------------------------- hi jerry, what you said is correct, i have a problem in starting an ...
A: Milton, Try this: "There's a trend to having several careers in the world of advance technology ...
|
| writing essay for IELTS exams | 9/26/2006 |
Q: ------------------------- hi jerry, IELTS is International English Learning Test Systems,you never ...
A: Milton, Since you have no way of knowing what essay question you will get, you can't really ...
|
| writing essay for IELTS exams | 9/26/2006 |
Q: am Milton and want to give a IElTS exam next month, will u help me out with essay, i have a problem ...
A: Milton, Essays are best written about things you know about (my best friend, working after school, ...
|
| meaning of word | 9/26/2006 |
Q: can you explain lxical beyond the short answer definition of lexical I have only found that it is of ...
A: Danielle, Lexical is of Greek origin "lexikos" meaning of or pertaining to words. Lexical means ...
|
| proof read | 9/24/2006 |
Q: Robert Munch is one of my favourite all time children’s authors. One of my favourite children’s book ...
A: Michelle, Try this: Robert Munch is one of my favorite all time children’s authors. My favourite ...
|
| Capitalization | 9/20/2006 |
Q: In the scriptures, Romans 16:16, there is a sentence: "The churches of Christ salute you." Why is ...
A: Louise, Since churches does not refer to a specific church (i.e. Church of God the Father) but ...
|
| sentence | 9/19/2006 |
Q: i looked both "Elusive" (tending to elude perception) and "iNTRANSISTIVE (designating a verb or verb ...
A: Branden, A grounder up the middle tends to be an elusive ball to field. Eels are elusive ...
|
| Essay Review and Edit | 9/18/2006 |
Q: Hey Jerry, I just got finished writing a little over 2 page (doubled space) essay about a ...
A: Dave, Sorry, but for security reasons I don't give out my email address. A two=page essay is more ...
|
| could you check the following writing (especially, grammar)? | 9/16/2006 |
Q: In many cities nowadays, food shopping takes very little time. In the past, people used to go to ...
A: Mary, Try: In many cities nowadays, food shopping takes very little time. In the past, people used ...
|
| correct usage | 9/16/2006 |
Q: Is there some simple way of learning/remembering when the word(s) "lay" or "lie" can be used ...
A: May, Try this one: Lay is transitive...that means it takes an object. Lay your hand on my ...
|
| [couldn't Vo] Vs. [couldn't have V3] | 8/16/2006 |
Q: Can you please tell me the difference between the following two sentences? 1) I couldn't wait ...
A: Raya, Could not wait is past tense while could not have waited is past perfect. Past indicates ...
|
| Grammar | 8/15/2006 |
Q: 1.The shower will clear tomorrow afternoon. Temperatures will fall below freezing tonight. ...
A: Bill, 1. Clear means the weather will get better; the skies will clear up and the rain will cease. ...
|
| WHICH SHOULD I FOLLOW? | 8/14/2006 |
Q: I've read the site with the url: ...
A: Kenny, Try this: 2781 Grand Avenue ...
|
| engaged | 8/9/2006 |
Q: 1. The city is banning taxi drivers who wear their hair too long. The city is prohibiting taxi ...
A: Liv, 1. Yes, they are okay and they all mean that if your hair is long you ain't going to drive a ...
|
| sentences | 8/4/2006 |
Q: 1. Faced with a problem, you have to analyze it first, and then try to find a solution. Facing a ...
A: Albert, 1. Yes, except the the first indicates that there is a problem before you while the second ...
|
| Grammar | 8/1/2006 |
Q: 1.A:You play with the city Orchestra, donˇ¦t you? B: Yes. A:I hear youˇ¦re having a concert at the ...
A: Wendy, 1. Not necessily, he is merely asking if tickets are available. There is no indication in ...
|
| sentences | 8/1/2006 |
Q: 1.Give a tip of 15% of the total charge Consult your dictionary when you see new words. I have ...
A: Martin, Try these: 1. Give a tip of 15% of the total bill. Consult your dictionary when you see ...
|
| loan | 8/1/2006 |
Q: . We apply for a job, loan, scholarship. We apply to a school, univesity. Do all the above ...
A: George, 1. Yes, they are all correct; we also apply for a license, permission, dispensation, a ...
|
| Garage | 8/1/2006 |
Q: 1. What's your occupation? What's your profession? What's the difference between the two ...
A: Maggie, 1. Occupation is what you do for a living, generally on an hourly rate or basis. It does ...
|
| minute taking | 7/31/2006 |
Q: which is the best for taking minutes syle wise, short hand, laptop, hand writing. which is the ...
A: E Andrews, Not ever having taken shorthand, I found that if I wrote down the most important items ...
|
| Grammar | 7/27/2006 |
Q: 1. It has been raining on and off all this afternoon. It rained on and off all this afternoon. ...
A: Albert, Try: 1. It has been raining on and off all afternoon. It rained on and off all ...
|
| constantly | 7/25/2006 |
Q: 1. (Constantly) I am amazed at how often the personnel department sends us memos that frequently ...
A: Peter, Try these: 1. I am constantly amazed at how often the personnel department sends us memos ...
|
| Grammar | 7/25/2006 |
Q: 1.Because the boss's wife loves chocolates, he's going to stop off at candy store near his home and ...
A: Albert, Try: 1. Because the boss' wife loves chocolates, he's going to stop off at candy store ...
|
| comprehension | 7/25/2006 |
Q: I have a problem in sitting in a seminar or lecture and then try to formulate a questions on the ...
A: Hala, I think preparation might help you out. Instead of going in cold to a lecture or seminar, try ...
|
| sentences | 7/21/2006 |
Q: 1.It looks like the dance is taking place at a stadium. People who perform the dragon dance are ...
A: Ken, Try: 1. People who perform the dragon dance are wearing the same costumes. 2. This picture ...
|
| sentences | 7/21/2006 |
Q: I. I see a group of people doing a dragon dance by moving the dragon above their heads back and ...
A: Wendy, 1. I see a group of people doing a dragon dance by moving the dragon back and forth above ...
|
| breastmilk or breast milk | 7/19/2006 |
Q: I'd like to clean up this paragraph: Here is the consent form for the 26 hour pumping study. This ...
A: Amy, Try this: Here is the consent form for the 26-hour pumping study. This can be scheduled on ...
|
| Grammar | 7/18/2006 |
Q: 1. Do you want to go out sometime? I am at the end of line for tickets. Is "sometime" always ...
A: Kang, 1. Yes, it donates future time. 2. Yes, they both mean the machine is inoperative. Anything ...
|
| out of | 7/18/2006 |
Q: 1. I live next door. I live next to your house. What's the difference between the two? Can I ...
A: Ken, 1. Next door is the house immediately adjacent to the one you live in. Next to might be right ...
|
| graduate | 7/18/2006 |
Q: 1. I've got an offer from Microsoft. I am hired by Microsoft. I've got a job from Microsoft. ...
A: Regina, 1. NO, #1 means they are willing to hire you. #2 means you are going to work there. #3 ...
|
| heat up | 7/17/2006 |
Q: 1.This new suit doesnˇ¦t suit you. This new suit is not suitable for you. Do both sentences have ...
A: Albert, 1. Yes, both mean that the new vestment is not the style you usually wear. 2. Yes, they ...
|
| sentences | 7/17/2006 |
Q: 1. At this hour, the subway is the fastest way to get there. He can'tdraw a figure. The ...
A: Wendy, 1. No, during the next 60 minutes. Sketch a number or form. The class or meeting is ...
|
| finish | 7/17/2006 |
Q: 1. Iˇ¦ll have it finished by next Tuesday. I'll finish it by next Tuesday. The two sentences ...
A: Peter, 1. The first one means it surely won't be done before next Tuesday. The second means it ...
|
| How to write a letter to Department of Ophthalmology | 7/17/2006 |
Q: I am student in japan in Optometry master Course and now i want to change my university from japan ...
A: Mahmoodi, Sorry, but I'm not sure how I can help you. I don't know enough about the situation to ...
|
| Vocabulary | 7/17/2006 |
Q: Would you mind helping me with these questions? 1 What’s the difference among: 1.1 a) Be addicted to ...
A: Jusinete, 1.1 Very little difference...in each case you have varying loves of chocolate. 1.2 Mean ...
|
| seem | 7/14/2006 |
Q: 1.The objective of this test is to see how much you understand spoken English. He failed to make it ...
A: Wendy, 1. The objective of this test is to see how well you understand spoken English. He failed ...
|
| car racing | 7/14/2006 |
Q: 1. On the one hand, he is a good father in his family. On the other hand, he is a successful ...
A: Maggie, 1. On the one hand, he is a good father to his family. On the other hand, he is a ...
|
| grammar/usage | 7/12/2006 |
Q: When and how is 'myself' ever used correctly? People seem to replace 'me' with this word, sending me ...
A: Laura, The reflexive pronoun "myself" is used as follows: I will take care of this matter myself. ...
|
| Quickbasic and Microsoft Word | 7/12/2006 |
Q: I am outputting data to a text file, which I then reopen in Word. How do I 1. Choose a font style? ...
A: Paula, 1. In you tab line, choose FORMAT, then FONT and you will be able to choose from a large ...
|
| sentences | 7/11/2006 |
Q: 1.His determination to avenge his fatherˇ¦s death is strong. I hope I am not boring to you. Do you ...
A: Peter, 1. His determination to avenge his father's death is strong. I hope I am not boring you. ...
|
| Hard breaks in headlines | 7/10/2006 |
Q: Leone: Thank you once again for taking my question. You have been extremely helpful in the past. ...
A: Scott, The rule of thumb that I use is not to break natural elements (clauses, phrases, subject and ...
|
| Naming words | 7/10/2006 |
Q: I am studying for my ged and need help hopefully you can help me understand what naming words are.It ...
A: Benita, 1.bee bees 2.flower flowers 3.buzz buzzes 4.beak beaks 5.bird birds 6.rose roses 7.porch ...
|
| Help | 7/8/2006 |
Q: Great pleasure to talk to you. I have got a assignment to write a letter to my friend, how does it ...
A: Somaa, Try: 1. What are you taking this semester 2. Who is your roommate and what is he (she) ...
|
| Grammar | 7/7/2006 |
Q: 1.Mary fell in love with John soon after they started dating. It was long before they tie the knots. ...
A: Wendy, Mary fell in love with John soon after they started dating. It wasn't long before they tied ...
|
| By the time | 7/6/2006 |
Q: 1. Please file these invoices under Payment Pending. Why do we use "under" in the above sentence? ...
A: David, 1. Under the heading. No, because under is a more accurate representation of where it is ...
|
| Grammar | 7/6/2006 |
Q: 1.Weˇ¦ve sold _______ twice the amount of giftware this quarter than a year ago. Can Roughly, ...
A: Ken, 1. Yes, and so can nearly and almost. 2. Your beloved president gave a pep talk in New York. ...
|
| INTERNET CAN NEVER REPLACE BOOKS | 7/4/2006 |
Q: "Good Evening Sir. My Name is Nafeesa, and i am from India, Asia. I am 13 years old and i am in ...
A: Nafeesa, Although I would like to be of assistance since that is what AllExperts is all about, I am ...
|
| probation | 7/4/2006 |
Q: 1. The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from inflation. What does ...
A: Albert, 1. Inflation is a situation where prices, wages, interest rates, mortgages and everything ...
|
| Grammar | 7/2/2006 |
Q: 1. Poorly old people walk and talk slowly. Surprisingly beautiful flowers grow in the garden Are ...
A: Ken, 1. Sadly, old people walk and talk slowly. Surprisingly, beautiful flowers grow in the ...
|
| work out | 6/30/2006 |
Q: 1.Throw away your life Our pools are treated with the highest quality chemicals on the market. What ...
A: Peter, 1. It means to make a mess of your life or to do nothing worthwhile with yourself. Treating ...
|
| Use of Prefix | 6/30/2006 |
Q: I have been asked about the usage of the prefix "in" and "un" and when each is to be used rather ...
A: Jerry, There are two prefixes spelled in-. Both come from Latin, but they are not related to each ...
|
| the question phrase | 6/28/2006 |
Q: .. well, im writing an essay and i got confused as to what i'm supposed to answer... because i want ...
A: Sarah, You may either agree or disagree with the statement, but don't do both. Make a solid ...
|
| check in | 6/28/2006 |
Q: I work for UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) at Taichung Science Park. I work at UMC at ...
A: Ken, 1. If you are employed by UMC, then you work for them. If you work in their building but for ...
|
| attach | 6/28/2006 |
Q: 1.They are guiding the piece of equipment as it is lowered. Your driver's license will be suspended ...
A: Peter, 1. illegally Guide means channeling it in the right direct or they are controlling its ...
|
| button | 6/28/2006 |
Q: 1, Both men have their jackets unbuttoned. Does "have" is a causative verb in the above sentence? I ...
A: Helen, 1. Have means possess which is transitive (causative); possessing is performing. 2. Button ...
|
| match | 6/28/2006 |
Q: 1. He's touring the site. One woman is filling her bag. The guide is walking down the lane? ...
A: Steve, 1. He's looking around the grounds or area. Probably in the graocery or market, a woman ...
|
| Grammar questions | 6/28/2006 |
Q: 1. Do we use the verb "board" with "planes" or "trains"? Can we say, "boarding a taxi"? 2.The ...
A: Tom, 1. Yes, you can actually board any mode of transportion where a fare is charged. 2. Nothing ...
|
| Grammar | 6/28/2006 |
Q: 1.What's the difference between "factory" and "foundry"? The technicians are making wafers in the ...
A: Maggie, 1. A foundry is a place where raw materials (oil, gold, silver, ore, steel, etc.) are ...
|
| couple | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1. The couple are eating at a restaurant. - The dog is tied to the tree. The department store ...
A: Oppo, 1. The couple is eating at a restaurant. The dog is tied to the tree. The department ...
|
| on the top | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1. I'd like to order one beef noodles in soup. I'd like to order one bowl of beef noodles in ...
A: Peter, 1. You are making an order of one bowl of beef noodle soup. 2. No, stopped means the bus ...
|
| at noon | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1.Heˇ¦s printing a document. He's printing out a document. What's the difference between ...
A: Wendy, 1. Very slight. If he's printing a document, he's probably using a pen and ink and doing ...
|
| Grammar | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1.We can only see part of the office in this picture. So, we donˇ¦t know if itˇ¦s a large office. ...
A: Albert, Try: 1. We can only see part of the office in this picture. So, we don't know if it's a ...
|
| Grammar | 6/23/2006 |
Q: Iˇ¦d persuade him not to cheat on the test again since cheating is really not a good idea no matter ...
A: Tom, Try: I'd persuade him not to cheat on the test again since cheating is really not a good idea ...
|
| no subject | 6/23/2006 |
Q: Are all the sentences below grammatically correct? "To have a friend, be a friend" means no pains, ...
A: Wendy, Try: "To have a friend, be a friend" means no pains, no gains. If you really long for ...
|
| Grammar | 6/23/2006 |
Q: 1.In my opinion, some movies are more interesting than others in that some movies are made by big, ...
A: Peter, 1.In my opinion, some movies are more interesting than others. These are often made by big, ...
|
| Grammar | 6/23/2006 |
Q: Are all the all following sentences grammatically correct? Thereˇ¦s no shortcut to learning any ...
A: Ken, There's no shortcut to learning language. So, I think the best way to improve our language ...
|
| Had Past tense and General Grammar | 6/22/2006 |
Q: I have few doubts. I hope you would love to clear them. Here are they - 1. When do we use had + ...
A: Nishant, 1. It depends upon your frame of reference: use had suffered when it before the time you ...
|
| Word usage | 6/12/2006 |
Q: The dictionary.com defintion also has it listed as "2.A paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult ...
A: Matt, I still don't think that game and its choices classify as a dilemma. When you flip a coin, ...
|
| Word usage | 6/12/2006 |
Q: Would the game rock paper scissors be classified as a conundrum?
A: Matt, I don't think so! By definition a conundrum is a riddle that is answered by a pun. What is ...
|
| sentences | 6/9/2006 |
Q: 1.It is said that Mr.Chan`s son in law was involved in the inside trading in stock. Despite the ...
A: Wendy, Try: 1. It is said that Mr. Chan`s son-in=law was involved in inside-trading in stock. ...
|
| on the point | 6/9/2006 |
Q: 1. He was on the point of leaving when his sister called him. He was about to leave when his sister ...
A: Steve, 1. There is little difference, at the point would be just in the act of leaving while about ...
|
| Use of 'also' | 6/9/2006 |
Q: Jerry. I'm writing a professional paper with other people. There are many instances where 'also' ...
A: Glynda, It really doesn't make a lot of difference in the meaning of the sentence by the rule of ...
|
| Communication English or Communicative English? | 6/9/2006 |
Q: What is the difference between "Communication English" and "Communicative English"? I'm planning to ...
A: Ang, Both words mean the transmission of our language by speech so there is really no difference in ...
|
| It is said.. | 6/9/2006 |
Q: 1. David was said to have been a child prodigy when he was very young. David is said to have been ...
A: Albert, 1. The difference is in the tenses of the two sentences. In the first sentence, he was ...
|
| resume | 6/8/2006 |
Q: how to make a good resume? can you guide me?
A: Shahrizan, Outline: 1. Personal info: name, address, phone, email, etc. 2. Objective: exact ...
|
| pursue, pursuit | 6/6/2006 |
Q: I always confuse with the two words pursue and pursuit. are they similiar in meanings or usage??? ...
A: Nico, Although both words mean chase or follow, pursue is a verb, to chase or to follow. Pursuit is ...
|
| Verb tense dilemma | 6/6/2006 |
Q: My father and I were debating a grammar question this morning. Here is an example which illustrates ...
A: Julia, "Did your mother tell you that your grandfather will be coming to the party?" "Yes, I ...
|
| English tutor needs help | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. Those paintings are a big treat for my eyes. On day, during a flight traning, my jet ...
A: Albert On day during flight training, my jet encountered an engine problem when the throttle got ...
|
| English tutor needs help | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. We say,"check into a hotel" or "check out of a hotel." Do we say, "check into a flight"? Do it ...
A: David, 1. No, it means check to see when the flight is scheduled to leave and arrive at its ...
|
| Correct capitlaization??? | 6/2/2006 |
Q: Does "program associate" need to be capitalized? Is there a rule for this? Something to do with ...
A: Kelli, A title such as this only needs to be capitalized when it is used in front of someone's ...
|
| log in out on or off | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. How do we distinguish between "log in/out" and "log on/log off"? Can you give me some examples? ...
A: Kang, 1. Logging in/on is the process of starting the operation or procedure such as logging on to ...
|
| to the right ahead | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. The lane will merge to the right ahead. All customers must keep their bags in the lockers before ...
A: Kang, 1. The lane ahead will merge to the right. All customers must keep their bags in the lockers ...
|
| my computer is down | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. My computer is down. My computer crashed. My computer isn't working. Do they have the same ...
A: Tom, 1. Yes, all mean that it is out of use or working order. 2. Hooked up means plugged into an ...
|
| on a cruise ship | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. What does "cruise" mean in the term "on a cruise ship"? 2. I left my ticket in my sleeping car ...
A: Steve, 1. A cruise ship in a huge luxury liner that carries a couple thousand passengers and crew ...
|
| nursing homes and day care homes | 6/2/2006 |
Q: 1. Do "nursing homes", "day care homes" have the same meaning? Can you give me more synonyms for ...
A: Albert, 1. Not necessarily, nursing homes have professional medical care available on a 24-7 basis ...
|
| 1. Hamburgers are high in... | 6/1/2006 |
Q: 1. Hamburgers are high in cholesterol. We are low on gas. Let's put in some gas at the next ...
A: Peter, 1. We are low on gas. Let's get some gas at the next station. Pretty close, except that ...
|
| English tutor needs help | 5/31/2006 |
Q: 1. He stepped out a bit and he'll step back in soon. Is the above sentence correct? What difference ...
A: Albert, 1. He stepped out for a bit, but he'll be back soon. It really doesn't change the meaning ...
|
| English tutor needs help | 5/31/2006 |
Q: 1.Your eyesight is very blurry. Your eye vision is very poor. What's the difference between the ...
A: Albert, 1. Blurry means you don't see things sharply or in good focus. Poor vision means you can't ...
|
| English tutor needs help | 5/31/2006 |
Q: 1. Do you ever stand close to peple? Is the above sentence correct? Shouldn't we say "closely" ...
A: Steve, 1. Although your reasoning is good, there is an error in the fact that "close to" is a ...
|
| diagramming | 5/31/2006 |
Q: I'm a homeschooler and my teacher,s guide is missing the last pages for my answers. aj n v ...
A: Michael, adj n v v adv 1. The class filed out quietly. v pron v conj v ...
|
| Writing Contests | 5/30/2006 |
Q: Jerry, How do I find out about writing contests related to Texas, mixed-ethnic heritage, border ...
A: Like so many answers to questions today, Goggle.com seems to be the best source. Try "Writing ...
|
| 1. Have you seen any good... | 5/28/2006 |
Q: 1. Have you seen any good TV programs lately? Did you see any good TV programs lately? What's ...
A: Wendy, 1. I really don't think there is much difference. 2. When you take a day off, you are doing ...
|
| 1. The restaurnt is located... | 5/28/2006 |
Q: 1. The restaurnt is located on the second floor, No. 235, Spring Street. You can leave me in the ...
A: Maggie, 1. The resturant is located on the second floor, 235 Spring Street. You can leave me at ...
|
| Are all the following sentences... | 5/26/2006 |
Q: Are all the following sentences grammatically correct? 1.In this picture, I see a man standing ...
A: Steve, Try these: 1. In this picture, I see a man standing beside a small temple. It looks like ...
|
| Grammar Help | 5/26/2006 |
Q: I'm not sure what these kind of grammars is called but like I don't know when I should insert the ...
A: Natalie, The situation with verbs is just opposite that of nouns (add s to make plural, cat ...
|
| Are the following sentences... | 5/25/2006 |
Q: Are the following sentences grmmatically correct? 1.The person I respect the most is the founder ...
A: Albert, 1.The person I respect most is the founder of the Tzu Chi Foundation. She is a devoted ...
|
| 1.To improve our English,... | 5/21/2006 |
Q: 1.To improve our English, itˇ¦s important that we develop any interest in English. I donˇ¦t care how ...
A: Regina, 1. To improve our English, it's important that we develop an interest in English. I don't ...
|
| 1. What things can be used... | 5/21/2006 |
Q: 1. What things can be used with a copy of ? books, magazines, cds, what else? 2. What ...
A: Oppo, 1. newspapers, the Bible, a document, map, etc. 2. I assure you that I will be there. ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 5/21/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "in the case" and "in case"? Can you give me some example sentences ...
A: David, 1. In the case of Roe versus Wade, there are some serious violation of Canon Law. The ...
|
| 1. His laziness poses a threat... | 5/19/2006 |
Q: 1. His laziness poses a threat to his career. Learing a new language may seem like a hard job for ...
A: Ken, 1. His laziness poses a threat to his career. Learning a new language may seem like a hard ...
|
| They can go to the movies,... | 5/17/2006 |
Q: They can go to the movies, play ball, and go hiking, and so on. I like different colors of roses: ...
A: Albert, 1. They can go to the movies, play ball, and go hiking, etc. I like different colors ...
|
| 1.A late fine will impose... | 5/17/2006 |
Q: 1.A late fine will impose on students who do not return books to the library on time. Most people ...
A: Liv, 1. A late fine will be imposed on students who do not return books to the library on time. ...
|
| 1. What are the definitions... | 5/16/2006 |
Q: 1. What are the definitions of the following terms: (1) arm link (2) Gulf people (3) body guide ...
A: Albert, 1. 1. Atomospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program 2. Gulf people are from the ...
|
| Punctuation | 5/15/2006 |
Q: Having trouble understanding where commas should be in the following: The "Address Line 3" field is ...
A: Steve, Try: The "Address Line 3" field is an input-text control object that stores a varchar ...
|
| Hello!
I'd like to ask... | 5/15/2006 |
Q: I'd like to ask you about modal verbs and non-modal verbs. 1. You needn't come everyday 2. I ...
A: Luke, The English "modal verbs" are will, would, can, could, may, might, must, should, ought (to) ...
|
| 1.Each student is given a... | 5/14/2006 |
Q: 1.Each student is given a survey to evaluate their teacher. I failed to attend the meeting this ...
A: Peter, 1. 1.Each student is given a survey to evaluate his or her teacher. I failed to attend the ...
|
| 1. Does "submit the highest... | 5/14/2006 |
Q: 1. Does "submit the highest bid" mean "offer the higest price for the item"? What does "bid" mean? ...
A: Maggie, 1. Bid means what you are willing to pay for the item for sale. If you have have the ...
|
| Correct word usage | 5/13/2006 |
Q: I'm from a small rural town of South Eastern Ohio (Ohia if you're really from thar), a microclimate ...
A: Keith, We have a habit in our society of giving inanimate objects (cars, boats, computer, rifle, ...
|
| 1.
The man that I saw yesterday... | 5/12/2006 |
Q: 1. The man that I saw yesterday is a laywer. Let's flip the coin to decide who should do this work. ...
A: Liv, Lower case on unhappiness. The reverse side of the coin or opposite. 2. Yes, they both mean ...
|
|
1. In English, we... | 5/12/2006 |
Q: 1. In English, we use different words to describe a group of animals. Can you help me add more ...
A: Peter, 1. bucks - brace camel - train or caravan caterpillars - army cobras - quiver ...
|
| 1.
The writer had a hard... | 5/12/2006 |
Q: 1. The writer had a hard time creating the story for his Lack in inspiration. I don't want to harm ...
A: Martin, 1. The writer had a hard time creating the story for his lack of inspiration. I don't ...
|
| 1. What does the phrase "pose... | 5/11/2006 |
Q: 1. What does the phrase "pose a serious hazard" mean? crumbling inner city tenement What does ...
A: Albert, 1. It means threaten or causes possible harm to. Crumbling mean deteriorating or falling ...
|
| 1.Unless it is a science project... | 5/11/2006 |
Q: 1.Unless it is a science project studying mold, any food left in the fridge for more than two weeks ...
A: David, 1. Mold is a condition that food takes on after it spoils from exposure to the air. It is ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 5/11/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "privilege" and "right"? What's the difference between ...
A: Ken, 1. You earn a privilege by showing your merit or ability but it can be taken away. Driving or ...
|
| 1. This article discusses... | 5/11/2006 |
Q: 1. This article discusses how monetary systems evolved throughout the history. The first ...
A: Steve, 1. Leave off the the in #1. Was invented in #2. More and more users have found credit ...
|
| less/fewer (with a twist) | 5/10/2006 |
Q: Greetings. I'm an English teacher myself, and a few colleagues and I have been debating a ...
A: Whit, No, the fact that you're dealing with "dollars" makes it plural. You don't say twenty dollar ...
|
| 1. How do we distinguish between... | 5/10/2006 |
Q: 1. How do we distinguish between "bacteria" and "germs"? Can you give me examples of each one to ...
A: Steve, 1. Bacteria is a single-cellular microorganism, commonly called germs or parasites that ...
|
| 1. Where's (the) report I... | 5/7/2006 |
Q: 1. Where's (the) report I left on the table next to TV in the living room? A secretary told me ...
A: David, 1. Both articles, a means any but the means specific. The report is a specific one, but a ...
|
| I have a question about the... | 5/7/2006 |
Q: I have a question about the set of sentences below: He can meet us there. He could meet us there. ...
A: Ken, Can implies a certainity while could depends upon a condition. He can meet us there ...
|
| 1. Because of his request... | 5/7/2006 |
Q: 1. Because of his request and his brothering me all the time, I'm finishing the project myself. Can ...
A: Peter, 1. That certainly is an improvement. 2. Try: Despite his threat to leave the company, it ...
|
| poor grammer | 5/5/2006 |
Q: I recall being taught not to end a question with a preposition, ie: Where is it at? My three ...
A: Elizabeth, Your perceptions are very accurate. Good grammar has taken a back seat to hip-talk, ...
|
| 1. We have twenty crew members... | 5/5/2006 |
Q: 1. We have twenty crew members on the ship. We have one hundred staff members in our company. We ...
A: Peter, 1. We have 20 crew members on the ship. We have 100 staff members in our company. We have ...
|
| 1. The ploice cracks down... | 5/5/2006 |
Q: 1. The ploice cracks down on people who break the laws or crime. What else do they crack down on? ...
A: Martin, 1. It means bring to justice, come down hard on or arrest. Drug traffic, drunken driving, ...
|
| numbered lists within a paragraph | 5/2/2006 |
Q: I'm proofing a document and have a question regarding numbered lists. I've made up a sentence (so ...
A: Carina, Try: Printing challenges include: (1) aligning the text with images on the page, (2) ...
|
| 1. Does the word "locate"... | 4/30/2006 |
Q: 1. Does the word "locate" mean "find"? Can you help me locate (find) this file? I can't locate ...
A: David, 1. In many instances it does. Pretty much, they are. 2. No, the first sentence limits the ...
|
| 1. The supplies are in order.
... | 4/30/2006 |
Q: 1. The supplies are in order. The supplies are out of order. Does "out of order" mean "not in ...
A: Peter, 1. The expression is "on order" not "in order", which means they have been ordered or ...
|
| 1.What's the difference "catch... | 4/30/2006 |
Q: 1.What's the difference "catch a plane" and "take a plane"? Q: Do you have a reason for leaving ...
A: Steve, !. Catching a plane implies a specific plane (American Flight 1061) or a specific hour ...
|
| 1. The picture might be taken... | 4/28/2006 |
Q: 1. The picture might be taken at the gate of a kindergarten. The picture may have been taken at ...
A: Peter, 1. First sentence is future subjunctive and the second is past perfect subjective. ...
|
| 1. The presentation wasn't... | 4/23/2006 |
Q: 1. The presentation wasn't very long, was it? Which of the following is possible repsonse? a. ...
A: Ken, 1. a, b, c. yes, you can. 2. That wore by a person in a profession (doctor, lawyer, ...
|
| 1. What time will your plane... | 4/23/2006 |
Q: 1. What time will your plane arrive? Can we say, "what time will your plane land?" or "what time ...
A: Regina, 1. Yes, either one will do; they both mean when is the aircraft expected. 2. #1 start from ...
|
| 1. They are successful in... | 4/21/2006 |
Q: 1. They are successful in the feilds they egage in. What does "egage in" mean? What are other ...
A: Martin, 1. It means take part in or are involved in. We can engage in hobbies, trickery, politics, ...
|
| 1. How do I distinguish the... | 4/21/2006 |
Q: 1. How do I distinguish the usage "blame ...on" from "blame...for"? He blamed me for coming late ...
A: Albert, 1. Blame on is used with the peson's name while blame for used used with the reason for the ...
|
| Use of semi-colon | 4/21/2006 |
Q: I am reviewing an article and I came across this particular sentence that is causing a big commotion ...
A: David, The proper mark of punctuation is a colon (:) not a semicolon. The colon directs attention ...
|
| 1. I got my hair cut yesterday.... | 4/16/2006 |
Q: 1. I got my hair cut yesterday. I got a haircut yesterday. I got a hair dresser to cut my hair. ...
A: Albert, 1. They are all fine. That's correct, haircut is a noun and is used as the direct object of ...
|
| 1. If I didn't think the gym... | 4/16/2006 |
Q: 1. If I didn't think the gym was helping me feel better, I wouldn't be renewing my membership. If ...
A: Bill, 1. The first has a past progressive verb (helping keeps on), while the second has a past ...
|
| 1. If You study hard, you... | 4/16/2006 |
Q: 1. If You study hard, you will pass the exam. If you studied hard, you would pass the exam. ...
A: Peter, 1. By the terms of studying: #1 is future, #2 is past and #3 is past perfect. 2. Will means ...
|
| Hello Jerry!
What does... | 4/13/2006 |
Q: What does it mean "to have a head for heights"??? thanks
A: Luke, People who perform aerial acts, high-wire stunts or those accustom to performing or working ...
|
| 1. The company announced yesterday... | 4/13/2006 |
Q: 1. The company announced yesterday that sales of its vehicles made in Amereica has increased ____ 5 ...
A: Steve, 1. If you say sales increased by 5 percent, that could mean they went from 25 to 30 percent ...
|
| 1. Approximately (some, about)... | 4/13/2006 |
Q: 1. Approximately (some, about) 200 people were killed in the air crash. Is "some" or "about" used ...
A: Liv, 1. Yes, it modifies the adjective 200. 2. Rather or slightly 3. I don't like the word ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 4/12/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "primary school" and "elementary school"? 2. I have overgrown it. ...
A: David, 1. I think they are the same thing; the primary grades are K through 6, which is really ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 4/12/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "what grade are you in" and "what year are you in"? How do we ...
A: Albert, 1. Grade you are in refers to elementary school (grades K to 8) while year you are in ...
|
| 1. Although Taiwan is a small... | 4/12/2006 |
Q: 1. Although Taiwan is a small island, the Climate can vary from north to south. The two ...
A: Maggie, 1. Although Taiwan is a small island, the climate can vary from north to south. 2. It ...
|
|
1. This test is specially... | 4/9/2006 |
Q: 1. This test is specially designed for college students. This test is especially designed for ...
A: Peter, 1. They are both correct. 2. Enlarge is in area while expand is in amount or volume. You ...
|
| 1.The Sunscreenswill not protect... | 4/7/2006 |
Q: 1.The Sunscreenswill not protect you from sunlight. This community is free from theft. This ...
A: Peter, 1. The Sunscreens will not protect you from sunlight. This community is free from theft. ...
|
| 1. Can you hold on for a minute?... | 4/7/2006 |
Q: 1. Can you hold on for a minute? (on the phone) Can I say, "can you hang on for a minute?"? 2. We ...
A: Martin, 1. Either will do...hold on and hang on both mean wait. 2. Connection refers to the ...
|
| 1. What is meant by "be bound... | 4/7/2006 |
Q: 1. What is meant by "be bound to"? Does "checkup" mean "the doctor checks up your body"? Can I say, ...
A: Albert, 1. Bound to be means should or good possibility that something will happen. Or mechanic ...
|
| 1.A: That music is so annoying.
... | 4/7/2006 |
Q: 1.A: That music is so annoying. B: (1.) I like listening to music. (2.) I'm sorry. I'll turn ...
A: Steve, 1. The two sentence don't follow each other. 2. Make it in the first sentence means to be ...
|
| 1. Do you get along with your... | 4/7/2006 |
Q: 1. Do you get along with your little brother? How is your report getting along? What's the ...
A: Maggie, 1. Get along with means have a good relationship in the first sentence and means making ...
|
| 1. Does he always dress like... | 3/29/2006 |
Q: 1. Does he always dress like that? Is he always dressed like that? Are both sentences correct? ...
A: Tom, 1. They are correct and mean essentially the same thing. No, because is dressed in means ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 3/29/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "suprised" and "shocked"? 2. What is "arranged marriage"? 3. I ...
A: Martin, 1. The difference is in degree. A surprise is a mild wonderment or astonishment while shock ...
|
| 1. Could you check out my... | 3/29/2006 |
Q: 1. Could you check out my application status for me? Could you check my application status for ...
A: John, 1. They mean about the same; there is little difference. Check means look over while check ...
|
| 1. Do you want to go out with... | 3/29/2006 |
Q: 1. Do you want to go out with me sometime? Does the above sentence indicate the speaker is ...
A: Maggie, 1. Yes, I would say the speaker is attempting to obtain a social engagement. 2. Each one ...
|
| Are all the following sentences... | 3/28/2006 |
Q: Are all the following sentences grammtically correct? 1. I am good at playing go games. My friends ...
A: Ken, 1. no idea what go games and go game club are no idea what fast math is don't need both ...
|
| 1. The shipping agents delivered... | 3/26/2006 |
Q: 1. The shipping agents delivered the package to our office. We sent the shipment last Monday. You ...
A: Tom, 1. Since it is a package, perhaps shipping agent would be better....not that important ...
|
| 1. What is the difference... | 3/26/2006 |
Q: 1. What is the difference between "homoror" and "honoree"? ( I can't find "honoror" in the ...
A: Maggie, 1. I'm not positive but I think homoROR is a Microsoft computer word, but this not my area ...
|
| Hello
What's the difference... | 3/26/2006 |
Q: What's the difference between "end" "finish" and "over" How should I say "How did this whole ...
A: Luke, End is the terminus or extremity. Finish is the surface or completion while over means ...
|
| 1.Do" personnel department"... | 3/26/2006 |
Q: 1.Do" personnel department" and "Human Resource" have the same meaning? If we say "repair ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, HR is the modern term for PD. They both have the same function (hiring and firing). ...
|
| 1. He's my colleague/associate/comrade.
Are... | 3/26/2006 |
Q: 1. He's my colleague/associate/comrade. Are "colleague", "associate" and "comrade" interchangeable ...
A: Ken, 1. There are shades of difference among the three. A colleague is a co-worker or someone on ...
|
| 1.My background and goals... | 3/24/2006 |
Q: 1.My background and goals seem to match your requirements well. I am confident that I can perform ...
A: Albert, 1. Dynamic means growing, forward-looking, thriving, exciting company. 2. Otherwise means ...
|
| 1.I am applying for the position... | 3/24/2006 |
Q: 1.I am applying for the position of client account coordinator, which was advertised Aug. 4 with the ...
A: Steve, 1. A coordinator is the person in charge; one who sees that everything goes on schedule, ...
|
| Thanks for your reply, I try... | 3/24/2006 |
Q: I try to revise the following passage. Please help me proofread it again. Driving in Taiwan is ...
A: Peter, Try: Driving in Taiwan is rather dangerous. Oftentimes, we see loads of cars on the ...
|
| Grammar - punctuation | 3/23/2006 |
Q: Another question I had... When listing things like simple instructions, is it necessary to put a ...
A: Melissa, Try: 1. Check for loose/torn tiles, 2. Change/install replacement carpeting, if ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 3/22/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "the head of the house" and "the person who runs the family"? ...
A: Liv, 1. Head of the household is the person (generally male or father) who is legally and ...
|
| Are the following sentences... | 3/22/2006 |
Q: Are the following sentences grammatically correct? 1. Driving in Taiwan is fairly dangerous. The ...
A: Peter, Try: 1. Driving in Taiwan is fairly dangerous. The streets are always filled with cars, ...
|
| Term Paper | 3/21/2006 |
Q: I have done all of my research for my term paper, but i am having trouble starting it off. My topic ...
A: Leon, Simplest structure: beginning, middle and an end. Beginning - opening paragraphs on what you ...
|
| 1. The man is facing away... | 3/19/2006 |
Q: 1. The man is facing away from the woman. The cargo is in the hold of the plane. 2. She's ...
A: Peter, 1. no question here! 2. It means that the woman is designating the utmost or topmost shelf. ...
|
| 1. The pathway circles the... | 3/19/2006 |
Q: 1. The pathway circles the trees. She is scanning the file. What do "circle" and "scan" mean in ...
A: Ken, 1. Means encircle, meander around or surround. Scan means to examine closely, analize or ...
|
| vocabulary | 3/18/2006 |
Q: I hope I'm finding you in the best of health. I was wondering and hoping you can show me how to use ...
A: Jeff, Goad, as a verb, means to prod or incite into action. The Indians were goaded into attacking ...
|
| Thanks for your reply. I have... | 3/18/2006 |
Q: I have two follow-up questions. 1. When we say the fianl exam is not accumulative, we mean it ...
A: John, The material tested by the midterm includes only that which was covered up to that point. The ...
|
| 1.I don't get fat easily because... | 3/17/2006 |
Q: 1.I don't get fat easily because I have a fast metabolism. This anonymous letter was signed by an ...
A: Ken, 1. I don't gain weigh easily because I have a high metabolism. This anonymous letter was ...
|
| 1. Humans are made of 70%... | 3/17/2006 |
Q: 1. Humans are made of 70% water. 70% Water makes up humans. 70% water composes humans. ...
A: George, 1. Try: Seventy percent of the human body is composed of water. 2. To vibrate is the ...
|
| 1. His son's death was a big... | 3/17/2006 |
Q: 1. His son's death was a big blow to him. The final exam is not accumulative. Are both ...
A: John, 1. They are okay....I'm not sure how accumulative applies to a test. I don't real know. The ...
|
| 1.The name Mebraska comes... | 3/17/2006 |
Q: 1.The name Mebraska comes from the Oto Indian word "nebrathka." which means flat water. Why can't I ...
A: Peter, 1. .The name Mebraska comes from the Oto Indian word "nebrathka", which means flat water. ...
|
| 1. The picture is hung there.
... | 3/17/2006 |
Q: 1. The picture is hung there. The picture is hanging there. Are both sentences correct? Why can ...
A: Martin, 1. Keep in mind that persons are hanged or hanging while inanimate objects (pictures) are ...
|
| 1. How do we distinguish "make... | 3/16/2006 |
Q: 1. How do we distinguish "make up to" and "make up for"? Do both have the same meaning? I always ...
A: Chris, 1. Make up to is followed by a person who you have offended in some way, e.g. my father, ...
|
| 1. In my country, there are... | 3/15/2006 |
Q: 1. In my country, there are different variations in referring to who the head of the house is. ...
A: John, 1. In my country, there are variations in referring to whom the head of the house is. all ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 3/15/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "fosterparents" and "stepparents"? 2. Fathers are responsible for ...
A: Liv, 1. Fosterparents are those who have adopted you, say from an agency, while stepparents are ...
|
| Are names of sports capitalised | 3/14/2006 |
Q: Should we capitalise names of sports in New Zealand: Cricket vs cricket, rugby vs Rugby? My ...
A: Vaib, Since they are not proper nouns, I see no reason to capitalize them. I like to play rugby. ...
|
| 1. Are both "customer service... | 3/12/2006 |
Q: 1. Are both "customer service represenative" and "customer satisfaction" are compound nouns? 2. ...
A: Ken, 1. They are considered the open form of compound nouns. 2. Not necessarily: a board meeting ...
|
| Meaning of the Phrase"Walk the line" | 3/10/2006 |
Q: Leone, I have searched many sites to find a dictionary of commonly used English slangs and ...
A: Jesse, It can be any of the following meanings: toe the mark, walk a fine line between good and ...
|
| 1. He slipped out for a minute... | 3/10/2006 |
Q: 1. He slipped out for a minute and he will slip back in soon. Is the above sentence correct? Can ...
A: Nancy, 1. ....and he will be back soon. 2. Just develop film will do. Film or negatives are ...
|
| 1. A: It's a pleasure to meet... | 3/9/2006 |
Q: 1. A: It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again. B:____________. What are possible ...
A: Liv, 1. Both will work. 2. It must be scheduled to take off in the first case. No, take off and ...
|
| 1. Were you able to come up... | 3/9/2006 |
Q: 1. Were you able to come up with the solution? Were you able to figure out the solution? Were ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, I would say they all mean "figure it out". 2. The first sentence means to ask if ...
|
| 1. I told you I went shopping.... | 3/9/2006 |
Q: 1. I told you I went shopping. I told you I would go shopping. What's the difference between the ...
A: Steve, 1. The first sentence indicates that I told you in the past that I had gone shopping in the ...
|
| 1. What is meant by "unmarried... | 3/8/2006 |
Q: 1. What is meant by "unmarried partners"? What is meant by "stepparents"? What is meant by ...
A: Steve, 1. Unmarried partners are a couple that "live together" without the benefit of a legal ...
|
| 1.Do"stall" and "stand" have... | 3/8/2006 |
Q: 1.Do"stall" and "stand" have the same meaning when I refer to an area from which things are sold? We ...
A: Liv, 1. A stall is a designated area for selling goods which might even be from the back of a truck ...
|
| Thesis Statement | 3/6/2006 |
Q: My son is in fifth grade, his teacher has assigned him a report on ice cream. His problem is that ...
A: Rebecca, The thesis (or topic) sentence indicates what the paragraph is about: Ice cream is the ...
|
| grammar | 3/6/2006 |
Q: what are the three main types of the English sentence and how do they differ? THANKS
A: Ahmed, 1. Simple - a subject and a verb The boys play in the park. 2. Complex - dependent and ...
|
| Hello Jerry!
there is a... | 3/6/2006 |
Q: there is a sentence: "How could I be this way when I pray to God above" I don't understand this ...
A: Luke, The person is lamenting that despite prayer he or she is in a bad state. Perhaps, it is ...
|
| Are all the sentences below... | 3/3/2006 |
Q: Are all the sentences below grammatically correct? "1. A good diet means balanced food in your ...
A: Stephanie, Try: "1. A good diet means balanced food in your diet. You eat not only rice and meat, ...
|
| Are all the sentences below... | 3/3/2006 |
Q: Are all the sentences below grammatically correct? 1. The life of a high school student is ...
A: Martin, Try: 1. The life of a high school student is different from that of a college student in ...
|
| 1. I don't think TV will one... | 3/2/2006 |
Q: 1. I don't think TV will one day make radio obsolete because radio, in my opionion, can provide a ...
A: Ken, Try: 1. I don't think television will ever make radio obsolete. Radio, in my opionion, can ...
|
| vulgar usages | 3/1/2006 |
Q: How can I convince educated people that "that sucks" is vulgar? What are some phrases that can be ...
A: Lynn, Unfortunately, I am offended by that exact phraseology myself. It has become so common, even ...
|
| 1. Don't cut in line. Can... | 3/1/2006 |
Q: 1. Don't cut in line. Can I say, "don't bud in line"? 2.What's the difference between "stalls" and ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, that's a common American expression ...to bud in somewhere. 2. Stalls are ...
|
| letter greetings/possessives/em-dash | 2/26/2006 |
Q: What greeting would you use for a letter to a company? "Dear Sir and/or Madame" seems overly ...
A: Peter, Try: Gentlemen: or Sirs: When it's hard to pronounce, leave off the final 's. Bob's ...
|
| 1. The depreciation of the... | 2/24/2006 |
Q: 1. The depreciation of the NT dollar will undermine Taiwan's exports since it'll make imports more ...
A: Stephaine, 1. The depreciation of the NT dollar will undermine Taiwan's exports since it'll make ...
|
| 1. Taiwan's economy has been... | 2/24/2006 |
Q: 1. Taiwan's economy has been very slow for years and perhaps it will remian like this in a long ...
A: Martin, 1. Taiwan's economy has been very slow for years, and perhaps it will remian like this in ...
|
| Usage of the word "Ravenous" | 2/22/2006 |
Q: Please validate the usage of this word - "Ravenous". Can I say "I am feeling ravenous!" to indicate ...
A: Aravind, That is exactly what the word means. Teenage boys have ravenous appetites, especially ...
|
| Hello Jerry!
What's the... | 2/20/2006 |
Q: What's the difference between "cause" and "reason"??? thanks
A: Luke, Cause is what must exist for an effect to logically occur while reason is the explanation of ...
|
| Hi. I have written a mini... | 2/18/2006 |
Q: I have written a mini essay about the effects of median on youth. Can you please proofread and edit ...
A: Farhan, Many people think the media is a learning tool for young people, but the media can also ...
|
| 1. Count the numbers backward... | 2/17/2006 |
Q: 1. Count the numbers backward from 1 to 10. The Microsoft company was founded in 1978. Bill Gates ...
A: Josh, 1. Recite the numbers backwards from 10 to 1. The Microsoft Company was founded in 1978. ...
|
| 1. An estimated 300 students... | 2/17/2006 |
Q: 1. An estimated 300 students will participate in the speech contest. Why can't I say, "An ...
A: Martin, 1. Estimation is a noun and estimated is the adjective form of that noun. In the sentence ...
|
| 1.
Can the word "library"... | 2/15/2006 |
Q: 1. Can the word "library" be used to indicate a person's study? How do we distinguish both? ...
A: Martin, 1. In the boardest sense, library means a collect of books. Therefore, a building full of ...
|
| Run-on sentence | 2/12/2006 |
Q: A friend and I are having a terrible debate about whether the following is a run-on sentece: "There ...
A: John, By adding a comma with the and, you eliminate the run-on situation. Here are two solutions: ...
|
| grammar | 2/11/2006 |
Q: Please let me know what type of mistake the following statements or dialogue have,their part of ...
A: Alexis, 1. some advice (singular) 2. I have been watching (past progressive) 3. B I saw him last ...
|
| paragraph editing | 2/9/2006 |
Q: I wrote a paragraph on plagiarism. Can you please proofread or edit the following paragraph for any ...
A: Farhan, Plagiarism is a critical problem among students. It refers to an academic misconduct, ...
|
| Grammar | 2/8/2006 |
Q: D is the correct expression either in writing or conversation ? Or the matter is Different ?. Of ...
A: Sayad, There is a difference between oral and written language but correct grammar should be one of ...
|
| Grammar | 2/8/2006 |
Q: Would you please tell me with examples : What is difference between ( if ) and ( whether)? When do ...
A: Sayed, If you get there before I do, save me a seat. If I had the choice, I would take the Ford. If ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 2/8/2006 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "courtyard" and "garden"? What's the difference between ...
A: Albert, 1. A courtyard might have marble with statues, benches, pools, plants and trees while a ...
|
| 1. If I didn't have a sore... | 2/8/2006 |
Q: 1. If I didn't have a sore throat, I would have attended the singing contest. If I hadn't had a ...
A: Peter, 1. THere isn't any difference that I can see except that the first is present tense and the ...
|
| punctuation | 2/7/2006 |
Q: What is a comma splice?
A: Bonnie, Two independent clauses that are connected by a comma rather than a semi-colon is a comma ...
|
| Resume | 2/6/2006 |
Q: I have a friend who is working on his resume, the problem, he has worked for a company for 20 ...
A: Susan, Tell your friend to use the original name of the company in his resume. Should he get the ...
|
| Is this a word | 2/6/2006 |
Q: Was at an aquarium where there was a sign posted that said "...there are many fishes......" Is ...
A: Sharyn, The plural of fish may be either fish or fishes. Remember in the Bible we read the story of ...
|
| how do I know if the sentence is correct? | 2/5/2006 |
Q: Leone, I am writing a paper on cigarettes. I have a few sentences that keep on confusing me. Here ...
A: Alyssa, 1. Smoking makes a person with a cigarette look very enviable or with it. If you smoke, ...
|
| 1.
Ex: The company has quadrupled... | 2/5/2006 |
Q: 1. Ex: The company has quadrupled it sales this year. Ex: Studying English every day can be a hard ...
A: Albert, 1. I'm not too sure about the sense of the sentence although I don't see a garmmar ...
|
| 1. This car is automatic geared.... | 2/5/2006 |
Q: 1. This car is automatic geared. (or manual geared) Is the above sentence grammatically correct? Is ...
A: Martin, 1. The car has an automatic (manual) gear shift. .....geared toward the younger ...
|
| Grammar | 2/1/2006 |
Q: Leone: Would you please advise me if the use of the verb were, in the phrase "as it were happening ...
A: Diana, You are dealing with the subjunctive mood (contrary to fact) and leaving out the vital ...
|
| grammar | 1/31/2006 |
Q: The other day at a bank, I said,"May I make a deposit, please?" The teller stated that my grammar ...
A: Madelyn, The teller isn't listening to his teacher. You are absolutely correct in asking permission ...
|
| Capitals for Ilness names? | 1/25/2006 |
Q: Do you use capitals for the first letter of each word in the names of all illnesses and diseases? ...
A: Steve, Depending on how they are used, illnesses and diseases take a lower case unless they are ...
|
| Grammar | 1/25/2006 |
Q: As an English graduate and ex-journalist I pride myself on having sound knowledge of English ...
A: Tim, Words like council, government, senate, house, committee, parliament are considered as a unit ...
|
| 1. What do you like to do... | 1/24/2006 |
Q: 1. What do you like to do for fun? What are you intersted in? What is your hobby? Do all the ...
A: James, 1. Yes, they're all concerned with leasure time activity. 2. In the first sentence favorite ...
|
| 1.They arrived at the theatre... | 1/20/2006 |
Q: 1.They arrived at the theatre just as the play beganˇD Just as Tom was her only son, so she did ...
A: Andrew, 1. Just as in sentence one means at the time when. In sentence two it means in the same ...
|
| 1.I have had many frightening... | 1/20/2006 |
Q: 1.I have had many frightening experiences in my life. I have many frightening experiences in my ...
A: Peter, 1. The perfect tense indicates that since life is still going on there is room for more ...
|
| Bulleted Lists | 1/19/2006 |
Q: Please give me some style and puctuaion guidelines for bulleted lists ina document.
A: Karen, Here's the Chicago Style Books slant on bullets: 1. Vertical lists are best introduced by a ...
|
| I try to rephrase the following... | 1/19/2006 |
Q: I try to rephrase the following sentences in a translation exercise. What's even worse, accidents ...
A: Chris, Try this: To make matters worse, accidents caused by car races occur from time to time and ...
|
| pronoun usage | 1/19/2006 |
Q: My book says that "her and me" should be used in the sentence "The problem is between her and me." ...
A: Jenny, In this sentence you need an object(s) for the preposition "between". Since she and I are ...
|
| I try to rephrase the following... | 1/18/2006 |
Q: I try to rephrase the following sentences in a translation exercise. Car racing is an extremely ...
A: Chris, Try: Car racing is a highly dangerous sport. For one thing, the sport, itself, is dangerous ...
|
| 1. His mother opposed his... | 1/13/2006 |
Q: 1. His mother opposed his marriage to that girl. His mother objected to his marriage to that. ...
A: Andrew, 1. They are fine. Yes, it is okay. 2. back in five minutes so let's put away..... ...
|
| 1. I'd rather I had stayed... | 1/12/2006 |
Q: 1. I'd rather I had stayed home watching TV. I'd rather stay home watching TV. Both sentences ...
A: Liv, Sorry, but I don't understand what you are saying in questions #1 and #2. What to you mean by ...
|
| 1. When one looks back on... | 1/12/2006 |
Q: 1. When one looks back on the Revolutionary War, one cannot say enough.... = When looking back on ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, they are. Yes, you may. 2. No, neither is correct. He told her that the house was ...
|
| Help with grammar. | 1/12/2006 |
Q: My name is Stephanie and I have to write a bad news message for a communication assignment. I have ...
A: Stephanie, Dear Mrs. Caldwell: We appreciate your contacting us regarding the possible error on ...
|
| 1. There are always quite... | 1/10/2006 |
Q: 1. There are always quite a few apartments near colleges and universities. Is the above sentence ...
A: Martin, 1. Yes, it's okay. Apartments are rental dwellings. 2. No, if you know someone well enough ...
|
| Hello Jerry!
What's the... | 1/10/2006 |
Q: What's the difference in meaning in these two sentences, and which one is better: "Is John staying ...
A: Luke, Question #1 refers only to this weekend. The questioner is trying to determine if John will ...
|
| 1.A: May I speak to Mary?... | 1/8/2006 |
Q: 1.A: May I speak to Mary? B: Sheˇ¦s not in . Does that mean she had a day off or she is not ...
A: Peter, 1. Due to the fact that she is not present, she is unable to answer the phone. 2. Yes, they ...
|
| 1. What are your specicals... | 1/8/2006 |
Q: 1. What are your specicals tonight? What are your specialties tonight? What's the difference ...
A: Ivy, 1. Specials are menu items that are highlights of the day and are offered at reduced prices. ...
|
| 1.I am traveling for work.
... | 1/8/2006 |
Q: 1.I am traveling for work. I am on a business trip. Are both sentences correct? What's the ...
A: Stephanie, 1. They are fine. Traveling for work means stopping at different places to conduct ...
|
| 1. A: There are going to a... | 1/6/2006 |
Q: 1. A: There are going to a farewell party for Karen. B: That sounds great. Please count me in. ...
A: Tim, 1. A: They are going to a farewell party for Karen. B: That sounds great! Please count me ...
|
| 1. Welcome aboard Flight 101... | 1/6/2006 |
Q: 1. Welcome aboard Flight 101 to San Francisco. What does "aborad" mean? How is it different from ...
A: Wendy, 1. Board means to get on; it is a verb. Aboard means you already on and it's an preposition. ...
|
| 1. She just saw someone kill... | 1/6/2006 |
Q: 1. She just saw someone kill himself. She just saw someone who looked like he was going to kill ...
A: Stephanie, 1. Both are correct and the difference is in the completion of the act. In the first ...
|
| 1. I am fed up with you.
I... | 1/6/2006 |
Q: 1. I am fed up with you. I am tired of you. I can't stand you anymore. I can't bear you anmore. ...
A: Ken, 1. Yes, they all mean despise or detest. 2. A drip is droplets of a liquid that are escaping ...
|
| 1. A: This is my father, Mr.Roberts.... | 1/5/2006 |
Q: 1. A: This is my father, Mr.Roberts. B:________________. Which of the following reponses is ...
A: Peter, 1. Glad to meet you! I not sure that there is that fine a distinction. 2. Grab is a bit ...
|
| 1. It bacme usual for people... | 1/4/2006 |
Q: 1. It bacme usual for people to move their homes recently. It has become usual for people to move ...
A: Albert, 1. It recently became common for people to move their homes. 2. The sector having the ...
|
| 1. We usually use the title... | 1/4/2006 |
Q: 1. We usually use the title "Doctor" to refer to the person who treats patients. In what other ...
A: Martin, 1. Person with a Phd in a certain discipline (Education, Fine Arts, Psychology, etc.), a ...
|
| 1. The books on the table... | 1/1/2006 |
Q: 1. The books on the table are fewer than those on the shelf. There are more trees here than there. ...
A: Stephanie, 1. They are cumbersome but okay. 2. FARTHER is used to denote distance or space. ...
|
| English | 12/31/2005 |
Q: can u help me correct my essay and make it better? n if u were to give me a grade, what would u ...
A: Sundas, Judging from the way your question is written, I would say that the essay is not written by ...
|
| 1. He thought up the name... | 12/28/2005 |
Q: 1. He thought up the name for his new born baby when he was on his way to the Household ...
A: Peter, 1. They are both fine. 2. The pastor is the head or charge priest, while a priest is the ...
|
| 1. Which of the features are... | 12/28/2005 |
Q: 1. Which of the features are typical in a Japanese home? What does "feature" mean in the above ...
A: Steven, 1. Characteristics, structures or uniquiness are close. More expensive or fancier houses ...
|
| 1.The fatal disease is spreading... | 12/28/2005 |
Q: 1.The fatal disease is spreading all over Japan. The fatal disease is preading all over in Japan. ...
A: Albert, 1. They mean about the same thing and are both correct although using two prepositions are ...
|
| Grammar | 12/26/2005 |
Q: Could someone out there please help by analysing the two sentences below. I would like to know if ...
A: Ben, Since Road Safety and Sustainable Education are the subjects of the sentence (and they are ...
|
| English grammar | 12/20/2005 |
Q: I am a teacher of English in Russia. My ? is about English syntax. According to some English ...
A: Alexander, Unlike your language, which is rather rigid, English has rules which are constantly ...
|
| writing for back cover of anthology | 12/19/2005 |
Q: I am in a creative writing class, and the whole class will have an anthology (one work per student) ...
A: Jake, Since the anthology is a collection of writings by different authors of subjects that are ...
|
| 1. Would you like me to fax... | 12/19/2005 |
Q: 1. Would you like me to fax this for you? Do you need me to fax this for you? How do I ...
A: Martin, 1. The first is more of a polite request where you are asking if the person desires ...
|
| Grammar | 12/15/2005 |
Q: I have a few sentences that I am not sure how to fix. As well, what are the reasoning for the fix? ...
A: Ab, 1. His tip is the largest I have received from any customer. 2. The ideal place to live would ...
|
| Help understanding discussion | 12/15/2005 |
Q: 'Shouldn't go or opened' though - it doesn't make sense to me...Hello. Someone said: You idiot. A ...
A: Al, If you know the expression "place a round peg in a square hole", then you know what forcing ...
|
| Hello Jerry!
Which is correct:... | 12/15/2005 |
Q: Which is correct: "He sometimes is..." or "He is sometimes..." where is it better to put ...
A: Luke, I like to put the adverb in front of the verb, but there are times when the adverb sounds ...
|
| vocabulary | 12/15/2005 |
Q: can you tell me difference between the words home and house when to use home and when to use house ...
A: Jai, A house is a physical thing; it is where you live, the structure in which you reside. A home, ...
|
| Help understanding discussion | 12/14/2005 |
Q: Someone said: You idiot. A good product needs to stand up to things caused by non-readers which ...
A: Al, Mechanical things don't break by themselves, especially if they are used properly and by their ...
|
| Coordinators in Compound sentences | 12/14/2005 |
Q: Regarding Coordinators in Compound sentences Please give me sample sentences to understand the usage ...
A: Yvonne, They were both good athletes, yet they couldn't dance. I'll be dressed by 8:30, so you ...
|
| Passive/active voice | 12/11/2005 |
Q: Whenever I type up a paper or the like in Microsoft Word, it always says that the grammar is wrong ...
A: Andrea, Simply put, active verbs show the subject is doing something. John eats breakfast every ...
|
| Grammar | 12/8/2005 |
Q: Leone, Earlier today, I was contacted by the administrator's office at my place of employment ...
A: Michael, Motor Vehicle Bureau is considered a collective noun; thus it is singular. It is like the ...
|
| Grammar | 12/8/2005 |
Q: Is this sentence correct: Some years ago, when my son was learning about math, he went through a ...
A: K, You are dealing here with essential and non-essential clauses. When my son was learning about ...
|
| Are these grammatical and idiomatic? | 12/1/2005 |
Q: Please can you tell me if these two sentences are grammatically correct and idiomatic? "What does ...
A: Mike, Since psychology is a science, it cannot study. A psychologist can study. So the proper ...
|
| differnce between 'may be' and 'will be' | 11/30/2005 |
Q: What is the difference in meaning of the following sentences. Please give me their usage. I may ...
A: Yvonne, I may come at 5 pm and I may be coming at 5 pm both indicate a conditional situation. In ...
|
| Apostrophes | 11/17/2005 |
Q: Jerry. On espn.com I sometimes see sentences like 'The Yankees pitching coach resigned,' or ...
A: John, Actually they should use the apostrophe to show ownership as you describe, e.g. Yankees' ...
|
| What's the difference between... | 11/11/2005 |
Q: What's the difference between "job openings" and "job positions"? We are sorry to tell you that we ...
A: Martin, There is just a slight difference between the two: an opening is usually a lower level job ...
|
| grammar help | 11/10/2005 |
Q: What is the difference between Indicative & Subjunctive Moods in Active Voice? Please be good enough ...
A: Yvonne, Indicative Mood The boys play very well when rested. (simple present) They are playing ...
|
| - | 11/9/2005 |
Q: We say for example: "She has a wonderful sense of humor." We also say "What beautiful weather" I'd ...
A: Luke, Very difficult question to answer! The only sensible explanation I can offer deals with the ...
|
| subject/verb agreement | 11/8/2005 |
Q: I was taught the rule that team names are singular, since they imply a collective noun. Great! The ...
A: Linda, Your premise is correct that team names are singular since they represent collective nouns ...
|
| Q-8. regarding the verb 'miss' | 11/8/2005 |
Q: Q-8 Are the following phrases using in grammar? If so please explain and give me sample sentences to ...
A: Yvonne, I knew I had missed the bus when I saw no one standing at the bus stop. She has missed ...
|
| Q-6 'conditionals' | 11/8/2005 |
Q: Q-6 Please give me sample 'conditionals' sentences where we can use words 'WISH' and 'HOPE'
A: Yvonne, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I wish my brother were here to see ...
|
| Q-6 Grammar correction | 11/7/2005 |
Q: Please be good enough to correct the grammar of this passage. Equipment: portable VCR-4 ...
A: Yvonne, Try this: Equipment: portable VCR-4 Observations: -heard some screw-like objects ...
|
| 1. I am off today.
I took... | 11/6/2005 |
Q: 1. I am off today. I took a day off. Do both have the same meaning? 2. I'd like to put in some ...
A: Ken, 1. Techanically no, if you're off it could be that Wednesday is your regular off day, it could ...
|
| 1. I sit by one side of the... | 11/2/2005 |
Q: 1. I sit by one side of the wall. I sit by the left side of the wall. What's the difference ...
A: Albert, 1. If you sit by one side of the wall, it can be either on the left or right side. If, ...
|
| 1. I would love to play golf... | 11/2/2005 |
Q: 1. I would love to play golf like Tiger. I would like to play golf like Tiger. I want to play golf ...
A: Steven, 1. There is very little difference among them. Perhaps, loving to do something shows a bit ...
|
| grammar- present perfect or past perfect | 10/31/2005 |
Q: Followup To Question - My textbook has (1): "Zookeepers realized yesterday that six African ...
A: Geraldine, 1. Since you are talking about a past event (realized yesterday) that means that the ...
|
| grammar- present perfect or past perfect | 10/31/2005 |
Q: My textbook has (1): "Zookeepers realized yesterday that six African parrots have disappeared from ...
A: Geraldine, 1. Either one can be used depending upon what you want to say. 2. So indicates that I ...
|
| Punctuation | 10/30/2005 |
Q: I am writing a research paper on Scientology. I am saying how it is a so-called "religion". I know ...
A: Casey, That depends on what you are using to write your paper. If you are writing by hand or ...
|
| thank you for previous answers.
please... | 10/28/2005 |
Q: please correct the grammar in this log report. 'Battery Case has been damaged before we received it ...
A: Yvonne, Try this: The battery case had been damaged before we received it in the engineering ...
|
| Thank you Jerry | 10/27/2005 |
Q: i have another question she is ill----is present tens she was ill-----past tens she has been ...
A: Yvonne, Past Perfect Tense is used to show action that is past but has not been completed or is ...
|
| 1. I need to get a good night's... | 10/27/2005 |
Q: 1. I need to get a good night's sleep. Can I say, " I need to get a nice sleep"? If not, how come ...
A: Martin, 1. Since good has so many meanings and is an adjective, not all of them lead to nice as the ...
|
| - | 10/27/2005 |
Q: What's the difference between "apologise" and "forgive me" e.g. "I apologise for being late" or ...
A: Luke, Apologize is a bit more deep felt or serious than forgive me. I would ask you to forgive me ...
|
| Please help | 10/24/2005 |
Q: Which is the best strategy to follow when you write a report or an essay? A. Get it right the ...
A: Elle, 1. I like to write it and make immediate corrections while it is fresh in my mind. Then put ...
|
| I have a question about the... | 10/14/2005 |
Q: I have a question about the sentences below: I thought he would have retired soon. I thought he ...
A: Peter, Yes, both are correct. By now means that he should have been retired before the time the ...
|
| 1. When it comes to collective... | 10/14/2005 |
Q: 1. When it comes to collective nouns such as faulty, crew, staff, should they be used with a ...
A: Ken, 1. The key word is collective since putting them together makes them a single unit and ...
|
| 1. He works next door.
He... | 10/7/2005 |
Q: 1. He works next door. He works in the next door What's the difference between the two? 2.The ...
A: Steven, 1. There is no English phrase, "in the next door". It doesn't make sense. 2. No, in the ...
|
| 1. A: Is your sister there?... | 10/5/2005 |
Q: 1. A: Is your sister there? (on the phone) B: She is at the store. Does the above sentence share ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, but the first question is whether she is available to answer the phone. No, not ...
|
| 1. Judo is a kind of martial... | 10/5/2005 |
Q: 1. Judo is a kind of martial art. Judo is a martial art. Judo is martial art. Which one is ...
A: Tim, 1. Judo is a martial art. Judo and karate are martial arts. 2. You do not necessarily have ...
|
| 1. WITH HIS YEAR-ROUND TAN,... | 10/5/2005 |
Q: 1. WITH HIS YEAR-ROUND TAN, SHOCK OF BLEACH-BLOND HAIR AND PENCHANT FOR HAWAIIAN SHIRTS, HE WAS ...
A: Albert, 1. People referred to him as Oris Day behind his back, but no none called him that to his ...
|
| "Also" and its location in verb phrases | 9/29/2005 |
Q: My graduate advisor drilled into me that "also" should not interrupt the verb phrase in a sentence. ...
A: Christina, The only rule about adverbs that I am aware of is that they should be close to the verb. ...
|
| Spelling help for a 9yr old | 9/27/2005 |
Q: I need to know how I can help my 9 year old spell better
A: Samantha, Encourage him or her to read. Read everything and anything: newspapers, books, magazines, ...
|
| Comma Usage and Dates | 9/27/2005 |
Q: My co-workers and I are having a disagreement on comma usage and dates. For example, should there be ...
A: Mary, All the style books that I have dealt with say place a comma after the date and year without ...
|
| grammar mistakes | 9/26/2005 |
Q: I'm writing, first of all, to ask whether there is indeed a difference between 'practice' and ...
A: Andrea, Everyone has their favorite....advice and advise....affect and effect.....principal and ...
|
| 1. Please wait for your escort... | 9/25/2005 |
Q: 1. Please wait for your escort to lead you to your seat. We ususally see fireworks display on ...
A: Ken, 1. We usually see fireworks displays on October 10. A female escort is usually a hooker or ...
|
| Writing | 9/25/2005 |
Q: My name is nadia ,I'm From Jordan. I would be grateful to answer my following 3 questions: 1. How ...
A: Nadia, Do as much reading as you can to learn what good writing is. Write often to develop a style ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 9/11/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "graph" and "chart"? 2. If "well-done" is 100% cooked, what ...
A: Martin, 1. A graph, either line or bar, is the mathemathical drawing that shows the relationship ...
|
| 1. There are two bridges in... | 9/9/2005 |
Q: 1. There are two bridges in the distance. What does "in the distance" mean? 2. Electric wires are ...
A: Wendy, 1. Afar or in the background. 2. Yes, they do as far as I know about electricity. 3. They ...
|
| 1. There is clothing on the... | 9/9/2005 |
Q: 1. There is clothing on the bed. There is an article of clothing on the bed. What's the ...
A: Chris, 1. The difference is in amount. Clothing could be a jacket and pants or it could be three ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 9/9/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between " a rice bowl" and " a bowl of rice"? 2. Does "place setting" ...
A: Martin, 1. A rice bowl is a bowl meant for or used exclusively for rice while a bowl of rice is any ...
|
| - | 9/7/2005 |
Q: I always have lots of questions! Can i say: "Do you always finish work/or job at 5 o'clock". Which ...
A: Luke, Your job is your occupation which you don't terminate at any specific hour but rather in ...
|
| 1. I've never had better service.
What... | 9/4/2005 |
Q: 1. I've never had better service. What is meant by the above sentence? It is the best service ...
A: Albert, 1. I've never been so well taken care of. Yes, they mean the same thing. But you must ...
|
| possessive forms and relative pronouns | 9/3/2005 |
Q: Leone, I have two questions. The first is about the correct use of "who" and "whom" as relative ...
A: James, Don't be misled by what you read or see and hear on TV. Your explanation on the use of who ...
|
| Doubt | 9/3/2005 |
Q: What is the difference between "Officer concerned" and "Concerned officer? What is the difference ...
A: Sendhil, I would say that this pair means about the same thing. You have a policeman with a problem ...
|
| 1.He is photocopying something.
... | 9/2/2005 |
Q: 1.He is photocopying something. He is copying something. He is making some copies. Are all three ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, they are all fine but don't necessarily mean the same thing. There are several ...
|
| 1.Neither man ( is ) wearing... | 9/2/2005 |
Q: 1.Neither man ( is ) wearing a jacket. Neither of the men ( are ) wearing a jacket. Are both ...
A: George, 1. No, neither is singular, thus neither is wearing.... 2. A place where one accomplishes ...
|
| 1. Can you format this disk... | 9/2/2005 |
Q: 1. Can you format this disk for me? Please bring an umbrella with you when you are out. It may ...
A: Martin, 1. Yes, they are fine! "Handy", in this case, means very useful or great to have on hand. ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 9/1/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "temples" and "shrines"? 2. I am learning Japanese. I am ...
A: Albert, 1. A temple is more a building or structure in which one prays or gives homage to a God or ...
|
| Grammar Rules apply to 'hang-up' | 8/28/2005 |
Q: My friend and I are in an argument, I hope you can help. The other day we were talking on the ...
A: Amanda, Hang up is derived from the old-fashioned phone where the earpiece was suspended by a prong ...
|
| grammar | 8/27/2005 |
Q: I've got two questions! 1. "When i got up this morning everything was lovely. The sun ....., the ...
A: Luke, 1. That would mean that you were dealing in the past tense rather than the past progressive. ...
|
| 1. Wouldn't you like me to... | 8/22/2005 |
Q: 1. Wouldn't you like me to carry those packages for you? Could "package" mean "small baggage"? 2. ...
A: Peter, 1. It certainly could. 2. Inner office is one not directly accessible from the hall. One ...
|
| 1. What do we mean by "embedded"... | 8/22/2005 |
Q: 1. What do we mean by "embedded" when we speak of "embedded questions" in grammar? 2. A: Can you ...
A: Tim, 1. An embedded question is a part of a sentence that would be a question if it were on its ...
|
| 1. What does "submit the hightest... | 8/21/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "submit the hightest bid" mean? Can I say, "He submitted the highest bid in an auction ...
A: Martin, 1. The bid for the most money is the highest bid and it is the winner. Yes, you may. 2. ...
|
| 1.John is the busiest in his... | 8/21/2005 |
Q: 1.John is the busiest in his office. John is busier than Peter in his office. Are both sentences ...
A: Peter, 1. They are both correct. Same with the second set. 2. It could be that they have been ...
|
| 1. Never put off till tomorrow,... | 8/18/2005 |
Q: 1. Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do today. Do we need a comma in the above sentence? ...
A: Kevin, 1. I really don't see any reason to have the comma; the two clauses follow along right in ...
|
| Verb Tense | 8/16/2005 |
Q: I am editing a paper for a friend. The sentence reads: "Almost every major urban community,and even ...
A: Shante, When you put a comma in as you did, it becomes a parenthecal expression (something added ...
|
| Thank you for your reply,... | 8/15/2005 |
Q: I have one follow-up question. In regard to question 2, I know we must use "find" in some cases. ...
A: Kim, Find means to run across as with something that is missing while find out means to discover ...
|
| What is the past tense of... | 8/14/2005 |
Q: What is the past tense of "should"? Should or should have ? I thought he shouldn't have done it. ...
A: Liv, Should is the past tense of the verb shall. It is, however, most often used as an auxiliary so ...
|
| 1.
I think he will retire... | 8/14/2005 |
Q: 1. I think he will retire soon. I thought he will retire soon. Are both correct? If the second ...
A: Steven, 1. Make it I thought he would retire soon. 2. There is a difference in motivation. He ...
|
| 1.I think that I made a mistake... | 8/14/2005 |
Q: 1.I think that I made a mistake yesterday. I think that I might make a mistake yesterday. What's ...
A: Brian, 1. ...might have made... since it is contrary to fact (subjunctive). In the first sentence ...
|
| 1. He is sure he could meet... | 8/14/2005 |
Q: 1. He is sure he could meet us there. According to my grammar book, the above sentence is ...
A: Albert, 1. Today, he is certain that he met us there yesterday (present-past relationship). Today, ...
|
| 1.What's the difference between... | 8/12/2005 |
Q: 1.What's the difference between "scuba diving" and "snorkeling"? What does "PK" imply in terms of ...
A: Kevin, 1. Scuba diving (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) requires specific equiptment ...
|
| 1.Donut is a kind of bread... | 8/10/2005 |
Q: 1.Donut is a kind of bread with a hole in the middle. The auditorium quickly filled up with a lot of ...
A: Peter, 1. No, they are both okay! 2. You can work in a shop but not at a shop. If you go out to ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 8/10/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "take a shower" and "take a bath"? 2.The reporter interviewed a ...
A: Regina, 1. A shower is taken standing up with water pouring down on you from above as you soap up. ...
|
| 1. The best things in life... | 8/10/2005 |
Q: 1. The best things in life are free. Is the above sentence correct? Shouldn't we say: the best ...
A: Martin, 1. There are many things in life that are free (nature, happiness, the air we breathe, ...
|
| Plurals of numbers. | 8/9/2005 |
Q: I'd like to clarify my question. I meant using these as a number of objects, like 1.4 pizza(s) or ...
A: Philippe, Your question doesn't really make sense! How can 1.4 pizza be plural or how can .8 of ...
|
| 1. How do I distinguish "collected"... | 8/5/2005 |
Q: 1. How do I distinguish "collected" from "collectible"? Can you give me some examples? 2. He ...
A: Martin, 1. Collected is the past tense verb from "collect" while collectible is the adjective form ...
|
| grammar | 8/3/2005 |
Q: As far as i remember i read somewhere that before abstract nouns we usually don't put an article ...
A: Luke, It depends exactly what your talking about. In the context of taking a specific risk like ...
|
| 1. A: How often do you watch... | 7/28/2005 |
Q: 1. A: How often do you watch TV? B:Hardly ever. What does "ever" mean in the above sentence? ...
A: Martin, 1. It is a measure of time so that hardly and rarely aren't too often. 2. The former is ...
|
| 1. The assistat (has become)... | 7/24/2005 |
Q: 1. The assistat (has become) more responsible in the last year. Why can't "has been becoming" be ...
A: Liv, 1. There is no past perfect progressive in English since perfect indicates that the action is ...
|
| 1. How do we distinguish "give... | 7/24/2005 |
Q: 1. How do we distinguish "give over" and "give out"? Can you give me some examples? 2.What's the ...
A: David, 1. Give over means to relinquish such as the deed to land or an auto. When you give over it ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 7/24/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "check up" and "check over"? Can you give me some example ...
A: Chris, 1. Check up means to observe or keep track of what someone or something is doing such as my ...
|
| gram | 7/24/2005 |
Q: Sometimes i get confused when i use the words "rise" and "raise" because the meaning of them seems ...
A: Luke, They are very similar and easily confused. They both mean to move upward. Raise is a ...
|
| 1.What's the difference between... | 7/22/2005 |
Q: 1.What's the difference between "public service announcement" and "advertisement"? 2.Do ...
A: Albert, 1. A public service announcement is an unpaid ad that stations do by FCC regulation for ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 7/22/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "directions" and "instructions"? 2. What's the difference between ...
A: Peter, 1. Although they are very often interchangeable, directions are information for getting from ...
|
| 1. We say "skating rink" to... | 7/15/2005 |
Q: 1. We say "skating rink" to refer to "the place for skating", but I also found the usage of "skating ...
A: Brian, 1. I'm pretty sure that ring is a mispronunciation of rink. The only possible explanation I ...
|
| Grammar Questions | 7/10/2005 |
Q: my name is Jaehee Park. While I was studying grammar from a grammar textbook, something did not ...
A: Jaehee, Since the meeting is cancelled today, we can use the present tense, thus "is". If it was ...
|
| 1. The notes are glued to... | 7/10/2005 |
Q: 1. The notes are glued to the bulding. What does the above sentence mean? what does "notes" mean? ...
A: Liv, 1. Notes are printed information which have been adhered to the structure. 2. A dock is a ...
|
| 1. The "open" sign is hanging... | 7/10/2005 |
Q: 1. The "open" sign is hanging below the shop sign. Is the above sentence correct? Shouldn't we say, ...
A: Peter, 1. Yes, it is correct and you make a good point about the positioning. 2. "Made up of" ...
|
| 1.What can be considered utensils... | 7/10/2005 |
Q: 1.What can be considered utensils ? forks, spoons, bowls, saucers, cups, pitchers, knifes, coffee ...
A: Steven, 1. Coming from the Latin word utile, meaning of use or useful, utensils are tools. Tools ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 7/8/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "job openings" and "job positions"? Are they synonyms? 2.Please ...
A: Peter, 1. They are pretty much the same. 2. Yes, they are both correct, but they don't mean the ...
|
| Comma usage | 7/6/2005 |
Q: In the following sentence: "Please use the drop-down menus, below, if you do not know your cost ...
A: Eliezer, It should read: Please use the drop-down menus below if you do not know your cost center, ...
|
| cv | 7/6/2005 |
Q: It's also part of a CV. What would you change? WORKING EXPERIENCE Chair Factory: worked for two ...
A: Luke, EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE: Acme Chair Factory: worked as lacquerer assistant, two months ...
|
| 1, The conductor is watching... | 7/3/2005 |
Q: 1, The conductor is watching the train. The gardeners are winding the hose. What does ...
A: David, 1. He is the person in charge of the train. Winding the hose means putting it on a spool or ...
|
| 1. He is taking a box from... | 7/3/2005 |
Q: 1. He is taking a box from her. He is receiving a box from her. Do both mean the same thing? 2. ...
A: Albert, 1. No, taking is involuntary, perhaps by force, while receiving is more voluntary such as a ...
|
| Ending a sentence in a preposition | 7/3/2005 |
Q: I made a shirt for my band. Printed on it is the sentence, "Ask me who my favorite band is." Is ...
A: Justin, Let's start off by getting one thing straight, "is" is always a verb and never a ...
|
| Do "pay bills" and "pay checks"... | 6/26/2005 |
Q: Do "pay bills" and "pay checks" have the same meaning? ( I think "bill" and "check" can be the same ...
A: Frank, 1. When you pay bills, you are relieving yourself of debt. You're giving your creditors ...
|
| 1. What verhicle do we usually... | 6/26/2005 |
Q: 1. What verhicle do we usually board? airplane, bus, train, MRT? Does "board the bus(train)" mean ...
A: Albert, 1. Board means to get on to ride. So you board all the vehicles you mention. Public ...
|
| 1. They are shaking hands.
... | 6/26/2005 |
Q: 1. They are shaking hands. They are shaking out hands. Do both mean the same thing? Can I say ...
A: Brian, 1. First of all, "shaking out hands" makes no sense so the two sentences cannot mean the ...
|
| 1. My period is coming.
... | 6/11/2005 |
Q: 1. My period is coming. I am having my period. Do both sentences have the same meaning? 2. He ...
A: Regina, 1. The first sentence means that the period hasn't started yet while the second indicates ...
|
| What's the difference between... | 6/8/2005 |
Q: What's the difference between "how about you" and " what about you"? Can you give me some examples ...
A: Martin, I can't think of too many instances where they are different. If asked about attending a ...
|
| 1. What does "old habits die... | 6/7/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "old habits die hard" mean? 2.Mary keeps a habit of writing a diary every day. It's ...
A: Ken, 1. Do you know the adage: You can't change the spots on a leopard. Well, it means the same ...
|
| - | 6/6/2005 |
Q: What does it mean "to be left handed" e.g "Apparently about one person in five is left handed" ...
A: Luke, If you are left-handed, you are definitely in a minority. About 10 percent of Americans are ...
|
| 1.The books are sold at bargain... | 6/5/2005 |
Q: 1.The books are sold at bargain prices. . My glasses are broken, so I need to get a new pair. Are ...
A: Martin, 1. The books are being sold (passive voice) at bargain prices. Is a better sentence. 2. ...
|
| 1. Because of security concerns,... | 6/5/2005 |
Q: 1. Because of security concerns, all job applicants are screened carefully before interviews are ...
A: Wendy, 1. Granted means opened up or given out. 2. Collectiables are objects which people gather ...
|
| Julius Caesar | 6/3/2005 |
Q: Here are selected sentences that i would like to know if they can be corrected. 1. It is a document ...
A: Jeff, 1. It is a document that made it legal to condemn to death any traitor to the Triumvirate. ...
|
| 1.I think that I might have... | 6/3/2005 |
Q: 1.I think that I might have made a mistake yesterday. Does that mean he didn't make a mistake ...
A: Frank, 1. No, it means he is sure whether he did or didn't make one, but it doesn't mean he didn't ...
|
| 1. When I use the phrase "in... | 5/31/2005 |
Q: 1. When I use the phrase "in the day time", does it include the morning and the afternoon? Does the ...
A: Peter, 1. Daytime refers to the period of time from sunup (dawn) to sundown (dusk) or when we have ...
|
| Spelling | 5/14/2005 |
Q: Hey Jerry, I am a bad speller! I am a 9th grader in highschool. I am in honors classes, The ...
A: Danielle, The best thing you can do is keep a dictionary at your side as you write and look up any ...
|
| 1.Is "want" a causative verb?... | 5/13/2005 |
Q: 1.Is "want" a causative verb? How about "order" "force"? 2.The police ordered the area cleared. ...
A: George, 1. Want isn't, but order and force both force a cause or happening. 2. "To be" is ...
|
| 1. Please _____ this articles... | 5/12/2005 |
Q: 1. Please _____ this articles for any typos. Look over, check into, check over I know the answer ...
A: Albert, Look over, in this case, means to edit, and that's what you do to find typos. Check over ...
|
| 1. .The new lawyer has gone... | 5/12/2005 |
Q: 1. .The new lawyer has gone to (look for) the file. Why "look into" doesn't work in the above ...
A: George, Look for indicates he doesn't know excatly where it is and he must search to find it. Look ...
|
| being | 5/12/2005 |
Q: For $50 a year, the company will ensure your profile tops the list of sponsered searches when anyone ...
A: Mengta, Sponsored is backed by or spoken for. A sponsor accepts responsibility for you or speaks in ...
|
| further vs. farther | 5/11/2005 |
Q: I am writing a book of art instruction and need clarification of the usage of "further" vs. ...
A: Kathy, Although very similar in meaning and widely interchanged, further deals with time and ...
|
| 1. A:How many children do... | 5/11/2005 |
Q: 1. A:How many children do you want to have? B: I don't want to have any children. Can I respond ...
A: George, Yes, you can answer "none" which means no children. Go to work means what time do you ...
|
| need more resources | 5/9/2005 |
Q: Victoria
A: Victoria, Although I have not dealt with ESL in many years, here are a few resource suggestions: ...
|
| What is "bedroom sets" ?... | 5/8/2005 |
Q: What is "bedroom sets" ? Does "furnishing" mean "furniture"? So "fiunishing" is a countalbe noun, ...
A: Tom, Bedroom set includes bed with mattress and box spring plus end tables, chest of drawers or ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 5/8/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "remodel" and "renovate"? 2. What's the difference between ...
A: Chris, 1. There's very little difference except perhaps in the extent of change. Remodel might ...
|
| 1. How do you can a small... | 5/8/2005 |
Q: 1. How do you can a small slip for customers to use for rating the service and so on? 2. What does ...
A: Tom The first half of your question makes no sense! Do you have a typo for "can", do you mean ...
|
| Does "undercooked" mean "not... | 5/8/2005 |
Q: Does "undercooked" mean "not being well- cooked"? We say "well-trained" "well-done" to indicate ...
A: Peter, No, undercooked can mean rare or medium rare, whereas we think of well-cooked or well-done ...
|
| 1.Itˇ¦s not wise for people... | 5/8/2005 |
Q: 1.Itˇ¦s not wise for people to resort to violence when they have hassles with others. Is the above ...
A: Brian, 1. Yes, it is. "Resort to" means "have to use" or "rely solely on." 2. A resort is place of ...
|
| 1. I know him and his wife.
... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1. I know him and his wife. Can I say, "I know him, not his wife"? 2. We have already ...
A: Regina, 1. Yes, but you completely change the meaning of the sentence. First, you know them both; ...
|
| 1. Do we say, "see you Monday"... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1. Do we say, "see you Monday" or "see you on Monday"? Can I say, "hand in a report on Friday ...
A: Tom, 1. Both expressions are quite common. Yes, the report can be handed in on Friday night. 2. ...
|
| 1.Our company believes it... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1.Our company believes it is the best organization to handle the account. 1.If I don't want to ...
A: Albert, Try: We believe our company is best organized to handle the account. Specially has wider ...
|
| 1. I don't care about his... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1. I don't care about his health. I don't care what he thinks. Is the first "care" a verb ...
A: Peter, No, both are transitive since they tell what I do not do (care). There isn't difference; one ...
|
| 1.Another quality leading... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1.Another quality leading to their success is the values and visions they own. From my observations, ...
A: Brian, 1. They all look okay to me. 2. Try this: Moreover, people with great values always make ...
|
| 1.Last but not least, successful... | 5/5/2005 |
Q: 1.Last but not least, successful people are adventurous and like challenges. Successful people are ...
A: Brian, 1. Try this: Last but not least, successful people are adventurous and like challenges. ...
|
| 1.Our society abounds people... | 5/4/2005 |
Q: 1.Our society abounds people from all walk of life. In every field, there are always some ...
A: Brian, Try this: 1.Our society abounds in people from all walks of life. In every field there are ...
|
| Ex: In conclusion, our society... | 5/4/2005 |
Q: Ex: In conclusion, our society needs devoted people with determination, persistence, good values and ...
A: Peter, Try this: In conclusion, our society needs devoted people with determination, persistence, ...
|
| - | 5/4/2005 |
Q: What's the difference between "He is being followed" and "He is followed" Do these two sentences ...
A: Luke, Being followed is present perfect passive and indicates that someone is behind him and has ...
|
| term/expression | 5/3/2005 |
Q: The followng is an exerpt from an article about someone: She grew up in public housing in Elimira, ...
A: Sarah, Public housing was established by governmental agencies such as HUD to provide decent, safe ...
|
| Thank you for your previous... | 5/3/2005 |
Q: I have one follow-up question regarding the sentence below: When depressed, we should remember ...
A: Brian, Sure you can! But why make your writing "heavier" than it needs to be? Good writers say the ...
|
| . Ex: Therefore, whenever... | 5/3/2005 |
Q: . Ex: Therefore, whenever we feel depressed, we should bear that saying in mind: "If winter comes, ...
A: Brian, 1. You've made them both more complex than necessary! Try: When depressed, we should ...
|
| need vs needs | 4/24/2005 |
Q: Is the use of 'need' in the following sentence right? If so, can you please give me an explanation? ...
A: Nagul, Need is plural; needs is singular. Since the patient is singular, the verb must also be ...
|
| 1, The original day he was... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1, The original day he was to have come What does "was to have come" mean here? Why "was to..." is ...
A: Peter, 1. Scheduled to arrive. "Supposed to" is what "was to" means. Try: He was scheduled to have ...
|
| 1. Ive booked yo on the flight... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1. Ive booked yo on the flight 4:30 flight. Can I say," I've made a flight reservation for you at ...
A: Regina, 1. Yes, you may...they mean about the same thing. 2. Although very close in meaning, I ...
|
| 1. Are you sure? Maybe it's... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1. Are you sure? Maybe it's not plugged in. What is the oppsite of "plug in"? "plug out"? Don't ...
A: Peter, 1. No, try unplugged as the opposite. Both are okay. 2. Today's special is the item on the ...
|
| 1. What does "cold cuts" mean?
I... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "cold cuts" mean? I am freezing cold. Can I just say,"I am freezing" in this case? so ...
A: Stephanie, 1. Cold cuts are slices of assorted, prepared meats. They include: ham, boloni, salami, ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "carpet" and "rug"? A small plain pizza. What does "plain" mean ...
A: George, 1. Although nearly interchangeable, there is a size difference between them. A carpet will ...
|
| 1. The bus fair is $1.50.... | 4/24/2005 |
Q: 1. The bus fair is $1.50. Do you want a transer? What does transfer mean in the above sentence? ...
A: Andrew, 1. A coupon which the driver gives one that allows you to get on another bus without having ...
|
| 1. Is MRT (Mass Rapid Transit... | 4/23/2005 |
Q: 1. Is MRT (Mass Rapid Transit System) the same as subway? 2. How do I differentiate "suffer" from ...
A: Chris, 1. Not necessarily, a subway is a transit system that operates below ground level. One must ...
|
| 1. Let's take the stairs.
... | 4/23/2005 |
Q: 1. Let's take the stairs. Let's use the stairs. Do both sentences mean the same thing? Let's ...
A: Brian, 1. Yes, use and take mean the same in dealing with the stairs. Take and ride mean the same ...
|
| - | 4/23/2005 |
Q: Can i use the word "must" instead of "have to" in this sentence: "When you work in the kitchen you ...
A: Luke, Although "must" is a bit stronger (more legal, as you point out) than "have to", they are ...
|
| Thanks for your reply. Here... | 4/17/2005 |
Q: Here is my follow-up question. In regard to the second sentence you see below, I wonder if I can ...
A: Andrew, In both cases we are dealing with a hypothetical "world", one that one wishes for. In the ...
|
| 1. They have offered to help... | 4/16/2005 |
Q: 1. They have offered to help with the project. They have helped with the project. What the ...
A: Stephanie, When they say they offered that means that they would be willing to help in the future, ...
|
| .The lastest addition to our... | 4/16/2005 |
Q: .The lastest addition to our company, Ms. Wang, attended one of the best known universities, had ...
A: Albert, "Addition" means that Ms. Wang has been recently added to the staff of our company. She ...
|
| 1. What does "submit the hightest... | 4/16/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "submit the hightest bid" mean? Can I say, "He submitted the highest bid in an auction ...
A: Jason, It means that your bid is the best one submitted (turned in) at the end of the given time ...
|
| 1.When does your flight leave?... | 4/15/2005 |
Q: 1.When does your flight leave? When does your flight depart? Do both sentences mean the same? ...
A: Tom, Yes, leave and depart mean the same thing with regard to air travel. I guess you could call ...
|
| elide | 4/15/2005 |
Q: Can you please give me some good examples when someone "elides" in her speech? Can you also bruefly ...
A: Celes, Although linguistics is not my field, elision has to do with sliding over or not pronouncing ...
|
| 1.It is important to follow... | 4/15/2005 |
Q: 1.It is important to follow through with the plans that were made if you wish to complete the job ...
A: Brian, Follow will do all by itself. "Through with" just makes a prepositional phrase out of what ...
|
| pronouns | 4/3/2005 |
Q: I'm pretty sure I understand everything, but I would appreciate if you can check my work and tell me ...
A: Jeff, Your first 16 are correct. 17. Principal is the head of a school; principle means main. ...
|
| 1. I am now ready to take... | 4/1/2005 |
Q: 1. I am now ready to take nominations from the floor. What does "floor" mean? 2. Carts, cars, ...
A: Maggie, After the nominating committee has proposed its candidates for election, the chair will ask ...
|
| 1.What's the difference between... | 4/1/2005 |
Q: 1.What's the difference between "turn down the lights" and "turn off the lights"? 2.What's the ...
A: Brian, Turning down the lights would imply a three-way bulb or a rheostat (voltage regulator) so ...
|
| appropriate word | 3/30/2005 |
Q: and thank you for volunteering to help. I am writing a letter of introduction offering my services. ...
A: Kathleen, 1. Since we are talking time, let's go with "when" since that is a time conjunction: We ...
|
| 1. Our hotel has every (intention)... | 3/25/2005 |
Q: 1. Our hotel has every (intention) of making annual convention the most memorable one ever. Why ...
A: Kent, In this particular case you want the noun form meaning "desire" so "intention" is more ...
|
| 1.Ex:This area is restricted... | 3/25/2005 |
Q: 1.Ex:This area is restricted to bank personal use only. Does it mean the same if I say, "this area ...
A: Regina, Yes, this area is designated for or limited to use by only employees of the bank. Require ...
|
| grammar | 3/23/2005 |
Q: I'd like to ask you which sentence is correct: 1"Why doesn't he work for this company" 2"Why he ...
A: Luke, No. 1 is correct as a question. No. 2 would make sense if you added another clause like: is ...
|
| usage of "Sirs" in business correspondence | 3/23/2005 |
Q: is it OK to use salutation "Sirs" when addressing both men and women in an e-mail or the use of ...
A: Dmitry, For many years Gentlemen and Sirs were the commonly accepted saluations for business ...
|
| 1. What does "turn it over"... | 3/20/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "turn it over" mean? Does "check it over" has the same meaning as "look it over"? ...
A: Albert, Turn it over means upend or reverse it. You could be talking about a playing card, a shovel ...
|
| 1. Ms. Martin tested the copying... | 3/20/2005 |
Q: 1. Ms. Martin tested the copying machine before she bought it. Ms. Martin would test the copying ...
A: Peter, In the first sentence the testing has been completed at the time of the sentence. In the ...
|
| 1. Ex: You can take those... | 3/20/2005 |
Q: 1. Ex: You can take those files to the record room unless Kim (has done it). You can take those ...
A: Albert, "Has done it" is past tense passive voice and "does it" is present active. Yes, both are ...
|
| copula, aux forms of be | 3/19/2005 |
Q: Can you tell me the difference between the copula and auxillary forms of be? Thank you very much.
A: Will, Copula are verb forms which identify the predicate to the subject of the sentence, e.g. These ...
|
| 1. What does "prescription... | 3/18/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "prescription medicine" mean? What is opposite to "prescription medicne"? Do most ...
A: Albert, Prescription medicines are those that one may purchase only upon the recommendation ...
|
| kanglinlo@hotmail.com | 3/16/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "Here I am" and "Here you are"? 1.Will you take a ...
A: Ken, 1. There is the big difference between you and I! 2. A trip might be for the purpose of ...
|
| Fail to understand | 3/15/2005 |
Q: Now I have read of a passage: Up to the farmhouse to dinner through the teeming, dusty field, the ...
A: Walden, I am completely befuddled by the word "blackline". It just doesn't fit into the rest of the ...
|
| bibliography cards | 3/13/2005 |
Q: My teenage daughter is writing a paper on Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She has found information on ...
A: Patricia, Here's the summary I use: Items on Most Bibliography Cards 1. Author If given, the ...
|
| 1. How often do you watch... | 3/13/2005 |
Q: 1. How often do you watch TV? "always", "usually" or "I usually watch TV.", "I always watch TV on ...
A: Frank, That depends on the number of hours you spend per day/night in front of the tube. Always ...
|
| 1. How do we differentiate... | 3/13/2005 |
Q: 1. How do we differentiate "currency" and "bill"? Can I say" The U.S. currency is getting weaker"? ...
A: Regina, US currency is any medium of exchange either coined or paper. Nickels and dimes are ...
|
| 1. Writing a diary is a good... | 3/13/2005 |
Q: 1. Writing a diary is a good way to express one's thoughts. Is the above sentence grammatically ...
A: Steve, Yes, it is! Thoughts are the ideas you have on most subjects and are based upon reflection ...
|
| 1. It must be handled with... | 3/13/2005 |
Q: 1. It must be handled with care. What's the difference between "handle with care" and "handle with ...
A: Maggie, Handled with care implies that there will be hands on use of the object while handled with ...
|
| Grammar Questions. | 3/13/2005 |
Q: How are you? May I ask you the following questions: 1. a. He stood there, watching the white ...
A: Walden, 1. This is a question of essential-non essential clauses. Watching the white cloud ...
|
| Anymore and any longer | 3/12/2005 |
Q: How to differentiate the using of anymore and anylonger and no longer ??/ Are those mean the same ?? ...
A: Benny, The word "longer" deals with time while "more" deal with quantity or amount. When I think of ...
|
| 1. When would you like to... | 3/11/2005 |
Q: 1. When would you like to eat your dinner? When will you eat your dinner? What's the difference ...
A: Regina, Very little difference! First is asking for a time that you would like to eat, but not ...
|
| revising | 3/10/2005 |
Q: This is a letter to my teacher about a math test I took. I'm hoping you can make this as polite and ...
A: Jeff, Try this: I think I did poorly on this test because I was careless at times and made several ...
|
| What is the difference between... | 3/9/2005 |
Q: What is the difference between "snack machine" and "automated vending machine"?
A: Brian, A snack machine dispenses items like candy, gum, peanuts, cookies, sandwiches and other ...
|
| comma splices and the real world | 3/8/2005 |
Q: I'm a high school English teacher and I'm doing a lesson on the comma splice. All I really want to ...
A: Brad, I'm really not really sure how I can help nor really what you are asking for but here's an ...
|
| 1. hammer a nail into the... | 3/6/2005 |
Q: 1. hammer a nail into the wall. drive a nail into the wall. Do both mean the same thing? 2.The ...
A: Albert, Yes, hammer and drive a nail mean the same thing. A "handyman" is a jack-of-all-trades or ...
|
| 1. There is an article of... | 3/6/2005 |
Q: 1. There is an article of clothing on the bed. How do I edit the above sentence if I want to use ...
A: Steve, There are clothes on the bed. "Made up" indicates preparing sheets and covers for sleep, ...
|
| 1.The cyclist is taking a... | 3/4/2005 |
Q: 1.The cyclist is taking a ride in the car. What does "take a ride" mean in the above sentence? ...
A: Steve, Putting his usual vehicle (the bike) aside, the cyclist is now a passenger in the car. The ...
|
| Word Roots: Latin and Greek Roots | 3/3/2005 |
Q: How can you recognize the root and then know the root meanings of these words? How do you know what ...
A: Ashley, I found a couple years of Latin very helpful in allowing me to recognize not only roots but ...
|
| adopted parents | 3/3/2005 |
Q: Ok, my next question is is it appropriate to use these words referring to someone whom you consider ...
A: Mick, The answer I gave you was strictly technical or legal. You know who you real parents ...
|
| tenses | 2/15/2005 |
Q: "He's always riding a bike" "He always rides a bike" I'm wondering which form is more correct than ...
A: Luke, He always rides a bike is simple present tense. Could be used when you want to say: He always ...
|
| RE: UNITY | 2/12/2005 |
Q: Would you please correct this text if necessary Spiritual unity in the church: Jesus establishes ...
A: James, Try this: Jesus established and ordained unity; then he made it a commandment. The church ...
|
| 1. What does "main switchboard"... | 2/12/2005 |
Q: 1. What does "main switchboard" mean? 2. How do you call an event where a writer introudces his ...
A: Jasmine, In a facility that has a large number of telephone outlets, there is often an operator who ...
|
| Which sentence is correct? | 2/12/2005 |
Q: A co-worker has asked me which of the following sentences are correct: I was made to feel welcome. I ...
A: Julie, You are both right! They both are correct for different reasons. In the first sentence ...
|
| usage | 2/11/2005 |
Q: My teacher wrote two setences on the board which is, "If I had tried, I could've won." and "If I ...
A: Jeff, In the first sentence, there is the definite statement that I made no attenpt to win. The ...
|
| most | 2/10/2005 |
Q: What's the difference between "most people" and "most of the people"??? thank you!
A: Luke, Two words! Just kidding.....there is no difference except that "people" in the first is a ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 2/2/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "feel sleepy" and "fall asleep"? 2. By 2:00 I am back in the ...
A: Stephanie, I can feel sleepy while I'm studying, reading the newspaper, watching TV or driving home ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 2/2/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "on the street" and "in the street"? So should I say "The ...
A: Frank, The reporter would be asking questions on the street, meaning he is working along the ...
|
| 1. A: May I ask you some questions?
... | 2/2/2005 |
Q: 1. A: May I ask you some questions? B: yep. (yeah.) What's the difference between "yep" and ...
A: Brian, "Yep" (yes) is a slang word that comes after another slang, "nope" (no). "Yeah" is informal ...
|
| 1. I am off today.
I take... | 1/23/2005 |
Q: 1. I am off today. I take a day off today. I have a day off today Do all mean the same thing? ...
A: Kerby, Essentially, they sll mean that you will not be working today. There is some slight ...
|
| 1. the police could break... | 1/22/2005 |
Q: 1. the police could break up the demonstrator. What does "break up" mean in the above sentence? 2. ...
A: Stephanie, The sentence should read: The police could break up the demonstration. "Break up" means ...
|
| 1. the company is no longer... | 1/22/2005 |
Q: 1. the company is no longer out of the red. Is the above sentence correct? What does "out of the ...
A: Stephanie, Yes, except that "The company" needs to be capitalized at the beginning of the sentence. ...
|
| 1. What preposition should... | 1/22/2005 |
Q: 1. What preposition should be used with "be amazed"? I am amazed at the beautiful scenery or I am ...
A: Brian, I don't think you can make a rule about what follows "amazed". You can be amazed at, by, ...
|
| Word Definition Assistance | 1/19/2005 |
Q: I am a graduate student at the University of Toledo. I am working on a project about the everyday ...
A: Catherine, Here are a couple of excellent definitions from my American Heritage Dictionary: This ...
|
| 1. Is there another way to... | 1/19/2005 |
Q: 1. Is there another way to say "adopt animals"? Does "set up computers" mean "install ...
A: Zen, Actually, the word "adopt" should be saved for just human beings rather than animals. We take ...
|
| 1. There is one more cookie... | 1/19/2005 |
Q: 1. There is one more cookie (at) the bottom of the bag. Can I say "in the bottom " in the above ...
A: Martin, Actually, I don't like either word! The most acurate preposition would be "on" the bottom. ...
|
| a poem | 1/18/2005 |
Q: This time, I have a question about the poem someone sent me. Would you mind reading the poem below ...
A: Ang-sui, Poetry is rather out of my area, but I'll give it a try anyway. As I see it, "green ...
|
| 1. Traffic on Fifth Avenue... | 1/15/2005 |
Q: 1. Traffic on Fifth Avenue is backed up this morning. What does " back up" mean here? 2.Don't ...
A: George, "Backed up" means the area is jammed with traffic or because the traffic is flowing so ...
|
| 1. Ex: Winter weather got... | 1/15/2005 |
Q: 1. Ex: Winter weather got you down? Chase those winter blues away by taking a trip to... What does ...
A: Stephanie, "Got you down" means making you feel depressed, low, sickly, under-the-weather, not ...
|
| 1. Can you think of any other... | 1/12/2005 |
Q: 1. Can you think of any other kind of spice? Can you think of other kinds of spices? Which ...
A: Kevin, The former is grammatically correct; the latter should be: ....other kinds of spice. This ...
|
| 1.
You were supposed to pick... | 1/9/2005 |
Q: 1. You were supposed to pick me up at the airport. When can I pick up my dry cleaning? I pick up ...
A: Kerby, 1. Come after me or give me a ride at the airport. When can I retrieve or come after my ...
|
| 1. Recored tour is avaiable... | 1/8/2005 |
Q: 1. Recored tour is avaiable at the front desk for a small fee. What does "recorded tour" mean? 2. ...
A: Eric, I think you mean "recorded" which means that you can rent a sound track to take on tour with ...
|
| 1. You're sure to enjoy the... | 1/8/2005 |
Q: 1. You're sure to enjoy the luxury of having fresh baked bread every day. What does "luxury" mean ...
A: Jasmine, Luxury could be the joy or enjoyment of fresh bread. It could be the sumptuousness of ...
|
| 1. It's easier said than done.... | 1/7/2005 |
Q: 1. It's easier said than done. Does it mean "it's easier to be said than done"? 2. She wants to ...
A: Chris, 1.Means the task is quite difficult since it is easier to describe it than actually ...
|
| 1. How often do you go to... | 1/5/2005 |
Q: 1. How often do you go to the toilet during the day? How often do you go to the toilet in a day? ...
A: Albert, Yes, they are both grammatically correct, but they do not mean exactly the same thing. ...
|
| . Do we always consider "outfit"... | 1/5/2005 |
Q: . Do we always consider "outfit" a set of clothes? (If someone askes me "What's your favorite ...
A: Terry, An outfit is generally considered a complete set of clothes, i.e. pants, jacket, shirt. ...
|
| question | 1/5/2005 |
Q: At the end of the words "desks" and "shops" we hear the sound /s/, however, at the end of the words ...
A: Luke, I'm not much on linguistics, but I know it depends upon the final syllable or ending of the ...
|
| Ex: Of the three monkeys,... | 1/5/2005 |
Q: Ex: Of the three monkeys, one is covering his eyes, another is hiding his ears, and the other (has) ...
A: Stephanie, Try: Of the three monkeys, one is covering his eyes, another is hiding his ears, and ...
|
| unstressed syllable | 1/3/2005 |
Q: what is an unstressed syllable?
A: Grace, Your last name has three syllables (her nan dez). The accent or stress is on the final ...
|
| verbals | 1/1/2005 |
Q: I thank you very much for your time and I hope you wouldn't mind answering another one of ...
A: Jeff, Look at my rule #3: A form of any verb that is used to modify a noun or pronoun rtaher than ...
|
| verbals | 1/1/2005 |
Q: Do the following sentences contain (a)a gerund or (b)an infinitive or (c)a participle OR (d)no ...
A: Jeff, Let's start this way: - a gerund is a verb ending in "ing" and used as a noun - an ...
|
| 1. You should aim for twenty... | 1/1/2005 |
Q: 1. You should aim for twenty minutes of exercise a day. What does "aim for" mean here? 2. Did ...
A: Brian, 1. Plan on, schedule or allot 2. No, second one makes no sense. A pager is an electronic ...
|
| 1. Ex:Due to city budge cuts,the... | 1/1/2005 |
Q: 1. Ex:Due to city budge cuts,the changes will be made to the city bus service, effective April 1. I ...
A: Albert, Effective April 1 means that the rate increase will take effect on that date. Can you tell ...
|
| 1. Is "real estate agent"... | 1/1/2005 |
Q: 1. Is "real estate agent" the same as "real estate broker"? 2. Ex:Leasing and Land Sales Company ...
A: Stephanie, You're a little out of my area, but I think an agent sells homes that are listed with ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 1/1/2005 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "tennis match" and "tennis tournament"? 2. What other sport game ...
A: Jasmine, A match is a single event between two opponents. The total number of matches together make ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 12/24/2004 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "abbreviation" and "acronym"? Can you give me examples to ...
A: Josh, N.Y., N.J., Penn., U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. are abbreviations for the states and countries they ...
|
| commas before last word in a sentence | 12/24/2004 |
Q: Have the rules changed over the years regarding commas before certain last words in a sentence like: ...
A: Dal, Whenever a sentence begins or ends with an adverb or adverbial phrase (yes, no, again, today, ...
|
| Awkward smell | 12/21/2004 |
Q: Is it right to refer to a smell as an awkward smell? Does the word nicer exist or is just a form of ...
A: Kevin, I don't think that awkward (clumsy, inept, uncomfortable) fits well with smell. Perhaps, ...
|
| 1. He is agreeable.
What... | 12/19/2004 |
Q: 1. He is agreeable. What does "agreeable" mean here? 2. The movie is relaxing. What does relaxing ...
A: Steven, He is willing to do what you are asking of him...he agrees with you as to what you want of ...
|
| danger | 12/18/2004 |
Q: Could you tell me what the difference is among the words below, could you give me some examples? ...
A: Luke, danger...possibility of bodily harm Smallpox, live wire peril....possibility of any kind ...
|
| good and well | 12/15/2004 |
Q: I was once told that the word good is to only be used when refering to how things taste. I know ...
A: Tim, Good is an adjective; well is an adverb. Therefore, if the word needed modifies a noun, ...
|
| 1. She wanted a makeover./... | 12/13/2004 |
Q: 1. She wanted a makeover./ put some streaks in it. What does "makeover" mean? What does "streak" ...
A: Martin, A very popular concept on TV these days, a makeover is where you start from scratch and ...
|
| 1. People in the restaurant... | 12/13/2004 |
Q: 1. People in the restaurant were irritated by the sound he made when I ate noodles. He irritated ...
A: Kevin, Neither is better nor acceptible! Try: People in the restaurant were annoyed by the sound ...
|
| Would or Could? | 12/12/2004 |
Q: I've taken English 101 but am still not sure when to use the terms "would" or "could". Which of the ...
A: Mike, Try remembering it this way: could means are you able and would means are you willing. ...
|
| 1. The messenger was going... | 12/11/2004 |
Q: 1. The messenger was going to be late because of the poor weather condtions. Why "conditions" are ...
A: Jacket, 1. We talk "about weather conditions" because there are several factors considered: ...
|
| 1.( Soon as) you see the first... | 12/11/2004 |
Q: 1.( Soon as) you see the first attempt by the patient to speak, press the (top-most) button on this ...
A: Kerby, Yes, use "as soon as" to begin the sentence. The adjective "top-most" means in buttons that ...
|
| works cited page | 12/10/2004 |
Q: I'm a freshman in college and I am doing a research paper on consumerism. I am focusing on dental ...
A: Colleen, I'm not sure there is a definitive way of citing TV advertising but: "Colgate Toothpaste, ...
|
| The wife thinks its wrong | 12/10/2004 |
Q: Leone, My wife and I have been disagreeing on the grammatical correctness of a sentence I wrote in ...
A: Diwa, Happy Birthday, hope you guys continue to have fun in India! or Happy Birthday, hope you ...
|
| enhancing | 12/10/2004 |
Q: Can you please enhance this following paragrph with better vocabulary, structure, etc.Here is the ...
A: Jeff, Try this: George Orwell, author of Animal Farm, was an avid opponent of totalitarianism and ...
|
| 1. What is the difference... | 12/9/2004 |
Q: 1. What is the difference between "radish" and "carrot"? I'd think of radishes as more round shaped ...
A: Stephanie, Radishes are small, round tubules (roots of a plant) that grow in bunches with deep red ...
|
| Schwarzenegger | 12/8/2004 |
Q: Why is the actor-turned-governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger called governator, gropenator or ...
A: Ang-sui, Governator because of his starring roles in the Terminator movie series. Gropenator ...
|
| thumb? | 12/7/2004 |
Q: What does "thumb" mean in this context? Thank you for your time! --The normal rule of thumb is ...
A: Aesculapius, Applies to a principle that is widely accepted but not necessarily strictly applied. ...
|
| 1.Of the two applicants, Mr.Wang... | 12/7/2004 |
Q: 1.Of the two applicants, Mr.Wang has the strongest credentials. What does "credentials" mean here? ...
A: Regina, Of the two applicants, Mr. Wang has the stronger credentials. Credentials are ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 12/7/2004 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "process" and "procedure"? 2.What's the difference between ...
A: Brian, A process is the system of operations in the production of something, e.g. there is an end ...
|
| 1. Ex: The government is sending... | 12/5/2004 |
Q: 1. Ex: The government is sending a team of agronomists to remote areas to look into cooperative ...
A: Stephanie, Since the "that clause" modifies "techniques" it is an adjective clause and "the ...
|
| question | 12/3/2004 |
Q: Could you tell me what these phrases mean: "casual laboring scene" or "casual scene"??? thank you!
A: Luke, I'm not positive but I think "casual labouring scene" comes from an English (British) concept ...
|
| 1.Do we say, "audition for... | 12/3/2004 |
Q: 1.Do we say, "audition for a part or a role"? How about character? If not, why not? 2...has (more ...
A: Steven, All three can (and are) used, e.g. ....auditioned for a part in "Our Town" means there were ...
|
| using the word "until" | 12/2/2004 |
Q: I'm an ESL teacher in Taiwan. Our most recent lesson touched on Time Adverbials using Simple Past ...
A: Susan, Paying her bills until the end of the month indicates that she will be paying all the bills ...
|
| all hat and no cattle | 12/1/2004 |
Q: Would you mind explaining what "all hat and no cattle" means in this sentence? --As the president ...
A: JJ, Texans have a phrase "All Hat and no cattle" which applies to pretend cowboys that dress and ...
|
| 1. Is there any tea?
Can... | 12/1/2004 |
Q: 1. Is there any tea? Can we say, "Is there some tea"? If not, why not? I've learned that "any" is ...
A: Kevin, I don't think that "any" and "some" in this sentence really make any difference. "Go to ...
|
| 1.I went to the gas station... | 11/21/2004 |
Q: 1.I went to the gas station to fill the tank. I went to the gas station to get some gas. I went to ...
A: Jasmine, They all mean the same thing, and I'm not sure that one is more acceptable than the rest. ...
|
| Thanks for your answers. I... | 11/21/2004 |
Q: I have one follow-up question. In your reply, you said,"see a movie(s) implies watching motion ...
A: Kevin, "Going to the movies" indicates that I leave home and go to a place where movies are shown ...
|
| 1. I like to go to the movies.
... | 11/20/2004 |
Q: 1. I like to go to the movies. I like to go see a moive. I like to see a movie. I like to ...
A: Kevin, They all are. Going to the movies means going to the theatre or place where movies are shown ...
|
| 1.The bottle is made of tinted... | 11/19/2004 |
Q: 1.The bottle is made of tinted glass. What does tinted mean here? 2.does "side by side" mean ...
A: Kevin, Tinted means stained or frosted...no longer clear! For all intents and purposes, it means ...
|
| english | 11/19/2004 |
Q: This is a topic sentence for one of my paragraphs:"Under my plan, all taxes would be reduced or ...
A: Jeff, People could live better and cheaper! I have a plan that might help! A good topic sentence ...
|
| 1. They are plainting in the... | 11/19/2004 |
Q: 1. They are plainting in the garden. They are plainting the garden. What's the difference ...
A: Josh, Planting in the garden means that the garden is already there, and they are adding some ...
|
| 1."Depress" the brake pedal... | 11/16/2004 |
Q: 1."Depress" the brake pedal firmly with a single "stroke", then release the pressure immediately. ...
A: Maggie, "Depress" means to push down on or to apply pressure to. "With a single stroke" means to ...
|
| 1.Wasn't she going to be a... | 11/15/2004 |
Q: 1.Wasn't she going to be a doctor? Does the above sentence mean "didn't she want to be a doctor?"? ...
A: Ken, #1 implies that she was in the educational process of going to med-school, or at least, ...
|
| I can't find "the" Simpson... | 11/14/2004 |
Q: I can't find "the" Simpson Will anywhere, I give up! Why the article must be used before a ...
A: Josh, It is a definite article which means it points to a specific thing...in this case THE Simpson ...
|
| 1. Do we say "a printout of... | 11/14/2004 |
Q: 1. Do we say "a printout of the entire membership" or "a printout of the members"? Why? 2.He got a ...
A: Srephanie, Although both mean about the same thing, a printout of the membership is more accurate ...
|
| 1. I prefer my coffee with... | 11/14/2004 |
Q: 1. I prefer my coffee with cream (and) sugar. Can "plus" be used in the above sentence? if not, why? ...
A: Ken, I don't think that "plus" would change the meaning of the sentence since both mean "in ...
|
| 1.If it rains tomorrow, I... | 11/14/2004 |
Q: 1.If it rains tomorrow, I will not come. If you are not able to finish the letter now, you can do ...
A: Kevin, Real condition, or subjective mood, is established by the "if" which makes the statement ...
|
| grammar | 11/12/2004 |
Q: When can i say "He couldn't do it" and when "He couldn't have done it" Luke
A: Luke, He couldn't do it.......is simple past tense, meaning he couldn't do it just now, earlier ...
|
| Where did you get those flowers?
Where... | 11/12/2004 |
Q: Where did you get those flowers? Where did these flowers come from? I wonder if the response "At ...
A: Kevin, "These and those" are demonstrative pronouns that tell which ones, in this case, probably by ...
|
| an expression | 11/11/2004 |
Q: What does that mean by "We will play it by ear"? Thanks, Harraine
A: Harraine, In the figuritive sense, playing by ear means playing a tune, such as on the piano, ...
|
| grammar | 11/11/2004 |
Q: Jerry! 1) "I should like to point out that two months have elapsed since you promised to come and ...
A: Luke, "I should like to point out that two months elapsed since you promised to come and repair my ...
|
| writing | 11/10/2004 |
Q: I wrote an essay, topic is : solution of language, can u edit and improve my writing. I think the ...
A: Zulaa, Try this: I think the solution to my problem is just studying harder. It's really difficult ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 11/9/2004 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between franchises and chain stores? 2.Mr.Wang, our general manager, passed ...
A: Jonhan, Although it's not in my area, I do believe that franchises are purchased by an ...
|
| 1.You are the one to make... | 11/8/2004 |
Q: 1.You are the one to make decisions. Is the above sentence correct? 2.I know the above sentence is ...
A: Kevin, 1. Yes, that is okay, but (You are the one who makes the decisions.) is more common. 2. ...
|
| 1. What's the difference between... | 11/7/2004 |
Q: 1. What's the difference between "denominate" and the verb "name"? 2. We do our corresponding by ...
A: Josh, They are both transitive verbs meaning to designate. If there is any difference at all, I ...
|
| grammar | 11/7/2004 |
Q: do you know some names of english grammar (exercices:the complex sentence... )
A: Walid, Try these: Compound sentence Simple sentence Restrictive clause Non-restrictive clause ...
|
| 1.He is ironing some clothes.
... | 11/5/2004 |
Q: 1.He is ironing some clothes. He is pressing some clothes. Do both sentences mean the same? 2.He ...
A: Kevin, Pressing might require more effort or muscle, maybe even steam, than ironing. They both are ...
|
| grammar | 11/3/2004 |
Q: What is the difference between "quick" and "fast", if there is any? For example: 1) "Eating this ...
A: Luke, Eating this kind of food, you will get fat quickly. Here you need an adverb that modifies ...
|
| Question about who and whom. | 11/3/2004 |
Q: Just a quick question to make sure that I understand how to use who and whom. In this sentence that ...
A: Kaleb, Not only do I understand the question but see immediately that you understand the difference ...
|
| ground | 11/2/2004 |
Q: Would you mind explaining what "ground" means in the context below? Thanks in advance. "The ...
A: Clara, "Ground" here means area, material, or subject matter. Perhaps this person is dealing with ...
|
| I have two questions as follow:
He... | 11/1/2004 |
Q: I have two questions as follow: He is in jail. He is in persion. He is behind the bar. Do all they ...
A: Brian, There is a major difference between jail and prison. Jail is a county situation where ...
|
| 1.Her feet are sore.
Her... | 11/1/2004 |
Q: 1.Her feet are sore. Her feet hurt. Her feet are in pain. Do all three mean the same thing? 2.What ...
A: Jasmine, Yes, I would say that in all three cases she has a foot problem. Hiking indicates walking ...
|
| grammar | 11/1/2004 |
Q: 1) "Dr Jones is now in the hospital" or "in hospital" What's the difference? 2) "He went to the ...
A: Luke, The adjective "the" limits the noun to one specific place such as St. Luke's Hospital, or not ...
|
| FROM vs. OF | 10/31/2004 |
Q: Should I write/say, "Rebecca Bowtell FROM Cambridge University....." or "Rebecca Bowtell OF ...
A: Paolo, Of and from in this context are nearly always interchangeable. There is no difference ...
|
| 1.You have a meeting scheduled... | 10/31/2004 |
Q: 1.You have a meeting scheduled with the chief engineer. What does "schedule" mean here? Does it mean ...
A: Kevin, Yes, the meeting was scheduled (passive voice). Graduate degrees from graduate schools are ...
|
| grammar | 10/30/2004 |
Q: 1. The herd passes through the orchard on the way to the pasture. Shouldn't the verb be pass? Why is ...
A: Jeff, Herd, country, world, crowd, etc. are singular although made up of many parts. As such they ...
|
| Thanks for your reply. Something... | 10/29/2004 |
Q: Something just slipped my mind, so I have another follow up: You mentioned in your previous reply ...
A: Brian, Would would rather hear: I haven't yet had dinner. and I haven't yet finished it. Even ...
|
| grammar | 10/29/2004 |
Q: 1)"When i arrived at the theater, Kathy had already picked up the tickets, and she was waiting for ...
A: Luke, She had been waiting (past perfect) indicates that she is no longer waiting. Perhaps she got ...
|
| 1.A nation's highways make... | 10/29/2004 |
Q: 1.A nation's highways make up a (major, important ) component of its economic infrastructure. The ...
A: Maggie, 1. An important, major component of its.... would be too bad since there is a shade of ...
|
| Writing a proposal | 10/28/2004 |
Q: I am planning to start a committee in my school which would be dedicated to holding charitable ...
A: Tammy, First of all, you are writing to the principal (not principle) of the school. 1. Let him ...
|
| 1. Ex:How many people are... | 10/27/2004 |
Q: 1. Ex:How many people are in your family? Shouldn't we say, "how many people are (there) in your ...
A: Kevin, Does the word "there" make the question any clearer? The rule of thumb for good writers is: ...
|
| pronouns | 10/27/2004 |
Q: It seems that I hear a lot of people that use the pronoun I when I think it should be me. This seems ...
A: Don, Here it is in a nutshell: "I" is nominative and "me" is objective. When you need a subject, ...
|
| 1.What's the difference between... | 10/26/2004 |
Q: 1.What's the difference between "deck" and "foyer" in terms of house building? 2.How many people ...
A: Kevin, A "deck" is an addition that is placed behind your home on the outside. It may extend along ...
|
| Thanks for your answers. Here... | 10/26/2004 |
Q: Here is another follow-up question. In regard to Question 2, your answer implies both sentences ...
A: Kevin, Very good observation in that #2 sentence. I was so concerned with tenses, I missed the ...
|
| 1.What is the difference between... | 10/25/2004 |
Q: 1.What is the difference between "succeed in" and "succeed at" or "be successful at"? Ex: He ...
A: Kevin, "Succeed at" generally is followed by a noun such as a field of endeavor (checkers, ...
|
| high strung? | 10/25/2004 |
Q: What does that mean by "high strung" as in the context where a sepcific race is characterized as? I ...
A: Ken, People who are "high strung" are Type A personalities: high energy, irritible, nervous, high ...
|
| 1.The bed was made up for... | 10/24/2004 |
Q: 1.The bed was made up for the guests. What does "made up" mean in the above sentence? 2.If we say ...
A: Kevin, 1. "made up" means prepared, molded or fashioned as by putting sheets, blankets, coverings ...
|
| grammar | 10/24/2004 |
Q: "We got here at 6.00 o'clock this morning. More than forty people were already standing here waiting ...
A: Luke, Yes, I think either simple past or the past perfect tense makes sense in this sentence. "We ...
|
| formal letter format | 10/24/2004 |
Q: Leone, I am a foreign university student preparing for exchange student program in the US so I ...
A: Clare, Try this format: 2781 Grand Avenue ...
|
| grammar | 10/22/2004 |
Q: "The students who are laborious are successful in their MA thesis." "The students, who are ...
A: Luke, Here, you are dealing with restrictive (essential) and non-restrictive clauses. If you place ...
|
| 1. What is rowing machine?
2.What... | 10/22/2004 |
Q: 1. What is rowing machine? 2.What does "burn to the ground" mean?
A: Kevin, A rowing machine is an exercise or workout apparatus that simulates the motion of rowing a ...
|
| My Hebrew Friend | 10/20/2004 |
Q: My Hebrew Speaking Friend used an interesting sentence today, and I'm struggling to find a good ...
A: Eric, The only explanation that comes to me here would be a purchase-delivery realtionship. You ...
|
| I have two questions as follow:
1.Be... | 10/20/2004 |
Q: I have two questions as follow: 1.Be careful not to get captured. In what situation can we use a ...
A: Stephanie, If you were playing chess or checkers, you might get this advice from a friend. Or, if ...
|
| I have two questions as follow:
1.He... | 10/18/2004 |
Q: I have two questions as follow: 1.He knocked on my door by accident. He knoced on my door by ...
A: Stephanie, Although both have the same meaning, there is a slight variance in that, by accident ...
|
| 1.The definition of the word... | 10/17/2004 |
Q: 1.The definition of the word "boss" If the relatoinship between two peoople is boss and worker, is ...
A: Maggie, Suppose I work in a sub-shop or restaurant where the owner works with me, making ...
|
| exaggeration poems | 10/17/2004 |
Q: Do you know any examples that i could use it is for my english class and i dont know what i should ...
A: Megan, I think what you are referring to is irony. Go to the poems of Jonathan Swift such as ...
|
| Thesis | 10/15/2004 |
Q: I just want to make sure I'm on the right track with the start of my essay. I am hoping you could ...
A: Rudy, Try this: Of the several letters Christopher Columbus wrote concerning his discovery of ...
|
| 1.Stop by our fresh seafood... | 10/15/2004 |
Q: 1.Stop by our fresh seafood department for our catch of the day. What does "stop by" mean here? What ...
A: Jasmine, These are all American idioms: "stop by" means "drop in" or "pay a visit to" "catch of ...
|
| english language | 10/13/2004 |
Q: I was just curious as to know why certain Aztec names are spelled the way they are in English when ...
A: Andreas, Since anthropology is not my field, I can not give you a definitive answer. I do have a ...
|
| offer letter | 10/13/2004 |
Q: i want to know how to write proper offer letter from a college or university (engineering faculty) ...
A: Steve, I'm not really sure what you mean by "proper"! Obviously, the major point you should include ...
|
| grammar | 10/12/2004 |
Q: "The manufacturers have made the taps of their new gas cooker very stiff so that young children ...
A: Luke, "Won't" is the contaction for "will not" and is future tense. Wouldn't and couldn't (would ...
|
| 1.Octane levels are measured... | 10/8/2004 |
Q: 1.Octane levels are measured by determining how much a peical engine "knocks" during combustion. ...
A: Regina, A knock from an engine is the sound it makes when the timing in incorrect, the fuel mixture ...
|
| "What" | 10/8/2004 |
Q: I am a bit confused with "what" as an adverb, adjective and pronoun in interrogatives. "What" as ...
A: Wong, Yes, the first two are correct. 1. adverb modifying verb taken up 2. adverb modifying verb ...
|
| Writing titles in paragraphs | 10/8/2004 |
Q: When is it appropriate to underline titles in a paragraph? I seem to have forgotten the rules ...
A: Deborah, Titles of major works such as novels, plays, movies, albums, magazines, etc. are ...
|
| grammar | 10/7/2004 |
Q: I know that sometimes some tenses, forms do not change when direct speech becomes indirect. However ...
A: Lucas, Direct address is present tense. You are speaking NOW so what you are saying is NOW ...
|
| Writting and Grammer | 10/5/2004 |
Q: I wanna help you could you tell me please that. Which is the best strategy to follow when you write ...
A: Shazi, When you write a piece, regardless of what it is, complete it as quickly as possible since ...
|
| hi, i have a letter for english... | 10/5/2004 |
Q: i have a letter for english on advice writing. i have to write advice to my friend. He has been ...
A: Sahil, Try this: Dear John, How are you? I hear that you have been accepted in a school abroad? ...
|
| punctuation | 10/3/2004 |
Q: Is it okay to have the comma in the following dialogue or do I have to use a semicolon? 1. "God ...
A: Gloria, Since both are independent clauses, you may use a semicolon. Furthermore, since there is a ...
|
| 1. A:You can check your baggage... | 10/3/2004 |
Q: 1. A:You can check your baggage over there. Does the person refer to "checking in for flights" or ...
A: Jasmine, "Check your baggage over there" might be what you hear during the check-in procedure for a ...
|
| Understanding a sentence | 10/2/2004 |
Q: Hey Jerry, I can't thank you enough for reviewing it. The reason for my persistence is that ...
A: Michael, The fact that the word "Confucianism" exists proves that ideology has thrived for ...
|
| Meaning of this terminology | 9/30/2004 |
Q: 1) A man is not an Island. 2) We can get in on the ground floor.
A: Teri, No man is an island. Means that what we do and say is important to those around us. We are ...
|
| grammar | 9/28/2004 |
Q: could you tell which of the sentences below are correct and which are not, if they are wrong, why? ...
A: Lucas, 1)I haven't been going to the church for 25 years. Good sentence but when I lived there ...
|
| Punctuation/grammar | 9/26/2004 |
Q: Is my punctuation and grammar correct in the following sentences? 1. "I'm not going into town ...
A: Gloria, Although the sentences seem long and ungainly (awkward), I see nothing grammatically wrong ...
|
| grammar | 9/25/2004 |
Q: It's me again. Are the grammar and punction correct in the following? She wore a white shirtwaist ...
A: Gloria, Sentences of this length are generally ungainly and difficult to read and write. Try this: ...
|
| punctuation | 9/24/2004 |
Q: Is the punction in the following sentences correct? 1. "It's Saturday, and with all this war ...
A: Gloria, 1. "It's Saturday--with all this war celebration going on-- I'll earn my keep today; so I'd ...
|
| what's the difference between... | 9/5/2004 |
Q: what's the difference between "horseback riding" and "riding a horse"? He has been riding a horse ...
A: Regina, Although I think they mean nearly the same thing, horseback riding might be a bit more ...
|
| Grammar | 8/31/2004 |
Q: We say that it is NOT UNUSUAL to see such things in my country, and it is okay to be "double ...
A: Regina, I hope you are not one of the "we" that you refer to. You and I say, "it is quite common to ...
|
| Understanding a sentence | 8/31/2004 |
Q: Hey Jerry, Sorry about persistently asking my question. I wasn't being very clear before, so ...
A: Michael, I think you're making a mountain out of the proverbial molehill. Three times I have said ...
|
| usage | 8/29/2004 |
Q: Can you help me understand the difference in usage of the words, ancillary and adjunct. In the ...
A: Jeff, These words are so close in meaning that I'm not so sure there is a difference. Adjunct might ...
|
| usage | 8/28/2004 |
Q: is the sentence, Throw that broken toy in the offal or the offal smelled terrible, a proper ...
A: Jeff, Offal is generally the wastepile, rubbish or refuse. It can also mean the leftovers from a ...
|
| Grammar | 8/27/2004 |
Q: Is there any difference between "store" and "shop"?
A: Regina, Although both store and shop literally mean the same thing, shop connotes a small, more ...
|
| Grammar | 8/26/2004 |
Q: Jerry. Here are my follow-up questions: Regardless the difference between "malfunction" and "out of ...
A: Regina, Although the sentences make sense grammatically, what would be the logic of the cooling ...
|
| Grammar | 8/26/2004 |
Q: What's the difference between "malfunction" and "out of order"? Can you give me examples of how to ...
A: Regina, When you talk about a malfunction, the equipment is working but it isn't doing what is ...
|
| grammar | 8/24/2004 |
Q: I need to know what an interjection, conjection, and a heteronyms is? Thanks, in advance for your ...
A: Karen, An interjection is an exclamation or statement of surprize: wow, ouch, really, no way, oh, ...
|
| use vs. usage | 8/23/2004 |
Q: What is the difference between using use in a sentence and usage in the sentence. When should you ...
A: Julia, "Usage" is a more specialized term than "use". The latter should be used when the desired ...
|
| usage | 8/22/2004 |
Q: What's the difference in usage of the words, plethora, surfeit, copious, commodious, and capacious, ...
A: Jeff, Although all these words essentially mean full, ample, abundant or abounding they really are ...
|
| Proper grammar of runs batted in | 8/19/2004 |
Q: I work as a freelance writer and much of my writing is about baseball. One of my biggest pet peeves ...
A: Rob, First of all let me remind you that sports writers are a breed onto themselves. Perhaps it is ...
|
| english | 8/13/2004 |
Q: What's the difference in usage of the words, somber and lethargic.With your explanation, please ...
A: Jeff, Lethargic means the same as lassitude. Tired, having no energy or pep or just plain ...
|
| Grammar | 8/12/2004 |
Q: 1.How do we differentiate between " be surprised by"and "be surprised at"? I was surprised at news ...
A: Ken, I would be surprised by a phone call after midnight, a hole in my radiator hose, my neighbors ...
|
| english | 8/10/2004 |
Q: I was hoping you could simplify a definition of my SAT book. The word is askew.The definition is ...
A: Ab, Anything that is crooked or not placed on straight is said to be askew. For example, soldiers ...
|
| Word Meanings | 8/7/2004 |
Q: The best way I can ask my question is to give you the specific example which has caused the ...
A: Don, I've never heard when anything about them being derogatory. There are many reasons for putting ...
|
| english | 8/5/2004 |
Q: I don't understand how to use the word, alienate, in sentences.Can you please help me.I mean I have ...
A: Ab, If we are not nice to our new neighbors, we might alienate them. Alienate means to cause to be ...
|
| amortize | 7/26/2004 |
Q: I looked up the dictionary to find out the meaning of the word "amortize" and it says, --amortize: ...
A: Ang-sui, Amortize means to liquidate by paying up a loan. As each monthly payment is made, ...
|
| word or phrase meaning | 7/23/2004 |
Q: I recently used the phrase "in of itself" and it was suggested that this phrase is incorrect and ...
A: Alonzo, This will probably make your friend even less endearing to you than before, but he is ...
|
| grammar | 7/21/2004 |
Q: I just finished reading the book "American Taboo - A murder in the Peace Corps." While I thought the ...
A: Dennis, Although the possessive of most noun is the addition of 's, words that end in -s are ...
|
| Structures | 7/18/2004 |
Q: Can you please tell me the best way to design and structure a brochure? also How to structure a ...
A: Karyn, Use an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet and fold it in thirds. This will give you a 9-page brochure. Most of ...
|
| hotel and restaurant management | 7/18/2004 |
Q: what is a good topic under this course that is good to be a research paper.. thank you..
A: Bebe, 1. a new concept 2. pleasing the customer 3. buying raw materials 4. efficiency in the ...
|
| items in a series | 7/12/2004 |
Q: Is it ok to list items in a series like this? Some of my items in the list have "a" in front of ...
A: Bailey, That looks fine. I like to use a colon in front of a long series, thus: The home page has ...
|
| Hi, I am a graduate student.... | 7/9/2004 |
Q: I am a graduate student. I have to write a 2page paper on the following question and I am having a ...
A: Social problems take many forms; some are very apparent and therefore embarracing to those who ...
|
| 150 Word Essay | 7/6/2004 |
Q: Leone, I am applying for a scholarship and I would really appreciate it if you would proofread my ...
A: A., Sorry I missed the first district championship (no caps). As a journalist, I was trained in ...
|
| 150 Word Essay | 7/5/2004 |
Q: Leone, I am applying for a scholarship and I would really appreciate it if you would proofread my ...
A: A., Try this: Sports have helped me become a much better person. I was a member of the freshman ...
|
| an expression | 7/5/2004 |
Q: The follwing is an excerpt from an article from the US News magazine. My understanding of this ...
A: Chi, This is an idomatic expression meaning "starting all over again from the beginning." Think of ...
|
| writing | 6/30/2004 |
Q: 1. I'm entering the 10th grade next year and knew that I'm going to have to start writing very good ...
A: George, Here's what you need to do: According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, just as the swirls and patterns ...
|
| Grammar | 6/29/2004 |
Q: Can you please tell me if "please be patient" is correct grammar or not? I understand 'patient' is ...
A: Daria, Yes, it is possible for you and I to be patient while we are waiting in the doctor's office. ...
|
| writing | 6/28/2004 |
Q: I heard you're the best expert here and I was hoping you could improve my compsition that I have ...
A: George, Before I spend any time on this piece, which by the way appears to be very well written, I ...
|
| defenition | 6/24/2004 |
Q: I looked up the word, austere,and I got the defenition "stern,as in manner."I don't understand that ...
A: Abraham, Parents, ministers and teachers are very often austere in dealing with children. This is ...
|
| a word | 6/21/2004 |
Q: I always have a problem remembering the proper spelling of a very interesting word that means: to ...
A: John, Unfortunately, none of the spellings you give are correct. The word spelled "prosetylize" ...
|
| semicolon and comma issues | 6/18/2004 |
Q: I have two sentences that I need to make sure that I am using the correct punctuation. Semicolons ...
A: Terri, The colon is used to separate two independent clauses when the second clause shows an ...
|
| There is no silver bullet? | 6/14/2004 |
Q: I'd appreciate if you could explain the following expression to me...thanks! "There is no silver ...
A: Ang, There is a superstitious belief that a vampire can be killed by burning it or shooting it with ...
|
| Grammar | 6/10/2004 |
Q: 1. Student's behavior or (Students' behavior) is or (are) regulated by school regulations? ...
A: Ken, Students' behavior are regulated (both plural) Student's behavior is regulated (both ...
|
| Bad versus Badly - again | 6/7/2004 |
Q: Jerry, Here is a copy of the original question and your response:Is it correct to say "I feel bad ...
A: Jan, I stand corrected. Sorry for the mistake! Certainly "feels" is the same as any form of "to be" ...
|
| Whcih or That | 6/7/2004 |
Q: I am confused as to the use of which and that. For instance: The tree that was green. The tree ...
A: Alex, Which and that are generally interchangeable in dealing with nuether (things) antecedants. ...
|
| Who is your guest? | 6/1/2004 |
Q: I went to a party with a friend of mine the other day. My friend is, I'd say, a very attractive ...
A: Chi, I'm assuming that you were the person who was invited to the party so that your friend would ...
|
| "very little" used before a comparative adjective as a modifier | 6/1/2004 |
Q: "Atom is very little larger than a molecule" When I first read this sentence, I thought that it ia ...
A: Haruka, Whatever the writer intended to say that isn't what this sentence means. I am in full ...
|
| improving of writting | 5/31/2004 |
Q: I am a law graduate,i have a daughter aged about 7 or less,i want to know the trends of improving ...
A: Hassan, I suggest that she and you read as much as possible. Read everything you can get your hands ...
|
| cynicism | 5/25/2004 |
Q: I have a question about the following sentence. 1. I was told that this passage suggests the ...
A: Ang-sui The cynicism comes from the fact that there is no such thing as a "nugget of pure truth" ...
|
| Grammar | 5/13/2004 |
Q: In regard to Question 1, should we say "twisting faces" or "twisted faces"? How does that differ ...
A: Ken, When you talk about a twisting face, you are saying it is changing or twisting at the present ...
|
| Grammar | 5/11/2004 |
Q: 1. Ex: you can expect package to be delivered to you in "the near future." Can we say "in the ...
A: Kent, 1. in the near future is the correct phrase 2. question, "Who are you?" 3. All three are ...
|
| Sphynxe | 5/10/2004 |
Q: What does the expression "walking on air cushions" mean in the following context? --Sphynxes have ...
A: Celine, Several shoe manufacturers use a padded cushion of air in their insoles to making walking ...
|
| Grammar | 5/9/2004 |
Q: 1. Ex: In (this) age of e-mail and cellular telephones, business executives can communicate quickly ...
A: Ken, 1. You can use "the" grammatically, but "this age" limits it down to the one we are presently ...
|
| Origin of Phrase | 5/4/2004 |
Q: My 14-yr-old daughter recently asked me the origin of "wrapped around my [your] little finger." I ...
A: Dana, I'm not absolutely positive on this, but I think it stems from the practice of tieing ribbons ...
|
| essay | 4/17/2004 |
Q: i need a little help on an essay i have to write for a contest. it is called *children--the future ...
A: Emma, Since youth are the future of any society, it is important that you point out how they are ...
|
| Meaning of a phrase | 4/8/2004 |
Q: Would you please help settle a friendly dispute about the meaning of a particular phrase that I ...
A: Aly, Romeo and Juliet were two young people who were despertly in love with each other. They met in ...
|
| editting | 4/7/2004 |
Q: I am writing a letter to a friend of mine to update her about my arrival in California this weekend. ...
A: Ang-sui, Try this: Melanie, I plan to be in California for three days beginning May 16th. I will ...
|
| Sentence Style | 4/1/2004 |
Q: Mr. Leone, Please let me know if I am rewriting these sentences correctly. Thank you for your ...
A: Nicole, Try these: 1. The reason I didn't do well on my test is because I didn't have time to ...
|
| some expressions I saw in a novel | 4/1/2004 |
Q: I hope you don't mind me asking you questions in a row and explaining the following expressions. 1. ...
A: Celine, Cut his baby teeth is an adiom that means learned the ropes or learned how to do something ...
|
| some expressions I saw in a novel | 4/1/2004 |
Q: Could you please explain some of the expressions I saw in a novel? 1. I lloked down into unsmiling ...
A: Aes, No, little red pig eyes is not an idiom! Little red eyes are those of sadness or those that ...
|
| some expressions | 3/30/2004 |
Q: I wsa reading a journal and came across the following statements made by a senetor from ...
A: Aes, Driving a car on a paved, smooth road is fairly easy and predictable. A car has a variety of ...
|
| composition | 3/27/2004 |
Q: We are teachers of the English language in Jordan . We face a lot of problems in teaching writing . ...
A: Areej and Sufian, What you are asking of me is impossible to answer in a single email answer. In ...
|
| what does he mean? | 3/25/2004 |
Q: I am a student in Michigan. The other day the lecturer of one of the classes I take talked about his ...
A: Ang, Your instructor was actually paying you a compliment at the expense of your classmates. What ...
|
| expressions | 3/24/2004 |
Q: Jerry, here are some more expressions I am not familiar with found in the literature book. Would you ...
A: Aes, Single-breasted refers to suit coat contruction where the lapels meet at the botton or mid ...
|
| Dear Jerry,
I am reading... | 3/23/2004 |
Q: I am reading a non-fiction "Farewell to Mananzar". I have come across some sentences that I can not ...
A: Aesculapius, "Pulled a fast one on the world" is an English idiom for " was able to hoodwink or ...
|
| essay | 3/20/2004 |
Q: If you were an 18 year old girl and wanted to write an 200 word essay on "What Success Means to Me" ...
A: Sarah Jean, If I were an 18-year old girl, success would mean three things to me: 1. Getting into ...
|
| hunt up? | 3/18/2004 |
Q: I came across the phrasal verb "I'll hunt up a web listing for ordering them." If "hunt up" is ...
A: Naomi, I've never heard the phrase "chase him up", but I have heard "chase him down" used in ...
|
| "handle name" and "screen name" | 3/18/2004 |
Q: What are "handle name" and "screen name"? Thank you.
A: Aesculapius, A handle name is more commonly called a nickname here in the United States. Although ...
|
| Two Questions | 3/17/2004 |
Q: How do you do? I would like to ask you two questions. 1.a. He is too young to go to school, isnˇ¦t ...
A: Cheng, You may use "Isn't he?" or "Is he not?" Both mean exactly the same thing. Since "were" and ...
|
| cinguain | 3/16/2004 |
Q: My daughter has to write a "cinguain". Is this a poem? If so, what are the guidelines?
A: Sharon, A cinquain is a form of poetry, written using a recipe. The words you choose and the form ...
|
| Satire and Irony | 3/15/2004 |
Q: My nephew is homebound and I have been helping him. He gets his assignments from a teacher, but no ...
A: Patty, Unfortunately, Chapter 31 of Huck Finn is about 50 years behind me so I can't comment on ...
|
| something is wrong... | 3/12/2004 |
Q: I have just received an email from a professor (she is Swedish and English is not her native ...
A: Carlie, What you are calling errors in grammar should rightfully be called errors in Mrs. Olson's ...
|
| Phrase origins | 3/4/2004 |
Q: Can you help me find the origin/meaning of the phrase “Mind your p's and q's?" I need this for a ...
A: Sagarika, There have been several theories about the origin of "minding your P's and Q's." To ...
|
| narrative | 2/28/2004 |
Q: I am a young writer and was wondering: if I write a story in the first person using 'I' and 'my' as ...
A: Thomas, Yes, you can but you will have to be careful at all times that the reader is aware whose ...
|
| "on" | 2/26/2004 |
Q: Jerry. Jerry, could you explain the usage of "on" in these sentences? "she passed on your email to ...
A: Carlie, "On" in the first sentence is synonymous with "along" so that pass on is actually pass ...
|
| Three questions. | 2/24/2004 |
Q: Now I would like to ask you qeustions. 1. Here is the sentence: American teenagers prefer jeans ...
A: Walden, "Ride on the hips" is a colloquial expression which means the jeans rest on the hips and ...
|
| editing- gr.12 student | 2/23/2004 |
Q: Volunteers are people who donate their time to help individuals and organizations by personal choice ...
A: Michelle, Try this: Volunteers are people who donate their time by personal choice to help ...
|
| Two Questions. | 2/21/2004 |
Q: How do you do? May I ask you a question? There are three ways of writing: 1. I think he is a ...
A: Walden, Sentence 1 is a straight-forward declarative sentence where the most important thing is ...
|
| Grammar | 2/18/2004 |
Q: would appreciate some advice on the use of "having" in the following sentence. X, who became a ...
A: Ian, Try: X, having come to this country in the 1950s, became a monk at age 13 and retook his ...
|
| Hi, Jerry
Perhaps you can... | 2/17/2004 |
Q: Jerry Perhaps you can assist me with my writing and grammatical skills. Oftentimes, I find myself ...
A: Ian, Try writing the way you talk for awhile; get used to putting your ideas down on paper. Don't ...
|
| editing | 2/11/2004 |
Q: can u re-read this and make changes if necessary..thanks People in today's society are involved ...
A: Michelle, Try this: People in today's society are more involved in violence than things that are ...
|
| spelling | 1/26/2004 |
Q: The word "verandah". I've always thought it should be spelled "verandah" with the "h", but many ...
A: Karen, My opinion differs from the Oxford English in that I feel that both spellings are correct ...
|
| Spelling and Grammar | 1/18/2004 |
Q: I plan to put the following letter in our local paper. Does it read well to you or do you see any ...
A: Richard, Try this editing: Don't Vote for Major Parties I would not like One Nation to become ...
|
