| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| 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 ...
|
| Letter | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I have to write a letter to the school that I’m applying to as to why they should take accept me – ...
A: Jasmin, Try this: Dr. Jeanne Bathgate, principal Baulkham Hills High School 419A Windsor Road ...
|
| 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 - ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| "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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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) ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| "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 ...
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| '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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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) ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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: ...
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| 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 ...
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| - | 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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" ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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: ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| [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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| WHICH SHOULD I FOLLOW? | 8/14/2006 |
Q: I've read the site with the url: ...
A: Kenny, Try this: 2781 Grand Avenue ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Grammar | 8/1/2006 |
Q: 1.A:You play with the city Orchestra, don¡¦t you? B: Yes. A:I hear you¡¦re having a concert at the ...
A: Wendy, 1. Not necessily, he is merely asking if tickets are available. There is no indication in ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| heat up | 7/17/2006 |
Q: 1.This new suit doesn¡¦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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| finish | 7/17/2006 |
Q: 1. I¡¦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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| sentences | 7/11/2006 |
Q: 1.His determination to avenge his father¡¦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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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) ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Grammar | 7/6/2006 |
Q: 1.We¡¦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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| at noon | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1.He¡¦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 ...
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| Grammar | 6/27/2006 |
Q: 1.We can only see part of the office in this picture. So, we don¡¦t know if it¡¦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 ...
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| Grammar | 6/23/2006 |
Q: I¡¦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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| Grammar | 6/23/2006 |
Q: Are all the all following sentences grammatically correct? There¡¦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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 1.To improve our English,... | 5/21/2006 |
Q: 1.To improve our English, it¡¦s important that we develop any interest in English. I don¡¦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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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) ...
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| 1.Each student is gi |
