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1500 questions
37
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11 answers

Possible meanings of "IN CASE OF FIRE, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR."

Background Below are cited from pp. 14-15 of Introduction to Mathematical Thinking by Keith Devlin: You often see the following notice posted in elevators: IN CASE OF FIRE, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR. Obviously this notice is intended to mean: If…
catwith
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Is the language of The Economist artificially complex?

I wonder whether reading the articles of the journals similar to The Economist (including Time, etc) are in a style that make them difficult to flow even for native-readers? Is the effort to read them is as smooth as other every day text for a…
Real Dreams
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What is the difference between can and could in 'Can/could you please explain this to me?'

Can you please explain this to me? Could you please explain this to me? I am unable to figure out which to use which situation. I did google, and some posts say they are both the same, even if the second one is more formal. Other posts say…
user448
37
votes
5 answers

How should I reply when I answer some question on Stack Exchange sites, people thank me and say it helped?

In order to be polite and answer in a social way I have had some hesitation to choose which phrase I should use. You are welcome. I'm glad it helped. You are welcome. I'm glad I could contribute. You are welcome. I'm glad that I could help. No…
Adam
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2 answers

Usage of "they" / "them" / "their" when the person's gender is not known

I know that one can use "they" / "them" / "their" in place of "he" / "him" / "his" or "she" / "her" / "hers" when the subject's / direct object's gender is not known; for instance, just looking at the default user's about me section on Stack…
kos
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6 answers

Grammatical gender of the word "child"

I've been taught that a child is gender-neutral noun. But in the textbook on linguistics I've been reading, the noun is used as feminine. For example, a sentence in the book goes like this: The child must also learn many aspects of grammar from her…
V.Lydia
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35
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4 answers

“When did you born?”

When did you born? What does the above question mean? Does it mean "When did you give birth" or "When were you given birth to"? The situation is that I'm trying to ask my friend his birthdate. Also, how can he answer this question in a…
ЯegDwight
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35
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11 answers

What is the difference between robbing and stealing?

In a song (The Troubles by U2), there is this: Somebody stepped inside your soul Somebody stepped inside your soul Little by little they robbed and stole Till someone else was in control I was curious about this line: Little by little…
Pop Flamingo
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3 answers

My dad doesn't want me to TOUCH alcohol

My dad doesn't want me to touch alcohol before I turn 21. Is it perfectly natural to use 'touch' here? I searched for it and found some examples, but not enough to make me sure.
Bobobobobo11
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What does the ‘thank you very much’ mean in “they were perfectly normal, thank you very much”?

I have started reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I was way too excited for my first English book reading. But after I started reading it, I got stuck and can’t go onward. The question is why they put “Thank you very much” in a very…
Ebdullah Khan
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7 answers

English equivalent of a Spanish expression that translates to "iron fist, crystal jaw"

There is an expression in Spanish Puño de hierro, mandíbula de cristal whose English translation is iron fist, crystal jaw. But that doesn't make sense to an English person (I suppose) because I used that in a conversation with a native English…
user
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3 answers

Why are the pronunciations of 'bicycle' and 'recycle' so different?

It is obvious that both 'recycle' and 'bicycle' have a common element 'cycle'. 'Cycle' on its own is pronounced with a long 'I' sound /aɪ/. 'Cycle' in 'recycle' is pronounced how 'cycle' is normally pronounced. That is, with a long I /aɪ/. But the…
user126531
35
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3 answers

Pronunciation of "beaches" and "bitches"

For me it is often hard to distinguish between these two words while speaking. The t in the bitch is almost neglectable in speech. What is the correct pronunciation of these two words?
user20
35
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4 answers

Why is the t in "often" silent?

Cambridge online dictionary pronounces "often" without the "t" but also gives the pronunciation with the t. I checked in many other dictionaries but it is silent. UK: /ˈɒf.ən/ /ˈɒf.tən/ US: /ˈɑːf.ən/ /ˈɑːf.tən/ or US: /ˈɔf(ə)n/, /ˈɑft(ə)n/. Some…
user119042
35
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3 answers

What is the official criteria to measure current level of English?

I want to improve my English, especially writing and speaking. Therefore, I need an indicator of my current level of English competence. Having a reliable metric in hand, I would be able to see how my English skills improved with time. Is there an…
OrangeTux
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