English Language Learners Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
70
votes
11 answers

Shouldn't it be "Nobody touch him!"

I heard in a movie Nobody touches him! Shouldn't it be in the imperative form, like "Nobody move!"? Background: from Brubaker After Redford's character aggravated the members of the prison board, he is headed for the door. Someone says, "Do you…
Eddie Kal
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7 answers

Why can "low" become "lower" and "lowest", while "up" can't?

Why can "low" become lower (comparative) and lowest (superlative), while "up" can become only comparative (upper), rather than superlative (uppest)? The second question is what does act as a substitute for superlative of "up"? I believe that it's…
Virtuous Legend
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65
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9 answers

Two thousand seventeen VS twenty seventeen: What is the rule for year pronunciation?

When I started learning English in junior school I was told that I had to pronounce the year 1997 nineteen ninety-seven and the year 2007 two thousand seven. I've always followed the rule and pronounced the current year two thousand something, while…
user34905
65
votes
8 answers

Why is the correct spelling "eating" and not "eatting"?

I am learning -ing spell rules from Woodward English. Can't figure out why is it correct to say 'eating'. Is the second rule not applicable here ? 2). If the verb ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, we double the final consonant and add…
Azat
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8 answers

What is the right word to refer to a black person, when you don't know their name?

Excuse my ignorance, I have lived in the UK for 8 years however I still don't know how to refer to a black person, as I came from a country where racism was not an issue. Some agency called me last week and I was trying to explain to the person over…
Terve
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3 answers

Is "series" Plural or Singular?

Such expressions as Drama series and TV series are plural or singular? E.g. I like to watch drama/TV series or I like to watch a drama/TV series?
user5369
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7 answers

Why is "a Japanese" offensive?

When talking about a person from Japan, why is it offensive to say "a Japanese" rather than "a Japanese person"? The English language Wiktionary says (person in or from Japan): The singular “a Japanese” is less common than locutions using the…
Golden Cuy
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63
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7 answers

"Wow, what a car!" - Is it okay if I say 'Wow, what the car!"

I have been struggling with articles for quite a long time. Most of the times, I understand but then the more I understand them, the more it's getting perplexed! For this particular question, I'm keeping in mind that the definite article 'the' is…
Maulik V
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61
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1 answer

What's the meaning of bee in hand and beauty in eye?

I've seen this riddle. I have a bee in my hand. What's in my eye? Apparently, the answer is beauty but I don't get it. What's the play on words here?
Konrad Viltersten
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61
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10 answers

How do native speakers 'guess' the pronunciation of the letters in a word they see for the first time?

Being a non-native speaker, I struggle a lot, especially when I come across a new word. How do native speakers pronounce perfectly when they read a word for the very first time? Is there some rule/technique? Let's take a case. If I see a word having…
Maulik V
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61
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6 answers

Is it OK to mix American and British English?

I normally write using the American English forms, but for some particular words, I tend to naturally write it in the British manner (like with the word favourite rather than favorite). Is it wrong to mix both styles? If not *wrong*, does it looks…
talles
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61
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10 answers

Great Expectations [is written vs has been written] by Charles Dickens

I had a grammar quiz at the university today. One of the questions was: "Great Expectations" ____ by Charles Dickens. a) is written b) has been written c) was written Undoubtedly, the c option isn't correct since the time (the publication…
Andrew Tobilko
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60
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4 answers

Can I write "nonsensual data" for data that makes no sense?

I am worried that "nonsensual data" might come across as data that does not have a lot of erotic vibe....
BoZenKhaa
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4 answers

"Conveince": A word commonly used in Pakistan having to do with transportation but no English person knows about it

In Pakistan, when we don't have any transportation then we say "I don't have any conveince". This spelling is wrong but I never used in written English so I don't know. None of my English fellows in London knows about it. And secondly since I only…
adeel41
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4 answers

Is "I was had" standard English?

I've recently watched West Side Story and heard some weird expressions, one of which is "I was had": Dear kindly Judge, your Honor, My parents treat me rough. With all their marijuana, They won't give me a puff. They didn't wanna have me, …
Yay
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