Most Popular
1500 questions
20
votes
7 answers
When should 'a' and 'an' be written in a list containing both?
Which of the following is correct?
Want to be a Graphic Designer, Photographer or an Artist? Let's Learn and Grow Together.
Want to be Graphic Designer, Photographer or Artist? Let's Learn and Grow Together.
Want to be a Graphic Designer, a…
user126212
- 209
- 2
- 4
20
votes
2 answers
Why sister [nouns] and not brother [nouns]?
I have noticed this quite often that other (closely) related common nouns are called sister [common noun]. For example:
This question is off-topic here, but is on-topic on our sister site.
This issue can't be resolved here. You will have to visit…
Dhanishtha Ghosh
- 2,767
- 11
- 31
20
votes
5 answers
Why isn’t the third person singular used in “The Lord bless you”?
I saw the following statement within the Longman Dictionary:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
But I think it should be like below:
The Lord blesses you and keeps you.
Because The Lord is a single entity. Am I right? If not, why?
shapoor
- 719
- 1
- 9
- 18
20
votes
2 answers
'Me' vs 'my' [pronunciation] in British English
I noticed that British people sometimes use me instead of my. For example, Liam Gallagher does it quite often.
Example:
The wind was strong I have nearly lost me pants
What is a story behind this alteration? Is it appropriate in formal language?…
Untapped Soul
- 553
- 4
- 9
20
votes
1 answer
Why is "university" not capitalised here?
Why is "university" not capitalised in the second sentence below?
The Guardian: West Virginia University suspends fraternities
and sororities after student lands in intensive care unit.
The Guardian: Students sue Virginia university after…
Costa
- 1,169
- 3
- 16
- 40
20
votes
2 answers
How to read this formula aloud: "f(x) = x²"?
f(x) = x2
Having heard this read only in Korean, I don’t know how to read it in English. What is the right English reading?
Listenever
- 24,139
- 38
- 136
- 254
20
votes
5 answers
Can "marriage" be used as a verb?
In the movie Love, Actually there is this quote:
"Beautiful Aurelia, I've come here with a view of asking you to marriage me."
However, I've learned that 'marriage' can be used as a noun, not a verb.
Similarly, there are other quotes which are…
frhyme
- 319
- 2
- 6
20
votes
8 answers
Which way: One and one ARE two? One and one IS two?
Which verb is grammatically correct when used to describe addition?
One and one are two.
One and one is two.
Ann
- 201
- 1
- 2
- 3
20
votes
8 answers
"My boss was furious with me and I have been fired" vs. "My boss was furious with me and I was fired"
I have a question and I hope you can help me. I've been learning English for many years but I'm still struggling with the difference between simple past and present perfect.
For example this sentence here:
"By the time I got to the office, the…
Heda
- 213
- 2
- 5
20
votes
5 answers
"On one hand" vs "on the one hand."
I'm confused because I've seen both mentioned in dictionaries.
Example sentence (context: writing a story):
On (the) one hand, I want to wrap up everything perfectly. On the other hand, I want to leave some ambiguity to the reader.
What's the…
wyc
- 7,155
- 23
- 89
- 150
20
votes
2 answers
Articles: When do I use "a", "the", or "__"?
How do I know whether to use the definite (the) or indefinite (a, an) article, and when to omit it altogether?
Walrus
- 743
- 5
- 5
20
votes
2 answers
Does *first of all* always go with *second of all*?
According to Ngram, first of all is twice as popular as firstly, but secondly is a hundred times more popular than second of all.
When I present two points, do I have to be consistent in the choice of these phrases (if I use firstly, should the…
mosceo
- 7,266
- 35
- 97
- 147
20
votes
5 answers
Why do the British use the word "flipping" for emphasis?
In the English (British) TV drama, Coronation Street, the word "flipping" is often used to stress a situation, so much so that it feels like a swear word to me to some degree:
I've got a flipping headache
That flipping moron
I think usually people…
xpt
- 2,288
- 8
- 29
- 39
20
votes
2 answers
"It's them as should be sorry!" grammar
The sentence is from the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I can probably get the meaning of the sentence, but the grammar really confuses me, especially the usage of the word as. I could understand if the sentence was written as: It's…
dan
- 12,997
- 16
- 94
- 193
20
votes
13 answers
Slang word for working overtime without being paid
I am looking for a slang word to describe the situation, where you are voluntarily working overtime at your job, but without getting paid.
E.g. if you stay late at your work because you would like to solve a specific problem; and you do that…
ssn
- 430
- 1
- 3
- 12