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1500 questions
19
votes
6 answers
Is there a specific term to describe time 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 etc
I was talking to my friend the other day about the airport bus timings, I was supposed to say
Buses are due at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00 etc. (pattern like this the whole day between say 5 am to 11 pm)
Is there any specific term or way to describe…
Max
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19
votes
6 answers
What do native speakers think of word roots?
As the number of English vocabularies required by my English literature teacher is increasing, I am now confronting a great problem memorizing them in a short time. Simple words are okay to me, but it's especially difficult when I come across words…
Yummy Sushi
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19
votes
2 answers
What's a word for something you do, but you don't like to mention it?
For instance, a business man might be cold and hard in his demeanor, but really enjoys watching childish cartoons. Or an exercise buff might also really enjoy deep fried chicken. It also might be a two word phrase, but I'm not entirely sure.
Alex
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19
votes
3 answers
What does 'just so you know' mean?
“just so you know” (Urban Dictionary)
What does this mean? And what grammatical role does “so” have?
Listenever
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19
votes
2 answers
How to pronounce 'll after ll?
“Reckon old Dill’ll be coming home tomorrow.” (Harper Lee, To Kill
A Mockingbird)
How do you pronounce ‘ll after ll?
(Would you let me get the IPA (phonetic alphabet))
Listenever
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19
votes
2 answers
Is it sleeting?
I know "It's raining" and "It's snowing" are commonly accepted English phrases. Now does the same form apply to other forms of precipitation?
It's sleeting,
It's graupeling,
It's hailing.
Are these normal English expressions?
If not, how does one…
SF.
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19
votes
3 answers
How is “any more than” used to compare two different situations?
In the following quote by Billy Sunday
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.
Can anyone please explain/elaborate the usage and meaning of "any more than"?
Vikram
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19
votes
4 answers
Why are there so many specific words for groups of animals?
I found this link to names of the groups of animals. I am confused because there are so many various congregations. Is there any guidance rather than learning by rote if I want to remember them?
xiaoyaolnm
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19
votes
3 answers
What does "to be painted shut" mean?
We tried, but the window couldn't be opened. It was painted shut.
I am wondering what the bolded part could mean.
nima
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19
votes
7 answers
What do you call this thing? "bag"?
I always need this when I buy stuff from the market. So, I need to know the real name for it. I always call it "bag" but it seems that it is not the correct name.
Marco Dinatsoli
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19
votes
6 answers
difference between "came along" and "along came"
What is the difference between the two?
For example
John came along.
Along came John.
I don't understand the difference in usage and yet I come across too many sentences starting with 'Along came'
Could you please explain how to understand this.
Leo
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19
votes
6 answers
How do you read these mathematical expressions aloud?
(both above are from Wikipedia.org)
Listenever
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19
votes
5 answers
Is there a simple and clear way to explain the difference between past simple and present perfect?
I read (or do I say "have read"?) many rules for when to use the present perfect. I found them complex and hard to understand (or do I say "have found"?). I am finding it hard to apply these rules in real sentences.
Is there a simple and clear way…
user37421
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19
votes
2 answers
What can I say when someone has dialed the wrong number?
Let's say I get a wrong number and I want to politely tell them that it is the wrong number. To do that, can I say/ask
What number are you trying?
Who do you want to speak to?
Max
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19
votes
9 answers
She wants to 'poop' -is that okay if used for humans?
I know the verb 'poop' but then not sure whether it's used for humans. More often than not, I've come across this verb when we talk about pets.
But here, I'm searching for a verb in both ways - formal and informal. And yes, I want to learn how…
Maulik V
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