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1500 questions
16
votes
6 answers
Is it not correct to say "I have the brown eyes" instead of "I have brown eyes", and why?
I encountered the following sentence in a Duolingo course (and there are no other sentences):
I have brown eyes.
However, I was told that "I have the brown eyes." is not correct here. I don't understand the reason, so I would like to ask, why is…
Blaszard
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16
votes
5 answers
How can I remember the difference between "loose" and "lose"?
Although both words can be found in dictionaries, I'm constantly forgetting which one is which.
Are there any mnemonic rules that would help me remembering them?
Be Brave Be Like Ukraine
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16
votes
7 answers
"Too expensive for me to afford it" why ungrammatical?
The medicine was too expensive for me to afford it.
My practice question marked that as wrong for I didn't put the It out at the last. It suggested me to use "...too expensive for me to afford". I couldn't grasp the idea why would that matter. I…
dolco
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16
votes
5 answers
How do you describe a nut which does not tighten
Suppose that you want to use a pair of bolt and nut to connect two things. However, the nut is like you can screw it forever and does not tighten!
What do you call this kind of nuts?
Is there an adjective for them?
I would say the nut is broken, but…
Cardinal
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16
votes
4 answers
"Is there a" vs "is there any"?
Which one of these is right?
Is there a way [...]?
Is there any way [...]?
May I use either? If yes, what's the difference?
Mohsen Kamrani
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16
votes
6 answers
What do we call glasses with thick lenses
What do we call glasses with thick lenses that people use when they are very near-sighted? Here is a picture of what I mean:
helen
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16
votes
1 answer
Going up in smoke vs. going up in flames
The idioms "to go up in smoke" and "to go up in flames" are very similar. They both mean burning and getting destroyed by fire. But if we use them to talk about failure, aren't there any nuances to remember? Aren't there any shades of meaning that…
Enguroo
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16
votes
4 answers
Idiom for blaming a bad act on the devil
Some people believe the Devil could inspire wrong-doings. I'm looking for a common expression where you can blame on the Devil such an action you have done. Implicit in the meaning is that we don't take full responsibility for doing it because we…
Sara
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16
votes
5 answers
"What is the weather today?" or "How is the weather today?"
If I want to ask about the weather today whether is cold or hot, worm or cloudy or foggy, rainy or snowy etc. What should I choose of these two (or may be there's another way)?
"What's the weather today?"
or
"How's the weather today?"
What's…
Virtuous Legend
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16
votes
3 answers
Why is 'enjoy to [verb]' incorrect?
I can say:
I love to read. I hate to read.
But it must be:
I enjoy to read. I enjoy reading.
What is enjoy so different?
mosceo
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16
votes
7 answers
Draw or tie in sports
This is valid for many sports, but in the context of the FIFA World Cup it makes sense to particularize it to football.
A team, say X, can win or lose. Then we say X won or X lost.
Sometimes it happens that both teams end up even, i.e. in a draw or…
myradio
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16
votes
6 answers
Spelling/pronunciation of "gross" different from "moss","floss", "loss", "toss" etc
I am puzzled by the spelling of "gross". I always heard it pronounced as a diphthong, and my dictionaries confirm this. Now my English teachers always taught me that while a repeated consonant in spelling can indicate several things (that the…
new_user
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16
votes
5 answers
'especially' vs. 'particularly'
I was reading this sentence,
During high school I was very talented student especially in math.
Automatically, I mentally corrected it as,
During high school, I was a talented student, particularly in mathematics.
Then I paused, thinking why I…
Damkerng T.
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16
votes
1 answer
meaning of the phrase "play humans"?
Here is the context:
Some dogs were skilled at finding and snatching food and avoiding dogcatchers, unfriendly dogs, and people. Some were good at “playing” humans for food, whereas others weren’t.
Does that mean that when dogs want to get food,…
Dmytro O'Hope
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16
votes
6 answers
What is the name of such a "lamp"?
What is this kind of lamp called?
To call it simply a "lamp" doesn't makes sense to me, nor to call it a "chandelier", since I've noticed that "chandelier" refers to an impressive group of lamps which hang from a ceiling. I would like to know what…
Virtuous Legend
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