English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

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6 answers

"Last night at 9 PM, I ate dinner" -- Does this sentence mean that it began at 9 or finished at 9?

This sentence "Last night at 9 PM, I ate dinner" means that the action began at 9 or finished at 9? Does it mean that I started eating at 9?
bluejimmy
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If twins are always plural, how do I refer to a single twin, or how do we count twins?

I've learned that twins in English are always plural, e.g. there are the twins. Then how do we count twins? If there are four people coming, those are two twins? There are two twins? What if there are two people coming, who are twins. There are one…
gerrit
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"It's an interesting topic for me" versus "It's interesting to me": Does it really matter?

I've just caught myself out twice by writing something down as being interesting for me! This is a typical Italian mother-tongue error, but Italian is not my first language. It used to be English, but now I'm no longer sure. And yet when I say the…
Mari-Lou A
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I look forward to hearing from you or looking forward to hear from you?

Should I say I look forward to hearing from you or looking forward to hear from you? I have doubt because I know that the form of a verb is "to+ infinity" without the addition of the -ing that changes it to become a noun.
Virtuous Legend
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Is "This brought me an idea" correct English?

Coming from German I wonder what the correct idiom is here. This brought me an idea. or This made me an idea. or This got me an idea. or This gave me an idea. Well, I guess I could say This made me think of an idea. but I wonder what else…
Cabbie407
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The US/UK word for Turkish sandwich filled with meat, salad and sauce

One of the users on the page created by me asked this. Since the page is for non-native speakers, I don't think she'll get the answer. So, I'm asking it here. In her words... What is your word for the Turkish sandwich filled with meat (kebab),…
Maulik V
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What is the nuance of "Pick yourself up a copy!"?

An American guy introduced a book, written by himself and published this year, and then said like this in an online video. "If you're interested, if you want to hear more like this, definitely pick yourself up a copy!" Actually, he said this in…
HiruneDiver
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Using "south" when referring to the southern part of a place

In Italian, if I am referring to Southern Europe, I could say Sud Europa (literally "South Europe"), or Europa meridionale. Is South Europe acceptable in English, or could I say "the south of Europe"?
apaderno
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Why is it "Here you are!" but "Here comes the teacher."?

Why is it "Here you are!" but "Here comes the teacher." ? I'm quite confused. When should I use inversion?
Charlottemiaut
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When can I use "thy" instead of "your"?

I have never heard anybody using it, I only came across the word in the title of the movie Honor Thy Mother
Terve
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What does "it's in the game" mean?

I understand "X is in the game", but without a definite subject this phrase becomes meaningless to me. It's been used by EA Sports and other companies to advertise they have something special about their games but this lack of specification of…
Jader Dias
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The use of an article before a possessive proper noun - The late Michael Jackson's old home

I was pretty confirmed of not using any article before a proper noun that shows possessiveness. The Maulik's car -incorrect Maulik's car -correct But then, I came across this piece of news on PopDust The late Michael Jackson’s old home,…
Maulik V
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What does a the prefix "a-" mean in "a-changing"

For example in The Times They are a-Changin' (Bob Dylan). I suppose it's old language. Where does this prefix come from and what does it mean?
ralfstx
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Capitalization of first letter after a dash

I'm in South Ossetia – yes, I managed to get a visa! In this sentence, should "yes" be capitalised ("Yes") after the dash?
Golden Cuy
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An appropriate term for an overly by-the-rules person

In Swedish, we've got a term that loosely translates as paragraph jockey. It refers to a person, often a clerk or a referee, who is following all the rules, prescriptions and agreements ad absurdum. The application is slightly derogatory but not…
Konrad Viltersten
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