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1500 questions
14
votes
6 answers
swag (slang) -- what does this word really mean?
Source: Russia Is On A 'Holy Mission' And The West Doesn't Get It
Example:
In his State of the Union address, Obama displayed similar swag and bluster against both the Kremlin and congressional Republicans, seemingly without regard for any recent…
Michael Rybkin
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14
votes
2 answers
Living by himself vs Living on his own
What is the difference between these sentences below in terms of meaning?
He lives by himself.
He lives on his own
If you ask me, the first sentence connotes that he doesn't have a housemate/wife, like being alone at home .The second sentence…
Mrt
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14
votes
3 answers
Where should the word “probably” be placed
Consider the following sentences:
I'll move to the south by then probably.
I'll probably move to the south by then.
I'll move to the south probably by then.
Which of the three is correct. In my opinion, the third one is wrong. First two are…
hjpotter92
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14
votes
4 answers
Is there always a "the" before a superlative adjective?
For example:
I could not face being alone again and losing the person dearest to me.
I wonder why there is no "the" in front of "dearest".
dennylv
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14
votes
3 answers
Should "bring a plate" be taken literally?
When someone is told to "bring a plate" to a picnic in Australia, does it literally mean just bring a plate? Or should they be bringing something else as well?
Golden Cuy
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14
votes
3 answers
When should "like" be used rather than "as" in a comparison?
In Italian, "spies like us" becomes spie come noi, and "do as you like" becomes fai come preferisci.
In both the sentences, the translation of like, and as is come. This causes some problems to the Italian native speakers, who tend to use the…
apaderno
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14
votes
2 answers
If columnar is the adverb for column, what is the adverb for row?
Some linear algebra algorithms used for computing statistics or storing datasets deal with matrices on a column-by-column basis. As such, they can be referred to as being columnar. What would be the equivalent adverb for algorithms that work on a…
Ismael Ghalimi
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14
votes
2 answers
“From one gift come many”: Why not “comes”?
I want to ask about adding "s" to verbs. Sometimes I don't get an idea how to add this letter.
Example, are these sentences correct?
Tom buys a car.
Tom buys cars.
Tom and Ruth buy a car.
Tom and Ruth buy cars.
I think these above sentences…
user102511
14
votes
7 answers
“I saw a dog” vs. “I have seen a dog”
I saw a dog.
I have seen a dog.
What are the differences between them?
Did these events happen on the same day?
user73963
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14
votes
3 answers
When is 'h' silent and when is it not?
When is 'h' silent and when is it not? For example, we pronounce Thailand as Tailand. Also, Lufthansa is pronounced Luft/Hansa. In both cases th is not pronounced as it usually is.
Can anyone give me a generalization of when an h is silent, and…
OneZero
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14
votes
4 answers
is it possible to use the present simple tense with the time marker 'this evening'?
Recently I have come across the following usage of the present simple tense in the coursebook Cambridge English Key for Schools Result OUP 2013:
Excuse me. Do you close at 8 o'clock this evening? ~ No. I'm afraid we close at six.
Isn't it…
Yukatan
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14
votes
4 answers
What does "scaredy" mean in 'Don't be a scaredy cat'?
Don't be a scaredy cat.
What does scaredy mean in the given sentence? Can I use it singly or is it always paired with cat?
Does it refer to someone who is a coward or is shy? That is, would it be correct to say that "he is a scaredy cat"? And is…
LeoHzs
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14
votes
4 answers
Is 'are you outside' different from 'are you out'?
Let's say I am supposed to meet my friend and I want to make sure that he is at home when I arrive, so I call him and ask
Are you out right now?
or
Are you outside right now?
The first expression sounds okay but what I want to know is that what…
Max
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14
votes
3 answers
Intonation difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses
He had four sons who became doctors. He had four sons, who became
doctors.
Is there any difference in intonation between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses?
Listenever
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14
votes
4 answers
Difference between "I'm in the school" and "I'm in school"
What is the difference between these two sentences??
I'm in the school.
I'm in school.
Do they have the same meaning or not?
Ice Girl
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