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1500 questions
14
votes
5 answers
Word for describing that something can be mandatory, recommended or optional
(Note: This question is marginally related with this one.)
I am looking for a word to describe how obligatory something is. It may be mandatory, recommended or optional (given the context, more categories could apply).
The best options I have in…
guest_user
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14
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6 answers
I am a male or I am male? Which one is correct?
I want to describe my gender. I have two choices below:
I am a male.
I am male.
Which one is correct? Or both are fine?
AGamePlayer
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14
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3 answers
Why is there no definite article in "The first rule of fight club" before the last noun?
I've just read Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club", and I wonder why there are no definite article in his first rule of fight club definition?
"The first rule of _ fight club is you don't talk about _ fight club."
Are they just skipped by the author or…
pensnarik
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14
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10 answers
Do native speakers use 'so-so'?
so-so, adjective : neither very good nor very bad : middling a so-so
performance
I heard some non-native speakers used the word so-so, but I have never seen it's used by a native English speaker. Do natives really use it in practice?
I am also…
dan
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14
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4 answers
"half of pound" or "half of a pound" or "half pound"
Which of the following are the correct sentences:
you need half of the pound of potatoes.
you need the half of pound of potatoes.
you need the half pound of potatoes.
you need half pound potatoes.
you need half of a pound potatoes.
you need half of…
banan3'14
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14
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5 answers
Saying for "Bomb proof"
In Spain, we normally use a saying when something always works well, although you try to break this one. The saying is "bomb proof".
I would like to know a similar saying in English.
For example:
I make a program and this passes all the tests that…
JuanB
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14
votes
1 answer
What is the name of this part of banana under the peel (picture attached)
After peeling a banana almost always there are long and removable fibers(?) on the banana (marked by red arrows). What are they called?
Virtuous Legend
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14
votes
4 answers
A term for glass half wall
What is this thing called ? Is it just a ‘Glass Half-wall’ or does it have another name? And what if it was outdoors ?
Sdilly
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14
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2 answers
Is it wrong to hyphenate a phrasal verb like "log in" or is it a matter of style?
People log in to Facebook.
In this sentence, if I change log in to log-in, will it be grammatically incorrect? Or the adding/omission of a hyphen is just a matter of style?
The other thing is, if log in is listed in dictionaries as a phrasal verb…
user1764381
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14
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10 answers
He is honest (9 out of 10). How to construct a phrase in which a person's honesty is scored on a scale?
I'd like to describe a person that he is a honest person and add how honest he is but couldn't figure out. How can I say this?
He is honest on the scale of 9 out of 10.
Is this correct? Or is there any shorter form that native speakers say?
Melih
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14
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5 answers
'china restaurant' or 'chinese restaurant'?
I am very confused. I prefer the latter, but I did saw the former in many cases.
Which one is more appropriate?
wdlang
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14
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5 answers
What does this sentence in Harry Potter mean?
“Well, Voldemort’s going to try other ways of coming back, isn’t he? I mean, he hasn’t gone, has he?”
“No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed.…
dbwlsld
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14
votes
2 answers
'study in' or 'study at' (some university)?
I myself normally use at in a sentence such as "I want to study at the Stanford University."
But when I saw someone wrote "I want to go to study in the Stanford University," though sounded a little odd, I didn't feel that it's absolutely wrong. Then…
Damkerng T.
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14
votes
2 answers
Who or what? Questions about animate beings
Which of the words should I choose when I ask about the meaning of a word that I don't know exactly but I know that the word I am asking about is an animate being?
What/who is a king?
What/who is a fairy?
Yulia
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14
votes
5 answers
On a bus or on the bus?
Today, I was talking to my friend. She is very good at English. During this conversation, she said, "I am on THE bus". I think, she has misused the definite article. In my opinion, it should have been, "I am on A bus". Because this is the first time…
Ahmbro Dude
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