English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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2 answers

soft as : why not underneath only?

My earliest childhood memory is of the swaying limbs of Golden Delicious apple trees. Rows of them stood next to a dirt road that separated our orchard from the front yard. The Kentucky summer sky hung hot behind those high twigs, their leaves…
learner
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"The victory, within four days, was just reward" - why not "was just a reward"?

Source The victory, within four days, was just reward for skipper Kohli's insistence on playing five bowlers. Kohli led the way with a superb 200. We did not use was just a reward because was just reward has an idiomatic usage.What do you say?
Anubhav
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Can vehicles sell themselves? Shouldn't it be passive voice?

I read one sentence About 170,000 of those vehicles sell each year in the U.S. It is extracted from: The large vehicle is part truck and part car. Strength and size combined with comfort. Some well-known sports utility vehicles are the Jeep…
Vince
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'I wish to speak WITH a British accent' or 'I wish to speak IN a British accent' - is there a difference?

I wish to speak with a British accent? What is the impact of using in instead of with in the above sentence?
Gt_R
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4 answers

Michael is a New Zealander or Michael is New Zealander? Article before nationalities?

Do I have to say "Michael is a New Zealander" or can I leave out the indefinite article "a"?
Corrina_Corrina
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3 answers

Is the phrase "suit yourself" offensive?

I was using the phrase "suit yourself" quite often since the equivalent in my native language it is a legitimate way to express "do whatever you consider the best." However, when I used this phrase in a dialogue with a person from UK, I was told…
MasterPJ
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Same word used multiple times in a sentence

Sentences like the following sound strange to me, and I somehow "feel" they are incorrect. I will be in the room in 10 minutes. I will go to New York to meet my friend. Is it correct to use the same word multiple times in the same sentence? If…
user207
20
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3 answers

What is the meaning of "Jump into the bridge"?

During a one-to-one technical chat with my client, he sent me a meeting link and texted me: Jump into the bridge. Is he trolling me (as there was a particular issue that had been left unresolved for a long time)? Or is it a normal phrase that is…
Muthukamatchi Ganesan
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5 answers

Is it standard to add "please" after a question?

I was in a conversation with a client who asked me, "How are you?" I responded with "I am fine, thank you." I then followed up with, "How are you? Please." My manager asks why I append "please" and says it is not standard. Is she correct or is it…
Khairul
20
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3 answers

"severe" as a verb: is it acceptable usage?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word "severe" is not a verb, but an adjective. However, the word "severe" seems to have been used as a verb in the sentence below: She has severed contact with her family, worried that the militants will…
user24993
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is "them" only used for people?

Chop the tomatoes and onions and saute them/it? Should it be "them" or "it"? because I have heard that them is used only for people.
user25493
20
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7 answers

"There IS/ARE rice, meat and tomatoes on my plate"

I saw this sentence on Internet recently written by a native speaker, so I wondered why native speakers tend to use this grammar. Explain to me why I should I use "is" instead of "are"? Is it grammatically correct? "There is rice, meat and…
user24318
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5 answers

Is ending a sentence with a preposition acceptable?

When I learned English at school, I was taught that I should not end a sentence with a preposition. Is it correct to end a sentence with a preposition? To avoid starting a sentence with a conjunction, I don't write sentences similar to "I miss…
apaderno
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Does word "someone" refer to both an animal and a human being or only human being?

The word someone is used for human beings but I am having a hard time understanding if it is also used for animals!
Imran Bughio
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Big garden is incorrect?

I answered wrong the following question: There is a nice house with a big/large garden. I chose big. Is it incorrect indeed?
Gyonder
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