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17
votes
4 answers

'Clumsy' vs 'awkward'?

I've looked up the word clumsy in oxford dictionary. It says: (of people and animals) moving or doing things in a very awkward way. Afterwards, I've looked up the word awkward and seen an example: He tried to dance, but he was too clumsy and…
Meow
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What is wrong in "It's quite often to hear such rumors these days."?

In this question, which asks for transforming a sentence from passive voice to active, I left a comment as It's quite often to hear such rumors these days. However, @Brillig told me that sentence is not grammatically correct. I want to know which…
Cardinal
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17
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5 answers

Meaning of the word "bromide" in "an additional charge for special presentations (e.g. bromides)"

From "The thirty-nine steps" by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting ("Questions you need to ask yourself when undertaking a translation"): Does this word "bromides" relate to "charge"? I doubt it. Does it relate to "special…
CowperKettle
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17
votes
3 answers

Why do we pronounce "the university" as "thuh university" rather than "thee university"?

English Club says that usually, we pronounce "the" as "thuh", but when it happens to be in front of a vowel sound, then we pronounce it as "thee". Why is "the university" pronounced as "thuh" university rather than "thee university"? Isn't "u" a…
user48590
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17
votes
3 answers

Why is the definite article used in "I live in the city"?

Where do you live? -- I live in the city. THE is used when talking about something which is already known to the listener or which has been previously mentioned, introduced, or discussed. But, the specific city where the speaker lives was not…
Zakiya
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17
votes
7 answers

Is "I know" appropriate or rude in conversation?

Sometimes, during a conversation, someone tells me some fact or shares some knowledge and I reply by saying "I know". Would that be a rude thing to say? I feel very awkward when I say this and want to avoid as I fear the other person may just not go…
SunMan
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17
votes
2 answers

Is the word "like" a preposition or verb in "You made me like this."

Is the word "like" a preposition or verb in the sentence "You made me like this." Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you!
Zoltan King
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17
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7 answers

Word that includes "food, alcoholic drinks, and non-alcoholic drinks"?

I searched Thesaurus but found nothing. Example sentence: The __ were top quality, just like the restaurant review assured.
alex
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17
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5 answers

What is a plural of "To-Do"? "To-Dos" or "To-Does"?

Say I have a list of "To-Do" things. I want to mention them to someone, so I doubt on how to call it: 1. I have many "To-Dos" for today 2. I have many "To-Does" for today 3. I have many "To-Do's" for today None of them looks fine to me, but I…
fedorqui
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17
votes
7 answers

What is the difference between self-evident and self-explanatory

I just read the book 'Don't make me think' by Steve Krug. But I had the trouble understanding the difference between self-evident and self-explanatory. Could someone please make it clear for me, or provide an example to explain it?
Joe.wang
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17
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3 answers

How can I tell whether "c" should be pronounced like "s" or like "k"?

How can I tell whether "c" should be pronounced "s" or "k"? I always get confused and pronounce it like "s" because it looks like russian "с".
16
votes
1 answer

When is 'what' used for living beings?

I have seen phrases like 'What judge?' and 'What prisoners?' But I feel that 'which' is a more appropriate pronoun for living things.Why not 'which' has been used there?
Anubhav
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16
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4 answers

What is the meaning of "Put a bullet in something"?

I have seen this sentence in a chat between people and I guess when they said "put a bullet" they have used it idiomatically. I am not sure about the meaning though. A : The process is over timing B: Putting a bullet in it. Restarting Any help…
Maryam
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16
votes
5 answers

"Think of" versus "think about"

Could someone help me to understand when I should use think of and when think about in sentences? What is the difference between using one or the other?
16
votes
4 answers

What is the difference between 'hear' and 'listen'?

Is there a difference between 'hear' and 'listen' in Standard English?
Mohsin Shaikh
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