title: What is a proper gender-neutral form of himself or herself

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun ("his" versus "her" > versus "their")?   >  Gender neutral reflexive pronoun — equivalent to "himself" and "herself" I am thinking "themself" is a very old deprecated way of saying this. What would be more proper? An example would be: One does not simply build Rome themself. It just seems awkward with "themself."


title: Singular they: Is it proper?

text: In one of my answers here, I used the singular they: > When someone orders a rouge, **they** mean red wine which in French > translates to le vin rouge. My question is, is it right for me to use _they_? Or since I used _someone_ at the beginning, is it imperative for me to use _he_ or _she_? Any insights?


title: Using 'they' for person of unknown sex

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Gender neutral pronoun. In everyday use, I often use the pronoun "they" to refer to a unknown person if I do not know their sex. As in: > Bob: Who was it that emailed you about the company cutting back? > > Sally: I don't know. They didn't say. I remember using "they" this way in a paper for my college English 101 class, and my teacher marked off for it, saying that it is incorrect. So is it? It's definitely much easier to say than "he/she"... Perhaps it's considered correct (or at least accepted) in speech but not in written form?


title: Gender question

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Speaking about someone of unknown gender…   >  Gender neutral pronoun I'm writing a paper about markets and mention several times providers and their offers. The problem is when I use the singular, since I'm not sure if I should use a male or female pronouns. For example, is it a provider and **his** offer or a provider and **her** offer?


title: Using "their" vs. "his"

text: Why do we use _their_ instead of _his_ in this sentence? > another driver flashes their lights


title: Avoiding his/her in technical writing

text: I need to refer to a user of a certain service and would like to avoid a perticular gender such as his/her and not use one either. Could I say "The user attempts to maximize own capacity.", instead of "The user attempts to maximize his own capacity"? Thanks a lot.


title: Use of they as singular

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it correct to use "their" instead of "his or her"? I, and many people I have heard, occasionally use 'they' and 'their' in the singular when gender is not known. For example, > Someone burgled our house yesterday. **They** must've cut **their** head on > the broken window, because there is blood there. I would like to know:   * Is this incorrect or not used in some places?   * If not, I have read, such as in style books, the awkwardness of not assuming certain people are a 'he' or 'she' and using 'his' and 'hers' with them respectively, thereby having to say 'the reader... he/she should...his/her'. Why don't they simply use 'they' and 'their'?   * Is this a recent development in English?   * Is this type of usage present in other languages (pronouns for both genders)?


title: Is it appropriate to refer to a person of unknown sex by "it"?

text: I would like to treat a user as a non-gender noun and refer to it with the gender-neutral pronoun, _it_. E.g., > **The user** defines two variables, x and y. **It** then multiplies each > variable by a prime number. However, on Wikipedia I found this: > The word "it", however, has an extremely impersonal connotation, even > offensive, in common usage and is rarely used in English to refer to an > unspecified human being or person of unknown gender. This is because the > word "it" connotes that the person being specified is inferior to a person > or is an object. Is to appropriate to refer to a person of unknown sex as _it_? Should I rephrase my sentence as follows: > **The user** defines two variables, x and y. **The user** then multiplies > each variable by a prime number.


title: Is the sentence “ask any doctor — they'll all tell you that alcohol is a poison” grammatically correct?

text: I am not a native speaker and I find the following sentence pretty confusing. > Ask any doctor — they'll all tell you that alcohol is a poison. Here the speaker is referring to any doctor. Why is _they_ used instead of _he/her_? Or to put it in other words shouldn't the correct form of the sentence be as follows? > Ask any doctor — he/she'll all tell you that alcohol is a poison.`


title: Anyone: ("they" or "he/she") why is it sometimes plural?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it correct to use "their" instead of "his or her"? Plural versus singular: > Anyone can learn to dance if **they** want to. > > Anyone can learn to dance if **he or she** wants to. Resources online tell me that anyone is a singular indefinite pronoun. Then why is it sometimes acceptable to use the plural 'they' with 'anyone' in some cases? Does it substitute and replace 'he/she'? note: this previous posts also says anyone is [singular]: "Anyone has" or "anyone have" seen them?


title: "I need to" vs "I will need to"

text: Can we use "I can't come right now, I need to take a shower" if we are informing a friend? Or should it be "I can't come right now, I will need to take a shower"?


title: What is the meaning "would have" in this sentence?

text: None of the days in March are the days that I **would have** gone to office,but for being on annual leave.


title: Referring to a person, should I use the capital letter for "Fascist"?

text: As I understand, the word Fascism must be capitalised, while the adjective fascist should not. But what if "Fascist" is used as a noun? Eg: "The headmaster was enlisted in the National Fascist Party and therefore he was a Fascist" Thanks for the help.


title: What is the most common collocation to describe the seven trumpets blown in Revelation?

text: Revelation 8:1-2 (of the Bible) says the following (KJV): > And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about > the space of half an hour.   >  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given > seven trumpets. I want a concise way to refer to these seven trumpets. Options I have considered include:   * the seven trumpets of Revelation   * the seven trumpet blasts of Revelation (or substitute "the Apocalypse" for "Revelation" in either case). **Is any of these phrases the most common collocation for describing the event mentioned in Revelation 8:1-2; if so, which one; and if not, what is?** If it matters, assume some variety of British English or General American English, as suits you. Note: for my use case, the collocation must include a reference to both an instrument being blown and an allusion to Christian eschatology. Other aspects (e.g. the number of instruments; the specific name of the instrument; etc.) are negotiable.


title: Are words like "otherwise" and "maybe" considered compound words?

text: I typically think of words like "bittersweet" or "sandstorm" when I think of compound words. But words like "otherwise" or "maybe" also have two other complete words inside of them; are they also considered compound words? The reason I ask is because most of the stereotypical examples directly relate to the meanings of each part. "Otherwise" doesn't really seem to relate to _both_ "other" and "wise".


title: Is this compound sentence grammatically correct?

text: So, I’ve stumbled upon this really long sentence, and now I’m wondering if it is grammatically correct. > So they figured since I’m a real person and I’m in the movie and I’m > actually me and they wanted to use me as me in the actual movie and I didn’t > even know yet that I was me in the movie although I did know I was me but I > didn’t know I was in the movie, they had better let me know that I was in > the movie as me and let me see if after I knew I was me playing me in the > movie that I would be okay with being me in the movie as myself now that I > knew there was actually a movie with me in it.¹ (I’ve counted 19 simple sentences.)


title: Is using "I don't know that" instead of "I don't know if" grammatically correct?

text: When asked whether he recognized equal rights of atheists, George H. W. Bush said1: > No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should > they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God. I would understand if he had used another verb: > No, I don't think/believe that atheists should be considered... I would also understand if he had chosen another conjunction: > No, I don't know if atheists should be considered... Is the original quoted sentence grammatically correct? Is it common to use **know** in the sense of **think**? Or is this some dialect-specific meaning? Could you please give some more examples of this usage of **know**? 1 Wikipedia source


title: Who is Jesus H. Christ?

text: When used as an expletive, the name _Jesus Christ_ often gets an _H_ inserted into the middle of it for some reason. I've heard lots of guesses about what the H stands for, the most popular one being _Henry_ , but no one seems to actually know, and I've never gotten any good explanation of where it came from or why it became popular to insert it.   * Is there any documentation of when _Jesus H. Christ_ as opposed to simply _Jesus Christ_ came into currency as an expletive?   * Is there any authoritative explanation of what, if anything, the H was originally supposed to stand for?


title: A different word for "Rhyming Dictionary"

text: Is there a different word, a synonym or neologism for "Rhyming Dictionary"? I mean something like Rhyming + thesaurus?


title: What is the difference between a "category" and a "type"

text: Is there a difference between the terms _category_ and _type_? I can't seem to figure out when I should use one over the other.


title: What would be the British English equivalent to "The Elements of Style"?

text: I've been referred to this book by a lot of people, but one of the basic "rules" that it mentions - making your language more "cut and dry", which seems to be more of a thing with American English, whereas more complex sentence structure is commonplace in British English. Essentially, I'm asking two questions:   * Is there a British English equivalent of _The Elements of Style_?   * Am I correct in thinking that the type of writing advocated in that book is generally considered to be _substandard_ or _uncommon_ in the UK?


title: What is the opposite of the perfect aspect?

text: Most tenses exist in a perfect and non-perfect form, e.g. present vs. present perfect and past continuous vs. past perfect continuous. What is the group of tenses that are not perfect called?


title: What's the right spelling of "synchronized"?

text: What's the right spelling of _synchronized_ (like in _synchronized swimming_ ), and are there any differences between the British and American English?


title: Using "about" to specify a quantity

text: When somebody says "this will take me about an hour" or "I ran about four miles", is there an unstated assumption that the actual quantity (time or distance, respectively) will be less than the one specified? I tend to say, for example, "I ran about four miles" if I actually ran a little less than four miles. But I say "I ran a bit more than four miles" if I actually ran a little more than four miles. Is this distinction unnecessary, and can I use "about" for both meanings?


title: Difference between "keep something on", "hang something on", and "leave something on"

text: I came across three _verb_ \+ _on_ phrases in today’s _New York Times_ article written by Maureen Dowd and titled _“Stripped off Dignity”_ ; it dealt with unpleasant airport pat-down practices. In the following paragraph, I find the phrases “Keep jacket on,” “Hang on to unfinished bottle,” and “Leave shoes on.” It appears to me all these “keep on,” “hang on” and “Leave on” simply mean “keep on.” It may seem a silly question to you, native English speakers, but I’m curious to know the exact difference in meaning between the above three phrases, and to also understand why does "leaving" shoes “on” means to keep wearing shoes? > John Pistole, the T.S.A. chief, said they are trying to move past a “one- > size-fits-all” program and implement a “risk-based, intelligence-driven > process” by the end of the year that would have more refined targeting. If > passengers are willing to share the same information they give to airline > frequent-flier programs, he said, maybe someday they will be able to _keep > their jacket on_ and their laptop in their briefcase and hang on to that > unfinished bottle of water.” “I’d like to get to the point,” he said > wistfully, “where most people could _leave their shoes on_.


title: Should "which percentage" or "what percentage" be used within a sentence?

text: I have the following paragraph: "The contents of a fish tank with 70 fish, of which 10 percent are goldfish, are added to another fish tank with 130 fish, of which 20 percent are goldfish. After the tanks are combined WHAT percentage of the first are goldfish?" The "what" in question is "WHAT". Should it be kept as "which" to match the previous "which"-'s? Also, where would one place commas for the sentence?


what's the difference between "cited in" and "cited after" eg (cited in Hofstadter 1969: 10) and (cited after Manin 1997: 3)


title: What could be the opposite of (online) live teaching?

text: I'm looking for an opposite of "live online teaching". Live online teaching would be for instance a lesson that is taught via Skype. On the opposite side, you could record a video of you teaching something and make it available for viewing and/or download. Only in this case the teaching is not "live". Note that I am still considering this method to be "online" in the sense that you access the contents online (as opposed to face-to-face, classroom teaching or learning from a book). I guess what I'm looking for is an opposite of "live", applied to this context.


title: Why is "sauté" spelled with an accent and "repartee" not?

text: Why are these words spelled differently? They have the same sound at the end, right?


title: What is the meaning of the vernacular "beasted"?

text: Is anyone familiar with the vernacular term "beasted", used as a verb? > e.g. I beasted my exam. My colleague's teenaged son used this exact phrase in a text-message. And she had no idea whether this was a good or bad thing.


title: meaning of "grapes in my mouth"

text: Lyrics from The National's _Ada_ : > Stand inside an empty tuxedo with **grapes in my mouth** waiting for Ada I've not come across the phrase before, nor can I find an attributed meaning. One of the song meanings forums suggests this means " _unable to talk since one's mouth is full"_ Is that correct, or is it a phrase the song writers have invented?


title: To use "test" as an adjectival noun, is the proper form "test" or "testing"?

text: When I write a document, I am confused when to use **test** or **testing** in my document. For example, which one makes a better statement below? _A test engineer_ vs _A testing engineer_ _software test tool_ vs _software testing tool_


title: Structure of "As I passed by there looked out from it the face I showed you this afternoon"

text: While reading Oscar Wilde's _The Sphinx without a secret_ , I came across the following passage: > 'One evening,' he said, 'I was walking down Bond Street about five o'clock. > There was a terrific crush of carriages, and the traffic was almost stopped. > Close to the pavement was standing a little yellow brougham, which, for some > reason or other, attracted my attention. **As I passed by there looked out > from it the face I showed you this afternoon. It fascinated me > immediately**. Although the broad meaning of the emphasized sentence is clear to me, I fail to understand its precise structure. The main point on which I stumble is the use of _there_ , prefixing the verb _to look_. First, to make sure that I understand it correctly: could this sentence be rewritten _**As I passed by, the face which I ~~had~~ showed you this afternoon looked out from it**_? Second, is the use of _there_ in this sentence similar to its use in such constructs as _there is_ , or _there was_? It seemed to me that this was specific to the verb _to be_ 1, but I was basing on nothing but personal experience. **Can you help with examples?**   1 I thought I might mention that I'm not a native English speaker, although this question alone makes it quite obvious. We have a construct in French similar to _there is_ , namely _il y a_ , but it's a _construction figée_ ; that is, a remnant of the past.


title: Regarding the usage of "being"

text: Does this sentence: > When no data is being transmitted, D remains high has the same meaning as > When there is no data transmission, D remains high


title: "Are transmitted" vs. "are being transmitted"

text: > After eight bits are [being] transmitted, D must go high for at least one > bit time, which is referred to as stop bit. Is "being" required there? Why or why not?


title: Can a present participle follow a subject?

text: Which is correct, and why? > some days we went on adventures — him maneuvering our scooter, me resting my > chin … or > some days we went on adventures — he maneuvering our scooter, I resting my > chin …


title: What are the differences between "seems not" and "doesn't seem"?

text: Are the following sentences correct? > He seems not to want to help us and > He seems want to help us. Is it correct if I use " _seem_ " in a negative sentence? Which role does " _seem_ " play? Is there any difference in meaning between:   * _It **seems not** working for me._   * _It **doesn't seem** work for me._   * _It **seems not** to be working._ Please tell me the differences between the three of them and in _which situation_ I can use them.


title: "Inquiry" vs. "investigation"

text: When I'm involved in a project with the goal of analyzing (following some previously stated criteria) a set of research papers, which word is more suitable: _inquiry_ or _investigation_? Or neither? If neither, please let me know what your suggestion is.


title: Rules for sentences containing lists of things

text: Is the following sentence grammatically correct? > "Symptoms of lactic acid build up in muscles include cramps, spasms, fatigue > and sensitivity." Does "sensitivity" need to be qualified, as in "sensitivity to touch"? Can someone point out the "rules" that come into play here?


title: Difference beween requests “can”, “could” and “may”?

text: We can use _can_ , _could_ , and _may_ for requests and permissions, but is there any difference between the meanings of the following three versions?   >   1. **May** I go? >   2. **Can** I go? >   3. **Could** I go? >


title: "Can I" vs "May I"

text: You may have heard the argument "it's not **can** I go to the bathroom, it's **may** I." If this is true, then any question such as _"can you get me a glass of water?"_ could have the same argument applied to it. It's understood what is meant, but what is the grammatically correct way to phrase the question?


title: Difference between "can" and "may"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Can/May/Will you help me with this? Which is correct if I want to request for a pen? >   * **Can** I have your pen please? >   * **May** I have your pen please? >


title: Is 'can' an appropriate substitute for 'may' to indicate possibility?

text: One definition of _can_ in Merriam-Webster Online is: > c —used to indicate possibility < do you think he _can_ still be alive> < > those things _can_ happen> ; sometimes used interchangeably with _may_ But in _The Elements of Style_ written by William Strunk, Jr., it says: > **Can**. Means _am (is, are) able_. Not to be used as a substitute for > _may_. This contradiction makes me confused. So in what situation can _can_ be used "interchangeably" with _may_ , and in what situation it cannot? EDIT: The two sentences in _The Elements of Style_ make me feel that the author permits only one use of _can_ (be able) in the first sentence and proscribes the other use ( _may_ ; to indicate possibility) in the second sentence. Did I misinterpret the author's meaning? Or the text is ambiguous?


title: "can I speak to Mr Tom" or "May I speak to Mr Tom" which one is correct

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Can/May/Will you help me with this?   >  Difference between “can” and “may” >   * Can I speak to Mr Tom? >   * May I speak to Mr Tom? > Which one is correct? My thinking is that _can_ expresses the ability to do something while _may_ expresses permission. Here I am asking for permission so I want to use _may_ , but some people use _can_ as well. So which one is correct?


title: "Can/may/will you help me with this?"

text: Which word to use when we ask for help? Some conditions:   1. We know that the person asked is able to do it.   2. We don't know if the person asked is able to do it.


title: May you pass me - Will you pass me

text: My Grandchildren say "May you pass the salt" etc. They say their teachers say this is ok. To me it sounds very clumsy and I had never heard it used except by them. They have grown in Wiltshire while we are south Hampshire. Is it regional?


title: Should I use "can" or 'may"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “Can/may/will you help me with this?” Here is the sentence:               If you like you {can|may} translate this text to English.      What word should I use here and why.


title: What does “half try” mean?

text: From Steinbeck's _Cannery Row_ , > Doc was almost supernaturally successful with a series of lady visitors. He > didn’t **half try**. Does it mean that Doc did not do anything to win hearts of these ladies?


title: "Henceforth" vs. "hereinafter"

text: What is the most suitable way to express that a sentence/word will be "replaced by" another sentence/word, from that point (in a text, for instance)? >   * Henceforth called/named... >   * Hereinafter called/named... >


title: What is a word that means "starting from one"?

text: I'm looking for an adjective that means "to start from the number one." This is so I can describe a sequence that starts from the number one. I want to be able to say something like "Choose any [adj] sequence" where [adj] is the adjective in this question. I know there aren't always words that exist for every combination of words, but can anyone think of a word that might work for this?


title: Word for "a change of altitude"

text: I'm looking for a word that describes a generic change in altitude, something that could refer to both ascent or descent.


title: Why is it "sequacity" and not "sequenicity"?

text: I'm trying to form a sentence along the following lines: "the difference between **sequence** and synchronicity is important when it comes to understanding..." I'm unsure of the proper use of the word "sequence" in this sentence. I'm comparing it to "synchronicity" and immediately thought that the word "sequence", would become "sequenicity". But the dictionary tells me different, "sequacity". I'm not debating that it isn't the correct word, as the word "sequenicity" doesn't exist, it's just not what I expected.


title: "Angry with" vs. "angry at" vs. "angry on"

text: Which is the most appropriate/correct usage? >   * Are you angry on me? >   * Are you angry with me? >   * Are you angry at me? >


title: Does one hold a M.A. 'in' something or 'of' something?

text: In reading a curriculum vitae, I noticed an author used both   * 2013 M.A. of Information Science and   * 2008 M.A. in Philosophy. Is there any logic to this? Which one should be preferred for academic cv's?


title: "I'm proud that you are my father"

text: A friend wrote this as a tribute to her father for his birthday: > I'm proud that you are my father I am not a native speaker either, but it to me it sounds like "you are the father of someone great so you must be great". Or does it sound OK?


title: Is there a Public Library that lends English Audiobooks?

text: In germany there are now a plethora of public libraries where I can borrow Audiobooks. I can search and download DRM protected files and can use them for a couple of days or weeks before they get invalidated automatically. Alas, there are (almost) only german ones. But I am much more interested in **english Audiobooks**. There must be a **online accessible public library** somewhere where I can borrow english audiobooks for a fee, mustn't it?


title: How to emphasize pronunciation of a specific letter?

text: I have a client whos business name is _TradOut_ — pronounced like “Trade Out”. What would be the best way to show that the pronunciation should sound like “trade” and not like “trahd”? We looked into using a diaeresis (so _TrädOut_ ), but we found conflicting statements about what that diacritic means. I’ve having trouble finding a clear answer, so I thought I’d ask here.


title: We say entrepreneur and entrepreneurship, what is the verb?

text: For the word entrepreneur and entrepreneurship, I would like to know the corresponding verb, i.e the action of doing entrepreneurship, i.e the verb that should fit in the next sentence : `To be a good entrepreneur you should ________ this and that project`. What would be the verb that shares the same root ? entrep... ??


title: Combine sentences with "although"

text: The question goes; Make a sentence from the given sentences using 'although'. a. We've known each other for a long time. b. We are not very good friends. The intended answer is ' Although we've known each other for a long time, we are not very good friends'. Some of my students ask why not 'Although we are not very good friends, we've known each other for a long time.' Do you think both are right?


title: How to best convey excitement for the next assignment, quarter, or project?

text: I’ve just received feedback on my work during the second quarter of the year (Q2) from my manager. I would like to reply to this feedback and end my reply with a sentence along the lines of" > Looking forward to a ____ Q3! In my native language, one could use our word corresponding to the English word _fruitful_. But I don’t know whether _fruitful_ would be ok to use in English, nor whether some better yet still professional way for expressing cheerful excitement about the next quarter exists. I imagine I could also change the formula to something like: > Looking forward to a Q3 full of ____. or use a similar construction. How can I convey my excitement about an upcoming assignment in a professional way?


title: "A" is about as much "B" as "C" is "D"

text: I wanna find out what this sentence means. “ASOT is about as much “trance” as Nelson Mandela is indie punk.” So to generalize: "A" is about as much "B" as "C" is "D" Is this comparing A with B? Is this being sarcasm?


title: "Bring" vs. "take" in American English

text: English (other than American English) has a clear differentiation between the two words. Both are about translocating something. In "bring" the something of somebody is moved to where the speaker is currently situated. "Take" is used to translocate something or somebody to a place that the speaker is not currently at. You cannot “bring” your books to school if you are currently at home. You can only **take** them to school. Most of the time one can get the meaning from the context of the sentence but it can get very confusing when the other party is on the telephone and you do not know their location. Why does American English not differentiate and when did it lose the differentiation?


title: "Bring" versus "take"

text: My mother used to correct me all the time when I was younger when I would talk about _bringing_ a toy to a friend’s house instead of _taking_ it there. Which is correct, and why?


title: Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses?

text: > He will understand that I was not joking. > > He will understand I was not joking. Which of the sentences is correct? Are there any specific rules about the use of "that" in the sentences I reported as example?


title: Correct use of "Which" and "That"

text: Three sentences, all of which sound okay to me: One of the responsibilities **which** I took on was...   One of the responsibilities **that** I took on was...   One of the responsibilities I took on was... Are they all correct, or are some improper usage of the English language?


title: Can I use "that that" in a sentence?

text: A question was asked in the meta of Skeptics.SE about an old question and the OP said that the question would be closed if posted today. I wanted to ask them why do they think that the question would be closed if posted today, so I wrote a comment > Why do you think that that question would be closed today? I know that the question "Why do you think that the leafs are green?" is correct, also referring to the subject of a post or sentence as "that question" is correct as well. Can I combine these correct forms and create a question with the wording "that that"?


title: I think/know vs. I think/know that

text: I wonder when verbs like _think_ or _know_ are followed by _that_ ; I encountered both forms, is there a difference? For example, > I know that he did it. // I know he did it. Are the two sentences both correct?


title: Use of the word "that":

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses? In the following, does the word "that" belong? > "He said that we should go fishing."


title: I am confused about the use of “that they” in English. When should we use “that”?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using “that” to join two clauses? > I have seen the car that they bought. > > There is more than one option that they can take. Which is correct?


title: Should I add a 'that' to this (provided in the body) sentence?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses? In the sentence below, should there be a 'that' after 'realized'? I was feeling really awkward about the construction here. I have put in the rest for context: > Someone commenting on an article about adulthood at xyz.com said **that he > realized he had made** the 'official' transition to adulthood when as a 20 > year old, he boarded his first flight without family or friends. 'I was on a > plane headed to a different state, and no one cared', he noted.


title: Is 'that' necessary for this sentence?

text: My friend and I were playing this game, in which we were complimenting others. For example, she said, "You're so pretty, all the boys want to 'holla' at you." Then I said, "You're so pretty, that all the girls just want to grab your face." I was just wondering if 'that' is necessary for this type of context, and is it formal to add the 'that?' If so, is a comma needed before 'that'? Please explain!


title: "which" vs "that"

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Correct usage of which/that   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? I'm not a native English speaker and I must confess I'm quite confused about when I should use `which` in place of `that` and viceversa. Is there a particular rule? For example, let's take this sentence. > The method returns a `Whois::Answer` instance which essentially looks and > behaves like a `String` but it's way more powerful than a string. Is it `which` correct or should I have used `that`? A few more examples: > It also includes a huge set of data parsers which converts a raw registry > response into a pure Ruby object. and > The only exception to this rule is the `Timeout::Error` exception which is > intentionally left unmanaged.


title: "it seems" vs. "it seems that"

text: Is there a difference between using "it seems" and "it seems that" For example: > "It seems that automatic restart is not happening now" > > "It seems automatic restart is not happening now" Which one is correct? Or are they both?


title: Omitting "that" when connecting clauses

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence   >  How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem What exactly is the recommendation, when I'm writing, to do with the word "that"? Often, while speaking, someone might say: > I think it's going to rain. Whereas, technically, it should be: > I think **that** it's going to rain. However, things can get complicated when using the word "that" to refer to an object such as "this or that": > I guess that would be the right thing to do. versus: > I guess **that** that would be the right thing to do. Is the latter even grammatically correct? What should I do in these cases? Should I add the word "that" in all cases, or only cases where it might be ambiguous otherwise? Should I always omit it? Should I repeat the word "that" twice when appropriate, or should I always list it once in these cases?


title: Correct usage of *which* and *that*

text: I keep seeing written usage of _which_ in cases where the writer clearly intends it to be restrictive. For example:   * "Is there a word which means whatever you want it to mean? Or has no meaning?"   * "It will only contain elements from the input sequence which pass the predicate." (And other occurrences on the same page and in the same blog.) I have been counting these as errors because it is my understanding that _that_ is restrictive, and _which_ is not. Do I have this right?


title: When to use “that” and when to use “which”?

text: When is it appropriate to use _that_ as opposed to _which_?


title: "that" omission, subject-verb distance

text: when can we remove 'that'? I've heard different opinions I bought the book that is required for this course   I bought the book required for this course I recommend that you take my advice   I recommend you take my advice I know that you are correct   I know you are correct the report that was approved by the board was written by Susan   the report approved by the board was written by Susan We are studying advertisement strategies that other companies use to recruit minorities   We are studying advertisement strategies used by other companies to recruit minorities


title: Omissions of "that" in a relative clause

text: I am not clear on when the word "that" can be omitted in a relative clause. I only know that when the modified noun is the object in the clause, the antecedent "that" can be omitted. Are there any other such situations? How about the following sentence: > Students should be skeptical about everything they are told. I am not sure whether everything is the object, and if not, whether this sentence is correct.


title: Grammar: Use of 'that'

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence Which of the following is correct in British English? 1) There are 100 people going to the party, so I expect it will be a good night. 2) There are 100 people going to the party, so I expect **that** it will be a good night.


title: That vs Which when talking about a subject

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? This is actually the title of a question I just asked a minute ago ::- ). While writing it, I remembered one of my **most terrible dilemmas ever** : when to use "which" and when to use "that"? Even worse, Microsoft Word sometimes forces me to add comas before "which". Phrase in question: > What tense to use when writing about an ongoing action in a text which will > be published / read in the future vs > What tense to use when writing about an ongoing action in a text that will > be published / read in the future


title: How to choose between "which" and "that"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? Sentence 1: > The motorcycles with designs which involve an engine, a shaft and a gearbox, > form a significant subset of the product line of BMW. Sentence 2: > The motorcycles with designs that involve an engine, a shaft and a gearbox, > form a significant subset of the product line of BMW. Which is more appropriate? And in general, is there a rule of thumb to decide between using "which" and "that"?


title: “Searches revealed that” vs. “Searches revealed”

text: I would like to know whether the word _that_ can be removed in the following sentence: > Searches revealed **that** Johns was awarded a grant by the Chilean > Innovation Program. I read in other threads that _that_ can be omitted in sentences like “She said they won’t come.” But is this the case with the above structure? Is it correct to say: > Searches revealed Johns was awarded. . . .


title: "I don't think that that can be done"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem Is there something wrong with this sentence? > "I don't think that that can be done." It sounds odd to me. Would it be better if I'd use just one "that" instead of two: > "I don't think that can be done."


title: Better use of "that that" — or not

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem I sometimes seem to write myself into using 2 thats in succession, as in: "Now that that issue has been resolved, we can move forward." I am pretty sure that this is correct but is it bad form and should it be avoided?


title: "I hope that my search ends now" or "I hope my search ends now"?

text: I was doing a question for Yahoo Answers and suddenly I can't choice. Maybe because I never study English(after elementary and high school), I don't know which is the right sentence? Of course I know that I should study, and I'll do. Many thanks.


title: When to use "that" in subjunctive?

text: "It is important she attend the meeting" "It is important that she attend the meeting" "It is important that she attends the meeting" Which ones are correct or incorrect and why?


title: Is "that" required in "It turns out that he has requested"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using “that” to join two clauses? Should I use the word _that_ or not in following sentence? > It turns out _that_ he has requested review from reviewers on the > advancement of two year in XYZ organization.


title: which is better, that that or that

text: Which is better, "Bob knows that that is wrong" or "Bob knows that is wrong"? It seems to me that the first "that" is acting as the relation between Bob and the thing that is wrong, while the second "that" is acting as a pronoun taking the place of the thing itself that is wrong. As these are two different functions, I think there should be two that.


title: Use of the phrase "it seems" vs. "it seems that"

text: On another stackexchange site, I used the following phrasing: > I want to do X. It seems I can only do so when Y. Someone edited the second sentence: > It seems `that` I can only do so when Y. This made me realise that the edited form is perhaps more common -- but is my original phrasing grammatically incorrect? What role does "that" play in the second variation?


title: Missing that - usage

text: Source: http://news.yahoo.com/separatists-seize-control-tv-hq-east-ukraine- city-140235399.html > Pro-Russian separatists, some of them armed, have seized about a dozen > official buildings in eastern Ukraine. **They say they are rising up against > a Ukrainian government they say is illegitimate,** but Kiev says they are > proxies of the Russian government bent on destabilizing Ukraine. Why is there no **that** connecting the two parts of the sentence: everything before **against a Ukrainian government** and after **they say is illegitimate**? So, I would rather prefer to read it like this: > They say they are rising up against a Ukrainian government **that** they say > is illegitimate...


title: Usage of "that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence English-newbie-here! =D Well, let me present you with a situation where I ended up using both choices actually: > She said **that** they won't come. and > She said they won't come. Well? Both sound fine for me, but I can't really tell... I believe there are other situations where the usage of "that" is questionable...


title: should "that" be used, or not?

text: should "that" be used in this instance or not, and why? I have come to the conclusion that I want to study international relations" or "I have come to the conclusion I want to study international relations"


title: "Make sure" vs. "Make sure that"

text: Is one more correct than the other? Make sure the part is connected to the widget. Make sure that the part is connected to the widget.


title: Am I using "that" too often?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses? "That" is a very difficult word for me. I keep feeling compelled to add it in just about any sentence in which I talk about an action or state something I believe/think. > I think **that** you're wrong. Or > I hope **that** the company will get back to what they do best and come up > with a proper keyboard next time. Or > And don’t tell me **that** the price is justified. Or > But I doubt **that** they have any programmers working on this. All these constructions make sense without the "that", don't they? So then why do I feel this compulsion to add it? Am I a "that" junkie? ::- D. Is there such a thing as a "that" junkie? ::- >.


title: "Prove that...." or simply "Prove..."

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses? In mathematical parlance it is customary to write, for example, "One wishes to prove that the following is true." Is the word "that" in the preceding sentence superfluous or necessary and correct?


title: Multiple objects + relative clause

text: Which would be best / acceptable? "He saw people, animals and buildings THAT / WHICH had suffered greatly." As I see it, there are 3 subjects; people, animals and buildings. The grammar rules I know state we must use "who + people" "which + things", etc. And because it is a defining relative clause, I can also use "that". So do the mixed subjects (people and things) mean I have to use "that" in this sentence, due to the fact we don't use "which" for people?


title: Difference between "which" and "that" as subordinate conjunctions

text: What are the differences between their meanings if one use them as conjunctions? Should they be used in separate cases?


title: When to use "that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence When do we use the word _that_? For example > I think **that** I will go to the store. > > I think I will go to the store. > > I slam on my breaks, then I notice **that** it is just one of those yellow > flashing yielding stoplights. > > I slam on my breaks, then I notice it is just one of those yellow flashing > yielding stoplights.


title: When is "that" superfluous?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence What are some of the rules surrounding the word "that" and its inclusion or omission in a sentence? For example, "My boss mentioned that you needed help," vs. "My boss mentioned you needed help." Is either form more correct? Sorry if this seems rudimentary, but I've always felt a little self-conscious about my own usage of this word due to some fuzzy but persistent high school English class memories.


title: Show we care or show that we care

text: The title says it all really... This is one of those value statement things. 'Show we care' is the proposal. It just sounds like lazy English to my ear, I want to say 'Show that we care' Ignoring the trite nature of the statement, should I care?


title: Should I use That or Which?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? I can't figure out whether to use that or which: "and initiate collaborative projects that will extend beyond the conference" or "and initiate collaborative projects which will extend beyond the conference"


title: Under what circumstances is the word "that" necessary, optional, or to be replaced with "which"?

text: When is it necessary to include "that" in a sentence? In what case should "which" be used, and is it ever optional? Some examples:   * I didn't know (that) you had to leave.   * My grandma said (that) her cocaine is far more concentrated than mine.   * The dog jumps six times for every banana (that) I throw.   * I see (that) you have railed my entire bag, grandma.  I've always been reluctant to omit "that" from any sentence in which it seems to fit, however awkward it may sound.


title: Which should I use? That or which?

text: I am confused on the usage of "that" and "which". Would using "that" on both clauses of the following sentence be correct? Which ones should I use instead if it's not? "Why did you eat the pie that was in the oven rather than the pie that was on the windowsill?"


title: When can you leave off 'that' in a sentence?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence Some times I find myself leaving out the 'that' that binds two parts of a sentence together, because it reads 'smoother'. Here's an example: > I'm at that point towards the end of a book, where you suddenly realize > you're reading part two of a trilogy and too much of the plot is left for a > satisfactory resolution. I chose to not say '...suddenly realize _that_ you're reading...'. Is this still correct? Is it merely a more informal tone? Bad style? Side question: What am I actually talking about in grammatical terms? Binding two sentence clauses together with ’that'? What kind of word is 'that' here?


title: Use of "that" After A Verb

text: Consider the two sentences > He reported that the car was on fire. > > He reported the car was on fire. Which usage is considered correct? Are there any hard and fast rule when to use or not use "that"? Is there terminology that describes this usage/situation?


title: That vs Which usage

text: > Iraq was first destroyed by the U.S. military and now it's being > reconstructed by the U.S. corporations, **which** were the cause of its > deliberate destruction. Can we use _that_ instead of _which_ here?


title: Grammaticality of "that that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem   >  "I don't think that that can be done"   >  Better use of “that that” — or not Is it grammatically correct to use "that that" in a sentence, or should one use alternatives instead? I've heard people use and seen people write sentences with "that" occurring twice consecutively. Is this grammatically correct, or is it a construct that should be avoided? I'm having trouble remembering examples of this idea that don't lend themselves to simple rephrasing. For example: > I saw that that window was open. I'm not sure this is a good example, but nevertheless, I wonder about the construct.


title: Difference between that and which. Can that follow a comma?

text: 1) Eventually, we developed a strategy, grounded in prospect theory and its associated biases like loss-aversion and availability heuristic, **which** exploited the tendencies of players to fold too often when they did not have money invested and fold too infrequently when they had money invested. 2) Eventually, we developed a strategy, grounded in prospect theory and its associated biases like loss-aversion and availability heuristic, **that** exploited the tendencies of players to fold too often when they did not have money invested and fold too infrequently when they had money invested. My question is whether "which" or "that" is appropriate. Which word is better? Word says that "that" cannot follow a comma. Is there any basis to this?


title: "She told I ate an apple" or "She told that i ate an apple"

text: Should I use `That` in this case? On my native language (Brazilian Portuguese) the `That` would be like conjunction `Que`, I don't know if in english, `That` are also used like a conjunction. If yes, the correct phrase would be `She told that i ate an apple`? I am a begginer in english language, so i'm sorry if I wrote something wrong, thanks.


title: Is the word "that" overused?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence Is it wrong or in bad form to constantly use the word "that" when it can be omitted? >   1. The test **that** she took was so difficult **that** she began to > sweat. >   2. The test she took was so difficult she began to sweat. > I find myself writing more along the style of 1., but for some reason, I feel like it's not good form. Is there a grammar principle to confirm or refute this intuition?


Is it correct to use a double “that” in a sentence? For example, I saw the following sentence in a book, and wondered whether it is correct: > If I do nothing else in Wallace, I want to teach my girls **that that** they > can accomplish anything boys can do if they work hard and dedicate > themselves to achieving goals.


title: How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem

text: Have you ever had a case where you felt compelled to include strange things like a double _that_ in a sentence? If so, then what did you do to resolve this? For me, I never knew whether it was acceptable grammar. However, what I did learn was that it was a _logic distractor_ , could lead to confusion, and therefore should be reworded to avoid this.


title: Is "We all know running has health benefits" correct English?

text: "We all know running has health benefits" isn't how I would write the sentence (I'd probably say "We all know that running offers many health benefits"), but is it formally incorrect? I want to say that you really need the "that" after "we all know," but I'm not sure.


title: 'I believe I am ready'.

text: Is "I believe I am ready enough" the wrong way to say that I am ready enough? I wish to write it with reasonable confidence that I am ready enough to take up a certain challenge. Is there another other way to convey the same? Conversely - is "I believe I am ready enough" wrong way to say that I am ready enough?


title: "that is" or "which is"

text: I am writing an article in BE and I try to remain formal. I have a difficulty with that and which: (meaningless sentences) > We move from our old car to the truck **that** is his new means of > transportation or > We move from our old car to the truck **which** is his new means of > transportation Also, > This being said, we remark that the datum **that** is θ evidently > corresponds to the complement or > This being said, we remark that the datum **which** is θ evidently > corresponds to the `complement I think which must be used because it is for a subject like truck and datum here.


title: Correct usage of "which"/"that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? From what I understand the second sentence is correct, and the first is not. What are the rules on using which versus using that? >   1. Instead it produces the above, which simply is a silent error. >   2. Instead it produces the above, that is simply a silent error. >


title: Two consecutive "that", "that that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How do you handle "that that"? The double "that" problem I've encountered this sentence in a technical book: > A browsing context has a session history, which lists the Document objects > that that browsing context has presented. What is the grammaticall role of each "that" here? Can we consider using two consecutive "that" as a poor writing style from the point of user understanding?


title: How do I know when to eliminate the word "that"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses? I see the word "that" used very frequently in newspaper articles. It usually is used after the word said. Some examples: >   1. He estimated **that** it was between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. > on Thursday morning that workers realized there was diesel fuel coming up > through the ground. > >   2. The fire chief said **that** the fire departments were on the scene at > around 8 a.m. > > Are either of those "thats" needed? How does one know when it's not needed?


title: What is correct in English - "I am sorry it took so long" vs "I am sorry that it took so long"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Are there rules about using "that" to join two clauses?   * "I am sorry it took so long"    * "I am sorry that it took so long"  Are both of these sentences correct? If so, what is the difference between them?


title: "I'm sure I can do it" or "I'm sure THAT I can do it"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Use of "that" in a sentence It's all in the title. Should I use "that" as a connector, or should I refrain from using it ?


title: Is repeating the word "that" ok, if it is technically, grammatically correct?

text: E.g.: > "... with all the sustainability considerations that that entails." If I'm correct, the above example is _relative pronoun_ followed by _pronoun_ \- it just happens to be the same word for both grammatically legitimate, albeit adjacent words. Or, even an example with three _that's_ in a row: > "It wasn't that that that was referring to." The above sentence may even sound natural in common speech if delivered fluently and in a context in which it was fully understood. So if one accepts grammatical correctness and one is being clear in it being known what the examples of _that_ are adjuncts for, are repeated _that's_ acceptable after all?


title: Using either "that contain" or "which contain" in a sentence

text: Here are the original sentences: "I completed forms that contained the person's information and a description of the problem." "I completed forms which contained the person's information and a description of the problem."


title: Know or know that?

text: We know all people are... We know that all people are... What is the better or more correct way to use "know"? I rarely hear people use the word "that" after every "know" so I try to avoid it myself. But now I'm writing a paper and someone pointed out to me the lack of "that" throughout the entire writing.


title: American English: which vs that

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  When is it appropriate to use 'that' as opposed to 'which'? We've had an American Americanise some phrases for us (with the point of teaching children English), e.g: UK English: There’s a little white dog **which** lives on the second floor.   US English: There’s a little white dog **that** lives on the second floor. But there are three sentences which were not altered. We would rather not have a mixture of that and which to make things less confusing for the students. The sentences that were not changed were: I really like this pencil case which Rose gave me.   There’s a store near here which is open all night.   This is a really cool picture which I brought with me from Little Bridge. Should these be changed to **that** , or should we change the other sentences that have already been translated back to **which**?


title: What does "to blow off" mean?

text: > A child with bloodied clothing lies in a hospital, unable to move because > her legs have been blown off. CNN What does "her legs have been blown off" mean? Does it describe the way how her legs have been damaged? Does it mean an explosion or shooting? Or does it refer to the current state of her legs? Does it mean she lost her legs or that she has burns on her legs? Edit: Related, therefore I will amend my question. In the same article it is also said: > We have pictures of children under the age of 14 with half of their faces > blown away, [...] In my understanding, _to blow away_ means to kill someone. In this context it sounds a bit different. Is it the same meaning as the answers given for _to blow off_ mention? (Here: to lose a part of the face.)


title: Is "Thanks" a complete sentence?

text: When not used as a polite closing, are "Thanks" and "Thank you" sentences ending with a period? "Thanks. I appreciate your effort." "Thank you, Kevin. I will be in touch soon."


title: Correct preposition for "competence"

text: Which prepositions can be used with "competence"? Specificially, which of the following examples are valid/legal:   * I have competence on computers   * I have competence with computers   * I have competence as a programmer   * Our company has competence in programming   * Our company has competence on programming   * Our company has competence with programming and cooking   * Our company has competence within the fields of programming and cooking   * Our company has several employees with competence with programming   * Our company has several employees with programming competence


title: Knocked up, two very different meanings. But why and how did the phrase split?

text: In American English, "Knocked up" means "pregnant." I just found out via an article regarding jobs that no longer exist that in British English, they use use the phrase "Knocked up in a completely differnt way. This due to the job of knocker-uppers being the tapping or knocking on windows to awaken people in the days before alarm clocks. From "Knocked up" to mean "woken up", it appears that the meanings split somewhere between the 1920s and the 1940s. Does anyone know the history of how the meanings split and exactly why and how it happened?


title: I suggested we go together / I suggested we went together. Which is the correct usage?

text: I am having trouble with something very specific and I found both in usage but one _has to_ be better than the other. Right?   * He wanted to go back to Kazakhstan, so I suggested we **go** together.   * He wanted to go back to Kazakhstan, so I suggested we **went** together. Which uses the correct sequence of tenses?


title: What did Charlie Sheen mean when he used the phrase "banging 7 gram rocks"?

text: Today’s Quote of Time.com (TIME@time.chtah.com) carries the following line of Charlie Sheen’s remark. Being totally ignorant of the background of CBS and Warner Brothers’ cancellation of the production of the program, I have no idea about the phrase, ‘bang 7 gram rock.’ I understand the line after ‘Because that’s how I roll ...’ means he is single-mindedly do what he decided to do – to sue CBC and Warner Broth. Can somebody translate the above line into English easier for a foreign learner like me to understand? > "I probably took more than anybody could survive. I was banging 7 gram > rocks. Because that's how I roll. I have one speed. I have one gear: Go." > CHARLIE SHEEN, who on Monday night, in addition to giving incoherent > interviews, announced that he plans to sue CBS and Warner Brothers for > canceling the production of Two and a Half Men.”


title: Do vs. does in a statement

text: In the statement "Editorial use of images do not require a model release." which form of do/does would be correct? Should the verb agree with images (as in "images do not require..."), or with editorial use (as in "editorial use does not require...")?


title: Verb "to be" agreement

text: Which one is correct: "A popular approach is the so-called immersed interface methods." "A popular approach are the so-called immersed interface methods." In Portuguese, the second one would be correct, because the verb "to be" sometimes agrees with the object instead of the subject. I was wondering if in English such exception also exists, of if the verb "to be" always agrees with the subject no matter what.


title: Why is "liquorice" pronounced (or spelt) so strangely?

text: _Liquorice_ is pronounced **ˈlɪkərɪʃ**. But every other word I can think of ending with -ice is pronounced differently (such as _police_ or _rice_ ). How did liquorice get such a strange pronunciation, or alternatively, to be spelt like that?


title: Ripe with Opportunity? Or Rife?

text: The Grammarist says I should use _rife with_ rather than _ripe with_. So far so good and I agree. But is there an exception for _ripe with opportunity_? Googlefight overwhelmingly prefers _ripe_ , and I like the imagery of an _opportunity tree_ ripe with fruit. Which is correct: _ripe with opportunity_ or _rife with opportunity_?


title: How to quote from a book which is a collection of stories by various authors?

text: I need to quote a sentence from a book which is a collection of stories of various authors. So usually when quoting a book I would put something like "lalalalala"(John Doe p.101) Now I am not sure if in this case for the authors name I should put down the textbook's author's name or the short story's author name that I am quoting.


title: Adjectival order of "National African weightlifting federations"

text: Which order is correct?   1. National African weightlifting federations.    2. African national weightlifting federations.    3. African weightlifting national federations.


title: Meaning of "crowded out"

text: What does _crowded out_ mean in the following sentence? > Adultery and theft of food or animals were **crowded out** by highway > robbery, pickpocketing and other crimes common to an increasingly industrial > and urbanized center.


title: How to use "who" vs. "that"

text: I often get confused when trying to use who vs that. Some examples that often confuse me: ### _That_ > The person that went to the store. > > The people that went shopping. > > The persons that went shopping. > > The group that went shopping. ### _Who_ > The person who went to the store. > > The people who go shopping. Please explain when to use either for plural subjects and singular subjects. Animate and inanimate objects as well.


title: Should you use "who" or "that" when talking about multiple people doing something?

text: Which of the following is correct? >   * There were 10 people **that** went to the store. >   * There were 10 people **who** went to the store. > **Edit:** Which of the following is correct? >   * There were 10 people **that** had brown hair. >   * There were 10 people **who** had brown hair. >


title: Can the word "that" be used to refer to people?

text: I came across this SAT Question of the Day: > Unbelievable as it may seem, many individuals **that fought** in the > American Revolution were still alive in 1839, the year the world was > introduced to photography. (choose the error - the 'answer' is in bold) It noted that the reason "that fought" is wrong is that 'The relative pronoun “that” may not be used to refer to people (“individuals”) and should be replaced with the relative pronoun “who.”' I had thought that the word "that" could refer to both people and objects (while which was reserved for objects and who reserved for people). Am I wrong?


title: Rules about using that to describe people?

text: Can I say, "He is the only person that I know."? Are there rules about using that to describe people?


title: Can I say "people that I'm not familiar with" ?

text: Hello everyone I would like to know if my sentence is or is not correct. "I don't share my hobbies when I speak to someone is not aware of them like a relevant, a wife, and anyone that I'm not familiar with."


title: What to use : "that" or "who"?

text: Consider this sentence : "I was going down the hill and on my step down I saw a guy **who** appeared to be disguised". "I was going down the hill and on my step down I saw a guy **that** appeared to be disguised". which is correct usage of English in such case that or who?


title: Use of that vs who

text: Is it correct to say 'He is the one that did it' instead of saying 'He is the one who did it' ?


title: who vs that as a pronoun

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to use: who/that I have seen many writers using _"that"_ as a pronoun in cases where _"who"_ should be used. For example, a book author says I apologize to those of you **_that_** are unable to obtain electronic copies. Should it not be I apologize to those of you **_who_** are unable to obtain electronic copies. Or is it wrong to use the latter, in the modern context?


title: When to use that and who

text: When are the relative clause "who" and "that" used? Someone told me it depends on what sounds better: > Rosa is the woman **_whom_** I love. But > The child **_that_** asked my wife was not from this neighbourhood.


title: Which is correct? Users who or Users that?

text: I'm often confused by the correct use for "who" and "that". I believed always that "who" in a sentence refers to people or persons and "that" refers to inanimate objects, machines, animals, etc. In the case of: "SATA III SSD drives are ideal for users **that** demand maximum performance." I believe should read: "SATA III SSD drives are ideal for users **who** demand maximum performance." Gregg


title: 'Which' applied to brute animals

text: I found the phrase “... the horse _which_ ran was not the horse nor of the age which he was represented to be at the time of entry ...” in a sentence of _Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York 9 Executive (E) - Chapter 1, Subchapter A : State Racing Board Thoroughbred Rules, 4039.19._ [->] Is _which_ wrong in the phrase above, or is it the exact word as the horse is a brute animal? To be clear, which is grammatical : "... the horse _which_ ran ..." or "... the horse _who_ ¹ ran ..."? ¹ See the following nGram for "cat who" (cat: no brute), "dog who" (dog: no brute), "horse who" (horse: brute) and "bull who" (bull: brute). ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/zrFSu.png)


title: "Who" as applied to non-human animals

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How to use “who” vs. “that”   >  ‘Which’ applied to brute animals Is the use of "who", as applied to non-human animals, ever considered grammatically correct? Would it be correct to refer to a cat as "the same cat who I saw yesterday" instead of "the cat that I saw yesterday", or is this considered incorrect?


title: Pronunciation of 'cos' (as in the mathematical term)

text: What is the correct pronunciation for the mathematical abbreviation 'cos' when it is _not_ pronounced in its complete form 'cosine'? I pronounce it as 'k-aw- ss', but a couple of Canadian friends I have pronounce it as 'k-oh-s' (like the adjective 'close'). I tried looking up dictionaries but none that I came across list the IPA / phonetic pronunciation for the mathematical abbreviation. (I think the former is the British English pronunciation, and the latter is the American English / Canadian English pronunciation.)


title: How and why have some words changed to a complete opposite?

text: One example that comes to mind is _terrific_ which originally denoted something quite terrorising while now it has positive connotations... How and why did these changes occur?


title: Origin of current slang usage of the word 'sick' to mean 'great'?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  How and why have some words changed to a complete opposite? How did 'sick' come to mean 'awesome' or 'really good / cool' in modern U.S. slang? I'm interested in origins and possibly regional patterns, if applicable. This usage reminds me of the use of 'bad' to mean 'totally awesome' in the 80s. It would be interesting to know how that came about as well, and if the pattern is related...


title: Changes in meaning of "bad" and "bad ass"

text: How did the definition of _bad_ change over time? When did it change to mean _good_?


title: Is (or was) the exclamation "Nuts!" crude?

text: During the Battle of the Bulge, when asked to surrender, US General McAuliffe answered with the single word "Nuts!" I know that "nuts" can be a crude way to refer to testicles ("He got hit in the nuts by the baseball") but I've always thought of the exclamation ("Aw, nuts!") as anodyne. Would a kid saying it in the 1940s have had his mouth washed out with soap?


title: Prepositions and Corners

text: Does one use "on" or "at" in the following: > Kate met him at the corner > > Kate met him on the corner. Or are they the same?


title: "I am yet to see" versus "I have yet to see"

text: What is the difference between > I am yet to see X and > I have yet to see X and in which situations would each be preferred?


title: Past tense of "he bears the weight"

text: I'm trying to figure out what the correct past tense form of "he bears the weight" would be. Wiktionary says that "bear" has a simple past "bore" and a past participle "borne", but I don't understand when one is used instead of the other. So, would the correct form be > He has bore the weight or > He has borne the weight ? It would also be helpful if I could see example sentences for "borne" and "bore" to illuminate the distinction.


title: Ending a sentence with "?!" or "!?"

text: When ending a sentence with a `?` and a `!`, is there a rule which one comes first? That is, `?!` or `!?`? If either is okay, are they interchangeable, or for difference circumstances?


title: Why is there a [sic] in this passage?

text: The following passage comes from _The American Journey_ (sixth edition), page 156. It's a quote of George F. Regas, addressing President George W. Bush (not in person). Notice the `[sic]` after the word _preemptive_ , indicating some kind of misuse of the word or other kind of error. But what's the error? I googled this quote and got many hits. Other than the cited book, none use `[sic]`. ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/uYg2b.png)


title: Grammar corrections for song for Early Modern English play

text: I wrote a song for a play I'm writing where I utilize a degree of early modern english, it's not entirely in archaic prose as for many audiences that would be a turn off, as its a comedy and a pastiche so it's only lightly used and blended with more modern conversation. Think 'Kiss Me Kate' but when I do use I'm trying to make sure I'm using the grammar correctly and not wrong. As I said I wrote a song for it, during a "play within a play" scene and I'm having some trouble figuring out if I'm conjugating some of the verbs correctly, a lot of these are I think the imperative since the character is asking/commanding something of someone else so I'm a bit confused. Can anyone make any corrections for me? The song is addressing the moon as if it were a person; i.e. the goddess Diana Pale moon, pale moon go fade into the night away, adrift for sad light, sad light is lade by thy face white and cold. O how swift (O how swift) I get lost and turned quick a fool in moth hours wan and blue under thy silvered shone. O who’ll beareth the heft (beareth the heft) of this folly that runneth me through? (For in truth I’ve given all my sprigs of rue, offered up all sprigs of rue.) O spare my heart and spare my head from thy hunt, thy fleet and forest train. No hounds, no hounds that teareth and shred, they art not mine (not mine) this bane. Let me alone, alone my eyes to sleep I bid thou sink into the mirror’d sea and cease, cease, a sabled state so deep, bringest good reason back to me.


title: How to pronounce the 's at the end of names that end with s

text: For example: Lucas's dog was joyful. do I pronounce the first word the exact same as if I just said Lucas, or do I say lucas-es?


title: 'Take' or 'use' for elevator/ stairway?

text: Should I say, > **Take** the elevator to floor number x or > **Use** the elevator to floor number x? I want to know the same for stairways. [This phrase is used in an app and to avoid the detection of _-st_ , _-nd_ , _-rd_ and _-th_ , I want to use only 'number x'.]


title: "User accounts" or "users account"

text: Is it correct to say _user accounts_ or _users account_ when referring to the accounts any user has on a site like this one? In general, in the case of a noun that is used as adjective for the noun that follows, is it better to use `<plural-noun> <singular-noun>` or `<singular- noun> <plural-noun>`?


title: Singular or Plural Before List?

text: I'm trying to write a list of features available in my product, and I'm confused what the title should be: Should I say "Features List" (features are plural) or "Feature List" (feature is singular). Thanks in advance.


title: Is it correct to say products line or product line?

text: If a company has several products, is that a products line or a product line?


title: Should "Ladies" be marked with an apostrophe in the noun phrase "Ladies beer"?

text: What should it say on a label: Is it "ladies' beer" or "ladies beer?"


title: Is it incorrect to refer to a set of things by using the singular form of the objects it contains?

text: I'm sorry I couldn't word that better, the following example will hopefully clarify: ![sample picture](http://i.stack.imgur.com/X1FzX.jpg) As you can see, the teacher refered to the bank of words as "word bank", as opposed to "words bank". Which one is correct? If "words bank" is the only correct usage then wouldn't it be fair to say that the exercise was resolved perfectly?


title: "student list" vs "students list"?

text: What is more accurate to say when writing a noun before a list?   "student list" or "students list" (also "student group" vs "students group")


title: program links VS programs links

text: If I wanted to say: `this folder contains the links to all the programs`, should I use: `this folder contains the program links` or `this folder contains the programs links` ?


title: Is it correct to say "lesson count" or "lessons count"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "user accounts" or "users account"? If I mean "number of lessons", which grammatical construction should I go for? I can imagine three of them:   1. Lesson count   2. Lessons count   3. Lessons' count


title: Journalists' Solidarity Forum / Journalist Solidarity Forum

text: Which of the following is correct:   1. Journalists' Solidarity Forum   2. Journalist Solidarity Forum


title: plural nouns: should I add "s" ending to both nouns?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  “User accounts” or “users account”   >  “BookList” or “booksList?”   >  Is it correct to say “lesson count” or “lessons count”?   >  should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list”   >  “Employee list” or “employees list”   >  "Thing count" or "things count"   >  And others I know I can say > what color of towel do you like? And the same: > what towel color do you like? I also know I can say the same about multiple colors: > what colors of towels do you like? But I'm not sure if I should say: > what towels colors do you like? or > what towel colors do you like?


title: User’s Guide vs Users’ Guide

text: I’ve been looking over what has been posted regarding the use of _’s_. I used to be a Technical Writer (years ago). The title of one of our training documents was _Users’ Guide_. Once, a coworker said every time he saw that title he expected users to start coming. Never made any sense to me, but I have to admit that the majority of us didn't understand the use of _s’_ in place of _’s_. What is the difference?


when a noun is used as an adjective is it always singular, eg Event Request or Events request? Service Request or Services REquest?


title: "Boys bicycle" vs. "boy's bicycle"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  User’s Guide vs Users’ Guide When describing, for example, a bicycle for boys as "a boys bicycle", should it be "boy's" or "boys"? The phrase is not implying ownership but the type of bicycle, in the same way as one for either sex might be described as _unisex_.


title: Item queue vs items queue? Files list vs File list?

text: My question is connected with programming. I'm not sure how to name my class. Should it be _ItemQueue_ or _ItemsQueue_? We are talking about queue, which stores many items. We can add new ones or remove existing. Similary, what about _file list_ / _files list_? I have always wondered which form should I choose.


title: First year's conference or first years' conference?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  User’s Guide vs Users’ Guide As in, a conference that is for people in their first year of, say, University.


title: "Book market" or "books market"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account" Which is correct: _book market_ or _books market_? Similarly, is it _pirate bay_ or _pirates bay_?


title: Young Surveyors Network or Young Surveyor Network?

text: I'm a surveyor and we are currently setting up our network. However, there seems to be a disagreement on the proper name of the group. The group is composed of young surveyors under the age of 35, hence the name **Young Surveyors Network**. However, somebody in the group has challenged it and has asserted that it should be **Young Surveyor Network**. Personally I think the original name is just fine but I'd prefer more ammunition _wink wink_ Can somebody resolve this issue? Should it be **Young Surveyors Network** or **Young Surveyor Network**? Or does it need to take an apostrophe and be **Young Surveyors' Network** Thanks in advance!


title: Multiple plural, any rules?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account?" What is correct way to use _-s_ when talking about multiple plurals? For example, what is correct: _items positions_ or _item positions_ or _items position_? In context: "I will update all items positions". What is correct _cars categories_ or _car categories_ or _cars category_? In context: "Please tell me what cars categories do you know?"


title: “Members’ gallery” vs. “members gallery”

text: What would I use when setting up a gallery for many members to submit to? I am thinking, _Members’ Gallery_ , as it is a gallery belonging to all the members, but I frequently see the use of just _Members Gallery_.


title: Use of the plural with list, and when item count is 0

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "user accounts" or "users account"? I keep asking myself which form is the most correct when listing items on a website:   * "Article list"   * or "Articles list"? Also, when nothing was found, do you say:   * "No items were found"   * or "No item was found"   * or more simply "No item(s?) found?


title: User’s/Users’/Users Group

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User's guide" vs. "users' guide" If referring to a **_Users Group_** (meaning a group made up of multiple individual users who have some control of the group itself), would you use:   * A: User’s    * B: Users’   * C: Users I have read the post on the User’s guide but in this case, plural is appropriate since the group does not belong to one individual. Wikipedia suggests _Users’_ (or _Users_ ) and in my domain, a leading stats software company has a Users Group, though they then use _user’s group_ as part of the description. What do you think — A, B, or C?


title: What is correct form of writing: "users names" or "user names"?

text: Let me ask you a question which I've derived from my programming practice: Let's assume, I have a number of users represented by their names: John, Pete, Stanislaw, Marc, ... What words should I use to name such collection of names of users: **user names** , or **users names**? Thanks. * * * To provide more context, here is similar example for programmers: JSON of objects: `[{"id": 1, ...}, {"id": 2, ...}, {"id": 3, ...}, ...]` How should I name a variable representing a collection of identificators (ids) of given objects:               var objectIds; // or     var objectsIds;          var objectIdentificators; // or     var objectsIdentificators;      ?


title: Task breakdown vs Tasks breakdown vs Tasks' breakdown

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account"   >  should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list”   >  “Book market” or “books market” Which one(s) are correct to indicate the division in(to) tasks of a certain undertaking?               1) Task breakdown     2) Tasks breakdown     3) Tasks' breakdown      I would like to understand the "why" of it rather than get an Ngram-like usage statistics chart, please.


title: "Election results" or "elections result"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account?" When announcing the results to a series of elections, what sounds better as a title? Even though I believe _Elections Results_ seems to be the logical answer, _Election Results_ is by far the better-sounding choice in my head. I did a quick Google search and found that the internet seems to agree by about 10-to-1: that an election can refer to the act of voting for multiple people. If anyone has a very strong reason for or against, I'd like to hear it.


title: "feed aggregator" instead of "feeds aggregator"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Is it correct to say "lesson count" or "lessons count"? I find it odd that the common expression (see Wikipedia for example) is "feed aggregator" rather than "feed*s* aggregator". I would find the plural more meaningful with the concept of aggregating :). Does this happen in other English expressions? Why?


title: "BookList" or "booksList?"

text: > **Possible Duplicates:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account?"   >  Is it correct to say "lesson count" or "lessons count"? I'm wondering wether or not I should use a plural form noun with a collection name. For example, which one is correct, bookList or booksList (obviously they are variables in a programming language)?


title: To apostrophe or not to apostrophe

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  User’s Guide vs Users’ Guide I am sorry if this is really obvious but I can't work out from Wikipedia if it's right to use one here. My English is terrible but I try: > Christmas parties are the cornerstone of most (companies | company's | > companie's) cultures. Could someone please set me straight? Thank you very much.


title: "Car sale" vs "Cars sale"

text: I have always thought that the latter: **Cars sale** , is incorrect; yet Google returns almost the same number of results for both! My concern is about **Rule extraction** and **Rules extraction** to be precise; for a Chapter title! P.S. Clearly, we are selling many cars (or extracting many rules); not one!


title: "Employee list" or "employees list"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  User’s Guide vs Users’ Guide   >  should a list of tokens be called a "token list" or a "tokens list" I know we can use _list of employees_ , but I'd like to know which is preferred or more correct: _employee list_ or _employees list_?


title: "Countries List" or "Country List"?

text: > **Duplicate of:**   >  “User accounts” or “users account”   >  “Employee list” or “employees list”   >  Should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list”   >  “BookList” or “booksList?”   >  Is it correct to say “lesson count” or “lessons count”?   >  "Thing count" or "things count"   >  And others Which of the following are correct? >   1. Countries List >   2. Country List > It is the title of a web page where users can view the list of countries and select one.


title: photographers' club of detroit or photographers club of detroit?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User's guide" vs. "users' guide" I prefer non-possessive form of the name of the club: photographers club of Detroit. Is it correct?


title: "Username", "user name" or "user-name"

text: In computer science, you should have a _username_ or a _user name_ or a _user- name_ and a password to be able to log into the system. Which one is the correct spelling?


title: of areas involved with patients’ care - or patients care?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  User’s/Users’/Users Group What would be the correct way with UK English spelling: patients' care or patients care? I have terrible search skills, I could not find an appropriate answer (did not know how to search for these "'s" or "s'" differences).


title: "Contact group" or "Contacts group"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account?" I'm writing software, and I need to create an object that will contain a group of contacts. Contacts can belong to more than one group. If I wanted to shorten "group of contacts," would I refer to it as a contacts group, or a contact group?


title: Student Association or Students Association

text: We are forming a new organization which is going to be named either “Nepalese Students Association” or “Nepalese Student Association”. I am confused on which one is the grammatically correct form? _Student_ or _Students_?


title: From a grammatical point of view, how is "Star" in Star Wars being used?

text: What is the grammatical term for the way the word "star" is used in the name Star Wars? Some non-English speakers are concerned that more than one star is implied in the concept and therefore the name is wrong.


title: Plural form for noun preceding another noun

text: I'm working on a web service and we need to create new menu section, which should list entities to configurate different shops' parameters. Which form of this phrase is right in this case and why?   * Shop configuration   * Shops configuration   * Shops' configuration


title: Thing count or thingS count

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account"   >  Should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list”   >  “BookList” or “booksList?” When there are many of things what of the following will be correct:   * thing count, thing collection, ... (singular `thing`)   * thing* _s_ * count, thing* _s_ * collection, ... (plural `things`) ?


title: Is It “Category URLs” or “Categories URLs”

text: I want to talk about several categories. Each category has only one URL. Which one is correct and why?   1. Category URLs   2. Categories URL   3. Categories URLs


title: should a list of tokens be called a "token list" or a "tokens list"

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  "User accounts" or "users account?" I ask because a list of tasks would usually be called a "task list". However a list or previous winners of a competition seems to be called a "winners list" rather than a "winner list". Thanks.


title: “Not only . . . but (also)” correlative conjunction question

text: > The amount of jobs that have been transferred out of state in the past five > years is staggering; **not only** manufacturing jobs **but** white-collar > ones have moved as well. Is this appropriate usage of the correlative conjunction? It's comparing two noun phrases, but I'm concerned with the positioning of the verb phrase. Should the sentence be "Not only have manufacturing jobs moved, but white- collar ones have moved as well." Would it be redundant in this case? Side note: This is an SAT question concerning comparisons.


title: What word would I use to say that a thing has left its usual environment to experience something?

text: I’m trying to say in one or two words that all of a group of animals and people have taken a leap beyond their usual comfort zone for a reason. This is the context: Some fish fly; some birds swim. Some people leave behind old restraints or habits. All are reaching for something, or escaping something. How can I describe that in a short label? I thought of escaping normality, or escape of some kind, but _escape_ does not convey the reach that is also part of the phenomenon. Would _intrepid_ fit this? What other possibilities are there?


title: What does 'ten of six' mean in regard to time?

text: I am referring of course to the expression describing time. Today a corporate trainer (From north Philadelphia) that is teaching a class at my company used it in the context that the current time was 'ten of six' (5:50PM), but I have always thought of it as 'ten of six' (6:10PM). Which usage is correct?


title: Meaning of "10 of 8"?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  What does 'ten of six' mean in regard to time? In a Family Guy episode (The Hand That Rocks The Wheelchair), Meg asks "is it 10 of 8?", apparently looking up at the clock and referring to the fact that the time is 7:50. Is this a commonly used term to refer to the time as being "10 minutes to 8", or is it just a Family Guy thing? If it's common (I've never heard it before), what does it stand for, if "10 to 8" stands for "10 minutes to 8"?


title: Am I allowed to start a sentence with "Composed"?

text: >   * **Composed** of an assortment of ten libraries including inhibitor > library, stem cell signaling compound library, and anti-cancer compound > library, among others, our bioactive screening libraries are ready-to-use > chemical libraries for drug discovery, drug target identification, and other > pharmaceutical-related applications. >   * **Being composed** of an assortment of ten libraries including inhibitor > library, stem cell signaling compound library, and anti-cancer compound > library, among others, our bioactive screening libraries are ready-to-use > chemical libraries for drug discovery, drug target identification, and other > pharmaceutical-related applications. > Am I supposed to start a sentence with "composed"?


title: Is it proper to say "I earned -1 points today" when I lost 1 point?

text: Suppose I play a game where I can lose points as well as gain them. Usually I'll say: > I earned 10 points today, hooray! But what if I lost points and still want to use "optimistic" verb? > I earned -1 points today, bummer Is this grammatically correct?


title: "I had John return the video": why do we use "return" instead of "returns" or "returned"?

text: > I had John **return** the video for me. In this sentence, why do we use _return_ and not _returns_ or _returned_?


title: When to repeat a paragraph?

text: I was reading through this article recently, and I noticed that the first and seventh paragraphs are identical. Stylistically speaking, is it common to repeat entire strings of text as shown here? Speaking personally, I find it awkward to be reading the same thing over again. I'm not seeking a definitive ruling on this, but rather opinions on the prevalence of this particular styling and formatting choice.


title: Are these questions grammatically correct?

text: I have seen questions like   * "He went through all that just to go to Columbia?"   or   * "That's the Ferrari?"  and I would like to know if they are grammatically correct.   Can you use questions like that in regular speech?   Can you even start a question with "you" or "that"?


title: Etymology of "Utopia"; counterintuitive

text: How did the word "Utopia" (coined by Sir Thomas More) come to mean an ideal place when the Greek etymology specifically means "Not a place." Relatedly, while this might be the prime use of the word "irony" or "ironic", does anyone have a suggestion for a word matching the general public's ideal definition of "Irony?"


title: Simple past sounds better but past perfect seems more accurate

text: I think it's grammatically more accurate to say,"The market was closed after a virus had been found." However, it sounds "better" to say,"The market was closed after a virus was found." Grammatically, can there be any justification for the second version?


title: Present perfect continuous

text: Are the answers I chose correct. My choices are in bold. I **have been pumping** /I have pumped up three tyres. Would you like to do the forth? I **have been greasing** /I have greased my car. That's why my hands are dirty. She has been polishing/has polished this table all the morning and she is not satisfied with it yet. ( I chose both answers as correct, but accroding to the test my answer was wrong.) I only have been hearing/ **have heard** about him twice since he went away. He **has been riding** /has ridden, that's why he is wearing breeches. I have been pulling up/have pulled up dandelions all day. ( I chose both forms) I have been hearing/ have heard from her regularly. She is a very good correspondent.(I chose both forms) I have been making/have made sausage rolls for the party all the morning.(I chose both, but I am not sure 'have made' is correct.) How to explain why using other choices would be wrong?


title: What does it mean "mulls action"?

text: > Spain **mulls action** over blame for E. coli outbreak Source: Reuters


title: Using 'already' before adjectives

text: Is the usage of the word 'already' in the following sentence correct? > We have used an already calibrated camera fixed on the robot.


title: Correct capitalisation of "Machiavellian"?

text: Does the adjective Machiavellian always have a capital letter? For example: > The Machiavellian Iago manipulates Othello into believing his wife, > Desdemona, had an affair. Not sure if this is anything to go by but, Microsoft Word corrects the word to have a capital. I am not sure if this is also the case when it is an adjective.


title: Why is it called 'renewable energy'?

text: There's a lot of buzz these days about 'renewable energy', and with Germany's recent decision to close down their nuclear plants by 2012, activists are talking about moving to completely 'renewable energy'. But, why is it called that? What is actually being renewed?


Take the following sentence: My idea is similar to his idea but not quite the same. Is there a single word which means " similar but not quite the same"?


title: Didn't find what (you are/you were/you're) looking for?

text: I'm trying to figure out how best to word the above sentence. It's for a web page, and at the bottom of the page there will be a search bar. To me "you are" or "you're" is the best fit, because the idea is you've scrolled through the page, and not found what you're after, so you're still looking. Which of those (if any?) would be the correct way to phrase this question? Also, I'm not sure how to tag this question, so any edits welcome.


title: Can a sentence end in "left"

text: Which is the correct phrase: > You have 5 days **left** of your trial. or: > You have 5 days of your trial **left**.


title: Is "cast the balance to some/someone's side" a standard usage or a figure of speech?

text: > ...this biass, though, perhaps, it may not appear in a few throws, will > certainly prevail in a great number, and will cast the balance entirely to > that side. (David Hume, _Of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Sciences_ > , I.XIV.3) The meaning of this sentence is clear. But is the style of “ **Cast the balance to that side** ” a very literal one? Can I use it in scholarly writing? For example, > China has concentrated government, huge population..., but in her > competition with America, she must be the loser, because democracy and > freedom will cast the balance entirely to America’s side. Is “ **Cast the balance to some/someone’s side** ” a standard usage or a figure of speech?


title: Origin/reason for the expression "on the bus" instead of "in the bus"

text: This is sort of a follow up to my question here. I was told a while ago that the reason why we use "on the bus" instead of "in the bus" is because back in the day buses were open, that is, they didn't have a roof. Is this story correct or is there another reason why the correct expression is "on the bus", in spite of the fact that when one gets on the bus, he is actually _inside_ the bus?


title: Get in vs. get on

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Origin/reason for the expression “on the bus” instead of “in the bus” I'm an EFL (English as a foreign language) teacher and I haven't been able to come up with a good principle for which preposition to use after _get_ when referring to transportation. Some examples:   * Get in:      * a car/taxi/van/truck, etc.   * Get on:      * a bus/plane/bike/truck, etc. How can one choose whether to use _in_ or _on_? Note that in some cases, such as the example with _truck_ , either preposition is possible but the choice affects the meaning. I've been telling my students that there is no rule, so they just have to memorize which preposition to use, but I'm really hoping I'm wrong. This question would be better suited for the upcoming English Language Learners Stack Exchange, but it hasn't entered beta yet. More committers are needed.


title: Can we really "get in" or "get on" a thing?

text: > **Possible Duplicate:**   >  Origin/reason for the expression "on the bus" instead of "in the bus" Can we really "get in a bus" or "get on a bus" in Standard English usage?


title: Word/phrase for taking the pilot out of the equation in turning a piloted aircraft into a UAV

text: Is there a word/phrase for the process of taking the pilot out of the equation in turning an existing piloted aircraft into a UAV? How would you describe it? I am thinking of something that begins with "de-" but can't complete it.


title: A way of describing the lesbian parent that is not pregnant?

text: A friend of mine is in a long term relationship with her female partner. After deciding they wanted a family, my friend's girlfriend got pregnant. Normally when talking about a couple expecting a baby you would use phrases like > An expectant mother or Mother-to-be (i.e., the woman is pregnant) or > An expectant father or Father-to-be (i.e., the man's partner is pregnant) According to my friend, having used the traditional phrases so far has led to people saying things like "But you're not even showing!" or "Well, I don't think you should be drinking!" etc... She's taken to humorously calling herself the Father-to-be instead which has got me wondering. How would you convey the message that although somebody is a mother-to-be, they are not the ones that are pregnant?


title: present or past participles?

text: I am very confused of the grammars behind the phrases or words like problem finding, problem solving and pain killing. I feel that rather than present participle, past participles should be used because the proposed nouns, like problem and pain, are the objectives of the verbs, like find and kill.   1. This is a pain killing pills./pain-killed?   2. This work is time-consuming. /time-consumed?   3. He has good skills in problem finding and problem solving / problem found and problem solved?


title: Is two-thirds plural?

text: Is 2/3 always, sometimes or never plural? E.g. > 1a) 2/3 of the pizza were eaten.   >  1b) 2/3 of the pizza was eaten. > > 2a) 2/3 of the visitors were men.   >  2b) 2/3 of the visitors was men. I feel that example 1 could go either way but example 2b sounds very wrong. Is there a rule for this?


title: Is there a word meaning "my child's spouse's parents"?

text: If I am introducing someone to my daughter's husband's parents can I say "Hi, I'd like to you meet my **___ __**". In-laws would not work here because they are my child's in-laws not my own. Is there a word for this relationship?


title: Is there a name for this type of sculpture?

text: ![enter image description here](http://i.stack.imgur.com/3T2eA.jpg) On a recent outing I discovered a number of these. Essentially, you look through the hole in the middle and you are facing a landmark, city, specific location, etc. Whilst this one is clearly modern, I am sure this type of thing existed historically. Do they have a name? The place I saw them doesn't have them named anywhere I could see.


title: Difference between "magnitude" and "extent"

text: Is there a difference between the two when used as in the following sentences?               The extent of the disaster was initially underestimated.      vs.               The magnitude of the disaster was initially underestimated.      Both seem very similar, but I haven't found either as a synonym for the other in a Thesaurus (only as related words).