Datasets:

mteb

/

cqadupstack-english

like 0

149140

Words describing college gates

Are there any particular words to describe gates like theses ones? 

49565

Is there such a sentence — "I do what I am"?

There is a sentence "I am what I do" by Martin Buber, but is there such a sentence as "I do what I am"? Do both sentences mean the same or is there a difference?

49564

What do you call a person who loves to sit in front of the computer?

Be it surfing the net, doing work, playing games, what do you call such person who loves to stick in front of the computer? I know of some word like _netizen_ and _cybernaut_ but mostly they are referring to someone who is Internet-obsessed.

49567

Is the word "Ambivalent" = "Ambiguous"?

`Ambivalent` = `uncertainty to do two opposite or conflicting things` = `of doubtful or uncertain nature` = `Ambiguous` The above is my understanding of the two word `Ambivalent` and `Ambiguous`. Are there any kind souls that can enlighten me by telling me the distinct differences (if there is any) of both the word?

182113

When should the words yes and no be in quotations?

I am wondering how yes and no should be quoted when transcribing. A few examples: 1-Is that no you don't know, or no you weren't there?/Is that "no" you don't know, or "no" you weren't there? (I presume these aren't capitalized?) You said "no," right?/ You said no, right? 2-Her answer was no./Her answer was "no." 3-She said no./She said "no."/She said "No." 4-I take your silence as a no./I take your silence as a "no." Obviously, just saying yes or no to a question is a complete sentence, so should it be capitalized when quoting?

165851

Should "yes" always be in quotation marks when written?

There is a sentence in a diary: > When I asked if my passport would arrive next week, he said "yes". So should _yes_ always be in quotation marks when written like that?

21611

"Best Before" says "11 MA 23"; is it May or March?

I bought a bottle of juice today, and the "Best Before" date it's "11 MA 23". I always see "MA" as for March, but the store staff said that was May. What is your opinion?

49563

Is there a difference between "cash paid" and "cash tendered"?

I notice that some receipts have the words "Cash Paid" while others have "Cash Tendered". Are there differences between them? Can they be used interchangeably? Are there situation(s) where one of them will be more suitable than the other?

5697

Use of the superlative when only two items are present

When speaking with my mother a couple of days ago, I read to her a message I was sending to my cousin on her behalf ending with: **"... the birthday of your youngest."** [implying her child] She immediately leapt on this and said that as my cousin only had two children, the use of the superlative was not permitted and the comparative must be used instead: **"... the birthday of your _younger_ child."** She was adamant that this was a solid grammatical rule that she was taught throughout her education. As a younger Briton, I have relatively little formal grammatical education to older people who were better taught in this regard, so I usually defer to her on grammatical rule knowledge. Is she right? **Are superlatives not permitted when the domain of the object is only two?** To me it seems bizarre. The minimum or maximum of any set does not only exist when there are different minima and maxima, or indeed something which is neither.

27683

If it is the "better" of two options (rather than "best"), is there still the "worst" of two options?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Use of the superlative when only two items are present When choosing between two items, I've always been told it's incorrect to say one is "the best". Rather, you should say one is "the better" of the two. First, is this correct? Second, if this is correct wouldn't it be inconsistent to say one is "the worst" of the two? What should you say instead?

57216

Comparing "better" and "best"

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Use of the superlative when only two items are present Is the word _better_ used in comparing two things, or do you use the word _best_? Example used in a conversation: > A: Is there any way to get over the anxiety? > > B: Drink a shit ton of alcohol or caffeine. > > A: I like the first suggestion **better/best**. Are they both correct to say?

140358

"We provide you the ideal environment"

I wonder if I can also write "We provide you the ideal environment" or only "we provide you with the ideal environment"

124353

Difference between "rip on someone" and "pick on someone"?

The free dictionary gives this definition for _rip on_ : > give someone a hard time; to hassle someone and this one for _pick on_ : > to harass or bother someone or something, usually unfairly It sounds pretty much the same to me, but maybe there's a slight difference I don't catch?

173239

Only requires or requires only

I am always unsure about the position of "only" in the sentence. For example: > This ticket _only costs_ 5 dollars. > This ticket _costs only_ 5 dollars. Are there any difference? Which one is better?

69173

What's the hypernym for "owned" and "rented"?

If I must ask a person if his house is owned or rented, which word would make a proper relation? I am looking for something like this: > What's your [...] with the Property (or Car, or Camera)? (Owned, rented.) I want a single word to place in there, without rephrasing the question. And doesn't need to be just a real-estate property, the subject could be anything that can be owned or borrowed.

61008

What's the antonym for Schadenfreude?

Schadenfreude is the joy or pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. What is the word for joy or pleasure derived from the happiness of others?

45448

Should there be a comma in "Tell <name> <other name> says hi."?

I just wrote to someone, > Tell Alivia Wyatt says hi. Am I missing a comma? It seems like there almost has to be one between the names. I find it a strange sentence to punctuate.

154274

Systematic version of "rummage"

What is an "antonym" of "rummage?" I cannot seem to figure out a word which means "searching systematically and tidily through a mass or receptacle."

69178

Is the phrase "the alive animal" grammatically correct?

Is it wrong to use the phrase "The alive animal"? Is it alright to say, "The animal was alive."?

37636

“between” vs. “among”

Today I was cut off in the middle of the following sentence: > Between Cook, Strauss, and Pietersen— My friend said I was wrong. He said that for more than two entities, _among/amongst_ are used, and that _between_ is only for two entities. I vaguely remember some rule like this, but I asked him to hear the whole sentence, which was: > Between Cook, Strauss, and Pietersen, they’ve notched up 56 centuries in > Test cricket. Should I have used _among_ here? Seems correct to me to use _between_ , but my friend was certain. Another friend pointed out the following sentence: > I’m still choosing between Harvard, Yale, and MIT. Certainly _among_ doesn’t fit seem to fit here, and she, to me, was correct in using _between_.

69921

Is "between" always used for two things?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > "between" vs "among" I know the word **"between"** is used when we are concerned with two things. But can it be used with more than two things?

79390

"Find a new job between the posted jobs" or "Find a new job among the posted jobs"

> **Possible Duplicate:** > "between" vs "among" I have a question which one of these two is the correct sentence: > Find a new job between the posted jobs. or > Find a new job among the posted jobs.

85370

between and among? Alternate among?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > "between" vs "among" I want to use the following line item under a job in a restaurant Alternated between various job roles to meet the needs of a busy fine dining restaurant Is this correct? Or should it be among instead of between. Can you use alternate with among? "

52276

"Difference between" multiple choices (vs. "among")

> **Possible Duplicate:** > "between" vs "among" I learned that "between" refers to two objects or concepts and "among" refers to three or more. However, in situations when I am asking about distinctions, it seems correct to say, for example, "What is the difference between a horse, a zebra, and a mule?" as opposed to saying, "What is the difference among a horse, a zebra, and a mule?" What is the rule for questions like this about the "differences between" several things?

62368

Formal expression for "talking about something unrelated"

What are some words or phrases that can be used when a person is discussing a particular subject with a group of people and unintentionally she/he talks about something unrelated? I need a formal expression.

123300

Is there a term/word for using an incorrect homophone

What would you call the following: > Speak now or forever hold your piece.

44790

What are the semantic roles of the nouns following the adjective 'suspicious' in this sentence?

> 'A suspicious policeman looked at a suspicious man.' Can anybody define the semantic roles of the nouns which follow the adjective 'suspicious' in the above sentence?

168088

What does 'set up' mean in this sentence?

'Authorities are reporting a spike in thefts of Tide, and in some cities they have set up task forces where the detergent is sold to track the number of bottles in stores' Can we say its meaning is 'organize or plan something'?

44796

Why does Amy say "So needy" in this context?

I watched an episode of Big Bang Theory, here's a recap: Subtitle of Big Bang Season 4 , Episode 17 I don't quite get it when Penny told a joke and then Amy said "So needy." over the phone holding by Sheldon. Well from ODO, needy means `poor or emotionally insecure`. I'm not sure if I'm right: `Amy thought Penny is needy because Lenerd left her`? But from the previous conversation it doesn't sound like so.

160259

Can 'post' and 'after' used interchangeably?

I notice few colleagues use 'post' almost everywhere. Today one of them said 'lets meet up post noon' and I thought shouldn't it be 'afternoon'? I could be okay with 'post lunch' but somehow 'post noon' felt very awkward.

160256

The Nissan manual or the Nissan's manual?

I would like to know which of the following sentences is correct and if possible, a source accompanying your answer. (Note: Only choose which sentence is correct as regards to the title, do not mind any mistakes you might find in the sentence.) > The Nissan manual is there to help you with any trouble you might have. OR > The Nissan's manual is there to help you with any trouble you might have. I do not think there is any difference, but preferably the answer follows British English rules. Also, there is no specific Nissan, it is just in general.

160257

Word for someone talking about something as if he understands it when he doesn't

Not someone overstepping boundaries, but if, for example, I was at Jiffy Lube and suggested different things as if I knew anything about cars. Ideally (though I know it's a long shot) I'd want a word I could use when I caught myself doing it (i.e. not super derogatory, but acknowledging the social gaffe). > Sorry, I don't actually know anything about cars; I'm just [being a] __.

190334

"Food for thought" in a word

How can I express " _food for thought_ " in a word? Does such a word exist? Example usage: > The world will only know peace when our love for power is exceeded by our > power to love. That's **__** (something to think about).

160255

"How to *verb* this thing *another verb*..." vs. "How to *verb* this thing TO *another verb*..."?

Which one from the following two variants is the correct one? * How to make this thing **_to_** work...? * How to make this thing work...? I'm not an English speaker, but for me, the first variant sounds good and I used it until today. However, just today I observed that the second variant is used in many places on the internet.

66546

Is there a word that encompasses both "receiving" and "sending"?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Word for application that is both sender and receiver In the sentence _"There are many ways to receive and send information."_ , is there a word that can replace _"receive and send"_? I was thinking of the word **transmit** : _"There are many ways to transmit information."_ , But transmit seems to convey only a one-way direction instead of a two-way direction. Is there a word that encompasses the meaning of both "receiving" and "delivery" ?

46866

Which does ‘rising’ here mean, to stand up or to get angry?

Harry was sitting up on a bed in the hospital wing at school, surrounded by his visitors. Fudge, one of them, started to insult Harry. Did Mrs. Weasley want to prevent him from getting angry or from standing up and leaving his bed? (Psychologycally or physically?) > ”Insane,” whispered Fudge, still backing away. “Mad …” > > And then there was silence. Madam Pomfrey was standing frozen at the foot of > Harry’s bed, her hands over her mouth. Mrs. Weasley was still standing over > Harry, her hand on his shoulder to prevent him from rising. Bill, Ron, and > Hermione were staring at Fudge. ( _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ [US > Version]: p.709)

158711

“Fire” a weapon before firearms existed?

Did the verb “fire a weapon” exist before the actual introduction of firearms on battlefields? More specifically, does it make sense for a creative work to have archers (or whatever ranged weaponry) be told to “fire!”, when the world they live in has not yet seen firearms? It seems some kind of an anachronism to me, since before firearms, “fire” would never propel any projectile... I've seen several movies do it; I can't remember them all, but for instance I verified it in _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy (left), _Kingdom of Heaven_ (top right), and more recently _Frozen_ (bottom right):  The first two do it several times (with _Kingdom of Heaven_ also using it on ballistae, and _The Return of the King_ even having Aragorn ask Legolas to “fire a warning shot past the bosun's ear”), whereas firearms never appear on the battlefields they feature ( _Kingdom of Heaven_ is set in the 12th century; as for _The Lord of the Rings_ , apart from one occurrence of a witchcraft-ish bomb, it's archery and medieval siege engines all the way). _Frozen_ may be debatable, happening probably somewhere in the 18th or 19th century, but since we only see swords, spears and the like, it made me flinch to hear crossbowmen use “fire!”. I've also noticed other movies avoiding this, using “loose!” instead, such as _Troy_ (left) and _Gladiator_ (right):  This makes me think it would be the right thing to say instead... although I'm still wondering why not use “shoot”, which seems simpler to me.

158712

What is the (explicit) meaning of "Till daddy takes the t-bird away"

I first heard this in an audio-book. I do understand the implicit meaning but I always wondered what this really means and the background of this phrase. I have tried searching the Internet but all I could find were lyrics of a song and other places where this is used. I am not very good at English idioms so please bare with me if I am asking something that's well known. Thanks for your time!

17973

The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much"

I'd like to know how the sentence "That don't impress me much" sounds to a native English speaker. The phrase is the title of a song by Shania Twain, and to my eyes it contains a clear error. It is obviously intended, and I want to know what was the effect that the author wanted to obtain. Other examples that come to mind: * “She's got a ticket to ride, but she don't care” — The Beatles * “My love don't cost a thing” — Jennifer Lopez * “It don't matter” — Akon * “She don't care about me” — heard in the _Lost_ series * “It Don't Mean a Thing” — a jazz album title * “The Sun Don't Lie” — another album title

56197

It Don't Mean a Thing?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much" There is a jazz piece called "It Don't Mean a Thing". Should that be "It Doesn't Mean a Thing?" I've also seen an album title called "The Sun Don't Lie". Is this grammatically correct? If not, what kind of "effect" does it have?

73852

"She don't care about me": how to explain this?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much" I know the rule, the correct form is: "she doesn't care about me," but I heard it in Lost series, I read it in many lyrics; is it a mistake by the speaker or the writer? Or is it informal? I googled for it, but I didn't find useful results.

97510

Is the expression "It don't" grammatically correct?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of “that don’t impress me much” > It doesn't. Usually, we say it this way, right? But I have seen some song lyrics using "it don't". (Examples are _Breakeven_ by The Script and _Don't Matter_ by Akon). So is the expression "it don't" grammatically correct?

69195

Double negations

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Is there a rule about double negations that aren't meant as double > negations (e.g. “We don't need no education”)? > Meaning of "you don't need no memory" and its grammar or rhetoric Is there any consensus yet on how double negations should be treated? For instance: > I don't need no doctor. (coll.) Does the speaker need a doctor or not? Some authorities emphasise that logic prevails, in which case the speaker would need a doctor ( _no and no means yes_ ). However, there are plenty of others who say this is not true. When one starts from the meaning of what a speaker wants to express, he would easily come to tell that double negations do NOT make a positive sentence. The aforementioned logic-thinker, however, would just call that _rum ram ruf_ and continue by saying that the world needs to learn their language again. So: intention of speaker > logical structure of language, or not? Also, as a side note, my _mother dialect_ (a Dutch (Flemish) dialect) does have double negations as its default way of making a sentence negative. Da'k 'et **nie** -j- **en** wee = That I **not** -* _en_ * know

78759

"I don't know nothing" vs "I don't know anything"

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Is there a rule about double negations that aren't meant as double > negations (e.g. "We don't need no education")? > Double negation I'm not a native English speaker, and this question may be very basic, but I want to learn English better, so don't hurt me with downvotes. What is the difference between "I don't know nothing" and "I don't know anything"? Do they have the same meaning or opposite ones?

125964

Honey badger don't / doesn't care!

Why is it "Honey Badger don't care!" and not "Honey Badger doesn't care!" ?

59593

"I give nothing to no-one" or "I do not give anything to anyone"

I have a bit of an issue with negations. Are the following correct? _I do not give anything to anyone //I guess this is correct I give nothing to no-one //can I say that?_ Generally, is it the same to use these two statements? e.g.: _This humour does not hurt anyone. This humour hurts nobody. //is this acceptable?_ I do not know whether there is any difference or not.

20871

Meaning of "you don't need no memory" and its grammar or rhetoric

> **Possible Duplicate:** > "We don't need no education" > You don't need no memory. Just don't know what it means.

8777

Is there a rule about double negations that aren't meant as double negations (e.g. "We don't need no education")?

How can you explain that this double negation is not a double negation? Is there a rule in English about this kind of sentence? _PS / Do I have to mention Pink Floyd Copyright ? :-)_ Edit : Since there are a lot of Pink Floyd related explanation, I'll bring a Freddy Mercury one : " _I don't have time for no monkey business_ ", which I also understand as "I don't have time for monkey business". Am I right ?

161996

When can one break the rule of using "does" instead of "do"?

> Listen, Walter, because you shot Jesse James **don't** make you Jesse James. > -- Breaking Bad Why is it _don't_ and not _doesn't_?

159925

confusion of dont vs doesnt

i have heard that it should does/does not for he/she/it and do/don't for i/you/we/they But I am confused when i always get to hear people talking do and don't for he/she Even in a lecture i listened now it was said as, "That lady don't" instead of "that lady does not" Which one is correct?

130212

Grammar Mistake in Jennifer Lopez Song

What is wrong with the following Jennifer Lopez's pop song ? My Love Don't Cost a Thing

79906

"I ain’t gonna give nobody none of my jelly roll" (Armstrong, 1958)

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Is there a rule about double negations that aren't meant as double > negations (e.g. "We don't need no education")? > "I give nothing to no-one" or "I do not give anything to anyone" > (a) "I ain’t gonna give nobody none of my jelly roll." Is (a), the title of one of the odder songs in the Armstrong discography, equivalent to (b) below? > (b) "I am not going to give anybody any of my jelly roll."

4899

Double negation

How should I interpret the following lyric from America: `we ain't had no time to drink that beer`?

89536

"It doesn't matter" or "it don't matter "?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of “that don’t impress me much” I am not a native English speaker, but until now what I read was to use **does** with **it**. But in a song _Don't Matter_ , Akon uses _**It don't matter**_ in a sentence. How's this grammatically correct?

35774

“She’s got a ticket to ride, but she don’t care” — why?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much" In the famous Beatles song _Ticket to ride_ , it is said of the protagonist that **_“she don’t care”_**. Why isn’t that _“she doesn’t care”_? Is it 1960s slang, Liverpool slang, something specific to music? I welcome any hint… 

76312

"A child don't know anything" in Gadsby — grammatically right?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much" In Gadsby, which is almost grammatically not wrong at all, occurs just a solitary construction that I thought was awkward. It is said that "... folks today who claim that 'a child don't know anything.'" "No child knows anything" could own its position, as it _is_ grammatically right, and contains not that symbol that Gadsby's author is trying to avoid. Could I obtain a justification for this display of grammatical inaccuracy? Is it a willful play on grammar? For additional information, Gadsby is a lipogram, by Mr. Wright. You can flip through it at this link.

52045

"My love don't cost a thing"

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of "that don't impress me much" In the Jennifer Lopez song "My Love Don't Cost a Thing" she says: > My love don't cost a thing Shouldn't it be like this? > My love doesn't cost a thing Why does she say so?

187984

Is "He don't mean it" correct?

When I was reading the book _Because of Winn-Dixie_ , on page 89 I found a paragraph as follows: > "Oh, lay off her," Dunlap said to Stevie. Then he turned to me. " **He don't > mean it** ," he said. Can anybody tell me why the writer uses "don't" instead of "doesn't"?

94164

What is wrong (if anything) with the phrase "it don't mean nothing"?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > The grammaticality of “that don’t impress me much” > “I don’t know nothing” vs “I don’t know anything” I've noticed that sometimes people say "It don't mean nothing". But I would expect to hear "It doesn't mean anything" or at least "It doesn't mean nothing". Could anyone clarify why is that? Or it's totally OK to say that? Here is an example from the movie "Hamburger Hill", http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ernKt7JpNfM

90312

What are the differences between "disseminate", "propagate" and "spread"?

What are the differences between the three words: _disseminate, propagate_ and _spread_? Here are some examples from a fill-in-the-blank test: > 1. News is __ by means of television and radio. (disseminated) > 2. Don't __ malicious reports. (propagate) > 3. Some people are keen on __ rumours. (spreading) > I want to know the specific differences of the three words, and why they cannot be replaced with each other.

90314

Past Perfect sentences with "before"

> I had seen a documentary on the _Whydah_ before we visited it in Providence. > Sir Francis Drake had worked for the British Navy before he became a > pirate. These two sentences seem quite awkward to me because of the use of the Past Perfect. If Past Perfect clarifies which of two past events occured first, does the word _before_ render it unnecessary, and could they simply be written in past tense? > I saw a documentary on the _Whydah_ before we visited it in Providence. > Sir Francis Drake worked for the British Navy before he became a pirate.

189598

What is the difference between "super" and "superb"?

I have seen usage of both **super** and **superb**. I also searched for meaning of these two words and found they are almost identical. **Example sentences -** 1. She is a **super** girl. 2. His performance in the last game was **superb**. Use of any of those two words doesn't change the meaning of those above sentences either. Need suggestion of proper usage of these two words. When to use and why?

163345

"I hope this computer work"?

Why is the phrase "I hope this computer work" unacceptable? The word "hope" makes the phrase subjunctive, so why isn't it correct to use the infinitive verb form?

3755

Difference between an acronym and abbreviation?

_TLA_ is an acronym for "Three Letter Acronym". Is it also an abbreviation, since it abbreviates the original phrase?

50095

Can a word that sounds the same as the way it is spelt be an initialism and an acronym?

Initialisms are pronounced as words and acronyms are spelt letters. However, some words sound the same, said and spelt. e.g. Input Output can be abbreviated as IO. It can be spelt _I-O_ or pronounced _Io_ as in the moon/god. There is no way to tell the difference in how it is said or written. Is a word which is pronounced the way it is spelt, an initialism, an acronym or both?

94514

Is an acronym is always pronounced as a single word?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Difference between an acronym and abbreviation? > Can a word that sounds the same as the way it is spelt be an initialism and > an acronym? With reference to this question Difference between an acronym and abbreviation? I am getting confused in pronouncing them as a separate entity or not. When I searched on internet it confused me more. According to it, > Unlike an abbreviation, an acronym is usually pronounced as a word. You do > not pronounce it letter by letter. The British Broadcasting Corporation is > often abbreviated to BBC. We pronounce all three letters. In the case of > acronyms like NATO and AIDS, we pronounce them as words. On the contary, _PHP is Hypertext Preprocessor_ , a recursive acronym which is not pronounced as a word. Rather, we do say each letter separately but it is still an acronym. So clear my confusion over it.

38133

Acronym or abbreviation?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > Difference between an acronym and abbreviation? My question refers to the term/word ET. Some dictionaries define it as acronym standing for "extra terrestrial" and others say it is an abbreviation for extraterrestrial. Could ET be both an acronym _and_ an abbreviation?

163294

The word "Overachieving"

Does "Overachieving" have negative connotations? I was considering the title "The Overachieving subconscious" I am trying to convey that 'your subconscious is a very powerful tool' with this title; however, reading it aloud has me second guessing the titles effectiveness.

163506

Where to position adverbs

They may sound both correct but which one is more acceptable in standard written English? > She is writing a letter **now**. or > She is **now** writing a letter. Thanks

163505

Is "have" as in "I have to go" a stative verb or a dynamic verb?

You generally have two types of "have": > (1) He has two sons. (stative) > > (2) He has lunch alone. (dynamic) A stative "have" can be followed by "got", whereas a dynamic "have" cannot: > (1a) He has got two sons. (stative) > > (2a) *He has got lunch alone. (dynamic) A dynamic "have" can appear in the progressive, whereas a stative "have" cannot: > (1b) *He is having two sons. (stative) > > (2b) He is having lunch alone. (dynamic) Now, is the following "have" stative or dynamic? > (3) I have to go. > > (3a) I have got to go. > > (3b) I'm having to go.

119892

Pluralization: No's vs Nos

I was watching an Apple ad, and came across a sentence in which they form the plural of "no" with an apostrophe: > There are a thousand no's for every yes But shouldn't it be nos? Or is this just for the sake of readability? Like, > We need to dot the i's and cross the t's Edit: Apparently this has been discussed all over the web.

96070

Proper apostrophe usage?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another > apostrophe question) > Plurals of acronyms, letters, numbers — use an apostrophe or not? Take for example, you ask somebody is there's two of one letter in somebody's name. I normally write: > Two n's in Hannah? Because this looks weird: > Two ns in Hannah? Is there an English rule that approves of this apostrophe usage? Do you do it? Am I wrong for thinking _ns_ looks wierd?

194946

What's the proper usage of apostrophes in plural abbreviations?

If I were to abbreviate the word _university_ , I would most likely write _uni_ — or would _uni’_ be more correct? If I wanted to say _universities_ , would I write _unis_ or _uni’s_? My gut instinct would be to go with _unis_ , but are there any particular rules regarding this?

121846

How should one talk about multiple Greek letters in text?

I'm writing an academic paper in economics, and I'm using several different instantiations (I guess) of the Greek letter mu in several different mathematical equations. If I want to refer to all of them in my descriptive text, how should I do so? Should I write "mus"? Or "mu's"? Or should I insert the character itself, followed by just an "s"? Or followed by an " 's "?

94251

"Hail Mary", "Glory Be" in the plural

> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another > apostrophe question) In the rosary, a Catholic sacramental composed of prayer beads, there is a short prayer concluding each decade called "Glory Be" ("Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit..."). Would the plural be _Glory Bes_ or _Glory Be's_? Likewise, do you say _10 Hail Marys_?

62147

How should I pluralize letters?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another > apostrophe question) Sometimes, it becomes necessary to refer to, for instance, the instances of the letter "A" in a document. When doing so, how should I format the plural letter? I have seen `A's`, `"A"s`, `"A"'s`, and `"A"es`. Is one of these the optimal formatting, or is it something else entirely? I would like to ignore the option of rephrasing the sentence, if at all possible.

55970

Plurals of acronyms, letters, numbers — use an apostrophe or not?

When I was in high school back in the 1970s, I was taught that to make a plural of an acronym, a letter, or a number, one should add an apostrophe and "s". Like I would have written this sentence, "... back in the 1970's ..." I would write "one CD, two CD's". Etc. I followed this rule faithfully for years until a co-worker told me it was wrong. Now I can't find _any_ source that agrees with what I was taught. Is this a rule that has changed over time? Was the convention in the 70s that one should use an apostrophe but this has changed and now we do not? Or were my high school English teachers just confused?

25277

What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another apostrophe question)

When writing (a blog post, script, etc..) what is the proper way to indicate two or more instances of a single letter? For instance, in Monty Python's _Bookshop Sketch_ : > C: I wonder if you might have a copy of "Rarnaby Budge"? > > P: No, as I say, we're right out of Edmund Wells! > > C: No, not Edmund Wells - Charles Dikkens. > > P: (pause - eagerly) Charles Dickens?? > > C: Yes. > > P: (excitedly) You mean "Barnaby Rudge"! > > C: No, "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens. That's Dikkens with two Ks, the > well-known Dutch author. > > P: (slight pause) No, well we don't have "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens > with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author, and perhaps to save time I should > add that we don't have "Karnaby Fudge" by Darles Chickens, or "Farmer of > Sludge" by Marles Pickens, or even "Stickwick Stapers" by Farles Wickens > with **four M's** and a silent Q!!!!! Why don't you try W. H. Smith's? > > C: Ah did, They sent me here. I had always believed that plural never uses an apostrophe before the 's' (it's only used for possession), but I have rarely seen in written material the format "four Ms". (On a side note, whoever wrote this transcript also used "two Ks".) On a side note, and perhaps this should be a separate question, if a Compact Disc is a CD, then two Compact Discs would be two CDs right? (I see "CD's" written _everywhere_ )

112951

uninterested / me too or me either

Which statement is grammatically correct? A: I am uninterested. B: Me too./ So am I. * * * A: I am uninterested. B: I am uninterested either./ Neither am I.

112954

What is the difference between using "over" and "against" with the word "outrage"?

Examples: > 1 - An outrage against the ruling. > > 2 - An outrage over the ruling. It seems that they are almost the same thing to me.

16

When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition?

Like many others, I commonly find myself ending a sentence with a preposition. Yes, it makes me cringe. I usually rewrite the sentence, but sometimes (in emails) I just live with it. _To_ , _with_... you know who you are. Should I keep fighting myself on this one, or is it okay in some circumstances?

110793

"I'm very interested in." vs "in which I'm very interested."

> You should sell me that book I'm very interested in or is it better to write it as > You should sell me that book in which I'm very interested I know that the former is more informal than the latter, but what I do not know is whether the former is well written or not (I'm not used to write sentences that end up with a preposition)

131355

Do prepositions at the end of sentences, and split infinitives any longer matter?

In the 1950s we were strongly discouraged from placing prepositions at the end of sentences, and also from using split infinitives. Is this considered important now?

10224

Ending a clause with a preposition, rule of thumb or hard rule?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it okay to end a sentence in a preposition? So we've all heard the admonishments from our teachers not to end a clause with a preposition > A plumber visits a wealthy estate to fix a clogged toilet. As the butler > opens the door, the plumber barks out,"I'm here to fix the toilet. Where's > your bathroom at?" > > "Please try to speak with more discretion. We do not want to disturb our > neighbors with the details of our plumbing issues. And we most certainly do > not end our sentences with prepositions, sir. > > So the plumber lowers his tone and says more cordially, "I'm here to fix the > toilet. Where's your bathroom at, asshole." Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I have come under the impression that this is a rule of thumb to help the elementary student avoid mismatching case for the target of the preposition rather than a hard rule. For example by placing the preposition closer to its target, you avoid constructs like: "Who did you give the invitation to?" instead of the proper "To whom did you give the invitation?". Moving the preposition closer makes the incorrect case sound absurd. No one would ever say "To who did you give the invitation?" All of this introductory text leads up to this simple question: Is this phrase correct "Whom did you give the invitation to?" or is it still incorrect english even though we addressed the issue of case?

118809

A question ending with preposition "of"

I would like to know whether this is correct: > He uses a car **instead of** a bus. > > What does he use a car **instead of**?

64421

Is this sentence grammatically correct?

> **Duplicate of:** > When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition? > Possessive connecting word for inanimate object I am not sure about following sentence being grammatically correct: > ..such as the X fund the board of directors of which I have just became a > member. OR > such as the X fund whose board of directors I have just became a member > (of?).

143478

"for which 'blah blah'" vs. "which 'blah blah' for"

When is it appropriate to use "for which" instead of "which .. for"? e.g. (talking about webpages) > This method is useful for deprecated pages **for which** users have made > bookmarks vs > This method is useful for deprecated pages **which** users have made > bookmarks **for** My instinct is that both sentences are semantically the same. The first example seems a little archaic, and it seems to clash with my prior use of "for". However, the second example doesn't seem to emphasis that the bookmark is for the deprecated page. Is there any meaningful difference? Which should I prefer, and it what other circumstances should I use one over the other? Thanks for reading

14629

Can I end a sentence with "on"?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it okay to end a sentence in a preposition? Does this sentence make sense "I would like to propose forming a partnership where we work together to provide optimal service to the new developments you are building, or have already started construction on."

60700

There is a new search of which I've become aware / .. I've become aware of?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition? I would like to know which is correct and why: > There is a new search of which I've become aware. or > There is a new search I've become aware of.

134604

What would be proper grammar for this sentence?

Could you please tell me how to properly write the following sentence? I believe I know the grammar rule but I must not be creative enough to think of an alternative sentence structure. Here's the sentence: > I would love to see houses you've been looking at. I've never really figured out how to change a sentence like this without sounding really pompous. Such as, "I would love to see houses at which you've been looking". This sentence sounds weird and awkward to me.

180488

Clauses ending with prepositions

I often hear the rule, "Don't end a sentence with a preposition." As long as we ignore the prepositions in phrasal verbs, it makes sense that an object should follow a preposition. By the same logic, it seems like clauses should not end with prepositions either. This makes me think that the rule I've heard is oversimplified. Where does it come from, and do any standard guidelines have anything to say about trailing prepositions in the contexts of clauses and/or phrasal verbs?

134607

History of the non-rule that proscribes ending a sentence with a preposition

Famously, if not accurately, Winston Churchill is supposed to have responding to an editor who had "fixed" a sentence ending with a preposition by writing, "This is the sort of thing up with which I will not put." The terminal preposition/adverb construction is often required in German grammar and I am asking if the English "rule" that proscribes the usage arose as an expression of anti-German sentiment around about the time either the two world wars started up. What is the history of this "rule?"

19020

Why do so many people use a preposition with which to end a sentence?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it okay to end a sentence in a preposition? I see it a lot, even though my elementary teacher told me it is wrong. This is probably a new development, a sign that our language is in decay. Soon none of us will be able to understand each other. But this sloppiness is a disaster, up with which I will not put. What are your own experiences with this terrible phenomenon? How may we roll it back? Should moderators strike out at such language abuse? What do you do to correct your friends, family, and colleagues? Do you leave them notes, too? Voice mails? Should all existing literature be corrected and republished as well, the old editions burned?

80570

ending a sentence with a preposition

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition? "a soul can sense when it’s being talked to." Does this sound OK? I don't like ending with a preposition, but it does get the point across. Any suggestions to replacing the phrase "being talked to" Thanks After reading similar questions on this topic, Edward Tanguay referenced a site, http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/prepositions/ending-a- sentence-with-a-preposition.html which basically states to avoid confusion try not ending with a preposition. So I'll change it from: "a soul can sense when it’s being talked to." to one of these: "a soul can sense when it’s being summoned." "a soul can sense when it’s being addressed." Not exactly the meaning I wanted, but gets the preposition out of the way. Thanks,

101531

Sentences that end in "with"

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition? If I can't end a sentence with the preposition "with", does this mean that the following sentences are grammatically wrong? If so, why? > At least we have some information to work with. > > She is finding the job very hard to cope with. > > Blasphemy is one thing I will not put up with. Does anyone else have any examples of sentences ending with, with?

104608

Is it ok to end a sentence with a preposition?

I have a sentence: > It can be derived from either A or B. But I’m not sure how to ask the following question: > Which one of them can it be derived from? Is that ok, or would it be better if it were like this: > From which one of them can it be derived?

131503

Placement of preposition

Which of the following is the correct placement of _of_ - 1) Separate the subject from the group which he is a part _of_. 2) Separate the subject from the group _of_ which he is a part.

59307

Where to put the preposition of "approve"?

> **Possible Duplicate:** > When is it appropriate to end a sentence in a preposition? In this answer I wrote > [You can use it] to take pictures of a movie in a cinema, of which the > cinema guys probably wouldn't approve. but I am not sure if it should rather be > [You can use it] to take pictures of a movie in a cinema, which the cinema > guys probably wouldn't approve of. I found this page but I'm still unable to find out which example it relates to. (... to which example it relates?)

155633

"Should I" vs. "Shall I" vs. "Do I" in AE

In colloquial prose, is there some difference to saying "Should I/we", Shall I/we", "Do I/we" to ask someone's advice? E.g. > Should I call the police? Sounds like I'm asking someone (or myself) if I would be well advised to call the police. > Should we call the police? Sounds like I'm asking someone (or a third party) if we would be well advised to call the police. > Shall I/we call the police? Sounds like I'm asking someone to decide on whether I/we should call the police. > Do I/we call the police? Sounds like I'm asking someone if it's necessary I/we call the police (e.g. in case something in the neighborhood doesn't look or feel right to me/us) Am I right on these ones or are there some other differences I didn't notice?

118805

Using "are many" in sentence

I saw this sentence somewhere, and since I am not native speaker, this seemed weird to me. The part "are many" made the sentence not complete in my eyes and made it weird. Did they use it correctly? > The techniques and tools we use to defend our castle are many, most of them > not available to random people. Please don't mind that the sentence does not make much sense in general.