All Questions
Tagged with descriptive-grammar word-usage
12
questions
6
votes
4
answers
568
views
In what regions is "Do you work tonight?" clear and acceptable usage?
In my answer at ELL regarding a question of whether someone is working that evening, I suggested the alternative:
Do you work tonight?
There was a comment about this being incorrect usage, because &...
- 231
-2
votes
2
answers
196
views
Verbs "COME" and "GO" followed by the gerund
Good evening everyone,
I was listening to Tears for Fears' song Everybody wants to rule the world, and I came across the line "when the walls come tumbling down". I looked the expression up ...
- 1
17
votes
4
answers
4k
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Why can’t I turn “fast-paced” into a quality noun by adding the “‑ness” suffix?
I needed to write a word that expressed the quality of being fast-paced.
"Fast-pacedness" sounded off and I looked the dictionaries up.
Collins is my favourite one. Webster I use when I need ...
- 971
0
votes
1
answer
325
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What should be the correct form of 'be' verb in the following sentence? [duplicate]
So I was asked to rewrite the following sentence with the correct tense of the verb given in bracket:
It is I who (be) to do it.
Initially I believed, the following would be correct:
It is I who has ...
- 9
0
votes
1
answer
38
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Clarity on the definition of the word "predict" [closed]
When someone says "I look forward to your predictable path" and "please continue down your very tired and predictable path" and "your arguments are right out of a playbook", what's the meaning of '...
- 101
4
votes
3
answers
654
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Is the speech after the quotative "like" always non-literal?
I like to use "like" as a quotative for non-literal speech (and non-literal speech in general), speech that no one has said but might have said if given the opportunity.
This is a useful expressive ...
- 267
1
vote
0
answers
44
views
Use of “yes” and “no” in answering questions worded in the negative [duplicate]
In studying other languages (Korean at the moment) the use of “yes” and “no” when answering questions that are worded in the negative seems to be opposite English (at least American English) style. In ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
1k
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In what contexts is "gross" commonly used to mean 144? [closed]
Are there specific items that are commonly bought/sold in a gross, or certain industries in which the term is used frequently?
- 155
1
vote
1
answer
898
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Same as.. vs as much as
I'd like to know whether the following sentences express the same meaning. Are both of them correct without the "provided with" at the end?
Have the foreigners been provided with the same level of ...
- 43
2
votes
1
answer
413
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What was the usage of EModE’s four-form system for answering yes–no questions?
It is well-known that Early Modern English, if not earlier forms of English too, had a four-form system for answering yes–no questions. ‘Yea’ and ‘nay’ answered questions phrased positively (analogous ...
2
votes
2
answers
326
views
Do usage errors exist?
...for the descriptive linguist?
I've noticed that some users on English Stack Exchange, and some reference works, tend to answer questions about word usage by referring to how words are used in ...
- 1,321
-1
votes
1
answer
106
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Can a phrase including past participle be put right behind the preposition 'of'?
For all the English grammar my teacher taught me, the element put right behind the preposition 'of' can be:
1. a noun. The leg of the desk
2. gerund leading phrase which acts as a noun: The result ...
- 1