|
For crying out loud
|
| |
I assume there is no doubt that "criminy" is a way of avoiding saying "Christ".** What about "For crying out loud"? Is that the same thing?** **These are English usage questions. Someone off-topic maybe is the reason. I have always thought it is out of respect for Jesus that people avoid using his name, etc. lightly. Am I right?... more »
|
|
|
open
|
| |
Hi When someone says "the door will be open when the room is stuffy", do you think it's wrong? I do, because it looks strange to me (I prefer "opened"), but I am not that sure. With thanks for advice. Kevin in Hong Kong.
|
|
|
Conditionals issue
|
| |
Hello Everyone, Please help. I've come across such an instance in a students' book: If the police were hoping / hoped to make an arrest, they would need to do it now. The key says that the only correct choice is "were hoping" while I don't get it. Why isn't "hoped" ok? To me it seems like "hoped" version is a... more »
|
|
|
some sentences
|
| |
Hello, everyone, Do you accept the following sentences? Thanks. --Ray (a) John ran only one business. (b) John ran only in this marathon. (c) John ran one business and in this marathon. (d) John ran only one business and only in this marathon.
|
|
|
Synonym for "on edge" (teeth)?
|
| |
We have a word in my language for the effect eating something sour has on the teeth. The only English term I know is "on edge". Is there a more specific term - even an obscure one?
|
|
|
as best
|
| |
Despite quite a number of years of English at school, I never really heard of the expression of the kind of "I'll try as best (as) I can." I only ever hear it in songs or on the telly. Until now, I've been saying "as well as I can", meaning 'to the best of my abilities', even though I realize "as well as" sounds slightly... more »
|
|
|
Anyway versus Anyways
|
| |
I never have figured it out. Why do some people use "anyway", while some use "anyways"? I use "anyway", and hearing the one with an "s" on the end just sounds weird to me. I wonder if the same people who say "anyways" also say "Wal-mart's" instead just plain old "Wal-Mart", since the latter is what's actually on... more »
|
|
|
Which comes first?
|
| |
This may be somewhat off-topic: While watching a TV show about natural disasters, I heard the comentator say, "No one was seriously injured or killed." While this may not be grammatically incorrect, it sounded awkward to me. I would prefer "No one was killed or seriously injured," with perhaps an implied "even" just... more »
|
|
|
Sounds and scripts needed
|
| |
Hi, I am looking for any English sound files (.mp3) recorded by native speakers and their scripts. I downloaded mp3 files and scripts from SpotLight ([link]). It is excellent but uses slower speed, half the normal speaking speed. Now I am looking for anything like that but with normal... more »
|
|
|
at Michigan
|
| |
Hello! Would you please tell me what you imagine when you hear the expression "at Michigan" in the following sentence? The young man called him to say that he had gone through Harvard and was now teaching at Michigan. I wonder which university the word Michigan refers to. Or is it that you cannot tell which university is meant just by "at Michigan"?... more »
|
|
|
|
