I’ve been taught that when one mentions an object for the first time and it’s countable, one should use a/an before it. I know that there are exceptions, when you speak of a renoun object which everybody knows, like the moon. But I cannot see why the author uses definite articles in some places in … Read more
I do know an adjective (without a noun) in this construction can be followed by a to-infinitive, as in: It is not acceptable to kill a goat in that way. It is not good to kill him here. But, is it also grammatical to insert a noun after the adjective without changing anything else in … Read more
Can anyone help me, please? In this context, “so that they [shoppers] buy products which their reasoning higher brain knows that they do not need or particularly want,” is “reasoning an Adjective or a Noun? More likely an Adjective, but the Adjective of “reason” appears to be “reasonable”. Any ideas? Answer Reasoning is the present … Read more
Sometime before nouns there’s no definite or indefinite articles like in this sentence (before representatives and congressional districts): The House of Representative is composed of representatives elected from congressional districts. Answer Plural nouns do not require articles. A singular noun does. There is a singular house and multiple representatives in “The House of Representatives”, which … Read more
When speaking about non-mathematical groups of items (i.e. a series), is there a plural usage for the word series? My favorite book series are all crime novels. Is it correct to use series as a plural here? Answer The word series is one of those irregular nouns in English which is the same both singular … Read more
I wonder if we need to use a question mark following “I wonder” for requesting something. For example: I was wondering if you’d like to come to the cinema with me this evening? Is using the question mark correct here? Answer Maybe, but I wouldn’t, since the question “I was wondering if you’d like to … Read more
If a book is written in past tense, how do you describe something which was in the past? For example: I was waiting in the back of the line because I “punched” the son of the principal. The verb “punch” happened in the past of the past. Should I use past perfect tense here just … Read more
I read a paper about lake and got confused about the following sentence (lower left in page 11256), because it has so many “and”, “that”, “in proportion to”. I do not know which part of the sentence belongs to which word above. Short-term bioassays indicated that C-limited (i.e., carbon limited) photosynthesis and algal growth and … Read more
I am translating Aristotle’ Nicomachean ethics into Vietnamese from the English translation done by J. A. Smith (Project Gutenberg). In Book VII of the work I came across a sentence which has proven incomprehensible to me. That is Now a man may raise a question as to the nature of the right conception in violation … Read more
Curious if this textbook example is correct. According to the textbook, “are” is incorrect and “is” should be used instead. Why is this? After days of testimony, the jury, including its two alternative members, are in deliberations and expected to deliver a verdict this afternoon. (not naming the textbook so it makes cheating harder) I … Read more
