English Language Learners Stack Exchange
English Language Learners Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [sentence-construction]

This tag is used for questions about the proper construction of sentences.

5762 questions
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15 answers

Why is "a road" incorrect in this test?

I apparently made a mistake in this text: http://www.learnenglish.de/games/articles/articles.html, where you have to fill in "a", "an" or "the" in the blanks. The relevant parts are: Looking out of {a/an/the} window I can see {a/an/the} young man.…
Hey
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18
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4 answers

Why does the spellchecker think this sentence is wrong?

Microsoft Word's spell (and grammar) checker makes the italic part of the following sentence sentence light up in green: Considering how both of the rotation vector sensors seem to have trouble handling vehicular motion, be it from static magnetic…
Svj0hn
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18
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2 answers

Is the sentence "pay some in cash" understandable?

I was in a store yesterday and I decided to get rid of all my coins, so when I was at the checkout counter, I told the clerk that: Can I pay some in cash and the rest by card? The clerk said that he doesn't understand me, and I thought maybe the…
Huan
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16
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2 answers

"A * doesn't a good * make"

I'm curious about a certain sentence construct that I've seen in different contexts. I'm talking about sentences in the following style: A * doesn't a * make. (* being a wildcard). For example: A good camera doesn't a good photographer make. A…
MoritzLost
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16
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12 answers

How do English-speaking kids loudly request something?

Yesterday, I was teaching my daughter English. She didn't want to study. She just spoke loudly, and said, in Chinese: "I strongly demand an ice cream stick!" I told her, if she could say this sentence in English I would buy one for her, but even…
Zhang
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15
votes
5 answers

We are aware of that we are short on time

I'm a S. Korean so eager to learn English. My friends and I keep practicing English, and we often run into sentences native speakers might find awkward. Please take a look at this. This is what my friend wrote. 1) We all are aware of that we are…
Jongeun Ha
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14
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3 answers

Uses of "have you had" and "did you have"

When to use have you had and did you have in sentence? e.g. 1) To ask some if he had his lunch or not? Have you had your lunch? Or Did you have your lunch? 2) To ask some if he faced this situation in past or not? Have you had this situation when…
user4084
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14
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4 answers

What's the difference between "used to like" and 'liked'?

What is the difference between used to like and liked? What is the difference if I say... When I was 4 years old, I had one pink dress. My cousins used to like it (my dress) very much. Or When I was 4 years old, I had one pink dress. My cousins…
user4084
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5 answers

Is "My neighbor Mr. Lee is 70 years old who plays basketball every day." grammatical?

My neighbor Mr. Lee is 70 years old who plays basketball every day. My teacher said that pronoun "who" is too far from the subject, so this is a grammatical error. But Grammarly told me that this sentence has no grammatical errors. Who is right?
Demarco Glover
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12
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2 answers

Sentence structure - Then up pops Netflix with

Please have a look at the quote below borrowed from the Guardian: P.A. must have thought the pandemic had pushed his association with the convicted sex offender, the late multimillionaire J.E., out of the news cycle. Even though the [law…
Obliviously Ignorant
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9
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2 answers

"of integer type" vs "of type integer"

It seems to me that it is grammatical to write The variable x is an integer. or The variable x is of integer type. But what about The variable x is of type integer. ? It does not sound incorrect to me.
user60033
8
votes
2 answers

Is it a complete sentence: "Caution murmured: it could be a trick, a lure, a trap."?

... ... For one trembling second he hesitated. Caution murmured: it could be a trick, a lure, a trap. But instinct, overwhelming instinct, told him that this was not Dark Magic. He set off in pursuit. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows "Caution…
dan
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8
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4 answers

To answer the question ((What is your name?))

There is this problem I came up with in one of my classes. How common is it to answer the question “What's your name?" with It's ________. Instead of My name's ________. I would appreciate knowing if native speakers find both forms of answer…
azita
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8
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7 answers

Can "Et cetera" make a separate sentence?

Will it be legitimate to say something like "We did nothing much this evening. John drank beer. Bob and I played cards. Et cetera."
Serguei
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7
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3 answers

Are these two expressions similar?

Let's say I am in my room, and the door bell goes off. Are these two expressions similar and have the same meaning? Is the second construct correct? By the time I get to the door, my friend has already arrived at the door. By the time I get to…
Max
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