Questions tagged [phrase-usage]
This tag is for questions about how to use a particular phrase. If your question is a request for a phrase to use, you should use the "phrase-request" tag.
4,028 questions
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Can I say "he fell short of something" when he tried very little or not a lot?
The dictionary says:
fall short
fail to meet an expectation or standard.
Say a company set a sale target of 1 million dollar in revenue per year.
There are 2 situations:
Situation 1: the company ...
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Can we say "I'll be in and out" instead of "I'll be right back"?
I have been watching a lot of American movies and recently I hear people (in the movies) say "I'll be in and out" a couple of times in action movies or movies about gangsters.
The dictionary ...
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Usage Verification
Can "pretty" be used figuratively in the senses other than praising ? For example: 1) The tomorrow may likely be prettier than today. 2) We did have prettier yesterdays than today or ...
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The figure jumped from X in 2000 to Y six years later/after six years. => Are "six years later" and "after six years" bad here?
In an essay, I wrote:
The figure jumped dramatically from 0 in 2000 to 9 billion dollars six years later/after six years.
Here's his comment:
"The change did not take place six years later =&...
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Does "he took first place" mean "he took the lead" or he did it temporarily because he was still running?
I am sure these sentences imply the race is finished:
-he came first in the race
-he finished first in the race
-he won first place in the race
I am also sure these sentences imply the race is not ...
- 26.2k
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What does "I shouldn't have sprouted off like that" mean?
I have seen some American movies using the term "sprout off". I couldn't find it in any dictionary.
This phrase is from the film "Wicked 2024": "I shouldn't have sprouted off ...
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Is it correct to say "I woke up my tablet" or "I unlocked my tablet"?
I remembered an English speaker (not sure if he is a native English speaker) rejected the phrase "I woke up my tablet". He said I should use "I unlocked my tablet".
But I didn't ...
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Why isn't the verb "number" more commonly used?
The number of British visitors to the US was 500 in June.
British visitors to the US numbered 500 in June.
I started practicing writing diagram reports for the IELTS exam a long time ago, and I've ...
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Does "X amounts to Y" always equal "The amount of X is Y"?
The amount of water consumed in agriculture was 400 billion cubic meters in India in 2010.
In 2010, water consumption for agricultural use in India amounted to 400 billion cubic meters.
I think ...
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Can we say "could you put your mom on Zoom/Skype/Messenger etc" the same way we say "put somebody on the phone"?
You "put somebody on the phone" when you are talking on the phone and then you give it to someone so that that person can talk with the person at the other end.
My question is that
Can you ...
- 26.2k
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do we say "to be made out of something" in the simple present tense?
We often use the structure "to be made of something" in the simple present tense.
For example, "the toy boat is made of cardboard"
We often use the structure "somebody makes ...
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This is a good time to get IT over to set you up with a printer, to give "the illusion of you having" vs "the illusiion that you have"
How to Deal with Your First Week in a New Job, By Joel Golby, Vice.
This is a good time to get IT over to set you up with a printer, to
give the illusion of you having work to do but not being able ...
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The LC-500 is a pedal-assisted bike that can "run under your power?" as well as its battery [closed]
The example is mine.
The LC-500 is a pedal-assisted bike that can run under your power as
well as its battery. When you get tired of pedaling, just switch over
to the electric motor and enjoy the ...
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Can I say "I had a slow leak or my car had a slow leak" to mean "My tire had a slow leak" without a clear context?
Say I visited my friend in a hospital and asked him "would you like go on a road trip with me?".
Can he answer "Sorry! I have a slow leak, I can't go"?
Do people understand "...
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I really don't know "how her fate turned out" vs "how things turned out for her"
The example is mine.
I haven't seen my old classmate since graduation. I really don't know how
her fate turned out/how things turned out for her.
Which one is more idiomatic if I'd like to say that ...
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