Sometimes I say sentences such as: "Didn't that bakery used to be a fish shop ( Read more... )

"Does the sandwich come with?" [overheard at deli, asking does a reuben include sides of pickles or kraut, something of that nature without following 'with' by 'it/them'.I've noticed within the past three years a language change and perhaps others here have, too. Most often, it's noticeable about food as in the above example. A person keeps ( Read more... )

Which is correct, or are they both?

1) Because of the heat, I sauntered rather than strode.

2) Because of the heat, I sauntered rather than striding.

What if for "rather than" you substitute "instead of"?

3) I sauntered instead of strode.

4) I sauntered instead of striding.

I've been trying to think of other contemporary English constructions that work like "to blame" in the sentence, "Who is to blame for this mess?" - where there is an implied passive (i.e. "who is to be blamed ( Read more... )

Hello everybody ( Read more... )

In what cases can you use would after I wish/if only? I've found contradicting information about this.

e.g. Is the sentence "I wish I would pass the exam" correct?

Question for native speakers of English.

It arises from this label on a vending machine:

ANTI-THEFT DEVICE PREVENTS OBTAINING FREE PRODUCT
( Picture! )

Hey there, total newbie here when it comes to linguistics, just wanting some clarifications for a personal project of mine and seemed like this would be the smartest place to ask.

One of my little side projects that I've started is a conlang - and it's my absolute first try at conlanging. And I haven't taken a linguistics course before, so I'm not ( Read more... )

Hi, I'm from Germany and I am wondering about something that I recently repeatedly encounter in the British TV series "Call the midwife" (which is set in London in the 1950s if that is important ( Read more... )

As a native English speaker (more or less), I have a gut feeling that some adjectives come after the noun in English, and not before. Here are a few examples that sound wrong to me, and what I might replace them with ( Read more... )