http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ Ask your questions about the English language here and receive expert help and advice from our language teachers and experts. Answers will be posted in the forum, not e-mailed. If you register, you can be notified when an answer is posted. We do not do or correct homework; we discuss language. en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:42 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109570-deliver-vs-supply.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:32:50 GMT Hello friends!

Please tell me which is better in this case and of there is a difference between 'deliver' and 'supply':

The gas is supplied through pipe lines to Moldova.

The gas is delivered through pipe lines to Moldova. ]]> Ask a Teacher Helissax http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109570-deliver-vs-supply.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109569-being-picked.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:01:16 GMT Hi,

Is this sentence correct?

"After so many years of being picked on by, it was my turn to be a little higher on the totem pole."

Thanks,

MG. ]]> Ask a Teacher musicgold http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109569-being-picked.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109568-how-article-pronounced.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:05:13 GMT My children were taught to pronounce the word "a" as a short "u" sound in school. Is this correct? ]]> Ask a Teacher Unregistered http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109568-how-article-pronounced.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109567-mixing-past-present-tense-fiction.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:35:44 GMT I'm writing a story which takes place in a fictional town called "Aherville" in which all the residents are observant Jews. In the third-person narration, I mix past and present tenses. Specifically, when referring to something done by a character in the narrative, I use the past tense; but when referring to Jewish traditions, I use the present tense.

For example, I might write "In Aherville, everyone celebrates Shabbos every week," but a couple of sentences later, write "Zindel felt hungry because he hadn't eaten all day."

A reader is arguing that this usage is ungrammatical; she argues that all the tenses must match in order to make the narrative voice consistent. I disagree. I've been looking for an authoritative citation to show my friend, but I haven't had any luck so far. Could anyone here direct me to such a citation?

Alternatively, if I'm mistaken, then it would be very useful to tell me that.

Thanks very much for any help. ]]> Ask a Teacher Ampersand http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109567-mixing-past-present-tense-fiction.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109564-lest-should-might-whats-difference.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:57 GMT Here are three sentences:
1) He had changed his voice lest it should be recognized.
2) He had changed his voice in order that it mightn't be recognized.
3) He had changed his voice so that it mightn't be recognized.

What construction should I use? lest+should or in order that+ may/shall or so that+can/will/may. and Is there any difference between them? ]]> Ask a Teacher IDONTKNOWENGLISH http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109564-lest-should-might-whats-difference.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109562-had-been-gang-raped.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:59:12 GMT *Yesterday, on the third day of the trial, the court was told that the girl had confided in her boyfriend through online messaging. The teenager _had allegedly been gang-raped_ between 4am and 6am on 26 December last year. * Should the... Yesterday, on the third day of the trial, the court was told that the girl had confided in her boyfriend through online messaging.

The teenager had allegedly been gang-raped between 4am and 6am on 26 December last year.

Should the underlined words be replaced by was? I understand that when time is mentioned (in this case 26 December), the verb should be in the simple past tense.

Thanks in advance. ]]> Ask a Teacher Tan Elaine http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109562-had-been-gang-raped.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109561-damn-could-he-any-less-committal.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:46:10 GMT "Damn, could he be any less committal?" What does committal mean in this context"?
]]> Ask a Teacher Adriano_CSI http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109561-damn-could-he-any-less-committal.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109560-sentence.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:46 GMT Hello!

Is my sentence right?

I've booked a room via www.booking.com and I want to make sure that there'll be an available parking lot upon check-in.

Could I say - ...there'll a parking lot available upon check-in?

Thank you in advance! ]]> Ask a Teacher greegorush http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109560-sentence.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109559-vs.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:22:17 GMT Hello,

I have a question on the usage of 'in' and 'on' with regard to a specific case. Generally we say "I'm on a plane". This is the most accepted version as it generally is in reference to direction, place and/or movement (I'm on a plane to New york).

When it comes to location however, my take is that the sentence "I'm in a plane...", as in showing relativity to another position or location, is not incorrect.

A colleague of mine however insistes that "in" cannot be used with "plane" and remains quite stoic. Your thoughts? ]]> Ask a Teacher Unregistered http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109559-vs.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109558-intensive-pronouns.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:31 GMT Good afternoon teachers,

It's again 'The French' I have read somewhere that I can meet 'intensive pronouns' in English.

I know a lot of kind of pronouns but this sort of pronouns is unknown for me. Maybe somebody or someone can show me the way.

Thanks.
]]> Ask a Teacher The French http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109558-intensive-pronouns.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109563-if-should.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:55:51 GMT Here's another question. I'm learning english and I'm so curious!
In this sentence:
If he should ask you don't tell him. or If that should happen it would be better to leave.
What's the use of 'should'? If he asks you don't tell him. is the same? ]]> Ask a Teacher IDONTKNOWENGLISH http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109563-if-should.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109555-cant-cannot.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:15:48 GMT Hello teachers,

Just an easy question for you. Would you be kind to tell me the difference between these two words 'can't' and 'cannot'.

I often mix them but I do not really know what oppose these two negative forms of the modal can.

Example:

Do you say? I can't go... or I cannot go...

Thank for you replies (please show me the grammar rule of the use of these negation).

See you soon.


]]> Ask a Teacher The French http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109555-cant-cannot.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109554-using-none-sentence.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:23:30 GMT Please Help! Can I use this sentence and is it correct?

"She was none the sleepier after having worked all day." ]]> Ask a Teacher IDONTKNOWENGLISH http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109554-using-none-sentence.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109553-motivational-letter.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:13:31 GMT hello , iwant to apply for masters in international relations from geneva university and need to write a motivational letter for it please give me guidence in this as i really dont know how to draft it .acadimically i have done graduation in... hello ,

iwant to apply for masters in international relations from geneva university and need to write a motivational letter for it please give me guidence in this as i really dont know how to draft it .acadimically i have done graduation in pol sc hons and M.B.A in hr.

thanks ]]> Ask a Teacher Unregistered http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109553-motivational-letter.html http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109552-native-garden.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:10:32 GMT "He arrived early, along with a wild-haired young Scotsman who started planting white discs the size of saucers in the sparse native garden and plugging strange little black pins into power outlets all over the house."

Not quite sure of "native garden". Is it a garden only with native plants? ]]> Ask a Teacher iemmahu http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/109552-native-garden.html