[Vocabulary] Need Some Help with Detecting Awkward Phrasing

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en_buff

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Joined
Aug 18, 2012
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Student or Learner
Native Language
Romanian
Home Country
Moldova
Current Location
Moldova
I'm not a native speaker, but I kind of developed a sense for awkward phrasing and odd-sounding verbiage, but I'm not always confident about my English skills. Here are some sentences that don't sound right to me, but I'd like natives to confirm or infirm whether my intuition is failing me:

1. "The magazine is designed to help any cook create dish successfully the first time." I think this sentence lacks an article before "dish," at the least.
2. "The magazine also offers menus to help you plan for a week or more with your new cooking skills."
3. "Use the menus to help you create a grocery list and to offer the family a look at what they will be eating all week." This one sounds especially odd to me.
4. "Classic dishes are all accompanied by the specifics you need to answer any questions that your dinners may have between bites." This one makes the least sense to me.

Thanks in advance.
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
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English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I'm not a native speaker, but I kind of developed a sense for awkward phrasing and odd-sounding verbiage, but I'm not always confident about my English skills. Here are some sentences that don't sound right to me, but I'd like natives to confirm or infirm whether my intuition is failing me:

1. "The magazine is designed to help any cook create dish successfully the first time." I think this sentence lacks an article before "dish," at the least. Yes.
2. "The magazine also offers menus to help you plan for a week or more with your new cooking skills." OK
3. "Use the menus to help you create a grocery list and to offer the family a look at what they will be eating all week." This one sounds especially odd to me. Looks OK to me. What do you find unusual?
4. "Classic dishes menus are all accompanied by the specifics you need to answer any questions that your [STRIKE]dinners [/STRIKE] diners may have between bites." This one makes the least sense to me. The statement with changes is OK. It suggests that the menus include information about the origin of the recipe, description of the spices etc.

Thanks in advance.

b.
 
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