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<comments removed> If you have questions or comments about this proposal, please use 'create new discussion' below. Thanks. – Robert Cartaino Jun 26 '12 at 13:16

66 Example Questions (4 closed)

active newest votes

up vote 20 down vote

added by RegDwight Jun 22 '12 at 17:19

@Creator: This is not the place to post answers (especially incorrect ones). Wait for the site to go live. – RegDwight Jul 16 '12 at 9:40

I think that this is a question rather than a question/answer. People do sometimes add or tag 'no' onto a statement to turn it into a question - expressing doubt. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:19

up vote 16 down vote

added by RegDwight Jun 22 '12 at 17:14

This is a classic question. Mary whom, is grammatically correct. Mary who, is colloquial English. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:21

@Robin: This is not the place to post answers (especially incorrect ones). Wait for the site to go live. – RegDwight Sep 18 '12 at 12:01

As a 'typical' question for ESL this looks good. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:15

up vote 16 down vote

added by RegDwight Jun 22 '12 at 17:46

I am surprised by this question because this is a text book question which can be answered by the relevant section in the text book. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:22

Usage of articles is not as easy as it seems and text books don't cover all aspects of the usages. I would say usage of articles is one of the hardest part in English to understand. – Teno Sep 21 '12 at 12:49

As a 'typical' question for ESL this looks good. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:14

"vs. none" though? Odd choice... – Ataraxia Oct 12 '12 at 12:52

@phoenix this question actually got asked once, verbatim. And zero articles in English are a minefield. Even more so for ESLers who only just learned that supposedly everything takes an article and then have to unlearn it again. In fact the issue is so complex it might deserve a separate question or five. – RegDwight Oct 12 '12 at 15:23

show 1 more improvement suggestion

up vote 11 down vote

added by KitFox Jun 22 '12 at 17:13

	This would be closed as "general reference" — See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z – Robert Cartaino Jul 9 '12 at 15:35
	I changed the question. – KitFox Jul 9 '12 at 16:10
	I think questions about the construction The more X, the more Y should be on topic. – TRiG is Timothy Richard Green Jul 18 '12 at 18:09
	@Robert It is very appropriate. You're missing it because of the obvious non-native infelicities. Also it is on-topic. – Mitch Jul 18 '12 at 18:13

up vote 11 down vote

added by J.R. Jul 2 '12 at 10:15

	Stress and distress do not mean the same thing and they are not antonyms. This is quite a clever question as I might expect from J.R. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:41
	@Robin: Actually, this was based on a question from another ELU user; I wasn't trying to be clever or "punny." Thanks for the kind words, though. – J.R. Sep 17 '12 at 21:55

up vote 10 down vote

added by Matt Ellen, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 24 '12 at 10:24

up vote 10 down vote

added by KitFox Jun 22 '12 at 17:09

I find this question easy to understand. Will it be easy to answer? Another way of putting it, is 'what you put in, is what you get out'. The sentence suggests that people are able to shape their own destiny. Another expression that expresses the same idea is 'You make your own luck'. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:36

up vote 10 down vote

added by KitFox, edited by Robert Cartaino Sep 11 '12 at 17:50

What is meant by 'ride'? Is 'ride' the same as 'lift' in British English? – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:23

@Robin Michael Good point, there could be differences between American English and British English that may need to be clarified. – Ataraxia Sep 21 '12 at 22:34

up vote 10 down vote

added by KitFox, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 24 '12 at 10:25

'Very' is used to add emphasis to the word 'First'. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:44

up vote 10 down vote

added by Matt Ellen, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 24 '12 at 10:25

This question would be welcome on English SE, and is actually already there: english.stackexchange.com/questions/495/… – awe Jul 24 '12 at 11:09

Yes, awe, I know. That's where I got it from. It's an old question and would be closed as too basic were it asked today. – Matt Ellen Jul 24 '12 at 11:15

<comments removed> Please do not use comments to answer these questions. Comments are here to help improve the questions. This proposal is not part of the Q&A site, and the task at hand is to help define a future site. Thank you. – Robert Cartaino Sep 11 '12 at 17:55

up vote 10 down vote

added by KitFox Jun 22 '12 at 17:19

up vote 10 down vote

added by Matt Ellen Jun 22 '12 at 17:19

up vote 10 down vote

added by Matt Ellen Jun 22 '12 at 17:21

The first option is the former and the second option is the latter. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:39

up vote 10 down vote

added by RegDwight Jun 22 '12 at 17:23

No. This would be off-topic/ too localized for ESL and ELU. The correct place would be SO. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:17

up vote 10 down vote

added by rudra Jun 28 '12 at 7:12

up vote 10 down vote

added by simchona Jun 29 '12 at 3:23

up vote 10 down vote

added by Saurabh, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 16 '12 at 16:30

This reminds me of the earlier question - make, create, do. So 'do' is an auxiliary verb! I think an example would make this question clearer. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:33

up vote 10 down vote

added by Vitaly Jul 2 '12 at 12:51

Excellent 'typical' ESL Q. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:19

up vote 10 down vote

added by J.R. Jul 3 '12 at 9:31

up vote 10 down vote

added by totoro, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jul 16 '12 at 16:28

up vote 10 down vote

added by lynn Jul 10 '12 at 15:32

up vote 10 down vote

added by user824294 Jul 12 '12 at 10:10

	Is this really such a basic question? Despite my many efforts to fully grasp the meaning and usage of each of them, I am often in doubt. – Paola Aug 2 '12 at 0:06
	<comments removed> Please do not use comments to answer these questions. Comments are here to help improve the questions. This proposal is not part of the Q&A site, and the task at hand is to help define a future site. Thank you. – Robert Cartaino Sep 11 '12 at 17:49
	How can you answer this question? The only option is to leave a comment. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:43
	@Robin Michael you don't – Ataraxia Sep 22 '12 at 3:56
	Yes, this can be a Q. on ESL, as much as it can be on ELU. The answerer is expected to remember the scope of the site and the academic level of the poster in designing the answer. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:19

up vote 10 down vote

added by Kalamane Jul 19 '12 at 19:52

up vote 10 down vote

added by Carlo Alterego Jul 21 '12 at 8:34

	Sometimes it is possible to show someone how to do something, but it is not possible to explain why it is so. It is about being able to rationalise and explain. A native speaker might have a intuitive idea about what is correct or incorrect but be unable to say why. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:30
	@Robin Michal Please do not use comments to answer these questions. Comments are here to help improve the questions. This proposal is not part of the Q&A site, and the task at hand is to help define a future site. Thank you. – Robert Cartaino Sep 24 '12 at 13:13

up vote 10 down vote

added by Ashu Jul 23 '12 at 14:20

up vote 10 down vote

added by bdr9 Jul 24 '12 at 2:02

This is quite a clever question that can be answered by comparing the dictionary definitions. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:46

up vote 10 down vote

added by Surya Jul 26 '12 at 18:05

I don't think this question makes sense unless more background information is provided. Obviously both sentences are correct, their use depends on the present or past situation. Or did you mean to ask whether you say "do you KNEW" instead of "did you KNOW"? If this is the case, however, it seems to me that the question would be a bit too basic. – Paola Sep 16 '12 at 9:01

@Paola background information would go in the body of the question, but there is no body for questions on Area 51. This is just the title to a question. – Ataraxia Sep 21 '12 at 21:31

up vote 10 down vote

added by Paola Aug 2 '12 at 0:11

up vote 10 down vote

added by Paola Aug 2 '12 at 0:13

up vote 10 down vote

added by Paola Aug 2 '12 at 0:21

up vote 10 down vote

added by Phira Aug 11 '12 at 11:00

up vote 10 down vote

added by jwpat7 Aug 17 '12 at 6:18

up vote 10 down vote

added by Rana Deep, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Aug 24 '12 at 19:45

up vote 10 down vote

added by Travis Bemrose Aug 24 '12 at 6:45

	Haha this is a great question. – Ataraxia Sep 30 '12 at 1:38
	@phoenixheart6 Thanks. :-) – Travis Bemrose Oct 4 '12 at 6:36
	I don't expect ESL levels to confound themselves with rhetoric and logic in sentences. This is a fun question for ELU. – Kris Oct 11 '12 at 4:16
	I'm told English is one of the hardest languages to learn because of the inconsistencies and colloquialisms. This question is intended to highlight/emphasise such elements that would easily confuse someone just learning the language. – Travis Bemrose Oct 12 '12 at 15:57

up vote 10 down vote

added by Zignd Sep 13 '12 at 10:35

up vote 10 down vote

added by Saeid Sep 15 '12 at 6:06

up vote 10 down vote

added by Ataraxia Sep 22 '12 at 23:57

up vote 9 down vote

added by RegDwight Jun 22 '12 at 17:46

up vote 9 down vote

added by Matt Ellen Jun 26 '12 at 13:52

To repeat a word always looks ugly and it is something that is picked up by grammar checkers. However ugly as it might be, it is grammatically correct. It would be better to see this expression in context. – Robin Michael Sep 17 '12 at 21:25