English Stack Exchange
English Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [descriptive-grammar]

Descriptive grammar is a set of rules about language based on how it is actually used. In descriptive grammar there is no right or wrong language. It can be contrasted with prescriptive grammar, which is a set of rules based on how people, mostly writers of style books and grammar text books, think language should be used. See https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/descriptive-grammar .

Descriptive grammar provides rules based on what is acceptable in different contexts, reflecting how language changes and how language is actually used. It can be contrasted with prescriptive grammar, which prescribes rules based on how writers of style books and grammar text books think language should be used. See https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/descriptive-grammar or https://linguapress.com/grammar/descriptive-grammar-english.htm#definition

273 questions
7
votes
4 answers

How should I use 'right' and 'left' when describing a person?

Is there a standard convention for using right and left when describing a person? Should it always be from the perspective of the person being described? For example, when describing a flat object: There was a ketchup stain on the right side of the…
StoicJester
  • 195
4
votes
4 answers

what does a native speaker say when he wanted to leave his work?

If someone, who is a medical doctor says that he's leaving his current company, I mean the hospital that he works for, is that something that a native speaker would say? I'm leaving my hospital? What else to say also would be possible? I quit my…
artisarluk
  • 51
  • 1
3
votes
1 answer

A great use of the f-word

Can someone analyse this sentence for me please? I heard a trucker say this, in the workshop, when we told him the starter motor on his truck was knackered. To our amusement he said: "Fuck, the fucking fucker's fucked!" I reckon it's a pretty…
Graham Barton
  • 55
3
votes
1 answer

Are people now "watching a lot of phone"?

It used to be said of some people that they "watched a lot of television". In those days there was nothing else to watch, in that kind of way. But how do I describe what is being done today ? Are people "watching a lot of phone" ? Are they "doing a…
Nigel J
  • 24,448
3
votes
1 answer

What is the function of "right" in this sentence?

In the phrase "[action] right from the comfort of your own home", what is the function of the word 'right'? It sounds normal and cromulent to my native American English speaker ear, but I'm having a hard time defining what purpose it serves in the…
Marisa
  • 133
3
votes
3 answers

Base on vs based on

I don't quite understand the use of base on and based on. How do their meanings differ from one another? In the example below, should I use base on or based on? Our lives base on / are based on norms and values.
Jjang eu
  • 147
3
votes
5 answers

Is there a word that describes the need to form one's own opinion of someone new, rather than blindly accepting the opinion of a third party?

I had a hard time trying to word this and I hope I didn't over-think it and make a total mess of it. I just can't think of a word even close and its driving me crazy. lol I'm interested to hear all opinions and suggestions.
Amber
  • 31
2
votes
2 answers

Is the phrase 'top-level' appropriate to describe data that makes general obeservations as opposed to more detailed ones?

I am trying to find an appropriate term to describe general data in the form of statistics or reports that give somebody a general overview on a topic. I am trying to distinguish this from very specific and nuanced insights and findings one may take…
Christopher
  • 21
  • 1
2
votes
1 answer

Avoiding use of double negatives

I teach an ESL Class for Spanish speakers. I've taught them the rules regarding "double negatives". Today, I had them translate the Spanish equivalent of "It isn't that he doesn't understand me." They pointed out the double negative & I'm not…
John Norton
  • 29
2
votes
0 answers

Does it make sense for me to say "plentiful body"?

I want to say "the beast is going to feast on his plentiful body". Does that make sense or what should I say instead?
maia
  • 21
2
votes
1 answer

use of "has been" vs. "was" for a website

When writing notifications for a website, for example: "Your password has been reset successfully", when do I use "has been" and when do I use "was" as in "Your password was reset successfully". I already considered the present perfect continuous…
Kahn
  • 21
1
vote
2 answers

Should I use the word "might" to express someone's wish/hope in a past situation?

The dictionaries are very clear as to the use of "may" to express a wish or a hope - and one can easily infer that a sense of future is always implied in such use. For example: "May she rest in peace"; "May you achieve all you wish"; "May the Force…
André Piquet
  • 23
  • 4
1
vote
2 answers

does an "issued" a threat become "rescinded/revoked" when acted upon?

In the sense of a direct threat like "If you do X, I will beat you", which is a threat with a promise that is clear. One would say a threat was "issued". If something can be issued, it can be revoked/withdrawn/rescinded. If the second person does X…
peterpie
  • 13
  • 2
1
vote
1 answer

Meaning of sentence in Frankenstein

In Frankenstein, Chapter 15 I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade. Monster's hope vanished when it saw its…
Shih-Chun Hsiao
  • 43
1
vote
2 answers

Explain the difference between the following 2 sentences

They always eat in front of the TV in the living room. They're always eating in front of the TV in the living room.
Angie101
  • 31
1
2 3 4