Community Discussions
'a set of stairs' vs 'a flight of stairs', and also simply 'the stairs'
Hello wonderful people, These words are a little confusing. I have this sentence in mind: *'All I have to do is walk up* ***a set a stairs*** *to my home office.'* Could I use 'a flight of stairs' or simply 'the stairs' instead of 'a set of stairs'? How are the three words different? Thank you so much!
Using present tense to tell stories
I thought I have to use past tense when telling stories. Recently, I have read in a book that present tense can also be used to tell stories. Is it true? Can I really use present tense in writing stories?
Is the orange one "pan" and the blue-ish one "pot"? What's the difference between "pan" and "pot"?
[https://unsplash.com/photos/round-orange-pot-vhumDnhVdrQ](https://unsplash.com/photos/round-orange-pot-vhumDnhVdrQ) [https://unsplash.com/photos/partly-opened-blue-metal-pot-on-stove-xPPoMWL4r\_A](https://unsplash.com/photos/partly-opened-blue-metal-pot-on-stove-xPPoMWL4r_A)
Is it "I have yet to do (stuff)" or "I have to do (stuff) yet"?
I know for sure both are correct but I need to know since my teacher says otherwise and a friend of mine says that "I have yet to" is only in certain "dialects". **Also I need viable sources or else no one will listen to me.** Thanks.
Do any people use the idiom "take pot luck" like this where you live?
I'm specifically interested in the case when it's used like this: Imagine you go over to somebody's house in the afternoon. And you hadn't planned to stay so late, let alone to have dinner there, but you are comfy and your host is very pleased with your being there, and when they ask you to stay for dinner and you happily accept, they tell you: *I’m not sure what there is in the fridge though – you’ll have to **take pot luck**.*
Is there a good way to learn which words can have offensive nuances and which do not?
I'm an English learner here. Is there a better(and hopefully efficient) way to learn which words in the same synonym group can have disapproving/insulting nuances and which do not? I use the Oxford Learner's Thesaurus because it is the only thesaurus I could find that explains differences in nuances between synonyms. However, it provides information for a relatively small number of words, considering other thesauri that have synonyms for almost every word but give no explanations. As a non-native English speaker, I feel very cautious when making jokes with American friends. For example, in my language, we often jokingly say to a friend, "Don't be so amenable/easy boy!" when that guy easily believes others' jokes or anything. But when I try to translate it into English, I can't figure out which words are safer. (I understand that not making jokes about someone else at all is the easiest/safest way. But I just hope to improve my English by having the ability to choose proper words like natives.) So, here's the questions: 1. Is there any efficient way to learn the different nuances of similar words? (Especially regarding whether the word has more/less offensive feelings.) 2. Do you know any thesaurus/website except the Oxford one that explains differences between synonyms? Thank you for reading and I'd appreciate every advice!
Why is I am on the bus used to refer to being in the bus.
Why does on when referring to some modes of transport transport work in place of in. On the bus, on the train, on a plane and are there other cases of on being used like this?
“The internet connection is choppy.” Does this sound natural to mean the connection keeps going on and off? What informal words would people use? Thanks.
https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/1j260n5/the_internet_connection_is_choppy_does_this_sound/
Which U.S. accent does this sound like? Or is it not native?
https://v.redd.it/6ey4udare4he1
Is there any quick trick or tips to get the accent??
I know the grammar and I can speak English quite well. All I’m worried about is I can’t just sound like native speaker