E-Magazine Features Content

Questions to the Editor

1. Is it wrong to say "at about 6.00 p.m." since "at" denotes a definite time while "about" means some indefinite condition?
2. What is the difference in meaning between these sentences: "What does he look like?" and "What is he like?" 
3. Is there any difference in meaning between the phrases: "It's time we went" and "It's about time we left"?
4. Could you explain the difference between the modal verbs "could" and "would"? 
5. When should I use the phrase "waters"? I came across the phrase "Hong Kong waters." 
6. When should I use the past perfect tense "had done"? 
7. Which is correct: "to chat to someone" or "to chat with someone"?
8. What are the meanings and origins of the phrases "in the red" and "in the black"?
9. What does the phrase "dragging your feet" mean?
10. Can you explain the usage of "in case" and "if" and how they differ?
11. What is the difference in meaning between the verbs "attempt" and "try"?
12. What is the meaning of the phrase "Brownie points"?
13. When should we use the article ‘an’ instead of ‘a’? 
14. I never know when to use “fewer” in place of “less”. Could you explain the difference in their usage?
15. In which situations we should use a semi-colon?
16. Could you explain the difference in usage between “may”, “might” and “could”? 
17. When should we use the article ‘an’ instead of ‘a’?  
18. I never know when to use “fewer” in place of “less”. Could you explain the difference in their usage? 
19. In which situations should we use a semi-colon? 
20. Could you explain the difference in usage between “may”, “might” and “could”? 
21. Would you please explain how to use the word ‘lack’ and make a sentence for each of its uses?
22. Could you explain the meaning and usage of the phrase ‘hard-pressed’? 
23. Could you show me how to use the word ‘likely’? 
24. How should we use the modal verb ‘would’ in conversation? 
25. Could you explain the meaning and usage of ‘used to’?
26. Should the noun immediately before a verb determine if the verb is singular or plural? 
27. Is it acceptable to use the word “per” in business writing? 
28. What does the idiom “to go hot and cold all over" mean? 
29. Could you quickly explain to me how to use the past perfect? 
30. When do I use the ‘-ing’ form of a verb (sleeping) and when do I use the ‘to-infinitive’ (to sleep)? 
31. When you talk about the work place, what prepositions do you use with the verb ‘work’? For example: Do you work for/to Mr Huang? 
32. My teacher told me that the phrases “in connection with”, “in respect of”, and “in regard to” are all out of date. Is this correct? 
33. What does the phrase “every other day” mean? 
34. What words are used in English for the figure “0” in mathematics? 
35. If today is Monday, how do I say I’ll do something/see somebody etc. on Wednesday without actually specifying Wednesday. 
36. Would you please explain how to use the word ‘lack’ and make a sentence for each of its uses?
37. Could you explain the meaning and usage of the phrase ‘hard-pressed’? 
38. Could you show me how to use the word ‘likely’? 
39. How should we use the modal verb ‘would’ in conversation?
40. Could you explain the difference between "only if" and "if only"?
41. I was wondering what the phrase "been there, done that" means?
42. Which of these two sentences is correct: Amy's father works at a zoo; Amy's father works at the zoo?
43. Could you explain the meaning of the idiom "up in the air"?
44. Could you tell me if we should use a singular or a plural verb after "each"?
45. Can you explain the meaning of : ‘He said he would stay with her until she got the hang of operating the machine’?
46. What is the difference in meaning between the verbs “think”, “feel”, and “believe”?
47. Should we use the pronouns “that” or “which” to introduce a dependent clause?
48. Could you explain the meaning of the expression “I’m flattered”?
49. When can you use “always” with the present continuous?
50. Could you explain the difference between the words “continual” and “continuous”?
51. Is it possible to use the pronoun “their” instead of “his” or “hers”?
52. With the words “all” and “none”, should we use singular or plural verbs?
53. Can we use “effect” as a verb as in this sentence: Please effect the payment according to the new circular?
54. What is the difference in the meanings of “He has to do it” and “He has got to do it”?
55. We use “an” in front of words starting with vowels. But when pronouncing some words which start with a consonant, they seem to need “an” in front, such as “an MSc” (because when you pronounce “MSc” it starts with a vowel sound!). Is it wrong to do so? Also could you mention some common words (which start with a consonant) that we tend to use “an” with?
56. Which is correct: “The family thank….” or “The family thanks……”?
57. What does the phrase “rush into something” mean?
58. What is the meaning of the word ‘duly’ in the sentence: “The client was duly contacted and told of our decision”?
59. Can you please explain the difference between “angry with” and “angry about”?
60. My manager has told me that my written work contains a lot of redundancy. What exactly does this mean?
61. What’s the difference between ‘advise’ and ‘advice’?
62. Can you explain to me how to use the word "grateful"?
63. Could you explain the difference between ‘give in’ and ‘give up’?
64. Could you explain the meaning of ‘a woman of taste’?
65. Is there any difference between weather and climate?
66. My tutor told me that in business writing we shouldn't begin sentences with phrases such as "It is" or "It is important to note that". Is this right?
67. Is it acceptable in business writing to begin a sentence with "because"?
68. Could you explain when we should use a semicolon (;) in business writing?
69. I'm confused about whether or not we should use a comma before "and". Are there any rules about this?
70. Could you tell me if the word "staff" is singular or plural?
71. Could you please explain the difference between "e.g." and "i.e."? 
72. Why should writers proofread their documents when they can use computer spelling and grammar checkers?
73. Which variety of English should I use?
74. What is the difference between “see”, “look” and “watch”?
75. Would you please explain ‘used to’ ‘+ing’?
76. What is the difference in usage between “each” and “every”? 
77. Could you tell me if numbers should be hyphenated? What should the verb be in the sentence: "The group request/s your presence..."? 
78. Can we use effect as a verb, e.g. ‘Please effect the payment according to the new circular’?
79. I have seen sentences like ‘he returned back’ or ‘please revert back for further details’, etc. The ‘back’ looks redundant in these sentences. Can you explain?
80. Boyfriends and girlfriends - do these words always mean a romantic relationship in English?
81. What does it mean when someone in business talks about 'the big picture'?
82. What’s the meaning of the phrase “to be in the mood”?
83. Could you tell me what prepositions we should use before addresses, telephone numbers and extensions?
84. Why do some people say “touch wood” before or after they start a sentence?
85. What is the difference between “Everyday” and “Every day”?
86. When should we end a sentence such as, “Would you please …..”, with a “?” or a full stop?
87. Is it still OK to use the phrase "as per" as in the sentence: "We have processed the transaction as per your instructions"?
88. Why do we sometimes say ‘very’ and other times say ‘very much’?
89. Why is the ‘s’ in walks pronounced differently from the ‘s’ in goes?
90. What is the difference in usage between “due to” and “because of”?
91. Can we still use a semi-blocked layout style for business letters?
92. Could you tell me what the plural of 1900 is?
93. In which cases would I use “among” and “between”?
94. What’s the difference between the verbs “bring” and “take"?
95. Do the nouns “character” and “personality” mean the same?
96. In business writing, is it acceptable to start a sentence with ‘and’? 
97. What’s the difference in usage between the modal verbs “may” and “might”?
98. Should the noun that comes immediately before a verb determine if the verb is singular or plural?
99. Why do healthy people “go hot and cold all over”?
100. Should we capitalise all the words in a document subject heading?
101. Could you explain the difference between “shall” and “will”?
102. When should we use single quotation marks?
103. How can we know when to use “some time/sometime/sometimes”?
104. Is it OK to use “can” in the expression “Can I help you?” or is “May I help you?” the only correct thing to say?
105. What is the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?
106. What is the meaning of the idiom “to get fresh with someone”?
107. Could you explain the meaning of the sentence: “Paul is twenty-something”?
     I heard “You bet” and “You’re telling me” in conversation. Can you tell me what these expressions mean?
108. Could you explain how the word “ambiguous” is used?
109. What sort of writing style should we use for a fax?
110. What’s the meaning of the word “trendy” and how can we use it?
111. What is the meaning of the idiom “pay through the nose”?
112. In which different ways can I use the word "rather"?
113. Is "Department" a singular or a plural noun?
114. Is there any difference in the meanings of “could” and “was able to”?
115. Can you suggest any other common responses to “Thank you” other than “You’re welcome”?
116. Does “ought” have to be used as “ought to” or can it be used as in: “Ought they park in the driveway?”
117. I was taught the following rule: one person, two or more people. These days, I see “persons” used when referring to more than one person. When, if ever, is “persons” correct?
118. Should I put a capital letter after a colon?
119. What is the difference between "institution/institute," "officer/official," and "cool/cold"?
120. Which is correct? "Who is to blame?" or "Who is to be blamed?"
121. What is the difference in the meanings of "He has to do it", and "He has got to do it"?
122. Which is correct: "The conference has been fixed on the 12th September," or "The conference has been fixed for the 12th September"?
123. I was wondering about commonly used words such as "Open" and "Closed" that are displayed in shop and office buildings, etc. Why don't they use "Opened" instead of using "Open" like they use "Closed" when the shop is closed?
124. What is the difference between the following two sentences: "What does he look like?" and "What is he like?"
125. Can I use "Their" instead of "His" or "Her"?
126. What is the past form of 'mustn't'?
127. I've been told not to use phrases like "as per your instruction/request," "as instructed/requested." What's wrong with them?
128. We keep getting told not to use the passive voice when we write to our customers. But the passive voice does seem a better option sometimes. Can you explain when it is acceptable to use the passive voice?
129. I read somewhere that we should never start a sentence with "there is" or "there are." How could I express "There is no excuse for your behaviour" in a better way?
130. I overheard someone talking about a colleague of mine the other day. She said "He's got his back to the wall"? What does this expression mean?
131. Can you explain the difference between "affect" and "effect"?
132. Should we include punctuation after the salutation and complimentary close in business letters?
133. What’s the difference between ‘in receipt of’ and ‘on receipt of’?
134. What’s the meaning of the expression ‘to bear it in mind’?
135. Could you tell me if there are any rules about using brackets (.....) in writing?
136. What is the meaning of the idiom “cook the books”?
137. When do use "if" and when do you use "whether"?
138. What does the expression "to cost an arm and a leg" mean?
139. How do I know when to use "its" or "it's"?
140. Can I use the present simple to talk about the future?
141. What's the difference in usage between "must" and "should"?
142. What does the idiom "to open a can of worms" mean?
143. What does the phrase "take a rain check" mean?
144. Is it wrong to use "hopefully" as in the sentence "Hopefully the weather will improve next week"?
145. What's the meaning of "loaded" as in the sentence "James must be loaded; he's just bought a Ferrari"?
146. Which is the correct opposite of "interested": "disinterested" or "uninterested"?
147. What's the difference between "lets" and "let's"?
148. Is it correct to use the phrase "due to the fact that"?
149. What does "take a rain check" mean?
150. Is it correct to use the phrase "due to the fact that"?
151. What's the meaning of "loaded" as in the sentence: "James must be loaded; he's just bought a Ferarri"?
152. Which is the correct opposite of "interested": "disinterested" or "uninterested"?
153. What's the difference between "Let's" and "Lets"?
154. What does the phrase "to have a finger in the pie" mean?
155. What's wrong with this sentence: "The net sales for this year were more greater than those for last year"?
156. What is a comma splice, and how can I avoid it in business writing?
157. Is there any difference between "much" and "many"?
158. Is it wrong to use the phrase "in regards to" in business writing?
159. Is there any difference between "calling someone" and "calling on someone"?
160. Can you explain the usage of the word "lack"?
161. How can I use a DVD to improve my English?
162. What is the difference between "because," "since," "as," and "for."
163. Which tenses should we use with "ever"?
164. Is it incorrect to use the phrase "It has been brought to my attention"?
165. Which is better: American or British English?
166. Are the plural forms of the following words correct or acceptable: "arrear/arrears," "machinery/machineries," "equipment/equipments"?
167. What is the difference in usage between the phrases "I would appreciate it if you could..." and "I appreciate (something)"?
168. Which of these sentences is correct: "Please advise Jack of the problem," or "Please inform Jack of the problem"?
169. Is it acceptable to use the phrase "in accordance with" as in the sentence: "In accordance with your instructions, I have completed the project"?
170. What is the difference in the meanings of "He has to do it" and "He has got to do it"?
171. What is the present tense and past tense of the verb "born"?
172. How should we write a date in English?
173. Could you explain the difference in usage between 'some' and 'any'?
174. Could you explain how to use the present continuous tense?
175. What is the difference between 'data' and 'information'?
176. What does the idiom 'let someone off the hook' mean?