I have seen in various places people using "to the extent that" as if it means "given that fact that" ... up for this usage but could not find any reference on the internet. Could anyone give me some information? Thanks. I

on 02 Nov 2003: I assume that when people ask for advice about how to write or say something, they want formal advice, or advice for formal occasions. But why should you assume that? People often, when they ask for advice, describe the context in

wrote: so so Does "The only countries I've been to are the United ... I've been to are the United States and Canada" does not? Well, we can carry this on a little further. "Canada is the only one of the only countries

"One of the few" implies a small number; "few" is fairly definable. "One of the only" implies to me that ... being said/written. (How many is "the only"? Without further context, it's *the one*.

Does "The only countries I've been to are the United ... been to are the United States and Canada" does not? Well, we can carry this on a little further. "Canada is the only one of the only countries I've been to that

"One of the few" implies a small number; "few" is ... it's *the one*. "One of the one" just doesn't work.) Does "The only countries I've been to are the United States and Canada" sound odd to

I assume you intend "non-idiomatic" to mean 'not constituting an ... not sure if I'm using the word "entail" properly here). "One of the few" implies a small number; "few" is fairly definable.

I assume you intend "non-idiomatic" to mean 'not constituting an idiom', not 'unidiomatic'. And the answer is that "only" entails ... "one of the only means 'one of the few'. I'm not sure if

on 01 Nov 2003: Dare I ask why you think it's sloppy? I assume that when people ask for advice about how to write or say something, they want formal advice, or advice for formal occasions. But why should you assume that? People often, when

Do English speakers use "yellow" for any dog? In Spanish ... un perro amarillo" (it/he is rarer/stranger than a yellow dog). Not commonly, but it isn't unknown. The word 'yellow' in English is often associated with