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"Pay for" is best described as a phrasal verb. It is transitive, and the direct object is "one". It is an action verb.Definition: Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions, combining verbs and prepositions to make new verbs whose meaning is often not obvious from the...

All of your examples are gerunds if we stick to modern terminology. Forget about the terminology verbal noun. It's total garbage! It has many different definitions, depending on the author and when the grammar book was written. _____________ The modern definition is given at...

Hi, Clive wrote: Are these sentences right? A: Construction of a bridge over the river made the village people very happy. OK (Of course I know The construction is good. Yes) B: Destruction of cities by nuclear weapons did happen in the latter half of the 21st ...

Alienvoord, I appreciate you're constructive criticism. Allow me to rebute:1) Comprehensible, yes. But many expressions are comprehensible even without being gramatically sound. The nuances I try to reveal in this post are to help you write better gramatically, not to sound or to write...

There are several rules governing the use of commas, but there is also a lot freedom. Webster's Third New International Dictionary begins their article on commas with:Of all the marks of punctuation the comma offers the most difficulty in use and the widest range for individual choice. Though...

Hello AnonI'm a mere English learner from Japan and my role here is rather an asker than an answerer. But if you don't mind, I'd like you to read my ideas about your question. I take "school" in "go to school" or "church" in "go to church" as an uncountable noun. As you suggested, "school" or...

Hi people! What would you call the following verbs? Phrasal prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs, three word phrasal verbs, or just phrasals plus a preposition? Put up with = TOLERATE. Stand up for = DEFEND.. Catch up with = DISCOVER SOME WRONGDOING AND PUNISH IT / CAUSE PROBLEMS TO...

Hello Anon"Here were gold pencil-cases, little ruby hearts with golden arrows through them, bosom-pins, pieces of coin, and small articles of every description, comprising nearly all that have been lost since a long time ago." This is a sentence used in "Mosses from an Old Manse" by Nathaniel...

You are right, Paco. The word 'problem' is definitely a countable noun. That's why when I first encountered the expression 'have x problem -ing,' perhaps decades ago, I thought it's a rather unusual construction. This peculiarity compelled me to memorize the expression by rote then. Along the...

To avoid time-wasteful discussion, it would be better to put the original full text in correct form . Mothers In ArmsNew York Times, May 10, 1992By Stephanie Coontz Hilo, Hawaii -- Criticism has become as much a cliché as the holiday itself. Most people believe that Mother's Day started out as...