>In fact, I was told in grade school that the "more perfect union" spoken of in the Constitution should really have been a "more nearly perfect union". You had great teachers, CJ.

To remove doubts, use one of the: He (has) recently graduated from *** University He has just graduated from *** University He graduated from *** University with the perfect present forms meant to show recent events, connected with the present.

> Do you mean the comma differentiate the adverbial clause from the adjective one? In this case, yes, IMO.

The original sentence is poor as it is ambiguous. It can mean that you have problems at work , or that you can't take the project home to work on it : Write, if you mean you have problems at work : We are under the gun at work to get this

>By the way, I always thought that you could leave out the subject, 'me' in this case, if you wanted it to be informal. >The manual you gave was/is very useful. That's not a subject, it's an indirect object , you gave (TO)

OP, Get a better dictionary, such as this one: ----------- outstrip Function: transitive verb Etymology: out- + strip 1 : to go faster than <a speed far outstripping the fastest rocket plane -- R.M.Sutton> 2 a : to leave

Both are OK, the 2nd a bit impersonal, talking about a state ("it") not about someone ("him"). Use italics for your examples, to separate from your questions. You should know this by now.

The manual you gave me was /is very useful. [You should know about the need for this me/you/him by now ... Focus. The English always prefer the consistency of tenses , but you could use is to emphasize it is still useful. Use italics for

The virtual fences made up of cameras, fitted along the borders of Texas, are not ready for prime time. Use italics for your examples to separate from your questions. Prime time? TV prime time: full attention of the media, etc.

The first is ambiguous: I obtained the news from the newspaper saying they are the current happenings. [ they 're saying .. Adjective (what kind of newspaper) I obtained the news from the newspaper, saying they are the current happenings.