Let us say that I have bought a piece of land and have had a building constructed on it. Could I say:

1-I made this building.
(instead of: I had this building made.)


Let us say I am an architect and I have made the plan for a building and probably supervised the construction if it. Could I say:
2-I made this building.

[Ring . . . . ]

Hello? AnswerMan here!

I* "e**********" w*** t** n*** p********* p**** w*** t****** a m**** s**** h********?

Wrong, by-line breath, extradition is not what the news publishers print when there's a major story happening.

But thank you for calling The AnswerMan!

Hello.

Would you take a look at the following?

1. Doctors must not prescribe more medication for patients than is necessary.

2. Doctors must not prescribe for patients more medication than is necessary.

3. Doctors must not prescribe more medication than is necessary for patients.

4. Doctors must not prescribe patients more medication than is necessary.

According to some dictionaries, I think #4 is a British usage of "prescribe."
Even so, I'm not sure which position is most appropriate for the phrase "(for) patients."


I'd really appreciate your help on this.
koichiro

Hello.

Would you take a look at the following?

1. I'm sure wearing a suit on Christmas Day is too formal.
2. I'm sure wearing a suit is too formal on Christmas Day.

According to the answer key, #1 is the answer.
If I change the position of the phrase "on Christmas Day" as showed in #2,
then will the meaning of #1 change so much?

If this is an English composition question from a Japanese sentence,
do you give the same mark to both?

Thank you very much in advance for your help on this.

koichiro

From a bottle of Irish Spring Body Wash:

8 Hour Scent System

(Whatever happened to "Refreshing Fragrance"?)

I have heard of only "set something on somebody" when the meaning is "to make an animal attack someone". But in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book, one of his characters says, "If you come pestering me any more with your silly talk I'll set the dog at you".

Are "on" and "at" possible

Is the use of "in" in the following sentence correct?

1. Although I did Keats, Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge at "A" levels, I am never good at poetry. I did reasonably well in both language papers. Could have done better in literature.

I haven't seen anyone mention this article, so I thought I'd post it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html

Can the expression "vulgar words" be used with any prepositions?

1. The children used vulgar words against their teachers.

2. He alleged that his employee had used vulgar words on him.

3. Do not use vulgar words towards anyone.

4. Samuel was accused of using vulgar words to Christina.

In my opinion, I think only No.4 is idiomatic and grammatical. Am I right?

Is the use of reflexive form correct in the following sentences?

1. He is only five years and two months older than myself.

2. A man who was nearly fifteen years younger than herself.

I think, I would have, in the case of the first sentence, said, "I (am)" (if I wanted to sound ultra formal), or just "me". Similarly, in the second sentence, I would have substituted "she (is)" or "her" for "herself".

Do you think I am right?

Is there a need for "away" in the following sentence?

1. Eight weeks passed away like this, and I had written about Abbots...and hoped with diligence that I might ..."

Poor Large Hadron Collider! Yesterday both beams had a dump (Ewwwwwwww...). Today there are "problems with the SPS scraper." (I'm not sure I want to know what "SPS" stands for.)

Could someone tell me in which of the following sentences has "there" been placed correctly?

1. It beats me what he was doing there alone at that unholy hour.

2. It beats me what he was doing alone there at that unholy hour.

[Ring ....]

Hello? AnswerMan here!

I* a* "e**_ p****" s*** o* l*** a h** h****, o*** b*****??

Wrong, bantam-breath. It's a purple-skinned fruit and is one word, not two. An eggplant is not sort of like a hen house, only bigger.

But thank you for clucking The AnswerMan.

A few billion rotten eggs comin' outa them places these days huh, AnswerMan?

I was asked to shift to the another cell.

When the above meant that the prisoner was told to go to another cell, shouldn't it be "move" instead of "shift"?