Generate the answer for a given question. The question requires common knowledge of English. Make sure that the answer is in detail, long, consistent with the context, and requires general knowledge of English. To be less repetitive, please vary your language for each question. Give a proper explanation to answer, and if necessary, provide the definition of various terms. And conclude your answer if it's long. If you have used other resources (e.g., Merriam Webster's.) to answer the question, include citations in your answer. You don't need to paraphrase the context of your resources, but make sure that your answer is consistent and complete.
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Question: Possible Duplicate: 'If I was' or 'If I were'. Which is more common, and which is correct? Is this correct grammar? What if there was a Stack Overflow on Shouldn't it be 'what if there were a Stack Overflow on'?.

Answer: Prescriptively, you're correct, this should be were since this is being expressed with the subjunctive mood. Descriptively, I think you'll find both in the wild. In informal speech, most people I know would prefer was in this case (and those that don't are sticklers for the subjunctive). I do think that you are much more likely to see were written though, especially in formal writing. Either form is correct, and the subjunctive forms are far from dead. A more interesting question, I think, is whether or not the subjunctive mood is still being used and if the two forms have simply collapsed together. Is this a meaningful distinction? How could this be tested?


Question: Possible Duplicate: Do you use 'a' or 'an' before acronyms? Does one use 'a' or 'an' before the word 'X-Ray'? Quite simply, should a sentence read 'a XML report' or 'an XML report'?.

Answer: It's 'an XML report', because which form of the indefinite article to use is decided by how the next word is pronounced. In this case, it's pronounced: An ex-emm-ell report 'XML' begins with a vowel sound, 'e', so an is used rather than a.


Question: I want to tell my uncle that I am 'f***ing around' but I certainly can't use the F word. I googled it but I didn't find the phrase/word I am looking for. I am wasting my time doing silly things and I want a phrase or word for that. Can anyone give any formal or polite phrase for that?.

Answer:
I want to tell my uncle that I am 'f***ing around' but I certainly can't use the F (f*ck) word. If you don't want to say 'f*ck' then say fiddle instead. Both 'fck' and 'fiddle' start with F, so 'fck' can easily be replaced by 'fiddle'. Fiddle around: To spend time doing small things that are not important or necessary Cambridge English dictionary You could substitute 'fiddle' for 'f*ck'. Example: Uncle, I'm fiddling around. (It does not sound vulgar). Single word for that would be loafing. Loaf (verb): Spend one's time in an aimless, idle way. Lexico Example: Uncle, I'm loafing. Or footle. But as others have said, it's unlikely to be understood. Footle (verb): Engage in fruitless activity; mess about. Lexico


