Grammar check please?

Question

Hi,Could you please correct these sentence for me?Constrain, restrict and limit are pretty much same meaning and they are almost interchangeable?The project was constrained / restricted / limited by a lack of funds.I felt constrained / restricted / limited by a certain amount of funds on this project.Restrain means control,The police restrained the protestors well. (Control)I am very restrained for studying English. (Self control)A coffer spilled / slopped / tipped out. (There words are interchangeable and almost same meaning?)I always have myself cut my hair. (Does this sounds nature to you?)I always cut my hair by myself.  (Does this sounds nature to you?)Cheers

Blue Jay · Accepted Answer

John AkiConstrain, restrict and limit are pretty much same meaning and they are almost interchangeable?The project was constrained / restricted / limited by a lack of funds.I felt constrained / restricted / limited by a certain amount of funds on this project.

Here they are similar in meaning. The second sentence sounds a little odd though. More natural would be:

I felt (or was) constrained/restricted/limited by the small budget on this project.
On this project, I felt (or was) constrained/restricted/limited by the (or a) small budget.

John AkiThe police restrained the protesters well. (Control)

Possible, but the sentence is ambiguous. It could mean the police tied up/handcuffed the protesters thoroughly. It would be better to use controlled/handled/managed rather than restrained.

John AkiI am very restrained for studying English. (Self control)

No, that doesn't work. You could say that you are very disciplined about studying English. Restrained in the sense of self-control means that your behavior is calm and moderate rather than emotional.

She was very restrained in her response to the man's rudeness.

John AkiA coffer spilled / slopped / tipped out. (These words are interchangeable and have almost the same meaning?)

Did you mean coffee? A coffer is a box for holding money or other valuables.

Assuming it's coffee, all three sentences are possible, if a little unnatural, in the right context.

Where did this stain on the carpet come from?
Oh, a (cup of) coffee spilled / slopped / tipped out.

That said, a coffee would denote a cup of coffee, and you'd be more likely to use these words to describe what happened to the coffee rather than the cup.

She knocked over the cup, and the coffee spilled out. (suggests most or all of the coffee was spilled)
He bumped the cup, and coffee slopped out (suggests some came over the rim of the cup)
Her coffee was cold, so she tipped it out in the sink and poured herself a fresh cup.

John AkiI always have myself cut my hair. (Does this sounds natural to you?)

No. You could say:

I have always cut my hair myself.
I have always cut my own hair.

John AkiI always cut my hair by myself. (Does this sounds natural to you?)

By myself can mean without help, or it can mean without anyone else there, so the sentence is ambiguous, and might be taken to mean that you are always alone when you cut your hair. It would be better to use a sentence similar to those above:

I always cut my hair myself.
I always cut my own hair.

Grammar check please?

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