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jaffa
Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 403
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Fluffy got there first... |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 11061 Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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jaffa
Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 403
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:53 am Post subject: |
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So do it again, you might get a higher score |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 3292 Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:16 am Post subject: |
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Ooh, I was wondering what this grammar quiz was. Shame it's the same one, but no worries! (The only worry really is that it's not that good a test, but I suppose it's a good thing that grammar is now part of the curriculum at all - t'weren't when I were a lad!). |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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"4. He thought he might be able to dig a tunnel through the rock
Correct answer: Conditional"
That's what I chose (because it seemed to be the only one of the three that could be correct), but I wouldn't call it "conditional."
I'd describe it as a complex sentence with a noun clause object. I don't believe that the use of the modal helping verb "might" makes a sentence "conditional."
Where's the "condition?"
If I added this - "He thought he might be able to dig a tunnel through the rock if he had a bulldozer." - then, I'd call it conditional.
Am I wrong here?
Regards,
John |
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Qaaolchoura
Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Posts: 539 Location: 21 miles from the Syrian border
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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johnslat wrote: |
"4. He thought he might be able to dig a tunnel through the rock
Correct answer: Conditional"
That's what I chose (because it seemed to be the only one of the three that could be correct), but I wouldn't call it "conditional."
I'd describe it as a complex sentence with a noun clause object. I don't believe that the use of the modal helping verb "might" makes a sentence "conditional."
Where's the "condition?"
If I added this - "He thought he might be able to dig a tunnel through the rock if he had a bulldozer." - then, I'd call it conditional.
Am I wrong here?
Regards,
John |
John, I had the same thought exactly. (Well, I didn't think about how to make it a conditional. I just thought "that's not a conditional, but since it's clearly neither imperative nor passive, maybe the Brits teach that anything with a modal is a 'conditional.'")
I also object to the question on "pride" (the only one I got wrong) as being a trick question. Yes, "pride" has two meanings, one of which is abstract and one of which is collective, but neither meaning is both abstract and collective.
~Q |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 3292 Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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Well, He knew he could... or He thought he might dig... would sound more certain outcome-wise than the original sentence (which the test writers are presumably holding to be some sort of "implicit conditional"), but vague semantics shouldn't replace or be confused with formal description/form labels, and all one can ultimately do is leave the actual outcomes to be verbally stated (i.e. by a finite lexical rather than modal verb - how do we know he dug through? Because it says he dug). |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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Dear fluffyhamster,
You might (conditionally) be right .
Regards,
John |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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If whomever (hic) wrote that test were in (hic) better condition, he might not've been unconditionally dismissed. (hic) |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Oh dear, I got one of them wrong! I forgot what an antonym was
I think I should dig a tunnel and hide under the rock. |
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Ixchel
Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 156 Location: The 7th level of hell
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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Off-topic possibly but I've been wondering what is the difference between "Islamic" and "Islamist?"
We suddenly changed. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Ixchel,
One (Islamic) is primarily used as an adjective while the other (Islamist) is primarily used as a noun, maybe?
Regards,
John |
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Ixchel
Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 156 Location: The 7th level of hell
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, that was fast. It's just that the media used the world "Islamic" for years and years then almost overnight it was "Islamist." |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 3292 Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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santi84 wrote: |
Oh dear, I got one of them wrong! I forgot what an antonym was
I think I should dig a tunnel and hide under the rock. |
You'd think they'd just use 'the opposite of'. Schoolkids don't need to quite be linguists. |
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