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The Great Toad
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
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 Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 3:46 am Post subject: "The most fast land animal is the cheetah" bad gra |
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Today my teacher corrected me in front of the class... I wrote comparative/superlative then showed them you can also use 'most' to much like fastest... but she said this sentence is wrong....
"The most fast land animal is the cheetah."
She had a problem with "most fast" ... admittedly a native English Portly will say fastest or slowest not most slow or most fast but I am still disappointed... still I just blew it off and did not argue with here in fromt of the class as it could not help either of us... |
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Jammer113
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:54 am Post subject: |
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| Well, in academic English, which is the dialect of English that we are teaching, it is wrong. Poor form to correct your co-teacher in front of class, however. |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:51 am Post subject: |
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I'm not surprised The Great Toad's co-teacher has a better understanding of grammar than he does.
This is the first post of his that I've actually been able to understand. His writing is usually a bunch of gibberish. He must be good friends with buymybook. |
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buymybook
Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Location: Telluride
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:57 am Post subject: |
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| Big Mac wrote: |
I'm not surprised The Great Toad's co-teacher has a better understanding of grammar than he does.
This is the first post of his that I've actually been able to understand. His writing is usually a bunch of gibberish. He must be good friends with buymybook. |
Duuuh the big swell mac fella, go figure your taxes why don't ya?  |
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jinks
Joined: 27 Oct 2004
Location: Formerly: Lower North Island
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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You can say 'fastest' but you can't say 'most fast'
Well you can say it if you like, but not in a grammar test. Most one or two syllabic words follow the big-bigger-biggest rule, but some words, usually 3 syllable ones will take the most as the superlative instead: beautiful-more beautiful-the most beautiful, but look out - there are exceptions (of course)
Just get a grammar book and check it out, good thing you decided not to stand you ground on this one. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 12:25 am Post subject: |
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I don't see anything wrong with correcting people in class, out of class, at the bar, under the sheets, etc...
A mistake is a mistake, is a m-i-s-t-a-k-e.
Now, to put the original poster's sentence in context:
Most fast land animals are cheetahs.
This is how you can use "most" with "fast", but you can't use "most" with "fast" to mean "fastest". |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: Re: "The most fast land animal is the cheetah" bad |
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| The Great Toad wrote: |
Today my teacher corrected me in front of the class... I wrote comparative/superlative then showed them you can also use 'most' to much like fastest... but she said this sentence is wrong....
"The most fast land animal is the cheetah."
She had a problem with "most fast" ... admittedly a native English Portly will say fastest or slowest not most slow or most fast but I am still disappointed... still I just blew it off and did not argue with here in fromt of the class as it could not help either of us... |
I sincerely hope you're joking. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
I don't see anything wrong with correcting people in class, out of class, at the bar, under the sheets, etc...
A mistake is a mistake, is a m-i-s-t-a-k-e.
Now, to put the original poster's sentence in context:
Most fast land animals are cheetahs.
This is how you can use "most" with "fast", but you can't use "most" with "fast" to mean "fastest". |
Ever read Jane Austen or Charles Dickens?
I am sorry - but if you read books from years and years ago.. the 3-syllable rule didn't exist.
Nowadays, what Jinks says is true and it's what I teach, but even then... you can change it. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Nowadays, what Jinks says is true and it's what I teach, but even then... you can change it. |
The only interesting part about that is the change of word order. Why on earth would it matter if you spoke like Charles Dickens today? If I went into a Starbucks and ordered a coffee sounding like Shakespeare, would that make me feel elite and stupendous??
STICK WITH THE RULES YA MORON!!! |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Nowadays, what Jinks says is true and it's what I teach, but even then... you can change it. |
The only interesting part about that is the change of word order. Why on earth would it matter if you spoke like Charles Dickens today? |
Tze does a pretty good British accent, I've heard it. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 4:49 am Post subject: |
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I don't see why you would ever write that sentence, even if it is technically correct (which I don't think it is).
People don't speak this way.
These kids are just trying to get a working knowledge of the language. Don't trip them up with needless information.
Stick to the basics. |
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Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
...
Stick to the basics. |
Stick to the basics, indeed. Go to class, dance around like a monkey, and collect your salary at the end of the month. It would take them many months to learn comparisons and many more to learn superlatives. Then there is the equality form they'd need to take an additional period to learn.
Aim to teach them the common steak and potatoes "hello, how are you? I'm fine, thank you." This will keep them happy, the seats filled, and your job secure.
Happy babysitting. |
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oskinny1
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| Tobias wrote: |
Stick to the basics, indeed. Go to class, dance around like a monkey, and collect your salary at the end of the month. It would take them many months to learn comparisons and many more to learn superlatives. Then there is the equality form they'd need to take an additional period to learn.
Aim to teach them the common steak and potatoes "hello, how are you? I'm fine, thank you." This will keep them happy, the seats filled, and your job secure.
Happy babysitting. |
Superlatives and comparatives are basic grammar. That is what is meant by "stick to the basics". Trying to teach students to speak like Jane and Chuck D. is not sticking to the basics.
Do you understand now? |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 6:55 am Post subject: Re: "The most fast land animal is the cheetah" bad |
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| The Great Toad wrote: |
but she said this sentence is wrong....
"The most fast land animal is the cheetah." |
And she would be correct. Jesus. |
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Rufus
Joined: 13 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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| oskinny1 wrote: |
| Tobias wrote: |
Stick to the basics, indeed. Go to class, dance around like a monkey, and collect your salary at the end of the month. It would take them many months to learn comparisons and many more to learn superlatives. Then there is the equality form they'd need to take an additional period to learn.
Aim to teach them the common steak and potatoes "hello, how are you? I'm fine, thank you." This will keep them happy, the seats filled, and your job secure.
Happy babysitting. |
Superlatives and comparatives are basic grammar. That is what is meant by "stick to the basics". Trying to teach students to speak like Jane and Chuck D. is not sticking to the basics.
Do you understand now? |
Id love to be able to speak like Chuck D. Now Flava Flav, thats another story. |
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