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Test YOUR Grammar
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jaffa



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Posts: 403

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:28 am    Post subject: Test YOUR Grammar Reply with quote

This is a good quiz for teachers, or anybody:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/quiz/2013/feb/04/grammar-punctuation-quiz-test
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fluffy got there first...
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=100368&highlight=
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jaffa



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Posts: 403

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So do it again, you might get a higher score Rolling Eyes
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fluffyhamster



Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear fluffyhamster,

You might (conditionally) be right Very Happy.

Regards,
John
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LongShiKong



Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh dear, I got one of them wrong! I forgot what an antonym was Laughing

I think I should dig a tunnel and hide under the rock. Embarassed
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Ixchel



Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Posts: 156
Location: The 7th level of hell

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

santi84 wrote:
Oh dear, I got one of them wrong! I forgot what an antonym was Laughing

I think I should dig a tunnel and hide under the rock. Embarassed

You'd think they'd just use 'the opposite of'. Schoolkids don't need to quite be linguists.
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