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My Engrishee sux (Grammar questions)
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sodabread



Joined: 30 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

context is gold, most , er,deaf
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yingwenlaoshi



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!

PostPosted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:14 am    Post subject: Re: My Engrishee sux (Grammar questions) Reply with quote

JongnoGuru wrote:
A Korean recently showed me the following exercise and asked me to confirm that it's right and tell them why it's right. Damn.

Quote:
a) I will go shopping this weekend. (INCORRECT) Arrow I'm going to go shopping this weekend. (CORRECT)

(Hereafter, the blue text is"correct".)

b) I think the interview (will, is going to) be difficult.

c) I can't come to your house on Monday. I (will work, am working).

d) (Will you, Are you going to) go shopping on Friday?

e) A: Tom and Jane are very busy these days.
B: They (won't, are not going to) come here.

f) A: What (will you, are you going to) do tomorrow?
B: I (will, am going to) visit my grandparents.

g) Do you think Carlos (will, is going to) pass the exam?

h) The bag looks heavy. (I'll, I'm going to) help you.

i) I think Jessy (will, is going to) be happy at the news.

j) Chris (will, is going to) go camping on weekend.

k) The door (is not going to, won't) open.


I look at this and either answer seems right to me for some of them. Or it's ambiguous, could be either, we don't know the background or context. But "Ohhh no! There's only ONE correct answer!" I guess I'd fail this test. What is it I'm not understanding? Something to do with "prediction" and "intention" I suppose, but... Confused Esp. e) and g) and i)... could be either, no?

Anyway, I don't really get the point of drills like this, the intense focus on distinctions that native speakers themselves don't even seem to make. The whole exercise seems pretty esoteric to me when you're dealing with people who can't string two English sentences together without a half-dozen errors, or book a plane ticket in English to save their life.


You're right. Most of them can have both answers. That's why their English tests are pure bullsh1t.

I'd say that even the first one could have either although I'd choose the one they said is correct for obvious reasons.

"going to" and "will" are both used for intentions.

b = both
c = am working
d = are you going to (sounds better) but maybe both
e = both
f = I would say "are you going to" "are you going to", but I think that both work.
g) both
h) I'll
i) both
j) is going to, but both work
k) won't, but both
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