Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[docproc]

The IELTS lists several "bands," each of which "corresponds to a descriptive statement giving a summary of the English competence of a candidate classified at that level." Band 8 ("Very Good User") says: "Has fully operational comand of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and INAPPROPRIANCIES." I could not find the word "inappropriancies" in several dictionaries. Since IELTS is a British organization, is this word used in Britain and British colonies only? What word would a U.S. citizen use?

Thanks!

Docproc

[lotus]

Hi docproc,

Perhaps the author meant "inappropriacy". It would be a derivative of inappropriate. For example:

candidate: candidacy
president: presidency
pirate: piracy

appropriate: appropriacy ?
inappropriate: inappropriacy ?

However, I believe it is an in incorrect derivative. That is because appropriate is an adverb, not a noun. This is probably why you can't find it in dictionaries. I believe the correct word to use is "appropriateness." I would have rewritten the sentence as:

"Has full operational comand of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriateness."

It could be that "inappropriacy" has a British, archaic or obscure etymology.


--lotus

[lotus]

Correction:

Appropriate is an adjective. Command has two m's.


--lotus