Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stevenukd]

Dear Teachers,

1. She has been screwing up a lot lately with grades and stuff. Today her parents just found out she has been cutting herself.

- "She has been cutting herself" means "she has been using a knife to torture herself", right?

2. His mother signed him out because he was always in troubles and only got F's.

- "sign him out" means "ignore him", right?

Thanks very much to Teachers,

Stevenukd.

[iitimone7]

steven - 'cutting' is a new phenomenon. people (mostly girls) 'cut' themselves with a razor blade, usually on the forearm, just deep enough to draw a little blood...it's a depression/attention-getting activitiy (for lack of a better term). it's a relatively new thing that can become a fatal/life-threatening activity if it is not addressed immediately! i have heard that it makes the person fell better about themselves because they are in more control of themselves, but personally, by that point, i think that they are completely out of control and need help...fast!! it's a delicate situation that cannot be taken lightly (very serious), but also cannot be taken care of agressively (someone may die). a psychologist may have more information about the matter.

receiving all f's is the lowest possible grade that a student can get. it means that the student is failing the course and is putting no effort in to it.
here are the grades typically given in USA from the best to the worst...
A,B,C,D,F (i don't know why E is skipped). I is used for 'Incomplete' and W is used for 'Withdrawn' in some cases, but especially by upper level education (college).

iitimone7

[CP]

2. "Signed him out" doesn't mean "ignored him," but rather took him out of school (or wherever he was) by going to the office and signing whatever papers are required.

Also, the expression is "in trouble," not "in troubles." If you have troubles, you have worries and woes, but if you get caught doing things you should not be doing, perhaps because you are a troubled person, then you get into trouble. It can be very troubling for the parents.
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