Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Is it possible that:

1a) It's going to be a long hot summer → The summer is going to be long and hot.

1b) It's going to be a hot, long summer → The long summer is going to be hot.
2a) A French silk scarf → A Silk scarf made in France.

2b) A silk, French scarf → A French scarf made of silk.
2c) A cotton, French scarf → A French scarf made of cotton.

3a) A Swedish wooden salad bowl → A wooden salad bowl made in Sweden.
3b) A wooden, Swedish salad bowl → A Swedish salad bowl made of wood.

Thank you for your help and patience.
Merry Christmas to you all,
Hela

[Eric Thompson]

Dear hela, 1A, 2A, and 3A are correct; the others are 'out of order'. I guess there are guidelines which you can memorize and follow. But, in sentence 1, there may not be a rule. Just think about a very hot June day, and with emotion, say (and remember): "It's going to be a long, hot summer." That's an order:that's the order.

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell me if the following sentences are correct and which alternative do you prefer?

1. She was given / bought a gorgeous silk satin dress.
(here I would like to use a passive form = given as a present)

2. The model walked down the runway with a classy fawn / tawny fur coat.

3. She has long fleshy / rounded legs. (correct ? same meaning?)

How would you define the following?

4. a roasting tin (would you please tell me what it is?)

5. He is a DARK-HAIRED boy. = He is a boy with dark hair.

6. Geoffrey is bandy�legged / bow�legged = Geoffrey has bandy / bow (?) legs.

7. My older brother is not very sister-friendly. (correct ?)
(does it mean that he is not nice to his sister ?)

8. She is a BIG-HEADED artist. = she is an artist with a big head (?)
(would the explanation work in the primary and figurative sense?)

9. It�s a solid oak desk. (what is solid the oak or the desk ?)

Many thanks and merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all.
Hela

[Eric Thompson]

Dear Hela: Here are my answers--1. given 2. tawny (I don't use fawn as a color) 3. If 'rounded' is a compliment, 'shapely' is better. 'Fleshy' has fatness overtones, not complimentary. 4. I would 'roasting pan', the British use 'tin' for various tin vessels (I don't). 5. They mean the same, but the 1st is more direct and better to use. 6. I really don't use 'bandy' (you can look it up in the dictionary). ...'bow-legged' is better than 'has bowed legs'. 7. It's OK. Yes, he is not nice to his sister. 8. Again, the 1st sentence is more direct and better. A 'big head' figuratively means that the person thinks he or she is great; arrogant; swelling with self-pride. 9. A 'solid oak desk' means a desk made of the trunk of an oak tree. The 'solid' implies that it is not made of oak veneer, or an outer layer of oak. It is oak all the way through. Ok?

[hela]

Thank you Eric

In sentence 1: is it possible to use another verb to say the same, i.e. "somebody offered her a dress" in the passive, or is "given" the only possibility?

sentence 4: Sorry but I still don't understand what a roasting pan is. Is it a recepient that we put in the oven to roast some chicken for example?

Have a nice evening,
Hela