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www0935
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 173
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 Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:01 pm Post subject: two questions about "infinitive" |
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The following are my questions:
1.The last train has gone off; we ________ overnight in the local hotel.
(A) couldn�t help but to stay (B) had no option but to stay
(C) couldn�t help to stay (D) couldn�t choose but to stay
The answer is (B), but how about (D)? If not, how should I correct it? Can I put it this way, "couldn't choose but stay"?
2.When hearing the good news from the radio, the girl __________ laugh.
(A) burst into (B) couldn�t but (C) had no choice but to (D) couldn�t help
The answer is (B), but how about (C)? I cannot find anything wrong with the choice (C).
Please help me out. Thanks a lot. |
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educe22
Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 74
Location: Fort Worth, TX
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:37 am Post subject: |
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In number one, it seems to me that the issue is with the word "couldn't".
The definitiion of "could" is "to be able" or "to be capable of". Adding the negation of "not" combined with the word "help" is contradictory.
In "D", expanding and substituting: "a person was not able to choose but to stay" is nonsense, because a person can always choose.
In number two, "B" is correct because she impulsively laughed, which is the intent of the sentence, whereas in "C" (had no choice but to) it implies that she had a choice to laugh or not, which, because it was an impulse, she did not.
_________________
Educe22 |
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