Category: Conversation

This/An/Other One

From Twitter:

This is #SEI; at __ school, we teach fun, practical, correct English. In 21 years and in three countries, I found we can`t study this way at __ school. Think; __ school or __ schools you’ve been to were unsatisfying.

a. whole nother
b. other
c. the other
d. another
e. this

Answers:
e. This, d. another, c. the other, b. other

Explanation: Choice e., this, indicates 1 person, place or thing, close by or near in concept (that indicates 1 person, place or thing farther away, or further in concept). Choice d., another indicates 1 person, place or thing of the same type. Choice c., the other indicates 1 person, place or thing, out of a set or group of 2. And finally, choice b., other, indicates persons, places or things besides the one that is known or which was previously considered. Choice a., “nother,“ is not a word.

Castaway (“If Only”)

From Twitter:

A castaway* on a deserted island says:

“If I only had a lighter and a flare gun!”**

The suggested idea is (Choose):
a. He had only those things, but lost them.
b. He needs things–most of all those things, so then he could help himself with them.
c. He wishes he had just a lighter and flare gun.

*A castaway
is a person who has been cast (or “thrown”, but not by someone else) away, meaning “lost” in a forgotten, hard-to-locate or distant and “uncivilized” place–away from society, such as a island in the Pacific Ocean.

**A flare gun fires a non-destructive glowing projectile (a flare) into the sky; 1. it is used to send an emergency signal in order for the user to show others his location, so that s/he can be found and rescued. 2. In war time it is used to illuminate where the enemy is.

Answer: The answer is b.: He needs things–most of all those things (the flare gun and lighter), so then he could help himself with them.

Explanation: The answer isn’t a., because if only I had is a conditional clause expressing a wish for the present, not regret about the past. And the answer isn’t c., because who would wish for only some necessary items and not others–and what would be the point of saying this in the narrative (story)?

Only A Lighter

From Twitter:

  1. Scout: Scoutmaster Nick, do I need _ wood and flint to make a fire?
    2. Scoutmaster Nick: No. Yes. Well–you can do it that way–but you _ need a lighter, if you don’t have wood and flint.
    3. Scout: Can I also _ use two pieces of wood?
    4. Scoutmaster Nick: Yes, but that’s harder. You need _ a lighter.

    a. but
    b. just
    c. only

Answers and Explanation:

But*, just and only are okay! However, just is best.

Just and only are okay. However, but* doesn’t work here.

But*, just and only are okay! However, just is best.

But*, just and only are okay! However, only is best.

*But in these instances, meaning except for is archaic (old or ancient or out-of-use).




Ocean Warming

From Twitter:

Scientists said today that the oceans are __ so quickly it’s like 5 atomic bombs are being detonated in the sea.

a. heated
b. heats
c. heating
______

It’s a serious problem, so please turn off your car, scooter or truck when not driving and all electricity at home when not using it.

Answer: c., heating

Explanation:

Technically, there are two possible grammatical answers but only one contextual correct answer; a., heated is possible grammatically, but in context would make no sense, because using the past tense in this way indicates the causative, meaning someone or something heats the ocean, which of course we know is not true (unless we are talking about the sun); the ocean is heated naturally; people could split hairs with me on this, and they would be right, but give me a break; I’m trying to make a more important point:

The sentence begins with ‘scientists said today…’ and ‘are’ is the linkning verb, so–the best answer is heating (are + ing = the present continuous)

Cash Or Charge

From Twitter:
A. I got lunch.
B. You paid last time. I`ll pay _ card!
A. No. Your bill is too high; how will you _ it?
B. You always pay _ me.
A. When you’re doing well you can _ me.
B. I’ll __ it to you.
A. From Spain?
B. _!

a. treat
b. buy
c. by
d. for
e. transfer
f. wire transfer
g. pay

Answers:
c. by, g. pay, d. for, e. transfer, f. wire transfer

Explanation:
I got lunch expressed in the present means I am getting lunch for you.
We pay with cash or by card/by check, by money order or by traveler’s check.
We pay a bill, pay a fee, pay a penalty fee, pay a fine. (No preposition between ‘pay’ and the object)
We transfer bank to bank within a country.
We wire transfer to another country.



Calm down?

From Twitter
1/2) A danger in studying English by memorizing set expressions is in not knowing when to use them, making one look foolish or even insulting. Any English teacher in Asia can tell you we experience this often. One reason is students do not read books enough. Next, see 2/2. >
2/2) The other day a man on the train saw that I dropped a pen. He picked it up, handed it to me and said “Good morning.” I said “thank you” and returned the greeting. He then said, “Calm down.” He should’ve said:

a. What’s new?
b. Where are you from?
c. You’re welcome.
d. relax

Answers: Of course a, b, and c are fine (though a. is really for friends or people who know each other), with c being the most common and boring, but d is out (wrong or inappropriate). It doesn’t even make sense.

Explanation: “Calm down” is bizarre, but I suppose the old man meant, “relax”? Even that is a non-relevant answer. But living in another culture we have to understand peoples’ attempt to communicate.

Soy Sauce in Japan

From Twitter:

(Choose the better style.)

1. ___is different in my province of Japan.
a. The taste of the soy sauce
b. The soy sauce’s taste

2. ___ is where the fuel is kept in most airliners.
c. The wing of the plane
d. The plane’s wing

Answers:

  1. a
  2. c

Explanation: Ownership or possession is the ability to “have” things, to “possess” them and to “keep” them; we usually show ownership in English by adding ‘s. Look:

Bob‘s skis
Lily’s tablet
the president’s stupid hair
the dude‘s bowling ball

the floor of the car
(a car can’t own a floor.)

the wing of the plane
(a plane can’t possess a wing.)

the roof of the house
(a house can’t keep a roof.)

Traditionally we do not give the power of ownership to things, inanimate (non-animated/non-moving) objects, non-lifeforms. So–to indicate that something is a part of something else or belongs with it or is part of it, we use the (or a) and of.

Always–yet… still!

Fill in:
NASA __ does many tests before flying a new spaceship, __ the Boeing Starliner didn’t reach the space station. It went to the wrong orbit. Now the ship is __ in space.

a. yet
b. still
c. always

The answers are: c, a, b; look:
NASA _always_ does many tests before flying a new spaceship, _yet_ the Boeing Starliner didn’t reach the space station. It went to the wrong orbit. Now the ship is _still_ in space.

Explanation
The first answer. Always refers to repeated, cyclic and unchanging conditions, habits, protocols or procedures. ‘Still’ would be grammatically okay here, but it is needed elsewhere in the passage, and in that place where it belongs, the other choices would also work grammatically but not be the best and/or not make sense.

The next answer, ‘yet’, provides a contrast with the information and adverb ‘always’ in the first answer; ‘always’ indicates something continuous or repeating without fail under certain conditions–and thereafter, ‘yet’ tells us a break in that consistency is coming. ‘Yet‘ also acts like the conjunction ‘but’.

Finally, the last answer, ‘still’ tells of a thing that has not ended. Again, all the options work in the space, but then in the other combinations would not make sense.

続ける: Continue….vs Keep vs Go on

The cop said “Carry on.”

From Twitter:
Choose:
Peter: So then I — wait, can I have another beer?
Bartender: One beer comin’ up.
Paul: __ your story; I wanna know the rest.
Peter: Where was I?
Mary: You were gonna tell us what happened next.
Paul: Yeah, __!
Peter: So, the cop said; __

a. carry on
b. go on
c. continue

Answers:
c, b and a

Look/Explanation:
Peter: So then I — wait, can I have another beer?
Bartender: One beer comin’ up.
Paul: Continue your story; I wanna know the rest.
Peter: Where was I?
Mary: You were gonna tell us what happened next.
Paul: Yeah, Go on! Go on means ‘Go on’ means ”keep telling your story.”
Peter: So, the cop said; carry on. ‘Carry on‘ sounds official and means go continue doing what you were doing (but can be casual, too–meaning the same thing as ”go on”–but this is less common.)

photo: by Elevate
photo: Clay Banks

使い分け: Keep On vs Keepin’ On

From Twitter:

Fill in:
Boss to Staff:
That’s good; __ doing it that way; when you’ve finished, __ the work from yesterday.

a. continuing doing
b. keep on
c. keeping doing
d. keep doing
e. keeps
f. keeps on

Girl to Mother about her annoying brother:
I said ”stop,” Mom, but he __ doing it!

Answers:
Sentence 1:
First Answer: b – That’s good; _keep on_ doing it that way;
Second Answer: a & d – when you’ve finished, _ keep on/continue doing _ the work from yesterday.

Sentence 2:
e – I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps_ doing it!
f – I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps on_ doing it!

Explanation:
Sentence 1
First Answer: That’s good; _keep on_ doing it that way;
a. continuing doing (‘continuing doing …’ – No.) We need the present Tense
b. keep on (keep on doing – Yes.)
c. keeping doing (‘keeping doing doing…’? – No.) Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style
d. keep doing (‘keep doing doing…’? – No.) Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style
e. keeps (keeps doing doing…’? –No.) We don’t need a 3rd Person verb + ‘ing`? No.
f. keeps on (keeps on doing…? – No.) We don’t need a 3rd Person verb.
Second Answer: a & d –
When you’ve finished, _ continue doing _ the work from yesterday.
OR:
When you’ve finished, keep doing the work from yesterday.

a. continuing doing the work from yesterday. Yes.
b. keep on the work from yesterday. No. This one sort of makes sense but is dialectical.
c. keeping doing the work from yesterday. No. The basic verb and the gerund are mirroring each other in the ‘ing’ form so it is bad style.
d. keep doing the work from yesterday. Yes.
e. keeps the work from yesterday. No. The meaning here is totally different and not consistent with the context; it also suggests a 3rd person subject.
f. keeps on the work from yesterday. No. The meaning here is totally different and not consistent with the context. It also suggests a 3rd person subject.

Explanation:
Sentence 2
I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps on_ doing it!
a. continuing doing (‘…continuing doing doing it’? – No.) – 2 ‘do’s? No. ‘continues going’ would be okay, but ‘continuing’ without a “be verb”; No.

b. keep on (‘He keep on doing it’? No.) – ‘Keep’ needs an ‘s’ in the 3rd Person Singular form, and it is that because of ‘he.’
c. keeping doing (‘He keeping doing…’? No.) – Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style
d. keep doing ‘Keep’ needs an ‘s’ in the 3rd Person Singular form, and it is that because of ‘he’, and again, two ‘ing’ forms?
e. keeps (‘He keeps doing it’? – Yes.) This is correct.
f. keeps on (‘He keeps on doing it’? – Yes.)