Month: January 2020

Baby Sitter

From T witter

Mom: The kids are fighting too much; if they start again, __ them and give them each something to do. And when the pizza comes, be sure to __ it up evenly for them, so they don’t complain.

Baby Sitter: Okay. Don’t worry.

a. break up
b. break down
c. separate
d. divide
e. punish

Answers:
1. c., separate
2. d., divide

Explanation:
Generally, separate is used with 2or more nouns and means putting them in different places or categories:

~the summer clothes from the winter ones.
~the projects into finished and unfinished.

Generally, divide is used in reference to one noun, or a group of single things; we break it (or them) into distinct parts:

~the class into two groups.
~the pie into 8 slices.

移動するってMoving or Transferring?

From Twitter:

Choose.

David Hernandez (1.) __ Japan and liked it, so the next year he resigned from his job in New York and (2.) __ to Tokyo, where he got a job at a company. After a year, he was (3.) __ to Osaka and loves it.

a. moved
b. transferred
c. moved house
d. moving house
e. transfer
f. visited

Answers and Explanation
(1.) f. visited; with no preposition (t0), this is really the only option for #1.
(2.) a. moved; move means to change living locations.
(3.) b. transferred; transferred (the past of transfer) means to “be switched” (by a company or a boss) to a new work location. The presence of was shows this transfer was done by others–meaning David Hernandez didn’t do it by choice, so after the linking verb ‘was’ we need the past tense of transfer–transferred.

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.

Howya Doin?

From Twitter

Choose: (choices can be used twice)

A. Hey, how ya doin?
B. Great! I went __ and stayed __ Hakone __ the holiday.


a. in
b. to
c. for
d. during
e. at
f. from

The answers are b, a and d.

This may seem easy,
but you might be surprised to know
that many intermediate and advanced students
leave out important prepositions.
These words are not extra or superfluous in English.
They are necessary.

Explanation
For answer #1, of course the only choice is to

For answer #2, the best choice is in—
but this depends on the type of place Hakone is or on what the speaker means; it is possible to have ‘at’ in this space; for example, if Hakone is thought of as a business–such as a resort and not a geographical location on a map–but as a location on a map ‘in’ is necessary.

For #3, only during (meaning ‘in the time of’) is possible. Some people might say ‘in the holiday,’ but this is perhaps part of a local dialect and not widespread–so outside the practice of standard style; it also does not sound best.

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.