ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

CalifJim — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:04:39 GMT

Clive
with the student to choose the most appropriate answer.

Oh! OK! I see what you were thinking now. Never mind.

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Marius Hancu — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:23:17 GMT

>most appropriate beginning for the sentence

That was my reading, Clive

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:32:20 GMT

Hi CJ,
-- what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating? I interpreted this as a question, with the student to choose the most appropriate answer. That seems to be the usual kind of test that we are asked about on the Forum. Now that I look again, I see that the idea seems to be to choose the most appropriate beginning for the sentence. It's interesting how many of these alternatives actually work as question answers!
Clive

A) It’s hard to explain
B) Many travellers are curious
C) One soon becomes aware
D) It has been debated
E) We have been much impressed

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

CalifJim — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:15:23 GMT

Clive
-- what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating?

"?" ?

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Gencebay90 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:00:00 GMT

In these kinds of tests, you have to try to read the examiner's mind.

Unfortunately

In some questions prepared for the proficiency exams by the official institutions in Turkey, even expert native speakers sometimes fall into disagreement with each other

Thank you both for your answers

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:05:29 GMT

Hi,
-- what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating?

A) It’s hard to explain
B) Many travellers are curious
C) One soon becomes aware
D) It has been debated
E) We have been much impressed

I can think of scenarios in which A/B/C could all be possible responses. Maybe even D.

I'm sure that the examiner thinks A is the most likely, so that's what you should choose.
In these kinds of tests, you have to try to read the examiner's mind.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Marius Hancu — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:19:59 GMT

However, I'd argue that B seems good, as the need for about is debatable:

Many travellers are curious (ABOUT) what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating.

Unkindness of Ravens: A Sam Perry Mystery

by Kathleen Tracy - Fiction - 2006 - 304 pages

Page 50

I need you to talk to ne. At this point, you're honestly all I've got." "I'm
curious what makes you think I know anything that would help you? ..

----

Re: A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Marius Hancu — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:13:03 GMT

>is there any possibility that D is also the right choice?

D would need to be changed to something like:

It has been debated THAT what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating IS ITS BUSINESS DISTRICT.

A Grammar Question - What Makes Hong Kong

Gencebay90 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:15:46 GMT

-- what makes Hong Kong so exhilarating.

A) It’s hard to explain
B) Many travellers are curious
C) One soon becomes aware
D) It has been debated
E) We have been much impressed

The official right answer is A, and I have no objection to the right answer; however, is there any possibility that D is also the right choice, which I believe there is. Can we simply say that after D, a structure with "whether" or "if" should've come.

The sentences with " what after debate":

"It has been debated what is the exact relationship between the three"

"It has been debated what the original Expo emblem signified"

"It has been debated what stimulated the exceptional efflorescence of mathematics in Poland after World War I"

"It has been debated what the precise role of IL-2 is during CD4 T cell responses"

Thanks in advance