Please advise! English

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Arbash
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Please advise! English

#1 Post by Arbash »

Recently I`ve written some English test and feel like cheated on because some of my answers were considered wrong. So my question to all native speakers - would you consider them wrong as well or (as I do) just another way of saying the same:

It`s time you faced head on the fact that you`ve got responsibilities now. - my answer
It`s time you faced up to the fact that you`ve got responsibilities now. - the "only right" one

I was unable to figure out what the speaker was saying because we were right at the back of the hall. - my answer
I was unable to make out what the speaker was saying because we were right at the back of the hall. - the "only right" one

It`s the combination of clear reasoning, sound judgement...
It`s the combination of clear reason, sound judgement... - why writing "reason" here is false?

And the last one with context:

Secondly, there`s too much testing and not enough learning. My 15 yo daughter has just spent the last month or so reading for exams. (the "only right" one) These aren`t even real, important exams....

My 15 yo daughter has just spent the last month or so practising for exams. - my answer

Thanks!! Your help is much appreciated!
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Ephialtis
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Re: Please advise! English

#2 Post by Ephialtis »

Arbash wrote:Recently I`ve written some English test and feel like cheated on because some of my answers were considered wrong. So my question to all native speakers - would you consider them wrong as well or (as I do) just another way of saying the same:

It`s time you faced head on the fact that you`ve got responsibilities now. - my answer
It`s time you faced up to the fact that you`ve got responsibilities now. - the "only right" one
The second is a bit more natural, but the first (your answer) seems fine to me.
I was unable to figure out what the speaker was saying because we were right back of the hall. - my answer
I was unable to make out what the speaker was saying because we were right back of the hall. - the "only right" one
Both of these are wrong, in fact -- certainly as British English, and as U.S. English too, I think; the standard correct form would be: "we were right at the back of the hall".

The first parts - where the difference lies - are grammatically correct in both cases; there's a fairly slight difference in meaning, but both make perfect sense.
It`s the combination of clear reasoning, sound judgement...
It`s the combination of clear reason, sound judgement... - why writing "reason" here is false?
"Reason" is correct; maybe "reasoning" is slightly better (as there's more emphasis on the act of reasoning rather than the faculty of reason), but "reason" is certainly not wrong.
And the last one with context:

Secondly, there`s too much testing and not enough learning. My 15 yo daughter has just spent the last month or so reading for exams. (the "only right" one) These aren`t even real, important exams....

My 15 yo daughter has just spent the last month or so practising for exams. - my answer

Thanks!! Your help is much appreciated!
In this case, the first is actually less correct; we don't normally talk about reading for exams, but about working for or studying for exams. "Practising" for exams is grammatically correct, though it refers to the activity of doing mock or practice exams rather than studying the material needed, and I think that most people wouldn't express it like that.

So I think that in fact all your answers are right. When I used to teach English as a Foreign Language, I'd have marked them all as correct, and then discussed the details and subtleties of meaning.
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Arbash
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Re: Please advise! English

#3 Post by Arbash »

Thanks a lot! It`s a great relief to me!! Thank you!

And yes, it should be with "at the", I just missed it. :oops:

Thanks a lot!
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Arbash
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Re: Please advise! English

#4 Post by Arbash »

And about the exams - the very next sentence was about the exams being not real but rather mock exams. I can`t thank you enough. :D
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Re: Please advise! English

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