|
Laura-Jane
|
Grammar question
|
Hello,
I have been asked to check a test paper for my third graders.
The text passage is taken from a Japanese textbook which I am SURE is wrong in two places.
The passage reads:
1. "The next year he climbed Mt. Mount Blanc."
Am I right in thinking that you should use either Mt. or Mount? and NOT both?
2."...he made a volunteer team to clean the waste in Mt.Everest...talked about the waste in Mt. Everest."
Here should be on Mt.Everest. Right?
Please confirm my thoughts for me, I am loosing faith in my own English skills due to living in Japan and using basic English so often!
Also please help me convince the teacher to change the passage in the test!
Thanks L xx
|
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
|
alien boy
|
|
To me you �d be right on both counts there L.
Mt is short for �mountain � or �mount � so in this case there is a redundant �double mount � (sounds more like a strange Olympic gymnastics move to me...).
Unless the waste has been buried inside Mt Everest then it should be �on �. You can demonstrate the difference using a cup or box or whatever is handy if you need to.
Cheers,
AB |
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
Laura-Jane
|
Thanks Alien Boy!
I kind of knew I was right. But I was at the stage where I had read it so many times I couldn �t tell whether it was Japanese or English, let alone grammatically correct!
Now to convince the teacher......not sure whether I will make it out of this one alive!
L x
|
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
Errie
|
|
Dear Laura -Jane
You �ll come out of it alive. I had a similar situation and the teacher in question was very happy when I told him about the mistake. |
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
MarionG
|
|
is it only me or does it also sound strange to say "he made a volunteer team"...
I would use "created" or "put together" or change the construction altogether.. to make a volunteer team sounds weird...but maybe that �s me... |
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
liquidnuance
|
|
You �re right imo too. And I also think using "make" in that situation is weird, although I think that �s often done in textbooks here to cater to the students � English level.
|
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
Laura-Jane
|
Yeah I think made is a little strange, but the least of my problems! It makes sense and is at the correct level for the students so I think it`s fine.
The teacher has just given me the �final draft � of the test to read in which none of my changes were made. I tried to explain to them again what the problem is but they insist if it is in the text book then it is correct...
Why do I bother!
|
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
Errie
|
Laura- Jane....welcome in Japan!!...
I should have add this in my previous post:
The teacher was happy but he didn �t told the rest of the teachers about it. This is a very common thing here. As you already stated....If it �s in the textbook, it must be good...well.... |
3 Feb 2011
|
|
|
Laura-Jane
|
Just to let you know they ignored me.
I spoke to 3 teachers about it, all bar one accepted it was incorrect. But none of them were prepared to change it because the textbook is obviously always correct!
I see small mistakes in textbooks all of the time, but this mistake is the worst I have EVER seen!
I honestly don �t know why I bother!
|
4 Feb 2011
|
|
