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ESL forum >
Ask for help > CLOSE / SHUT ?
CLOSE / SHUT ?
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Morrisons Eyes
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CLOSE / SHUT ?
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Dear members,
I was recently visited by one of my superiors and everything just went fine... However, she mentioned one thing that has bothered me since and I �m sure you �ll be able to help me decide what to do...
When I finished the lesson, I asked my ss to "close their copybooks" and she told me afterwards that I should have said "shut your copybooks". I thought then it was a bit harsh but I wasn �t so sure, so I just nodded... :o)
In my opinion, both are OK, just that I feel more comfortable with "close" rather than "shut".
What do you think? Should I continue saying "close" or not?
Thanks for your help.
Christelle
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10 Dec 2011
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yanogator
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"Close" and "shut" are synonyms. Sometimes, "shut" has a slightly stronger meaning. "Close your mouth" is definitely more polite than "Shut your mouth". I always use "close" for books, although "shut" is also correct. Now that I think of it, I almost always use "close". Bruce
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10 Dec 2011
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Morrisons Eyes
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Thanks for your answer Bruce... I think I �ll stick to "close" !!
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10 Dec 2011
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Linou_
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Maybe your superior should take English classes .... |
10 Dec 2011
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olaola
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"close your books please and listen to..." this is what I always say |
10 Dec 2011
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tobysmum
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Why don �t you just think that if that is all she can find fault with, then your class must have been excellent. I am a native English speaker and there is nothing wrong with "close your books" Have a great christmas!
love Sandra |
10 Dec 2011
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Jayho
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Hi Christelle
I never use �shut�. To a native speaker it�s a bit abrupt. Like Bruce said, �shut your book� is strong - it�s like �shut your mouth� or �shut up� which are both really very rude ways of telling someone to stop talking. �Close� is far more polite and it�s what I always use and advocate.
Cheers
Jayho |
11 Dec 2011
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yanogator
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To continue what Jayho said, if a student is being defiant and using a book during a test, you might sternly say, "Shut your book". Otherwise, "close your book" is gentler. Although I don �t say it, it seems that "Would you please shut the door?" isn �t any harsher than "Would you please close the door?", but we usually use "shut" when we mean to be harsh or abrupt. Bruce |
11 Dec 2011
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joy2bill
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I �m guessing that you did such a good lesson that the supervisor couldn �t really think of any criticism and so jumped onto a stupid point just to show that he or she was in a superior position. Frankly your supervisor needs a lesson in both natural spoken English and also in manners. Ignore! Cheers Joy |
11 Dec 2011
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