Reply
Mon 3 Dec, 2007 06:44 am
If a student was caught copying in an exam for the first time, should the teacher say, 'I will give you a chance. If you're caught copying again, I'll refer you to the principal." OR
'I will give you another chance. If you're caught copying again, I'll refer you to the principal.'
I think it should be the first sentence because 'another chance' implies that he was caught copying twice. Am I correct?
Many thanks.
No. You are incorrect. His first chance is the one he is getting because the teacher is not reporting him to the principal for the first offence, which he (or she) has just discovered. Nobody says "I will give you a chance". They say "I will give you another (or "one more") chance".
And we say
" . . . copying on an exam . . ."
but don't ask my why!!
SULLYFISH66 wrote:And we say
" . . . copying on an exam . . ."
but don't ask my why!!
1. I don't say that. I say "copying
in an exam". So do most British English speakers.
2. Don't ask
me why! (More than one exclamation mark is incorrect in careful written English.)
3. What do your remarks have to do with the topic?
Hi Contrex
'. . . copying on an exam' is the American version, I believe.
In BrE we say that she did well in the exam. In AmE the preposition is 'on'.
Clarifying what I wrote earlier:
The student is considered to have already had a chance, when he sat the examination, to show that he was capable of behaving honestly. He passed up this chance. However, by not reporting him, the teacher gave him another.
I did well on my exams.
He cheated on the final exams.
American English!
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace