PSLE 2009 - English Paper

[caroline3sg]

mathsparks:

caroline3sg:

no. to me, except for is not proper eng, but singlish.


sorry I do not know when to use refusals.

Except for is not singlish:

http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/XXXV/3/260

okay, it sounds funny to have 'except for' in the middle of sentence.
thanks.

[Jennifer]

My elder boy wrote : All of us do not play chess, only Ella.

[.011810 me]

my daughter thought that the english paper was quite easy . however , there is one question that everyone is racking their brains about in the grammar section : "_________ it be great that grandfather will be coming to stay with us…" many people say is won’t , but many also say it’s wouldn’t . may i know who put wouldn’t and won’t ?

[Tang]

[quote]my daughter thought that the english paper was quite easy . however , there is one question that everyone is racking their brains about in the grammar section : \"_________ it be great that grandfather will be coming to stay with us......\" many people say is won't , but many also say it's wouldn't . may i know who put wouldn't and won't ?[/quote]

Since \"will be coming\" is used, I think it should be \"won't\".

Agree?

[schellen]

I think it’s "wouldn’t". However, since I was never taught grammar rules explicitly, I learned them reflexively so I go by what you call "gut" feeling and will have difficulty explaining my answer. Sorry.

[ChiefKiasu]

Tang:

[quote]my daughter thought that the english paper was quite easy . however , there is one question that everyone is racking their brains about in the grammar section : \"_________ it be great that grandfather will be coming to stay with us......\" many people say is won't , but many also say it's wouldn't . may i know who put wouldn't and won't ?

Since \"will be coming\" is used, I think it should be \"won't\".

Agree?[/quote]Agree. But that does NOT necessary mean I think it was a good sentence.

Wouldn't it be great if the world is flat?
Won't we fall off the edge if it comes to that?
Wouldn't it wonderful if we can float in space?
Won't we be missing all those tests we can ace?

Won't it be great that PSLE will be coming to an end?
Wouldn't it be wonderful that we can all remain friends?
Won't it be silly to let our lives be ruled by a test?
Wouldn't it be great to just say we've done our best?

[Funguy71]

ChiefKiasu:

Agree. But that does NOT necessary mean I think it was a good sentence.

Wouldn't it be great if the world is flat?
Won't we fall off the edge if it comes to that?
Wouldn't it wonderful if we can float in space?
Won't we be missing all those tests we can ace?

Won't it be great that PSLE will be coming to an end?
Wouldn't it be wonderful that we can all remain friends?
Won't it be silly to let our lives be ruled by a test?
Wouldn't it be great to just say we've done our best?

Agree too.

Since \"will be coming\" is used, it should be \"won't\" because it is something about future real conditional. (The Future Real Conditional is used to talk about what we normally do in real-life situations.)

\"Wouldn't\" should be used for hypothetical/doubtful/unreal sentences. (The Present Unreal Conditional - would/wouldn't is used to talk about what we would generally do in imaginary situations.)

[atutor2001]

Funguy71:

\"Wouldn't\" should be used for hypothetical/doubtful/unreal sentences. (The Present Unreal Conditional - would/wouldn't is used to talk about what we would generally do in imaginary situations.)

Last time I attended an English course and the lecturer told us that \"would and wouldn't\" can be used for future. It carries a more \"polite\" tone. I really don't know which is which.

[schellen]

atutor2001:

Funguy71:

\"Wouldn't\" should be used for hypothetical/doubtful/unreal sentences. (The Present Unreal Conditional - would/wouldn't is used to talk about what we would generally do in imaginary situations.)

Last time I attended an English course and the lecturer told us that \"would and wouldn't\" can be used for future. It carries a more \"polite\" tone. I really don't know which is which.

I was told the above two rules too.

[Funguy71]

atutor2001:

Last time I attended an English course and the lecturer told us that \"would and wouldn't\" can be used for future. It carries a more \"polite\" tone. I really don't know which is which.

Your lecturer is correct!

\"Won't it be great that grandfather will be coming to stay with us\"
Or the sentence can be restructured like this:

1) Won't it be great if grandfather comes to stay with us?
2) Wouldn't it be great if grandfather were to come to stay with us?
3) Wouldn't it be great if grandfather came to stay with us?

The 2nd and the 3rd are more hypothetical/doubtful and thus less direct and more polite.

Pls note we have future conditionals too:
1/ Future Real Conditional - if.... will / won't
The Future Real Conditional describes what we think we will do in a specific situation in the future. Although this form is called \"real\", we are usually imagining or guessing about the future. It is called \"real\" because it is still possible that the action might occur in the future.

Example:

==> If I go to my friend's house for dinner tonight, I will take a bottle of wine.
(I am still not sure if I will go to his house or not.)

2/ Future Unreal Conditional - if.... (or if ...were + present participle).... would / wouldn't
The Future Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the future. It is only used when we need to emphasize that something is impossible.

Examples:

==> If I had a day off from work next week, I would go to the beach.
(I don't have a day off from work.)
==> If I were not visiting my friend tomorrow, I would play with you
(I am going to visit my friend tomorrow.)