"I don�t  really think that we can change the situation."

 

If a  student is asked to rewrite the sentence beginning with "It �s not worth...", would you accept  "It �s not worth changing the situation" or " "it �s not worth thinking that you can change the situation." 

 

I really need help because I would accept the first as well.

There �s no reason to bring "thinking" into the rewritten sentence, because "I don �t think" is just expressing that this is an opinion. Beyond that, when you add "It �s not worth", the sense changes from possibility of change to the value of changing, so the meaning is going to be different. Therefore, since both rewritten sentences are grammatically correct, they should both be accepted. However, I think that "It �s not worth trying to change the situation" would be better.

 

Here �s why:

"It �s not worth changing the situation" means that if we change the situation, it won �t be worth the effort that it took. Since the original sentence says that I don �t think we can change it at all, then "if we change the situation" isn �t possiblt.

Thinking that you can change the situation doesn �t really require effort, so I wouldn �t use "It �s not worth" with "thinking".

 

Bruce 

I agree. 

The one yanogator suggests  ("It �s not worth trying to change the situation") is much closer to the original meaning. 

Yes, Minka, I thought about that, too. The instruction would be better as "Change the sentence to one beginning with �It �s not worth... �".

 

Bruce