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Ask for help > Expect vs hope / little vs small / big vs large / matter vs case vs affair vs fact vs event vs issue / chance vs opportunity
Expect vs hope / little vs small / big vs large / matter vs case vs affair vs fact vs event vs issue / chance vs opportunity
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chenchen_castrourdiales
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Expect vs hope / little vs small / big vs large / matter vs case vs affair vs fact vs event vs issue / chance vs opportunity
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Hello there,
I �ve been teaching English for 2 years in a language academy and two weeks ago I was asked to prepare a student to sit the first certificate. I could have never imagine how difficult it would be for me to deal with the multiple choice exercise. The point is that I first do the exam at home without having a look at the key and most of the times I get a perfect score but when my student starts to do it and he chooses the wrong answer and he asks me the reason why it is wrong I find it really difficult to give him a good explanation. Even though once the lesson is over and I get home I search my books to give him a good explanation I even get more confussed! I know I have asked many questions but I would really appreciate if you could tell me the reasons why these words are used. I truly appreciate your useful help! |
5 Jun 2010
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anitarobi
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To lighten your load, with the list you wrote we all have problems sometimes... Most of these are a problem of style, so it �s really difficult to give a mathematically correct explanation. Some require different collocations or prepositions or are used with different verbs or contexts, so there you can give a good explanation. I find it very useful to teach all the options when we review a test - I always explain why a is wrong, b is correct and c &d are wrong - my sts make notes about it and can really learn a lot from it. They sometimes hate it and tell me - ?Oh just give us the answers, one option and that �s it?, but when you stick to it they realise these nuances are what they have to pay attention to. For example: except FOR, apart FROM, besides, in addition TO - if you don �t explain them all with their corresponding prepositions, they won �t get them, because they all translate practically the same. Sometimes though my explanation simply has to be: �This is correct simply because a native speaker would never say it - it �s not commonly used that way. � My sts often ask me �But can you say it? � and I answer: �Yes, you can say many things, but remember that this way you convey to them how much English you know. So if you want them to think your English is really good, remember the details. � |
5 Jun 2010
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Babs1966
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Anitabori, I really love your explanation because it makes sense and I �ll take lesson from it too
Thanks |
5 Jun 2010
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maikacaceres
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If you google expect vs wait you get some really good pages with explanation, even in Spanish. I give you just one example:
WAIT, EXPECT OR HOPE? Key. Although they are translated the same way in Spanish, these verbs have different meanings: Wait means that you do something until ...www.saberingles.com.ar/which/49.html - En cach� - Similares 17 entradas - 9 autores - �ltima entrada: 1 Jun 2009 esperar: hope vs. expect Spanish-English Vocabulary / Vocabulario Espa�ol-Ingl�s . ... Aqu� hay un hilo que a mi me fue muy �til sobre expect, hope, wait. ...
forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t... - En cach� - Similares- - [ Traducir esta p�gina ]
6 entradas - 4 autores - �ltima entrada: 28 Sep 2009 contortionist vs. juggler | Meaning of "It �s the cat �s meow" ... The difference is between � wait for � and � expect �. ...www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic17002.html - En cach� - Similares
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5 Jun 2010
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aliciapc
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I think you should be ready for your students � questions, which in this case may imply sitting down to looking up words in the dictionary (or online, much faster nowadays!) before you go to class. I have to do that with CPE material sometimes, especially when it comes to a specific word and you know it �s that one, as you say, but it �s difficult to explain why. As Anita says, some are just a matter of collocation, others depend on context, good dictionaries like Oxford , have examples for usage, and you should have them in mind when using such words.  You �ll do better, don �t worry, what �s important is that you worry about it and want to improve !! Good luck ! |
5 Jun 2010
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kmochniak
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�Little � is often used in a derogatory and abstract sense as in: of little importance/significance. Little help was offered to the poor(not much). She showed little interest in his remarks. Small often relates to physical size with objects/people - a small person/ a small present/gift, Little boy means that the boy is young, small boy means that he is not big (size but not age). So "little" can be use to denote quantity, whereas "small" denotes size. Also, "little" is used more often by children that adults, so "The house is little" is childish but not actually wrong
For big vs large it �s a matter of collocation, so no rules, I �m afraid! A chance is available in a situation where you are surprised or you had not expected it to happen. In a sentence like: "As we were in the city at the time we had a chance to visit the museum". Here this is something that we had not planned. In this sentence: "If children work hard at school, they have an opportunity to go on to higher education". Here this is something that is planned and can also lead on to something else.
I found it on http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic1393.html Hugs! Kasia |
5 Jun 2010
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imanito
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I agree with all the answers; especially anitarobi �s and kmochniak �s. I just want to add sthg about the difference between "big" and "large". Big emplies being big in size,amount, width and height. Whereas large, it is much more related to surface and broadness. examples:
It is a big house. It is a large road/ surface.
I hope I could help  Good luck |
5 Jun 2010
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