Could anyone correct these sentences for me?

Question

Hi everyone, I need some opinions on the following sentences. Could anyone tell me if they are correct, natural and make sense. I don't think there's anything wrong with them but I'm not sure. Thank you in advance. Gloria -- 1. All the bridesmaids were wearing pink, but the bride wore white. 2. Tony crushed the round can flat. 3. The doctor advised Peter to exercise more and get in shape. 4. I sent the package by air because by land would have been too slow. 5. The heat from the fireplace felt good on that cold night. 6. I was snowed under with work because everyone had the flu. 7. Our business hours are from nine in the morning until six in the evening. 8. I hope to buy a second car in time. 9. I can't wait until the weekend arrives! 10. Mother's birthday falls on a Tuesday this year. 11. We took a vacation Down Under and saw the kangaroos. 12. This is the most snow I've seen in ten years. 13. He's a successful businessman because he works eight days a week. 14. He was high at the party, so we took him home. 15. The hungry kid ate three bowls of rice. 16. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of the classroom. 17. The police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk. 18. Circles (OO) mean hugs and crosses (***) mean kisses.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hi everyone, I need some opinions on the following sentences. Could anyone tell me if they are correct, natural and ... police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk. The police officer asked the taxi driver to open the trunk.[/nq]
-- "Throw me that lipstick, darling, I wanna redo my stigmata." +-Jennifer Saunders, "Absolutely Fabulous"

Usenet · Answer

on 07 Jan 2004:
[nq:1]Hi everyone, I need some opinions on the following sentences. Could anyone tell me if they are correct, natural and ... not sure. Thank you in advance. Gloria -- 1. All the bridesmaids were wearing pink, but the bride wore white.[/nq]
This is probably just about style, but I'd say "wore pink" or "was wearing white" to make the sentence structure parallel.
[nq:1]2. Tony crushed the round can flat. 3. The doctor advised Peter to exercise more and get in shape. 4. ... from nine in the morning until six in the evening. 8. I hope to buy a second car in time.[/nq]
"in time" is ambiguous, which is not in itself bad, but it should probably should be something like "soon" or "one of these days" or sometime during the next year or two". Unless, of course, it is supposed to mean something like "in time for my wedding" or some other event for which a second car is necessary.
[nq:1]9. I can't wait until the weekend arrives! 10. Mother's birthday falls on a Tuesday this year. 11. We took ... the most snow I've seen in ten years. 13. He's a successful businessman because he works eight days a week.[/nq]
This is a figurative usage of "8 days a week" that sounds a bit silly to me. That, however is not a serious problem. The ambiguity of of the subordinate clause ("because . . .") is. It can be read two ways: "I can tell that he's a successful businessman, because I see that he works 8 days a week" or "The reason he is a successful businessman is that he works 8 days a week". Which is it here, do you think?
[nq:1]14. He was high at the party, so we took him home.[/nq]
"high" is ambiguous out of context but not wrong. It could mean intoxicated on alcohol, drugs (legal or illegal), or chemical fumes, or ecstatic because of some external (or internal) event or condition. It might be better to be more specific, eg, "He was drunk".
[nq:1]15. The hungry kid ate three bowls of rice.[/nq]
"kid" could mean human child or young goat out of context, so it might be better to replace the word with "child". "kid" is sometimes okay, but not always, and "child" is always acceptable when referrring to a human child.
[nq:1]16. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of the classroom.[/nq]
"at the back of the room" modifies what? It is a misplaced modifier. Teachers generally teach while sitting or standing in front of the room. There are three possible meanings for this sentence:

1. The principal was at the back of the classroom watching the teacher teach. (Teacher up front & principal in back)

2. The principal was watching the teacher at the back of the classroom teach. (Teacher in back & principal somewhere)

3. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of the classroom. (Teacher probably up front and looking over the heads of the students and talking to the back wall rather than to the students & principal somewhere)
[nq:1]17. The police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk.[/nq]
"to open the trunk"
[nq:1]18. Circles (OO) mean hugs and crosses (***) mean kisses.[/nq]
-- Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]16. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of theclassroom. 17. The police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk.[/nq]
Franke's replies make sense but he's being a bit fussy. The only wrong sentences are these two.

Adrian

Usenet · Answer

on 08 Jan 2004:
[nq:2]16. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of the[/nq]
[nq:1]classroom.[/nq]
[nq:2]17. The police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk.[/nq]
[nq:1]Franke's replies make sense but he's being a bit fussy.[/nq]
Mea culpa.
[nq:1]The only wrong sentences are these two.[/nq]
-- Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]16. The principal was watching the teacher teach at the back of the[/nq]
[nq:1]classroom.[/nq]
[nq:2]17. The police officer asked the taxi driver opened the trunk.[/nq]
[nq:1]Franke's replies make sense but he's being a bit fussy. The only wrong sentences are these two. Well, Gloria Huang ... make sense." This seems to me to asking for some detailed comments and that is precisely what Franke gave her.[/nq]
Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2] classroom. Franke's replies make sense but he's being a bit fussy. The only wrong sentences are these two.[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, Gloria Huang did ask "Could anyone tell me if they are correct, natural and make sense." This seems to me to asking for some detailed comments and that is precisely what Franke gave her.[/nq]
All I was pointing out (because Franke didn't say it in so many (few) words) was that, except for sentences 16 and 17, the answer to her question is "yes".

Only trying to be helpful, sir.

Adrian

Usenet · Answer

on 08 Jan 2004:
[nq:2] Well, Gloria Huang did ask "Could anyone tell me ... detailed comments and that is precisely what Franke gave her.[/nq]
[nq:1]All I was pointing out (because Franke didn't say it in so many (few) words) was that, except for sentences 16 and 17, the answer to her question is "yes".[/nq]
True. I tried to give the OP as detailed an analysis of each sentence as I could in order to point out the possible weaknesses in all of them. Because I didn't know the purpose of the list, I felt that I couldn't assume that because there were no grammatical errors in any but 16 and 17 that they were all acceptable. Also, I was responding to someone from home, and I have a reasonably clear idea of what should be said to homeys about English sentences. I do that every day.
[nq:1]Only trying to be helpful, sir.[/nq]
Actually, Adrian, Einde is a "ma'am".

-- Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

What's "Mea culpa?" Would CyberCypher care to explain? To me maybe?
[nq:1] on 08 Jan 2004:[/nq]
[nq:1]classroom.[/nq]
[nq:2]Franke's replies make sense but he's being a bit fussy.[/nq]
[nq:1]Mea culpa.[/nq]
[nq:2]The only wrong sentences are these two.[/nq]

Usenet · Answer

on 08 Jan 2004:
[nq:1]What's "Mea culpa?" Would CyberCypher care to explain? To me maybe?[/nq]
It's Latin for "I'm guilty". Yes, I was being very "fussy", as Adrian pointed out, but because I've been teaching English in Taiwan for nearly 8 years, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what kind of written answer you would have appreciated most. I see by your other post that I was right.

-- Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

Dear Everyone, I don't see there's a need for arguing what's the best answer to my question. I appreciate all of your help.

As an English editor and a translator/writer wannabe, I need to know English better but it's really difficult to seek professional help outside school. Therefore I really really appreciate ppl like Franke who doesn't mind to spend time helping me understand what's wrong with the meanings of those sentences. As we say in Chinese, ppl like Franke are "rare and endangered", meaning good ppl are few nowadays. I see Franke is giving me professional opinions here, which is very nice of him.

I'd hate to see any conflict resulted from my post. Let's just close this case, shall we?

Best regards, Gloria
[nq:2] Well, Gloria Huang did ask "Could anyone tell me ... detailed comments and that is precisely what Franke gave her.[/nq]
[nq:1]All I was pointing out (because Franke didn't say it in so many (few) words) was that, except for sentences 16 and 17, the answer to her question is "yes". Only trying to be helpful, sir. Adrian[/nq]

Could anyone correct these sentences for me?

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