Directions to shift tenses for an exercise

Question

The context:Assuming that is Alex who talks.‘But the old President read it, and liked it. He wasn’t a bad man, and he wanted a better life for the people.‘Question:Did Alex say the old president had negative qualities? Explain your answer ....No. Alex said he hadn't been a bad man and he had wanted a better life for people.My question: How can I advise the students to shift tenses to indicate a change in the timeframe of the actions?Should I say, 'Explain your answer using reported speech'? Would that be correct? Is there a better one?TL

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

The problem with so many of your questions is that you are trying to force your students to give just one answer, an answer that is to be given in the words that you have pre-determined.

Tenacious LearnerDid Alex say the old president had negative qualities? Explain your answer ....

No. There is no evidence in the text that Alex said that the old president had negative qualities. Indeed, he said that the old president wasn't a bad man and that he wanted a better life for his people.

That seems to me to be a pretty good answer. Do you think it's not?

Tenacious Learner · Answer

fivejedjonThe problem with so many of your questions is that you are trying to force your students to give just one answer, an answer that is to be given in the words that you have pre-determined.

Hi fivejedjon,
Thanks for your concern. Not really; I've learned through many posts and teacher's opinions that my answer is not the answer, it's one possible one out of many.

For example:
Then they talked quietly about their friends and their family. ‘The children are with my sister,’ Olivia said. ‘It’s better for them there. But I came here to Rudi’s house.

Question:
Was Olivia at home?
Possible answers among others:
No, she wasn't. She was out.
No, she wasn't. She's at Rudi's house.
No, she wasn't. She was at a (friend's/relative's) house.
No, she wasn't, She was elsewhere.
No, she wasn't. She was somewhere else.

fivejedjonNo. There is no evidence in the text that Alex said that the old president had negative qualities. Indeed, he said that the old president wasn't a bad man and that he wanted a better life for his people. That seems to me to be a pretty good answer. Do you think it's not?

Yes, it is an answer. Of course it is. If a student answers that it will be also accepted.
My answers are just a guide not the law. What do you think? Am I that wrong?

TL

Fivejedjon · Answer

Tenacious LearnerWhat do you think? Am I that wrong?

I have never said that you were wrong. I, personally, happen to think that your questions sometimes have little point - they can be answered correctly by someone who does not necessarily understand the text*. You also appear to me to be trying to force a particular answer sometimes by asking somewhat unnatural questions.

However, these are merely my opinions. The fact that I would ask an entirely different form of question does not make me right and you wrong - or me wrong and you right.

* An example of this type of situation:

The sniddle frited its sharbled strup perlassitly.

What frited his sharbled strup perlassitly?
What did the sniddle do with its shrabled strup?
What did the sniddle frite?

Was its strup sharbled?
How did the sniddle frite its sharbled strup?

It's possible to answer all these questions correctly without having any idea of the meaning of sniddle, frite. sharbled, strup or perlassitly

Tenacious Learner · Answer

fivejedjonI have never said that you were wrong. I, personally, happen to think that your questions sometimes have little point - they can be answered correctly by someone who does not necessarily understand the text*. You also appear to me to be trying to force a particular answer sometimes by asking somewhat unnatural questions.

Hi fivejedjon,
Thanks for you reply and opinion. But believe me if they were that easy, each student will answer them without any problem and not all of them do that. On the other hand, if my questions are unnatural, please tell me if you have the time.
The students who answer those questions are pre-intermediate students; not a high level ones. The idea with those listening exercises is for them the get used to listen in English without a text and answer questions more or less challenging; not just listen and read, as they have done at the beginners level.

fivejedjonHowever, these are merely my opinions. The fact that I would ask an entirely different form of question does not make me right and you wrong - or me wrong and you right.

Opinions are always more than welcome.

fivejedjonIt's possible to answer all these questions correctly without having any idea of the meaning of sniddle, frite. sharbled, strup or perlassitly

I don't think my questions are as easy as before. I remember you've told me about that some months ago. I've change them and I believe they are actually more challenging. As I've said before, the students don't answer them right away. Besides that, there's some vocabulary included in the questions that they have to look for in order to understand the question and have an answer.
Don't you think the questions are better than before?

TL

Fivejedjon · Answer

Tenacious LearnerDon't you think the questions are better than before?

It's not really fair for me to comment. As you know, my approach to reading and listening exercises is rather different from yours.

This is one reason I very rarely respond in your threads. - If I did, I would say roughly the same thing every time. You appear to be happy with your approach and think that it works. That's fine. It wouldn't work for me, but you are not me. I am sorry if I come across as negatively critical.

I should have begun my first response in this thread (The problem with so many of your questions is that you are trying to force your students to give just one answer, an answer that is to be given in the words that you have pre-determined) With The problem as I see it ...

Tenacious Learner · Answer

fivejedjonAs you know, my approach to reading and listening exercises is rather different from yours.

OK. What will be yours then? Could you write two questions if I give a small part of a text?

fivejedjonThis is one reason I very rarely respond in your threads

I know that. You've explain me that in the past.

fivejedjon I am sorry if I come across as negatively critical.

Don't be sorry for that. I didn't day it was a negative criticism. Now I'm more open minded.

fivejedjonYou appear to be happy with your approach and think that it works.

It works, but I can go further than what I do. Will you help me in the way I've requested at the beginning of this thread?

TL

Fivejedjon · Answer

Tenacious LearnerCould you write two questions if I give a small part of a text?

I cannot think of any particularly useful questions to ask about just two straightforward sentences such as: ‘But the old President read it, and liked it. He wasn’t a bad man, and he wanted a better life.

Here is a longer passage with some questions I might ask

'You have a lot of friends. Perhaps Pauli can help you. Or ...' 'Perhaps. I've got some good friends. I know that. But I've got a lot of enemies too,' Alex said slowly. 'Very dangerous enemies.' Suddenly Olivia saw his hands. 'Your hands! Oh Alex, what happened to your hands?' Alex looked down at them. 'It happened in prison,' he said slowly. 'They did it with a knife ... and cigarettes.' 'But why?' Olivia whispered. 'Why did they do that?' 'They wanted a name, but I didn't tell them.' 'What name?' 'The name of the President's murderer.' 'But they say you killed him ...' Olivia began. 'Yes, but I did not kill the President. And the police know that.' 'So they put you in prison,' Olivia said, 'because they needed a murderer.' 'Yes. And because of my book about the old President, and the government of this country. It was a very angry book. Do you remember?' Alex smiled. 'But the old President read it, and liked it. He wasn’t a bad man, and he wanted a better life for the people. He wanted to change things in this country, but he couldn't. The police and the army stopped him. And the new President, of 29 course, is a good friend of the police and the army. A very good friend.' Alex laughed angrily. 'You see, Olivia, the police know the murderer's name, but it's a secret. They don't want people in this country to know the name.

What does the writer suggest happened to Alex while he was in prison?
Who do you think they are. Why do you think this?
Is Alex's’s opinion of the old president the same now as when he wrote his book? Give a reason for your answer.
Do you think that the police in Alex’s country are honest. Why do you think this?
Do you think Alex has a high opinion of the new president? Why do you think this?

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi fivejedjon,
Thanks a lot for the text and questions.
Wow!

They are excellent questions! To be completely honest, I, myself find them difficult for a pre-intermediate level, but great for an intermediate or advanced level.

I would have never thought in that way in asking questions. With those kind of questions there are many factors that come into play, incredible! They are a lot wider than mine.
Just one question, shouldn't it be 'Alex' instead of 'Paul' in the questions?

TL

Fivejedjon · Answer

Tenacious LearnerJust one question, shouldn't it be 'Alex' instead of 'Paul' in the questions?

Yes. A very careless mistake on my part. Sorry.
I am going back now to edit my post,

Tenacious Learner · Answer

fivejedjonYes. A very careless mistake on my part. Sorry.

Hi fivejedjon,
No worries at all. But thank you!

TL

Directions to shift tenses for an exercise

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