0
Lantz Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
I can't answer this question well...
Please help me with this question.
On a test there was a question "Where were you last night?"
The teachers asked me about the answers students gave. For example:
1. I was in my home.
2. I was at home.
So my question is this... In super simple but super specific terms, which of the above two answers is more correct?
I said both were technically correct, however #2 was the pattern that I used more in everyday conversation.
Thank you for your time;
Austin
On a test there was a question "Where were you last night?"
The teachers asked me about the answers students gave. For example:
1. I was in my home.
2. I was at home.
So my question is this... In super simple but super specific terms, which of the above two answers is more correct?
I said both were technically correct, however #2 was the pattern that I used more in everyday conversation.
Thank you for your time;
Austin
Top answer
" would be identified as a non-native speaker.
- " would be identified as a non-native speaker.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
9 Answers
0
If you asked 1000 Americans this question in a casual conversation, probably 999 would answer: "I was at home."
Any person who answered "I was in my home." would be identified as a non-native speaker.
Any person who answered "I was in my home." would be identified as a non-native speaker.
00
Now, the question that would follow that from my students is this:
*Why? "I was in my home" is technically correct. Why would that be considered an incorrect answer?*
THIS is where I have trouble explaining to my students, so any help would be appreciated.
-Lantz
*Why? "I was in my home" is technically correct. Why would that be considered an incorrect answer?*
THIS is where I have trouble explaining to my students, so any help would be appreciated.
-Lantz
00
Lantz*Why? "I was in my home" is technically correctBoth are grammatical sentences.
However, one is unnatural and the other is natural for native English speakers.
I am teaching English as it is spoken by native speakers. Being the teacher, I can grade you on answering in a natural way as "correct" and answering in an unnatural way as "incorrect."
00
So in order to explain why it is incorrect I expanded a little and brain stormed and this is what I came up with, what do you think?
[
"I was in my home." is a response that seems to be very rigid and even formal.
While it is grammatically correct it has information that is extra.
For example "in"; this is an obvious word. You are not "on" a house or "under a house"
[
"I was in my home." is a response that seems to be very rigid and even formal.
While it is grammatically correct it has information that is extra.
For example "in"; this is an obvious word. You are not "on" a house or "under a house"
00
In English, we can easily make grammatically correct sentences that make no sense. No one would ever say them!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_furiously is a sentence composed by Noam Chomsky in his 1957 book Syntactic Structures as an example of a sen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_furiously is a sentence composed by Noam Chomsky in his 1957 book Syntactic Structures as an example of a sen
00
LantzSo in order to explain why it is incorrectBut it is not incorrect.
The simplest answer is that it is not how a native speaker would answer the question.
When you give a test, give the instruction: "Please choose the best answer."
That would cover incorrect and unnatural answers that would be marked wrong.
00
Great feedback!
Thank you very much...
I am really appreciative of the help.
-Lantz
Thank you very much...
I am really appreciative of the help.
-Lantz
00
I'm sure that the same situation applies to the native language of your students. (Is it Japanese/?)
A learner of Japanese could say something that is correct but would sound odd.
Do you agree? Would your students agree?
A learner of Japanese could say something that is correct but would sound odd.
Do you agree? Would your students agree?
00
Yes, you are correct.
My students are Japanese and, yes a learner of Japanese would make those mistakes.
That is why I like these kind of questions, it can act as a two way mirror and help students understand more about the way they learn and the mistakes that everyone makes.
My students are Japanese and, yes a learner of Japanese would make those mistakes.
That is why I like these kind of questions, it can act as a two way mirror and help students understand more about the way they learn and the mistakes that everyone makes.
0
Related Questions