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Rokas Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

I don't agree with my English teacher... perhaps I am wrong?

0 Word formation 02br
001. In ___ (desperate), some people decide to have an operation. 02br
00My answer is 'despair' but my teacher insists on 'desperation'. 02br
002. They waste the ___ (value) time of doctors when really they are perfectly healthy. 02br
00My answer is 'invaluable' but my teacher insists on 'valuable' even though invaluable=valuable. 02br
003. Of course it is ___ (advise) to use your common sense. 02br
00My answer is 'advised' but my teacher insists on 'advisable'. 02br
004. You should be cautious when approached by strangers, and always keep in mind that violence is ___ (prevail) and that acting unafraid is the best protection against attack. 02br
00My answer is 'prevailing' but my teacher insists on 'prevalent'. 02br
02br
00Am I wrong in all four places? Or perhaps both answers are possible? 02br
02br
00Thanks050010id1
  

Top answer

0Hi Rokas. have you tried looking up all these words in your dictionary, or in Webster? 02br 02br 00I think you will find that your teacher is right in each case.

— Abbie1948

  • 0Hi Rokas.
  • have you tried looking up all these words in your dictionary, or in Webster?
  • 02br 02br 00I think you will find that your teacher is right in each case.
  • Hope you didn't have a bet on it!
  • 0-
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7 Answers
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0Hi Rokas. have you tried looking up all these words in your dictionary, or in Webster? 02br
02br
00I think you will find that your teacher is right in each case. Hope you didn't have a bet on it! 0-
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0 Hello, Rokas! 02br
02br
00Hm... 02br
001. = "in desperation", or "when desperate": desperation is a noum, and only a noun can come after "in" (preposition) 05002br
002. = "invaluable = so rare you can't give an exact value"; BUT the doctor's time value is evaluated (fees) so it's "the valuable time of doctors" 05102br
003. "it is a
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0 Rokas, 02br
02br
00I tried the exercises without looking at your answers first. 02br
00In every case I instinctively chose the form your teacher chose. 02br
02br
00Maybe all of us English teachers are wrong! 02br
02br
00Jim 0-
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0 I would say that "in despair" was OK. 02br
02br
00Nonetheless, the teacher has demonstrated the best answers, and in gapfills/multiple choices that is the important thing. 0-
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0 'Out of despair' might be more natural, if we wanted to use 'despair' in #1. 02br
02br
00MrP 0-
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0'Invaluable' means 'unable to be valued', that is, so valuable that the doctor would not waste it on his patients, sick or healthy. 02br
02br
00'Prevailing' means at the psychological instant of the discussion; 'prevalent' means generally, these days. 02br
02br
00Etc. 0-
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0Thanks for the help. I was clever enough not to bet on these.050010id1
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