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Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Native-like or not no. 19 - goes as far as burning midnight oil
Dear All,
Here's a sentence a friend of mine was taught by one of her IELTS-preparation course teachers. In my humble opinion this sentence is wrong, at least grammar-wise...
The students' craze for cellphone goes so far as to burn their midnight oil.
My corrections:
And... frankly speaking, this sentence seems to be a bit foggy in meaning if I may say so... Does it sound native-like to you? From my perspective I'd say that someone wanted to express the following meaning:
Students are so crazy about cellphones that they go to extremes and stay up late playing and chatting on their mobiles.
Here's a sentence a friend of mine was taught by one of her IELTS-preparation course teachers. In my humble opinion this sentence is wrong, at least grammar-wise...
The students' craze for cellphone goes so far as to burn their midnight oil.
My corrections:
- students' craze of cellphones
- ...as far as to burning
And... frankly speaking, this sentence seems to be a bit foggy in meaning if I may say so... Does it sound native-like to you? From my perspective I'd say that someone wanted to express the following meaning:
Students are so crazy about cellphones that they go to extremes and stay up late playing and chatting on their mobiles.
Top answer
I agree with your interpretation of the sentence. I would stick with for , rather than of , cellphone s . goes so far as to burn their midnight oil is not idiomatic English, and goes as far as to burning their midnight oil doesn't really solve the problem.
- I agree with your interpretation of the sentence.
- I would stick with for , rather than of , cellphone s .
- goes so far as to burn their midnight oil is not idiomatic English, and goes as far as to burning their midnight oil doesn't really solve the problem.
- The idiom is being misused here.
- Burn the midnight oil means to work or study late into the night, rather than chat on a cellphone.
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4 Answers
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I agree with your interpretation of the sentence.
I would stick with for, rather than of, cellphones.
goes so far as to burn their midnight oil is not idiomatic English, and goes as far as to burning their midnight oil doesn't really solve the problem. The idiom is being misused here. Burn the midnight o
I would stick with for, rather than of, cellphones.
goes so far as to burn their midnight oil is not idiomatic English, and goes as far as to burning their midnight oil doesn't really solve the problem. The idiom is being misused here. Burn the midnight o
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Thanks Blue Jay,Would you please comment upon these sentences and tell me whether they sound natural to your ear?1) I have so much homework to do today that I'll have to burn some midnight oil tonight.2) I'm dog tired but I have to burn some midnight oil tonight.3) When I was in high school I used to burn the midnight oil to study --->>> in this one I'm not sure if it's necessary to say
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Would you please comment upon these sentences and tell me whether they sound natural to your ear?
1) I have so much homework to do today that I'll have to burn some midnight oil tonight.
2) I'm dog tired but I have to burn some midnight oil tonight.
3)
1) I have so much homework to do today that I'll have to burn some midnight oil tonight.
2) I'm dog tired but I have to burn some midnight oil tonight.
3)
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Sorry I missed this before. 
#1 and #2 are OK.
#3 I agree. I would omit to study.
#4 Neither
#1 and #2 are OK.
#3 I agree. I would omit to study.
#4 Neither
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