Post-Final exam mayhem...

Question

Hello, my name is Jeffrey and I'm a teacher in South Korea. Well, finals are over and we get the usual arguments about certain questions but this case is a bit special. A parent came to our school and had "evidence" for her son's argument. Here are the two sentences...

1.) I posted my recipe for my own website. < ----- I feel this sentence is awkward

2.) I posted my recipe on my own website. <------ the more natural sentence

Problem is that I can't explain why no.2 is natural to me. Is sentence grammatically incorrect or is it right?

How would you grade sentence no.1? He is the ONLY student that got it wrong and his mother refuse to let it go.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

It is not a matter of grammar; it is a matter of semantics, of meaning. 'For' does not have the meaning of 'on' (as in a location): it is as simple as that. So it is not just unnatural; it is wrong.

1.) I posted my recipe for my own website. -- I posted it on behalf of or for the purpose of my website (it was not posted on my website). As for context, the sentence is of course a little odd, but I suppose it is a possible utterance.

2.) I posted my recipe on my own website. -- I posted it on the internet on my web page.

CalifJim · Answer

The better answer is clearly "on". We post things on other things. It's an analogy with posting a notice on a board. In the literal case you actualyl affix one thing on (in contact with the surface of) the other.

"for" is awkward because "for" is so often used to indicate who benefits from something.

I did that for my grandmother.

Or to indicate a substitution (instead of).

I spoke for my sister because she had a sore throat.

Neither of these common uses could apply very well to a website. You can't do something to benefit a website (in any sense in which the website would feel the benefit), and you don't do anything instead of a website (in any sense in which the website would have done it if you hadn't).

There are, of course, ways of stretching ideas to force a fit, so I'm wondering what sort of interpretation the parent had in mind as 'evidence' - probably the benefit angle - 'to make my website better'?

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you all for the responses... unfortunately none of her "evidence" is correct. It's just that I can't explain it to her. HA! Imagine me explaining it to her in Konglish (Korean and English mixed). I know where she got these sentences from .. what she did was ..google them.. found it on someone's blog and bam.. its correct because its on a website/blog/article. And this is how every argument starts and I have to explain to every parent that comes through this door at my school that the INTERNET is mostly wrong.

These are her evidence that was found on the internet

I posted some pictures for my website.

I updated my software for my website.

I took some pictures for my website.

I went to the store for some groceries.

I did some reserach for my project.

could you post this letter for me.

Now some are correct but she is using it in a different matter like you said. <sigh> I love parents that wants the best for her kid rather than a parent that doesn't care much about their education so I shouldn't be complaining.

Jeff1380 · Answer

Thank you for the responses... finally found my username. The evidence that the parent had wasn't even evidence itself, its just that she google some sentences and found some examples and said... "AH HA, its on the internet therefore it must be right". My problem has always been trying to explain it in English/Korean about certain words.

Here are some of her evidence

I posted some picture for my own website.

I updated my software for my website.

I took some pictures for my website.

I went to the store for my groceries.

I did some research for my project.

Could you post this letter for me?

Some are totally different and out of context. Post finals exam drama! <sigh> I love eager parents that wants to help their kids because I have met enough parents that just don't care. So I can't really complain can I? hahahah

Thank you for all of your help,

Jeffrey

Mister Micawber · Answer

As I said, it depends on meaning, not grammar, and the meanings are of both the verb and the preposition - that is what you must drum into their thick heads. I'm sure it must be the same for Korean.

I posted some pictures for my website.- - Wrong if it means 'on my website'

I updated my software for my website. -- The software 'belongs to' the website

I took some pictures for my website.-- For the purpose of the website

I went to the store for some groceries. - For the purpose of buying

I did some reseach for my project. -- For the purpose of

could you post this letter for me.- On my behalf.

Jeff1380 · Answer

Again, thank you for a great response. Now the hard part is to drill it into their heads. The problem with English in Korea is that they apply their language to the English language. Korean language is the most scientific language in the world. Very easy to learn, 23 alphabets and the rules are easier to apply. Unfortunately, English is a difficult language to learn because there are so many rules and so forth and so on but Koreans tend to apply the language scientifically where if this rule is presented therefore it is okay all across the board. I have to remind them that there are some exceptions to the rule.

Thank you for everyone's explanation,

Jeffrey

Post-Final exam mayhem...

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions