When I answer a reader question over English, I try not to say much. Instead I choose to trust the reader to find out the answers by themselves. This attitude of non-interference, thank you very much, often works.
Here, for example, is a little to-and-fro with Shirlie (who always seems to have another question ready for me the minute I have answered the last one):
Xin: Thanks for writing. Please hit this link (omitted) for reply in detail.
Shirlie: Thank you very much…. But I'm sorry I have to bother you again. This time I'm really confused by some explanation about a 20-minute walk and a 20 minutes' walk. I think they are both right. But some said they are not. Here I copied the original question for you:
3. Every morning Mr. Smith takes a ______ to his office.
A.20 minutes' walk B.20 minute's walk
C.20-minutes walk D.20-minute walk
The answer is A. But others say the answer is D. I think both are right. Some said they chose D because A needn't an article. Is that right? I don't think they are right. What's your opinion?
Xin: Never mind my opinion (it's not a matter of opinion, is it?), the answer is D. Have a good day.
Shirlie: Thanks, but I'm still wondering why A is not right? Even some books say "a 20 minutes' walk" is right.
Xin: May I challenge you to produce the book?
Shirlie: Thank you for your patience. I'm the last one who wants you to be bothered by silly grammatical questions, which drive me crazy sometimes and I'm trying to escape from them. I'm sorry I can not present you the book because the book is not available now, but the website is available. You would say it's stupid to believe in the websites, yap, sometimes it is true. The book won't be available until next week when I go home. So I will make everything clear at that time. The website is here (omitted).
Xin: I'll skip the website in anticipation of the book. Yes, I "would say it's stupid to believe in websites", but I wouldn't say "yap".
These days, one can't even believe in books (which is why I asked you to kindly produce it in the first place), not to mention websites.
Shirlie: I returned home and found out what the book told their readers is: 20 minutes' walk; a 20-minute walk; they are both right. Sorry to have bothered you because of my poor memory.
Xin: Now that you've produced the book, you may look at it this way: If "a 20 minutes' walk" is as good as "a 20-minute walk", "20-minute" as adjective would not have been invented.
To cure from this book, read other books.
Shirlie: Haa, to look at a thing in a different way can be so interesting. Your suggestion is good and I will try it with other problems. Still I have a question: Can "still" modify "others"? Like in this sentence: There are some robots working in factories, others working in the hospitals, ____ (still others/ the others) working in the schools.
Xin: "Still I have a question", as though I didn't know... Now, can "still" modify "others"? Apparently yes. Here, "still" is not a modifier, though. It's an adverb.
An easy example: Some readers ask questions. Others don't. Some ask one question and leave me alone. Some others ask two or more questions but all of them at once. Still others, such as Shirlie, prefer to ask one question after another.
In fact, I'm sure Shirlie has still another one up her sleeve right now, ready to release the moment she reads this.
Got to run...
英语课外辅导:中考 V-ing 形式考点分析
中考英语词汇练习后三册
八年级英语上单选专项练习一
初中英语常用量词词组及其它词组
九年级英语上动词时态练习
九年级英语句型转换专项二
九年级英语宾语从句专项练习
中考英语短文填空练习二
中考英语短文填空练习一
英语语法大全整本收录(六)动名词
英语中考语法(五)动词专题复习(1)
英语语法大全整本收录(四)形容词和副词
英语语法大全整本收录(三) 代词
点击重点句式链接中考考点(二)
八年级英语现在完成时专项练习
八年级英语同义句转换练习
英语语法大全整本收录(五)动词
英语语法大全整本收录(二) 冠词和数词
从词法和句法入手巧解短文改错题
八年级英语单项选择专项练习一
九年级英语上单选100免费下
英语语法大全整本收录(一)名词
名词考向分析与考点训练
英语宾语从句专题复习
八年级英语宾语从句练习
英语中考语法(四)数词专题复习
八年级英语上单选专项练习二
初中教材中的八个IT句型
英语中考语法(六)连词专题复习
八年级英语用词的适当形式填空
| 不限 |
| 英语教案 |
| 英语课件 |
| 英语试题 |
| 不限 |
| 不限 |
| 上册 |
| 下册 |
| 不限 |