# English help... Is this sentence correct? **URL:** \ **Category:** English Grammar & Usage\ **Created:** [July 12, 2022, 10:39am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660 "2022-07-12T10:39:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nz](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@nz](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/nz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/21 "2022-07-12T14:40:16Z")
> [@TT](#): > > Yes, whoever wrote it doesn’t have a great command of English It’s quite typical to have people with a poor command of English writing these test questions. Probably every other exam question, at best, has some sort of error. My favorite high school entrance exam question: “My grandpa has a circle yard” with the task being to find the image of grandpa and the “circle yard”. You wanna talk grammar, “circle” is modifying “yard”, which means it should be “circular”, so that’s wrong. No need to ask under what condition someone would ever need to talk about “circle yards”. Yards are typically polygons of some form, as roads are typically straight and lot lines are also generally straight… “but being able to abstract the idea of a circle yard requires higher level thinking, which means if students can answer this, their English is really good, like better than yours, native English speaker” ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 2:46pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/22 "2022-07-12T14:46:09Z")
Thailand had a lot of this. I’m not sure if they didn’t trust the foreigners with the test, or couldn’t stand the loss of face of admitting they weren’t good enough, or that whoever was in charge wanted the money to go a certain way, or what ---
**Author:** ![nz](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@nz](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/nz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/23 "2022-07-12T14:58:18Z")
What shocks me is that these same errors occur on every exam for English, beginning in first grade, and carrying on until high school and university exams come along where we as native speakers would have trouble getting through the whole thing. Edit: it doesn’t shock me actually. I’ve lived here too long for that. But this is bilingual 2030 for you! ---
**Author:** ![tempogain](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tempogain/32/264650_2.png) [@tempogain](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/tempogain)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/24 "2022-07-12T16:47:22Z")
> As a determiner, the word “whichever” refers to a specific number or item in a group. “Whichever item _is_ coated” would be more grammatical, but still not idiomatic. The idea is more like “whichever one you take is fine”. That is, some specific one and not any and all. ---
**Author:** ![Hamletintaiwan](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Hamletintaiwan](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Hamletintaiwan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/25 "2022-07-12T17:02:39Z")
Items coated with this unique paint will maintain a lower temperature than its surroundings. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Milker](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/dr_milker/32/181996_2.png) [@Dr\_Milker](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Dr_Milker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/26 "2022-07-12T17:05:16Z")
> [@Hamletintaiwan](#): > > Items coated with this unique paint will maintain a lower temperature than **their** surroundings. FIFY 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hannes](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/hannes/32/161150_2.png) [@hannes](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/hannes)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/27 "2022-07-12T20:17:36Z")
But what if the temperature’s surroundings become too hot? The pot thickens… ---
**Author:** ![humpty](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/humpty/32/21220_2.png) [@humpty](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/humpty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 2:16am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/28 "2022-07-13T02:16:34Z")
> [@TaipAmy](#): > > It’s from the official college entrance exam prep book for next year’s test. Tell nephew to ask for his money back. Sentence focus and emphasis shifts and is stilted AF! ---
**Author:** ![TaipAmy](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/taipamy/32/188329_2.png) [@TaipAmy](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TaipAmy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/29 "2022-07-13T02:22:16Z")
I think all the third year high school kids received the same books. They were free or included in the normal fees at least. ---
**Author:** ![humpty](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/humpty/32/21220_2.png) [@humpty](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/humpty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/30 "2022-07-13T02:22:17Z")
> [@Hamletintaiwan](#): > > Items coated with this unique paint will maintain a lower temperature than **their** surroundings. I like that you used the future tense (_will_) rather than _can_, which is used a lot in Taiwan…quite grating. ---
**Author:** ![humpty](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/humpty/32/21220_2.png) [@humpty](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/humpty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 2:26am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/31 "2022-07-13T02:26:50Z")
> [@TaipAmy](#): > > ![IMG_20220712_190521](https://forumosauploads-12829.kxcdn.com/original/3X/e/9/e9d47f0073fc92fb34a59c25655ca99edfeff107.jpeg) Basing on the first sentence I was expecting a narrative on people’s botheration. Talk about leading on and leaving high and dry 😆 ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/32 "2022-07-13T03:34:56Z")
It is always that first sentence that bothers me much. ---
**Author:** ![humpty](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/humpty/32/21220_2.png) [@humpty](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/humpty)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:41am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/33 "2022-07-13T03:41:35Z")
Speech here is full of this kind of ‘stream-of-consciousness non-sequitur’. Even webpages are like that. I wish they would teach kids to organise their thoughts/ideas more coherrently. However their comfort blankets beckon: vocabulary and grammar. Or maybe it is a siren’s call 🫣 ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:43am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/34 "2022-07-13T03:43:23Z")
That usage of ‘much’ is grammatically incorrect much. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Milker](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/dr_milker/32/181996_2.png) [@Dr\_Milker](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Dr_Milker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/35 "2022-07-13T03:45:30Z")
> [@TT](#): > > That usage of ‘much’ is grammatically incorrect much. Complain much? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TT](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/tt/32/271883_2.png) [@TT](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/TT)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:49am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/36 "2022-07-13T03:49:24Z")
> [@Dr\_Milker](#): > > Complain much? 🙂 Who asked you? 😆 > [@TaipAmy](#): > > @afterspivak @BiggusDickus @DrewC @Ducked @TT @jimipresley > > You are all professors from what I remember ---
**Author:** ![Lost.in.space](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/lost.in.space/32/181081_2.png) [@Lost.in.space](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Lost.in.space)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:50am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/37 "2022-07-13T03:50:16Z")
This is a product of the Line instant messaging culture. What ever thought they have is sent as a Line. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Milker](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/user_avatar/tw.forumosa.com/dr_milker/32/181996_2.png) [@Dr\_Milker](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Dr_Milker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 3:53am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/38 "2022-07-13T03:53:13Z")
> [@TT](#): > > **Whoever** asked you? 😆 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ducked](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@Ducked](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Ducked)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 4:35am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/39 "2022-07-13T04:35:21Z")
> [@Lost.in.space](#): > > I don’t know much more than I have given. > > But you will see this type of grammar often in industrial MSDS or other instructions. Doesn’t give much confidence. English grammarians don’t rule industry. Americans used to, which would be bad, and now Chinese do, which would be worse. Anyway/whatever, I’d say the sentence needs an “is”, and would not be wrong if it had one. I wouldn’t personally use “whichever” in that way, but that isn’t what is being asked. ---
**Author:** ![Ducked](https://forumosa-12829.kxcdn.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@Ducked](https://tw.forumosa.com/u/Ducked)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2022, 4:55am UTC](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660/40 "2022-07-13T04:55:50Z")
> [@TaipAmy](#): > > ![IMG_20220712_190521](https://forumosauploads-12829.kxcdn.com/original/3X/e/9/e9d47f0073fc92fb34a59c25655ca99edfeff107.jpeg) Interesting application of the traditional (?) R-\>L, Top-\> Bottom reading order to more-or-less English text. I suppose it made it more accessible to scholars in the Forbidden City Imperial Library. OTOH it would give me a headache, and I don’t want one. [Previous page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660.md?page=1) [Next page](https://tw.forumosa.com/t/english-help-is-this-sentence-correct/221660.md?page=3)