Saturday, July 25, 2009

logic

Logic is something we all need, teachers and students alike. Here's a way to get students thinking about language. Can you answer the following questions


John wrote me a note saying ‘I’m not a journalist and have never written an article my life.’ I knew he was lying. How? Clue: What different meanings does the word article have in English?

The new ___________ is ____________ than the old____________.
Which single word can go in all three gaps? Clue: than shows it is a comparative. Many comparatives end in –er. This suffix is also shows professions e.g. footballer/writer/singer. The answer a word that is both a comparative adjective and a job.

How many letters are there in a letter box? Clue: What different meanings does the word letter have in English?

I got a bicycle, a sweater and a CD for my birthday. Someone asked me which my favourite was. I chose one of them, however, my answer was not ‘ a bicycle’ ‘a sweater’ or ‘a CD’. What did I say? Clue: Two words

John said he had an uncle who was a driving instructor, a sister who was a nurse, and an aunt who was a ballet dancer. How many relatives did he mention? Clue: What different meanings does the word relative have in English?

Yesterday I told my friend about my three previous visits to France. I did not use the past tense once. What did I say? Clue: I only said one sentence, and gave no details.

Which pair of English words are closely related grammatically, although they do not have a single letter in common? Clue: Irregular

Most verbs add -ed to make the past tense. However, some verbs do not add anything, in fact, they lose a letter the in the past form. Which are they?

My boss asked me a question. Instead of answering, I sat down. My boss was not surprised. What was the question? Clue: first word =Would)

What is the next in this sequence?
a, a, a, a, an, a, a, a, an, a, a, a, a, a, a,....

Answers soon!