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Comments about the English forum


Frustration

Pernelle
User since 2012
Posts: 15

11 June 2013

Hello - From time to time I'm feeling rather frustrated with the corrections received to some of my answers. For example: a recent lesson: an invitation is sent to some customers offering them to participate in a focus group related to the development of new cosmetic products - they are requested to answer ASAP if they are or not available and willing to attend a meeting on Friday 12th March. My answer: "I look forward to taking part in this exciting project" was OK However because I didn't select "I'm afraid I can't make it on Friday...." this has been considered as an ERROR As a former cultural assistant I was used to send invitations to a great number of cultural events and the first mentioned answer would have been sufficient to add this person to the focus group listing. What do you think? Since our answers are examined by an engine I guess there is nothing else to do - That being said I appreciate very much doing the GG daily lessons. Have a nice day.

4 comments

  • User since 2006
    Posts: 2715

    12 June 2013

    What do I think? Pernelle. First and foremost, I think you are fluent in English. Now about being free on Friday or not: according to your answer saying you were looking forward to taking part in the meeting, I have grounds for believing that you would take part. If the robot doesn't, it cannot commit an error. It's unfathomable that it would have been wrongly computerized. But I would rather be inclined to think you could have missed a clue in the question at stake. - Now I bring up this point by the way: If you don't mind me saying, "you weren't used to send invitations". You used to send invitations. So did you in the past, with a simple preterit. May I remind you that "I am used to doing"; "I get used to doing" or "I got used to doing". Maybe you wanted to insist on the fact you were busy sending invitations, in such case , would you say "I was used to sending invitations" but I don't know if it is correct or not; anyhow it is not usual. - I wish you had many nice days in a row.
  • User since 2012
    Posts: 49

    15 June 2013

    Hi, Pernelle. If I remember correctly, In this exercise you need to check all the answers that would be appropriate as for the style (formality, politeness...). And yes, I also think it's frustrating, but if you omit one good answer, there is an error counted...;)
  • User since 2012
    Posts: 15

    16 June 2013

    Hi - Thanks a lot AhQ for your appreciation and detailed answer about my grammatical error -In my above message I tried to explain that one of my duties was to send invitations to various cultural events and the answer "I look forward to taking part..." would have been considered as affirmative response. Idoine91 - Many thanks to you too - Your answer gives me another approach to make a decision while choosing an answer - Anyway I'm not upset with the robot LOL and not stressed with the ratings. Once again thanks for your explanations.
  • User since 2012
    Posts: 32

    24 June 2013

    The thing with those literally muliple-choice questions (where indeed mutliple choices are correct answers) is that the engine assumes that if you didn't check a correct answer you did consider that answer as incorrect, even if you simply left the choice blank, that is, you didn't make any decisision whether the answer is correct nor not. The second choice "I'm afraid I can't make it on Friday...." seems to be a valid and formally corect response for the case the invitee has to decline the invitation, and the engine awaits our binary decision in this matter, taking an ommitted check box tick as 'No'.

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