View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 25-May-2006, 05:47
riceball72 riceball72 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Country: New Zealand
Posts: 54
Current Location: Japan
First Language: english
Thanks: 6
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
riceball72 is on a distinguished road
Question Is the a right or wrong style for answering questions?



Hi
I have just had an interesting conversation with a co-worker (japanese) about the correct way to answer questions, in written format.

As a native speaker I know there are many different ways, but vividly remember an English teacher telling me I was wrong when I didn't write what she/he considered a 'Full Answer'.

ie. What was Mary wearing?

A1: Mary was wearing blue shorts.
A2: She was wearing blue shorts.

From memory my teacher would have marked me wrong if I had answered with A2, however, it seems my co-worker was taught how to answer using A2 style, instead of incorporating the subject into the answer.

My only idea is that EFL / ESL teaching has a tendancy to focus on 'spoken' style English, where as a native speaker is taught from the written perspective? (I am guessing here!!).

As an English teacher which style of written answer would you expect from your students? Even though technically I think both are correct?

As a student, which way have you been taught?

Any ideas and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

smiles
Reply With Quote