weakness; decide

[jiang]

Dear teachers,
I have two quesitons to ask:

No. 1
The _____ in David's character has hindered him from advancement in his career.
a. weakness b. shortcoming c. defect
The key is 'c'. No problem. 'a' and 'b' are too specific. Is that right?

No.2
It was difficult to _________ a date which was convenient for everyone.
a. decide b. arrange
'a' is the key. No problem. My questions is: Can I choose 'a'?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

[Barb_D]

No. 1
The _____ in David's character has hindered him from advancement in his career.
a. weakness b. shortcoming c. defect
The key is 'c'. No problem. 'a' and 'b' are too specific. Is that right?
Jiang

Honestly, I would not have been able to tell you which one was "right." I don't find weakness or shortcoming at all specific.

No.2
It was difficult to _________ a date which was convenient for everyone.
a. decide b. arrange
'a' is the key. No problem. My questions is: Can I choose 'a'?
Jiang

No, you would have to say "decide on" a date. You could (although it's not a choice given) say "choose a date"

[jiang]

&
Dear Barb_D,

Thank you very much for your explanation. I understand No.2 now. As for No.1 if you native speakers can't tell which is right, I think I can do nothing about it.

Best wishes,
Jiang

Honestly, I would not have been able to tell you which one was "right." I don't find weakness or shortcoming at all specific.


No, you would have to say "decide on" a date. You could (although it's not a choice given) say "choose a date"