Am I going to get wrong if...

[HaraKiriBlade]

Time is ripe for midterms, and many procrastinators are busy cramming for the exams. I'm one of them, and I'm busy asking exam-related questions to my professors. I usually ask by saying something like the following: "Am I going to get wrong if I answer this question such and such way?"

I don't think this is quite the right English - I could say something like "Are you going to deduct marks if I did this and that?" and that would be close enough to what I want to say, but getting a deduction and losing part of the marks allotted to a quesiton and answering it totally wrong and losing all the marks are different.

How should I ask the question so that I'm asking whether or not I'd get the question totally wrong if I answered it such and such way??

Thanks in advance,

- HKB

[Naamplao]

Time is ripe for midterms, and many procrastinators are busy cramming for the exams. I'm one of them, and I'm busy asking exam-related questions to my professors. I usually ask by saying something like the following: "Am I going to get wrong if I answer this question such and such way?"

I don't think this is quite the right English - I could say something like "Are you going to deduct marks if I did this and that?" and that would be close enough to what I want to say, but getting a deduction and losing part of the marks allotted to a quesiton and answering it totally wrong and losing all the marks are different.

How should I ask the question so that I'm asking whether or not I'd get the question totally wrong if I answered it such and such way??

Thanks in advance,

- HKB

Hahahaha....the joys of preparing for an exam.

I would say

"Would I get full marks or only partial marks for answering the question this way?"

If he/she said you would only receive part marks, then I would ask, "How can I improve my answer?"

[David L.]

Time is ripe for midterms,

'ripe' when used in this sense means, "has arrived at a (generally )fitting stage or time for a particular action or purpose." Midterms are held when they are, because the exams are midway through the term. Is 'ripe' appropriate here then? Compare, "With the growth of the city, this land is ripe for development." Compare, " Midterms are upon us/just around the corner."

and many procrastinators are busy cramming for the exams. I'm one of them, and (I'm) busy asking exam-related questions of my professors. I usually (ask by saying) say something like (the following), "Will I be wrong if I answer this question in such and such a way?"

I don't think this is quite the right English. I could say something like, "Are you going to deduct marks if I do this and that?", and that would be close enough to what I want to say; but getting a deduction and losing part of the marks allotted to a question, and answering it totally incorrectly and losing all the marks are very different.

you are answering it totally (wrongly): the adverb 'wrongly' would be required and with 'totally', the English then sounds clumsy.


How should I ask the question so that I'm asking whether or not I'd get the question totally wrong if I answered it such and such way??
"By how much will I/my marks be penalized if I...."



- HKB[/QUOTE]

[HaraKiriBlade]

Thank you very much Naamplao, for answering my question. It's a little different from what I wanted though: I wanted to ask whether or not I'd lose ALL my marks if I answered it in a certain way, but perhaps without having to say "all my marks" - might be a little too wordy.
I usually ask this question when a professor gives me the correct answer and I propose a different answer, and since my proposal is different from the professor's, I wouldn't expect to get a full mark, but I'd be merely asking whether or not I'd get the answer totally wrong or partly wrong. (I know David L pointed out this 'totally wrong' is an incorrect construction, but I don't know how to say it otherwise)
If you have more suggestions please feel free. (Now that I gave you a more accurate context)


David L, I was hoping someone would proofread my threads and you did just that! I know I often make grammatical errors but most people wouldn't bother correcting them for me. When I ask specific questions, I usually don't ask for proofreading because that often takes the focus away from the main questions, but I'm really grateful you proofread my thread voluntarily. Could I ask you to do the same here on? (well, when you have time and feel like doing it)
Having said that, I'm not quite sure of one of your corrections. I'd be asking quetsions TO my professor, not OF my professor, wouldn't I?

- HKB

[David L.]

You would be 'speaking to' your professor, but you 'ask a question of' someone, and 'ask someone a question'.
I tried not to change your passage unnecessarily. The sentence, ...'asking exam-related questions of my professors" is grammatically correct, but it is also a very formal-sounding way of expressing it. What about, " ...busy asking my professors exam-related questions." This is not as formal, but also not too casual or in any way 'slang', which would not suit the tone of the rest of your passage.