semi

English4everyone · Jul 30, 2012

As we have private classes, can we have semi private classess? Or can we say semi intensive courses? I mean are the terms semi private and semi intensive correct in English?

JMurray · Jul 30, 2012

As we have private classes, can we have semi private classes? Or can we say semi intensive courses? I mean are the terms semi private and semi intensive correct in English?

The prefix "semi-" is widely used to mean "to a degree", "partly", "almost". So terms like "semi-intensive" and "semi-private" would be fine, I feel, although they require a hyphen, unlike more established words such as "semipermanent" and "semidarkness".

not a teacher

Rover_KE · Jul 30, 2012

English4everyone said:
I mean are the terms semi-private and semi-intensive correct in English?

They would be hyphenated for a start.

The terms are non-standard, but their meaning could be understood in the right context.

Used in isolation, the reader would have to guess their meaning.

Rover

English4everyone · Jul 30, 2012

Rover_KE said:
They would be hyphenated for a start.

The terms are non-standard, but their meaning could be understood in the right context.

Used in isolation, the reader would have to guess their meaning.

Rover

So what do you suggest as a standard term that is understandable even out of the context? Is there any term?
Thanks.

bhaisahab · Jul 30, 2012

English4everyone said:
So what do you suggest as a standard term that is understandable even out of the context? Is there any term?
Thanks.

I can't imagine what form a "semi-private class" would take.

5jj · Jul 30, 2012

bhaisahab said:
I can't imagine what form a "semi-private class" would take.

I took one once, many years ago. It was originally set up for a group of patents lawyers. We agreed that they could bring in inerested colleagues occasionally, but that it was not open to everybody in the company who fancied dropping in. We had it on my timetable as 'semi-private'.

English4everyone · Jul 30, 2012

bhaisahab said:
I can't imagine what form a "semi-private class" would take.

A class with one student (a one-student class) would be a "private class".
A class with many students would be, I think, a group class.
I meant a class with 2 or 3 students. Would it be a "semi-private class"?
Maybe it's not understandable to you because you don't have this form in your country. But this is something normal here in my country. The students in such classes (semi-private class) have to pay less than private students and more than the students in normal classes (group classes).

bhaisahab · Jul 30, 2012

English4everyone said:
A class with one student (a one-student class) would be a "private class".
A class with many students would be, I think, a group class.
I meant a class with 2 or 3 students. Would it be a "semi-private class"?
Maybe it's not understandable to you because you don't have this form in your country. But this is something normal here in my country. The students in such classes (semi-private class) have to pay less than private students and more than the students in normal classes (group classes).

I've always had a "private" one-to-one rate and a group rate, irrespective of the size of the group.
Edit: I've never had a group of more than ten people.

Tdol · Jul 30, 2012

I have taught in places that made a distinction between private, semi-private and group classes because of the rates.

Barb_D · Jul 30, 2012

That use of semi-private is common in the US. If you paid for semi-private but found seven people in your class, you would expect/demand a refund. Likewise in the hospital, you may have one roommate in a semi-private room.

bhaisahab · Jul 30, 2012

Barb_D said:
That use of semi-private is common in the US. If you paid for semi-private but found seven people in your class, you would expect/demand a refund. Likewise in the hospital, you may have one roommate in a semi-private room.

I'm familiar with the term "semi-private room" in a hospital context.

semi

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