their musical tastes

Status
Not open for further replies.

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Many students chose 1 as the answer, and "tastes" also seems to work here. But why not "tastes"?

su193
Q. Which are proper words for the blanks? 2
ex)Whatever the professional musician may hold, most musical beginners still search for specific words with which to pin down their musical (a) That is why they always find Tchaikovsky easier to "understand" than "Beethoven". In the first place, it is easier to pin a meaning-word on a Tchaikovsky piece than on a Beethoven one. Much easier. Moreover, with the Russian composer, every time you come back to a piece of his it almost always says the same thing to you, whereas with Beethoven it is often quite difficult to put your finger right on what he is saying. And any musician will tell you that that is why Beethoven is the (b) composer. Because music which always says the same thing to you will necessarily soon become dull music, but music whose meaning is slightly different with each hearing has a greater chance of remaining alive.
a b
1. tastes greater
2. reactions greater
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
In my opinion, only #1 is correct. We don't refer to people's "musical reactions". I would probably use "taste" in the singular as a generic term but "tastes" goes with "their".
 

keannu

VIP Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Korean
Home Country
South Korea
Current Location
South Korea
Maybe the workbook editors made a mistake, even though the answer is 1.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I have just re-read the piece and am actually starting to wonder if perhaps #2 does fit after all. My immediate reaction was to say that "musical taste" is such a common expression and "musical reactions" is not something I had heard, therefore #2 was incorrect. However, the piece goes on to explain how musicians "understand" music, how some music has a quality that "it is difficult to put your finger on" and about what music is "saying" to you. Those are actually all "reactions" to different music.

How a musician (or anyone else) reacts to and understands a piece of music actually has little to do with their musical taste.

I'm going to do a rare thing and completely change my mind. I think #2 fits better (now that I've woken up! ;-) )
 
Last edited:

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
"tastes" is correct "tastes greater" is not.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
"tastes" is correct "tastes greater" is not.

Bhai, those are the two words which fit in the two gaps in the original piece. Choice #1 is that the words are "tastes" and then, later, "greater". Choice 2 is "reactions" and "greater". (I didn't grasp that the first time I read it either.) The phrase near the end of the piece is "... Beethoven is the greater composer."
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Bhai, those are the two words which fit in the two gaps in the original piece. Choice #1 is that the words are "tastes" and then, later, "greater". Choice 2 is "reactions" and "greater". (I didn't grasp that the first time I read it either.) The phrase near the end of the piece is "... Beethoven is the greater composer."

Thanks ems.:oops:
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I have just re-read the piece and am actually starting to wonder if perhaps #2 does fit after all. My immediate reaction was to say that "musical taste" is such a common expression and "musical reactions" is not something I had heard, therefore #2 was incorrect. However, the piece goes on to explain how musicians "understand" music, how some music has a quality that "it is difficult to put your finger on" and about what music is "saying" to you. Those are actually all "reactions" to different music.

How a musician (or anyone else) reacts to and understands a piece of music actually has little to do with their musical taste.

I'm going to do a rare thing and completely change my mind. I think #2 fits better (now that I've woken up! ;-) )

Phew! ;-) I was going to have to call upon all my legendary reserves of diplomacy?

b
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top