their musical tastes

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keannu

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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
 
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".
 
Maybe the workbook editors made a mistake, even though the answer is 1.
 
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! ;-) )
 
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"tastes" is correct "tastes greater" is not.
 
"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."
 
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:
 
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
 
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