How to ask stuents to turn off their phones in class?

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tulipflower

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Which option do you think is the most appropriate? Is there any better way of making this request in such a situation? This question has been derived from a pragmatics test developed by Liu (2007).

You are a teacher. In class, the mobile phone of one of your students rings. You ask your student to turn off his mobile phone.


  1. I wish you can learn more things in my class, but if you disturb like this, it is hard for me to teach the class well, understand? So turn off your mobile phone, please.
  2. I don't appreciate mobiles ringing in my class, please make sure they are switched off for the duration of this class.
  3. I think you can stop it during the class. And remember this is the last time.
 
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Matthew Wai

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You have started four threads whose titles begin with 'How to' and end in a question mark.

We don't start a question with "How to ..." - we start with "How can I" or "How do we" or "How should I".
 

Tdol

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Please turn off your mobile phones.
 

Matthew Wai

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Please set your mobile phones to the vibration mode.
 

Tdol

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I would use to silent mode there. However, this will not eliminate the distraction for those who want them off.
 

emsr2d2

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Which option do you think is the most appropriate? Is there any better way of [STRIKE]requesting[/STRIKE] making this request in such a situation?

You are a teacher. In class, the mobile phone of one of your students rings. You ask your student to turn off his mobile phone.


  1. I [STRIKE]wish[/STRIKE] want you [STRIKE]can[/STRIKE] to learn [STRIKE]more things[/STRIKE] a lot in my class, but if you disturb me/the class like this, it is hard for me to teach. [STRIKE]the class well,[/STRIKE] Do you understand? So turn off your mobile phone, please.
  2. I don't appreciate mobiles ringing in my class; please make sure they are switched off for the duration of this class.
  3. I think you can stop it during the class. The underlined part is completely unnatural and I'm not even sure what you mean. And remember - this is the last time.

See above.

I think you're asking us the wrong questions. It seems to me, with the disparate sentences you've been posting, that you should be asking us three questions:

1. Are they grammatically correct?
2. Do you think any one of them would be more effective than the others?
3. Can you suggest any alternatives?
 

Tarheel

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You're the teacher. You tell the students on the first day of class about the rules for mobile phones. You tell them that if a phone goes off during class you will confiscate it. Then you do what you say you are going to do.
 

tulipflower

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Do you mean 'I think you should have turned it off before the class'?

These tests have been developed by a researcher. I would like to adapt and use them in my own research, citing his name as developer of the tests. I think option 3 means the students' phones must be turned off during the class or as you said the students should have turned them off before the class.
 

Rover_KE

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I thought all these sentences you have been asking about were your own. It turns out that they're somebody else's. It would have been good to know this from the very beginning and only fair to the writer to have cited his name from the start.
 

emsr2d2

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I strongly suggest that you cite his name here now.
 

tulipflower

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I thought all these sentences you have been asking about were your own. It turns out that they're somebody else's. It would have been good to know this from the very beginning and only fair to the writer to have cited his name from the start.

I have asked the researcher for permission before sending the questions here. I didn't know I have to cite his name here too. Now, I 'll cite his name in all threads I've sent till now.
As I'm going to give feedback to the students during the test administration, your answers and comments as native speakers are of great help to me. I wonder if I can send more questions here or not?
 
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tulipflower

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I strongly suggest that you cite his name here now.
Thanks for your advice. I'll Cite his name in all threads I've written in the past few days.
 

Skrej

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My version goes "Has everyone put their phone in the phone basket?"

I have a cloth-lined basket my students are required to put their phones in when they come to class.
 
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