Odds

[Ju]

"A mainland father said he had rented a place in the school net for about 30000 a month to improve his child's odds of getting in the school."

"Odds" in the above paragraph means advantage, probability. Am I correct?

Thanks.

 

[tedmc]

That should have been "the chance"."The odds" is the opposite. It is "the chance of not getting something".

What do you mean by:
- mainland father
- school net
- 3000 ( currency?)

 

[Ju]

That should have been "the chance"."The odds" is the opposite. It is "the chance of not getting something".

What do you mean by:
- mainland father
- school net
- 3000 ( currency?)

Actually, it is an article on today's newspaper.

1. Mainland father : father from Mainland China

2. School net : schools allocated for pupils living in certain zone of the city

3. HK$

 

[tedmc]

Actually, it is an article on today's newspaper.

1. Mainland father : father from Mainland China Using "Mainland" as a proper noun may work.

2. School net : schools allocated for pupils living [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE]within a certain zone of the city "School vicinity" may work

3. HK$ The number does not mean anything without the unit/currency

See my notes above.

 

[Ju]

See my notes above.

Dear Tedmc,

Could you explain point 1, please?

Thanks.

 

[Matthew Wai]

When 'Mainland' is used as a proper noun, as in 'A Mainland father', the first letter 'M' should be capitalized.

 

[teechar]

"Odds" in the above paragraph means [STRIKE]advantage,[/STRIKE] probability. Am I correct?
Thanks.

Yes, it means probability. [It does not mean advantage.]

Take a look at entry #1.1 in the link below.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/odds

 

[teechar]

"The odds" is the opposite. It is "the chance of not getting something".

That is incorrect. See above.

 

[tedmc]

Chance and probability are the same thing, no?

 

[teechar]

They can be, depending on the context.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"The odds" is the opposite. It is "the chance of not getting something".

The following definition is not a negative phrase.
1.1 (usually the odds) The chances or likelihood of something happening or being the case.
Source: the link in post #7.

 

[Tdol]

Odds are about possibilities and can be positive or negative.

 

[teechar]

or neutral.

 

[teechar]

I would use "even" rather than "equal" in that context, but I suppose the odds are that's another AmE vs BrE thing. ;-)