Please choose correct version

[Tvita]

Which version is correct and why?

Sen 1:

1) Different people have different understanding of what is rest and how to spend their leisure time.

2) Different people have different understanding of what rest is and how to spend their leisure time.

Sen 2:

1) I think, it is very important for them to rest their minds during leisure time.

2) I think, it is very important for them to rest their mind during leisure time.

 

[Anglika]

Which version is correct and why?

Sen 1:

1) Different people have different understanding [different understandings/a different understanding] of what is rest and how to spend their leisure time.

2) Different people have different understanding of what rest is and how to spend their leisure time.

Otherwise both are fine.

Sen 2:

1) I think it is very important for them to rest their minds during leisure time.
ok

2) I think it is very important for them to rest their mind during leisure time.

This would imply a collective mind.

.

 

[2006]

Which version is correct and why?

2) I think, it is very important for them to rest their mind during leisure time.

This sentence seems very odd with "mind".

 

[gybbyr]

To be honest, both sentences are very awkward English. Neither one feels natural. I think the both need to be amended.

 

[Snowcake]

Hello Gybbyr,

can you give some examples which sound natural?

Even if it's not my thread, I'm very interested to read a suggestion of a native speaker.


Thanks
Snowcake

 

[Tvita]

To be honest, both sentences are very awkward English. Neither one feels natural. I think the both need to be amended.

Please amend them so that they sound naturally

 

[2006]

1) I think, it is very important for them to rest their minds during leisure time.

I don't think there is anything wrong with this sentence. (although the comma after "think" is not needed)

 

[Tvita]

My teacher insists that the following sentence is incorrect (he said that only "what rest is" is correct in the statement ):

Different people have a different understanding of what is rest and how to spend their leisure time.

Could you please give me any relevant explanation why it is correct in order that I can explain it to him?

 

[Anglika]

Either phrasing is fine. Allow your teacher his point - it is not worth an argument.

If you do want to try and explain, then indicate to him that "is" can be replaced with "constitutes" in this construct to make a very good, rather more "formal" sentence:

Different people have a different understanding of what constitutes rest and how to spend their leisure time.

 

[NearThere]

Either phrasing is fine. Allow your teacher his point - it is not worth an argument.

"Practical advice, I always weighed in my options, my grades were at stake."

If you do want to try and explain, then indicate to him that "is" can be replaced with "constitutes" in this construct to make a very good, rather more "formal" sentence:

Different people have a different understanding of what constitutes rest and how to spend their leisure time.

This is just for my own benifit, but I have one question.

The "what rest is" or "what is rest" issue. I was taught too in situation like this when it's a subclause the question form should be converted to an active(?) sentence (I mean the be-verb and the subject witch back) like this: What is rest--> What rest is. Because the main clause is not in a form of a question, neither should subclause in order to be in agreement with the master caluse.

Not always true then?

Many thanks

 

[Anglika]

This is always one of the problems for teachers of English. The language has so many flexibilities and rule-breaking forms that sometimes it is difficult to maintain an absolute rule.

So the answer to your question is that it is true, but there can be exceptions.

 

[2006]

My teacher insists that the following sentence is incorrect (he said that only "what rest is" is correct in the statement ):

Different people have a different understanding of what is rest and how to spend their leisure time.

Could you please give me any relevant explanation why it is correct in order that I can explain it to him?

I agree with your teacher that "what rest is" is the better choice, and my explanation is similar to what NearThere said. Maybe your teacher has the same reason for saying only "what rest is" is correct.

"what is rest" is question grammar, and native speakers generally don't use question grammar unless they are asking a direct question. So they say things like:
a) I don't know what rest is. (a statement)
b) Tell me what rest is. (a request)
c) What is rest? (a direct question)

2006

 

[riverkid]

Actually, native speakers do, fairly often, use question grammar in examples like this. It's not so much a question of correct/incorrect. NearThere's explanation was/is a good one and I'd say that he/she has described the normal neutral.

When we do keep the question form, there is often an intonational shift,

Different people have a different understanding of, ... what is rest and how to spend their leisure time.

It's hard to illustrate in writing and I don't think that this is the best of examples but there's no doubt that it does happen in speech. It happens here in ESLs' questions in Ask a teacher quite a lot and it slips by mostly unnoticed by teachers/moderators.

 

[2006]

It happens here in ESLs' questions in Ask a teacher quite a lot and it slips by mostly unnoticed by teachers/moderators.

Some of us do notice it. In my experience with native Chinese speakers, it is very prevalent. Learning proper question grammar is part of learning good English.

2006

 

[riverkid]

2006: Some of us do notice it. In my experience with native Chinese speakers, it is very prevalent. Learning proper question grammar is part of learning good English.

It's reassuring to know that you're alert, 2006.

I think by 'proper', you mean normal, don't you? ESLs have to learn all the ways we ask questions. That's why they ask these questions here. We can even ask question with statements.

WE CAN even ask questions with statements?

We can even ask questions with normally positive words.

Really?

There are many ways to ask questions and not all rely on "question grammar".

 

[2006]

It's reassuring to know that you're alert, 2006.
You're so funny!

I think by 'proper', you mean normal, don't you? No, I mean proper basic question grammar. ESLs have to learn all the ways we ask questions. That's why they ask these questions here. We can even ask question with statements.

WE CAN even ask questions with statements?

We can even ask questions with normally positive words.

Really?

There are many ways to ask questions and not all rely on "question grammar". No one said using "question grammar" is the only way to ask a question, but it is the basic way, especially in written English.

2006