Which would you choose?

[shane]

This was just posted on another forum. Which answer do you think is suitable? I'm a little confused...

I believe reserves of coal here are _____ to last for fifty years.

A. efficient
B. original
C. typical
D. principal

I would say that sufficient would be a better choice myself.

 

[Tdol]

I'd agree with you.

 

[RonBee]

Sufficient is an excellent choice--much better than those actually given. Perhaps efficient was supposed to be sufficient. Apparently, somebody goofed.

 

[shane]

Unfortunately, it has been hard to convince the student that the question is wrong. He or she is convinced that a textbook is incapable of possessing a mistake, and that maybe the foreigner is wrong.

 

[Tdol]

Ah, the red nosed foreign devils trying to stir things up. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Ah, the red nosed foreign devils trying to stir things up. ;-)

Would that be us?

 

[Tdol]

I believe so. ;-0

 

[shane]

Ah, the red nosed foreign devils trying to stir things up. ;-)

I don't get labelled 'red nose', but I do get told 'Your nose is too big'. :lol:

 

[Tdol]

Judging from your avatar, they're right. ;-)

 

[shane]

Judging from your avatar, they're right. ;-)

Smithers! Release the hounds! :wink:

 

[MikeNewYork]

This was just posted on another forum. Which answer do you think is suitable? I'm a little confused...

I believe reserves of coal here are _____ to last for fifty years.

A. efficient
B. original
C. typical
D. principal

I would say that sufficient would be a better choice myself.

I agree with you also. One could also insert "expected", "supposed", etc. Just out of curiosity, which answer did the student choose? :roll:

 

[Tombraiders]

Ah, the red nosed foreign devils trying to stir things up. ;-)

I don't get labelled 'red nose', but I do get told 'Your nose is too big'. :lol:

Would it be a misuse of "big" for "long"? :roll:

 

[Tdol]

I'm not sure if it's a misuse- we say 'big nose' as well as 'long'. ;-)

 

[shane]

Here in China, 'big' is a reference to the bridge of the nose, not the size or length, apparently.

 

[Tdol]

It's got to have some dimensions, hasn't it?;-)