Define: "a course of swimming lessons"

[teddy]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #27 "Sailing", question 10

I'm starting a ......... of swimming lessons.

(a) line
(b) course
(c) run
(d) row

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #27 "Sailing", answer 10

I'm starting a course of swimming lessons.

Correct answer: (b) course
_________________________

Is b right?

Teddy B.

[Yankee]

[Alan]

Hi,

A course is a set number of lessons in this case. In the same way you could also take a course of English lessons.

A
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[Canadian45]

Aside form what the best answer may be, "a course of swimming lessons" sounds very strange to me.

I'm starting swimming lessons is much more typical English. If one needs to emphasize a set number, a series of swimming lessons sounds better.

Even for English, an English course is what is usually said.

In my experience, "a course of" is pretty much limited to medical treatments. He's starting a course of radiation treatments next week.

[Yankee]

.
The usage in the test sounds a little unusual to me, too, however I think there may be an element of British vs North American English here. I also think that the idea of 'a course of (medical treatment)' is quite typical. Additional collocations that I personally find typical are 'a course of action' and 'a course of study'.

A search of the BNC produces some results similar to the test question. And doing a search with Google for 'a course of' produces over two million varied results.
.

[Canadian45]

Hi Amy
Thanks for the info(rmation).

[Alan]

Hi,

You say: "a course of swimming lessons sounds very strange to me" maybe that's because English isn't your first language?

A
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[Canadian45]

No Alan, you are the one who needs to take an English course! What is your first language?

Infact, let's start your English course right now!
Proper English is, You say "a course of swimming lessons sounds very strange to me". Maybe that's because English isn't your first language. (you need a period or semicolon after "me''. Secondly, the part after "me" is not a question; it's a statement suggesting a possibility, so a question mark is not called for there.

Here is another recent example of 'Alan English', followed by correct English.
"Of course a drug isn't always suggest something that becomes addictive,"
Of course, "a drug" doesn't always suggest something that becomes addictive.

[Alan]

Hi,

I hope you feel better after that outburst. I really don't need any patronising comments from you. So all right I mistyped isn't and should have written doesn't. Well spotted. You still haven't answered my question. Is English your first language? Since you take such interest in my mistyping, I'm sure you will have read my bio so you know that English is my first language. But thanks for pointing out the typo, which I have now edited.

A

PS Anyhow, who said anything about you taking an English course?
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