Heap of stones vs. heap of flowers

Tom · #1 (permalink) Sat Dec 16, 2006 21:17 pm *Heap of stones vs. heap of flowers*

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #89 "Common Quantity Nouns", question 2

Over by the railroad tracks, there was a heap of ..........

(a) houses
(b) flowers
(c) stairs
(d) stones

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #89 "Common Quantity Nouns", answer 2

Over by the railroad tracks, there was a heap of stones.

Correct answer: (d) stones
_________________________

Why can't it be heap of flowers? Buddha believed in it!

HEAP OF FLOWERS

Tom

Yankee · #2 (permalink) Sun Dec 17, 2006 0:02 am *Heap of stones vs. heap of flowers*

Hi Tom

Buddha also seems to be the just about the only person who has ever used that collocation. And apparently he used it only once. Laughing

Yes, theoretically, there could be a "heap of flowers" but flowers usually do not end up as heaps -- especially next to railroad tracks. Wink

Amy

Alan · #3 (permalink) Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:35 am *Heap of stones vs. heap of flowers*

Hio Tom,

'Heap' in the sense of 'pile' very often has the idea of things that have been discarded. I think you might be able to say 'a heap of dead flowers'.

A
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a student teacher

	ESL Forum \| English Teacher Explanations (ESL Tests)	All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1