Dictionaries TOEIC TOEFL GMAT SAT GRE MCAT PCAT ASVAB Interviews

Tests Grammar Articles Stories Shop Services Lesson Plans Community

Home Top 100 Start your FREE email English course now! Audio Lessons

Username
Password
Remember me?

Search FAQ Memberlist Profile Private messages Register Log in

Some problems about the content of Wife Swap

1533 English Language Exercises

Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC

ESL Forums | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms

Expression "we would like" | Pls help me to improve speaking in english

Message

Author

Thu May 10, 2007 19:32 pm Some problems about the content of Wife Swap

Hi,guys

There is one paragraph. I don't make sense some parts of it. Could you please help me?

Quote:

There are,however,also reality shows which do not require any input from the viewers! 'Wife Swap' an experiment in which the female halves of married couples switched roles for two weeks, was a huge hit. And then there is an endless lit of programmes dedicated to charting the successes and failures of people who give up everything to pursue their dreams, be it opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

My questions are list below.

1.There are,however,also reality shows which do not require any input from the viewers!.

That means even though the viewers don't encourage or suggest the reality shows to do some crazy things,they still do,finally. Am I right? I simply want to learn more. Because I think sometimes I really can not understand English logic.

2. And then there is an endless lit of programmes dedicated to charting ...

Here, how come the author used the term 'charting'. As I know,chart means drawing something. And I think the author should use another terms,such as chatting,talking and others. What do you think about this?

3. be it opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

Here,what does 'be it opening' mean? Actually, I can make sense the mission of the sentense. Nevertheless,I consider the English grammar. Because I don't think I have seen this kind of sentense pattern. My question is why the autor used 'it' ,active tense and single subject but not passive tense and plural subject? And I think 'it', the subject, can be shared by 'buying'. Am I right? Any opinions will be appreciated.

Greetings!

Maggie
_________________
In my view,the more mistakes someone else corrects me,the more I could learn.
And welcome to my blog: http://0rz.tw/793HL

Maggie
I'm here quite often ;-)

Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Posts: 229
Location: Taiwan

Fri May 11, 2007 10:09 am Some problems about the content of Wife Swap

Hi Maggie,

Would you mind if I put in my two cents worth anout your questions?

Quote:

1.There are,however,also reality shows which do not require any input from the viewers!.

I would suggest 'input' here refers to the viewers' energy, work or power.

Quote:

2. And then there is an endless lit of programmes dedicated to charting ...

I think 'charting' = 'planning', which is its basic meaning as a verb.

Quote:

be it opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

I feel it just means: no matter it could be opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

Haihao

Haihao
I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 1380
Location: Japan

English grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skills

Learn how to explore English words! Subscribe to free email English course

In this story you'll learn everything about the passive voice

Are you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!

Sat May 19, 2007 2:50 am Some problems about the content of Wife Swap

Haihao wrote:

Quote:

1.There are,however,also reality shows which do not require any input from the viewers!.

I would suggest 'input' here refers to the viewers' energy, work or power.

Not really. "Input" here means some kind of feedback from the viewers. On some shows, people watching at home are asked to vote on something in the show, send their opinions or in some other way try to influence the outcome of the show. They send in their votes or opinions over the phone or through the Internet.

Haihao wrote:

Quote:

2. And then there is an endless lit of programmes dedicated to charting ...

I think 'charting' = 'planning', which is its basic meaning as a verb.

Here "charting" means following or tracing. The viewers watch the people's successes and failures, and they keep track of how they are doing. Think of a chart that's kept to plot the voyage of a ship that's traveling across the ocean.

Haihao wrote:

Quote:

be it opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

I feel it just means: no matter it could be opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

That's right. "Be it" means "whether it is" or "whether it be". So an alternative way of saying this would be:

...whether it is opening an Indian restaurant in Spain, or buying an olive farm in Italy.

Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4337
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Display posts from previous:

Expression "we would like" | Pls help me to improve speaking in english

	ESL Forums \| English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms	All times are GMT + 2 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Latest topics on ESL EFL Forums
indirect speech with Where • Phrase "get hung about" • funding and funds • What does this expression mean: 'make his engagement known'? • the meaning of "come of" • Use prepostions: of / for • difference between Verification and Validation • Use of Smashing • diffrence between 'he asked to come' and 'he asked me to come' • meaning of "exerts influence" • meaning of "Hasidic jewelers" • I need my answers checked. Help! • Idiom: to drive like a little old lady • Use of comma before "Which" and "When" • Yours very sincerely (Do you often end your letters in this way?) • Idiom in newsletter • Where should I put the word "still" in a sentence? • quantifiers: 'a lot of', 'a little', and 'a few' • Some problems about the content of Wife Swap

Discover English-test.net
CIE and SATs • meaning of "Go hungry" • The very, the next • Which would you write? • SAT Practice: Vocabulary Quiz: English Nouns • SAT exam test: Word games online: Free Noun Quiz • Meaning of executor, dead-heat, aperture, undergarment, attache, aeronaut, giver • Learning how to speak English: Pimsleur English for Chinese Mandarin Speakers • Use of grammar: Phrasal Verbs (L) • English grammar quiz: IPOs • Audio talking books blind

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Subscribe to FREE email English course written by Alan Townend

First name

E-mail