Errors in the tests

[Alan]

I fear now that you're off the fence, you're dancing on the head of a pin.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A Rhapsody of Words

[Yankee]

You mentioned that you'd been fence-sitting, Alan. If you'd read my post carefully, you'd have noticed that I wasn't on the fence at all.

I attempted to present my arguments for "my side of the fence" clearly and objectively. Your flippant response can't possibly mean that you disagree with everything I wrote, so I'll just have to assume you don't like it when someone other than you makes a valid point. In fact, I suspect you secretly agree with me.
.

[Mister Micawber]

.

[Alan]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the courtesy.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Good Bye Summer

[Yankee]

I still find the past perfect odd in the sentence, too.

[Yankee]

Hi Alan

I'm still trying to figure out how/why you might interpret 'by the time' as being similar to 'after'. Would you find it plausible to replace the word 'after' with the phrase 'by the time' in the following sentence? Wouldn't the use of 'by the time' change the meaning to something similar to 'before'?

I will send you the feedback about the training classes after we have attended the course.

If we agree that 'by the time' cannot replace 'after' in that sentence, maybe that will get us a step closer to agreeing on the test sentence.
.

[Tom]

Hi everybody

I have been following this discussion very closely. Please do not leave it as "unfinished business"--I mean, let's agree on some point.

In fact, I am enjoying the discussion.

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

I fear you won't be seeing any further discussion on this point. However, I take Alan's refusal to discuss the points I made to be his way of agreeing with what I wrote.
.

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

Before any more assumptions are made like these:

[Yankee]

Hi Alan,

I noticed that Tom's post from yesterday had gone unanswered, so I replied.

I have worked in ESL for many years, so it should come as no surprise to you that I have discussed the usage of not only the past perfect, but also 'by the time' hundreds (maybe thousands) of times both with colleagues and especially with students. From what you wrote in your last post, I gather that someone you don't know contacted you via PM regarding this particular question. However, I did not ask Tom to post a question here, nor did I ask him or anyone else to contact you about it.

Personally, I find it sad that you thought it appropriate to insult a person who apparently contacted you privately. It's even sadder that you "don't wish to get involved" in a discussion of an atypical usage of by the time and the past perfect. After all, the usage does appear in a test on your site.

Nobody has questioned the fact that you've put in a lot of time and effort to this site, and nobody has suggested that it's all odd.

Perhaps a private forum would be a better place to discuss and settle a question such as this.
.

[Alan]

Oh dear! What is all this?

[Yankee]

Ah HA!
"Outside contributor" = someone who posts on this site
"another forum" = somewhere else on this site

Gee, thanks for clearing up who it was that you were insulting where, Alan.

As for me, I will continue to tell students that they should not use 'by the time' if they mean 'after'.
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[Alan]

Hi,

By the time I had read your comment

[Yankee]

A word has apparently been accidentally omitted in question 3 of this test:
http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ii275/esl-test.php

I would suggest adding the word 'last':

And now at last it was a reality and her dream was about to be ..........
.

[Alan]

Hi,

Thanks for that.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Word Story: Dictionary