'problem to solve' vs 'problem to cut'

[hue]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #84 "Simple Present (1)", question 2

But then there are those who are never happy unless they have a problem to ..........

(a) dissolve
(b) solve
(c) cut
(d) release

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #84 "Simple Present (1)", answer 2

But then there are those who are never happy unless they have a problem to solve.

Correct answer: (b) solve
_________________________

Why not cut?

hue

[Alan]

Hi,

'Cut' on its own doesn't really work with 'problem'. If you want to say 'remove', you would say: 'cut out a problem'.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Dictionary

[HamburgEnglish]

Hi Alan

In British English (mostly in business) to have a problem to dissolve e.g. we must dissolve this problem is also quite a common saying. It relates more to the the picture of a problem stopping the flow of something.

Like many things in English, words paint a picture and may not be directly linked to the meaning of the words themselves. The ability to put words into a picture in your mind and then to see the common link, or common sense hidden within that picture is the hardest thing to learn.

In many business situations quite "silly or unusual" sentences are constructed that could never be understood without experience.

One "picture sentence" (idiom) I like is "to be under the weather" With this you must picture the weather and you sitting under it. The strange thing is that experience for some unknown reason tells us that the weather is not good and naturally if you are under bad weather, then you yourself are not feeling good.

If you think of the film (I cant think of its name) something like the Lama king? There is the Lama sitting in the rain looking so sorry for himself. (under the weather!) In fact in many films, when someone is sad, they show them a lot of times sitting under or in rain!

Am I babbling? It must be the drink, we started the New year earliy here (hahahahaha)

BUT what is interesting here is that .... would this now mean that the question first presented in this thread is unanswerable?

I remember when we were giving a TOEFL test to 70 participants here in Hamburg, suddenly on the tape came the words "did you finish the exam papers yet?" Naturally I contacted ETS and asked the question "shouldn't that be haven't you finished ..... The reply was "yes you are quite correct however here in North America, we talk this way therefore we will not change it"

So does this support my theory which is ... the ability to clearly communicate and in doing so, to sound educated and professional is far more important than words or grammar in todays mixed world of languages?

AH HA !!!!! now this is something all you educated grammar wizzkids will want to slag me off about! but first, you must understand what slag me off means (smile) .... have you got/gotton the picture?

Happy New Year Alan and Torsten

PS I am not even going to try and spell check or grammar check this post (sweet smile).

Rob

[lost_soul]

[Alan]

Hi HE,

I really don't know what you're on about but Happy New year to you, too.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Passive Voice