| Author | Message | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6683 Registered: 8-2001 |
When Lilina told her teacher Mr. Phelps that she was so upset about her parents' upcoming divorce that she would need to take an Incomplete in his course, he gave a reply that was sincere in a sense that she did not realize. How come? | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1330 Registered: 12-2010 |
Lilina - H?A?F? Is she at college? high school? some other kind of school? Is the subject Mr. Phelps teaching relevant? Are her parents actually getting a divorce? Relevant why? Does Lilina live with her parents? Did Mr Phelps misunderstand something? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 750 Registered: 2-2011 |
was she failing the course anyway? | ||
| Sapir (Sapir)
New member Username: Sapir Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2011 |
Did his reply in any way indicate that she had FA about "need to take"? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6684 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1330 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2011 - 7:41 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Lilina - H? yesA? irrelF? yes but irrel Is she at college? \b} possibly}high school? ditto some other kind of school? dittoIs the subject Mr. Phelps teaching relevant? no Are her parents actually getting a divorce? irrelRelevant why? no Does Lilina live with her parents? irrel Did Mr Phelps misunderstand something? no Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 750 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2011 - 9:16 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) was she failing the course anyway? Sapir (Sapir) New member Username: Sapir Post Number: 58 Registered: 4-2011 Posted on Monday, May 09, 2011 - 3:26 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did his reply in any way indicate that she had FA about "need to take"? no | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6685 Registered: 8-2001 |
Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2011 - 9:16 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) was she failing the course anyway? irrel | ||
| Gregoryuconn (Gregoryuconn)
New member Username: Gregoryuconn Post Number: 1285 Registered: 9-2010 |
Did he say something like "Your life is incomplete" which Lilina thought was just a snappy answer at first but then she realized that it was actually true now that her parents were getting divorced? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6686 Registered: 8-2001 |
Posted on Monday, May 09, 2011 - 6:31 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2011 - 9:16 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) was she failing the course anyway? irrel Gregoryuconn (Gregoryuconn) New member Username: Gregoryuconn Post Number: 1285 Registered: 9-2010 Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 12:24 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did he say something like "Your life is incomplete" which Lilina thought was just a snappy answer at first but then she realized that it was actually true now that her parents were getting divorced? No, you're OWT (on the wrong track.) | ||
| Vesica (Vesica)
New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 992 Registered: 8-2001 |
Did his reply: Address her request to take an Incomplete? Her parent's divorce? Some aspect of her class performance? Is the time of year/the semester relevant? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6688 Registered: 8-2001 |
Vesica (Vesica) New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 992 Registered: 8-2001 Posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - 6:02 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did his reply: Address her request to take an Incomplete?yope Her parent's divorce? yope Some aspect of her class performance?no Is the time of year/the semester relevant? no | ||
| Vesica (Vesica)
New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1117 Registered: 8-2001 |
Did he grant her an Incomplete? Is this relevant? Is the subject relevant? Relevant why she's asking this teacher for an Incomplete rather than a Principal or other authority? Does she have more than one class? Is she requesting incomplete in them all? Relevant? Will she be leaving school? Relevant? Just to confirm - all she says is that 1) she wants an Incomplete and 2) because of her parent's divorce - Yes? Are any of the specific words she uses relevant? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6692 Registered: 8-2001 |
Vesica (Vesica) New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1117 Registered: 8-2001 Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - 4:33 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did he grant her an Incomplete? irrel Is this relevant? no no Is the subject relevant? Relevant why she's asking this teacher for an Incomplete rather than a Principal or other authority? no--that's whom you normally ask Does she have more than one class? irrel Is she requesting incomplete in them all? irrel Relevant? no Will she be leaving school? irrel Relevant? no Just to confirm - all she says is that 1) she wants an Incomplete and 2) because of her parent's divorce - Yes? yes Are any of the specific words she uses relevant? no | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1086 Registered: 5-2009 |
Is the teacher's statement about divorce? Parents? Classes? Education in general? Incompleteness? Is it ambiguos? Is the teacher divorced? Getting a divorce? Are/were the teacher's parents? Relevant? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6695 Registered: 8-2001 |
Markobr (Markobr) New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1086 Registered: 5-2009 Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 6:25 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is the teacher's statement about divorce? not specifically Parents? ditto Classes? ditto Education in general? ditto Incompleteness? dittoIs it ambiguos?yes Is the teacher divorced? irrel Getting a divorce? ditto Are/were the teacher's parents? ditto Relevant? no | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1087 Registered: 5-2009 |
Is at least one of the readings of the ambiguos statement about divorce? Parents? Classes? Education in general? Incompleteness? Lilina? Her parents? The teacher? Are there exactly two relevant readings of the ambiguos statement? Three? Four? More? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6697 Registered: 8-2001 |
Markobr (Markobr) New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1087 Registered: 5-2009 Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2011 - 8:28 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is at least one of the readings of the ambiguos statement about divorce? yes Parents? yesClasses? noEducation in general? yope Incompleteness? no Lilina? noish Her parents? yopeThe teacher? yes Are there exactly two relevant readings of the ambiguos statement? Three? Four? More? Only two that I can think of | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1093 Registered: 5-2009 |
So there is a reading A and a reading B (yours to decide which is A and which is B). Is the teacher aware of reading A? Reading B? Is Lilina aware of reading A? Reading B? Is reading A about divorce? Reading B? Is reading A about parents? Reading B? Is reading A about education? Reading B? Is reading A about Lilina? Reading B? Is reading A about Lilina's parents? Reading B? Is reading A about the teacher? Reading B? Is reading A about the teacher's parents? Reading B? Does the teacher have children? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6698 Registered: 8-2001 |
Markobr (Markobr) New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1093 Registered: 5-2009 Posted on Friday, May 20, 2011 - 9:00 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) So there is a reading A and a reading B (yours to decide which is A and which is B). Is the teacher aware of reading A? Reading B? Is Lilina aware of reading A? Reading B? The teacher is aware of both readings. Lilina is aware of one but not the other.I'll call what the teacher sincerely meant, "A" & what Lilina took him to be saying "B." Is reading A about divorce? yesish Reading B? yesish Is reading A about parents? yesishReading B? yesish Is reading A about education? noishReading B? no Is reading A about Lilina? yesReading B? yes Is reading A about Lilina's parents? yesishReading B? yesish Is reading A about the teacher? yes Reading B? yes Is reading A about the teacher's parents? no Reading B? no Does the teacher have children? irrel | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1096 Registered: 5-2009 |
Hmmm - both readings are clearly about Lilina, but it's noishly wrong that at least one is? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6700 Registered: 8-2001 |
Markobr (Markobr) New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 1096 Registered: 5-2009 Posted on Friday, May 20, 2011 - 10:13 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Hmmm - both readings are clearly about Lilina, but it's noishly wrong that at least one is?BLOOOOOOPERRRRRRRRALERTTTTTTT!! both readings ARE clearly about Liliana | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6704 Registered: 8-2001 |
HINT: The sense in which Liliana understood the remark is so common that I bet most if not all people on this forum has made that remark in this sense at least once (& probably a lot more). | ||
| Vesica (Vesica)
New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1211 Registered: 8-2001 |
Did Liliana take Reading B to be sarcastic? Flipant? Joking? An attempt at humor? 1 word in what he said? 2? 3? Did he express a hope should would return soon? Did he say something philosophical about the nature of life, love or course work? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6716 Registered: 8-2001 |
Vesica (Vesica) New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1211 Registered: 8-2001 Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 2:42 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Did Liliana take Reading B to be sarcastic? no Flipant? no Joking? no An attempt at humor? no 1 word in what he said? 2? 3? 6 words, 1 of which is a contraction Did he express a hope should would return soon? no Did he say something philosophical about the nature of life, love or course work? no | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 903 Registered: 2-2011 |
did he refuse her an Incomplete? did he indicate that she didn't need it? or that her parents would not be happy? did he mean it in a good way and she took it badly? or vice versa? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6718 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 903 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - 9:43 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) did he refuse her an Incomplete?irrel did he indicate that she didn't need it?b{ no} or that her parents would not be happy? no did he mean it in a good way and she took it badly? no or vice versa? yes | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 1269 Registered: 5-2007 |
What does "to take an Incomplete" mean? I realise that this isn't much of a question, but [a] I won't understand the puzzle without the answer; and [b] the syntax is fascinating in itself. | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6742 Registered: 8-2001 |
Woubit (Woubit) Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 1269 Registered: 5-2007 Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2011 - 1:55 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) What does "to take an Incomplete" mean? Welcome back, Woubit!! Taking an Incomplete in a course means receiving an official grade of Incomplete--with the understanding that a letter grade will be completed when the work is turned in (after the course is over. Don't you have this practice in the UK? I've taught at the U. of St. Andrews in Scotland but was never asked for an Incomplete.) I realise that this isn't much of a question, but [a] I won't understand the puzzle without the answer; and [b] the syntax is fascinating in itself. | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6748 Registered: 8-2001 |
HINT: List the 5 most conventional responses to someone who has just told you about a misfortune that has befallen him. | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1479 Registered: 12-2010 |
Let's see... "Poor you!" "Do you want to talk about it?" "Things will take a turn for the better" "I'll be there for you" "Don't let it drag you down"? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6753 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1479 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2011 - 7:54 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Let's see... "Poor you!" "Do you want to talk about it?" "Things will take a turn for the better" "I'll be there for you" "Don't let it drag you down"? None of these so try 5 more, keeping in mind that this is not in a very intimate relationship--just teacher & student | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 928 Registered: 2-2011 |
"I'm sorry for your troubles" "I hope it's better soon" "I'm sure you can get through this" "Things can only get better" "I'm sorry" I'd never heard of an incomplete either - in the UK or Spain | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6755 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 928 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2011 - 9:31 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) "I'm sorry for your troubles" "I hope it's better soon" "I'm sure you can get through this" "Things can only get better" "I'm sorry"none of these, but your first suggestion is closest. Think of a close variant on it. I'd never heard of an incomplete either - in the UK or Spain | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1481 Registered: 12-2010 |
Would the puzzle work with another misfortune? I hadn't heard of an incomplete either... you live and learn (: | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6756 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1481 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2011 - 10:03 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Would the puzzle work with another misfortune? Yes, PROVIDED that Liliana is telling it to her teacher in the hope of getting leniency of some sort I hadn't heard of an incomplete either... you live and learn (: | ||
| Vesica (Vesica)
New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1291 Registered: 8-2001 |
"I'm sorry to hear that"? "That's too bad"? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6760 Registered: 8-2001 |
Vesica (Vesica) New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1291 Registered: 8-2001 Posted on Monday, June 06, 2011 - 7:23 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) "I'm sorry to hear that"? yes!!! "That's too bad"? no ****** SPOILER ************ When Lilina told her teacher Mr. Phepls that she was so upset (no doubt she said 'traumatized') over her parents' divorce that she "needed" to take an Incomplete in his course, he replied, "I'm sorry to hear that." She thought he was expressing sympathy rather than his unwillingness to hear about her personal life. He should follow my policy--any student of mine who wants an Incomplete automatically gets it. I don't pry into students' personal lives by asking their reasons. I think wanting more time is a great reason all by itself. Please check out my new puzzle you know where. | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 938 Registered: 2-2011 |
phew! I think we were being a bit dense about that. Thanks Nimue |
