STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION SKILL 42: DISTINGUISH THE PERSON FROM THE THING

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

SKILL 42: DISTINGUISH THE PERSON FROM THE THING

Noun in English can refer to persons or things. Sometimes in written expression questions on the TOEFL test the person is used in a place of the thing, or the things is used in the place of the person.

Ralph Nader is an authorization* in the field of consumer affairs.	authorization is incorrect because authorization is a thing and Ralph Nader is a person. The person authority should be used in this sentence.
There are many job opportunities in accountant*.	accountant is incorrect because accountant is a person and the filed in which an accountant works is accounting. The thing accounting should be used in this sentence.

The following chart outlines what you should remember about the person or thing.

 

EXERCISE 42: Some of the following sentences contain incorrectly used person or things. Circle the incorrectly used words Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

……………	3	The sculpture worked from sunrise until sunset on his new project.
……………	4	She has received several awards for her research in engineer.
……………	5	The economist’s radical views were printed in a column in the Sunday newspaper.
……………	6	You must have remarkable looks to work as a model for Vague.
……………	7	He had several critics to offer about the new play.
……………	8	The gardener worked feverishly after the frost to save as many plants as possible.
……………	9	The company hired a statistic to prepare marketing studies for the new product.
……………	10	The famous acting had appeared in more than fifty Broadway plays.

ANSWER KEY

1	I	(poets should be poems)
2	C
3	I	(sculpture should be sculptor)
4	I	(engineer should be engineering)
5	C
6	C
7	I	(critics should be criticism)
8	C
9	I	(statistic should be statistician)
10	I	(acting should be actor)