I am a Chinese student. Now I have an interesting question for you.It's an English exam,so just show me your answer...
Almost half of my classmates chose the wrong answer... :o:


Which clour do you like b( ) ?

A.bill B.baby C.best D.better

I can see why half the class would get this wrong, as there are two possible right answers! It all depends on how many choices of colors you are given. If given two choices, you say "which color do you like better," and if given three or more choices you would say "which color do you like best." However - the phrases I would actualy use in conversation are "which color do you like more" and "which color do you like most?"

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Originally Posted by ebaines

I can see why half the class would get this wrong, as there are two possible right answers! It all depends on how many choices of colors you are given. If given two choices, you say "which color do you like better," and if given three or more choices you would say "which color do you like best." However - the phrases I would actualy use in conversation are "which color do you like more" and "which color do you like most?"

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:o If I tell you the truth , you may be surprised by them...
Half of them choose the answer 'baby'...

You know,we like whatching American movies , and it's common in the movies when a girl asked her boyfriend like "Which clour do you like ,baby ?"
Now you get the point... :D

I like ebaine's answer. But what if one aid "Which color do you like best"? And I said red. Now there were no objects I just answered "What is your favorite color?" asked in a different way.


But now suppose prior I was shown a red car and a blue car.

Which color [car] do you like better?

Can we assume that there is an object specified? I don't think so, then the answer has to be "Which color do you like best"?

And I might answer a color from my crayon set; "Violet"

Nothing prior, sentence on it's own. I vote for best.

I think that my teacher maight be wrong...
He told me that the answer is "better",but now I know the answer is not the only...

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Originally Posted by shihouzhuge

I am a Chinese student. Now I have an interesting question for you.It's an English exam,so just show me your answer...
Almost half of my classmates chose the wrong answer...:o:


Which clour do you like b( ) ?

A.bill B.baby C.best D.better

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Which colour do you like, Bill?
Which colour do you like best?
Which colour do you like better?

These three could be used but Which colour do you like better is probably the more correct usage.

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Originally Posted by paraclete

Which colour do you like, Bill?
Which colour do you like best?
Which colour do you like better?

These three could be used but Which colour do you like better is probably the more correct usage.

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How about "Which clour do you like ,baby?"?
Because half of my classmates chose that answer.
:D

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Originally Posted by shihouzhuge

How about "Which clour do you like ,baby?"?
Because half of my classmates chose that answer.
:D

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Baby when used as a name is a very familiar term, or a slang term, therefore it is unlikely to be the correct answer. Without capitalisation it is a descriptive noun and would be wrong. Bill is a written form of evidencing a debt so would be missplaced in the sentence. Bill is a name, note the capitalisation of the first letter. The lack of capitalisation in either bill, or baby, suggests these words are not being used as names. Subtle difference I know but that is how I would distinguish between the options. Best and better are plurals so without knowing how many options we may choose from; better, choosing between two options is the more likely choice over best, choosing between more than two options.

In English, as in other languages, context is important. When there is no context we should not assume a context, so the simplest answer will be the correct answer. I could not assume a context in which bill and baby were names, nor could I assume a context in which there were more than two colours as options because I would be assuming information that was not given. I note you have still left the "o" out of the word colour. Correct spelling is important otherwise I could have assumed a spelling mistake and used the word flour instead of the non word clour

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Originally Posted by paraclete

Baby when used as a name is a very familiar term, or a slang term, therefore it is unlikely to be the correct answer. Without capitalisation it is a descriptive noun and would be wrong. bill is a written form of evidencing a debt so would be missplaced in the sentence. Bill is a name, note the capitalisation of the first letter. The lack of capitalisation in either bill, or baby, suggests these words are not being used as names. Subtle difference I know but that is how I would distinguish between the options. Best and better are plurals so without knowing how many options we may choose from; better, choosing between two options is the more likely choice over best, choosing between more than two options.

In English, as in other languages, context is important. When there is no context we should not assume a context, so the simplest answer will be the correct answer. I could not assume a context in which bill and baby were names, nor could I assume a context in which there were more than two colours as options because I would be assuming information that was not given. I note you have still left the "o" out of the word colour. Correct spelling is important otherwise I could have assumed a spelling mistake and used the word flour instead of the non word clour

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:D
Thank you for your analysing in details.
, I do make a mistake in spelling the word "color"... :D
Haha,Deeply Thanks again (You've to tell me whether the sentence "Deeply Thanks again" made sense or not:D,and I think it made a grammar mistake... )

Hi again, shihouzhuge!

What are the colors from which we have to choose and what is also the context and/or circumstances in which asking about the possible choice of a color might be appropriate?

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Clough

Hi again, shihouzhuge!

What are the colors from which we have to choose and what is also the context and/or circumstances in which asking about the possible choice of a color might be appropriate?

Thanks!

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Hi,Clough!

I cann't remember the question exactly ,maybe there's something wrong with it,However,I think the question may like"Red or yellow,which color..."
I think I have to correct the question...

I don't know why there's no "Edit" in my question, and I cann't correct it by myself.
Clough,could you help me to correct the question,please?
Change "Which clour do you like b( ) ?" to "Red and yellow,which clour do you like b( ) ?"
Thanks a lot!

This isn't one of the forum topic areas that I moderate, so I can't change your original question, shihouzhuge. It's also already be over 24 hours since you posted the original question. So, you can't edit it either. You could request something like that from the Administration, even after the 24 hours have elapsed.

My suggestion would be to post anything else like this in the Writing forum topic area and make the question something that has to do with writing. I can change anything there.

However, if you do want to change your original question at the beginning of this thread, I wouldn't advise requesting that from the Administration because this thread has already gone on to two pages and responses that have already been given are because of the way the original question was worded.

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by shihouzhuge

:D
Thank you for your analysing in details.
As a matter of fact , i do make a mistake in spelling the word "color"...:D
haha,Deeply Thanks again (You've to tell me whether the sentence "Deeply Thanks again" made sense or not:D,and i think it made a grammar mistake... )

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Yes your grammar is not very accurate allow me to correct it.

Thank you for your detailed analysis .
,I did make a mistake in spelling the word "color"... :D colour is actually correct usage, color is the americanised spelling
Haha,
Deeply is not necessary Thank you very much or just thanks again
Deeply Thanks again (You've to tell me whether the sentence "Deeply Thanks again" made sense or not: Your cultural politeness is appreciated but not necessary in this instance

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Originally Posted by shihouzhuge

I don't know why there's no "Edit" in my question, and i cann't correct it by myself.
Clough,could you help me to correct the question,please?
Change "Which clour do you like b( ) ?" to "Red and yellow,which clour do you like b( ) ?"
Thanks a lot!

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Ah now we have a context and better would be the correct answer but the sentence would be best if it read

Red or Yellow, which colour do you like b(etter)

:D

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Originally Posted by paraclete

yes your grammar is not very accurate allow me to correct it.

Thank you for your detailed analysis .
As a matter of fact ,I did make a mistake in spelling the word "color"...:D colour is actually correct usage, color is the americanised spelling
haha,
Deeply is not necessary Thank you very much or just thanks again
Deeply Thanks again (You've to tell me whether the sentence "Deeply Thanks again" made sense or not: Your cultural politeness is appreciated but not necessary in this instance

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What a kind-hearted person you are!
:DThanks,paraclete!
I hope you could always correct my errors,Thanks!

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Originally Posted by shihouzhuge

It's an English exam,so just show me your answer... Almost half of my classmates chose the wrong answer...:o:

Which clour do you like b( ) ?

A.bill B.baby C.best D.better

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Hello s:

Not being the sharpest tack in the bunch, I didn't even understand the question. I kept waiting for blue to show up in the answers...

excon

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello s:

Not being the sharpest tack in the bunch, I didn't even understand the question. I kept waiting for blue to show up in the answers....

excon

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AH but you're not Chinese, inscruitable these orientals and capable of reading between the lines

"which colour do you like blue" doesn't make sense unless blue is a name like Bill or Baby and they aren't in Aussie where Blue is a name

Give up while you are ahead ex

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello s:

Not being the sharpest tack in the bunch, I didn't even understand the question. I kept waiting for blue to show up in the answers....

excon

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Hi,excon!
The question is "Red or yellow,which color do you like ( ) ?"

Hello again, s:

Bill... Ok, yellow.

excon