Say What?
Can you find the grammatical or syntactic error in this sentence? The standard of living has increased.
I couldn't find it. But according to this article in the Toronto Star, that's just one of the grammar questions in the International English Language Testing System exam we'll soon be giving to anyone wishing to immigrate to Canada (we already use this system for students wishing to attend university in Canada).
I would have failed that question. The correct ansswer is: The standard of living has risen.
While this may be testing people's knowledge of English, it doesn't seem to be overly concerned with testing their ability to clearly communicate (which, to my mind, is all we should be concerned with at the border). If a guy walks up to me and says "The standard of living has increased" I'm not going to clap my hands to my head and say "What is this guy talking about? I don't understand".
I have foreign friends who tell me that Canada is one of most highly discriminating countries in the world when it comes to our immigration policies, and when stuff like this surfaces, I am hard-pressed to argue. Sheesh.
I couldn't find it. But according to this article in the Toronto Star, that's just one of the grammar questions in the International English Language Testing System exam we'll soon be giving to anyone wishing to immigrate to Canada (we already use this system for students wishing to attend university in Canada).
I would have failed that question. The correct ansswer is: The standard of living has risen.
While this may be testing people's knowledge of English, it doesn't seem to be overly concerned with testing their ability to clearly communicate (which, to my mind, is all we should be concerned with at the border). If a guy walks up to me and says "The standard of living has increased" I'm not going to clap my hands to my head and say "What is this guy talking about? I don't understand".
I have foreign friends who tell me that Canada is one of most highly discriminating countries in the world when it comes to our immigration policies, and when stuff like this surfaces, I am hard-pressed to argue. Sheesh.