I made 2 mistakes in a recent English Exercise. To my disappointment, the dictionary can’t give me a detailed explaination.
One of the mistakes I made:
26. I don’t think the scene with the horses really ( ).
A. OK B. proper C. works D. fits
I thought “work” could only be used like “function” or “run”, apart from its original meaning.
eg. The machine doesn’t work.
I’ve tried several spells myself, but they all work for me. ----------from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Then, I chose D, and got a big cross. I wonder why Option A and D aren’t acceptable.
I would think “fit” should be, if used here, with “in”; and “I don’t think the scene with the horses really OK” sounds odd because the direct object is too long, I guess.
“I don’t think the scene with the horses really fits.” makes sense without it, but [b]only[./b] if discussing a film where the scene is at odds to the rest of the film.
Such a scenario is not described here, so the correct answer, “I don’t think the scene with the horses really works.” (The scene is not just mismatched with the rest of the film - even taken alone it’s a weak scene) is the best answer out of the options given. As with all multiple choice questions, you have to ensure you have chosen the best possible option.
A (Johnson): I want those horses to be added to the scene.
B (John): I don’t think the scene with the horses really works.
And I am afraid that you have excluded the possibility that the event (the scene in combination with the horses) has not yet taken place. Please take a look at the original one more time: I don’t think the scene with the horses really works. Cf.:
I would think it can also mean that the scene with the horses can/will/may not turn out well.
Ah, thank you. Now I understand about the dialogue. You are also correct that it could be ‘the scene with the horses will not turn out well’, though this would be less likely than a past tense meaning. In any event, whether it is future or past, the best fit word would still be ‘works’ not ‘fits’, wouldn’t it?
