This is topic A little help with some french? Parlez-vous français? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
So, I'm taking French 1001 this summer and I've found it quite enjoyable.

Our homework is online and I'm having a particular problem with just one question.

It's a fill in the blank:
__________________ de personnes parlent français dans le monde.

I thought it should coordinate with the passage in the text that says:

Nombre de francophones dans le monde:
175.000.000 (cent soixante-quinze millions)

However, I can't quite get it to work. Am I totally off target?
 
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
 
It isn't the way I would phrase it, but it should work. Is there anything else in the text relating to that question, such as a percentage, or a fraction? And remember to use commas, not periods.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
Well, I used periods because the book did. I'll look for a percentage.
 
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
Maybe it's just "beaucoup de personnes." [Smile]
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
Unfortunately, no luck with that either.

This is seriously the one downfall with online submitted homework. There's no leeway.

The column the answer should come from.

Les pays en chiffres

Nombre de pays où le français est langue officielle: 28

Nombre de pays où le français est parlé: plus de 60

Nombre de francophones dans le monde:
175.000.000 (cent soixante-quinze millions)


However shouldn't:

175,000,000 de personnes parlent français dans le monde.

work? Either written out or like that? Or should there be some article in front?
 
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 
I'm confused. Isn't the answer just "combien"? You're trying to fill in the blank right? Or are you looking for how to phrase the answer to the fill in the blank question?
 
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
 
That would have been my guess originally, but that would be a horrible fill-in-the-blanks question.

Edit: responding to Tom.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
I'm looking on how to phrase the answer to fit in the blank.
 
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
 
Can you put "le" in front of "français"?
 
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
Have you tried "Cent soixante-quinze millions?"
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
No, none of that is changeable. It's just the beginning that I'm allowed to fill in.
 
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 
Well then it'd read "175,000,000 people speak the french in the world" wouldn't it?

My French is a little rusty.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
quote:
Have you tried "Cent soixante-quinze millions?"
Yes.

quote:
175,000,000 people speak the french in the world" wouldn't it?
That's what I thought.
 
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lyrhawn:
Well then it'd read "175,000,000 people speak the french in the world" wouldn't it?

My French is a little rusty.

Yes. That's fine in French, though.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
I think I'll just submit the homework and email the professor. Thanks for trying though, everyone.

It's probably something stupid. I'll let you know.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
175 millions was the answer. [Roll Eyes]
 
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick:
That would have been my guess originally, but that would be a horrible fill-in-the-blanks question.

In my experience, most automated online homework that isn't multiple choice tends to be pretty bad to use. Questions that require an exact numerical answer such as math or science questions can be ok, but even then my experience with them has been less than ideal.
 
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by ricree101:
quote:
Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick:
That would have been my guess originally, but that would be a horrible fill-in-the-blanks question.

In my experience, most automated online homework that isn't multiple choice tends to be pretty bad to use. Questions that require an exact numerical answer such as math or science questions can be ok, but even then my experience with them has been less than ideal.
That's actually my experience as well, in a chemistry class no less. The questions would never tell us the degree of significant digits required, which wouldn't be bad except the number of SD's in the answers were seemingly chosen at random. Combine that with limited answering ability and BINGO, you've got half the class failing it.
 
Posted by Raventhief (Member # 9002) on :
 
Isn't the answer just "Millions"? Not precise, but it fits the grammar.
 
Posted by TheBlueShadow (Member # 9718) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick:
quote:
Originally posted by ricree101:
quote:
Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick:
That would have been my guess originally, but that would be a horrible fill-in-the-blanks question.

In my experience, most automated online homework that isn't multiple choice tends to be pretty bad to use. Questions that require an exact numerical answer such as math or science questions can be ok, but even then my experience with them has been less than ideal.
That's actually my experience as well, in a chemistry class no less. The questions would never tell us the degree of significant digits required, which wouldn't be bad except the number of SD's in the answers were seemingly chosen at random. Combine that with limited answering ability and BINGO, you've got half the class failing it.
Yep. This professor has given us unlimited attempts for fill-ins, which allows me to play with the wording. My math class allowed for 3 attempts. If you couldn't figure it out then it would force you to walk through example problems and you'd earn 3 more attempts. Time consuming but you could usually figure out how they wanted the answer to look with the example.

My professor sent an email onto the Vista company regarding my original question. Hopefully they'll add more correct answers to the program.

And now I know I can get help from you guys! If for no other reason than to confuse you all with the odd phrasing used in online fill-in-the-blank questions.

quote:
Isn't the answer just "Millions"? Not precise, but it fits the grammar.
175 millions
 
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick:
quote:
Originally posted by Lyrhawn:
Well then it'd read "175,000,000 people speak the french in the world" wouldn't it?

My French is a little rusty.

Yes. That's fine in French, though.
Really? I thought "le français" meant "the French," as in "the French people."
 
Posted by Brian J. Hill (Member # 5346) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jon Boy:
Really? I thought "le français" meant "the French," as in "the French people."

"The French people" would translate as "les français." "Le français" should be used when speaking about the language itself, which is why French speakers sometimes say "I speak ze French" when talking about their native language.

Also, the French DO NOT use commas when separating the thousands place from the hundreds place. They use periods. They use commas to separate decimals. Thus, the number 186,185.346 would be written as "186.185,346." Hope this helps.
 


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