A French speaker wrote "the school advantage dialogue" and I don't get what she wants to say. It is about a language school and I guess she meant "the school helps to improve conversation skills" but I want to put it correctly, using "advantage" if possible.
Is it correct as English to say "The school advantages dialogue"?
Thank you!
2007-11-12 23:09:27 · 7 answers · asked by alilia 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
No, it's not correct to say that "The school advantages dialogue", but it is correct that:
- Dialogue development is one of the many advantages of the school.
- One of the advantages of the school is dialogue development.
- Engaging in dialogue is a main advantage of the school.
- An advantage of the school is its encouragement of dialogue to benefit language development.
2007-11-12 23:20:44 · answer #1 · answered by bbarkely 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The school promotes the practice of conversational skills. (it has been shown that such practice advances foreign language acquisition).
There is a verb in English "advance". It has a different meaning though. The school will advance if it promotes dialogue. "advantage" as a transative verb can be used in the passive. The engaging students are advantaged. In the last sentence, "favoured" would have been a better word. It is usually more common to use "disadvantaged" in the passive.
All that said, the sentence "the students are advantaged by dialogue" is the closest I can get, but it sounds odd.
Even the word "dialogue", if used in the general sense, makes one think more of talks aimed at promoting mutual understanding (between religions, cultures, political foes..whatever).
2007-11-13 00:32:03 · answer #2 · answered by kwaaikat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to the MW dictionary (link below), the 2nd usage of "advantage" is as a transitive verb, meaning it's something you do to something else. In this case, the example you site would be correct.
Foreign speakers of English sometimes use words in a way that is correct, but that doesn't reflect common usage. I think that's what might be happening here.
2007-11-12 23:18:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, it's in the dictionary, but I don't think I've ever heard it used as a verb in English. If it's an ad in English for a language school, I think you'd be ill-advised to use a word that sounds so much like a wrongly-used word from a different language.
2007-11-12 23:15:16 · answer #4 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've never heard it used quite that way. I've seen people state 'he advantaged himself by getting the upper hand quickly'. But I don't believe your proposed usage is correct. To have an advantage or be advantaged would be in relation to or relative to something or someone else, it doesn't necessarily refer to simply improving something.
2007-11-12 23:14:44 · answer #5 · answered by wynterwood 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm going to use it as an adjective from now on "Coors Light? Got anything a bit more sex?" "Their foreign policy used to be very vague and at times almost reactionary lately though it has become more sex." "The priest described the charges brought by the police as libelous and most unsex."
2016-05-22 22:41:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"'the school's advantages', dialogue" you coud put it like that, still a bit awkward...
ok, i totally misunderstood that, i thought she was giving a name to a dialogue...hmmm.....
maybe "dialogue is advantageously improved at the school" - still really awkward, i would get rid of "advantage" altogether I think.
2007-11-12 23:13:30 · answer #7 · answered by 地獄 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋