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Luci
 
 

Although the turtle has been toothless for

by Luci Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:58 pm

Dont we need a "do" here at the end?? I guess not, because E is the correct answer but can anyone explain why? Thanks

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StaceyKoprince
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by StaceyKoprince Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:00 am

This idiom "function as X" does not require a "do" at the end. I'm equating the nouns "jaws" and "teeth" - "jaws function as teeth." Think of it as "jaws take the place of teeth." Yet another idiom to memorize. :)
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by Guest Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:08 pm

I got nailed by the toothless horny turtle question too! what a joke!
RonPurewal
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by RonPurewal Wed Jul 30, 2008 4:32 am

skoprince Wrote:This idiom "function as X" does not require a "do" at the end. I'm equating the nouns "jaws" and "teeth" - "jaws function as teeth." Think of it as "jaws take the place of teeth." Yet another idiom to memorize. :)


yeah.

actually, "function as teeth do" isn't wrong; it just means something else.
function as teeth --> they play the role of teeth, or act as substitutes for teeth (as stacey has already pointed out above)
function as teeth do --> they work in the same way (in a mechanical sense) as teeth do, but they aren't necessarily substitutes

--

I got nailed by the toothless horny turtle question too!


sounds like you had a rough weekend.
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Re: Although the turtle has been toothless for

by zeal4mba Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:47 am

Hi Ron,

Can you please explain the usage of "its" in choice B and C?

Thanks
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Re: Although the turtle has been toothless for

by RonPurewal Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:31 am

zeal4mba Wrote:Hi Ron,

Can you please explain the usage of "its" in choice B and C?

Thanks


Well, those are wrong answers, and "its" is one thing that's wrong with them.

That part of the sentence is talking only about "some contemporary turtle species". So, those species -- and only those -- are what "it" is meant to stand for.
But "it" can't stand for those species, because "contemporary turtle species" is plural.

It also can't stand for "the turtle" earlier in the sentence, because that's a reference to all turtles in general (= not just the ones we're talking about in the later part of the sentence).