Calling all native speakers of English

[sister_luck]

So, here I am in Marking Hell and I need your help again.

Let's assume that in this short story there's an old woman who is very mean to the volunteer girl who comes to her house. She gives her a cup of tea that's cold, full of tea leaves and salt. But it's a test to see whether the girl will speak her mind.

Now, here's my problem. I'm fine with "It's a test", "She tests the girl", but what do you actually do with a test, i.e. which verb would use with test as a noun? In German, we literally say "She makes a test with her". I'm convinced that that doesn't work in English. So, does the old lady "do a test with her", "set her a test", "give her a test"?

I still prefer the easiest and cleanest option of using test as a verb, but my students are very keen on the more complicated construction. Is there a way to make it work in English?

Comments

[avriisme.livejournal.com]

'Give' or 'set' would work. But you're right 'make' doesn't, and you can say 'do' but 'do a test with her' sounds a bit like the girl and the old woman are both taking an exam together or something! But yeah, 'she tests the girl' is probably best, even if your students like the more complicated option!

[forgiveninasong.livejournal.com]

I thought do a test with her, but yeah, you're right, it does sound like they both do it together.

I would say "the old lady sets the girl a test".

xxx

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you so much - it's actually more or less what I had concluded from the entries in the OALD.

[so-sharlemaine.livejournal.com]

Normally, I would just say "The lady decides to test the girl" or "the lady tests the girl to see how she would respond."

If I had to put another verb with it, I would probably go with "the lady decided to perform a test on the girl."

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input.

Hmm - perform does sound very technical to me, like she's a psychologist or a doctor.

[forgiveninasong.livejournal.com]

do a test with her, I think.

Blah I don't know how my language works!!!

xxx

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much - even though the others didn't like your choice.

I don't know how German works most of the time. It's because I never had to learn it.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Not a native speaker but this gives me a break from my own Marking Hell !

I think I would say "give a test" or "run a test"...

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm on another break, too. There was also a nice evening stroll through the neighbourhood which was quite energizing.

BTW - did you see my Marking Hell pics?

Hmm, again I think that 'run' sounds very technical - something you'd do with a car or some sort of machine.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Oh no I missed the pics!

Yeah I agree, "run" is a bit technical and sounds very Initiative-like ! ;- )

Gotta see those pics now.

[comava.livejournal.com]

"Set her a test" is the option that sounds worst, IMO. The other two would probably work, though "she tests the girl" would be the best.

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Oh no! A voice of dissent! I guess that 'set' is rather British and sounds weird to American ears. I think I'll go for 'give' and accept 'do'.

[lijability.livejournal.com]

She decided to set a test for the girl... that would sound alright to me.

To say "give/gave a test" in English somewhat has the connotation that the test was a something tangible as in a piece of paper or something that the person would recognize intrinsically as a test.

As the mood goes in the story, the word test should be more properly used as a verb, "she decided to test the girl" or "she tested the girl." If you use test as a noun you could say, "she devised a test for the girl" - thus meaning that the test was mostly in the mind of the person who created it. Also it somewhat gives a more sinister idea to the test.

Or something like that... ;~)

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

It's all done now, but thanks for your input.

I like your suggestion of using devise.