CPE 2009 - a question to experts!

[chickenshorts]

In this year's CPE in the 'Use Of English' paper, there was
something I found truly bizarre... In one of the texts, where one is
supposed to fill in one word only, and that text was on china (or
porcelain), there was this sentence: (I quote from memory):

"(...)...porcelain has been found to insulate against high voltage
sparks and the --

[isel-english]

Brakujące słowo to "most". W zdaniu nie powinno być "of", czyli
... and the most corrosive chemicals.

[chickenshorts]

blast!...
the 'most' - oczywiście - chociaż jestem (prawie) pewien, że było
tam 'of', ale nawet to niewiele zmienia...
ah, well...

Dzięki!

[paulski]

isel-english napisał:

> Brakujące słowo to "most". W zdaniu nie powinno być "of", czyli
> ... and the most corrosive chemicals.

"Of" does no harm at all. Actually I like it better that way.
>

[mudzyn7]

...and the majority of corrosive chemicals.

[mudzyn7]

I think that Hydrofluoric acid can acctually have "its way" with it.
Slowly, but surely.

[mudzyn7]

It tends to react with silicon oxide (SiO2).
Keep it in a plastic bottle!

[chickenshorts]

mudzyn7 napisał:

> ...and the majority of corrosive chemicals.

Nope! the preposition 'of' was placed between 'corrosive'
and 'chemicals', and so, "most" is the only one that fits...

[mudzyn7]

Sorry, I was hooked more on the technical aspect than gramatical...

[mudzyn7]

But I still think that most corrosive of materials is just wrong!
There shouldn't be "of" there.

[mudzyn7]

Ok, Paulski, you like "of", but of corrosive materials, not corrosive of materials!

[mudzyn7]

...on the other hand, I'm gonna shut up now!

[chickenshorts]

mudzyn7 napisał:

> ...on the other hand, I'm gonna shut up now!

Probably the most sensible of actions...

[mudzyn7]

Chcialo by sie powiedziec: Effing A!