One important skill for school is to look at the entire question so that you can understand what the teacher is asking for, even if they don’t format the question exactly right.
In this case, your answer would not fit into the 6 spaces provided for the answer.
So you have to ask yourself what they meant by “Write the following words”. Since “the” is the same word repeated twice, once you’ve written “the” after 5, then I could argue that “the” has already been written.
Therefore, if there are only six blanks for the answer, looking at the entire question, I argue that the answer I provided is most likely correct.
You’ll satisfy the teacher as often as possible and get good grades. I want to feel right as often as possible, which means I’ll disrupt the class often and get called out during the parents-teachers meeting.
If you’re on this sub, this is a good programming exercise for you if you’re interested. I’m sure there are plenty of large lists of words in English, that should provide all the data needed.
Honestly the question as asked is unambiguous: “write words in alphabetical order” cannot mean anything else than apple, fox, log, pond, pumpkin, river. If what was provided here were the expected answer, the wording should be “write each of the following words with its letters sorted by alphabetical order”.
Could be understood as “take these words, and write them out in alphabetical order”. It’s not specifically stated whether letters inside those words should also be sorted or not.
We take it for granted that we have so much experience communicating, we can infer the meaning without full instruction, but children are still acquiring this knowledge and sometimes take things literally with hilarious results.
Of course, not blaming children for misunderstanding this; but if this were a software requirement, an adult software developer should be able to understand it correctly.
The question is poorly worded. It asks for words in the order they come in the alphabet. Words aren’t in the alphabet. Letters are in the alphabet, so they reordered the letters.
It might not be autism, it might be just lacking context as to what they mean. The kid is likely very young so they might not know what alphabetical order means. It’s a reasonable guess given the lack of explanation in the worksheet.
They did fail to demonstrate knowledge of lexicographical order, which this exercise seems to be aiming for with the inclusion of pond and pumpkin, so I think it’s a bit cynical to consider failing the student on this a means of opression or subjugation.
Let me put it this way then. I wonder if they will give him credit for his knowledge because he proved he knows what “alphabetical order” is. Will he lose any credit because he didn’t follow, or misunderstood, the question? Will he be marked on what he knows or how he understands the query?
This is a neurodivergent solution. You can know everything correctly but without a properly defined problem, you go with your best assumption. People that think differently, assume different things.
Write the following words in alphabetical order (the order that they appear in the alphabet).
This is not a neurodivergent solution, this is simply incorrect — the instructions are clear. You can try to rationalize why it somehow is correct, you are also wrong.
Words means individual words, you would need to say “list of words”
Entire groups of people go through school systems being wrong even though they are right, this is an actual problem. It destroys children’s self esteem.
In case anyways else looked for the comments to try to figure out what was done wrong, the expected answer would be: apple, fox, log, pond, pumpkim, river.
I couldn’t figure out what the clue was that the kid would be a programmer. Surely any kid could have gotten this right? Then I read your comment and it all made sense. Thank you.
I was sent to the principals office several times in elementary school because my teachers thought I was trying to be a smart ass. Because I would do what they literally, exactly asked me to do, and not what they apparently meant.
I was always very confused because I honestly believed I was doing my best to follow instructions.
It didn’t help that I grew up in the American southeast, a region where patterns of speech are very indirect and lean heavily on idioms and metaphors.
I was in middle school before I figured out what was happening and did not get into trouble in that way anymore. I’m in my 40s now but I’m still a literal-first thinker. And yeah, I’m a programmer.
As a child, I’d probably get from context what was actually wanted since it probably complemented in-class lessons. But in primary school, I also sometimes liked to push the limits of what was asked. So I might do this and also put what was intended to the side.
Olio Cafe
Hofmaimaier
FTFY:
5. the
6. the
The alphabet provided ends with X. However, you apparently remove duplicates so maybe just cross out the last row?
One important skill for school is to look at the entire question so that you can understand what the teacher is asking for, even if they don’t format the question exactly right.
In this case, your answer would not fit into the 6 spaces provided for the answer.
So you have to ask yourself what they meant by “Write the following words”. Since “the” is the same word repeated twice, once you’ve written “the” after 5, then I could argue that “the” has already been written.
Therefore, if there are only six blanks for the answer, looking at the entire question, I argue that the answer I provided is most likely correct.
You’ll satisfy the teacher as often as possible and get good grades. I want to feel right as often as possible, which means I’ll disrupt the class often and get called out during the parents-teachers meeting.
Still an error unfortunately. Should be:
We really should stick with the orginal German verision.
No one who alphabetizes in German could get a failing grade
First prize!
Now, a Goldener Irrgärtner question: where does ẞ go in the alphabet?
At the end after ä ö and ü
Correct. It’s obviously supposed to be an ordered set, and that’s why there are 6 slots for 6 unique words.
I like this kid.
I like how fox stays the same.
I like how pond is backwards.
Eirrv is such a better word for river that I’m retconning the English language
Feels like some new age Sindarin. I’m here for it tbh.
i wonder how many words are like that
I wish there were a free database of words to answer that question. :(
:(
https://www.english-corpora.org/
If you’re on this sub, this is a good programming exercise for you if you’re interested. I’m sure there are plenty of large lists of words in English, that should provide all the data needed.
There are massive lists, the search is English words corpus
https://www.english-corpora.org/ is an excellent starting place
With more than three repetitions of the same algorithm the kid should’ve been automating the process.
It makes sense if not taught the conventions of alphabetizing first. Kids don’t know what they don’t know.
Mr. Rogers understood this on a deep level.
A clear indication of bad requirements.
Honestly the question as asked is unambiguous: “write words in alphabetical order” cannot mean anything else than apple, fox, log, pond, pumpkin, river. If what was provided here were the expected answer, the wording should be “write each of the following words with its letters sorted by alphabetical order”.
Could be understood as “take these words, and write them out in alphabetical order”. It’s not specifically stated whether letters inside those words should also be sorted or not.
We take it for granted that we have so much experience communicating, we can infer the meaning without full instruction, but children are still acquiring this knowledge and sometimes take things literally with hilarious results.
Of course, not blaming children for misunderstanding this; but if this were a software requirement, an adult software developer should be able to understand it correctly.
Completely misunderstanding the requirements? Yeah that’s a dev alright.
The question is poorly worded. It asks for words in the order they come in the alphabet. Words aren’t in the alphabet. Letters are in the alphabet, so they reordered the letters.
That’s not being pedantic, it’s just wrong. Do you not call the order of words in a dictionary “alphabetical order”?
Of course, but this is a 6? year old. Read the question as a child would.
All fine, but if they don’t know the word “alphabetical” the clarification is…
Confusing. “They” refers to the words and alphabet contains letters. If it had been “dictionary” and not “alphabet” then that would be clear.
No I call them witchcraft
Is that what was wrong here?
Forty is the only number when spelled out that is in alphabetical order
British spelling fixes this bug!
it’s spelled ‘forty’ in british english too
Its spelt however you can convince people to read it tbh.
Fhourthi innit?
you can but then it’s not “British spelling”
Oh yeah? Well what about i
What about you?
No what about μ
maliciousnaive complianceQA prodigy
Or autistic. Most definitely autistic.
OP already said programmer
Some become engineers.
It might not be autism, it might be just lacking context as to what they mean. The kid is likely very young so they might not know what alphabetical order means. It’s a reasonable guess given the lack of explanation in the worksheet.
Baby steps in functional programmings
I like it. He didn’t meet the assignment but he proved his knowledge. Now to see if they mark on knowledge learnt or subjugation.
They did fail to demonstrate knowledge of lexicographical order, which this exercise seems to be aiming for with the inclusion of pond and pumpkin, so I think it’s a bit cynical to consider failing the student on this a means of opression or subjugation.
Let me put it this way then. I wonder if they will give him credit for his knowledge because he proved he knows what “alphabetical order” is. Will he lose any credit because he didn’t follow, or misunderstood, the question? Will he be marked on what he knows or how he understands the query?
It’s elementary school. They’d probably just explain it and have them try again.
The child did not prove that they know what alphabetical order is, they proved that they know the alphabet.
This does not showcase intellect, it showcases a lack of critical thinking.
This is a neurodivergent solution. You can know everything correctly but without a properly defined problem, you go with your best assumption. People that think differently, assume different things.
This is not a neurodivergent solution, this is simply incorrect — the instructions are clear. You can try to rationalize why it somehow is correct, you are also wrong.
You actually highlighted the problem.
Words means individual words, you would need to say “list of words”
Entire groups of people go through school systems being wrong even though they are right, this is an actual problem. It destroys children’s self esteem.
Programmer? IDK. Looks kind of antigrammar to me.
An amateurgrammar, if you will.
In case anyways else looked for the comments to try to figure out what was done wrong, the expected answer would be: apple, fox, log, pond, pumpkim, river.
I couldn’t figure out what the clue was that the kid would be a programmer. Surely any kid could have gotten this right? Then I read your comment and it all made sense. Thank you.
And yes, yes I am a programmer.
woah man, posting answers to tests online is cheating and can get you expelled!
Seriously?
Are you asking if I was confused how they did something wrong? Yes.
Are you asking if “apple, fox, log, pond, pumpkim, river” was the intended answer? Also probably yes (but I didn’t make it, so I can’t be sure).
I was sent to the principals office several times in elementary school because my teachers thought I was trying to be a smart ass. Because I would do what they literally, exactly asked me to do, and not what they apparently meant.
I was always very confused because I honestly believed I was doing my best to follow instructions.
It didn’t help that I grew up in the American southeast, a region where patterns of speech are very indirect and lean heavily on idioms and metaphors.
I was in middle school before I figured out what was happening and did not get into trouble in that way anymore. I’m in my 40s now but I’m still a literal-first thinker. And yeah, I’m a programmer.
So you would have done the same as the kid?
I would have done the same right now as an adult.
As a child, I’d probably get from context what was actually wanted since it probably complemented in-class lessons. But in primary school, I also sometimes liked to push the limits of what was asked. So I might do this and also put what was intended to the side.
Are you sure? Apple is crossed out (presumably as a hint to cross them out as you add them to the list)
No, the answer isn’t “pumpkim”. :D
fox
list.toSorted()vslist.map(word => word.toSorted())(note that you can’t actually do string.toSorted() in js you have to convert into a list and back)
.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._._Secret morse code?Well, he/she is not wrong.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/they
“3B: used with a singular antecedent to refer to an unknown or unspecified person”
I used to like s/he until I realized I could type they and save zero characters and am not texting a pager