Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: strict - stricter - hmm...

"my university has now stricter language preprequisites"
"my university has _____  (its) language prerequisites"
I can't come out with any verb fitting that sentence. "Restricted" 
doesn't sound right. I think it's something beginning with "en"... 
hmmm...  or... tightened (up)?
thanks!
Ciao,
Enrico il Pentolaio.
-- 
SIR - I could not help but notice that almost immediately after you 
published a flattering Face value profile of Diane Greene, she was 
sacked [...]. I was wondering if you could soon write a Face value 
profile of Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi? (the Economist)

 I can't come out with any verb fitting that sentence. 
come up with


 hmmm...  or... tightened (up)?
Does it have to be one word?
"toughened up" is what I think I'd go with otherwise.
If it has to be one word... hmm. nothing springs to mind.

 tightened (up)?
Stiffened, although tightened or tightened up would also be acceptable, if 
arguably ambiguous.
By the way, I'm sure the extra "p" is only a typo since you spelled it right 
the second time.

 "toughened up" is what I think I'd go with otherwise.
thanks!


 the second time.
Thanks for the concern, ma da "prerequisiti" a "prerequisites" ci arrivo 
facilmente anch'io.
:-D


 non riuscivo a trovare il verbo giusto.
By the way, I have found out that my 20/30 score in the TOEFL speaking 
paper, in spite of the overall 107/120 score, will preclude me from 
applying for the University of Melbourne. Ok, that would have been my 
third (second?) choice, but what the hell...
:-/


 OK, thanks. What's ambiguous? "Tightened up"?
Yes, it could be used to describe prerequisites that were not necessarily 
stricter in terms of competence, but tighter in terms of limited scope. 

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Even more ambiguous would be "expanded its language prerequisites". The 
university may have made the requirements laxer by allowing previously 
unacceptable languages, or stricter by requiring more languages or higher 
levels of competence in a language.
Adam mentioned "toughened up" and that is an acceptable alternative, but I 
think it would not be as likely to be used as "stiffened" in a US academic 
environment. That of course, is a rather subjective assessment. 

 environment. That of course, is a rather subjective assessment. 
The recipient of the message is Australian.
:-)
Thanks again for the explanation.


 hmmm...  or... tightened (up)?
"my university has enforced (its) language prerequisites"
"my university has enbiggened (its) language prerequisites"
(OK. Sorry. My inner Homer nipped out and scribbled that last one :-))
might work, but it doesn't really mean the same as the original sentence 
(my objections to its construction notwithstanding).
Antonio

 (OK. Sorry. My inner Homer nipped out and scribbled that last one :-))
:-)
Thank you!
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 "ha limitato"?
Sono d'accordo con quelli che sostengono che "restricted" e` un po' ambiguo 
in questo caso.
Ma se non si tratta di uno di quelle domande di TOEFL/EFL/EVIL allora io 
scriverei:
"my university has made its language prerequisites harder/tougher/more 
demanding"
Antonio

  will preclude me from applying for the University of Melbourne.
Down Under there are sharks and salt water crocodiles anyway ;DDD

 :-/
Good grief. Can you re-do TOEFL?


Well, maybe they'll take you at Curtin University.  :>)
http://www.curtin.edu.au/
I hate to say it, but you may yet end up in Fresno. :>((
Joe from Massachusetts

 wrote in message
news:mLOdnbiDTPGugk3V...@comcast.com...
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Stiffened sounds good to me, although language requirements in the US are
more likely to be eased, or dropped altogether. :>)
Joe from Massachusetts

 Good grief. Can you re-do TOEFL?
I don't have much time left, but yes, I can take the test again. The 
question is: is it worth it? Ora mi metto a cercare un po' più di info 
sulle università di Sydney.


 
http://www.curtin.edu.au/
Fantastic! I would kill to spend a year in, say,  Kalgoorlie, «an 
historic mining town in the goldfields region of Western Australia, 
about 600km east of Perth». So close to a big city, too!
:-D



Don't tell me there's somewhere worse than Fresno!
Joe from Massachusetts