I'm strangely annoyed at not scoring 100% at Expert. I'm such a nerd.

[silversolitaire]

English Genius

You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 87% Advanced, and 77% Expert!

You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!

The Commonly Confused Words Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14457200288064322170

Comments

[no-ron.livejournal.com]

O_o

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 86% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 83% Expert!

and where's the solution? how am i supposed to learn from this??

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

I have no clue. I retook it to find my mistakes and ended up scoring even worse than on the first time round! x.x;

[no-ron.livejournal.com]

maybe it's some fucked up quiz.. :p

[krss.livejournal.com]

I hate that quiz! I took it and got something "satisfactory", something like 66% for expert. And I just don't believe them when they say "Oh, this is an excellent result too!" I can't believe how bitter I am. >_<

Besides, I can't see where I went wrong! Most of them were obvious. Were all of them beginner?

[boixboi.livejournal.com]

You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't.

By which we mean, you have the ability to win a lot of grammar and spelling bee contests, and not waste money on extra college courses to teach you basic reading. I had no problem with this quiz, at first, but then I got this result and saw that sentence; my understanding of the field of linguistics makes me call shenanigans on a correlation between an understanding of contemporary "proper" English and any sort of rare intelligence.

[silversolitaire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that certainly is over the top. I mean, linguistic skills is a certain form of intelligence, no doubt, but it doesn't really say anything about "smerts", so to speak. I've known people who have a very low level of education, but they've bested me in any form of language test there was. It's merely a talent. Then again, it IS true that people with a low level of education often have poor spelling and a less than average understanding of language. But the same would be true about advanced math or what not. Yes, take math. Me, I'm very bad at math, I fail at the simplest tasks and yet I would firmly reject the notion that I'm not intelligent. It's just a certain skill I lack. So, similar can be said about this.

Obviously that quiz is trying to flatter its takers. But hey, it was fun. I found it rather simple because this is basically exactly what I did for years in all my language classes.

[boixboi.livejournal.com]

Then again, it IS true that people with a low level of education often have poor spelling and a less than average understanding of language.

This is exactly what I'm railing against. Intelligence and education are not correlary. Plenty of people are "educated beyond their intelligence," a phrase which in itself means little without detailing it, but I define as having a great deal of knowledge and minimal ability to apply it, to analyze the trivia. Think Charles in Madame Bovary, if you're familiar. On the other end of the spectrum, some people have a great capacity for reason and analysis, but not a whole lot of formal training and education. To use an example from the real pro in linguistics, Chomsky, look at all the people who call into sports radio shows to give their (often very well reasoned) opinions.

I'm not saying that education and learning aren't important in the development of intelligence (look at the effect of continued engagement in learning on alzheimer's prevention), or that intelligence in all its forms is innate. What I mean is, this quiz is based on pre-existing knowledge of the English language, not on any system of reasoning. The ability to collect knowledge and the ability to apply knowledge are separate. This fact has kept me from moving forward in areas of mathematics, chemistry, and economics. I'm great at understanding "pure" math, but the realistic applications get dicey for me. Intelligence is a complex map, and the ability to master "proper" English is first of all no more and indicator of any form of intelligence than the ability to master any dialect of English (as all dialects are made up of largely unconscious 'rules,' and there is nothing about the English of the academy that makes it superior to that spoken in more casual settings). Second, the test is centrally retention of knowledge of English, not stylistic application or analysis of deeper/secondary meanings or creative use. Third, while indicative of a certain talent/skill with language, it certainly doesn't apply to any sort of greater ability to "understand things most people don't." Know, possibly, but not understand.

I'm sorry for going on so long. I definitely don't mean to imply that you're going right along with what the quiz writer says, nor that you're ignorant to all of this.I took the quiz. It was, indeed, fun. I apologize for my need for deep analysis of singular sentences...but this one is staring me down all over my friends page.