new forum priorities

[StaceyKoprince]

Hi, all

You've probably noticed the new look of the forums! (And sorry we were down for almost a week while we got things upgraded.)

The biggest difference is one which impacts how we instructors will answer questions, so I wanted to let everyone know how things are going to work. All students are now placed into one of several groups (see below).

Our overall goal is still to answer all questions from all participants, but we will be giving priority to certain categories. This doesn't mean that you won't get your question answered if you are further down on the priority list, but it does mean that you may have to wait longer than others who are higher on the priority list.

Here are the categories in order of priority:
Course Students
Students
Prospective Students
Forum Guests

Again, if you are at the far end of that list (guests), this does not mean that we won't answer your questions; we are still offering the forums as a free service to all users, regardless of your "status." But you may wait longer for an answer to your question than the people in the other categories - that's all.

Happy studying!

[ells1986]

The category "course students" makes sense but what is the "students" category? I've recently purchased one of the SC books and plan on buying others over time. Does this make me a "student"? I've entered the code from my code in my profile. I've posted a question related to a comparison between info in the SC book and one of Ron's answers to another SC question.

[StaceyKoprince]

Yes, you are in the "students" category - "students" are people who are using our materials but are not in a course.

The forums are a bit behind due to high traffic, so it may take a little while to get answers to your questions, but your questions will be answered eventually. If you ever have any technical issues, contact the office directly (studentservices@manhattangmat.com or techsupport@manhattangmat.com).

[ells1986]

Thanks Stacey.

[StaceyKoprince]

you're welcome!

[ells1986]

Stacey,

By the way, if you were interested in sharing your thoughts on the question I posted (about an appositive vs an absolute phrase), I'd be THRILLED.

I've been extremely impressed by how insightful your responses are. Also, I think the question may be an interesting one that could help some of your other students.

The question may sound arcane but I think it's a fundamental one: namely, what is the difference between an APPOSITIVE and an ABSOLUTE PHRASE (and by extension, how does one correctly modify JUST a word vs. an ENTIRE PHRASE)? You'll see that I tagged the question for Ron; I did that because the question had originally jumped to mind when comparing one of his responses to what's in my Manhattan SC book. When I look at the definition in the glossary for the two terms, it's not clear what the difference is. My understanding from Ron's response is that an appositive modifies ONLY the preceding word whereas per the SC book, an ABSOLUTE PHRASE modifies the ENTIRE preceding (or subsequent) phrase.

Anyway, I'm sure you're insanely busy but if you had a minute to take a shot, it'd be wonderful.

[StaceyKoprince]

If I'm the one that gets to that folder first, then I will - but I actually can't just jump there to answer it now, as we have to try to address older questions first (no playing favorites :). Also, different instructors work on different days, so if another instructor happens to be "on" when that one comes up next in the queue, then s/he is going to answer it!