Is this sentence correct?

The test would be kind of homework activity like last time.

  • 2
    No. The correct version depends on what you mean to say; it's unfair to ask us to guess before composing an answer. – Tim Lymington Jan 12 '14 at 23:50
  • Sorry for being unfair :D My classmate wrote a letter to our english teacher and I felt something bad. – bitli Jan 13 '14 at 16:45

I think 'kind of' could be replaced by 'sort of' or 'type of' to sound more correct.

Also, you should have an 'a' in there - i.e. 'the test would be a type of homework activity'.

However, this still sounds dumb.

You should just say 'the test would/will be a homework activity' if it would/could/will be.

I'm supposing there is not a case where it wont be a homework activity, is there?

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The sentence is not correct, not only as it lacks 'a' but using 'a kind' would mean the test would be a homework activity(which never happens). I think you mean-:"the test would be based on homework activity like last time".

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There's nothing wrong with the sentence

  • The test would be kind of homework activity like last time.


  1. the speaker is hypothesizing about a future test.
  2. the speaker intends to be understood as believing
    that the test would (hypothetically) consist
    of the same kinds of problems as appear on homework.
  3. with like last time, the speaker is referring either
    • to the last homework set,
    • to the last test.

Kind of, in kind of homework activity, is an idiomatic hedge that means "like, similar to". I think most English speakers, even learners, kind of understand this usage already. Semantically, it's second-order predicate calculus, but who cares?

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  • 1
    You would still need an indefinite article before kind. – Rory Alsop Jan 13 '14 at 13:08
  • 1
    Yes, if you meant a variety of; but kind of is a frozen idiom that mightaswell not have a space in it. In eye dialect, it doesn't; the usual eye dialect spelling is "kinda". And it's a hedge, not a quantifier. – John Lawler Jan 13 '14 at 16:43
  • Do you think we can use in this way? He referred to the last test which was done at home. – bitli Jan 13 '14 at 16:48
  • English speakers can and do use it this way all the time. Otherwise there wouldn't be a common eye dialect spelling. He may be constrained by his teacher to be learning nonsense rules, which is sad, but that's his problem. – John Lawler Jan 13 '14 at 17:14
