Mark and Ming continue talking about Ming's paper in the common room of their dorm.

    Mark: Hi, Ming. Can we continue talking about your paper?

    Ming: I'd appreciate it. The next thing you marked is "farther" in this sentence: "There's no time for any farther discussion of the matter."

    Mark: Ah, yes. Do you know the difference between "farther" and "further?"

    Ming: I'm afraid not.

    Mark: "Farther" usually means a distance: "You can run farther than I can."

    Ming: Okay.

    Mark: And "further" is more metaphorical.

    Ming: Huh?

    Mark: It doesn't talk about physical distance, but about some idea.

    Ming: Like here, it means "more discussion," so I should have used "further."

    Mark: Right. There are some cases where either can be used, but "farther" is pretty much only for physical distance.

    Ming: Got it. Thanks. Next, you marked "graduate" in this sentence: "I will keep reading these authors even after I graduate this school."

    Mark: Right. Is "graduate" transitive or intransitive?

    Ming: I guess it's... I don't know!

    Mark: In this sentence, it should be intransitive. You graduate FROM college.

    Ming: Oh, I see! Can it also be transitive?

    Mark: Sure. We can say colleges graduate their students.

    Ming: So the school graduates me--v.t.--but I graduate from the college--v.i.

    Mark: Perfect. Next, you referred to the party in one of Fitzgerald's book as "noisome."

    Ming: Is that wrong?

    Mark: Yeah, big mistake! "Noisy" means "making a lot of noise." "Noisome" means something else.

    Ming: What?

    Mark: Stinky! Or in some other way, disgusting. It's actually related to the word "annoy."

    Ming: I see. So my mistake was kind of funny!

    Mark: Yes, I'm afraid it was. Here's another little problem: You said, "I wish I was alive in those days."

    Ming: What's wrong with that?

    Mark: This is the subjunctive case. The "be" verb in the subjunctive is always "were."

    Ming: Oh, yeah. "I wish I were a bird!"

    Mark: Right.

    Ming: Oops. Okay, one more word. Why did you mark "literally" here?

    Mark: You said that reading these authors' books was literally the greatest experience of your life.

    Ming: But it was great!

    Mark: I'm sure it was, but how does it compare to, say, your sister's wedding, or the day you graduated from high school?

    Ming: Oh, I see. But I thought "literally" meant "really."

    Mark: It does! But it means "really" as "exactly true," not like "very."

    Ming: So what can I say?

    Mark: Try something like, "This was a truly great experience."

    Ming: I see. Well, thanks for your help, Mark. I really learned a lot.

    Mark: Glad to be of help.