""the Chase" Today And The Question Was Was What Percentage Of The Group Abba

[gollob]

were female. the answer given was half of them which was said to be wrong. Surely half and 50% are exactly the same or does anybody disagree

[frugalfred]

If percentage was asked for in the question, then 50% is correct. If "what fraction.......?" then half.

[Prudie]

They are of the same of course but the question was clearly what percentage.
She answered half which is a fraction and if you're being pedantic could have meant half a percent. He did explain to her afterwards. Seemed fair to me.

[fiction-factory]

I didn't see it but assume they would only accept an answer in the right form- i.e. a percentage. Seems harsh, i agree, but should an answer of two male two female or Anna and Agnetha have been acceptable?

[frugalfred]

f-f - as an ex-teacher you should know that if in an exam question a percentage was asked for, then a fraction as an answer would be wrong!

[jim360]

If you're asked for an answer in one unit and give it in another, then you haven't answered the actual question.

[hibeeslass]

Bradley did explain at the end of the run why it was wrong answer?

[frugalfred]

Rather like politicians, divebuddy!

[PankySmooch]

Last week someone answered 'buggy' and Bradley said "Wrong, the correct answer is pushchair"

[fiction-factory]

Er, I know that frugal-fred. I said " assume they would only accept an answer in the right form- i.e. a percentage." Some TV shows show flexibility though- I don't know whether The Chase does

[Ellipsis]

It's several questions in one:

1) How many people were in Abba?
2) How many of them were women?
3) Express (answer 2) as a percentage of (answer 1)

If the question hadn't been about Abba, but instead was "Express 2 as a percentage of 4" then "Half" is clearly not an acceptable answer ...

[frugalfred]

LOL, divebuddy.

[agchristie]

Bradley 'Do you think you can clarify your answer please'?

Contestant 'I do, I do, I do, I do, I do'.

[gollob]

In a quiz show not yet shown on television the question was "In the war of the Spanish Succession what part of Robert Jenkins body was cut off. I replied this was the battle of Jenkins ear which they said was not correct although his ear was cut off .I said I would not carry on as I thought this was the right answer. So after a lot of debate they accepted my answer and the quiz carried on

[Baldric]

///what part of Robert Jenkins body was cut off///

It was his Ear, how could they cut off 'The War of Jenkins Ear ?

[Cloverjo]

Even though you didn't actually give the required answer, gollob, I think they should have accepted it as you obviously knew about it.
I don't think the Chase contestant's answer about Abba quite fits in in the same way.

[Prudie]

I think you were lucky gollob. The question asked for a part of the body not the name of a battle.