English Usuage?

she failed to ring the number"
Ans: She failed to reach her friend( herXX) by phone.<----------
or
She was unable to reach her friend( her XXX) by phone.
or
She could not reach her friend( her XXX) by phone.
or
She kept calling her friend( her XXX) , but all she got was a busy signal.
or
She failed to reach her friend( herXXX) by phone. The line was engaged.

to reach someone by phone
___________________________

She failed to dial ( we use " dial) the number. = She could not dial the number( It doesn't make sense here)
Everyone can dial the number right?
Someone stopped her from using the phone?
Someone tied up her hands and FEET ? lolzzzzz
I think some are able to dial the number with their toes. Joking!




That's it.
868868686868868686868686886
868686868

2009-02-17 01:38:13 補充：
to ring/dial the number <----------- both okay hmmmmm

2009-02-17 01:38:59 補充：
You teacher laughed because your sentence was funny.

How come she was unable to dial the number??????????

"she failed to ring the number"
she was unable to, she can't... ring the number.
1) If she tried many times but still can't made the call.
We would say: She called many times but the opposite line was busy.
2) If she's a handicapped of arm(s) so she couldn't dial or push the buttons.
We would say: She couldn't (不是 failed to) make the call ... due to handicape.
3) However, "she failed to ring the number" - is totally wrong & meaningless,
particularly "ring the number". should be "make the call".

You can say ".....someone... cannot be reached at Tel: xxxx xxxx"

If you say "she failed to ring ....", it means that she can't contact someone because the telephone line or telephone device is not functioning properly.

i did mean THE NUMBER
not my friend.
of cause i know how to say "my friend"
but my teacher repeated
"she failed? failed?"
n then laughed.
so i don't think the number was wrong.

我諗用「failed」冇問題, 反而係「 ring the number」用錯了, 「ring my friend」就係指「打電話給我的朋友」, 咁「ring the number」就變左係「打電話給個號碼」

2009-02-17 02:04:20 補充：
如果係咁, 咁我真係唔明那老師笑乜...... fail都可以解「leave something undone」, 例如「The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account」

或者我地需要多D前文後理