14:30 Jan 13, 2010 

There you go, Tony - the fact that 'access' is included (and actually comes first!) casts yet more doubt on the source. With teachers like that, you can tell Russian students of English are in for some trouble.

14:22 Jan 13, 2010 

Today I saw the keys
The answer from the keys is "access/admission"
I'm immensely grateful to all of you who contributed here (Dariusz Saczuk, dasein_wm, Tony M, Sheila Wilson, Vicky Nash, Yasutomo Kanazawa, Goldcoaster) for your support.

21:18 Jan 12, 2010 

I'm glad you said that, valex!

'admission' can be followed by all sorts of prepositions, depending on the exact context; certainly, the sue of 'for' could incline one towards the idea of 'access' — 'access for wheelchair users only', for example. However, I think the reliability of the 'source text' needs to be taken itno account; in particular, I think it would be more natural / usual in EN to say 'ticket-holders' rather than 'ticket owners', which alone is enough to cast some doubt on the reliability of the source...

I have to say I heartily agree about this kind of 'fill-in-the-blank' exercise — I remember on one occasion helping my little French neighbour with his EN homework, and he was marked wrong just because the word we had used to fill in the blank (though perfectly correct!) was simply not the word the teacher was expecting — despite the fact that there were no specific guidelines given as to the vocab to be used, etc. Frankly, in my experience, EN teaching in FR schools is pretty appalling! But sorry, I'm drifting off topic...!

20:09 Jan 12, 2010 

Sheila, sorry, just a quick reminder from my post. This is what I heard from the students, they could have been mistaken (about the preposition FOR or BY) You definitely know better. I have not seen the test item in a written way

19:02 Jan 12, 2010 

Remember we have to deal with "A... FOR somebody" not "by". Personally I'm thoroughly confused at the moment but I certainly agree with Dariusz about tests.

18:56 Jan 12, 2010 

besides the options I've already quoyed for 'admission', these other common expressions might help you decide:

'No admittance to unauthorized personnel'
'Access restricted to staff only'
'Right of admission reserved'

In all of these more or less 'stock' phrases, use of one of the other words could well sound unnatural or odd.

[Note also that 'admittance' has a specialist technical meaning in the field of electricity]

18:54 Jan 12, 2010 

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage shows that admission has a 40:1 ratio of use against admittance. This along with what else has been evidenced here clearly shows that this is what is used most frequently.

18:51 Jan 12, 2010 

To Dariusz Saczuk:
You can think of some other options?

18:38 Jan 12, 2010 

Here is MW Dic of Syn quoted by Nephew from Multitran
"Admittance" is mostly confined to the literal sense of allowing one to enter a locality or building
no admittance without a pass
admittance to the grounds
"Admission" has acquired the figurative sense of admitting to rights, privileges, standing, membership
his admission to the club
admission of new words into the language
When entrance into a building or a locality carries with it certain privileges, admission rather than admittance is used
admission to a theater
the admission of aliens into a country
http://books.google.com/books?id=8N4UReTJYhUC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA...
"no admittance without a pass"
"admission rather than admittance is used"
?

18:37 Jan 12, 2010 

Both admission and admittance are correct. Admission is used more unless it is a very formal event/venue.