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I think your data is wrong.
Your answer is right.

Are the usages of “wrong” incorrect? My teacher says to me that I should always use “right” and ‘wrong” when using on people, but when it is about something objective, I should only use “correct” and “incorrect”.

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  • It depends on context; "wrong" and "right" are synonyms for "incorrect" and "correct" respectively. Jan 4, 2014 at 7:49
  • It could be (as some answers say) that the teacher is simplistic or pedantic. Or it could be that the student has an incomplete understanding of what the teacher said.
    – GEdgar
    Jan 4, 2014 at 15:19

2 Answers 2

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Your teacher's view is simplistic.

"That tie is the wrong colour for your shirt." The subject is a tie not a person.

"That tie is the incorrect colour for your shirt." The English is OK but but the use of incorrect is strange.

and a bit further ...

"John has done it the wrong way." The subject is a person.

wrong as an adjective

"John has answered incorrectly." The subject is a person.

incorrectly as an adverb (adjectives for verbs)

Following the logic of your teacher's rule we should say "John has answered wrongly." which is incorrect (or wrong).

As with many rules that deal with a varying percentage of English constructions, your teacher's rule does not always apply.

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I think you are saying that your teacher wants you to judge people's action as right or wrong, but to judge the fits of objects as correct and incorrect (tell me if I'm wrong). If so, I think your teacher is being pedantic and happens to be wrong.

What your teacher is asking you to do is to take a side in a debate about the relationship between moral terms and natural terms, i.e. are ethical terms merely social or do they reflect something more real?

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