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Dear Mike,
Thank you so much for your explanation. They are very clear.
I posted another post today. It's about the usage of rather than because I am not clear about one point but I am trying to explain it to see if I am correct. I'd like to compare the sentence I sent you last time and a sentence in a dictionary:
1. Rather than ______trouble, he left.
a. cause b. to cause c. causing d. caused
For this one 'a' is correct.
2. He ran rather than walked.
My observation is:
If rather than is put in the middle of a sentence, it is a conjunction and paralleled structure should be used. If rather than is put at the beginning of a sentence then it is a preposition and bare infinitive or gerund should be used as you explained last time. So the sentence can be written in two ways:
Rather than cause trouble, he left. Or He left rather than caused trouble. Am I right?
Thank you!
Jiang
As you said
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Originally Posted by MikeNewYork Quote: |
Originally Posted by jiang Dear Mike,
Thank you so much for your expalnation. I understand them perfectly.
However, I'd like to make sure I am right.
1. In sentence one is it possible to use much as an adverb and use what?
2. For sentence 3 your sentence 'Understand that either would be grammatical in the first sentence, however.' Since I have had a very difficult time with the word 'either' I am particularly want to make sure that the sentence means 'shouldn't have means a rule'. Am I right?
3. In sentence 4 'a' is correct. But as you said it is a preposition it means preposition can be followed by infinitive. Is this what you mean by 'bare infinitive noun'? I haven't hearf of this expression. So please forgiveme for asking such silly questions.
Thank you again for your patience.
Jiang Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork Quote: |
Originally Posted by jiang :?
I don't understand the choices for the following sentences. Please help me. | Quote:
1. __ man has learned much from the behavior of animals is hardly new.
a. That b. What
The key is 'a'. But I think 'b' is also correct. 'a' means the fact that man has learned from the animals is hardly new. Or it is not something new that man has learned from animals. The word much is a noun. 'b' means the thing that has learned much from animals is hardly new. Or the content that man has learned from animals is hardly new. Am I right?
| No. You are close, but the word "much" adds a difference to the structure. In the correct version, "that" is a conjunction that exists to introduce a noun clause (which functions as the subject of the sentence]: That man has learned much from animals. If you change "that" to "what", what becomes a pronoun that must function as the object of the clausal verb. Then, "much" becomes a problem, because it is the clausal object. If you remove "much", the sentence would work with either "that" or "what", but the sentences would have different meanings. Quote:
2. During an earthquake, the great part of damage and loss of life has been_______collapse of buildings and the effect of rockslides, rather than from the quakes themselves.
a. due to b. owing to
My question is What's the difference between due to and owing to? Can I choose b?
| No, you can't. This one is rather complex. There is a grammar issue with "due to" versus "owing to" as a compound preposition. Classically, grammarians have objected to "due to" as a preposition, preferring "due" to be only an adjective. In this construction, the main clause boils down to: part has been due to collapse and effect. The preposition "owing to" does not fit there. The verb is a linking verb and calls for a noun or adjective as a complement. In this case "due" is an adjective, meaning "capable of being attributed" and the "to collapse and effect" is a trailing prepositional phrase.
BTW, the objection to "due to" as a preposition is ignored by most. Quote:
3. You ______ the class to tell me that. You could have come up to me afterwards.
a. needn't have interrupted b. shouldn't have interrupted
The key is 'a'. But I think 'b' is also correct. 'a' means it was uncessary for you to interrupt me. 'b' means you are wrong in interrupting me. Am I right?
| This is pretty picky in my opinion. The choice of "needn't" is better because of the modal "could" in the second sentence. If "shouldn't" is used in the first, it should also be used in the second. This has to do with the meanings of modals. "Needn't have" means it wasn't necessary; could gives an alternative. "Shouldn't have" means a rule. Understand that either would be grammatical in the first sentence, however. Quote:
4. Rather than ______trouble, he left.
a. cause b. to cause c. causing d. caused
The answer is 'a'. I know rather than should be followed by parallel parts. Then can I choose d?
| "Rather than" can be a conjunction or a preposition. As a conjunction it means "and not", as "in shaken rather than stirred". It is that use that calls for parallel items. In this case, "rather than" is a preposition calling for a noun object. Choice a is the best; it is a bare infinitive noun. I would also say that choice c is correct; that would be a gerund noun. The only reason to choose a over c is that an infinitive is often used for potential action and a gerund is often used for actual action. Since this action has not occurred, the infinitive would be more idiomatic. You're welcome! :D | | Quote: |
1. In sentence one is it possible to use much as an adverb and use what?
| No, there is no place for "much" as an adverb in that sentence. The adverb form is mostly used to modify and emphasize adjectives. In this case "much" is a quantity of something and is a noun. When the sentence starts with "That", it means that "The fact that man has learned much...is not knew." That means that the concept is not knew. When we use "What" (without "much) it means that the content of the learning is not new. Quote: |
2. For sentence 3 your sentence 'Understand that either would be grammatical in the first sentence, however.' Since I have had a very difficult time with the word 'either' I am particularly want to make sure that the sentence means 'shouldn't have means a rule'. Am I right?
| My use of "either" means that the sentence would be grammatical if you use a or if you use b. That is what "either" means. It means a or b. My point was that "needn't" (did not have to) goes better logically with "you could have" in the second sentence. If one had used "shouldn't" in the first, one should have used "should have" in the second. Quote: |
3. In sentence 4 'a' is correct. But as you said it is a preposition it means preposition can be followed by infinitive. Is this what you mean by 'bare infinitive noun'? I haven't hearf of this expression. So please forgiveme for asking such silly questions.
| Your questions are not at all silly. The simple fact that you are asking them tells me that you are learning. Infinitives come in two forms, "to infinitives" and "bare infinitives". The bare ones are the most difficult because they drop the "to" marker. In many cases, infinitives are nouns. In this case, it is a noun acting as the object of the preposition "rather than". This is a very sophisticated part of English grammar. IMO, it is not necessary that you know all these things. It is important that you know that "cause" does not become "caused" in this usage. |