as etc.

[Casiopea]

The underlined part is an adjectival phrase and it's headed by an intensifier:

Ex: How beautiful are the flowers! Cf. How beautiful flowers are!
Ex: What a peaceful city is Hangzhou! Cf. What a peaceful city Hangzhou is!
Ex: How smart you are! Cf. How smart are you! <ambiguity sets in>

How has more than one meaning in that context, so intonation is needed to differentiate the meanings implied by the syntax:

How smart are you? <level of intelligence is questioned>
How smart are you! <level of intelligence is either praised or questioned>

This example isn't headed by an intensifier:

Ex: to help show how intelligent is an animal.

This example is, but it's also ambiguous:

Ex: How intelligent is an animal! Cf. How intelligent an animal is!

The one you're dealing with is housed within a clause; it's an argument of a clause, unlike the examples above which are clauses unto themselves.

Hope that helps.

All the best.

[jiang]

Dear Cas,
Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I see.
Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

The underlined part is an adjectival phrase and it's headed by an intensifier:

Ex: How beautiful are the flowers! Cf. How beautiful flowers are!
Ex: What a peaceful city is Hangzhou! Cf. What a peaceful city Hangzhou is!
Ex: How smart you are! Cf. How smart are you! <ambiguity sets in>

How has more than one meaning in that context, so intonation is needed to differentiate the meanings implied by the syntax:

How smart are you? <level of intelligence is questioned>
How smart are you! <level of intelligence is either praised or questioned>

This example isn't headed by an intensifier:

Ex: to help show how intelligent is an animal.

This example is, but it's also ambiguous:

Ex: How intelligent is an animal! Cf. How intelligent an animal is!

The one you're dealing with is housed within a clause; it's an argument of a clause, unlike the examples above which are clauses unto themselves.

Hope that helps.

All the best.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear Cas,
Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I see.
Jiang

OK, but if you're not satisfied, please let me know.

All the best.
____________________________
I never really know if you truly understand. You always seem to use the same closing line, "Now I see." I trust you do understand and that you will tell me if you don't.

[jiang]

Dear Cas,
If I don't understand I shall ask more questions. That's why I said I hate to be slow because I just worry that I have bother you teachers too much.
I think ' Now I see' means ' Now I understand'. But from what you wrote it seems it doesn't take this meaning. Is that right?

Jiang

Originally Posted by Casiopea

OK, but if you're not satisfied, please let me know.

All the best.
____________________________
I never really know if you truly understand. You always seem to use the same closing line, "Now I see." I trust you do understand and that you will tell me if you don't.

[Super Sonic]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Well, yes and no. It could lead to ambiguity:

those of my grandparents'
[1] those characteristics of my grandparents' age.
[2] My grandparents' characteristics

Hope that helps.

All the best.

Umm, thanks for the effort, but I don't seem to get it

We can say "My grandfather's characteristics...", right? Then why can't we say "My grandparents' characteristics..."?

Edit: Is it because of the animate, inanimate rule of posession?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Super Sonic

We can say "My grandfather's characteristics...", right? Then why can't we say "My grandparents' characteristics..."?

We can, indeed, but not in the context provided by Jiang's example. In his example, the phrase those of my grandparents doesn't mean those of my grandparents' characteristics. Rather, it means those of my grandparents' age, characteristics of my grandparents' age.

Hope that helps a little.

All the best.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jiang

Dear Cas,
If I don't understand I shall ask more questions. That's why I said I hate to be slow because I just worry that I have bother you teachers too much.
I think ' Now I see' means ' Now I understand'. But from what you wrote it seems it doesn't take this meaning. Is that right?

Jiang

You're right. Now I see means now I understand; however, because you use it so frequently, it's starting to turn into a stock phrase, like the response for "Hello": I'm fine, thank you. It's an expected response that doesn't really express the person's true feelings.

No worries. I was just curious that's all.

All the best.

[Super Sonic]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

We can, indeed, but not in the context provided by Jiang's example. In his example, the phrase those of my grandparents doesn't mean those of my grandparents' characteristics. Rather, it means those of my grandparents' age, characteristics of my grandparents' age.

Hope that helps a little.

All the best.

It helped a lot! Thanks.

[Casiopea]

You're most welcome, Super Sonic.

[jiang]

Dear Cas,
Please read the sentence again:
If there is one main characteristic of the modern world that makes our lives different from _________ it is probably speed.
a. that of our grandparents b. those of our grandparents ( There isn't ' in my textbook. Should there be one)?
I have two more questions:
No.1
As the key is 'b' is it possible 'those' refers to "lives of our grandparents'"?
No.2
If 'those' refers to 'lives' can I say .....different from our grandparents/grandparents'?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.

Jiang

a

Originally Posted by Casiopea

We can, indeed, but not in the context provided by Jiang's example. In his example, the phrase those of my grandparents doesn't mean those of my grandparents' characteristics. Rather, it means those of my grandparents' age, characteristics of my grandparents' age.

Hope that helps a little.

All the best.