Forum newsfeeds
Forum Newsfeeds


Sites for Teachers

Sites for Teachers


Go Back   UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum > Learning English > Ask a Teacher

Notices

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 10-Sep-2007, 04:05
Key Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Country: India
Posts: 1,556
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Current Location: Now India
First Language: Hindi
user_gary is on a distinguished road
Default The sentences above/below are correct

The sentences above are correct.
The sentences below are correct.
The above sentences are correct.
The below sentences are correct.
The sentences which are below are correct.
The sentneces which are above are correct.


Could you tell me which of the above sentences are correct?
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 10-Sep-2007, 15:01
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Country: Poland
Posts: 950
Thanks: 4
Thanked 86 Times in 84 Posts
Current Location: England, Swindon
First Language: Polish
engee30 will become famous soon enough
Cool Re: The sentences above/below are correct

Quote:
Originally Posted by user_gary View Post
a. The sentences above are correct.
b. The sentences below are correct.
c. The above sentences are correct.
d. The below sentences are correct.
e. The sentences which are below are correct.
f. The sentences which are above are correct.


Could you tell me which of the above sentences are correct?
Great news - they are all correct (with some alterations in spelling)!
The first two (a and b) are the short forms of the last two (f and e, respectively).

Last edited by engee30; 10-Sep-2007 at 15:56.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 10-Sep-2007, 15:20
Soup's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Country: Canada
Posts: 1,341
Thanks: 2
Thanked 225 Times in 213 Posts
Current Location: Shanghai, China
First Language: English
Soup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura about
Default Re: The sentences above/below are correct

Take a look here also, above/below | Antimoon Forum
_________________


In the sentence (that is located) above <adverb>
In the above sentence <adjective> & <see note below>
The above sentence <adjective>

In the sentence (that is located) below <adverb>
In the below sentence <adjective>
The below sentence <adjective>

In short, all the combinations work except below + sentence. Below, unlike above, can't function as an adjective.

______________
Note, above can function as an adjective, but if it's a transformation or modification of in the sentence that is located above, wherein it functions as an adverb, then this phrase in the above sentence)--while often used--is awkward, but only from a strictly grammatical point of view. That is, people will say it and write it, but some, especially the most pedantic of speakers, will question its construct, because above is moved out of an adverbial position into an adjectival position:

Adverbial postion: In the sentence above...
Adjective position: In the above sentence...
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 10-Sep-2007, 15:41
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Country: Poland
Posts: 950
Thanks: 4
Thanked 86 Times in 84 Posts
Current Location: England, Swindon
First Language: Polish
engee30 will become famous soon enough
Wink Re: The sentences above/below are correct

Quote:
Originally Posted by Soup View Post
Take a look here also, above/below | Antimoon Forum
_________________


In the sentence (that is located) above <adverb>
In the above sentence <adjective> & <see note below>
The above sentence <adjective>

In the sentence (that is located) below <adverb>
In the below sentence <adjective>
The below sentence <adjective>

In short, all the combinations work except below + sentence. Below, unlike above, can't function as an adjective.

______________
Note, above can function as an adjective, but if it's a transformation or modification of in the sentence that is located above, wherein it functions as an adverb, then this phrase in the above sentence)--while often used--is awkward, but only from a strictly grammatical point of view. That is, people will say it and write it, but some, especially the most pedantic of speakers, will question its construct, because above is moved out of an adverbial position into an adjectival position:

Adverbial postion: In the sentence above...
Adjective position: In the above sentence...
So I think it's time to disprove the rule against using below as an adjective:
below. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 11-Sep-2007, 11:27
Soup's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Country: Canada
Posts: 1,341
Thanks: 2
Thanked 225 Times in 213 Posts
Current Location: Shanghai, China
First Language: English
Soup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura about
Default Re: The sentences above/below are correct

In post-position or pre-position?
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 11-Sep-2007, 11:39
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Country: Poland
Posts: 950
Thanks: 4
Thanked 86 Times in 84 Posts
Current Location: England, Swindon
First Language: Polish
engee30 will become famous soon enough
Wink Re: The sentences above/below are correct

Quote:
Originally Posted by Soup View Post
In post-position or pre-position?
In pre-position, I think.
In post-position, it actually looks like an adverb (or is an adverb, I don't know exactly). But according to the information from the page I provided the link to in my previous post, it is an adjective.
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 11-Sep-2007, 12:18
Soup's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Country: Canada
Posts: 1,341
Thanks: 2
Thanked 225 Times in 213 Posts
Current Location: Shanghai, China
First Language: English
Soup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura aboutSoup has a spectacular aura about
Default Re: The sentences above/below are correct

Quote:
Originally Posted by engee30 View Post
In pre-position, I think.
In post-position, it actually looks like an adverb (or is an adverb, I don't know exactly). But according to the information from the page I provided the link to in my previous post, it is an adjective.
Yes, in post-position is fine, but in pre-position it's somewhat awkward to native English speakers. That is, below sentence sounds awkward. I suspect that has everything to do with its distribution, its frequency pre-positionally. It doesn't occur in that position, or does it? How often? Interesting research topic this one.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Are my sentences correct? daisyeoh@hotmail.com Ask a Teacher 5 19-Aug-2007 21:28
Could you correct these sentences, please? Ana Laura Ask a Teacher 10 19-Aug-2007 13:40
Please correct the sentences ... sweetie_sneha Ask a Teacher 1 08-Apr-2007 12:12
correct sentences Teenager Ask a Teacher 1 09-Mar-2007 04:26
Are these sentences correct? Anonymous Ask a Teacher 5 27-Mar-2006 01:49


All times are GMT. The time now is 18:28.


vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0 RC5
Copyright © 2002 - 2008 UsingEnglish.com