#1  
Old 10-Oct-2007, 19:49
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Question Word order

"With this design are associated the following quantities: ..."

This word order seems clumsy to me, and unless the author aimed to stress something by this (can't find what it could be!), it is not elegant. Am I right or am I wrong?

I would simply write,
"The following quantities are associated with this design: ..." OR
"With this design, the following quantities are associated: ..."

Thanks,
Nyggus
  #2  
Old 10-Oct-2007, 20:02
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Default Re: Word order

Quote:
Originally Posted by nyggus View Post
"With this design are associated the following quantities: ..."

This word order seems clumsy to me, and unless the author aimed to stress something by this (can't find what it could be!), it is not elegant. Am I right or am I wrong?

I would simply write,
"The following quantities are associated with this design: ..." OR
"With this design, the following quantities are associated: ..."

Thanks,
Nyggus
This is called inversion and it is used in rather formal writing [ and not only], especially when the author wants to put an emphasis on something as it is the case of "with this design".
Your sentences are correct, though.
  #3  
Old 10-Oct-2007, 20:13
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Default Re: Word order

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Originally Posted by Teia View Post
This is called inversion and it is used in rather formal writing [ and not only], especially when the author wants to put an emphasis on something as it is the case of "with this design".
Your sentences are correct, though.
Note that I did write about the emphasis to be put by this word order and that I see no reason for this emphasis to be given in this particular sentence and context.
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Old 10-Oct-2007, 20:40
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Default Re: Word order

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Originally Posted by nyggus View Post
Note that I did write about the emphasis to be put by this word order and that I see no reason for this emphasis to be given in this particular sentence and context.
As long as I don`t know the whole context I simply uttered my opinion on this. The sentence is correct ,though. I cannot comment on the reason the author had in mind when writing the sentence.S/He might have wanted to emphasize the idea that only with this design are associated the following quantities..

Moreover,I did note that you had written about the emphasis...but, in my opinion, the author [ I risk repeating myself] talks about a particular design, and not a common or any other one but this design

Last edited by Teia; 10-Oct-2007 at 21:05.
  #5  
Old 10-Oct-2007, 21:38
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Smile Re: Word order

Quote:
Originally Posted by nyggus View Post
"With this design are associated the following quantities: ..."
To my way of thinking, the author used inversion to direct a reader's attention to the quantities of this design; the layout of the text makes it extremely convenient for a reader to make an immediate reference to what (kind of) quantities the design is associate with.

"With this design are associated the following quantities: quantity1, quantity2, etc..."
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Old 11-Oct-2007, 18:20
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Default Re: Word order

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Originally Posted by engee30 View Post
To my way of thinking, the author used inversion to direct a reader's attention to the quantities of this design; the layout of the text makes it extremely convenient for a reader to make an immediate reference to what (kind of) quantities the design is associate with.

"With this design are associated the following quantities: quantity1, quantity2, etc..."
I fully agree with you.
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