questions

[Taka]

The sentence:

Americans believe that people, as individuals or working cooperatively together, can change most aspects of the physical and social environment if they decide to do so, make appropriate plans, and get to work.

Question#1: (about as individuals or working cooperatively together)

Which interpretation is correct?:

(a) as (individuals or working cooperatively together)
(b) (as individuals) or (working cooperatively together)

IMO, it's (b), but I'm not sure...


Question#2: (about make appropriate plans, and get to work.)

Which interpretation is correct?:

(a) if they decide...make...and get to work.
(b) people can change...(and people) make...and get to work.

I think it's (a), but my book says it's (b)...

[blacknomi]

Originally Posted by Taka

The sentence:

Americans believe that people, as individuals or working cooperatively together, can change most aspects of the phisical and social environment if they decide to do so, make appropriate plans, and get to work.

Question#1: (about as individuals or working cooperatively together)

Which interpretation is correct?:

(a) as (individuals or working cooperatively together)
(b) (as individuals) or (working cooperatively together)

IMO, it's (b), but I'm not sure...

Add one vote.
as individuals ==> noun predicate
working cooperatively together ==> present participle phrase functioned as an adjective predicate. People who are working cooperatively together.

Originally Posted by Taka

Question#2: (about make appropriate plans, and get to work.)
Which interpretation is correct?:
(a) if they decide...make...and get to work.
(b) people can change...(and people) make...and get to work.
I think it's (a), but my book says it's (b)...

This is my interpretation.
Americans believe that people make appropriate plans, and get to work. If they decide to do so, they can change most aspects of the physical and social environment.


I'll track this thread. :)

[Tdol]

For question one, I'd go for b), but to be honest I can't really see much difference- it seems to be splitting hairs.

For the secondquestion, I'm with the book.

[Taka]

Originally Posted by tdol

For the secondquestion, I'm with the book.

Really? I thought it was about some sort of process, like you decide to change your environment (=do so), => make appropriate plans, =>and get to work. After that proper process you can change your environment.

Plus, is it possible when you have "S+ can+do1+do2+do3", the auxiliary verb works only for "do1"?

[Taka]

tdol?

[Casiopea]

Americans believe that people, as individuals or working cooperatively together, can change most aspects of the physical and social environment if they decide to do so, make appropriate plans, and get to work.

Question#1: (about as individuals or working cooperatively together)

Which interpretation is correct?:

(a) as (individuals or working cooperatively together)
(b) (as individuals) or (working cooperatively together)

(b) that people, as individuals / that people working together :D
(c) that people, as individuals / that people as working together :(

Question#2: (about make appropriate plans, and get to work.)

Which interpretation is correct?:

(a) if they decide...make...and get to work.
(b) people can change...(and people) make...and get to work.

Sorry. I don't understand your interpretations. :( Here's how I read it:

...that people can change X if they first decide to change, second, if they decide to make appropriate plans, and, third, if they decide to get to work.

if they decide to is redundant so it's left out.

[Taka]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Here's how I read it:

...that people can change X if they first decide to change, second, if they decide to make appropriate plans, and, third, if they decide to get to work.

if they decide to is redundant so it's left out.

The original text has this before the sentence I posted first:

Americans believe that mature, sensible person sets goals for the future and works systematically toward them.

According to the context, for Americans making appropriate plans and getting to work is not a matter of decision. So, I don't think your interpretation--if they decide to make appropriate plans, and if they decide to get to work.---is correct. But it's pretty close to mine. My interpretation is:

...that people can change X if they first decide to change, second, if they make appropriate plans, and, third, if they get to work.

Anyway, our interpretation seems to be quite different from that of tdol, which is:

...that people can change..., (people) make appropriate plans, and get to work.

I wait for tdol's comments.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by Taka

...that people can change X if they first decide to change, second, if they make appropriate plans, and, third, if they get to work.

That sounds even better. :D :D

Have you tried the Applied Linguistics forum on Dave's ESL Cafe? Check it out. :D

[Taka]

Before that, tdol's comments. :wink:

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by Taka

Really? I thought it was about some sort of process, like you decide to change your environment (=do so), => make appropriate plans, =>and get to work. After that proper process you can change your environment.

Plus, is it possible when you have "S+ can+do1+do2+do3", the auxiliary verb works only for "do1"?

To get an alternative reading and group them three with 'decide', I'd shove a comma in before 'if'- that way they'd link together naturally.