[Grammar] One sentence has two clause but no any conjunction.

[Andy Lin]

Context: In many organizations, this abundance of modules, not matched by abundance of available functionality (many of the apparent variants being in fact quasi-clones), creates a huge configuration management problem, which people attempt to address through the use of complex tools. Useful as these tools may be, they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention. Better avoid redundancy than manage it.


Q1: Why "It's" is missing in front of Useful?
Q2: Why there is no conjunction in this sentence?

 

[tedmc]

Useful as these tools may be, they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention

The sentence is the same as:
These tools may be useful, but they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention.

I think it is not a good sentence as the second part in such a construction is supposed to be contradictory rather than in agreement with the first - being useful and offer a cure.

It would make sense to me if is written:

Useful as these tools may be, they do not offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention

 

[kadioguy]

Hi, tedmc.

I think you mean to say:

It would make sense to me if [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] written:

Useful as these tools may be, they do not offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention

 

[tedmc]

I missed the "it" there. Thanks.

 

[kadioguy]

I missed the "it" there. Thanks.

Then I think "It would make sense to me if it were written ..." is more reasonable. What do you think?

 

[tedmc]

Then I think "It would make sense to me if it were written ..." is more reasonable. What do you think?

Both can be used.

 

[bubbha]

By the way, you can't write or say "no any" in English. It's either "no" or it's "not any".

"no" is more common:

"there is no conjunction".

 

[Rover_KE]

Q1: Why is "It's" [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] missing in front of "Useful"?

Q2: Why is there [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] no conjunction in this sentence?

Andy, please note the correct way to ask your questions.

Always tell us the source and author of any text you quote, please.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't have a problem with the way it's written. The writer is saying that the tools are useful but they offer a cure instead of prevention. The writer thinks the tools would be more useful if they provided a way of preventing the problem in the first place.

 

[Andy Lin]

Andy, please note the correct way to ask your questions.

Always tell us the source and author of any text you quote, please.

I got it.

 

[Andy Lin]

Hi.
May I ask that why conjunction can be omitted in this case?

 

[PaulMatthews]

Useful as these tools may be, they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention.


The underlined element is a concessive adjunct in the form of a preposition phrase. It can be paraphrased as "as / although these tools may be useful".

Since the adjunct is a phrase, not a clause, a conjunction is not required. There is only one independent clause, i.e. “they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention”.

 

[tzfujimino]

Useful as these tools may be, [...]

Do you mean the 'as' above is a preposition?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Context: In many organizations, this abundance of modules, not matched by abundance of available functionality (many of the apparent variants being in fact quasi-clones), creates a huge configuration management problem, which people attempt to address through the use of complex tools. Useful as these tools may be, they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention. Better avoid redundancy than manage it.


Q1: Why "It's" is missing in front of Useful?

Nothing is missin. In a dependent clause (like the four words I just wrote), you don't need a subject (It) or verb (is).

Q2: Why there is no conjunction in this sentence?

Because it's not a compound sentence. It's a sentence that begins with a dependent clause - that is, a clause that can't stand alone because it's not a sentence.

If I were you, I'd be wondering about the last sentence, in which It's and to are understood but not written: "[It's b]etter [to] avoid redundancy than [to] manage it."

 

[GoesStation]

Q1: Why is "It's" [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] missing in front of Useful?
Q2: Why is there [STRIKE]is[/STRIKE] no conjunction in this sentence?

Please note the correct way to form a question.

 

[TheParser]

May I ask that why conjunction can be omitted in this case?

NOT A TEACHER


Hello, Mr. Lin:

I have found some information that may interest you.

My favorite grammarian, Dr. George Oliver Curme, gives the following information about this kind of concessive clause.

1. "Bad as he is, he has some good points."

a. He says that some people now prefer the subjunctive: "Bad as he may be, he has some good points."

2. He explains that in older English, the sentence would have been: "As bad as he is, he has some good points."

3. He says that the first "as" has disappeared.

4. He says that the "as" after the "heavily stressed word ["bad"] is now felt as a concessive conjunction."



Source: Curme, A Grammar of the English Language (1931), Vol. II, page 334. (Maybe you can find his book in a good library.)

 

[PaulMatthews]

Do you mean the 'as' above is a preposition?

Yes, modern grammar treats this "as" as a preposition (not a conjunction). The meaning is "though these tools may be useful", a PP serving as a concessive adjunct.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, modern grammar treats this "as" as a preposition (not a conjunction). The meaning is "though these tools may be useful", a PP serving as a concessive adjunct.

In what sense could this as and though be described as a preposition and not a conjunction? That's not how I and most other language teachers would describe these words. Surely, it's the other way round.

Please explain briefly the analysis leading to this view and what definition of 'preposition' you are using.

 

[Andy Lin]

Useful as these tools may be, they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention.


The underlined element is a concessive adjunct in the form of a preposition phrase. It can be paraphrased as "as / although these tools may be useful".

According to Wiki Adjunct(grammar), an adjunct is an optional part of a sentence, clause, or phrase that, if removed or discarded, will not otherwise affect the remainder of the sentence.

In the case that "Useful as these tools may be" be concessive adjunct and discarded, the sentence would be "they offer a cure in an area where the first concern should be prevention".

This is obviously not a complete sentence since antecedent is omitted, thus I don't think it's a concessive adjunct.

I favor TheParser's answer.

 

[Andy Lin]

If I were you, I'd be wondering about the last sentence, in which It's and to are understood but not written: "[It's b]etter [to] avoid redundancy than [to] manage it."

Yes, I have this question, too. But this time I chose another.