[Grammar] Concerning a verb phrase

[JIM1984]

'It had been kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation thought best to set about the mugger.'
Is there anything wrong with that sentence, or specifically with the incorporate verb phrase? What is the main verb there, if that is not a stupid question? In my defence, there does seem to be rather a lot of 'em (verbs)!

 

[5jj]

'It had been kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation thought best to set about the mugger.'
Is there anything wrong with that sentence, or specifically with the incorporate verb phrase? What is the main verb there, if that is not a stupid question? In my defence, there does seem to be rather a lot of 'em (verbs)!

It's a very clumsily constructed sentence. The main verb is 'had been'. I'm not sure what you mean by 'incorporate verb phrase'.

 

[JIM1984]

It's a very clumsily constructed sentence. The main verb is 'had been'. I'm not sure what you mean by 'incorporate verb phrase'.

9

Thanks for the reply, and your pointing out of its clumsiness. Regards 'incororate verb phrase', I'm not sure what I mean by it either!

 

[JIM1984]

Actually, on second thoughts I'm not sure if it is that clumsy. That is, of course, a matter of opinion.

 

[bhaisahab]

Actually, on second thoughts I'm not sure if it is that clumsy. That is, of course, a matter of opinion.

'It had been kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation thought best to set about the mugger.'
I'd say that it's worse than clumsy, it's just about meaningless as far as I'm concerned. What exactly are you trying to say?

 

[Bide]

There are some bits missing in your original almost-sentence.
'It had been --kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation-- (which were) thought (to be the) best (way) to set about the mugger.' (Too bad he had an Uzi!)
--incorporate verb phrase--
--Kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation-- were thought [the best way to confront the mugger]. (by the victim).
[short phrase]

Probably won't win you the Nobel Prize for Literature!

 

[JIM1984]

'It had been kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation thought best to set about the mugger.'
I'd say that it's worse than clumsy, it's just about meaningless as far as I'm concerned. What exactly are you trying to say?

9

Actually, now, I think your are correct. How about 'Kung fu kicks, tried out with shouts of indignation, had been used against the mugger.'
Or less simply ' It had been kung fu kicks, tried out with shouts of indignation, used against the mugger.'
The last of both sentences I have along the lines of 'It (kung fu kicks, etc) had been used against the mugger.' In other words, am I right to think that if 'It had been used against the mugger.' is a complete sentence then the second of mine also falls into that category?
Don't give up, it's too late to stop now!

 

[JIM1984]

There are some bits missing in your original almost-sentence.
'It had been --kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation-- (which were) thought (to be the) best (way) to set about the mugger.' (Too bad he had an Uzi!)
--incorporate verb phrase--
--Kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation-- were thought [the best way to confront the mugger]. (by the victim).
[short phrase]

Probably won't win you the Nobel Prize for Literature!

9

One question - are you a teacher?

 

[JIM1984]

Mustard tried out with vinegar reminds me of my mother-in-law! What does the past participle tried function as here, is it an adjective?

 

[Bide]

Mustard tried out with vinegar reminds me of my mother-in-law!

Since one can take away 'out': Mustard tried with vinegar reminds me of my mother-in-law! I would call tried a past tense verb form. Compare with German: ausprobieren.

Your mother-in-law sounds tasty: can I have her phone number?

 

[JIM1984]

Mustard tried out with vinegar reminds me of my mother-in-law!

Since one can take away 'out': Mustard tried with vinegar reminds me of my mother-in-law! I would call tried a past tense verb form. Compare with German: ausprobieren.

Your mother-in-law sounds tasty: can I have her phone number?

9

If you are not a teacher it's advised you state this clearly at the top of your posts/replies. So, yea or nay?

 

[JIM1984]

'It had been kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation thought best to set about the mugger.'
I'd say that it's worse than clumsy, it's just about meaningless as far as I'm concerned. What exactly are you trying to say?

1

Actually, no matter how hard I try I can't really agree. So, as you requested here's an attempted explanation. He who had set about the mugger with kung fu kicks while at the same time shouting indignantly considered that combination the best course of action.
Therefore, I'd hardly have the sentence so alarmingly convoluted as to be meaningless. It, in my opinion, just required a little attention. Feel free to disagree, otherwise concede - yourself and others!

 

[engee30]

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
Your sentence looks clumsy, indeed, but after I applied a couple of commas into it, it is just fine and meaningful. :up: Another version could be:
Kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation had been thought best to set about the mugger. (yours looks like a cleft sentence).

By the way, could you not quote your own words, JIM1984 - it makes it impossible for people interested in giving their opinions concerning your posts to refer back to your words.

 

[5jj]

A good point, engee. As others will see if they try, it's difficult to quote these words of mine in a reply, because I have stuck them inside the [] Quote brackets.

5

 

[JIM1984]

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
Your sentence looks clumsy, indeed, but after I applied a couple of commas into it, it is just fine and meaningful. :up: Another version could be:
Kung fu kicks tried out with shouts of indignation had been thought best to set about the mugger. (yours looks like a cleft sentence).

By the way, could you not quote your own words, JIM1984 - it makes it impossible for people interested in giving their opinions concerning your posts to refer back to your words.

Why did you not, for clarity's sake, simply type out the sentence showing the commas inserted? I assume, though I can't be sure, the commas separate the phrase tried out with shouts of indignation (,tried out with shouts of indignation,). Ta, all the same. And one small point regards your reply, maybe a couple of commas to it instead of into.

 

[Barb_D]

Speaking of "tried out," I don't understand its use in the original sentence.

I also don't understand what 9 or 1 means in your posts. Could you please clarify?

 

[JIM1984]

Speaking of "tried out," I don't understand its use in the original sentence.

I also don't understand what 9 or 1 means in your posts. Could you please clarify?

Hello Barb D, I heard you were dead!
I can't really see what's difficult about 'tried out' - something attempted, done or having been done but which hadn't worked out, etc.
To the sentence concerned, it is, dare I say, a work in progress so perhaps I should have held back. Then again I had failed to appreciate its awkwardness, but I've no shame either so that's that. Anybody who thinks the process (writing) unconscionably overwrought is recommended to get hold of a later edition of 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' and read the author's introduction as to the effort extracted.... Like I say, a work in progress and right now I'm going with 'It had been kung fu kicks, tried out with shouts of indignation, thought best to set about the mugger with.' That, of course, could change before a minute's out.
Concerning the numbers 1 and 9 etc, sometimes when I send a dispatch I receive a message saying there are not enough characters, and this regardless of how legion the figure. I was advised a way to overcome this was to insert a cardinal or so. Praise be - Hah!

Hey presto, it has worked this time without even a zero. Don't ask me, perhaps it has to do with when text is 'quoted'. As a fellow class-mate of mine once so memorably wrote after having got so far as to inscribe his name atop a geography exam paper 'Sorry Sor, I know no more'.

Sorry, with regard to 'tried out' in the original sentence - basically, it means Kicks used or which were employed.

 

[5jj]

Concerning the numbers 1 and 9 etc, sometimes when I send a dispatch I receive a message saying there are not enough characters, and this regardless of how legion the figure. I was advised a way to overcome this was to insert a cardinal or so. Praise be - Hah!

If your response is contained wholly within the quote, the site requires at least one character outside the quote before the post can be accepted (I don't know why). Some people write their username, some a shortened form of it, and some just their initial. I use '5' as my initial because of the first four letters of my username.

 

[5jj]

Why did you not, for clarity's sake, simply type out the sentence showing the commas inserted?

Because it's simpler if we can quote the original inside a quote box. It also makes it clear to everybody that it is your words that are being corrected/amended/commented on.

There is also the point that any words appearing inside a quote box are assumed to be quoted. If you put your own new post inside a quote box, the natural assumption is that you are quoting one of your earlier posts. This can be a little confusing.

 

[JIM1984]

(1) Beans which are served with cider makes for a perfect breakfast.

(2) Beans served with cider and nothing else on the menu!

(3) Beans served with cider?

Which, if any, of the three fail as a good (grammatically correct) sentence, and for what reason(s)?