[Grammar] Jeff opens the curtains of the department

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Nikitus

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Hello

Are the following sentences grammatically correct?

"Jeff opens the curtains of the department, turn of the lights, and walks to the shelf, connecting the lights."

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Raymott

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"Jeff opens the curtains of the department, turn off the lights, and walks to the shelf, connecting the lights."

Thanks.
It's grammatical, but I have no idea how to visualize Jeff walking to the shelf connecting lights. Are these the lights he has just turned off? Why is he connecting lights?
 

emsr2d2

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Hello.

Are the following sentences grammatically correct?

"Jeff opens the curtains of the department, turns off (or did you mean "on"?) the lights (no comma required here) and walks to the shelf, connecting the lights."

Thanks.

See above. The underlined part does not make sense. What do you think "connecting the lights" means?
 

Charlie Bernstein

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This little rascal's got me.
 

Nikitus

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First of all, thanks for all your answers.

Jeff walks to the shelf, and connects the lights that are in the shelf.

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Raymott

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That's interesting. Is it common to leave unconnected lights on shelves in Chile? What's he connecting them to? Is Jeff an
electrician?

Also, "on the shelf".
 

emsr2d2

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Does he plug the lights in? Does he switch them on? "Connects the lights" really doesn't mean anything unless, as Raymott said, he's an electrician!
 

Nikitus

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Thanks for your answers.

They will have a special show at night in the department. They need to place special lights (red, blue, green lights). Therefore, they have to "connect" the lights (without making holes in the wall), then just light them when the show begins.

I do not know if "connect" is the word for this action.

Thanks for your help.
 

emsr2d2

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Does he put the actual lights (the bit with the bulb) on the shelf and then plug the electric cable in?
 

Nikitus

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Yes. He puts a lamp (or a light machine) on the shelf, and then he put the actual lights (the bit with the bulb) on the shelf and then plug the electric cable in.

In that case, can I use "connect" in the sentence?
 

emsr2d2

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Not really, no. He puts the lamps on the shelf and plugs them in.
 

tedmc

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How about: Jeff sets up the lights on the shelf for the show.

I think you mean a frame (not shelf), an open steel structure, presumably a moveable one, which lights(spotlights) are mounted on for stage lighting.
 

emsr2d2

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In post #8, the OP said they need to put lights up without making holes in the wall. That suggested to me that they didn't have the sort of steel frame (rigging) that some theatres have, and that a shelf was their only choice.
 
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