Grammar

[jiang]

Dear teachers,
I have two questions to ask.

No.1

Could you please explain what's the difference between 'to have sb. do sth.' and 'to have sb. doing sth.'?

No.2
The following is an error correction exercise:
That desire fuels your dreams and the special goal keeps you focusing.
The key is to change 'focusing' to 'focused'. Why 'focused'? If 'focusing' is followed by 'on sth.' then the original sentence is correct. Is that right?

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you in advance.

Have a nice weekend.

Jiang

 

[RonBee]

Dear teachers,
I have two questions to ask.

No.1

Could you please explain what's the difference between 'to have sb. do sth.' and 'to have sb. doing sth.'?

I would say it is a difference in perspective. To have somebody do something is to get them to do that thing. Example:

• Woman: Could somebody help me carry these things to my car.
  Man: I'll have somebody help you with that.

On the other hand, if I have somebody doing something he is doing it right now. Example:

• Woman: What is Jim doing?
  Man: I have him cleaning out the garage.

No.2
The following is an error correction exercise:
That desire fuels your dreams and the special goal keeps you focusing.
The key is to change 'focusing' to 'focused'. Why 'focused'? If 'focusing' is followed by 'on sth.' then the original sentence is correct. Is that right?

To be focused is to keep your goal in mind and not allow your attention to stray from your objective.

Having a goal keeps you focused, but it doesn't keep you focusing. If anything keeps you focusing it would be your attention span or your ability to concentrate.

I am afraid I haven't been much help with that one.

 

[jiang]

I understand No.1 perfectly. I am trying to explain No.2:
to have sth. focused or sb. focuses on sth.

Is that right?

Jiang

Dear teachers,
I have two questions to ask.

No.1

Could you please explain what's the difference between 'to have sb. do sth.' and 'to have sb. doing sth.'?

I would say it is a difference in perspective. To have somebody do something is to get them to do that thing. Example:

• Woman: Could somebody help me carry these things to my car.
  Man: I'll have somebody help you with that.

On the other hand, if I have somebody doing something he is doing it right now. Example:

• Woman: What is Jim doing?
  Man: I have him cleaning out the garage.

No.2
The following is an error correction exercise:
That desire fuels your dreams and the special goal keeps you focusing.
The key is to change 'focusing' to 'focused'. Why 'focused'? If 'focusing' is followed by 'on sth.' then the original sentence is correct. Is that right?

To be focused is to keep your goal in mind and not allow your attention to stray from your objective.

Having a goal keeps you focused, but it doesn't keep you focusing. If anything keeps you focusing it would be your attention span or your ability to concentrate.

I am afraid I haven't been much help with that one.

 

[Casiopea]

No.2
The following is an error correction exercise. The key is to change 'focusing' to 'focused'. Why 'focused'? If 'focusing' is followed by 'on sth.' then the original sentence is correct. Is that right?

That desire fuels your dreams and the special goal keeps you focusing.

Both 'focused' and 'focusing' are participles:

a) keeps you focused. (adjective in form)
b) keeps you focusing (adjective in form; transitive verbal: gerund focusing on something)

Question: How does the goal keep you?
Answer: Focused. (Adverb in function)
Answer: Focusing on something. (Adverb in function)

Keeps you happy. (adjective in form)
Keeps you doing something. (transitive verbal: gerund)

All the best,

 

[jiang]

Thank you very much for your explanation. Now I understand it perfectly.

Have a nice weekend.

Jiang

No.2
The following is an error correction exercise. The key is to change 'focusing' to 'focused'. Why 'focused'? If 'focusing' is followed by 'on sth.' then the original sentence is correct. Is that right?

That desire fuels your dreams and the special goal keeps you focusing.

Both 'focused' and 'focusing' are participles:

a) keeps you focused. (adjective in form)
b) keeps you focusing (adjective in form; transitive verbal: gerund focusing on something)

Question: How does the goal keep you?
Answer: Focused. (Adverb in function)
Answer: Focusing on something. (Adverb in function)

Keeps you happy. (adjective in form)
Keeps you doing something. (transitive verbal: gerund)

All the best,

 

[newbie]

Hi everybody,
I'm a new member here. Hope to get help from you. Many thanks in advance

And about the matter being discussed here, I also want to state my question:

I've heard from a friend that the structure "have someone/something doing something" also means "allow someone/something to do something"
Is it right or wrong?

Thank you very much
Newbie

 

[newbie]

Hi Caseopia,
Thank you very much for your help about the matter of "focused" and "focusing". However could you please be more specific by posting some more examples? I'm still a bit confused... (sorry, my English is not very good :roll

Many thanks in advance
Newbie

 

[RonBee]

Hi everybody,
I'm a new member here. Hope to get help from you. Many thanks in advance

And about the matter being discussed here, I also want to state my question:

I've heard from a friend that the structure "have someone/something doing something" also means "allow someone/something to do something"
Is it right or wrong?

It's wrong.

If you have any more questions, please start a new thread. And please don't use either help or grammar in the title.

~R

 

[newbie]

Hi RonBee,
Thank you very much for helping me.
However, the question of "have someone doing something" was originally asked by Jiang, so I think it's better for me to continue asking about it here rather than opening a new thread. Besides, I know I shouldn't open a thread with such a general title, but I didn't open this thread
Sorry if I've broken any rules here. (I'm a new member, but I'll try to follow the rule )

Many thanks
Newbie

 

[newbie]

Hi Casiopea,
May I have your ideas about my last query?
Many thanks in advance
Newbie

 

[newbie]

Sorry but may I have anybody's clarification, please?

Many thanks
Newbie

 

[RonBee]

If you have somebody do something you get them to do it. If you allow somebody to do something you let them do it.