Hyperbaton

[o_cat]

This sentence: But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.
->Can it be: But however our descendants may be amazed at how far we were from Utopia, they will look just like us.
:?: Why? When shall we use hyperbaton? :?:

:wink:

 

[Casiopea]

This sentence: But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.
->Can it be: But however our descendants may be amazed at how far we were from Utopia, they will look just like us.
:?: Why? When shall we use hyperbaton? :?:

:wink:

Departure from normal word order for the sake of emphasis:
http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/Figures/A/anastrophe.htm

Since you're changing the position of a single word, amazed, use the term Anastrophe. If more than one word is moved, use the term Hyperbaton.

"But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us."

"But however our descendants may be amazed at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us." Anastrophe

 

[o_cat]

Thank you!
In your meaning "But however our descendants may be amazed at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us." is a right sentence?

 

[RonBee]

Yes, it's okay. Moving the word amaze does, however, seem to change the meaning of the sentence.

 

[o_cat]

Thank you!
But what's the difference between those two sentences?

 

[RonBee]

Thank you!
But what's the difference between those two sentences?

The first sentence:

• But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were, they will look just like us.

In that sentence, however amazed is about the degree of amazement people might feel.

The second sentence:

• But however our descendants may be amazed at how far we were from Utopia, they will look just like us.

In that sentence, however our descendants may be amazed seems to be about how those people got to be amazed, which might strike some as rather odd.

What do you think?

 

[o_cat]

Thank you, Ron!
I'll know it off by heart.