2 questions (difficult)

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wholegrain

#552263 Thu, 07 Aug 08 08:43 PM

He is very rich, (what is/are the word(s) elided here if any?) having many investments abroad.

Is there an ellipsis here?

He is very rich, having many foreign investment markets, having more than 50 enterprises abroad.

Is the above construction correct?

wholegrain

Joined on Thu, Jun 19 2008

Full Member (391)

Constructions

wholegrain

#552271 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:01 PM

I am asking these questions because it is as if having (something) is a construction that only serves as an explanation to something.

wholegrain

Constructions

wholegrain

#552276 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:13 PM

HAVING = TO "BECAUSE IT HAS"?

wholegrain

Diamondrg

#552280 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:27 PM

He is very rich, having many investments abroad.

He is very rich because / since he has many investments abroad.

Diamondrg

Joined on Fri, Dec 2 2005

Turkey

Contributing Member (1,043)

Mr Wordy

#552289 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:41 PM

He is very rich, having many investments abroad.

No ellipsis. "many investments abroad" substantiates and elaborates the statement that he is very rich. The cause-and-effect principle is somewhat blurry. It tends to suggest that he is rich because of the investments, but he might have the investments because he is rich, or the two might simply go hand-in-hand.

He is very rich, having many foreign investments ~~markets~~, and (having) more than 50 enterprises abroad.

The repetition of "having" is cumbersome and not necessary.

Mr Wordy

Joined on Tue, May 27 2008

Regular Member (960)

Native British English speaker

wholegrain

#552291 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:43 PM

But can you say: He is very rich, having many investments abroad, having many contacts abroad.

unlike what you can do with (because/since he has)?

wholegrain

#552293 Thu, 07 Aug 08 09:47 PM

Mr Wordy
He is very rich, having many investments abroad.

No ellipsis. "many investments abroad" substantiates and elaborates the statement that he is very rich. The cause-and-effect principle is somewhat blurry. It tends to suggest that he is rich because of the investments, but he might have the investments because he is rich, or the two might simply go hand-in-hand.

He is very rich, having many foreign investments ~~markets~~, and (having) more than 50 enterprises abroad.

The repetition of "having" is cumbersome and not necessary.

No, I meant: He is very rich, having many foreign investments ~~markets~~, and (having) more than 50 enterprises abroad.

as in: He is very rich, having many foreign investment markets, and having many foreign investment market because having more than 50 enterprises abroad.

I was wondering if you could do that...

wholegrain

Mr Wordy

#552306 Thu, 07 Aug 08 10:58 PM

wholegrain
But can you say: He is very rich, having many investments abroad, having many contacts abroad.

You can say it, but normally you wouldn't. You would only say this if you were deliberately seeking a distinctive stylistic effect. The sense of linked cause-and-effect does not successfully carry through the sentence in the way that I think you are imagining.

wholegrain
unlike what you can do with (because/since he has)?

"He is very rich since/because he has many investments abroad since/because he has many contacts abroad."

This is the same deal: normally you wouldn't say it, but you might, rarely, for special effect.

Mr Wordy

#552307 Thu, 07 Aug 08 10:59 PM

wholegrain
He is very rich, having many foreign investment markets

You can have many foreign investments, and you can invest in many foreign markets, but you cannot "have many foreign investment markets".

Mr Wordy

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