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Examining sentences

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Anonymous  #368854  Tue, 22 May 07 02:31 PM

Please tell me if my reasoning regarding the following sentences is correct and/or add your explanation. 

1. When parents have poor listening habits, their children usually do. -- As a common sense, it would seem better with 'do' than with 'have' but cannot explain why. Why 'do' is better?

2. I am not so particular about my being corrected by others who know better.  -- Is 'being corrected' a noun phrase? Can you tell me how to clearly identify what a noun phrase is so I can clearly distinguish a situation that requires a possessive pronoun?

3. By breaking the routine of the usual and adding some variety. -- Could this construction be readily acceptable to you? Pay special attention to the underlined part please.   

       

  
Cool Breeze  #368928  Tue, 22 May 07 05:55 PM
1. Do / does / did is generally used instead of repeating a verb:
He likes coffee and so do I.
John saw her there and I did as well.
(NOT: ... and so saw I)

2. I am not familiar with the term 'noun phrase'. Being corrected is a passive gerund and there is vacillation in its subject. If the subject is a personal pronoun, most grammarians consider a possessive form better than the object form:

I insist on him/his going there.

Going has some of the characteristics of a noun and consequently the possessive (his) seems logical. However, the preposition (on) can also be seen to exert an influence on the word following it, which in turn yields him.

When the subject is a noun, many usage experts think the basic form is the better choice, but I think for 20 to 30 years there has been a growing tendency to use the possessive form  -  in other words, the genitive  -  here as well:

I insist on Mr Bell/Mr Bell's going there.

Those who insist on the possessive form being the only correct choice will end up writing this sentence differently.
(Those who insist on the possessive form's being the only correct choice will end up writing this sentence differently.)Smile [:)]

3. Adjectives can be made nouns by placing the before them:

The sublime has always appealed to him.
The poor have little money.


Cheers
CB
  
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Maple  #368950  Tue, 22 May 07 06:29 PM

Wooo, What subtly detected questions and reasonable answers!

Cool Breeze, U'r kinda grammar expert! Yes [Y]  I'm worshippingParty!!! [<:o)]

    (And I guess my teacher taught translation would love sentences No.2 and No.3, because they're difficult to translate into Chinese for the nominalization of the abstractiveBig Smile [:D]   

  
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CalifJim  #368996  Tue, 22 May 07 08:23 PM
When parents have poor listening habits, their children usually do, too.
I am not so particular about being corrected by others who know better.
...by breaking the usual routine and adding some variety ... 

too is needed to complete the thought.
I is the subject, so just being corrected is enough.  my is understood.
routine of the usual is not idiomatic.

CJ
  
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Cool Breeze  #368997  Tue, 22 May 07 08:24 PM
 Maple wrote:

Cool Breeze, U'r kinda grammar expert! Yes [Y]  I'm worshippingParty!!! [<:o)]


Thanks, Maple! (And I'm blushing...) Embarrassed [:$]I try my best and quite often it's good enough. Please bear in mind, though, that there are often many opinions on correct usage of English. The language is spoken in many countries and understandably there are differences. Common auxiliaries like will may have completely different meanings in places so close to each other as England and Scotland, let alone New Zealand.

CB
  
Maple  #369007  Tue, 22 May 07 08:42 PM

Hi, CB, your efforts of explaining the language with the supplements of other teachers are really illuminative to teach us not only correct but also idiomatic English.

Best regards to you two respectable teachers!!

  
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