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What I understood is that 'As much' is used as an adverbial to
comapre the degree of the noun 'duty'. to compare the degree of being a duty, yes. There is no "degree of the noun duty". Do we need to use singlar noun
to denote the comparison of degree? No. These are as much duties as those.
For example.
To ensure sustainable economic growth is as much a responsibility
(of the goverment) as is to ensure a low inflation rate =
Responsibilities to ensure sustainable economic growth and to ensure a
low inflation rate are responsibilities to the same degree (please let me know whether
the above sentences are correct?). They are mostly correct. But the infinitive is not normally used after an ... as much ... as is structure. Better:
Ensuring sustainable economic growth is as much a responsibility of the government as (is) ensuring a low inflation rate.
It is as much a responsibility of the government to ensure sustainable economic growth as it is to ensure a low inflation rate.
In the second example.
In a democratic society, voting as much a resoponsibility as it is a right or
Life is as much a responsibility as it is a gift.
In these two, as well as in the previous one, I think you've failed to understand something.
If you say Life is as much a responsibility as is a gift, you're saying Life
is as much a responsibility as a gift is a responsibility. (Life
= responsibility and Gift = responsibility -- to the same
degree.)
If you say Life is as much a responsibility as it is a gift, you're saying Life is as much a responsibility as life is a gift. (Life = responsibility and Life = gift -- to the same degree.)
Be careful about what the subject is!!!
P is as much a Z as Q is. = P is a Z; Q is a Z. -- both to the same degree.
P is as much a Z as is Q. (inversion - typical in comparisons) = P is a
Z; Q is a Z. -- both to the same degree. (Same as previous
example in meaning.)
P is as much a Z as it is a Q. = P is a Z; P is a Q. -- both to the same degree. (it refers to P.)
In these structures what role the 'As much' clause is playing? (I don't think it's playing role of an advebial).
It's a comparative structure, but with an adverbial meaning. Any
time you are speaking of the degree to which a statement is certain or
like another statement, that is, asking how much?, you're using an adverb of degree.
There lies as much sublime beauty in
the E e nglish grammar as
there does in mathematics.
Or simpler:
There lies as much sublime beauty in English grammar as in mathematics.
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CJ