ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Please check these for me. thanks.

Hoa Thai — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:26:57 GMT

Awence
Im wondering If both or just one of these sentences is correct.
Write a story beginning with "I hate you." OK - participle clause.

Write a story begins with "I hate you." Not OK - story cannot be an object and a subject at the same time. Revise the sentence as follows: Write a story that begins / story, which begins ...

May i have the justification too. thanks.

Re: Please check these for me. thanks.

Avangi — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 07:18:27 GMT

Only the first choice is grammatical. This is a complex sentence (I hope). Write a story is a clause which may stand alone. You are then adding a phrase (or clause) to modify "story."

"Beginning with "I hate you." is a perfectly legal participial phrase (I hope).

"Begins with "I hate you." is a perfectly illegal relative clause. (it needs a relative pronoun, like "which.") That is, the clause lacks a subject.

Please check these for me. thanks.

Awence — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:34:05 GMT

Im wondering If both or just one of these sentences is correct.

Write a story beginning with "I hate you".

Write a story begins with "I hate you".

May i have the justification too. thanks.