ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Typing away, part II

New2grammar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:04:25 GMT

Thank you, Ant and Optilang.

Re: Typing away, part II

optilang — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:01:13 GMT

away is used after many verbs, and just means that you were getting on/doing a particular action with the focus being 100% on the action.

There I was, merrily singing away ..

He was talking away but I couldn't understand one word.

I was pumping away but no water came through.

Re: Typing away, part II

Ant_222 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:56:51 GMT

No problem: It just means that you're fully concentrated on typing:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/TypeAway/zlvqq/post.htm

Re: Typing away, part II

New2grammar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:24:38 GMT

Sorry to interrupt, if you don't mind, may I know what's the meaning of "typing away "? Thanks in advance.

Re: Typing away, part II

Ant_222 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:14:53 GMT

OK, thank you very much.

Re: Typing away, part II

Marius Hancu — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:49:38 GMT

"I am typing away AT my new article"

Re: Typing away, part II

Marius Hancu — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:48:45 GMT

Give me a break, find proper ones in that list:

Jane Goodall: The Woman who Redefined Man - Page 507

by Dale Peterson - Biography & Autobiography - 2006 - 740 pages

Jane spent the next week in a tent at Ndutu camp, typing away at the dog book
from 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening until it was done. ...

----------

Breathing for a Living: A Memoir

by Laura Rothenberg - Biography & Autobiography - 2003 - 237 pages

Page 19

... typing away at my Royce application and I can't. I don't feel like it.
The Royce fellowship is a program at Brown that gives grants to students who are ...

Re: Typing away, part II

Ant_222 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:45:26 GMT

Hello, Marius.
Your examles for "typing away at" are mosly (but not all) ) neither transitive not intransitive because they don't have a complement. "Typing away at a computer" and "typing away at high speed" are different from "typing away at a new article". And doesn't "at" imply intransitivity? You said "OK in transitive" but provided examples with "at"...

I mean, is it incorrect to say: "I am typing away my new article". Do I have to add "at"?

Anton

Re: Typing away, part II

Marius Hancu — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:53:30 GMT

606 on "typing away at" [this is OK in transitive

http://books.google.com/books?q=%22typing+away+at%22&btnG=Search+Books

18 on "cooking away at" [this is more rare in transitive

The Lacquered Box: A Novel - Page 21

by Helen Shacklady, Eleanor Hill - Fiction - 2003 - 176 pages

Here's Kate safely back, Liz and me cooking away at a delicious supper, and you're
still in a snit. Tell me," she waved a wooden spoon at him, ...

Typing away, part II

Ant_222 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:47:27 GMT

Hello all

I am feeling I have to go back to this "to do smth. away" phrases and ask one more question. The verb "To type" is transitive, but I couldn't find a lot of transitive uses of "to type away". Is it non-transitive? Should use "at" to connect a complement: "I am typing away at my new article"? What about "cooking away"?