ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:12:27 GMT

Hi,
Think of it as an unusual placement of the adjectives. They are not related to the verb at all.
You could write it thus.
He could not, for he was lying, recumbent and unconscious, on the carefully tended garden.
He could not, for he was lying - recumbent and unconscious - on the carefully tended garden.
He could not, for he was lying (recumbent and unconscious) on the carefully tended garden.

Clive

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Belly — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:04:50 GMT

But lie is no link verb, so how can we add adj here?

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:46:23 GMT

Hi,
He could not, for he was lying recumbent and unconscious on the carefully tended garden.

So that means we have to modify the original sentence into "recumbently and unconciously"?
No, these are adjectives.
For example, you could rearrange the sentence as follows, to make it clearer that they relate to 'he'..

He could not, for, recumbent and unconscious, he was lying on the carefully tended garden.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Belly — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:17:40 GMT

So that means we have to modify the original sentence into "recumbently and unconciously"?

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Clive — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:01:53 GMT

Hi,

He was lying on the table. Intransitive verb (no object) He was recumbent on the table.

He was laying plates on the table. Transitive verb, with object He was putting plates on the table.

Bob was laid on the table (by Tom). Passive voice. Tom put Bob on the table.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Belly — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:42:17 GMT

This is the whole context for John:

He could not, for he was lying recumbent and unconscious on the carefully tended garden.

I think if it was lay here, it must be laying
So, if you replace it with laid, you are describing the state John is in, right?

What about the context above?

Re: 1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Clive — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:21:18 GMT

Hi,

1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent? Not much, except what a dictionary will show.

I'd say 'reverent' would be more often used for a person, and 'reverential' for a thing, eg, a book.

2)John~~lied~~ lay recumbent and unconcious or recumbently and unconciously? These are adjectives that describe John.

3) As after all I was not a bad little boy but I was shy and covered it up by bravado

Why do we have As here? Dunno, seems wrong. What's the context?

Best wishes, Clive

1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

Belly — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:39:54 GMT

1) What is the difference between reverential and reverent?

2)John lied recumbent and unconcious or recumbently and unconciously?

As after all I was not a bad little boy but I was shy and covered it up by bravado

Why do we have As here?