LECTURE VI DEALING WITH SENTENCE (PART 2)

1 STRUCTURES WITH OMISSION

2 THE USES OF PUNCTUATION         

3. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN SIMILAR SENTENCES           

4. INDIRECTION: NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS        

 

1 STRUCTURES WITH OMISSION

A good writer will make his sentences more concise (i.e. shorter and clearer) by using various structures of omission. These include:

1. Coordination

a. Not only classical, but popular art is being seriously studied these days. [Classical art is being seriously studied these days; popular art is, (too).]

b. Either West Germany or Holland will win the World Cup. [West Germany will win the World Cup or (else) Holland will do so.]

c. John washes and irons his own shirts. [John washes his own shirts; he irons them (too).]

d. Peter cut himself a slice of bread and cheese. [Peter cut himself a slice of bread; he (also) cut himself some cheese.]

e. He ate the fruit, though not the nuts. [He ate the fruit; though he did not eat the nuts.]

2. Non-finite clauses

(to-infinitive clause: -ing clause; -ed clause)

a. to-infinitive clause

I hope to be present

[I hope that I shall be present].

b. -ing clause

Living in the country, we had few social visits.

[Since we lived in the country, we had few social visits.]

c. -ed clause

The man injured by the bullet was taken to the hospital. [The man who was injured by the bullet was taken to the hospital.]

3. Non-finite clauses introduced by a subordinator

a. -ing clause

He wrote his novel while working as a research assistant.

[.... while he was working ...]

 

b. -ed clause

Though defeated, he remained a popular leader.

[Though he had been defeated, ....]

4. Verbless clauses (having no verb, and usually no subject)

a. Whether right or wrong, he usually wins the argument.

   [Whether he is right or wrong, ....]

b. A man of few words, George says what he has to say in a few minutes.

[Being a man of few words, ....]

3.1 Make the following sentences more concise by using one of the above structures of omission. The words which can be omitted have been underlined).

1. Tonight we are flying to Athens and next week we are flying to London.

2. He was determined that he would be the one that they chose.

3. Because she wanted to look well, she decided to diet.

4. He was sickened by the thought of so much waste and he decided that he would do something about it.

5. I came into the room and I found him waiting for me.

2. THE USES OF PUNCTUATION

Check the sentence that answers the question:

1. How do we know that Peter has unusual powers of per­suasion?

a. Peter left him, convinced he was a fool.

b. Peter left him convinced he was a fool.

 

2. In which case will there be three people in the car?

a. Julia, Barbara and I will drive to Oxford tomorrow.

b. Julia Barbara and I will drive to Oxford tomorrow.

 

3. Which speaker has a brother named John?

a. Give this letter to my brother John and wait for an an­swer.

b. Give this letter to my brother, John, and wait for an answer.

4. Which sentence describes a monster?  

 a. Jim saw the man-eating fish.

 b. Jim saw the man eating fish.

5. Which is more flattering to Mrs. Sandford?

 a. Mrs. Sandford is a pretty generous woman.

 b. Mrs. Sandford is a pretty, generous woman.

6. Which tells us that it pays to keep cool?

a. He remained calm, cool and collected.

b. He remained calm and cool — and collected.

7. Which tells us that the plan worked out in some unex­pected way?

a. The plan didn't work out, as we had anticipated.

b. The plan didn't work out as we had anticipated.

8. Which suggests that I have more than one sister?

a. I rang up my sister who lives in Boston.

 b. I rang up my sister, who lives in Boston.

9. Which would explain my terrible singing style?

 a. I sang the song as he told me to.

b. I sang the song, as he told me to.

10. Which suggests that we had some other reason for doing what we did?

a. We didn't do it because we wanted to see if he would cry

 b. We didn't do it, because we wanted to see if he would cry.

 

3. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN SIMILAR SENTENCES

Exercise: Paraphrase each of the following sentences (i.e., state the sense of each sentence using different words).

1. He was used to getting up early.   

He used to get up early.

2. After an exhausting search they found the missing children.

 After an exhaustive search they found the missing children.

3. I have made few friends, but I enjoy living here.

I have made a few friends, so I enjoy living here.

4. I have heard nothing of him for a very long time.

 I have heard nothing from him for a very long time.

5. I regret to say that you'll be held responsible. 

I regret saying that you'll be held responsible.

6. Did you read his last great novel?

 Did you read his great last novel?

7. She didn't marry just because he was rich.

 She didn't marry just because he was rich.

<a> just — precisely, or exactly

<b> just — only, or merely

8. She saved him a seat.  

She saved him a phone call.

<a> saved — to reserve, set apart.

<b> saved — to prevent the necessity of something.

9. Did you remember to look for the book?

 Do you remember looking for the book?

 

10. John stopped to explain about his illness.

John stopped explaining about his illness.

11. The driver forgot to put gas in the car. 

The driver forgot putting gas in the car.

12. I regret to say that you'll be held responsible.

I regret saying that you'll be held responsible.

13. Did you know that John has agreed?

Do you know whether John has agreed?

14. Has he told you that they passed the exam? 

 Has he told you whether they passed the exam?

15. I don't doubt that he will cooperate.

 I doubt whether he will cooperate.

16.The rebels' defeat of the army was an exciting event. 

The rebels' defeat by the army was an exciting event.

17. The young man's discovery was never even mentioned.

 The discovery of the young man was never even mentioned.

18.The Americans who are patriotic tend to be conservative. 

 The Americans, who are patriotic, tend to be conservative.

 

4. INDIRECTION: NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS

8.1. Answer the questions below each sentence:

1. Not infrequently we go to Prague in the autumn. 

  Do we often go there in the autumn?

2. It is not unlikely that we will go there again this

October. Is there a good chance that we'll be going there in October?

 

3. It is not unthinkable that there should be a 3rd World War.

Is this a completely ridiculous idea?

4. He thinks nothing of checking his answers again and again.   

Does he mind checking his answers?

5. Nor is it only his own answers that he checks.   

 What else does he do?

6. It is not impossible that the experiment will fail.

The speaker is ______ ing the person he is addressing that the experiments _______ fail.

 (modal verb)

7. Geology is by no means without practical importance. The speaker is aware that some people, including the person he is addressing, may have the idea that geology ______________________________________ .

8. Her behavior makes her all but indistinguishable from a native Italian. How does she behave?

9. It is not unknown for him to be less than punctual.

Is he ever late?

8.2 Read the following sentences and answer the questions.

1. There could never be any circumstance which could justifi anybody's saying anything of the kind. Nevertheless he could hardly* keep himself from saying it.

* hardly = [1] almost not; [2] only with difficulty

 

a. Can you guess what kind of remark it probably was?

b. Did he actually make the remark?

c. Was he justified in what he did?

2. Even if she had never done anything like it before in her life, I would not have been surprised had she done it now, so much had she matured in the course of that year.

 

    a. Is «it» a good or a bad thing (and how do you know)?

b. Had she ever done anything like it before?

c. Why did the speaker expect her to do it now?

d. Did she do it now?

e. The speaker implies that, if she had done something like it before, then ____________________ .

 

f. What time does «now» refer to?

3. Nothing could have looked simpler, or been harder to accomplish.

a. Substitute an equivalent word for «looked».

b. The writer is contrasting the way it ____ (one word) with ___________.

c. Indirectly, we learn the fact that something hard to do has been ___________ (one word).

d. Why does the speaker set up the contrast? (Why doesn't he just state the fact?)

4. It isn't because I disagree with your views that I can't accept what you say, but because I don't see that you've man­aged to substantiate them properly.

a. The speaker is justifying his own decision. What decision has he made?

b. Does he disagree with the views of the person he is addressing?        

ñ. Has that person tried to substantiate his views?

d. Has he succeeded?

5. Hardly had she begun doing something about it when they warned her not to. Did she mind? Never had it been easier to do nothing!

a. Did she begin?

b. «Not to» — what?

c. Did she mind — what?

d. What did she find it easy to do?

8.3 Consider the following:

1. What risk is the writer taking when he uses indirection, instead of just saying what he means as directly and clearly as possible?

2. Under what circumstances might a writer (or speaker) want to make it harder for his reader (or listener) to quickly grasp exactly what he is saying?