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Jooney Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Absolute phrase? reduced relative clause?
Hi,
Consider Stanford’s experience: Last fall, 160,000 students in 190 countries enrolled in an Artificial Intelligence course taught by Mr. Thrun and Peter Norvig, a Google colleague. An additional 200 registered for the course on campus, but a few weeks into the semester, attendance at Stanford dwindled to about 30, as those who had the option of seeing their professors in person decided they preferred the online videos, with their simple views of a hand holding a pen, working through the problems.
with their simple views of a hand holding a pen,...
Interpretation 1
It is an absolute phrase that has a similar structure to the following underlined adjunct:
With everyone yelling about taxes, it's no wonder that the mayor is trying to cut th buget.
With absolutes have the form of "with+NP+predicate", where the NP functions as the subject of the predicate. And the predicate can take the form of a verb phrase, a noun phrase, an adjective phrase and a preposition phrase. In the above example, the predicate is a verb phrase in the form of the present participle.
One problem with this interpretation is that it doesn't seem sensible for someone to say, "Their simple views of a hand is holding a pen." Does it make sense?
Interpretation 2
Another way to analyze it is to see "holding a pen" as a reduced relative clause in the form of a gerund-participle. So the phrase goes as follows:
With their simple views of a hand that holds or is holding a pen,...
But this interpretation doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, either.
I don't know what I'm missing, but neither of the interpreations make sense to me.
...,working through the problems.
What does this participial clause modify?
I'd appreciate your help.
Consider Stanford’s experience: Last fall, 160,000 students in 190 countries enrolled in an Artificial Intelligence course taught by Mr. Thrun and Peter Norvig, a Google colleague. An additional 200 registered for the course on campus, but a few weeks into the semester, attendance at Stanford dwindled to about 30, as those who had the option of seeing their professors in person decided they preferred the online videos, with their simple views of a hand holding a pen, working through the problems.
with their simple views of a hand holding a pen,...
Interpretation 1
It is an absolute phrase that has a similar structure to the following underlined adjunct:
With everyone yelling about taxes, it's no wonder that the mayor is trying to cut th buget.
With absolutes have the form of "with+NP+predicate", where the NP functions as the subject of the predicate. And the predicate can take the form of a verb phrase, a noun phrase, an adjective phrase and a preposition phrase. In the above example, the predicate is a verb phrase in the form of the present participle.
One problem with this interpretation is that it doesn't seem sensible for someone to say, "Their simple views of a hand is holding a pen." Does it make sense?
Interpretation 2
Another way to analyze it is to see "holding a pen" as a reduced relative clause in the form of a gerund-participle. So the phrase goes as follows:
With their simple views of a hand that holds or is holding a pen,...
But this interpretation doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, either.
I don't know what I'm missing, but neither of the interpreations make sense to me.
...,working through the problems.
What does this participial clause modify?
I'd appreciate your help.
Top answer
jooney the online videos, with their simple views of a hand holding a pen , working through the problems. the online videos, which have simple views of a hand which [is holding a pen and is working through the problems]. " Does it make sense?
- jooney the online videos, with their simple views of a hand holding a pen , working through the problems.
- the online videos, which have simple views of a hand which [is holding a pen and is working through the problems].
- " Does it make sense?
- No!
- It doesn't make sense!
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4 Answers
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jooneythe online videos, with their simple views of a hand holding a pen, working through the problems.the online videos, which have simple views of a hand which [is holding a pen and is working through the problems].
jooneyOne problem with this interpretation is that it doesn't seem sen
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Thank you very much for your reply, CJ.
Actually, I hadn't thought of it being used in the sense of a "picture".
Now I se
Actually, I hadn't thought of it being used in the sense of a "picture".
Now I se00
jooneyhow their preference of the online videos is related to a picture of holding a pen or working through a problem. Could you please explain?My guess is that attending the class was more distracting. Maybe the presence of other students in the lecture hall, any noises they may have made, and the movements of the lecturer contributed to the distraction.
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