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Akbari694 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Adverb Phrases

I've got two requests regarding adverb phrases:
1. As you know an adverb phrase is sometimes a reduced form of an adverb clause in which subordinating conjunction is maintained but the subject and any auxiliary verbs are deleted, and the main verb is changed to an -ing form or left as a past participle.
Examples:

* After they returned to the US, they... => After returning to the US, they...
* How many of us would do the same thing if we were given the chance? => ...if given the chance?
Now I want you to reduce the adverb clause in following complex sentence to a phrase:
If the stopped, the risked a potentially deadly confrontation with criminals.
2. Make the adverb phrase negative:
With Nicholas lying on his deathbed, Maggie decided that something good ought to come out of this situation.
Without Nicholas lying... or With Nicholas not lying...
Thank you in advance
  

Top answer

Hello, Akbari-- and welcome to English Forums. I'd like to see you try first, since you seem to have a handle on what you are looking for. Then I'll let you know if your effort seems reasonable.

  • Hello, Akbari-- and welcome to English Forums.
  • I'd like to see you try first, since you seem to have a handle on what you are looking for.
  • Then I'll let you know if your effort seems reasonable.
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4 Answers
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Hello, Akbari-- and welcome to English Forums.

I'd like to see you try first, since you seem to have a handle on what you are looking for. Then I'll let you know if your effort seems reasonable.
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Thank you for greeting me, sir.

The first thing I have to mention is my slight slip in the first sentence: if THEY stopped, ...
In actual fact had I had a reasonable idea, I wouldn't have posted.

I think using "If stopped" makes the sentence passive. On the other hand "If stopping" seems preposterous.

And about the second one: I assume that we can make it negative t
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I don't think you can reduce the first 'if' clause; your sample ('if given') reduces precisely because it is originally passive.

I'm not sure in what sense you want to negate the second, but 'with Nick not lying' seems natural enough to me.
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I'm grateful for your informative responses

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