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Fire1 Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

Can an infinitive phrase modify object pronouns?

  1. People waste time as if they have it to burn.

  2. People waste time as if they have it to be burnt.
  3. Once they were harvested we washed and cooked them to eat.

  4. Can I have it to go?

  5. Can I take it to go?
  6. I would like to have it to go over Mr. LODGE
  7. I thank God I have them to love. The result is not that they have changed, but I have.
  8. I need it to read on holiday
  9. I need them to read on holiday

Q1) Are sentences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 above all correct English?

Q2) As for sentences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 do these infinitive phrases "to burn", "to be burnt", "to eat", "to go", "to go over Mr. LODGE", "to love", and "to read" all describe or modify the object pronouns "it" and "them" ?

Q3) But should sentence 4 be rewritten with a comma as "Can I have it, to go?" because "it" is already specified, so "to go" should be set off by a comma?

Q4) Like in sentences 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, is it possible to use an infinitive phrase to modify or describe an object pronoun?

I would say yes to my four questions, but I'm not really sure.

  

Top answer

1. This is okay. 2.

  • 1.
  • This is okay.
  • 2.
  • This is understandable but awkward usage.
  • 3.
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1 Answers
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1. This is okay.

2. This is understandable but awkward usage.

3. This is okay, but awkward-sounding. What is "they" and "them"? You should identify what was harvested, as in: "Once the ____ were harvested...".

4. This is okay.

5. This is not right.

6. This is not understandable.

7. This is awkward. "Them" should be identified. And the secon

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