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Lin1978 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

compound words? +ing? +ed?

0 Dear masters,02br
02br
00Some compounds confused me for a long time. For example, "cynical-minded," why can't I say "cynical-minding"? Another example, "race-baiting," why can't I say "race-baited"? Is this a "passive" or "active" question? Can it be deduced by dichotomy? If the word is used as "passive" term, I add "ed", otherwise I add "ing." But how can I explain the compound like "well-behaved"? Shouldn't the word "behave" be considered as a "active" term?02br
02br
00-bearing, -spotting, appointed, -humoured .... Is there a general principle for all these words?02br
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00Thank you for your patient to read my question. 0-
  

Top answer

0Hi,02br 02br 01font 00Some compounds confused me for a long time. For example, "cynical-minded," why can't I say "cynical-minding"? 02font 00This is not a good example for you to choose, because 'mind' here is not a verb, but a noun.

— Clive

  • 0Hi,02br 02br 01font 00Some compounds confused me for a long time.
  • For example, "cynical-minded," why can't I say "cynical-minding"?
  • 02font 00This is not a good example for you to choose, because 'mind' here is not a verb, but a noun.
  • 02br 02br 01font 00Another example, "race-baiting," why can't I say "race-baited"?
  • 02font 00Again, not a good example to choose.
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5 Answers
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0Hi,02br
02br
01font00Some compounds confused me for a long time. For example, "cynical-minded," why can't I say "cynical-minding"? 02font00This is not a good example for you to choose, because 'mind' here is not a verb, but a noun. 02br
02br
00eg 01i00The person has a cynical mind = he is cynical-minded.
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0 Dear Clive,02br
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00Thanks for your reply. I got the whole picture how these words formed. As for your first doubt, where I find the word "race-baiting", it's an essay on the movie "300." The whole paragraph is: " Stevens condemned the movie, comparing it with ****-era propaganda films and calling it " a textbook example of how 01font00race
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0 I have heard of "train-spotting" but I have never heard of other hobbies using the term 'spotting." The usual terms would be bird-watching and card-playing -- or, more commonly, "playing cards."( "His wife likes bird-watching, but he prefers playing cards. In fact, his frequent card-playing is beginning to annoy her.") 0-
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0Hi again,02br
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01font00" Stevens condemned the movie, comparing it with ****-era propaganda films and calling it " a textbook example of how 01i00race-baiting02i00 fantasy and nationalist myth can serve as an incitement to total war."" So, would the sentence be more acceptable if I used the word "racist-baiting" here?02
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0 Dear Clive & khoff,02br
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00Thank for your answers.With your explanation, it could be easier for me to handle these words when I met them next time. 0-
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