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Taka Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
convenient
Many grammar books published here say that with the adjective 'convenient' you cannot have a human being as the subject of a sentence. I wonder if it's really so.
If you had someone, for example, and it were easy for you to make him behave as you wished, wouldn't it possible to say 'He is convenient'?
If you had someone, for example, and it were easy for you to make him behave as you wished, wouldn't it possible to say 'He is convenient'?
Top answer
I would take convenient , when applied to a person, to be demeaning. convenient suggests easily available. It suggests taking advantage of someone.
- I would take convenient , when applied to a person, to be demeaning.
- convenient suggests easily available.
- It suggests taking advantage of someone.
- My first impulse is to think "convenient for ***", but in any case, "convenient for providing favors" is the more general idea.
- The idea of "easy to control the behavior of" is the last thing that would occur to me.
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3 Answers
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I would take convenient, when applied to a person, to be demeaning. convenient suggests easily available. It suggests taking advantage of someone. My first impulse is to think "convenient for ***", but in any case, "convenient for providing favors" is the more general idea. The idea of "easy to control the behavior of" is the last thing that would occur to me. It doesn't ring tr
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"Convenient" is an adjective, not a verb.
In almost all cases it is unnatural to call a person "convenient". It certainly wouldn't be used in the sense you suggest.
However, there's at least one situation in which it might be used: when someone who is offering a service is located nearby, is quick and efficient, is open at convenient hours, etc.
For example:
A:
In almost all cases it is unnatural to call a person "convenient". It certainly wouldn't be used in the sense you suggest.
However, there's at least one situation in which it might be used: when someone who is offering a service is located nearby, is quick and efficient, is open at convenient hours, etc.
For example:
A:
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"Taking advantage of someone", "Providing favors" ! Yes, they're exactly what I wanted to say; I just didn't come up with those words. I didn't really mean 'to control someone' although my wording happened to mean that way.
You are right, Mr. Wordy. I just deleted 'adjective' instead of 'verb' by mistake during the process of editing. I've fixed it. Thanks.
You are right, Mr. Wordy. I just deleted 'adjective' instead of 'verb' by mistake during the process of editing. I've fixed it. Thanks.
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