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Jacklong Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
Define something as
0 The following is a sentense about which I am not very clear: 02 br
00 'For our purposes, we define sustainable agriculture as does Pierre Crosson of Resources for the future.......' 02 br
00 My question is, if you and me have the same definition about something, should I say 'I define something as you do' or 'I define something as do you'. The first one seems naturer to me, if it is correct, how could you explain the above sentence? 02 br
00 Thank you in advance for help and any information involving with above question. 0-
00 'For our purposes, we define sustainable agriculture as does Pierre Crosson of Resources for the future.......' 02 br
00 My question is, if you and me have the same definition about something, should I say 'I define something as you do' or 'I define something as do you'. The first one seems naturer to me, if it is correct, how could you explain the above sentence? 02 br
00 Thank you in advance for help and any information involving with above question. 0-
Top answer
0 The subject and the verb are often inverted in an as clause when the author wants to emphasize it. 02 br 02 br 00 [No inversion] 02 br 00 We defined sustainable agriculture as Crosson does. 02 br 00 He will play in the tournament this year as I will.
- 0 The subject and the verb are often inverted in an as clause when the author wants to emphasize it.
- 02 br 02 br 00 [No inversion] 02 br 00 We defined sustainable agriculture as Crosson does.
- 02 br 00 He will play in the tournament this year as I will.
- 02 br 00 [With inversion] 02 br 00 We defined sustainable agriculture as does Crosson.
- 02 br 00 He will play in the tournament this year as will I.
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15 Answers
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0 The subject and the verb are often inverted in an as clause when the author wants to emphasize it. 02 br
02 br
00 [No inversion] 02 br
00 We defined sustainable agriculture as Crosson does. 02 br
00 He will play in the tournament this year as I will. 02 br
00 [With inversion] 02 br
00 We defined sustainable agriculture as does Cro
02 br
00 [No inversion] 02 br
00 We defined sustainable agriculture as Crosson does. 02 br
00 He will play in the tournament this year as I will. 02 br
00 [With inversion] 02 br
00 We defined sustainable agriculture as does Cro
00
0 There are some possible differences of meaning in this structure, though: 02 br
02 br
00 a) [Verb phrase] as you do. 02 br
00 b) [Verb phrase], as do you. 02 br
02 br
00 With a), the meaning is 'I do something in the same way as you do': 02 br
02 br
00 1. I define X as you do = I define X in the same way as you do. 02 br
02
02 br
00 a) [Verb phrase] as you do. 02 br
00 b) [Verb phrase], as do you. 02 br
02 br
00 With a), the meaning is 'I do something in the same way as you do': 02 br
02 br
00 1. I define X as you do = I define X in the same way as you do. 02 br
02
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0 Hi, MP. 02 br
02 br
00 Regarding your example b), shouldn't it be 'so do you' instead of 'as do you'? 02 br
00 Can 'as' take place of 'so'? 0-
02 br
00 Regarding your example b), shouldn't it be 'so do you' instead of 'as do you'? 02 br
00 Can 'as' take place of 'so'? 0-
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0 Hello komountain, 02 br
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00 That is indeed another formation, though 'and' usually precedes it, unless it's said by a 2nd speaker: 02 br
02 br
00 1. I like cheese – and so do you. 02 br
00 2. "I like cheese." "So do I." 02 br
02 br
00 '...as do you' in sense b) is probably less common than the 3rd person versions, e.g. 02 br
02 br
00 That is indeed another formation, though 'and' usually precedes it, unless it's said by a 2nd speaker: 02 br
02 br
00 1. I like cheese – and so do you. 02 br
00 2. "I like cheese." "So do I." 02 br
02 br
00 '...as do you' in sense b) is probably less common than the 3rd person versions, e.g. 02 br
00
0 Thanks, MP. 02 br
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00 Glad to learn more, yet I still find myself scratching my head. 02 br
02 br
00 'as' in your example a) means 'the same way/manner as...' 02 br
00 'as' in b) means 'also' or 'too.' 02 br
02 br
00 I understand the concept of the word 'as' in your examples a) and b) is slightly different. 02 br
00 Bu
02 br
00 Glad to learn more, yet I still find myself scratching my head. 02 br
02 br
00 'as' in your example a) means 'the same way/manner as...' 02 br
00 'as' in b) means 'also' or 'too.' 02 br
02 br
00 I understand the concept of the word 'as' in your examples a) and b) is slightly different. 02 br
00 Bu
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0 Hello MrP 02 br
02 br
00 Do you have a feeling that the construct of "We define it as does he" (that was given in Jacklong's posting) is rather a rarely used construct, not to say, ungrammatical? I answered to Jacklong on a supposition that the Jacklong's sentence is an authentic one but now I feel it might be somehow wrong. Could you confirm it? 02 br
02 br
00
02 br
00 Do you have a feeling that the construct of "We define it as does he" (that was given in Jacklong's posting) is rather a rarely used construct, not to say, ungrammatical? I answered to Jacklong on a supposition that the Jacklong's sentence is an authentic one but now I feel it might be somehow wrong. Could you confirm it? 02 br
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0 Hello Paco 02 br
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00 To my mind, 'I define something as do you' only becomes possible if we add a comma, dash, or semi-colon after 'something': 02 br
02 br
00 1. I define something, as do you. 02 br
02 br
00 Even then, we have to struggle to find a context. Perhaps two professors of philosophy or mathematics are comparing notes on how the
02 br
00 To my mind, 'I define something as do you' only becomes possible if we add a comma, dash, or semi-colon after 'something': 02 br
02 br
00 1. I define something, as do you. 02 br
02 br
00 Even then, we have to struggle to find a context. Perhaps two professors of philosophy or mathematics are comparing notes on how the
00
0 Hello Komountain 02 br
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00 On the contrary, your questions are very much to the point. I'll have to go away and think a little before replying... 02 br
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00 MrP 0-
02 br
00 On the contrary, your questions are very much to the point. I'll have to go away and think a little before replying... 02 br
02 br
00 MrP 0-
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0 Hello MrP 02 br
02 br
00 Thank you for the reply. 02 br
02 br
00 "I like to do XYZ, as does MrQ"[1]. This means "I like to do XYZ, and MrQ also like to do it", doesn't it? In another word, we have to say "I did XYZ as MrQ did"[2] to mean "I did it in the same way as MrQ did. Right? 02 br
02 br
00 Let me summarize what you are saying. The "as
02 br
00 Thank you for the reply. 02 br
02 br
00 "I like to do XYZ, as does MrQ"[1]. This means "I like to do XYZ, and MrQ also like to do it", doesn't it? In another word, we have to say "I did XYZ as MrQ did"[2] to mean "I did it in the same way as MrQ did. Right? 02 br
02 br
00 Let me summarize what you are saying. The "as
00
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