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Taka Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Doing

It may be overstating the case to suggest that America's image is now in shreds.

Is the underlined "overstating" a gerund or the present progressive?
  

Top answer

It's a gerund. Consider that you could reword thus. eg It may be an overstatement of the case to suggest that America's image is now in shreds.

— Clive

  • It's a gerund.
  • Consider that you could reword thus.
  • eg It may be an overstatement of the case to suggest that America's image is now in shreds.
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14 Answers
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It's a gerund.

Consider that you could reword thus.
eg It may be an overstatement of the case to suggest that America's image is now in shreds.
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At first, I thought that way. However, Google books has brought me this example:

I do not think it overstates the case to suggest that castle architecture came to be seen as quintessentially mnemonic in the medieval period.

So I thought there was a possibility that it could be a progressive form of "overstate the case."

Does the example above sound unnatur
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I do not think it overstates the case to suggest that castle architecture came to be seen as quintessentially mnemonic in the medieval period. This example is fine.
Therefore so is this one.
I do not think it is overstating the case to suggest that castle architecture came to be seen as quintessentially mnemonic in the medieval period.

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So grammatically is it ambiguous? Or are you personally inclined to think that if anything, it may be more likely that the "overstating" in question is a gerund?
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Well, that was my first thought.
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OK. And now a related question. A replaced version with "exaggerate". Does this sentence below work fine?

I do not think it exaggerates the case to suggest that castle architecture came to be seen as quintessentially mnemonic in the medieval period.
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It's fine, (although I don't understand how architecture can be mnemonic).
Am I missing some subtle point?
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Am I missing some subtle point?

No. I was just wondering if the "overstate" in "it overstates the case to suggest..." could be replaced with "exaggerate". So it is possible. Good.

In conclusion, do these below all fork fine as almost, if not exactly, the same?

It overstates the case to suggest...
It is overstating the case to suggest...
It
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Those are all OK, although I wouldn't say that 'exaggerate' is exactly the same as 'overstate'.
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Good!

Just out of interest, what do you think the difference in meaning between "overstate" and "exaggerate"?
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