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Davidrock65 Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
done, to be done? and the use of however.
A. I want it (done/ to be done?) right now.
B . She would like the dispute (settled/ to be settled?) immediately.
C. Some grammarians do not like their infinitives (split/ to be spilt?)
D I will do my best to do anything you want (done/ to be done?)
I think it should be to be pp. I heard , however, that lots of people say I want (something) done, etc. Is it used by people informally for conversation? I am really confused.
Some of my friends from the states told me that I should place however in the middle of a sentence. Rarely do people put it at the beginning of a sentence. Is that true? Are there any rules that I can refer to? Please give me some examples, please.
By the way, if I make any grammatical mistakes here, please correct me.
Thanks a lot.
B . She would like the dispute (settled/ to be settled?) immediately.
C. Some grammarians do not like their infinitives (split/ to be spilt?)
D I will do my best to do anything you want (done/ to be done?)
I think it should be to be pp. I heard , however, that lots of people say I want (something) done, etc. Is it used by people informally for conversation? I am really confused.
Some of my friends from the states told me that I should place however in the middle of a sentence. Rarely do people put it at the beginning of a sentence. Is that true? Are there any rules that I can refer to? Please give me some examples, please.
By the way, if I make any grammatical mistakes here, please correct me.
Thanks a lot.
Top answer
A - D. The "to be" is correctly omitted. Most people omit it.
- A - D.
- The "to be" is correctly omitted.
- Most people omit it.
- It is not wrong to include it, of course.
- It is true that some advisors on writing style object to "however" at the beginning of a sentence.
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12 Answers
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A - D. The "to be" is correctly omitted. Most people omit it. It is not wrong to include it, of course.
It is true that some advisors on writing style object to "however" at the beginning of a sentence. Yet there are many fine writers who do begin a sentence with "however" from time to time.
CJ
It is true that some advisors on writing style object to "however" at the beginning of a sentence. Yet there are many fine writers who do begin a sentence with "however" from time to time.
CJ
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Can I omit to be all the time? for example, I need the letter sent right away, I don't like my room so messy, she prefers her cake sliced into pieces, or just for certain verbs? such as want, like, would like, need, prefer, etc.
Thanks for answering.
Thanks for answering.
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Certainly all the examples you cite are perfectly fine: need something sent, not like something messy, prefer something sliced. Notice, however, that the second case connects a verb (like) to an adjective (messy). The omission I thought you were asking about was to be in the passive infinitive (to be sent, to be sliced, etc.)
In any case I can't guaran
In any case I can't guaran
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But it is more natural to say, “I don’t like my cat to be barked at”
Than “I don’t like my cat barked at.”
Anybody disagrees?
Than “I don’t like my cat barked at.”
Anybody disagrees?
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Muayad JajoBut it is more natural to say, “I don’t like my cat to be barked at”Dear CalifJim,
Than “I don’t like my cat barked at.”
Anybody disagrees?
Is it more natural to say, "I don't like my cat to be barked at?" Or both are fine?
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Muayad JajoBut it is more natural to say, “I don’t like my cat to be barked at”Dear CalifJim,
Than “I don’t like my cat barked at.”
Anybody disagrees?
Is it more natural to say, "I don't like my cat to ba barked at?"
Or both are fine?
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I think either. "I don't like my children growled at my some strange dog" works just as well as "I don't like my children to be growled at my some strange dog."
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Dear Grammar Geek,
Should it be "I don't like my children growled at by my some strange dog," right? What does my some strange dog mean?
Should it be "I don't like my children growled at by my some strange dog," right? What does my some strange dog mean?
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Oops. Yes indeed. I was too hasty. And then I compounded the error by using copy and paste. It should indeed be BY some strange dog.
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