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JungKim Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
drilled in at school
Most people have heard of two linguistic rules, probably drilled in at school.
This is quoted from a language book written by a linguist.
Does this sound natural?
By the participial, the writer seems to mean "most people are probably drilled in the two linguistic rules at school." If so, the participial is not about "two linguistic rules" but about "most people", right?
Now I was wondering how the object of the preposition "in" could be omitted in the participial. I mean, shouldn't it be something like probably drilled in them at school?
This is quoted from a language book written by a linguist.
Does this sound natural?
By the participial, the writer seems to mean "most people are probably drilled in the two linguistic rules at school." If so, the participial is not about "two linguistic rules" but about "most people", right?
Now I was wondering how the object of the preposition "in" could be omitted in the participial. I mean, shouldn't it be something like probably drilled in them at school?
Top answer
What the sentence means (according to US usage) is that these two rules were forcibly, by repetition, imprinted into the brains of people when they were in school. " This is for convenience and brevity, and this also enhances the metaphor presented here of an electric drill boring a hole into a surface.
- What the sentence means (according to US usage) is that these two rules were forcibly, by repetition, imprinted into the brains of people when they were in school.
- " This is for convenience and brevity, and this also enhances the metaphor presented here of an electric drill boring a hole into a surface.
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3 Answers
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What the sentence means (according to US usage) is that these two rules were forcibly, by repetition, imprinted into the brains of people when they were in school.
A more complete version of the sentence might be: "Most people...probably drilled into (not "in") them at school." This is shortened to: "Most...drilled in at school." This is for convenience and brevity, and this also enh
A more complete version of the sentence might be: "Most people...probably drilled into (not "in") them at school." This is shortened to: "Most...drilled in at school." This is for convenience and brevity, and this also enh
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AnonymousWhat the sentence means (according to US usage) is that these two rules were forcibly, by repetition, imprinted into the brains of people when they were in school.A more complete version of the sentence might be: "Most people...probably drilled into (not "in") them at school." This is shortened to: "Most...drilled in at school." This is for convenience and brevit
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Take for example the sentence: "All of these rules were drilled into me when I was in school, and I've never forgotten them."
This can be shortened to: "All of...were drilled in at school, and I've never forgotten them."
This can be shortened to: "All of...were drilled in at school, and I've never forgotten them."
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