Grammar
Dear forum,
Why is it wrong?
" There was a sudden downpour of rain stopping the tennis match in the final set."
Thanks
Top answer
The problem is with the use of "stopping", which implies a repeated action or action with duration. For example, we can say "I saw the police stopping cars" or "The problem was a locked brake stopping the wheel turning". On the other hand, the stopping of a tennis match by rain is an essentially instantaneous event that happens once.
- The problem is with the use of "stopping", which implies a repeated action or action with duration.
- For example, we can say "I saw the police stopping cars" or "The problem was a locked brake stopping the wheel turning".
- On the other hand, the stopping of a tennis match by rain is an essentially instantaneous event that happens once.
- Thus we say "There was a sudden downpour of rain that stopped the tennis match in the final set", or, more neatly, just "A sudden downpour of rain stopped the tennis match in the final set".
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The problem is with the use of "stopping", which implies a repeated action or action with duration. For example, we can say "I saw the police stopping cars" or "The problem was a locked brake stopping the wheel turning". On the other hand, the stopping of a tennis match by rain is an essentially instantaneous event that happens once. Thus we say "There was a sudden downpour of rain that stoppe
0shbgDear forum,
Why is it wrong?
" There was a sudden downpour of rain stopping the tennis match in the final set."
Thanks
The use of present participle "stopping" is improper although the meaning is understood. The core message is the tennis match which was interrupted / stopped by the downpour. So I would use pa
0
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