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Zuotengdazuo Posted 9 years ago
Grammar
He stooped down, picked them up and groped for them?
I have read this sentence in The Shining:
Should it be corrected to "He stooped down, picked them up, and groped for them, never ..."
Or "He stooped down and picked them up, groping for them and never taking ..."?
I know it might seem ridiculous to think Stephen King would have written a wrong sentence, but I just can't help considering it wrong. But why can two predicates appear in one sentence simultaneously?
Could you shed light on it? Thank you.
I think I find the second sentence weird.
He reached for his cigarettes and shook four of them out onto the gravel. He stooped down and picked them up, groped for them, never taking his eyes from the topiary for fear the animals would begin to move again.
Should it be corrected to "He stooped down, picked them up, and groped for them, never ..."
Or "He stooped down and picked them up, groping for them and never taking ..."?
I know it might seem ridiculous to think Stephen King would have written a wrong sentence, but I just can't help considering it wrong. But why can two predicates appear in one sentence simultaneously?
Could you shed light on it? Thank you.
Top answer
Your analysis may technically have merit, but I feel it is too strict for the purpose. We allow the writer leeway to write sentences like this. It also may be possible to interpret "groped for them" as a restatement of "picked them up".
- Your analysis may technically have merit, but I feel it is too strict for the purpose.
- We allow the writer leeway to write sentences like this.
- It also may be possible to interpret "groped for them" as a restatement of "picked them up".
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6 Answers
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Your analysis may technically have merit, but I feel it is too strict for the purpose. We allow the writer leeway to write sentences like this. It also may be possible to interpret "groped for them" as a restatement of "picked them up".
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GPYYour analysis may technically have merit, but I feel it is too strict for the purpose. We allow the writer leeway to write sentences like this. It also may be possible to interpret "groped for them" as a restatement of "picked them up".Thank you.
Is "groped for them" a parenthesis, just like "I think", as in "She, I think, has no feeling for your troub
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It could be viewed as parenthetical in the interpretation that I mentioned, i.e. as a restatement of "picked them up". In this interpretation it could be written like this with a similar meaning:
He stooped down and picked them up – groped for them – never taking his eyes from the topiary for fear the animals would begin to move again.
He stooped down and picked them up – groped for them – never taking his eyes from the topiary for fear the animals would begin to move again.
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GPYIt could be viewed as parenthetical in the interpretation that I mentioned, i.e. as a restatement of "picked them up". In this interpretation it could be written like this with a similar meaning:He stooped down and picked them up – groped for them – never taking his eyes from the topiary for fear the animals would begin to move again.Thank you, I didn't kn
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zuotengdazuoThank you, I didn't know that. Could I write this sentence this way as well? Using brackets?Grammatically, and in terms of information context, yes. Stylistically, it seems to me to work less well in this particular sentence.
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