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Takehisa Tanaka Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
How can I understand this sentence?
How can I understand this sentence?
This is from my grammar book:
"Thus in some noun phrases the head must be accompanied, and in other noun phrases is cannot (normally) be accompanied, by another element. Such observations make it clear that phrases, like clauses, cannot be described by a single structural formula, and that various subclassifications have to be made of phrases and of the elements they contain."
I am wondering how can I understand this part:
"Various subclassifications have to be made of phrases and of the elements they contain."
That is parallel to this sentence?
"We have to be made various subclassifications of phrases and of the elements they contain."
Could you tell me, please?
This is from my grammar book:
"Thus in some noun phrases the head must be accompanied, and in other noun phrases is cannot (normally) be accompanied, by another element. Such observations make it clear that phrases, like clauses, cannot be described by a single structural formula, and that various subclassifications have to be made of phrases and of the elements they contain."
I am wondering how can I understand this part:
"Various subclassifications have to be made of phrases and of the elements they contain."
That is parallel to this sentence?
"We have to be made various subclassifications of phrases and of the elements they contain."
Could you tell me, please?
Top answer
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7 Answers
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Takehisa Tanaka"We have to be made various subclassifications of phrases and of the elements they contain."The active-voice version is:
"We have to make various subclassifications of phrases and of the elements they contain."
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Hi, GPY.
Could you do me a favour?
I now noticed that I can't understand what "they" in "they contain" is related to.
Could you tell me one more?
Could you do me a favour?
I now noticed that I can't understand what "they" in "they contain" is related to.
Could you tell me one more?
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the elements they contain = the elements that/which they contain
they = phrases
they = phrases
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Thans.
Are there any grammatical structure I can identify it?
Or just from semantics?
Are there any grammatical structure I can identify it?
Or just from semantics?
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Takehisa TanakaThans.Are there any grammatical structure I can identify it?Or just from semantics?I suppose ultimately it is only ever from the semantics that you can be certain what "they" refers to. However, in the pattern "X and the Y (that) they Z", it is a very good bet that "they" refers to X.
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