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Tinanam0102 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Intransitive dillydally

Hi teachers,

In the dictionary dillydally is intransitive. The example:
1. Stop dillydalling and get to work.
However, another one on the internet
2. Kids dillydally their way to piano practice

Does the second sentence a transitive one?
Thanks
TN
  

Top answer

Is the second sentence a transitive one? No.

— AlpheccaStars

  • Is the second sentence a transitive one?
  • No.
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14 Answers
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Is the second sentence a transitive one?
No.
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Hi AlpheccaStars,

Do you mean 'your way' is not an object? Can you help me understand it?
Thanks
TN
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They left out a word. It is an adverb phrase.

2. Kids dillydally on their way to piano practice
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Hi AlpheccaStars,

Thanks again.

Can you check my three sentences to see if they are natural? I find it hard to come up more searches with the usage 'dillydally over/with' on the internet.

My kid dillydallys over her homework.
My kid keeps stalling over her homework.
My kid keeps fooling around with her homework.

TN
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What are you trying to say?

You kid postpones doing their homework as long as possible.
Your kid struggles in doing their homework.
Your kid takes a long time to do their homework.
Your kid plays games when they are supposed to be doing their homework.
Your kid procrastinates doing their homework.

"dilly-dally" usually implies walking very slowly or wasting time o
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tinanam0102 Kids dillydally their way to piano practice
Although it is unusual, this may be the intended sentence. I don't think that it has to be a case of a missing word. This could be an unusual X's way construction.

See

CJ
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Hi AlpheccaStars,

I think you can't really use 'dilly-dally' or 'stall' that way with the intended meaning of 'procrastinate their homework'.

Does this word has to be physically wandering off?

Thanks
TN
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Hi CalifJim,

Thanks for the link. Here's the original

'They drag their feet doing chores, mope toward homework, and dilly-dally their way to piano practice' which is very similiar to 'Susan talked her way out of a traffic ticket'

I've seen a lot of this pattern but never understand if there's subject, object there. Would you tell me if 'her way' an object in thi
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tinanam0102Would you tell me if 'her way' an object in this X's way construction?
I would, and I will, and it is. Yes, it's an object.

"Certain verbs can take a noun phrase of the form "X's way" as object when it is followed by a prepositional phrase describing a resulting state or location." — Beth Levin
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Hi CalifJim,

Thanks. He hurt himself playing tennis. A sentence from Grammar book.
Does this sentence 'himself' or 'himself playing tennis' count as 'X's way'?

TN
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