0
Hirashin Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Is this sentence complete?

It seems to me that the sentence lacks a verb. Is it complete? Is it grammatically correvt?

In light of many past wars between European countries, what better proof that the page has definitely been turned than the adoption of a common money?
  

Top answer

".

— GPY

  • ".
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

8 Answers
0
It does lack a main verb, but it is understood to mean "what better proof is there that ...".
0
0
thanks for the help, GPY.
GPYIt does lack a main verb, but it is understood to mean "what better proof is there that ...".
Do you have any idea in which case you can omit "is there"? Could you give me another example sentence?

Hirashin
0
0
Picnicking in the park — what better way [is there] to spend a Sunday afternoon?

This kind of omission seems to be an optional feature of some wh-phrases, and does not seem to be limited to "is there". For example, the following seem analogous:

My son constantly asks "How much longer [will it be] before we get there?"
What a time [e.g. this is] to be worrying
0
0
hirashinIn light of many past wars between European countries, what better proof that the page has definitely been turned than the adoption of a common money?
In light of many past wars between European countries, what better proof that a page has definitely been turned than the adoption of a common currency?
0
0
Thanks for the further help, GPY. I appreciate it.

Hirashin
0
0
Would "money" sound strange there?
0
0
hirashinWould "money" sound strange there?
Yes. The Euro is normally referred to as a currency or the single currency.

Consider this from wikipedia: The euro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_sign:
0
0
hirashinWould "money" sound strange there?
While "common currency" would be much more usual, I personally find "common money" acceptable, and there are authoritative examples of the use of this phrase, such as at the links below:

http://www.nytimes.com
0

Related Questions