Isn't this an incorrect sentence?

Question

While I was helping my student's homework, the following sentence caught my eye.

"Extensive reading allows students to see a lot of the language in context over and over again, giving them the exposure they need to understand, organize, remember, and use it."

I totally understand what it means but I think this is an incorrect, or at least, not a grammatically sound sentence.

Here is how I read it.

Extensive reading / allows / students / to see a lot of the language (in context / over and over again),

subject / verb / object / objective compliment (adverb phrase of the compliment phrase)

(giving them the exposure [they need to understand, organize, remember], and use it.)

(particle construction=adverb phrase),[relative pronoun clause]

Then here come the trouble I have. The phrase of ",and use it."

If it's a part of the relative pronoun clause, shouldn't it be "and use."?

Therefore, I think it should be read as following.

"Extensive reading allows students to use it(a lot of the language)"

But the natural way of reading, as well as writers intention, is probably not. It should be read and understood as a part of the relative pronoun clause.

Am I correct or missing something??

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

terrific12Am I correct or missing something??

You're missing something.

It parses more like this:

Extensive reading / allows / students / to see (a lot of the language) (in context) (over and over again)

subject / verb / object / infinitive clause (object of the infinitive) (adverbial prepositional phrase modifying "see") (adverbial phrase modifying "see")

giving them the exposure they need to understand (it), (to) organize (it), (to) remember (it), and (to) use it.

"It" is the language. There is a list of four infinitives.

CalifJim · Answer

Extensive reading allows students to see a lot of the language in context over and over again, [thus / thereby] giving them the exposure they need to understand, organize, remember, and use it.

giving them ... and use it is a participle clause (not particle construction, and not a relative clause). As such, it has a non-finite verb (giving), and an implicit relationship (thus, or thereby) with the preceding text and can be paraphrased as a separate sentence with a finite verb:

Extensive reading allows students to see a lot of the language in context over and over again. In this way, it (i.e., extensive reading) gives them the exposure (to the language) (that) they need (in order) to understand, organize, remember, and use it.

'it' refers back to 'language', but it's not in a relative clause. That is, the structure is not the equivalent of "the language which they need to use". The participle clause may be thought of as "on the same level" as the main clause, not "on a subordinate level" to it, so 'it' must be repeated, just as it must be in

Extensive reading allows students to see a lot of the language in context, and it gives students the exposure they need to use it.

CJ

By the way, it's 'complement', not 'compliment' (which is something nice you say to praise someone).

Isn't this an incorrect sentence?

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