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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Living & Live used Attributively
I found this post on another forum in a discussion about "living" and "live" as attributive adjectives:
1. Scientists have made several experiments with live mice.
Another way of saying this would be, scientists experimented on mice that were alive, not dead.
2. The blue whale is the largest living animal.
Another way to say this would be, the blue whale is the largest animal still living today. That is, it is not extinct.
This should help some:
The opposite of living is extinct.
The opposite of live is dead.
Is this a fair explanation? Or does when to use "living" and when to use "live" just come down to collocations?
1. Scientists have made several experiments with live mice.
Another way of saying this would be, scientists experimented on mice that were alive, not dead.
2. The blue whale is the largest living animal.
Another way to say this would be, the blue whale is the largest animal still living today. That is, it is not extinct.
This should help some:
The opposite of living is extinct.
The opposite of live is dead.
Is this a fair explanation? Or does when to use "living" and when to use "live" just come down to collocations?
Top answer
This does not ring true. On a doctor's form you may be asked to list the name of your closest living relative. Here living means 'not dead'; it doesn't mean 'not extinct'.
- This does not ring true.
- On a doctor's form you may be asked to list the name of your closest living relative.
- Here living means 'not dead'; it doesn't mean 'not extinct'.
- And you may see a live broadcast on television.
- Here live means 'not prerecorded'; it doesn't mean 'not dead'.
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2 Answers
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This does not ring true. On a doctor's form you may be asked to list the name of your closest living relative. Here livingmeans 'not dead'; it doesn't mean 'not extinct'.
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Thanks 
On a related note, are there any good examples of "living" being used as a predicate adjective (as opposed to an attributive adjective or a participle)? Is it even used as a predicate adjective? Every time I think of one, I think, 'No, that sounds strange. "Alive" would be better.'
Thanks again.
On a related note, are there any good examples of "living" being used as a predicate adjective (as opposed to an attributive adjective or a participle)? Is it even used as a predicate adjective? Every time I think of one, I think, 'No, that sounds strange. "Alive" would be better.'
Thanks again.
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