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Jooney Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Meaning of infinitive (part 1)
Hi,
ex1) The practice has become big business for cellphone companies, too, with a handful of carriers marketing a catalog of “surveillance fees” to police departments to determine a suspect’s location, trace phone calls and texts or provide other services.
The infinitive has a purposive meaning. The purpose of surveillance is to determine a suspect's location,....
ex2) While many departments require warrants to use phone tracking in nonemergencies, others claim broad discretion to get the records on their own, according to 5,500 pages of internal records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union from 205 police departments nationwide.
The first infinitive is a complement of the verb "require" and has a finite alternant, as shown below.
Many departments require that warrants use phone tracking in nonemergencies.
This interpretation, in my opinion, is a little awkward in that the inanimate being "warrants" is doing the activity of using phone tracking.
The second infinitive conveys purpose.
Others claim borad discretion whose purpose is to/which is used to get the records on their own.
ex3) In cities in Nevada, North Carolina and other states, police departments have gotten wireless carriers to track cellphone signals back to cell towers as part of nonemergency investigations to identify all the callers using a particular tower, records show.
The first infinitive again has a meaning of purpose.
Police departments have gotten wireless carriers which are designed/supposed to trach cellphone signals....
The same goes for the second infinitive clause.
The purpose of nonemergency investigations is to identify all the callers...
ex4) In California, state prosecutors advised local police departments on ways to get carriers to “clone” a phone and download text messages while it is turned off.
I'm not sure about this one. How should I interpret the meaning of "ways to get carriers"? Ways that could get carriers to..., maybe?
I'd like your opinions on my interpretations and please make corrections where necessary.
Thank you.
ex1) The practice has become big business for cellphone companies, too, with a handful of carriers marketing a catalog of “surveillance fees” to police departments to determine a suspect’s location, trace phone calls and texts or provide other services.
The infinitive has a purposive meaning. The purpose of surveillance is to determine a suspect's location,....
ex2) While many departments require warrants to use phone tracking in nonemergencies, others claim broad discretion to get the records on their own, according to 5,500 pages of internal records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union from 205 police departments nationwide.
The first infinitive is a complement of the verb "require" and has a finite alternant, as shown below.
Many departments require that warrants use phone tracking in nonemergencies.
This interpretation, in my opinion, is a little awkward in that the inanimate being "warrants" is doing the activity of using phone tracking.
The second infinitive conveys purpose.
Others claim borad discretion whose purpose is to/which is used to get the records on their own.
ex3) In cities in Nevada, North Carolina and other states, police departments have gotten wireless carriers to track cellphone signals back to cell towers as part of nonemergency investigations to identify all the callers using a particular tower, records show.
The first infinitive again has a meaning of purpose.
Police departments have gotten wireless carriers which are designed/supposed to trach cellphone signals....
The same goes for the second infinitive clause.
The purpose of nonemergency investigations is to identify all the callers...
ex4) In California, state prosecutors advised local police departments on ways to get carriers to “clone” a phone and download text messages while it is turned off.
I'm not sure about this one. How should I interpret the meaning of "ways to get carriers"? Ways that could get carriers to..., maybe?
I'd like your opinions on my interpretations and please make corrections where necessary.
Thank you.
Top answer
1. texts, or provide other services" functions as an adj. " 2.
- 1.
- texts, or provide other services" functions as an adj.
- " 2.
- "to use phone tracking in non-emergencies" functions as an adj.
- " "to get records on their own" functions as an adj.
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1 Answers
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1. "to determine a suspect's....texts, or provide other services" functions as an adj. modifying the noun "fees."
2. "to use phone tracking in non-emergencies" functions as an adj. modifying the noun "warrants." "to get records on their own" functions as an adj. modifying the noun "discretion."
3. The phrase "to track cellphone signals back to cell towers as part of non-emerg
2. "to use phone tracking in non-emergencies" functions as an adj. modifying the noun "warrants." "to get records on their own" functions as an adj. modifying the noun "discretion."
3. The phrase "to track cellphone signals back to cell towers as part of non-emerg
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