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Navitasan Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
On a skateboard
1) John, on a skateboard, will go much faster than Pete.
2) On a skateboard, John will go much faster than Pete.
3) John will go much faster than Pete, on a skateboard.
4) John will go much faster than Pete, on a skateboard.
In which of these sentences:
a) Pete is definitely on a skateboard
b) John is definitely on a skateboard
c) Pete might be on a skateboard, but that is not certain
d) John might be on a skateboard, but that is not certain
Gratefully,
Navi.
2) On a skateboard, John will go much faster than Pete.
3) John will go much faster than Pete, on a skateboard.
4) John will go much faster than Pete, on a skateboard.
In which of these sentences:
a) Pete is definitely on a skateboard
b) John is definitely on a skateboard
c) Pete might be on a skateboard, but that is not certain
d) John might be on a skateboard, but that is not certain
Gratefully,
Navi.
Top answer
3) = 4), by the way. All of those sentences are a bit weird, especially in the use of commas. , with all the built-in background information that is automatically assumed by speakers of English in an English-speaking culture.
- 3) = 4), by the way.
- All of those sentences are a bit weird, especially in the use of commas.
- , with all the built-in background information that is automatically assumed by speakers of English in an English-speaking culture.
- As formulas, which I suspect is your primary interest, though I can't see why exactly, unless you're building some kind of language component for an artificial intelligence project, Pete is not definitely on a skateboard in any of the sentences, and John is definitely on a skateboard in 1) and 2); Pete might be on a skateboard in any of those sentences; John might be in 3).
- At least that's how it looks to me.
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2 Answers
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3) = 4), by the way.
All of those sentences are a bit weird, especially in the use of commas.
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It's a matter of whether you consider the sentences as mathematical formulas, i.e., without any cultural assumptions, or whether you consider them as ordinary English, i.e., with all the built-in background information that is automatically assumed by speaker
All of those sentences are a bit weird, especially in the use of commas.
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It's a matter of whether you consider the sentences as mathematical formulas, i.e., without any cultural assumptions, or whether you consider them as ordinary English, i.e., with all the built-in background information that is automatically assumed by speaker
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Thank you very much for this detailed reply.
Yes. My approach is a bit like that of a logician. I try not to use vague sentences, but ever since I did some work as a translator, I became fascinated by them.
The fourth one was supposed to be:
4) John will go much faster than Pete on a skateboard.
I tried to edit the text a few times and delete the comma, but every tim
Yes. My approach is a bit like that of a logician. I try not to use vague sentences, but ever since I did some work as a translator, I became fascinated by them.
The fourth one was supposed to be:
4) John will go much faster than Pete on a skateboard.
I tried to edit the text a few times and delete the comma, but every tim
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