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Jooney Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Past perfect and relative clause
Hi,
In a 2003 decision that the majority said it expected would last for 25 years, the Supreme Court allowed public colleges and universities to take account of race in admission decisions. On Tuesday, the court signaled that it might end such affirmative action much sooner than that.
By agreeing to hear a major case involving race-conscious admissions at the University of Texas, the court thrust affirmative action back into the public and political discourse after years in which it had mostly faded from view.
(taken from the New York Times)
Q1) What kind of sematic role does the "by-phrase" play? Does it indicate a cause that brings about the event described in the main clause?
ex) Ed annoyed them by constantly interrupting.
Q2) Why was the past perfect used? What is the intermediate point? Does the Supreme Court's decision to take up on the University of Texas's race admission case serve as the intermediate point?
Q3) Does the past perfect in this passage refer to a time-frame leading up to the intermediate point?(a backshift of the present perfect) So from the perspective of the point in the past, namely the time at which the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, the 2003 decision on affrmative action has faded from view in years. Correct?
Q4) What does "it" refer to? The 2003 decision on affirmative action? OR affirmative action in general?
Q5) What is the antecedent of "which"? Years. Correct?
I'd appreciate your help.
In a 2003 decision that the majority said it expected would last for 25 years, the Supreme Court allowed public colleges and universities to take account of race in admission decisions. On Tuesday, the court signaled that it might end such affirmative action much sooner than that.
By agreeing to hear a major case involving race-conscious admissions at the University of Texas, the court thrust affirmative action back into the public and political discourse after years in which it had mostly faded from view.
(taken from the New York Times)
Q1) What kind of sematic role does the "by-phrase" play? Does it indicate a cause that brings about the event described in the main clause?
ex) Ed annoyed them by constantly interrupting.
Q2) Why was the past perfect used? What is the intermediate point? Does the Supreme Court's decision to take up on the University of Texas's race admission case serve as the intermediate point?
Q3) Does the past perfect in this passage refer to a time-frame leading up to the intermediate point?(a backshift of the present perfect) So from the perspective of the point in the past, namely the time at which the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, the 2003 decision on affrmative action has faded from view in years. Correct?
Q4) What does "it" refer to? The 2003 decision on affirmative action? OR affirmative action in general?
Q5) What is the antecedent of "which"? Years. Correct?
I'd appreciate your help.
Top answer
1-- Yes, that seems accurate. 2-- To emphasize that the fading was accomplished at the time of the thrust, which is, I suppose, the 'intemediate point'. Is that your term?
- 1-- Yes, that seems accurate.
- 2-- To emphasize that the fading was accomplished at the time of the thrust, which is, I suppose, the 'intemediate point'.
- Is that your term?
- 3-- Since fading takes time, we can presume a relationship with the present perfect rather than simple past, but I don't think we can go beyond presumption.
- 4-- Affirmative action in general.
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2 Answers
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1-- Yes, that seems accurate.
2-- To emphasize that the fading was accomplished at the time of the thrust, which is, I suppose, the 'intemediate point'. Is that your term?
3-- Since fading takes time, we can presume a relationship with the present perfect rather than simple past, but I don't think we can go beyond presumption.
4-- Affirmative action in general.
5-- Yes, 'years'.
2-- To emphasize that the fading was accomplished at the time of the thrust, which is, I suppose, the 'intemediate point'. Is that your term?
3-- Since fading takes time, we can presume a relationship with the present perfect rather than simple past, but I don't think we can go beyond presumption.
4-- Affirmative action in general.
5-- Yes, 'years'.
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