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Stenka25 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Pronoun problem
In the below paragraph, I cannot figure out what "them" exactly stands for?
It seems "students" at first, but it also seems to be scientists.
In a Webster dictionary, a verb 'train' can have both 'agent' and 'patient' subject.
Can you give me the answer and why?
All famous scientists publish great papers, right? That’s sort of self-defining. But if you look at their offspring, their children or their students, you can find that a surprisingly large number of them don’t train well. I think it is one thing to be a kind of a burning shooting star, and make a lot of light for a little while. But the bottom line is that if you believe in some sort of continuity in all of this and you’re not a good mentor, you don’t train well, it dies with you.
It seems "students" at first, but it also seems to be scientists.
In a Webster dictionary, a verb 'train' can have both 'agent' and 'patient' subject.
Can you give me the answer and why?
All famous scientists publish great papers, right? That’s sort of self-defining. But if you look at their offspring, their children or their students, you can find that a surprisingly large number of them don’t train well. I think it is one thing to be a kind of a burning shooting star, and make a lot of light for a little while. But the bottom line is that if you believe in some sort of continuity in all of this and you’re not a good mentor, you don’t train well, it dies with you.
Top answer
Given your two uses of 'train': I have to agree that the antecedent of 'them' is ambiguous.
- Given your two uses of 'train': I have to agree that the antecedent of 'them' is ambiguous.
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6 Answers
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Given your two uses of 'train': I have to agree that the antecedent of 'them' is ambiguous.
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Hi,
In the below paragraph, I cannot figure out what "them" exactly stands for?
It seems "students" at first, but it also seems to be scientists.
In terms of grammar, 'them' seems to refer to offspring/children/student. But the intended meaning seems to be the scientists.
In the below paragraph, I cannot figure out what "them" exactly stands for?
It seems "students" at first, but it also seems to be scientists.
In terms of grammar, 'them' seems to refer to offspring/children/student. But the intended meaning seems to be the scientists.
00
As shown in the Webster's Leaner's dictionary in the below, verb 'train' has 'agent' subject in a example sentence #1 meanig, and 'patient' subject in a example sentence #2 meanig.
1 a [+ obj] : to teach (someone) the skills needed to do something (such as a job) : to give instruction to (someone)
? I'm training her to take over my job when I retire.
b [no obj] : to be
1 a [+ obj] : to teach (someone) the skills needed to do something (such as a job) : to give instruction to (someone)
? I'm training her to take over my job when I retire.
b [no obj] : to be
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Hi,
I see.
But as I said,
In terms of grammar, 'them' seems to refer to offspring/children/student. But the intended meaning seems to be the scientists.
In other words, the author is focussing on famous scientists, not on their children.
The main idea is that these scientists have great knowledge but poor teaching s
I see.
But as I said,
In terms of grammar, 'them' seems to refer to offspring/children/student. But the intended meaning seems to be the scientists.
In other words, the author is focussing on famous scientists, not on their children.
The main idea is that these scientists have great knowledge but poor teaching s
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