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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Repeating verbs
Salaam,
Do we repeat verbs in instances like this: He knew that the man was a much stronger opponent and (was) therefore a lot more dangerous than others. (is it better to keep (was) in these cases because it makes things clear?)
2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable. ( is (was) appropriate because 'warned' is past tense?)
3) Is this right in comparative degree: I am autistic, and that is why I have fewer friends than the rest. (the usage of 'fewer', the dictionary has two of them - fewer itself as adjective and 'few' as adjective with fewer as comparative).
Thanks.
Do we repeat verbs in instances like this: He knew that the man was a much stronger opponent and (was) therefore a lot more dangerous than others. (is it better to keep (was) in these cases because it makes things clear?)
2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable. ( is (was) appropriate because 'warned' is past tense?)
3) Is this right in comparative degree: I am autistic, and that is why I have fewer friends than the rest. (the usage of 'fewer', the dictionary has two of them - fewer itself as adjective and 'few' as adjective with fewer as comparative).
Thanks.
Top answer
-- Your rule is a good one, but in this case I find it clear without the repeated verb) 2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable. -- This is fine. (the usage of 'fewer', the dictionary has two of them - fewer itself as adjective and 'few' as adjective with fewer as comparative-- Sometimes dictionaries express themselves from different perspectives, but the intent is normally the same ).
- -- Your rule is a good one, but in this case I find it clear without the repeated verb) 2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable.
- -- This is fine.
- (the usage of 'fewer', the dictionary has two of them - fewer itself as adjective and 'few' as adjective with fewer as comparative-- Sometimes dictionaries express themselves from different perspectives, but the intent is normally the same ).
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1 Answers
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1) (is it better to keep (was) in these cases because it makes things clear?-- Your rule is a good one, but in this case I find it clear without the repeated verb)
2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable. ( is (was) appropriate because 'warned' is past tense?-- Native speakers tend to regress a verb in that
2) Suppose we have past tense in conversation: I warned you several times that his lifestyle (was) questionable. ( is (was) appropriate because 'warned' is past tense?-- Native speakers tend to regress a verb in that
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