Sentence Analysis

Question

Carbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen, both elements associated with life, yet is an inorganic compound.

I initially thought the bold in the above sentence rendered this sentence ungrammatical. However, I now think it is correct and is just short for the following:

Carbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen, both being elements that are associated with life, yet is an inorganic compound.

Would you say the original (first) sentence is correct and is a reduction of that which I`ve written

RandomGuy · Accepted Answer

English 1b3Would you say the original (first) sentence is correct …

Yes.

English 1b3… and is a reduction of that which I’ve written?

No. The original is an appositive.

English 1b3 · Answer

Aspara GusNo. The original is an appositive.

Can't mine be an appositive though?

Are you suggesting both is the subject or elements is?

RandomGuy · Answer

English 1b3Can't mine be an appositive, though?

I wouldn’t say so. That being doesn’t belong there. It causes momentary confusion because being is used introductorily, not appositively: Both being elements associated with life, carbon and oxygen are…

English 1b3Are you suggesting "both" is the subject or "elements" is?

Appositives normally don’t have overt subjects, but both seems to be one here.

I’d say the unreduced construction is

Carbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen, both of which are elements associated with life, yet is an inorganic compound.

Grammatical analysis isn’t exactly my strong suit, but I don’t think I’m too off track here.

English 1b3 · Answer

Aspara GusI wouldn’t say so. That being doesn’t belong there. It causes momentary confusion because being is used introductorily, not appositively: Both being elements associated with life, carbon and oxygen are…

As far as I know 'being' can exist in such instances, but more often than not it is omitted:

It's no different from any other verb being used in the ing form as the head of a participial construction:

1a. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small group of people, some of whom made a great deal of noise.
1b. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small group of people, some making a great deal of noise.

2a. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small group of people, some of whom were unruly.
2b. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small group of people, some being unruly.

Aspara GusI’d say the unreduced construction isCarbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen, both of which are elements associated with life, yet is an inorganic compound.

Yea, that's one of the options I considered, but I left it in the reduced form, as in 1b and 2b above, to disconnect it from the succeeding dependent clause - 'yet is an inorganic compound'

CSnyder · Answer

Without commenting on the grammar, I will note that carbon dioxide is an organic compound, since it contains carbon.

Deandbn · Answer

both elements are ***...
each element is ***...

English 1b3 · Answer

CSnyderWithout commenting on the grammar, I will note that carbon dioxide is an organic compound, since it contains carbon.

I don't believe that's correct. Almost all carbon-containing compounds are organic compounds, but this is one exception. A better indication of whether or not a compound is organic is if it contains carbon and hydrogen.

4444mv · Answer

Carbon dioxide is one of the few carbon compounds that is inorganic because in order for something to be organic, it must contain hydrogen as well as carbon.

4444mv · Answer

I..., (being) both elements...

CSnyder · Answer

4444mv Carbon dioxide is one of the few carbon compounds that is inorganic because in order for something to be organic, it must contain hydrogen as well as carbon.

Definitions of "organic" vary, but the one that makes most sense is simply "a molecule containing carbon". One problem with your definition is that it excludes from the "organic" classification a couple of compounds which were absolutely fundamental to the development of the organic-inorganic divide. Urea is one of the prototypical organic compounds, but it contains no hydrogen. Oxalic acid, too, contains no carbon-hydrogen bonds (though it does contain hydrogen in the form of hydroxide groups), and is traditionally considered "organic".

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