Sentence correction from Barrens!!!

Question

Consider these sentences:1.               The child is neither encouraged to be critical nor to examine all the evidence before forming an opinion.               The child is not encouraged either to be critical or to examine all the   evidence before forming an opinion.                                The first sentence is wrong while the second is correct. The explanation given was "neither...nor" or "either...or" should be placed immediately before "to be critical and to examine"?Can you explain why the first one isn't correct (I don't seem to find any fault if I place neither just before "encouraged" and explain the rule (i.e. where should "neither...nor" or "either...or" be placed)?2. Choose the correct sentences:Using it wisely, leisure promotes health, efficiency and happiness.                    A. Using it wisely                    B. If it is used wisely                    C. Having used it wisely                    D. Because of its wise use                    E. Because of usefulness       Correct answer: BCan you explain why isn't it (A) or (C)? The only explanation given was (B) includes a clause as well (D). However, (D) changes the meaning of the sentence.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

TrunksThe child is neither encouraged to be critical nor to examine all the evidence before forming an opinion.
The child is not encouraged either to be critical or to examine all the evidence before forming an opinion.

The following mapping may help. Note how the second version lines up neatly by keeping the verb encouraged out of the (n)either-(n)or structure; the first version seems to leave out something in the structure.

The child is :
neither

1) encouraged to be critical
nor
2) .....???...... to examine all the evidence before forming an opinion.

The child is not encouraged :
either
1) to be critical
or
2) to examine all the evidence before forming an opinion.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

The use of the simple present (promotes) indicates a state or habit or general truth. In this case, it is fairly easy to see that we are dealing with a general truth. Leisure promotes certain results (always; in general; in all situations). Such general truths are eternal, that is, they are abstractions that do not occur in time except insofar as they are considered to be true for all time.

A participial construction (-ing) introduces temporality:
using ... = While you are using leisure wisely (during some period of time)
having used ... = After you have used leisure wisely (in the past)

This temporality (this reference to time) contradicts the timeless (eternal) nature of a general truth. The two cannot go together.

CJ

Trunks · Answer

I understood and agree to your point.

However, Can you explain this in terms of clauses?

The explanation states that one way of correcting a dangling participle is to change the participial phrase to a clause. Choices B and D substitute clauses for the phrase. However, Choice D changes the meaning of the sentence.

Can you please explain what they are trying to mean.

CalifJim · Answer

Trunksdangling participle

Then you're asking what a dangling participle is, I suppose? In terms of phrases and clauses, the argument goes like this:

Those initial participle phrases imply a subject of "you", "one", "someone", anything indefinite of that nature:

[You / A person / Somebody] using it wisely

[You / A person / Somebody] having used it wisely

When the implied subject of an initial participle phrase does not match the subject of the main clause which follows, this structural mistake is called a dangling participle.

In this case you have "someone" as the implied subject of the participle phrase and "leisure" as the subject of the following main clause. So you have a dangling participle. That is grammatically incorrect.

CJ

Sentence correction from Barrens!!!

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