Some Grammar Questions...

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Hello,

I just have some questions about some sentences. A friend asked me to look at his essay, but I cannot explain why the sentences should be modified...

Original: There is an experiment about aggression and play violent game.
Modified: There is an experiment about aggression and playing violent games.
Reason: My guess here is that 'playing' is a gerund... a sentence shouldn't have 2 predicates.

Original: After that, Tony study in university and learn more and more.
Modified: After that, Tony continued to study in university and learned more and more.
Reason: 'study' is in simple present, which should be used to describe a fact or routine. I don't know how to explain how 'after that' changes the rest of the sentence...

Original: John is a businessman for selling handbags.
Modified: John is a businessman who sells handbags.
Modified2: John is a businessman selling handbags.
Reason: I don't know how to explain this one at all.

Help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

AnonymousOriginal: There is an experiment about aggression and play violent game.
Modified: There is an experiment about aggression and playing violent games.
Reason: My guess here is that 'playing' is a gerund... a sentence shouldn't have 2 predicates.

Original: After that, Tony study in university and learn more and more.
Modified: After that, Tony continued to study in university and learned more and more.
Reason: 'study' is in simple present, which should be used to describe a fact or routine. I don't know how to explain how 'after that' changes the rest of the sentence...

Original: John is a businessman for selling handbags.
Modified: John is a businessman who sells handbags.
Modified2: John is a businessman selling handbags.
Reason: I don't know how to explain this one at all.

1. You're right about the gerund (noun). The preposition "about" has two objects, which must be nominal.
She ran around the bush and the tree. . The prepositional phrase modifies "experiment."

The verb is "to be," and takes a noun complement, "experiment," in this case.
Some grammarians might rewrite it with "experiment" as the subject. The complement would then be the prepositional phrase, I believe, now adjectival.

2. "After that" has no effect on the grammar of the rest of the sentence.
There are many "correct" ways to express this.
"Tony study" is ungrammatical, since "Tony" is third person singular. Simple present would be: "Tony studies." Simple past would be: "Tony studied."

Tony studies in university and learns more and more.
Tony studied in university and learned more and more.
Tony studies/studied in university, learning more and more.

Your use of "continued" is not justified by the quoted original, but may be justified by prior context.
Your modification is grammatical. You could optionally continue with the infinitive: continued to study and [to] learn etc. .

3. I don't know how to explain it either. We just don't use "for" quite that way.
Your modifications are fine. The first is a relative clause and I'd call the second an appositive.

John is a lineman for the County.
John has a knack for selling real estate.
John has a license for selling firearms. (to sell)
John is a sucker for punishment.
John is in the business of selling handbags.

The nature of being a businessman is that you're in it for yourself.

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