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Stenka25 Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary
The usage of 'being'
The passage below is from the website as follows:
http://www.readingaloud.net/assets/51
On my desk as I write sit two artefacts of roughly the same size and shape: one is a cordless computer mouse; the other a hand axe from the Middle Stone Age, half a million years old. Both are designed to fit the human hand – to obey the constraints of being used by human beings. But they are vastly different.
My question is about the underlined “being.”
In a way “being” seems like noun modified by reduced relative pronoun clause ‘used.’
But in another the whole “being used” seems like just the object of preceding “of.”
It’s too confusing to decide which is the right one.
Can you tell me which is better or right and tell me why?
http://www.readingaloud.net/assets/51
On my desk as I write sit two artefacts of roughly the same size and shape: one is a cordless computer mouse; the other a hand axe from the Middle Stone Age, half a million years old. Both are designed to fit the human hand – to obey the constraints of being used by human beings. But they are vastly different.
My question is about the underlined “being.”
In a way “being” seems like noun modified by reduced relative pronoun clause ‘used.’
But in another the whole “being used” seems like just the object of preceding “of.”
It’s too confusing to decide which is the right one.
Can you tell me which is better or right and tell me why?
Top answer
If it were "to obey the constraints of being ( period )," then of course "being" would be a noun. The state of "being used" is another concept entirely. Stenka25 the constraints of being used by human beings.
- If it were "to obey the constraints of being ( period )," then of course "being" would be a noun.
- The state of "being used" is another concept entirely.
- Stenka25 the constraints of being used by human beings.
- ” This is the right analysis.
- I guess you'd say the whole noun phrase "being used by human beings" is object of the preposition.
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1 Answers
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If it were "to obey the constraints of being (period)," then of course "being" would be a noun.
The state of "being used" is another concept entirely.
The state of "being used" is another concept entirely.
Stenka25the constraints of being used by human beings.
Stenka25But in another the whole “being used” seems like just the object of preceding “of.”
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