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Taka Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
to be understood
The impression that science is incomprehensive magic, to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind, is bound to turn many youngsters away from science.
About 'to be understood only by a chosen few...', is it:
(1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic'
(2) [Science is incomprehensive magic]+[science is to be undersood only be a chosen few]
?
About 'to be understood only by a chosen few...', is it:
(1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic'
(2) [Science is incomprehensive magic]+[science is to be undersood only be a chosen few]
?
Top answer
Taka , to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind , is bound to turn many youngsters away from science. ', is it: (1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic' (2) [Science is incomprehensive magic]+[science is to be undersood only be a chosen few] ? Yes, the underlined it's an infinitive clause modifiying The impression that science is incomprehensive magic.
- Taka , to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind , is bound to turn many youngsters away from science.
- ', is it: (1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic' (2) [Science is incomprehensive magic]+[science is to be undersood only be a chosen few] ?
- Yes, the underlined it's an infinitive clause modifiying The impression that science is incomprehensive magic.
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9 Answers
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Taka, to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind, is bound to turn many youngsters away from science.
About 'to be understood only by a chosen few...', is it:
(1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic'
(2) [Science is incomprehensive magic]+[science is t
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Goodman? The infinitive modifies the enitre 'the impression' part??
Yes, the underlined it's an infinitive clause modifiying The impression that science is incomprehensive magic.
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TakaThe impression that science is incomprehensive magic, to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind, is bound to turn many youngsters away from science.
About 'to be understood only by a chosen few...', is it:
(1) An infinitive which modifies 'incomprehensive magic'
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to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind,
The above words are 'non-identifiable relative clause' too.
You could just take it away; it still makes a sensible sentence.
The above words are 'non-identifiable relative clause' too.
You could just take it away; it still makes a sensible sentence.
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The first interpretation that strikes this native speaker is (2). The comma could even be a dash.
CJ
CJ
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CalifJimThe first interpretation that strikes this native speaker is (2). The comma could even be a dash.Initially, I thought so too, CJ.
CJ
But isn't it going to be against the rule of prallelism?
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Re: parallelism
I don't think there is actually a rule of parallelism. Many sentences exhibit non-parallel structures even where the corresponding parallel structure is possible, and yet they are grammatical sentences. I would consider parallelism more of a stylistic device than a rule.
CJ
I don't think there is actually a rule of parallelism. Many sentences exhibit non-parallel structures even where the corresponding parallel structure is possible, and yet they are grammatical sentences. I would consider parallelism more of a stylistic device than a rule.
CJ
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I'm not sure we can rephrase it as:
whereas this seems okay, where "which" refers back to "magic":
The impression that science, to be understood only by a chosen few who are suspiciously different from ordinary mankind, is incomprehensible magic, is bound to turn many youngsters away from science.
The impression that science is incomprehen
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