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Moon7296 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
to infinitive (adverbial, adjectival)
1. I want someone to help me.
2. Shawn told students not to make a plan to waste time.
3. I want someone not to help me. (?= I don't want someone to help me)
4. Shawn told students to make a plan not to waste time.
5. I went to the flower shop to buy some flowers.
Q1) Just like "to help me" modifies "someone In #1, in #2 "to waste time" is used like an adjective modifying "a plan," isn't it?
Q2) #3 is grammatically fine, but the meaning can be thought weird, isn't it?
Q3) Is #4 gramatically fine?
Q4) If so, Is the structure of to infinitive the same as the one, "to buy some flowers," in #5?
Q5) I was wondering if the negation of "a plan to waste time" in #2 can be "a plan not to waste time" in #4.
I.e., Does "not to waste time" in #4 modify "a plan" like an adjective? Or does it act like "to buy some flowers"(adverbial) in #5?
2. Shawn told students not to make a plan to waste time.
3. I want someone not to help me. (?= I don't want someone to help me)
4. Shawn told students to make a plan not to waste time.
5. I went to the flower shop to buy some flowers.
Q1) Just like "to help me" modifies "someone In #1, in #2 "to waste time" is used like an adjective modifying "a plan," isn't it?
Q2) #3 is grammatically fine, but the meaning can be thought weird, isn't it?
Q3) Is #4 gramatically fine?
Q4) If so, Is the structure of to infinitive the same as the one, "to buy some flowers," in #5?
Q5) I was wondering if the negation of "a plan to waste time" in #2 can be "a plan not to waste time" in #4.
I.e., Does "not to waste time" in #4 modify "a plan" like an adjective? Or does it act like "to buy some flowers"(adverbial) in #5?
Top answer
1. This is correct. 2.
- 1.
- This is correct.
- 2.
- This is theoretically grammatical, but awkward.
- It goes without saying that people should not make plans that outline how to waste time.
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2 Answers
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1. This is correct.
2. This is theoretically grammatical, but awkward. It goes without saying that people should not make plans that outline how to waste time. This is like the teacher saying: "Students, you all shall not move in a way that makes you fall off your chair." This is grammatically correct, but who would bother saying something so obvious as this?
3. and 4. T
2. This is theoretically grammatical, but awkward. It goes without saying that people should not make plans that outline how to waste time. This is like the teacher saying: "Students, you all shall not move in a way that makes you fall off your chair." This is grammatically correct, but who would bother saying something so obvious as this?
3. and 4. T
00
Anonymous5. This is okay.
Thank you for answering my question.Could you please answer
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