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MoneyMike
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
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 Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:01 pm Post subject: Grammar Q for ya! |
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Hey folks,
Got a grammar Q that I can't properly explain to my co-teachers.
2 sentences:
Then let your actions speak rather than allowing yourself to fall down to their level.
American film-makers sought to entertain audiences rather than preserve outstanding theatrical performance.
Why is the verb after the rather than in the first sentence an 'ing' verb while the second one is not?
Thanks! |
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soomin
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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I believe this is the correct explanation... but please correct me if I'm wrong ^.^
The first sentence is present progressive (happening and continuing to happen), so it needs -ing. If you let your actions speak, you are stopping the action of allowing yourself to fall to their level.
The second sentence is all about "sought" which is a past tense verb. If you break it up, you could say "American film makers sought to entertain audiences. American film-makers sought to preserve outstanding theatrical performance." (or, more correctly American film-makers did not seek to preserve outstanding theatrical performance" |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 11:42 pm Post subject: Re: Grammar Q for ya! |
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| MoneyMike wrote: |
Hey folks,
Got a grammar Q that I can't properly explain to my co-teachers.
2 sentences:
Then let your actions speak rather than allowing yourself to fall down to their level.
American film-makers sought to entertain audiences rather than preserve outstanding theatrical performance.
Why is the verb after the rather than in the first sentence an 'ing' verb while the second one is not?
Thanks! |
hmm...
This is a rather complicated grammar structure.
However, to keep this as simple as possible, it is important to compare the right components with 'rather than'
You have asked why the first verb uses 'ing'
But...allowing...is not the comparative being used with 'rather than'
That is 'fall'...which is using the same tense as 'speak'
Then let your actions speak rather than allowing yourself to fall down to their level.
The reason for 'to fall' is that 'allow' requires the infinitive. - allow to fall
If we reword that a bit...we can get an easier comparison
Let your actions speak, rather than (let your actions) fall down to their level.
It is the same in sentence two
sought to entertain rather than preserve
Again...sought requires the infinitive to
In the long form
sought to entertain rather than sought to preserve
Hope this is useful. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject: Re: Grammar Q for ya! |
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| MoneyMike wrote: |
Hey folks,
Got a grammar Q that I can't properly explain to my co-teachers.
2 sentences:
Then let your actions speak rather than allowing yourself to fall down to their level.
American film-makers sought to entertain audiences rather than preserve outstanding theatrical performance.
Why is the verb after the rather than in the first sentence an 'ing' verb while the second one is not?
Thanks! |
Me thinks that both of them could be re-written using the other form of the verb.
1) Then let your actions speak rather than falling down to their level.
2) American film-makers were set on entertaining audiences rather than preserving outstanding theatrical performance.
I think the rather than part is not the problem it's just a question of
colocation. |
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MoneyMike
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks folks, that helps a lot. |
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