Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

What does "without compounding it" mean?


"It's like most families -- we rally round while someone's in a state.

"We're trying to take a load off ... it's a hellish situation for them without compounding it by making them go through other trials."
_________________
Hiromichi

[Lorikeet]

"without compounding it" means "without making it worse."

[hiromichi]

Lorikeet, Thank you. So it means: The situation becomes worse if they go through other trials. Am I right?
_________________
Hiromichi

[Philo Kevetch]

Hello Hiromichi -

(Lorikeet - Hope you don't mind if I 'chime in'.)

Think of 'compounding' as 'adding to' or 'increasing' the problem'.

Are you familiar with the banking term 'compound interest'?

-an increase by an increment that itself increases
(by geometric/exponential proportions)

The family is going through the 'trial' (difficulty) of losing a child...

adding another 'trial' (legal proceedings) would make their situation (suffering) worse.

....progressively 'much' worse. Philo

[hiromichi]

Philo Kevetch, Thank you, but I cannot understand the sentence structure. Is it " Subject+be+Complement"? And a Complement consists of two clauses. What are relationships between them?
_________________
Hiromichi

[Anuradha Chepur]

"We're trying to take a load off ... it's a hellish situation for them without compounding it by making them go through other trials."

If I can have my say, I would guess what was actually intended is:


"We're trying to take a load off ... it's a hellish situation for them and we don't want to compound it by making them go through other trials."
(I'm only guessing and you needn't stick to what I say.)


But if so, then the part after 'and' is adjunct to "it's a hellish situation for them".
Within the adjunct, "We don't want to compound it" is the main clause and "by making them go through other trials" is it's complement.

[hiromichi]

Anuradha Chepur,
Now I get it. The relatives are definately embarassed.
Let's see what will develop in the case.
Thank you very much for your reply.

N.B. In my question "clauses" should have been "phrases."
_________________
Hiromichi