Grammar Question

Erica · Post by **Erica** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 1:45 am

have a grammar question that one of my students has stumped me with.

Does the prespoitional phrase determine the position of the verb in this sentence?

What do you think ARE the main aims in an English speaking academic essay?

Why is this used instead of:

What do you think the main aims ARE in an English speaking academic essay?

or

In an English speaking academic essay, what do you think the main aims ARE?

Thanks!

sonya · Post by **sonya** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:47 am

they're all grammatical, but the first sounds best out of context. In the second, emphasis is placed on the are and makes the "in an English essay" an adjunct, optional to the sentence. In the third, it ends on the verb, which is a bit weird -- but that's okay, it just places emphasis on the "in an English essay" by preposing it.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:57 am

I also like the first phrasing: one can imagine an answer to the essay question beginning thus: 'The main aims in an academic essay (written in English) are (or should be)...' (that is, the respondent could lift/begin with the whole bit after the first phrasing's verb, then stick that same verb after all that to continue the essay).

Hmm, what if we changed the 'what do you think (...) are' to just ''outline', 'list' or some other equally terse imperative (could always combine this with 'what you think (...) are', though)...