| Author |
Message |
Clara
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:34 pm
Post subject: Can we say? |
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Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
Thnaks a lot,
Clara
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Clara
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Stuart Duncan" <duncan.s@ihug.co.nz> a écrit dans le message de news:
cmsilk$965$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
| Quote: | I doubt that we can say that and make much sense.
Using 'to' makes more sense, but it's still a very odd sentence.
I agree that more context is necessary to understand this.
"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191c66b$0$11292$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
Thnaks a lot,
Clara
|
What about:
THE careful listening OF his speech tired me a lot?
The use of an article and of an adjective shows that this is more a noun
than a gerund. Is that the reason why OF is more appropriate than TO in this
case? Or is it?
Clara
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Freddy
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Bill Bonde ( ``And the Lamb lies down on Broadway'' )"
<stderr2@backpacker.com> wrote in message
news:4191CBE9.BC1FC874@backpacker.com...
| Quote: |
Clara wrote:
Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
The sentence has a weird feel, I think, because English would usually
explicitly state who was listening to the tape. I don't see any problem
with 'to' or 'of' if you allow the rest in. Context would help.
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The context would certainly help. I think the sentence is trying to say
"Nobody had an opinion after listening to the tape."
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Stuart Duncan
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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I doubt that we can say that and make much sense.
Using 'to' makes more sense, but it's still a very odd sentence.
I agree that more context is necessary to understand this.
"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191c66b$0$11292$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
| Quote: | Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
Thnaks a lot,
Clara
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Bill Bonde ( ``And the La
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 12:34 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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Clara wrote:
| Quote: |
Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
The sentence has a weird feel, I think, because English would usually |
explicitly state who was listening to the tape. I don't see any problem
with 'to' or 'of' if you allow the rest in. Context would help. |
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rzed
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 2:00 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in
news:4191d418$0$9814$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr:
<earlier>
| Quote: | Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say
"Nobody had an opinion about the listening of the tape"? And
if so, why can't we say "to the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
/earlier |
A native speaker would not say "the listening of the tape". It's
not possible, in part because of "listening" itself, but also
because it is used with "tape". In that construction, the *tape*
would have to do the listening.
It might be possible to say something like "As a teacher, I have an
opinion about the listening of your child." although that would
also be an unlikely sentence. In that case, a child's willingness
to listen could be the subject of a discussion.
Most meanings of "listen" are intransitive; they do not act upon an
object. "Hearing", on the other hand is frequently transitive, and
it would be possible to speak about "the hearing of the tape"
(although that might lead to momentary confusion, since "hearing"
is also a noun).
| Quote: |
What about:
THE careful listening OF his speech tired me a lot?
The use of an article and of an adjective shows that this is
more a noun than a gerund. Is that the reason why OF is more
appropriate than TO in this case? Or is it?
|
No, it's not appropriate, though again "listening" is the
problematic word.
I take it that the sentence is to mean "Listening carefully to his
speech tired me greatly." "Of his speech" would mean that the
speech itself was capable of listening.
I think the key to this is the intransitivity of "listen". I can't
offhand think of an intransitive verb that could plug into that
construction.
The reading of the will -- fine
The existing of the species -- I don't think so
--
rzed |
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Jess Askin
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:02 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191d418$0$9814$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
| Quote: |
"Stuart Duncan" <duncan.s@ihug.co.nz> a écrit dans le message de news:
cmsilk$965$1@lust.ihug.co.nz...
I doubt that we can say that and make much sense.
Using 'to' makes more sense, but it's still a very odd sentence.
I agree that more context is necessary to understand this.
"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191c66b$0$11292$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had
an
opinion about the listening of the tape"? And if so, why can't we say
"to
the tape"?
Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
Thnaks a lot,
Clara
What about:
THE careful listening OF his speech tired me a lot?
The use of an article and of an adjective shows that this is more a noun
than a gerund. Is that the reason why OF is more appropriate than TO in
this
case? Or is it?
|
Clara, some gerunds can be preceded by an article, and some can't. You can
say "They attended the reading of the will," or "It was the making of him,"
but you can't say "the listening." There's no logic behind this, it's just a
question of what's common usage.
I think in the example you give, it would be best to say "Listening to his
speech tired me a lot." In fact you can use this form for practically any
gerund: "Cooking persimmons brings out their flavor," etc. |
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Adrian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:02 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191d418$0$9814$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
| Quote: | What about:
THE careful listening OF his speech tired me a lot?
The use of an article and of an adjective shows that this is more a noun
than a gerund. Is that the reason why OF is more appropriate than TO in
this
case? Or is it?
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It isn't. Who's been telling you porky pies? "Speech" cannot "listen".
Adrian |
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Adrian Bailey
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 10:02 pm
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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"Clara" <lapowell@wanadoo.fr> wrote in message
news:4191c66b$0$11292$8fcfb975@news.wanadoo.fr...
| Quote: | Hi,
Though this sentence might not be very common, can we say "Nobody had an
opinion about the listening of the tape"?
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No.
| Quote: | And if so, why can't we say "to
the tape"?
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We can.
| Quote: | Is it because the verb is a gerund in this case?
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Er..
Adrian |
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CV
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:16 am
Post subject: Re: Can we say? |
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rzed wrote:
| Quote: | Most meanings of "listen" are intransitive; they do not act upon an
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Can't think of a single case of it ever being transitive.
" ... listen the x", what x would fit here ?
Can you give an example ?
CV |
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