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andrey
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 11:02 am
Post subject: gerund |
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Hello.
Please, consider the following sentence: "this enables us temperature
controlling".
I would rewrite it thus: "this enables us temperature control" OR
"this enables us controlling of temperature" (or not)
Now, consider the following sentence: "this improves hardness
measuring".
I would change it in the same way as previous sentences. Problem is,
the latter one was written by those who supposedly know English well.
Still, it gives me problem.
In these constructions, what would you suggest?
Many thanks
andrey
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meirman
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 12:24 pm
Post subject: Re: gerund |
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In alt.english.usage on 6 Sep 2004 22:02:17 -0700 chitih@ihug.co.nz
(andrey) posted:
| Quote: | Hello.
Please, consider the following sentence: "this enables us temperature
controlling".
|
First, remove "us" from all of these examples. "Gives" and "permits"
could use "us" like you do, but do not have to. "Enables" doesn't use
the word.
| Quote: | I would rewrite it thus: "this enables us temperature control" OR
"this enables us controlling of temperature" (or not)
|
Either the first version or rearranged, ...the control of temperature.
| Quote: | Now, consider the following sentence: "this improves hardness
measuring".
I would change it in the same way as previous sentences. Problem is,
the latter one was written by those who supposedly know English well.
|
It's ok as is. If they are from New Zealand, I'm pretty sure they
know English well. I can also imagine ways to rephrase it, but
without knowing more about what it means, and since you didn't exactly
ask, I'm not going to try.
| Quote: | Still, it gives me problem.
In these constructions, what would you suggest?
Many thanks
andrey
|
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 20 years |
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Michael DeBusk
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:06 pm
Post subject: Re: gerund |
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On 6 Sep 2004 22:02:17 -0700, andrey <chitih@ihug.co.nz> wrote:
| Quote: | I would rewrite it thus: "this enables us temperature control" OR
"this enables us controlling of temperature" (or not)
|
I would write, "This allows us to control the temperature".
| Quote: | Now, consider the following sentence: "this improves hardness
measuring".
|
"This improves our ability to measure hardness."
| Quote: | In these constructions, what would you suggest?
|
My personal preference, in writing such material, is to write to the
reader. That is to say, decide what problems the reader is trying to
solve by reading the material, and then write in such a way as to
communicate, "Here is your problem, and here is what you do about it."
I prefer to assume that a person reading such material is under some
measure of stress, and the simpler I can make the language for them,
the more success they are likely to have with it. I like to avoid such
things as complex syntax, passive voice, long sentences, jargon, and
words with more than two or three syllables.
--
Michael DeBusk, Co-Conspirator to Make the World a Better Place
Did he update http://home.earthlink.net/~debu4335/ yet?
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Daniel James
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 3:39 pm
Post subject: Re: gerund |
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In article news:<ba2381c2.0409062102.553bed85@posting.google.com>,
Andrey wrote:
| Quote: | Please, consider the following sentence: "this enables us temperature
controlling".
|
This enables us to control temperature.
This gives us control of temperature.
This gives us temperature control.
This makes it possible to control the temperature.
This makes controlling the temperature possible.
| Quote: | I would rewrite it thus: "this enables us temperature control" OR
"this enables us controlling of temperature" (or not)
|
Neither of those is any better than the original. The first is OK
without the word "us":
This enables temperature control.
The second would be better as:
This enables control of the temperature.
"Controlling" is more likely to be found in more complex constructions
such as:
This knob is for controlling the temperature.
Even cooking is ensured by carefully controlling the termerature.
Cheers,
Daniel. |
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