1
   

The two sentences

 
 
Reply Fri 4 Sep, 2009 11:33 pm


Here is two sentences:
1) She wants to marry a man powerful and wealthy.
2) She wants to marry a powerful and wealthy man.

I've learnt in an English grammar book that when two or more adjectives are used to modify a noun, one ought to put the adjectives behind the noun.

Is it true? If true, the first sentence is better than the second?



  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 458 • Replies: 9
No top replies

 
JTT
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Sep, 2009 11:40 pm
@oristarA,
It's not true, Ori. For a great deal of English, there is the normal neutral, which is what #2 is. Number 1 is certainly a possibility.

Normal neutral: He has already been there.

Not normal neutral:
[Already], He [already] has been there [already]
0 Replies
 
MontereyJack
 
  1  
Reply Fri 4 Sep, 2009 11:51 pm
Definitely not true. Number 1 sounds like someone trying overly hard to sound literary and/or pretentious. Don't know where the book got that information. I hope it does better in the other things it might have told you. People would understand 1, they just wouldn't say it themselves.. I'd say that "He's been there already." is perfectly acceptable
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 12:37 am
@MontereyJack,
I agree with California Cheese. The first sentence would be acceptable with the addition of e.g. "who is" or "who will be".

She wants to marry a man who is powerful and wealthy.
She wants to marry a man who will be powerful and wealthy.

Personally, I am glad I never met any women like that.

I would like to know the title and author of the "grammar book" where OristarA saw that information, and to see it quoted.
MontereyJack
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 01:10 am
CA? MA!
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 01:49 am
@MontereyJack,
You've confused me. Explain please?
Francis
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 02:01 am
@oristarA,
It's a private joke, Oristar.

Contrex addressed MontereyJack as California Cheese.

MJ rightly objected as Monterey Jack cheese is produced in Massachusetts (MA not CA)..

But Monterey is a California city too..
0 Replies
 
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 02:32 am
@contrex,

The author expresses in The Position of Adjectives, Chapter 9 Comparison of Adjectives:

When two or more adjectives are used to modify a noun, put them behind the noun.
The following is the examples given by the author:

1) He is a writer both witty and wise.
2) The hymnal we use is "Hymns Ancient and Modern".
3) He climbed the mountain by a route uncharted, steep and dangerous.
4) He had a face thin and worn, but eager and resolute.


The grammar book:

A
Comprehensive
English Grammar
FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
C. E. ECKERSLEY. M. A.
AND
J.M. ECKERSLEY. M. A.
LONGMAN GROUP LIMITED
London
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 02:42 am
Quote:
A Comprehensive English Grammar FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
C. E. ECKERSLEY. M. A.


Written in 1960 and old fashioned even then. Get something a bit more up-to-date.
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Sat 5 Sep, 2009 03:18 am
@contrex,
I see.
I've held his grammatical view as holy rules and now... Time to change.
Thank you.
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

deal - Question by WBYeats
Let pupils abandon spelling rules, says academic - Discussion by Robert Gentel
Please, I need help. - Question by imsak
Is this sentence grammatically correct? - Question by Sydney-Strock
"come from" - Question by mcook
concentrated - Question by WBYeats
 
  1. Forums
  2. » The two sentences
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.07 seconds on 10/11/2024 at 08:22:39