關於句子Grammar研究(1)

2012-10-20 7:43 am

I found these sentences, I don't know if they are grammatically correct, in my friend's writings. Please give me a lecture and don't be too flippant because I'd really like to know about the answers.
You can answer in either English or Chinese.

1.As important are the extensive efforts to build an image of China as a righteous actor on the world stage.
Question: Before the above sentence, the write indicated other important factors. I want to ask what the sentence structure is used in the above sentence. Why would that sentence miss the subject?

2.Activists camped outside the government offices to protest against the autocracy have vowed to continue their hunger strike indefinitely.
Question: It seems like the word camp here should have been used as an intransitive verb(vi.) rather than a transitive verb. And the usage of the passive voice "Activists (who were) camped outside, blah, blah, blah, makes no sense to me. Do you agree?

3.Dare I say that I have heard the same scaremongering as long as I have lived here.
Question: Why not I dare say that XXX? Any believable reference that demonstrates the usage of it (Dare I say that XXXX.) ?

4.The voices of derision continue, criticising values, cleanliness, politeness, and even fashion sense.
Question: Is this sentence grammatically correct?

Would it be...
"The voices of derision, criticising values, cleanliness, politeness, and even fashion sense, continue."

Or, more clearly, "The voices of derision, which are criticising values, cleanliness, politeness, and even fashion sense, continue."?

回答 (1)

garlic2010

2012-10-20 11:56 pm

✔ 最佳答案

1. "the extensive efforts to build an image of China as a righteous actor on the world stage" is the subject of this sentence.

It is the same as saying
The extensive efforts to build an image of China as a righteous actor on the world stage is as important (as other previously mentioned factors).

2. Using past participle "camped" to describe activists is a mistake.
Camp is an intransitive verb and there is no reason to use passive voice.

The sentence should be either
Activists who camped outside the government offices to protest against the autocracy have vowed to continue their hunger strike indefinitely.
or
Activists camping outside the government offices to protest against the autocracy have vowed to continue their hunger strike indefinitely.

3. Dare I say is the same as I dare say but with a stronger emphasis on the validity of my words. And more importantly, you know that your words will likely disappoint or annoy some people.
(http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/dare%20i%20say%20it) just one of the many links.

4. The sentence is correct. Criticizing is a present participle. Your revised sentence are not the same as the original.

In the original sentence, It is the voices of derision that criticize values, cleanliness, politeness, and even fashion sense.

Your first revision put criticizing values, cleanliness, politeness, and even fashion sense in the position of the subject.
Cleanliness and politeness are the targets of voices of derision. How can they stand side by side as the subject of the sentence?

Your second revision is closer in meaning to the original sentence. A present participle phrase conveys the action or power of the voices of derision whereas your second sentence only describes such voices.

2012-10-20 16:01:11 補充：
correction to #1: are instead of is

The extensive efforts to build an image of China as a righteous actor on the world stage are as important (as other previously mentioned factors).

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