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Modify sentences/help
Message from beifun posted on 15-01-2011 at 15:08:33 (D | E | F)
Hello,
Could you help me please?
Thank you for your answers.
Original: The next train to arrive is from Washington.
Clearly,that train has not arrived yet.It will pull in at a future time.
recast:
1.The next train arrived is from Washington.
Can "arrived" modify "the next train"?
2.The next train arriving is from Washington.
Can "arriving" modify "the next train"?
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A complete sentence:
To increase the misery of the masses of the people, the triangle of western Europe was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides.
On the south lived the ever dangerous Mohammedans. The western coast was ravaged by the Northmen. The eastern frontier (defenceless except for the short stretch of the Carpathian mountains) was at the mercy of hordes of Huns, Hungarians, Slavs and Tartars.
1.I'm very confused about "to increase" at first glance.
It seems like:How to increase the misery of the masses? Oh,just "exposed to attacks" will make it.
The translation in another language proved my ridiculous opinion to be totally wrong.
real meaning:The condition that Europe is exposed to attacks,has simultaneously tortured the masses
2.I've changed "To increase" to "increasing" or "increased",right or not,and why?
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Edited by lucile83 on 15-01-2011 15:41
Message from beifun posted on 15-01-2011 at 15:08:33 (D | E | F)
Hello,
Could you help me please?
Thank you for your answers.
Original: The next train to arrive is from Washington.
Clearly,that train has not arrived yet.It will pull in at a future time.
recast:
1.The next train arrived is from Washington.
Can "arrived" modify "the next train"?
2.The next train arriving is from Washington.
Can "arriving" modify "the next train"?
-------------------
A complete sentence:
To increase the misery of the masses of the people, the triangle of western Europe was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides.
On the south lived the ever dangerous Mohammedans. The western coast was ravaged by the Northmen. The eastern frontier (defenceless except for the short stretch of the Carpathian mountains) was at the mercy of hordes of Huns, Hungarians, Slavs and Tartars.
1.I'm very confused about "to increase" at first glance.
It seems like:How to increase the misery of the masses? Oh,just "exposed to attacks" will make it.
The translation in another language proved my ridiculous opinion to be totally wrong.
real meaning:The condition that Europe is exposed to attacks,has simultaneously tortured the masses
2.I've changed "To increase" to "increasing" or "increased",right or not,and why?
-------------------
Edited by lucile83 on 15-01-2011 15:41
Re: Modify sentences/help from notrepere, posted on 15-01-2011 at 22:29:06 (D | E)
1.The next train arrived is from Washington. Incorrect
Can "arrived" modify "the next train"?
2.The next train arriving is from Washington.
Can "arriving" modify "the next train"? Yes, but 'arriving' is an adjective and it must be placed before the noun.
You could also say: Arriving next is the train from Washington, which would be better.
To increase the misery of the masses of the people, the triangle of western Europe was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides. This sentence doesn't make any sense. What is the objective of this exercise?
Re: Modify sentences/help from beifun, posted on 16-01-2011 at 09:16:36 (D | E)
how about "the next arriving train is from Washington"?
------------------
The latter question:
The original text was quoted from the sixth paragraph which's here:
Lien Internet
Read the context and you could understand.
I'm confused of the form "to increase",recognised it as a Adverbial Clause(purpose).But actually not true.I was wrong.
It's only a parallel statement.Why use infinitive?
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Edited by lucile83 on 16-01-2011 09:21
Re: Modify sentences/help from willy, posted on 16-01-2011 at 10:26:12 (D | E)
Hello!
"To increase the misery ..." = What increased the misery ... was that the triangle of ...
It looks like the expression: "And to crown it all, the triangle ..."
You need the infinitive, not the -ing form, to convey the idea that there was an additional problem.
Re: Modify sentences/help from may, posted on 17-01-2011 at 02:49:32 (D | E)
Hello beifun,
We need spaces after the punctuations
Regards,
Re: Modify sentences/help from notrepere, posted on 17-01-2011 at 04:50:13 (D | E)
Hello!You were right before, it is to express "purpose".
What was the purpose of exposing Western Europe to attacks? To increase the misery of the people.
Re: Modify sentences/help from willy, posted on 17-01-2011 at 08:48:11 (D | E)
Hello!
I'm sorry to disagree with you, notrepere, but I don't think the infinitive expresses a purpose of any kind whatsoever; it doesn't make sense : "the triangle" could not aim at anything.
That clause means that one more problem was added to their plight.
Kind regards
Re: Modify sentences/help from notrepere, posted on 17-01-2011 at 09:20:02 (D | E)
Hello Willy Thank you for your comment. The way I read this sentence is that the constant attacks made the people miserable. Is that not correct? Frankly, I think the sentence is poorly written because its meaning is unclear. If we changed the order of the two clauses, wouldn't we say:
The triangle of western Europe was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides, increasing the misery of the masses of the people.
In this case, we would use the "ing" form and "increasing the misery" would no longer be the purpose but a consequence of the action.
In any case, beifun, don't listen to me but follow the advice of Willy. As we say in the states, I'm just "full of hot air".
Re: Modify sentences/help from may, posted on 18-01-2011 at 03:07:13 (D | E)
Hello beifun,
I've changed "To increase" to "increasing" or "increased",right or not,and why?
As I understood, To increase brings out the consequence of "exposed to attacks", at the same time this might be the purpose that is "to increase the misery.."
However, I would say:
The triangle of western Europe was for ever exposed to attacks from three sides, which increased the misery of the masses of the people.
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