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Updated on
4 Mar 2017
- English (US) Near fluent
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Korean
Question about English (US)
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
"The food placing on the table attracted a large number of flies".
i think that's correct but weird because there should be "placed" instead of "placing", right?
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
"The food placing on the table attracted a large number of flies".
i think that's correct but weird because there should be "placed" instead of "placing", right?
"The food placing on the table attracted a large number of flies".
i think that's correct but weird because there should be "placed" instead of "placing", right?
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- English (US)
You are right, this sentence is awkward and as it is you should use placed instead of placing as without a specific agent, a past participle (placed) is used to describe the action done to "the food". However, if you add an agent - e.g. the food SHE WAS placing on the table - it becomes grammatically correct, although you will find this phrasing to be not as common among native speakers. Hope that helped!
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- English (US) Near fluent
- Indonesian
- Javanese
- English (US)
@achadhinugraha Yes I think it is - just because as it has been written 'the food' is the grammatical subject of the sentence even though it is actually an object (someone placed the food) so it is a false subject. Using 'ing' form with a false subject makes it seem as though the food is doing the action, the "placing". To use 'ing' form you probably want to put the food in the position of the object and add a true subject : she was placing the food, which was attracting a large number of flies, on the table. hope that helps!
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- English (US) Near fluent
- Indonesian
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