Please some kind English native speaker help me out to understand more on this sentence.
> On it is a half-broken pen that sprinkles ink when he begins to write.
> (from an English language textbook for japanese high school students)
The above sentence is part of the description upon a somebody's dream. I have a few questions as below,
1. Do you find anything strange in this sentence? If you do, what is that? And if you do, how do you want to corrent the sentence?
2. Do you infer from this sentence that the half-broken pen may not sprinkle if a person other than he begins to write?
3. Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write something with his pen, a half-broken pen on it automatically starts to sprinkle ink?
Thanks a lot in advance.
> On it is a half-broken pen that sprinkles ink when he begins to write.
> (from an English language textbook for japanese high school students)
The above sentence is part of the description upon a somebody's dream. I have a few questions as below,
1. Do you find anything strange in this sentence? If you do, what is that? And if you do, how do you want to corrent the sentence?
2. Do you infer from this sentence that the half-broken pen may not sprinkle if a person other than he begins to write?
3. Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write something with his pen, a half-broken pen on it automatically starts to sprinkle ink?
Thanks a lot in advance.
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コメント(11)
>> 1. Do you find anything strange in this sentence? If you do,
>> what is that? And if you do, how do you want to corrent the
>> sentence?
I guess it's a little strange to say "sprinkles". You would normally say "leaks". But I don't think sprinkles is wrong.
>> 2. Do you infer from this sentence that the half-broken pen may
>> not sprinkle if a person other than he begins to write?
No, I think the pen is not working and whoever uses it will have the same problem, i.e. the leaking pen.
>> 3. Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write
>> something with his pen, it automatically starts to sprinkle ink?
That is my impression.
>> what is that? And if you do, how do you want to corrent the
>> sentence?
I guess it's a little strange to say "sprinkles". You would normally say "leaks". But I don't think sprinkles is wrong.
>> 2. Do you infer from this sentence that the half-broken pen may
>> not sprinkle if a person other than he begins to write?
No, I think the pen is not working and whoever uses it will have the same problem, i.e. the leaking pen.
>> 3. Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write
>> something with his pen, it automatically starts to sprinkle ink?
That is my impression.
1> Yes, it's a bit strange to say Sprinkles, but it's acceptable.
2> No, although it's possible someone might take that meaning. Common sense would dictate that this is something which would happen to anyone.
3> You worded this question strangle. If you mean to ask "Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write something with his pen, it automatically starts to sprinkle ink? " , then yes. If you mean what you wrote (that there are two pens, the half broken one is on top of his pen, and that when he writes with his other pen, the half broken one will leak" - no, this is not the meaning I have inferred!
2> No, although it's possible someone might take that meaning. Common sense would dictate that this is something which would happen to anyone.
3> You worded this question strangle. If you mean to ask "Do you infer from this sentence that when he begins to write something with his pen, it automatically starts to sprinkle ink? " , then yes. If you mean what you wrote (that there are two pens, the half broken one is on top of his pen, and that when he writes with his other pen, the half broken one will leak" - no, this is not the meaning I have inferred!
I believe that "spit" and "sputter" could be used in lieu of "sprinkle", and impart a similar image (in mine, I envision the pen to be a fountain pen). The author of this sentence, most likely, is intending to describe something more vivid than "leak" and thus chooses a different verb. So, no: (1) no problem with the sentence.
(2): We cannot infer that the pen leaks or does not leak; it obviously leaks due to the pressure of writing, but we do not have enough information to determine whether it leaks without such pressure.
(3): "On it", I assume, refers to a desk or some other surface--such as a pad of paper. Thus it is only the (half-broken) pen that sprinkles ink "automatically".
Also, keep in mind that "half-broken" could have a few meanings. Literally, "half-broken" could mean that the pen itself is split somewhere, causing ink to leak. Or "half-broken" could refer solely to the pen's capacity to write, and the pen's body, etc. is otherwise unimpaired.
(2): We cannot infer that the pen leaks or does not leak; it obviously leaks due to the pressure of writing, but we do not have enough information to determine whether it leaks without such pressure.
(3): "On it", I assume, refers to a desk or some other surface--such as a pad of paper. Thus it is only the (half-broken) pen that sprinkles ink "automatically".
Also, keep in mind that "half-broken" could have a few meanings. Literally, "half-broken" could mean that the pen itself is split somewhere, causing ink to leak. Or "half-broken" could refer solely to the pen's capacity to write, and the pen's body, etc. is otherwise unimpaired.
1. I find this sentence weird because it has no context to it. When I first read it, I was wondering what this pen is on. In fact, this still bugs me to this very moment. Sprinkles indeed might not seem natural, but I had no problem with that.
2. From reading this I infer this pen is half-broken... and what is a half-broken pen anyway? If the pen sprinkles ink when you write, I would say it is broken. The logic behind this is that if something doesn't work the way it is intended to, it is broken. You wouldn't say a washing machine that scrubs and rinses your clothes, but doesn't drain the water half-broken. That washing machine is just broken. Anyway, the pen is broken, which means no matter who uses it it will sprinkle ink.
3. I don't understand this question. Are there two pens? One is his pen and the other is a half-broken pen?
2. From reading this I infer this pen is half-broken... and what is a half-broken pen anyway? If the pen sprinkles ink when you write, I would say it is broken. The logic behind this is that if something doesn't work the way it is intended to, it is broken. You wouldn't say a washing machine that scrubs and rinses your clothes, but doesn't drain the water half-broken. That washing machine is just broken. Anyway, the pen is broken, which means no matter who uses it it will sprinkle ink.
3. I don't understand this question. Are there two pens? One is his pen and the other is a half-broken pen?
Thanks a lot, folks, for commenting on my crazy inquiries,
3. The meaning of question 3 is,
The pen used when he begins to write and the half-broken pen on a desk (maybe?)
might not be identical.
That is, can you infer that 2 different pens may exist in the sentence?
Additionally,
4. As sprinkling is an extremely unusual phenomenon for a pen (this is about someone's dream, so....), could it be reasonable to guess that sprinkling may occur only when he starts to write?
5. Otherwise, the sentence should be written in more explicit manner as "when it is used for writing (by anybody)" etc., rather than "when he begins..." with designated subject "he"?
Thanks.
3. The meaning of question 3 is,
The pen used when he begins to write and the half-broken pen on a desk (maybe?)
might not be identical.
That is, can you infer that 2 different pens may exist in the sentence?
Additionally,
4. As sprinkling is an extremely unusual phenomenon for a pen (this is about someone's dream, so....), could it be reasonable to guess that sprinkling may occur only when he starts to write?
5. Otherwise, the sentence should be written in more explicit manner as "when it is used for writing (by anybody)" etc., rather than "when he begins..." with designated subject "he"?
Thanks.
musashino-chibashi
3. I think there is only one pen in this sentence. Here, pen is singular, and there is no mention of another pen, just a half-broken one.
4. That is what they are telling you. When someone writes with that half-broken pen, one can notice it is broken. Otherwise the pen looks like it works.
5. I don't think there is a problem with the order of the sentence. They want to describe that the pen is sitting there, and they want to specify the person using it, which in this case is the one who is dreaming. Also, he is not the subject in this sentence, the pen is. You can determine this by removing the part "When he begins to write with it". The sentence still makes sense without that phrase. That phrase is a prepositional phrase.
I hope I helped.
3. I think there is only one pen in this sentence. Here, pen is singular, and there is no mention of another pen, just a half-broken one.
4. That is what they are telling you. When someone writes with that half-broken pen, one can notice it is broken. Otherwise the pen looks like it works.
5. I don't think there is a problem with the order of the sentence. They want to describe that the pen is sitting there, and they want to specify the person using it, which in this case is the one who is dreaming. Also, he is not the subject in this sentence, the pen is. You can determine this by removing the part "When he begins to write with it". The sentence still makes sense without that phrase. That phrase is a prepositional phrase.
I hope I helped.
7: 皆フォーリンLOVE
>> From reading this I infer this pen is half-broken...
>> and what is a half-broken pen anyway? If the pen
>> sprinkles ink when you write, I would say it is broken
I would say "half-broken" is fine. In my opinion it's a pen that still works,
it just doesn't work properly i.e. it leaks.
>> From reading this I infer this pen is half-broken...
>> and what is a half-broken pen anyway? If the pen
>> sprinkles ink when you write, I would say it is broken
I would say "half-broken" is fine. In my opinion it's a pen that still works,
it just doesn't work properly i.e. it leaks.
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