16 ms·
What I don't like in this text is the sentence without verb "Sometimes more succinct than it needs to be."
by sirk390 6y ago
What I don't like in this text is the sentence without verb "Sometimes more succinct than it needs to be."
- sebmellen 6y agoThis was enforced by Hemingway. I originally wrote "Sometimes it forces me to be more succinct than I need to be", but that was flagged as a "confusing sentence" for some reason.
- optymizer 6y ago<pedantic> I think you meant "without a predicate". </pendantic> As far as I can tell, "Sometimes more succinct than it needs to be" is grammatically incorrect because it lacks a predicate.
- achr2 6y agoIt's unreadable because the proper use of adverbs gives context. If the adverb "succinctly" was not flagged by this ridiculous app, the sentence would sound natural.
- dragonwriter 6y agoNo, it wouldn't. It would just be a freestanding adverb phrase rather than a freestanding adjective phrase.
- zimpenfish 6y ago> the sentence without verb What's "be" if it's not a verb?
- dragonwriter 6y ago> What's "be" if it's not a verb? The phrase “to be” is an infinitive verb, and in this “sentence” is a component of the adjective phrase “more succinct than it needs to be” (which is modified by the adverb “sometimes”, remaining an adjective phrase). When talking about the basic parts of a sentence (or, more generally, an independent clause), the required “verb” (the predicate) is more precisely a finite verb, which this phrase does not have. It also lacks a subject. And, for that matter, an object, though that's not generally required. It's just a freestanding adjective phrase. Sad.
- zimpenfish 6y ago> the required “verb” (the predicate) is more precisely a finite verb You mean every "sentence" must have a "finite verb"? Do you have a good url explaining that?