Author Topic: A syntax query  (Read 5107 times)

Michael E. Galario

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A syntax query
« on: February 23, 2019, 03:41:38 PM »
Hi sir Joe,

I hope you are doing ok.

I would just like to ask you regarding the structure of the below conditional sentence.

      "If INTERESTED, kindly send me a message."

I am not just quite sure if the form of the verb in the "if-clause" is correct or if it is possible in mixed conditionals.

I always find this structure being used by job advertisers on Facebook.

Shouldn't it be written as " If you ARE INTERESTED, kindly send me a message"?


Thank you.


Mike

« Last Edit: February 23, 2019, 03:46:53 PM by Michael E. Galario »
"The only thing that's worse than not knowing how to do something is to do something wrong while believing that it's right."

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Joe Carillo

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Re: A syntax query
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2019, 05:44:23 PM »
I'm doing well, Mike, thank you!

You're right in thinking that something's grammatically missing in this sentence: "If interested, kindly send me a message." Indeed, as you suggest, the scrupulously correct way to construct that sentence is this: "If you are interested, kindly send me a message." However, in their best conversational English, most native English speakers--confidently and without batting an eyelash about its syntax--actually would say or write that sentence without the subject "you" and the verb "are" in the "if clause: "If interested, kindly send me a message."

What you've stumbled upon is what's known in English as the elliptical sentence. It is a form of a sentence that knocks off some of its words or phrases for brevity’s sake, taking for granted that the reader or listener—aware of the context—would just logically fill in the gaps with the missing grammatical elements. For instance, before being ellipted, a sentence may read this way: “You may go when you’re done with your weekly report.” That sentence can drop the words “you may” and “with your weekly report assignments” to come up with this ellipted, short-and-sweet statement: “Go when you’re done.”



To form an elliptical sentence, typically dropped are the subject and verb in the conditional clause, as what happened to both "you" and "are" in the sentence you presented: "If interested, kindly send me a message." You incorrectly surmised that the form of the verb in "if"-clause of that ellipted sentence is "interested." In fact, that word isn't a verb but an adjective, which is all that remains of the "if"-clause after both its subject "you" and verb "are" were ellipted or dropped. Typically, a clause is ellipted when both its subject and operative verb are dropped without changing or substantially altering its intended sense or meaning.

For a better understanding and appreciation of elliptical sentences, I am providing links to several discussions about it in the Forum over the years.

FURTHER READINGS ON ELLIPTICAL SENTENCES:
Elliptical sentences often read and sound better than regular sentences (2010)
Deconstructing and understanding those puzzling elliptical sentences (2011)
The difference between elliptical sentences and elliptical clauses (2018)
« Last Edit: February 23, 2019, 05:51:20 PM by Joe Carillo »

Michael E. Galario

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Re: A syntax query
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2019, 02:36:24 AM »
Great to hear that you are doing well, sir Joe!

Thank you for clarifying this and thank you too for the links. I will definitely read it to review myself about the elliptical sentences.

I was also thinking about the elliptical structure when I first saw the said post. However, I wasn't just so sure about it.

Also, I have noticed that people nowadays seemed to write the way they speak, which, for me, could make the teaching and learning of a second language pretty challenging for both teachers and students.  

How I wish there was a rule in this language advising us to leave the grammar of spoken English in Spoken English and the grammar of written English in written English.

This, i think, will somehow clear the issue that blurs the line between appropriacy and grammaticality, and the opposing views between the purists and the descriptivists.

One good example would be the "me" and "I" issue in the sentence "It's I/me".

Using the grammar of spoken English, the statement "It is me" is perfectly grammatical and appropriate if spoken. If it is to be analyzed in the written form, we could say that the statement "It is me" is grammatical but not appropriate. So, if it will be written, the nominative case should be used, which is "It's I".

It would also be better if grammaticality of a language would be analyzed based on whether the native speakers produce or make use of whatever language structure that is in question or not. But, of course, this is next to impossible. =)




« Last Edit: February 24, 2019, 03:02:48 AM by Michael E. Galario »
"The only thing that's worse than not knowing how to do something is to do something wrong while believing that it's right."

Remember: We may know something but definitely not everything.