Short Day, Shortened Day, What's the Difference?

Recently, a young cousin of mine told us he would not be attending school a full day the coming Monday, that it would be a "short day." I suggested to him the comic image of the phrase "short day," and that he might have used the phrase "shortened day" instead. In both cases the noun "day" is given an attribution, that is, a characteristic or quality: short and shortened.

Surely, we may speak informally while describing a short or a long day. Speaking figuratively often suits the purpose of providing feelings as well as meanings. Figures of speech are more colorful. "It's been a long day" means to most people, "difficult day," while "short day" conveys mercifulness because of lessened work. Yet if we mean to convey that a school administrator has lopped off a few hours in the school day, then we technically must say that he or she shortened the day resulting in a shortened day. Though technically it is a past participle, "Shortened" put before "day" serves as an adjective: What kind of day is it? When used in the predicate part of a sentence, however, it serves as a verb: "The principal shortened the day." What action did the principal take? He shortened the day. In this particular case, "shortened" is a verb in the past tense.

Look for a discussion of present participles in future posts.

"If," Clauses of Condition, & Sequence of Tenses on SAT Writing Skills

While we're on the SAT Writing Skills prep, let's discuss a couple of concepts: The use of if to introduce a clause of condition, and proper tense sequencing which comes into play with sentences containing more than one clause which themselves contain multiple actions, real or suggested. See below the SAT sentence with significant parts put in red or bold for emphasis.

To be sure, there would be scarcely any time left over for other things if school children would have been expected to have considered all sides of every matter, on which they hold opinions.

The challenge for the test-taker is to "clean up" the sentence by making a choice of items B through E. Choice A indicates the student believes no problem exists in the sentence and may be left to stand as it is. Below, the choices:

A) if...would have been expected to have considered
B) if...should have been expected to have considered
C) if...were expected to consider
D) if...will be expected to have considered
E) if...were expected to be considered

Choice C is the correct answer given by the SAT editors, and I largely agree. The explanation given: "Would have been expected is incorrect as a verb in a clause introduced by the conjunction if ." Yet, much more may be said on the subject. My comments:

First, a definition: "a clause of condition makes a stipulation, or asserts a doubt or a possibility. The "if" stands in front of the clause itself, introducing it. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, New Edition, many possible tense sequences are possible. When the conditional "if" introduces a clause of condition, the tense sequences chosen provide specific meaning to the clause of condition and the principal clause it points to. A few options according to the OED for our (clause of condition) would have been expected to have considered, and its (principal clause) would be scarcely any time:

a) Conditional clause (principal clause) in potential mood with perfect infinitive (implying past); related verb phrase in perfect infinitive (implying past).
b) Conditional clause (principal clause) in potential mood (subjunctive "should") with perfect infinitive (implying past); related verb phrase in perfect infinitive (implying past).
c) Conditional clause (principal clause) in subjunctive mood, past tense (were expected) related verb phrase in simple infinitive. (the correct form, not just because it's the simplest)
d) Conditional clause (principal clause) in indicative mood, future tense, related verb phrase in perfect infinitive (implying past)
e) Conditional clause (principal clause) in subjunctive mood, past tense (were expected); related verb phrase in perfect infinitive,(implying past) passive voice.


Comments in order of choices: A) "would have been expected" is not required because "if" already serves that purpose. That is, "Would have" and "if" both serve the purpose of establishing a conditional or potential situation. Also, why use the perfect infinitive "to have considered." The past has already been established in the principle clause. No need for repetition. Avoid it. Choices B)& D) repeat the notion of the principal clause by repetition. E) "to be considered" is superfluous, you do not need the infinitive phrase to be in passive voice.

C) serves as the best answer: were expected to consider. Thus: The appropriate* sequence of tenses is "would be"..."were" ..."to consider."

If all this is too much to digest or recall, then practice a simple rule: generally, on these types of items, choose the briefest answer choice if you cannot grasp the grammar.

*I share a philosophy of grammar similar to that of Eric Partridge: Better to be moderate with respect to rules unless (emphasis mine) either logical or aesthetic sense be disturbed.

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Subjects of Infinitives, Ouch!

Currently, I'm preparing a few students for the SAT 1, which as you may know, now includes a Writing Skills section and an Essay to complement the long-standing Critical Reading section. Observe the following practice sentence which may or may not contain an error. The words or phrases in bold indicate a possible error except for the final possibility: e) "no error": Without the lettered answer choices, the sentence reads:

The committee had intended both you and I to speak at the assembly; however, only one of us will be able to talk. The committee a) had intended both b) you and I to speak at the assembly; c) however, d) only one of us will be able to talk. e) No error

If you selected "I" as the problem in choice "b", you were correct, but perhaps not for the reason you might have thought. The rule is: A noun (or pronoun) is in the objective case when it is used as the subject of an infinitive" according to Harper's English Grammar. Perhaps you had chosen "me" because it seems to come at the end of an elliptical prepositional phrase: "for both you and me." It looks as if "I" is in the position of object of the elliptical preposition "for" and is therefore the incorrect case. The correct case being "me." Technically, the phrase "both you and me" is adverbial.

Elliptical in grammatical terms simply means a word or words omitted which could be added to provide further meaning. In the sentence above, "me" is the subject of the infinitive "to speak" even though it is not in the subjective case. The quick explanation for this rule seems to be that larger units of syntax trump smaller units of syntax, an awkward way to put it, perhaps. The direct object of "had intended" lies embedded in the infinitive phrase "you and me to speak at the assembly." "Me" in the infinitive phrase must seemingly serve two masters: as direct object of the verb "intended" and as subject of the infinitive in its own phrase "me to speak at the assembly." "Me" maintains its direct object identity even as it serves as a subject in its own clause. Another way of looking at it might be phrased: In the world of grammatical syntax (word order), a word must hang on to its first role regardless of what other role it plays.

Nevertheless, if you get the right answer for the wrong reasons, no one seems to mind on the SAT. It still makes you eligible for the world of higher education.

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