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addict
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pirates picnicked ...
very happy-go-lucky pirates, those!!
...edit:
Whoops!! ...just realised you meant turned over to clean or some such thing. We have three versions now of what happened to said ship...come in, WW.
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Thanks, Shanks. That's exactly what I needed to know: transitive verbs must take direct objects.
Now I need to go take a look at my AHD and check it out--make sure that those verbs that can go either way (transitive and intransitive) are listed as such. You will have set my heart at ease. I do hope you're right.
In the case of the pirate example, I find the sentence grammatically incorrect because in my way of thinking, that use of 'buried' requires a direct object. If 'buried' so used (or interpreted) is a transitive verb in the sentence, then the sentence is ungrammatical because the verb is without a direct object. I'm wasting too many words here--sorry to be so wordy.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Posts: 2,154 |
Dr. Bill Great mental image of pirates at a genteel Olde English style picnic drinking tea (crossthread) with their pinkies crooked and the crusts cut off their cucumber sandwiches. 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
Alongside the ship careened by the tropical shore, a group of pirates buried beneath a coconut tree.
This is supposed to be an ungrammatical sentence, pure and simple. I'm trying to figure out why it's ungrammatical.
Here's a slight improvement brought about by a change of word order:
Alongside the careened ship by the tropical shore, a group of pirates buried beneath a coconut tree.
And here's a second improvement brought about by providing a direct object:
Alongside the careened ship by the tropical shore, a group of pirates buried treasure beneath a coconut tree.
I think without the direct object, the sentence is hopelessly ungrammatical. Can pirates bury beneath a coconut tree? Don't they have to bury something beneath that same tree?
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I suppose the group of pirates could be bothe the subject and the direct object, according to the movies they spent a lot of time burying each other for one reason or another.
My first thought on reading the original sentance was the ship was careening alongside what. Does careening mean turned over for repairs? I could LIU but I have to go home and ice cupcakes for youth group.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes, Zed; ships were careened for repairs and for barnacle removal since barnacles slowed the ships down. Often ships would go into safe harbor where they were careened (tilted on their sides and secured with ropes to objects on land such as trees) so that repairs/cleaning could be carried out.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Posts: 2,154 |
Aha so that's why the word came to mean going fast  definitely leaving now or I will be late.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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No, no! Don't leave, Zed! It's 'career' you're thinking of! Faldage has written at length about the careen/career confusion!
From Onelook.com:
verb: move headlong at high speed (Example: "The cars careered down the road")
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Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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The pirates had to have ship faster than their victims.
Marine growths could reduce speed by as much as 30% for a guess. I still remember the stuff that grew on the lifelines hanging over side of troopship. I think I told a couple members story about a little adventure in Funafuti atoll. Will PM to anyone who wants to hear it.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Is Funafuti the capital of Tuvalu? If I'm right, I promise you on my word on honor, wwh, I did not liu; it was memory of a map song from a while back. If I'm incorrect, oh, well. Won't be the first or last time. At least I'll be in the approximate geographical area! Ha! Suva, Figi...et al
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