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 #2 (permalink) Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:36 am What's (there) to know? |
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Hi,
'Worthwhile' needs to be followed by 'knowing'
A
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Alan
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| #3 (permalink) Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:50 pm What's (there) to know? |
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Hi Alan,
Thank you for your indication. This was really a blunder to me. I won't forget it and make the mistake again.
Many thanks again.
Haihao |
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Haihao
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| #4 (permalink) Fri Feb 09, 2007 18:34 pm What's (there) to know? |
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Your use of the infinitive should not be seen as a "blunder", Haihao. Unlike 'worth', the word 'worthwhile' can be and often is followed by an infinitive.
The rewording of your sentence depends on whether it's used rhetorically or not -- and you have already given rewordings for both.
As a straightforward question, you might also say:
What is worthwhile, necessary or important to know about this topic/situation?
An alternate rewording of the rhetorical question might be:
This topic or situation is quite clear-cut, so any (further) information about it would be unnecessary and/or irrelevant.
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| #5 (permalink) Fri Feb 09, 2007 23:46 pm What's (there) to know? |
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Hi Amy,
Thank you very much for your instruction. I guess I should spend some more time chewing on what you gave me now to digest them up and I love it.
By the way, just out of curiosity, I'd like to know if the 'there' makes any difference grammatically for the idiom when it comes in as:
'What is there to know', which suggests a 'there is...' structure whereas 'What is to know' a SVO: 'what is (the big deal) to know (about). I know this is not a big deal but just like to make sure. Could you help me with it? Thank you.
Haihao |
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Haihao
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| #6 (permalink) Sat Feb 10, 2007 0:07 am What's (there) to know? |
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Hi Haihao,
Perhaps I should have expanded on my first comment:
| Quote: |
| 'Worthwhile' needs to be followed by 'knowing' |
I indicated the use of the 'ing' form in that sentence where what you are saying is the 'action' 'the activity' ie the 'knowing' is worthwhile.
If you say: It's worthwhile to know this information, this is really a contraction of It's worth your/my/her/ while to know this information where the emphasis switches to a personal subject in contrast to the first sentence where there is an impersonal construction.
A
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Alan
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| #7 (permalink) Sat Feb 10, 2007 0:42 am What's (there) to know? |
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Hi Alan,
Many thanks again. Frankly speaking, the deeper and subtler part of the ideas behind the two words was beyond me then but I happily think I have a much clearer picture about them now.
Haihao |
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Haihao
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