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#2 (permalink) Sat May 27, 2006 8:01 am One more key vs. One key more |
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| Lion wrote: |
1. Mastering of a foreign language provides one key more to open the door of medical science! 2. Mastering of a foreign language provides one more key to...
Which one is right? Is it possible to omit the prep. of ? |
Hi Lion
- "One more key" would be the most typical word order. - "One key more" is also possible, but unusual.
- I would add the word "the" if you use the word "of".
- You should change "open" to "opening" in your sentence.
These would be my suggestions:
The mastering of a foreign language provides one more key / one key more to opening the door of medical science!
Mastering a foreign language provides one more key / one key more to opening the door of medical science!
Amy _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#3 (permalink) Sun May 28, 2006 11:38 am One more key vs. One key more |
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Amy
I am totally baffled :x .
First question: Is to open wrong?
Second question: How should we(the students) know that to+ verb ing form is required?
Tom |
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Tom Guest
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#4 (permalink) Sun May 28, 2006 13:03 pm One more key vs. One key more |
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Hi Mr. Baffled ;)
I won't go so far as to say "to open" is wrong, BUT I would tend to use key + to open in a more literal sense.
There is an expression "be key to (something)" and in this expression the word key is figurative. The expression "be a key to (something)" is also used figuratively. The word "to" is a preposition in these expressions. And I'm pretty sure you know what happens to verbs after a preposition. ;) Bingo! You need the "-ing" form.
In Lion's sentence, the idea of key is figurative. Lion also mentions more than one key. And this is one more reason that I would prefer to use "opening". "One more key" indicates (in my opinion) that the word "to" has a meaning similar to "toward". In other words, it supports the idea that "to" is a preposition in the sentence.
Does that clear up the bewilderment? :D
Amy _________________ "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8316 Location: USA
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#5 (permalink) Sun May 28, 2006 16:13 pm One more key vs. One key more |
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Yes, it does :D Thanks |
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Tom Guest
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| Is this expression against idiom? | Times Magazine: |