independent or independently
Marc
A may act independently of B.
Or
A may act independent of B.
Jamie Webb
news:9p2579$1i56$1...@agate.berkeley.edu...
> Which is correct and why?
As usual, both are correct.
> A may act independently of B.
`Independently' is an adverb. It describes how A may act: in this case it is
without dependence on B.
Compare to: `A may act foolishly', i.e. `A's behaviour may be foolish'
> A may act independent of B.
`Independent' is an adjective. It describes A, however in this case A may
only act that way, and may not be independent in truth.
Compare to: `A may act foolish', i.e. `A may pretend to be foolish'.
A related phrase is: `A may act, independent of B'. Here, the noun described
by `independent' is not A, but `the fact that A may act'. The phrase is
therefore equivalent to 'A may act, whether or not B
agrees/happens/whatever'.
-- Jamie Webb
Steve Hayes
A is correct, because "independently" is an adverb modifying "act", which here
is a verb.
B is incorrect because independent is an adjective, and there is no noun that
it qualifies.
You could, however, say "A's act was independent of B's."
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/steve.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Mark Brader
>> A may act independently of B.
> [The second one] is incorrect because independent is an adjective,
> and there is no noun that it qualifies.
No, there is "A". Both are correct.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "...and if sooner or later your revels must be ended,
m...@vex.net | well, at least you reveled." --Roger Ebert
Steve Hayes
>"Marc" asked about:
>>> A may act independently of B.
>>> A may act independent of B.
>
>Steve Hayes writes:
>> [The second one] is incorrect because independent is an adjective,
>> and there is no noun that it qualifies.
>
>No, there is "A". Both are correct.
Then I don't understand the sentence at all.
If "independent" is an adjective qualifying A, then it means "Independent A
may act of B".
What's that supposed to mean?
John Holmes
"Steve Hayes" <haye...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3bb6aad3...@news.saix.net...
> On Sat, 29 Sep 2001 17:02:10 +0000 (UTC), m...@vex.net (Mark Brader)
wrote:
>
> >"Marc" asked about:
> >>> A may act independently of B.
> >>> A may act independent of B.
> >
> >Steve Hayes writes:
> >> [The second one] is incorrect because independent is an adjective,
> >> and there is no noun that it qualifies.
> >
> >No, there is "A". Both are correct.
>
> Then I don't understand the sentence at all.
>
> If "independent" is an adjective qualifying A, then it means
"Independent A
> may act of B".
>
> What's that supposed to mean?
The only sense I can make of the second sentence is that A is dependent
on B, but is feigning independence. It does not mean the same as the
first sentence.
--
Regards
John