Kibbitzer 13 | Enable v. Facilitate |
This Kibbitzer is based on one of many interesting points that came up in discussing the work of a Polish-speaking student of computing.
| Original | Revision |
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| This approach enables the analysis of the parallelism without specially focus on the implementation aspects, i.e. type of computer, architecture of the system. |
This approach enables parallelism to be analysed without a special focus on implementation aspects such as type of computer, or the architecture of the system. |
| This approach facilitates analysis of parallelism without a special focus on implementation aspects such as type of computer, or the architecture of the system.
|
The point that took up the most time in our discussion of this sentence was the complementation of enable: a quick KWIC concordance showed that the pattern with the object infinitive is dominant with this verb - for example:
1 he next 65 years. World-wide sales of Meccano enabled Hornby to develop other ideas. In 1916 he l
2 s was his nemesis. It was his confidence that enabled Dulles to give Kennedy his personal guarant
3 ay, the Golan Winery has raised $5 million to enable it to double its output in the next five yea
4 incompatible DOS/360 disc operating system to enable many buyers to use their machines. Internall
5 ting the money." The Cones Hotline, set up to enable motorists to complain or make inquiries abou
6 ge of a scheme guarantee on a rate is it does enable the calculations to be done. There's a certa
7 an alarming cash squeeze. Loans from the RBS enabled the company to remain solvent: current asse
8 orld, not least because it has a budget which enables the programme to travel the world. Presente
9 e are several more general aspects which will enable the UK to take advantage of the opportunity
10 rnment would give a lead, and parents who are enabled to get a job will pay a share of the costs
11 Philadelphia. His building techniques, which enabled workmen to put up 36 houses a day on a sing
12 t least try to learn the alphabet, which will enable you to read street signs, shop windows and m
Later more extensive examination of the data confirmed that the pattern without the infinitive accounted for less than 1% of the citations in my data, so the first of my suggested revisions appeared to be well justified. As to the second, a concordance of facilitate showed the basic verb + object pattern :
1 anean caverns. The building was designed to facilitate a natural ventilation that drew air in acr
2 n, tabled a motion demanding legislation to facilitate a referendum on a single currency. Last ni
3 termining the outcome of an election. Money facilitates access to the scattered electorate. It fi
4 networks or proposals, as in the States, to facilitate computer surveillance, CommUnity will be i
5 Criminal Cases Review Body should work "to facilitate early legislation". The promised new body
6 to voters, were a last-minute compromise to facilitate Inkatha's late entry into the election. Un
7 ed about this right, no procedures exist to facilitate making a complaint, and no advocacy or rep
8 cal institutes abroad'' in fact sponsor and facilitate research not just in archaeology but in a
9 t also took away. Improved printing methods facilitated the cheap reproduction of prints for the
10 you from head to foot. This is supposed to facilitate the flow of electricity. After he finishes
11 the application of conciliatory measures to facilitate the success of the national conference.' B
12 f a national government. Unosom is ready to facilitate these meetings and has constantly pressed
When I offered the student the choice of the two suggested revisions, he thought for a moment and then suggested that better than either of them might be the simple 'This approach makes it possible to analyse parallelism without ...'. I was happy to admit that this makes a more civilised sentence that either of my revisions: a good example of a successful 'negotiation' between student and consultant!
| 5th November 1996 |
Consultant: Tim Johns |
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Back to Tim Johns EAP page |