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Re: A few problems

Posted by R. Berg on June 28, 2003

In Reply to: Could you solve a few problems in this short passage for me? posted by sphinx on June 28, 2003

: Beckham, 28, signed a four-year contract with the Spanish team and he is expected to earn around 7 million dollars a year.

: Real Madrid is the only club that can match United's appeal. And Beckham, one of the best-selling men in the world, will provide plenty of chances for them to making money.
: (I think this sentence pattern should be "provide something for somebody to DO something", not "provide sth. for sb. to DOING sth.")

: Beckham lead a celebrity lifestyle that has not always been liked by his coach Alex Ferguson. Although Beckham joined United as a schoolboy and once called Ferguson "his second father", their relationship has been difficult in the last few years.

: After United was knocked out of the FA Cup in February, an angry Ferguson kicked a boot in the changing room. It cut Beckham above the eye.
: ("an" angry Ferguson? Ferguson's name is not mentioned for the first time here, so I think it should be "the". Or is it used to emphasis something?)

: thanks!

#1. The sentence is indeed wrongly put together. The writer should say "for them to make money" or "for them to be making money." Mistakes like this often happen when a writer or editor changes the wording and neglects to make the change completely.

#2. "An" or "the" is acceptable. Using "an" here is the writer's way of being cute.