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.
- A few problems Steve Howarth
06/28/03
- Best-selling man R. Berg 06/29/03