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DECIDING

المؤلف:  R.M.W. Dixon

المصدر:  A Semantic approach to English grammar

الجزء والصفحة:  274-8

2023-04-04

1343

DECIDING

Decide (on) and related verbs have two senses: (a) a reasoned judgement about the present or past, e.g. I decided that it was too cold to cycle to work today; and (b) an intention regarding the future, e.g. I decided that I would drive instead. They may take THAT or WH- complement clauses in both senses. Corresponding to sense (b) there can be a Modal (FOR) TO or a WH-TO construction, e.g. I decided to drive today, I’ll decide when to drive. The Decision-Maker most frequently thinks about something that concerns themself; complement clause subject (plus for) is omitted when it is coreferential with the main clause subject, as in the example just given. But it is possible for the subjects to differ, e.g. I decided for Mary to make the sandwiches and John the scones. The for may not then be omitted, after decide, determine or resolve, since the main verb relates to the complete activity referred to by the complement clause, not specifically to its subject. Choose can, however, be used to address the complement clause subject, as when addressing a class of children: I choose Mary to carry the banner; the for is then omitted.

 

Decide (on) and determine (on)—but not resolve or choose—can relate to some durational activity, and may then take an ING complement, e.g. I decided/determined on re-laying the lawn while Mary is away on vacation in Florida.

 

Most THINKING verbs may take a Judgement TO complement—compare I think/know/believe that John is stupid with I think/ know/believe John to be stupid. The Judgement TO construction is only marginally acceptable with verbs from the CONCLUDE subtype of THINKING, e.g. ?I concluded/inferred/argued John to be stupid. It is quite unacceptable with DECIDING verbs, e.g. I decided that John is stupid, but not *I decided John to be stupid. It seems that Judgement TO can only be related to some straightforward impression or opinion, not to the result of a process of reasoning.