ThuP wrote:
Shouldn't it be:
"Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than those that boys experience."
without (are) repeated? It makes me confused since those refer back to "the patterns of stress". I don't think we need to repeat the verb (are) here, do we?
You ask a good question. The repetition of a
verb (
are in this case) is
optional in comparison sentences. However, if
not repeating the verb creates an
ambiguous sentence, then we have to
repeat the verb.
Example when not repeating the verb is okPlants are more efficient than fungi at acquiring carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, and converting it to energy-rich sugars.Here, we
don’t have to repeat
are, since there is no ambiguity. So, we
don’t need to say:
Plants are more efficient than are fungi at acquiring carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, and converting it to energy-rich sugars.Example when not repeating the verb is not okMany teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than are those that boys experience.
Let us
expand the sentence:
Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than are patters of stress that boys experience.
Or
Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than patters of stress that boys experience are (likely to result in depression).
If we
omit the verb, then the sentence would be:
Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than those that boys experience.
Or
Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than patterns of stress that boys experience.
This sentence can be misinterpreted as:
Many teenagers undergo stress, but results of a recent study indicate that the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result in depression than (in) patterns of stress that boys experience.
In other words, the patterns of stress that girls experience are more likely to result
i) in depression than
ii) (in) patterns of stress that boys experience.
So, the patterns of stress that girls experience are
more likely to result in depression; the patterns of stress that girls experience are
less likely to result in patterns of stress that boys experience. However, this is clearly
not the intended meaning.
The repetition of the verb
are ensures that the sentence
cannot be interpreted this way.
p.s. Our book
EducationAisle Sentence Correction Nirvana discusses
comparison ambiguity, its applications and examples in significant detail. If you can PM you email-id, I can send you the corresponding section.
How would the same sentence be written in case I were to omit the verb 'are' and use only "than those of". What are the structural changes I have to make?