Concerning past participles\verbs:

[5jj]

Yes, that's right, but we say, "in a most interesting way". I thought it was a similar thing here, but my searches prove it isn't. I found only one author thinking my way:

She hasn't got a faintest idea and she doubts that her parents care.

We can use 'most' with a similar meaning to 'very', but we cannot use -est in this way.

My search for 'a faintest idea' came up with the same results as yours, though I also found:
"The only impressions from his heavy sleep which touched him with a faintest trace were mysteriously, elusively compounded of plumed candle flame, drumming rain, a ship held by ice, huddled sheep, and a malignant shadow stooped-muttering over a desk or table or bench in a room or a cell he thought he might have been able to recognize if only he could have opened his eyes." (BNC did not say where this came from.)

I think I could just about accept this second one as poetic high style, but faintest idea appears to always follow the standard pattern.

 

[JIM1984]

Hold the front page! Hollywood has just called, the say they want to make this thread into a movie. It's brilliant they said, and before I asked them how come they hadn't called sooner! Some people never learn!

LEARNING ZONE > I like to finish my threads quickly.

In this case the phrase to finish does the following job: It is the object of the finite verb like - therefore to finish is similar to a noun (because being an object is a noun's job). The verb, or phrase, to finish is a non finite verb, and these types of verbs with a 'to' in front ( to drink, to play, etc) are also called infinitives. This then is an example of an infinitive as a noun.
The phrase to finish does another job as well. It also acts as a verb (since verbs have objects). The object here is threads.
To sum up, the is an example, of an infinitive acting as both a noun and as a verb.
To be clear: I *** am not a teacher***, but I'm pretty sure about the example above. But my motto from here on is that if nobody contradicts me I'll assume, at least on behalf of myself, the correctness of that advanced!

 

[Bamako2]

Hold the front page! Hollywood has just called, the say they want to make this thread into a movie. It's brilliant they said, and before I asked them how come they hadn't called sooner! Some people never learn!

:roll:

In this case the phrase to finish does the following job: It is the object of the finite verb like

Unfortunatelly, you are wrong. The whole non-finite clause is the object of like.

To sum up, the is an example, of an infinitive acting as both a noun and as a verb.

Egregious. :down:

 

[birdeen's call]

I agree with Bamako, so I would only like to point out that post #42 has nothing to do with post #1, so its proper place is in a new thread. (Yes, I know. I asked unrelated questions in this thread too. I'm sorry.)

 

[JIM1984]

:roll:




Unfortunatelly, you are wrong. The whole non-finite clause is the object of like.

You are probably right regards the whole finite clause etc. At the same time, I am not entirely persuaded I am wrong. Being an object is a noun's job, and to finish is similar to a noun! In fact, I would put good money on my definition's acceptability. You are however, in respect of the stupid smiley, very wrong about Hollywood not having been in touch. I'm waving the contract about as I speak... rustle, rustle - can you hear that?



Egregious. :down:[/QUOTE]

 

[JIM1984]

I agree with Bamako, so I would only like to point out that post #42 has nothing to do with post #1, so its proper place is in a new thread. (Yes, I know. I asked unrelated questions in this thread too. I'm sorry.)

I appreciate your observation, and very correct you are about the need for my previous submission requiring to have been a new thread.

 

[JIM1984]

Egregious. :down:[/QUOTE] Originally posted by Bamako 2

I appreciate now, having had the issue brought to my attention by Birdeen, that this thread should be, and should have been, confined to the original topic - past participles\verbs. And I'll concede to have been the biggest culprit strayed. That said, I am, like yourself Bamako 2, new to the procedures of these forums, and as a consequence don't feel the need to be too severe on myself. And to highlight this, I'm to take another downright diabolical liberty: by relaying to your good self that while neither was the tread ever intended to be about vocabulary, per se, but that that is something which also, to be blunt, would have been to your distinct advantage as the case stands. You're probably asking yourself why, why on earth? Well ignoring what is, let's face it, a mere quibble about yon adjective egregious masqueraded as a sentence, there's a more fundamental point entirely. If you have a gawk into a dictionary you'll find yourself an appraisee of some useful titbit that allows said adjective, egregious, for something outstandingly bad, or kindred. That should, for even the most suspicious person alive, that's not to say gormless, absolve entirely my contention regarding to finish etc of any blame in such regard. Be good now!

 

[JIM1984]

I agree with Bamako, so I would only like to point out that post #42 has nothing to do with post #1, so its proper place is in a new thread. (Yes, I know. I asked unrelated questions in this thread too. I'm sorry.)

Actually Birdeen, now that I think about it, post# 42 has everything to do with post #1. Using to finish as an example of a non finite verb is perfectly in keeping with my query about participles\verbs. There are three groups of non finite verbs (also called verbals); infinitives; gerunds; and participles. And to finish is an example of an infinitive.

 

[JIM1984]

Sorry to anybody having previously read post #47 - for better or worse, I've re-edited.

 

[Bamako2]

Unfortunatelly,

unfortunate + ly

 

[Bamako2]

LEARNING ZONE > I like to finish my threads quickly.

What I like is [PRO] to finish my threads quickly.

to finish = V
my threads = Od
quickly = adjunct

 

[Bamako2]

I appreciate now, having had the issue brought to my attention by Birdeen, that this thread should be, and should have been, confined to the original topic - past participles\verbs. And I'll concede to have been the biggest culprit strayed. That said, I am, like yourself Bamako 2, new to the procedures of these forums, and as a consequence don't feel the need to be too severe on myself. And to highlight this, I'm to take another downright diabolical liberty: by relaying to your good self that while neither was the tread ever intended to be about vocabulary, per se, but that that is something which also, to be blunt, would have been to your distinct advantage as the case stands. You're probably asking yourself why, why on earth? Well ignoring what is, let's face it, a mere quibble about yon adjective egregious masqueraded as a sentence, there's a more fundamental point entirely. If you have a gawk into a dictionary you'll find yourself an appraisee of some useful titbit that allows said adjective, egregious, for something outstandingly bad, or kindred. That should, for even the most suspicious person alive, that's not to say gormless, absolve entirely my contention regarding to finish etc of any blame in such regard. Be good now!

You talk too much.

 

[JIM1984]

You talk too much.

Too much or too little - 'tis a matter of opinion.