OG12-24，OG12-118 解密OG“自相矛盾”的两个说法

24. In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that are the organism’s trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it.
(A) trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it
(B) trying that it metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant
(C) attempt to try to metabolize, or render harmless, such a chemical irritant
(D) attempt to try and metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritating it
(E) attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

此处OG对AB的解释是“The -ing form of a verb can be used as a noun (e.g., running is her favorite sport), but it is often awkward, particularly when used with a possessive, as in this case.”

但是在118题

118. The World Wildlife Fund has declared that global warming, a phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels, will create havoc among migratory birds by altering the environment in ways harmful to their habitats.

(A) a phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels,
(B) a phenomenon most scientists agree that is caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings,

(C) a phenomenon that most scientists agree is caused by human beings’ burning of fossil fuels,
(D) which most scientists agree on as a phenomenon caused by human beings who burn fossil fuels,
(E) which most scientists agree to be a phenomenon caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings,

OG对C的解释却是C Correct. The phrase human beings’ burning is more economical than constructions with prepositional phrases or relative clauses.

这不完全反了吗？另外，根据常识，好像-ing做物主代词是一般不是首选，就像OG12-101Executive's being一样。

另外我的疑问是这道题的B，虽然我觉得它不是很完美，但是我觉得只要把most scientists agree看成是插入语，that is作为不是个“大硬伤”（和B一样只是个结构，表达搭配的问题）来说，应该没有什么其它不对了，可C我就是想不懂，难道这种表达法是可以prefer的吗？

你仔细体会一下，这两句对动名词的用法是不一样的。

如果你把human beings' burning of fuel oil改成human beings' burning fuel oil才和第一句被称为绕口的用法相同，前一种说法burning of已经把burning完全表示成名词了，而后一种说法burning fuel oil和trying to metabolize的作用还是和动词相似的，只是限于语法限制，要转换成ing形式

另外，你说的B,most scientists agree看成是插入语,它必须插在that后面，不能插在that前面.

你是今天考吗？

可是trying to metabolize的trying不相当于也是名词吗？burning oil的burning不是形容词了吗？两个还一样吗？

B的most scientists agree是必须放在that后吗？

我明天考~~

organism's trying to metabolize和human beings' burning fuel oil的用法是一致的，是所有格，后面不是形容词，是还是起动词作用的名词，所以跟在所有格后面awkward。

organism's attempt to metabolize和human beings' burning of fuel oil的用法是一致的，所有格后面很清楚用的是完全名词。

如果你体会不到这个差异，也肯定可以排除有trying的选项，因为在有相应名词（i.e.attempt)的时候，是不会用动词ing形式(i.e.trying)代替的。只有在没有相应名词的时候，例如burn只能用burning作名词，在这种情况下才能不得不用ing形式。

插入语必须跟在that后面，因为定语从句的that不能根被修饰词分开

我没把burning想成名词，觉得可能还会有其它的词，这只是个动名词什么的，不过这么一想也是，除了这个没别的了，很对很对，谢谢楼上的各位啦~~