than normal OR than is normal

ChennyG

在Princeton Review中做到:

The temperature is greater than normal 是错的，应该用than is normal

但是又在语法总结中看到：

than usual/necessary是正确习惯用法。

所以结论：我糊涂了，请大牛指教

薰衣紫草

First of all, this is the most disgusting question I've ever seen. I'll definitely pick "than normal" rather than "is normal" in the first place because it sounds so right. But after the second thought,  I believe Princeton is right.

Second, you're right, "than usual" is a correct expression confirmed by OG.

253. Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

(A)  colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed

(B)  which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing

(C)  since it was colder and wetter than usually in some regions, which slowed

(D)  being colder and wetter than usually in some regions, slowing (B)

(E)   having been colder and wetter than was usual in some regions and slowed

ETS explains was before ususal in OG253 is unnecessary. How come in Princeton Review, is before normal is ncessary? The line of reasoning is stated as below:

1. "Ususal" is an adj., and adj. alone. Therefore, the phrase that the weather was colder and wetter than usual could be interpreted without confusion. That is, the weather was colder and wetter than (the) usual (weather is). Than usual  is concise and idiomatic to state the idea.

2. "Normal", on the other hand, could be an adj. or a noun. As a result, than normal  causes confusion.

    If "normal" is considered an adj., it means The temperature is greater than (the) normal (temperature is).

    If "normal" is considered a noun, it means The temperature is greater than normal(n.). This comparison is different from the above. That is, "normal(n.)" is referring to an event---the temperature is greater, and it is greater than normal--- rather than an object, the temperature.

In conclusion, again, this is a disgusting question.

   

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-6-5 1:01:10编辑过]

joe11

楼上解释得很详细哦。

Usual  adj.

longer/higher/worse etc than usual

It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.

Normal  countable noun.

higher/larger/less etc than normal

The journey took longer than normal.

ChennyG

非常感谢熏衣紫草的解释，非常的convincing！

Avantasia

以下是引用薰衣紫草在2005-6-5 0:37:00的发言：

First of all, this is the most disgusting question I've ever seen. I'll definitely pick "than normal" rather than "is normal" in the first place because it sounds so right. But after the second thought,  I believe Princeton is right.

Second, you're right, "than usual" is a correct expression confirmed by OG.

253. Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

(A)  colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed

(B)  which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing

(C)  since it was colder and wetter than usually in some regions, which slowed

(D)  being colder and wetter than usually in some regions, slowing (B)

(E)   having been colder and wetter than was usual in some regions and slowed

ETS explains was before ususal in OG253 is unnecessary. How come in Princeton Review, is before normal is ncessary? The line of reasoning is stated as below:

1. "Ususal" is an adj., and adj. alone. Therefore, the phrase that the weather was colder and wetter than usual could be interpreted without confusion. That is, the weather was colder and wetter than (the) usual (weather is). Than usual  is concise and idiomatic to state the idea.

2. "Normal", on the other hand, could be an adj. or a noun. As a result, than normal  causes confusion.

    If "normal" is considered an adj., it means The temperature is greater than (the) normal (temperature is).

    If "normal" is considered a noun, it means The temperature is greater than normal(n.). This comparison is different from the above. That is, "normal(n.)" is referring to an event---the temperature is greater, and it is greater than normal--- rather than an object, the temperature.

In conclusion, again, this is a disgusting question.

   

都解释到这份上了。

ETS没有那么狠吧？！这种形容词和名词的歧义OG里面没有出现，好像唯一有的就是分词的形容词意思和动词意思的分辩，ETS如果真这么上，那就只能认了。

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-6-5 20:33:02编辑过]

薰衣紫草

以下是引用ChennyG在2005-6-5 14:07:00的发言：
非常感谢熏衣紫草的解释，非常的convincing！

是"薰", 一种植物; 而不是熏鱼的"熏".

melodyji

thank you

GWD-5-20

Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty.  It is commonly thought that this happens because aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity.  However, studies show that a disproportionately large number of the scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty entered their field at an older age than is usual.  Since by the age of forty the large majority of scientists have been working in their field for at least fifteen years, the studies’ finding strongly suggests that the real reason why scientists over forty rarely produce highly creative work is not that they have simply aged but rather that they generally have spent too long in a given field

继续求教，这儿为什么是 than is usual???????如果usual只是形容词为什么可以这么用？

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-6-12 12:35:59编辑过]

薰衣紫草

我还没有做到这题, 不想影响模考. 请其他人看看吧. 帮着顶啊!

凭感觉来讲, 还是比较对象的问题.

oookk

那上了战场，遇到这种题目应该怎么样？以OG的为准么，干脆选than normal了，不要is什么的/

jnlvo

楼主可否把题目贴全，否则无法判断。

[此贴子已经被作者于2005-6-18 20:17:08编辑过]