Homework Help: English

Posted by John on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 12:54am.

1. Practice makes perfect.
(What is the structure of this proverb? Is 'makes' an intransitive verb, and is 'perfect' an adjective complement? Then, what is the meaning of 'makes')

2. It rolled over and over.
3. It rolled off and off
4. It rolled above and above.
5. It rolled down and down.

(Are the sentences all meaningful? Would you let me know the use of the expressions?)

6.The children swim in themselves.
7. The children swim at themselves.
8. The childrens swim by themselves.
9. The childrens swim to themselves.
10. The childrens swim on themselves.
(Which sentences are meaningful among the five sentences above?)

English - Writeacher, Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 9:16am
1 - This proverb is a shortened form of something like this: Practice makes your actions perfect. The structure of that sentence is Subject-Verb-Direct Object. Yes, "makes" is transitive, but "perfect" is actually modifying words that are assumed.
The word "makes" (3rd person singular present form of "make") has many meanings and is used in a large number of idioms.
http://www.answers.com/make
Just look at the list of meanings here!

2 - good; it means something started rolling and didn't stop rolling until someone or something stopped it.
3 and 4 don't make sense.
5 is OK if you end it after the first instance of "down."

Among 6 - 10, only 8 makes sense.

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