Thread: Would you tell me why I shouldn't use number2?

1. In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, operated smoothly, and......




1.handled easily 2.easy to handle






My professor has told me:


You can never ever use easy to handle about the sentence above.




Would you tell me why?

If you leave out the "operated smoothly" you could have used either one: "because they were quiet and easy to handle." Here, it is understood that you meant ""because they were quiet and (were) easy to handle." But by inserting the "operated smoothly" in the series, you broke up the sequence. You wouldn't say "... because they were quiet, were operated smoothly, and were easy to handle." If you wanted to use "easy to handle" you would have to put "were" back in, such as "... because they were quiet, operated smoothly, and were easy to handle."

So, if we are to use number 2, then have I correctly parapharase it as the sentence below?

But, why the sentence below is not right?

They were quiet ( to handle. ) , operated smoothly( to handle. ) , and easy to handle.

I don't understand your question. Why would you say they were "quiet to handle" or "operated smoothly to handle"? That changes the meaning of the sentence.

i don't think you understood what i was trying to say in my first reply.

Originally Posted by nima_persian

So, if we are to use number 2, then have I correctly parapharase it as the sentence below?

But, why the sentence below is not right?

They were quiet ( to handle. ) , operated smoothly( to handle. ) , and easy to handle.

"They were quiet to handle" is grammatically correct, but sounds clumsy. "They handled quietly" is preferred.

"They operated smoothly to handle" makes no sense. "To handle" and "to operate" have similar meanings. Therefore you either say "They operated smoothly", or "They handled smoothly".

Originally Posted by nima_persian

1. In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, operated smoothly, and......
1.handled easily 2.easy to handle
My professor has told me:
You can never ever use easy to handle about the sentence above.
Would you tell me why?

"In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, operated smoothly, and were easy to handle."
is a perfectly good sentence.
The highlighted "were" is essential, though.

If you change the tense to present-tense, it would require a different word, i.e.
"Modern electrically powered cars are more popular than gasoline powered cars because they are quiet, operate smoothly, and are easy to handle."

You could also say, "In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, smooth, and easy to handle." In this sentence, "they were" is understood. That is, it means
"In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, (they were) smooth, and (they were) easy to handle." But you would not say: "
"In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, (they were) operated smoothly, and (they were) easy to handle." Well you could, but the smooth operation would then be a quality of the operator, not the car. So that is not what they meant.
So when you used "operated smoothly'" you change the understood part from 'they were" to just "they":
"In 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, (they) operated smoothly, and ...
"Easy to handle" does not fit in that sequence, because it needs "they were" not just "they." But it works with "handled easily' because 'They handled easily" is a good sentence.