In a story abstract...

[sid29]

On the back cover of a children's story book, there was a short abstract. It read:

The Robinson family - shipwrecked on a desert island - must discover hidden strength in themselves to survive. Watch as they defend themselves against wild beasts, learn to hunt and fish, and to find shelter. [abstract continues].


With ref to the second sentence, "Watch as they...", should this sentence read like this:

Watch as they defend themselves against wild beasts, learn to hunt and fish, and struggle to find shelter.

Perhaps some other word can be used in place of struggle, but I think a word should be used before to.

[DanielScocco]

Yes I would I would agree it would make it smoother.

Although I think one could assume that the "to find shelter" is connected with the "learn."

So you will watch them "learn to hunt and fish, and to find shelter."

[--Deb]

I think it's part of the "learn to" clause, too, but I would leave the second "to" off--"Learn to hunt and fish and find shelter" It makes the "find shelter" fit in with the hunting and fishing, rather than sounding like a separate item in the series.

Just my opinion!

--Deb

[Alex]

I think it's part of the "learn to" clause, too, but I would leave the second "to" off--"Learn to hunt and fish and find shelter" It makes the "find shelter" fit in with the hunting and fishing, rather than sounding like a separate item in the series.

Just my opinion!

--Deb

Too many 'and's ;) I'd say: "learn to hunt, fish, and find shelter."

[Maeve]

Watch as they defend themselves against wild beasts, learn to hunt and fish, and to find shelter.


The problem is one of faulty parallelism. This sentence bothers us because it contains a list that mixes constructions.

In any such list, the elements should "match."

They defend themselves against wild beasts=main subject and verb with a noun as the direct object

learn to hunt and fish = main verb with an infinitive as the direct object

to find shelter = infinitive standing alone

This sentence could be revised as

Watch as they learn to hunt and fish, find shelter, and defend themselves against wild beasts.

Then we would have three infinitives all governed by the verb "learn."

[DanielScocco]

Thanks Maeve, you expressed what I felt but could not get out in words :).