Usage of WITH
RIGHT: The lions growled, WITH their fur STANDING on end
WRONG: WITH only 25% of the student body, seniors get 50% of the resources
Can anyone clarify why the WRONG statement containing "Seniors" is grammatically incorrect?
Rules of WITH
With is a preposition.
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prep ... s-rule.htm
A preposition is followed by a "noun". It is never followed by a verb.
By "noun" we include:
* noun (dog, money, love)
* proper noun (name) (Bangkok, Mary)
* pronoun (you, him, us)
* noun group (my first job)
* gerund (swimming)
A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. If we want to follow a preposition by a verb, we must use the "-ing" form which is really a gerund or verb in noun form.
So for the first sentence:
<Subject+Verb: The lions growled> + <preposition: with> + <Noun group: their fur standing on end>
Original: The lions growled, WITH their hair standing on end
Structure: The lions growled, WITH hair standing
For the 2nd sentence it should not work, but I am not sure how:
<Subject + Verb: With only 25% of the student body>
Original: WITH only 25% of the student body, seniors get 50% of the resources
Transposing Sentence: Seniors get 50% of the resources, WITH only 25% of the student body
Structure: Seniors get, WITH only 25%