Sentence Quiz

[Harisenbon]

I was watching a children's grammar show this morning before work, and this problem came up:

How should you fix this sentence to make it right?
ぼくの夢は宇宙飛行士になって、ロケットに乗って、宇宙を飛びます。

The amazing thing was that a number of adults that they asked the question to couldn't get it right either.

Can you?

[kanadajin]

I can bearly read it

[hungryhotei]

I think that it needs to end with 飛ぶことです not 飛びます.

[anikaliki]

I dont get it.

[richvh]

Maybe 宇宙に飛びます?

[Nibble]

I agree with hungryhotei.

[Superflat Monogram]

richvh wrote:
Maybe 宇宙に飛びます?

I was thinking the same thing richvh, i reckon the particle "ni" should be used to state the location.

I would have made a "koto ga dekimasu "addition too.

宇宙に飛びことができます。　

Or maybe it should be a different verb altogether.

arghhhh! i dunno, please give us the answer

[Justin]

Not for sure if this is against the rules or not, but this is what I was thinking...

僕の夢は宇宙飛行士になることです。ロケットに乗って、宇宙を飛び回りたいです。

Maybe I wasn't suppose to break things up into two sentences like that, but oh well.

[paul_b]

Superflat Monogram wrote:

richvh wrote:
Maybe 宇宙に飛びます?

I was thinking the same thing richvh, i reckon the particle "ni" should be used to state the location.

Nope. It's sense (3) of the Edict entry for を

を (prt)
(1) indicates direct object of action;
(2) indicates subject of causative expression;
(3) indicates an area traversed;
(4) indicates time (period) over which action takes place;
(5) indicates point of departure; separation of action;
(6) (See が) indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.; (P)

There are a fair few (301) of those in the Edict examples. To pick just one:

１羽の鳥が空を飛んでいた。
A bird was flying in the sky.

I think I'll have to go for the 飛ぶことだ。 option too.

[Oyaji]

I'm with hungryhotei as well.

[keatonatron]

Me too.

It boils down to:
僕の夢は宇宙を飛ぶことです。

If you said:
僕の夢は宇宙を飛びます。
It would mean your dream itself was flying through space

Pretty basic grammar actually, they just confuse you by splitting it up with such a long sentence.

[shin1ro]

I'm with 飛ぶことです。

AはNです。 = A is N. where N has to be a noun.
AはVします。 = A does V. where "do V" has to be a verb.
AはVすることです。= A is to "do V". where "do V" has to be a verb.

Now noun B = "to do V".

Sorry you has to hate math...
Just a joke, forget it!

[Harisenbon]

Sorry I was too busy to respond!

hungryhotei (and those that agreed with him) are indeed correct. Because the beginning of the sentence is "my dream is" the ending must be a noun.

Yay! You get a cyber-cookie!

*gives a cookie*

[keatonatron]

Only one cookie for all of us to share? :@

[Harisenbon]

nono.. It's a P2P cookie... You're all.. sharing... it...beacuse.. it's...ummmm..

aw screw this. I drank too much for this.

Yes. One cookie. Eat it.