Saturday, August 12, 2006

I ride bike!


Why do iron-rangers, and possibly others, use the phrases "ride bike" and "drive truck"? What happened to the definite or indefinite articles?

3 comments:

  1. Ode to Anarthrous

    You can count me among the "others"
    As you can a man named "Struthers"
    Who frequently place
    Nought but a space
    Between a compound verb and its object.

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  2. Ha--you thought that last line was going to rhyme, didn't ya?

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  3. Seriously, there's no article because "bike" and "truck" aren't objects of the verb: they're part of the verb, a compound verb. "Ride bike" is the analytical equivalent of "cycle."

    In fact, a classmate told me last week that he cycles with his roommate. I was confused until I realized that what he meant was that he rides bike with him.

    A more widespread example of this phenomenon:
    Chaka: "Did you like Miami Vice?"
    Brandon: "Did I like it? It kicks ass!"

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