I saw this sentence today: [STRIKE]Odd sense of fairness, these kids![/STRIKE] That is obviously a part of the whole "these kids have got a stupid sense fairness". I was just wondering if there are any restrictions upon transformations of the "these + noun + have a" type. For example, how do these sound? 1. these patients have a normal menstrual history and are of proved fertility >>> normal menstrual history and (are) of proved fertility, these patients 2. these guys have a shot in being the BEST dancers of all time >>> have a shot in being the BEST dancers of all time, these guys 3. most of these patients have a coarctation >>> have a coarctation, most of these patients 4. These discus have a distinctive pattern of fine lines and dots on their gill plates >>> have a distinctive pattern of fine lines and dots on their gill plates, these discus 5. the new model has a global positioning system >>> a global positioning system, the new model has
Top answer
Your examples do not follow the structure of the original, M. Also, you should distinguish between different kinds of "having", and whether that "having" reflects a temporary or longer-term state. MrP
— MrPedantic
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