intransitive "represent"

[Mai Kuha]

>From the examples I've heard, I got the impression that there is a
difference in meaning--e.g. a runner who is dead last in a race still
represents a group, but doesn't represent. Analyzing the form as a
transitive "represent" without a surface object would seem to imply that
the meanings are as similar as "eat" vs. "eat dinner". Of course, I could
easily be totally wrong about the meaning distinction.

-Mai

On Thu, 14 Mar 2002 P2052 at AOL.COM wrote:

> I've heard "represent" used quite often without a surface object; however,
> since in all of the cases, the object was understood (or elsewhere supplied),
> I considered "represent" not intransitive, but, rather, transitive, followed
> by an elliptical NP.
> EXAMPLE: I'm the only male in the choir, so I have to represent . . . [all
> males].
>                                                              P-A-T
>

_________________________________
Mai Kuha                mkuha at bsuvc.bsu.edu
Department of English   (765) 285-8410
Ball State University