I heard a news analyst use this word this evening in a way that grated on my ears. Approximate quote: “It’s the development of a delivery system that is concerning.” This doesn’t seem to be correct usage to me, but rather a shortened form of “of concern”.
If it is correct usage, can someone tell me which part of speech is being used? Or is this something that ranks down there with using ‘task’ as a verb?
Think of the words *heartening, frigtening, assuring, bewildering[/]. They are all participles — adjectives formed from verbs.
Certainly analogy suggests that it’s a reasonable usage - and I don’t doubt that it occurs - but for me, it rings ungrammatical. It may be more common in some dialects, particularly in spoken form. But I doubt it’s common (at least not yet) in written SAE, and probably most people would agree in recommending against it. Analogies like Walloon’s don’t tend to have any real power because they’re simply not a reliable tool to determine whether a form will be used or not in a language.
That’s a justification from a linguistic perspective. There’s really no way more precise or justifiable than that in determining whether something is technically grammatical or not.
That’s how I’d use the word, however my New OED doesn’t support the useage so It seems that it is not correct. Do you find this concerning?
The usage grates on me since “concerning” is not an adjective that belongs with whatever it is we are concerned about. Consider this sentence:
“I have questions concerning the administration of the SDMB.”
“Concerning” is not modifying “the administration of the SDMB”, “concerning the administration of the SDMB” is modifying “questions”. Thus it doesn’t make sense to say “the administration of the SDMB is concerning” but you can say “my questions are concerning the administration of the SDMB” (though it’s slightly awkward).
If you drop the first three words, leaving “concerning the administration of the SDMB”, concerning is still not an adjective that modifies “the administration of the SDMB” (rather, “the administration…” modifies it) and so, writing “the administration of the SDMB is concerning” is strange.
It sounds like a combination of “of concern” and “disconcerting”
I disagree. Consider this example: “The use of steroids by teenage girls is concerning to many parents.” The participle concerning is modifying the noun use.
“The rise of property crime in the area is concerning.” The participle concerning is modifying the noun rise.
“Biologists find the presence of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes concerning.” The participle concerning is modifying the noun presence.
Concern is a transitive verb. So you can say: “This issue concerns me/us/etc.” The verb (and its gerund form) takes an object, and there’s no intransitive listing in my diction.
I think the newscaster should have said:
“It’s the development of a delivery system that is of concern (to many people).”
or
“It’s the development of a delivery system that concerns many people.”
Concern is a verb; concerning is a participle, a verb turned into an adjective. Don’t confuse the rules of verbs with the rules of participles.
Yes, but those examples are precisely the type of usage the OP is complaining about.
To me the problem is that the verb concern has multiple meanings.
The word concerning to me feels natural for meaning # 1, but not with meaning # 4. I am much more comfortable saying, “This situation causes me concern” rather than, “This situation is concerning.”
etmiller got it right – it’s a matter of transitive vs. intransitive verbs.
(You’re going to go ahead and subscribe, right etmiller? I’ve been enjoying your posts.)
FWIW the use of ‘concerning’ in the OP seems like a pretty standard usage in spoken British English, at least where I’m from (SE England). It’s not a formal usage, but hearing someone use it in casual speech wouldn’t sound out of place…
OB
Sounds OK to this American, but “Troubling” and “Worrisome” are more pleasing.
I think that the reason it grates on my ear is that it is passive voice. I would much rather hear “The government is concerned about the missile delivery system.”
Same here. It sounds like bad grammar, but I suspect that it’s really just bad style, as you noted.
I don’t think it’s the wisest grammatical decision either, though.
When a verb requires an object, so does its corresponding participle.
*The photographer takes quite often.
*The taking photographer was busy.
The photographer takes pictures quite often.
The picture taking photographer was busy.
Transitive verbs require objects, as do participles derived therefrom. Concern is transitive.
Yes, after years I’ve finally subscribed. (And that’s nice of you to say.)