As well as – Tre faldgruber

As well as er et af de mes misbrugte bindeord i akademisk og videnskabeligt engelsk. Der er tre problemer.

Det første problem er, at man ikke kan bruge bindeordet as well as som et synonym for and. De to ord har forskellig betydning. Forskellen er, at and sidestiller de to ord eller led, der står på hver sin side af and. Bruger man as well as fremhæves det led, der står før as well as som det vigtigste. Det, der står efter bindeordet, er derimod bliver mindre vigtigt (”it is backgrounded”). Så i sætningen The nurse and the doctor attended the staff meeting er nurse og doctor lige vigtige. Men i sætningen The nurse as well as the doctor attended the staff meeting fremhæves sygeplejerskens deltagelse som det vigtige, mens lægens deltagelse bliver af sekundær betydning. Betydningen af X as well as Y er med andre ord not only Y but also X (bemærk at rækkefølgen af X og Y er vendt om).

I eksemplet The programme aims to recruit participants with low health literacy as well as participants with high health literacy er betydningen, at man ikke kun ønsker at rekruttere deltager med høj grad af “health literacy”, men også deltagere med lav grad af “health literacy” – og at sidstnævnte gruppe er vigtigst.

Brug evt. not only – but also testen, for at tjekke, om udsagnet giver den rette mening. Eksemplet Danish is spoken in Denmark, as well as in parts of Northern Germany er ret beset noget sludder! Den betyder, at Danish is spoken not only in parts of Northern Germany, but also in Denmark – hvilket jo selvfølgelig ikke er forkert, men næppe heller har den store informationsværdi!

Det andet problem er kongruens. Brugen af as well as i et sammensat grundled, hvis første led er ental, gør ikke det sammensatte grundled til flertal. Så sætningen The nurse as well as the doctor want to attend the staff meeting er forkert. Den bør rettes til The nurse as well as the doctor wants to attend the staff meeting. Det kan synes mærkeligt, for betydningen af as well as er – ligesom betydningen af along with, besides og in addition to – jo næsten den samme som betydningen af and. Men det er alene det centrale ord i grundleddet, der bestemmer udsagnsleddets tal. Så i sætningen Excitement as well as nervousness is a common emotional reaction er as well as nervousness et parentetisk eller indskudt led, og det påvirker ikke kongruensen! Sæt evt. kommaer omkring det parentetiske led.

Det tredje punkt, man skal være opmærksom på, er, at hvis der kommer et udsagnsord efter as well as, skal det stå i ing-form. Også selv om det lyder lidt mærkeligt for én, der ikke har engelsk som modersmål. Så sætningen Running is healthy as well as makes you feel good er forkert. Udsagsordet skal rettes, så sætningen lyder Running is healthy as well as making you feel good.

Hvad kan du gøre?

Du skal være opmærksom på tre ting. 1) Undgå at bruge as well as som synonym til and. Brug kun as well as ved opremsninger af ord og led, hvis de ord og led, der står efter as well as, er mindre vigtige end dem, der står før as well as. 2) Undgå at bruge as well as i sammensatte grundled. Hvis du gør det alligevel, så husk at det er det led, der står før as well as, der styrer udsagnsordets tal. 3) Brug –ing form i udsagnsord, der står efter as well as

Øvelse:

Bestem om sætningerne er rigtige eller ej og ret de forkerte sætninger: 1. Running is healthy as well as it makes you feel good. 2. The nurse as well as the doctor want to attend the meeting. 3. He took the patient’s history as well as oversaw the follow-up. 4. My husband as well as my children have come to see me. 5. The principal investigator along with the head of the steering committee are expected to approve the change

Svarmuligheder:

1. Forkert. Rettet sætning: Running is healthy and makes you feel good eller: Running is healthy as well as making you feel good. Forkert. Rettet sætning: The nurse as well as the doctor wants to attend the meeting. 3. Forkert. Rettet sætning: He took the patient’s history as well as overseeing the follow-up. 4. Forkert. Rettet sætning: My husband as well as my children has come to see me. 5. Forkert. Rettet sætning: The principal investigator, along with the head of the steering committee, is expected to approve the change