Is the user prevented to change the “YYY” field?

English translation: prevented from changing

08:25 Apr 16, 2008
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Computers (general) / English revision
English term or phrase: Is the user prevented to change the “YYY” field?
The idea for the question is: can the system administrator configure the system to not allow the user to change the "YYY" field. I need to rewrite this question better, it sounded strange to me.
veratek
Brazil
Local time: 02:27
Selected answer:prevented from changing
Explanation:
"Prevent to change" is grammatically wrong.
Selected response from:

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:27
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9prevented from changing
Jack Doughty
5 +1prevented from
Matthew McGuinness
5to stop/prevent the used changing
David Moore (X)
3 +1can user modification of the YYY field be blocked?
Ken Cox


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
is the user prevented to change the “yyy” field?
prevented from changing


Explanation:
"Prevent to change" is grammatically wrong.

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:27
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Keren Terret
6 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  Tony M: But it would be better to re-word the question to get rid of the passive: "Does the system prevent the user from..."
27 mins
  -> Thank you. In that case, you could omit "from". "Does the system prevent the user changing..."

agree  Armorel Young
29 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  Mehmet Hascan
39 mins
  -> Thank you.

agree  orientalhorizon
1 hr
  -> Thank you.

agree  Vicky Nash
2 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  cmwilliams (X)
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Trudy Peters
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.

agree  Alp Berker
8 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
is the user prevented to change the “yyy” field?
to stop/prevent the used changing


Explanation:
Either of these possibilities will work

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2008-04-16 08:30:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

to stop/prevent the use*R* changing the "yyy" field...

Sorry!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2008-04-16 08:31:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Can the system administrator configure the system to stop..."

David Moore (X)
Local time: 06:27
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: "Can the system administrator configure the system to stop..." I liked your suggestion to keep the whole re-wording, I would have liked to have been able to split the points, thanks!

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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
is the user prevented to change the “yyy” field?
prevented from


Explanation:
'Prevented from', NOT 'prevented to' ... the rule is that positive action verbs tend to take 'to' eg "encouraged to", where as negative action verbs tend to take 'from' eg "discouraged from"

Example sentence(s):
  • Is the user prevented from changing ...

    Reference: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/04/10/kenyatanzania-t...
Matthew McGuinness
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:27
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters
1 hr
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
is the user prevented to change the “yyy” field?
can user modification of the YYY field be blocked?


Explanation:
Nothing wrong Jack's answer, but this is another option.

Incidentally, the (past) participle + infinitive construction ('prevented to change') is a common feature of English written by people whose native language does not have the gerund form and a reliable indication of a non-native speaker.

Ken Cox
Local time: 06:27
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trudy Peters: Good alternative!
6 mins
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