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I came across these two sentences and can not explain the difference between them or if both are grammatically correct. What is the difference between these two sentences and which one is correct?

So many young people arrive at university not able to look after themselves.

So many young people arrive at university and are not able to look after themselves.

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    Where did you 'come across' the sentences? Are the two different versions intended to demonstrate a grammatical point? In the first one, not able to look after themselves is a phrase describing the condition of the young people.
    – Kate Bunting
    Sep 8, 2022 at 9:11
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    The first version is a complex sentence (where not able to look after themselves adverbially modifies arrive). The second is a compound sentence where So many young people arrive at university is combined with another statement: [those young people] are not able to look after themselves. I think most people would use unable rather than not able in adverbial contexts like the first example (but not necessarily the second).
    – FumbleFingers
    Sep 8, 2022 at 10:25
  • The comments so far are relevant and helpful but your question might be better posed on the English Language Learners site.
    – Anton
    Sep 8, 2022 at 15:02
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    Why do you think only one is correct?
    – Colin Fine
    Sep 8, 2022 at 15:42
  • Hmmm . . . both are fine, but it would be more idiomatic to replace "not able" with "unable".
    – Billy Kerr
    Nov 27 at 14:23

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Both are grammatical.

I agree with the comment that “unable”” is more idiomatic with respect to the first sentence.

There are various ways to analyze the grammar of the first sentence. Perhaps the simplest is an ellipsis: [and are] is meant but implied rather than stated. More complex methods of analysis are possible. We could for example treat “not able to …” as an adjectival phrase modifying “young people” without mentioning ellipsis.

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  • Yes. In (i) then "not able to look..." should be treated as adverbial. In (ii) you have "young people arrive..." and "young people are not able..." so it's actually an easier parse.
    – equin0x80
    Oct 14, 2022 at 11:29

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