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There was no point putting in the dream.

I think it would be correct if I said " there was no point "in putting"

Yes, thought Harry, that looked all right. There was no point putting in the dream; he didn’t want it to look as though he was too worried. He folded up the parchment and laid it aside on his desk, ready for when Hedwig returned. Then he got to his feet, stretched, and opened his wardrobe once more. Without glancing at his reflection, he started to get dressed before going down to breakfast.

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    What was he putting the dream into? We need the previous paragraph.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Oct 15, 2023 at 8:07
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    When quoting from some published work it is usual to say which. Even when it is a very famous novel. If my memory is correct (if not please rectify) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling.
    – None
    Commented Oct 15, 2023 at 8:45
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    You need to read the beginning of the chapter Hard Days for full context. In the first paragraph Harry has a dream. Then later he is writing a letter to Sirius. "putting in the dream" means "including a mention of the dream" in his letter. This doesn't need to be corrected. There is no error.
    – Billy Kerr
    Commented Oct 15, 2023 at 9:07
  • putting the dream in the parchment in writing.
    – Lambie
    Commented Oct 15, 2023 at 16:37

2 Answers 2

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"putting in ..." is correct. You "put (something) in a letter" to mean "include a mention of (something)"

Harry has decided that he will not put his dream in the letter to Sirius, because he is doesn't want Sirius to think that he (Harry) is worried.

The phrasal verb can be separable or not. You can say "I put the dream in" or "I put in the dream", according to the usual rules of separable phrasal verbs.

On the other hand "inputting" is computer jargon for the entry of data, and irrelevant or wrong here.

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  • I want to know what is the verbal-structure?
    – Mohammad Saad
    Commented Oct 17, 2023 at 13:33
  • ""Put" is the verb, "in" is a prepostion, forming the construction "put in" a phrasal verb construction.
    – James K
    Commented Oct 17, 2023 at 19:22
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Yes, the author could have said

There was no point in putting in the dream.

I expect she left out the first 'in' to make the sentence look better (avoid repetition). The meaning is the same.

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  • I want to know what is the verbal-structure here? I am thinking 'there was no point in putting in the dream' is the real verbal - structure here.
    – Mohammad Saad
    Commented Oct 17, 2023 at 13:40
  • I'm not sure what you mean by 'verbal-structure'. This shows that the 'in' is optional.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Oct 17, 2023 at 14:49

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