What's the meaning of TAKE OFF here? Why EATEN not EATING?
1. Such dental difficulties were thought to have really taken off when we switched from hunting-gathering to agriculture and had a ready supply of farmed, fermentable carbohydrates.
What's the meaning of TAKE OFF here?
2. Researchers found leftover pine nuts, juniper, pistachio, wild oats, and—particularly popular—carbohydrate-rich acorns. Eaten raw or as flour, acorns can stick in teeth. The foodstuff makes a happy home for acid-loving bacteria that cause cavities.
Why EATEN not EATING?

Question

Answer

Eaten raw or as flour, acorns can stick in teeth.  This sentence does not seem quite right...

The above sentence would usually be spoken, " eaten raw or as flour, acorns can get stuck in your teeth."

Answer

This is an example of ellipsis.  "eaten" is a past participle used in an abbreviated passive verb phrase.

Eaten raw = When they are eaten raw

I agree with Glenn about "take off".  Think about the movement of a plane when it takes off.

Answer

Taken off, in the context that the difficulties started rising a lot. As another word for it.. possibly 'started' or 'skyrocketed'

Between eaten and eating.. the sentence is in descriptive tense.. no indication if its happening but fact is.. someone already did it.. someone did try it. Thats why the speaker was able to tell that even EATEN raw or as flour.. it stil sticks to the teeth. Its not happening right now. But we know someone already did and it sticks to the teeth.

Answers · 5

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