News question

[layla0302]

"We are learning more tonight about the 38 year old US army staff sergeant being held after a rampage that killed 16 innocent civilians in Afghanistan. The latest, really in a string ofincidents that have all been big steps back in the massive military effort."


It's a paragraph which a news speaker said yesterday. I can't understand the red one.
There is no "verb" in the sentence and subject, neither.
Could you explain please?

Thanks in advance

[Tdol]

= It is the latest in a string of incidents...

We are learning more tonight about the 38-year-old US army staff sergeant being held after a rampage that killed 16 innocent civilians in Afghanistan, the latest in a string of incidents that have all been big steps back in the massive military effort.

[layla0302]

= It is the latest in a string of incidents...

We are learning more tonight about the 38-year-old US army staff sergeant being held after a rampage that killed 16 innocent civilians in Afghanistan, the latest in a string of incidents that have all been big steps back in the massive military effort.

Thanks for help, but I can't understand your answer. Could you explain one more time please?

[bhaisahab]

Thanks for help, but I can't understand your answer. Could you explain one more time please?

Did you notice that Tdol had changed the full stop to a comma and made one sentence?

[SoothingDave]

This "rampage" is the latest in a ...

[BobSmith]

There is no "verb" in the sentence and subject, neither.
Could you explain please?[/COLOR]

[AmE - not a teacher]

You are correct, with regards to how this quote was transcribed. However, a native speaker will hear it as part of the first sentence, and would/should transcribe it as Tdol has indicated.

[JohnParis]

Thanks for help, but I can't understand your answer. Could you explain one more time please?

Hello Layla,
Here is another attempt at rephrasing. If you still don’t understand, please let us know.

“Tonight, more information about the US Army soldier who killed 16 innocent children in Afghanistan is available. This incident (the killing) is the most recent of several serious setbacks (detrimental incidents) that have damaged the military effort.”

The original sentences are transcriptions of a reporter's broadcast (reported speech). As Bob Smith said, a native speaker would have understood, and carried over any missing elements of a properly constructed sentence to the one you highlighted in red. Frequently, TV and radio news reporters will do this to save time. Spoken English - particularly reported speech by newscasters - is less strict than written English.
John