The green lantern is a symbol that the restaurant is supporting local farmers.

[optimistic pessimist]

Dear all,

Are the sentences below all fine?


1. The green lantern is a symbol that the restaurant is supporting local farmers.

2. The green lantern is a symbol that shows the restaurant is supporting local farmers.

3. The green lantern is a symbol showing that the restaurant is supporting local farmers.

Thank you

OP

[Barb_D]

All of these are okay.
I prefer #2 to have a "that" after "shows" - which gives you "that shows that" but that's okay.

I tried asking myself the question "Hey, what does that green lantern mean?" and when I answered myself as spontaneously as possible, I didn't use "a symbol."

The green lantern shows that the...

[optimistic pessimist]

Hi Barb_D,

Thanks for your reply.

I saw the sentence in a passgage below.

... In Japan, red lanterns are for pubs, but what are green lanterns for? A green lantern is for restaurants that use food made in Japan. Maruyama Kiyoaki, the former director of the National Agricultural Research Center, and his friends started the green-lantern movement. ... Restaurant owners can get a green lantern if more than 50 percent of the food they use is made in Japan.
... Now more than 3,000 restaurants all over the country have a green lantern. This shows that many people are interested in eating local food. The green-lantern movement may encourage local farmers to produce more food. The green lantern is a symbol that the restaurant is supporting local farmers.

I'm not sure if the use of "symbol" here is fine, though.

OP

[Gillnetter]

Using "symbol" here is fine and it is acceptable. As Barb pointed out in her post, people would not use the word in a normal conversation. That being said, people will write that way. Many times, writers will search for words in an attempt to make their writing better when the simplest way to express an idea is usually the best.