sentence structure

[Joe]

But program a computer to make that same search, declares the advisory committee, and judicial approval is needed, because computer analysis of intelligence databanks allegedly violates "privacy."

I don't understand what role does the blue part has in the entire sentence.

Q1: Who or what "declares the advisory committe"?

Q2: Judicial approval is needed to program a computer to make that same search? Is this the right understanding? The whole structure is quite confusing to me.

Thanks very much.
:wink:

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Joe

But program a computer to make that same search, declares the advisory committee, and judicial approval is needed, because computer analysis of intelligence databanks allegedly violates "privacy."

I don't understand what role does the blue part has in the entire sentence.

Q1: Who or what "declares the advisory committe"?

Q2: Judicial approval is needed to program a computer to make that same search? Is this the right understanding? The whole structure is quite confusing to me.

Thanks very much.

The advisory committee is doing the declaring there. It is written as if it were a quote, but it doesn't seem to be. The two parts of the sentence before that phrase and after that phrase express the feeling of some committee:

"If you program a computer to make that same search, judicial approval is needed, because computer analysis of intelligence databanks allegedly violates "privacy."

The author seems to be against this view. He seems to be saying that it is legal to do the searching by hand, so it should be legal to use a computer.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

The advisory committee is doing the declaring there. It is written as if it were a quote, but it doesn't seem to be. The two parts of the sentence before that phrase and after that phrase express the feeling of some committee:

"If you program a computer to make that same search, judicial approval is needed, because computer analysis of intelligence databanks allegedly violates "privacy."

The author seems to be against this view. He seems to be saying that it is legal to do the searching by hand, so it should be legal to use a computer.

I have two more questions, Mike. How do you know that "the author seems to be against this view"? The original sentence has a quite rare structure to me, is it a formal written style? Which is more popular, your rephared sentence or the original one?
:wink:

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Joe

I have two more questions, Mike. How do you know that "the author seems to be against this view"? The original sentence has a quite rare structure to me, is it a formal written style? Which is more popular, your rephared sentence or the original one?
:wink:

The main clue is his use of the word "allegedly". That word implies that the author does not accept the position that a violation exists. Another clue is his starting the sentence with "but" and his reference to "same" search. One can infer that the previous sentcne was a statement about the legality of doing the same type of search without using a computer.

The style is not uncommon nor overly formal for quotations. The reversal of the subject and verb is used when the attribution occurs after a quote or in the middle of a quote.

"I am here", said the housekeeper, "and I am gathering up the laundry."

I think that my rephrasing is more formal.

[Joe]

But program a computer to make that same search, declares the advisory committee, and judicial approval is needed, because computer analysis of intelligence databanks allegedly violates "privacy."

Thanks, Mike. Do you think that the 'and' in the original sentence is kind of redundant?