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17-Jun-2003, 12:08
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A) Consider this sentence:
1-These men, of the Northern parts of the country, know a lot about husbandry.
Does it mean that the men live in the Northern parts of the country (2-These men, in the Northern parts of the country, know a lot about husbandry) or that they come from the Northern parts, but are not there right now?
B) Is this sentence correct:
2-These mines, of the Northern regions of the country, can now be easily exploited. |
17-Jun-2003, 13:08
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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They come from the Northern parts, but are not there right now- probably, but not definitely. It could just be clearing things up for the listener.
The mines sentence is also probably OK- it could be used in a TV documentary, for instance. |
17-Jun-2003, 13:53
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Thanks TDOL. |
18-Jun-2003, 12:57
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As always, you're welcome.
PS, where do you get your examples from?  |
19-Jun-2003, 14:08
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I make them up myself TDOL! Who else could come up with stuff like this?
To be honest, I know that they are a little bit awkward, but that is in a way the whole point. I try to get at a "general rule" by "fabricating" sentences which are a bit "off".
You can find these kinds of sentences in print though, probably more often than you'd imagine. When you read fast, you just get the meaning and go, but when you want to translate the thing, you slow down and you wonder what the guy really meant! And your head starts spinning around, and you panic and you get what's known as a translator's obsession. Sometimes (not always) my sentences are simplified forms of sentences I have read. In other cases, I am just bracing for the awkward sentences that might one day hit me!
Thanks again, and I hope you don't mind my sentences too much. |
19-Jun-2003, 14:47
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How do you think those sentences would read without the commas? |
19-Jun-2003, 15:37
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Strangely?????? |
19-Jun-2003, 16:15
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by navi tasan Thanks again, and I hope you don't mind my sentences too much. | May I speak for TDOL? He's here to help, and we couldn't do this without you and the others who post questions. So I am sure he doesn't mind at all. In fact, we should probably be thanking you.
:D :D :D :D
8) |
27-Jun-2003, 20:40
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