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"Moreover, given that the birth rate has been steadily shrinking, the number of young people going to college will decrease in the years ahead. It is urgent that the relevant authorities take steps in reaction to this trend."
"Moreover, given that the birth rate has been steadily shrinking, the number of young people going to college will decrease in the years ahead. It is urgent that the relevant authorities take steps in reaction to this trend."
What is the function of the verb "given"?
Thanks a lot.
It means "Since we know that the birth rate has been shrinking ..."
Something is "given" if it's a fact that one can take as being true.
Other examples:
Given that x = 3, what is x + 2. Answer is 5.
Given that you reading this message, you can infer that I have been online.
The Following User Says Thank You to Raymott For This Useful Post:
given (KNOWING)
preposition
knowing about or considering a particular thing:
Given his age, he's a remarkably fast runner.
Given (the fact)that a prospective student is bombarded by prospectuses, selecting a suitable course is not easy.
"given" that the birth rate 
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