18 sentences to correct

[Flash]

I'm a newcomer here, so I don't know all the rules of the forum. I didn't know where I was able to place these sentences, as I hadn't found the section on this forum where I could do that. So, I'm placing them here. I'd like you to correct them. I'm not too sure of some words either...

1. Having known that a friend of mine had already been discharged from hospital two days ago, I went to the shop to buy a bunch of flowers for him. I thought it would make him happy.
2. My friend, a scientist, advised me to investigate the subject I was writing my essay on more thoroughly before taking the exam.
3. After a long discussion we came to a conclusion that the reason why he had failed to perform his obligations was his careless reading of the safety regulations.
4. The buds of many trees get swollen in spring and have a lovely scent.
5. In spite of the fact that his own car, a Toyota, had repeatedly got into a crash he continued saying he was a good driver.
6. A lot of historians believe that Columbus discovered America in 1492 due to being a very experienced navigator.
7. Despite the tree having given a lot of fruit this summer we’ll have to cut it down. What a shame!
8. The war in Iraq is still the topic of argument between many European countries and the USA.
9. Even though Japan were considered to be of much lower class than most other teams that came to the World Championship held in South Korea and Japan they managed to reach the quarter final.
10. The company has ceased bringing it profit because its goods were not in demand.
11. Africa is infested with monkeys. Perhaps, it’s the main reason why people adore them so much there.
12. This material is indispensable to producing these kinds of goods.
13. Many correspondents thought that Lokomotiv’s chance of coming first this year had melted away long ago but having beaten Torpedo 3:1 Lokomotiv climbed to the top of the table.
14. I was glad to know that at the press conference which had been held on the eve of the match both coaches had discussed the main problems of their teams before the forthcoming match.
15. Working at Microsoft I gained all-round experience in communicating with different kinds of people.
16. I lost a very important disc recently. I put up a notice at school yesterday which says that I’m offering a big reward to the one who finds the disc.
17. The remoteness of our village from Moscow makes us think of buying a new countryside house closer to the city.
18. Many historians consider that the reason why Russia was backward in its development from other European countries for many centuries is that the Russians have a very peculiar disposition.

[doltcrow]

12. This material is indispensable to producing these kinds of goods.
<b>=>This material is indispensable FOR producing (to produce) these kinds of goods.</b>

3. After a long discussion we came to a conclusion that the reason why he had failed to perform his obligations was his careless reading of the safety regulations.
<b>=> After a long discussion we came to a conclusion that the reason why he had failed to perform his obligations was his careless reading the safety regulations.</b>
5. In spite of the fact that his own car, a Toyota, had repeatedly got into a crash he continued saying he was a good driver.
<b>=>In spite of the fact that his own car, a Toyota, had repeatedly got into a crash, he continued saying he was a good driver.</b>

16. I lost a very important disc recently. I put up a notice at school yesterday which says that I’m offering a big reward to the one who finds the disc.
<b>=> I have lost a very important disc recently...</b>


18. Many historians consider that the reason why Russia was backward in its development from other European countries for many centuries is that the Russians have a very peculiar disposition.


=> Many historians consider that the reason why Russia has been backward in its development from other European countries for many centuries is that the Russians have a very peculiar disposition.




I am not an expert. I am just trying to help. I hope I have.

Best wishes,

RC/DC

[Flash]

Thank you so much! I've got some questions about the variants you wrote:

12. I really wanted to use the infinitive after the adjective "indispensable" but I came across such a sentence:

International cooperation is indispensable to resolving the problem of the drug trade.

This sentence is absolutely correct because it's taken from an English dictionary.

Can you explain to me why in my sentense I should use the infinitive or the gerund but in the sentence I read in the dictionary I should use to+ing?

5. What's wrong in this sentence? I have read your variant three times and failed to find a single word my sentence didn't have or lacked.


6. I meant 'a short time ago' by 'recently'. As far as I remember if you mean 'a short time ago' by recently you should use the Past Simple, shouldn't you?

18. I don't mean that Russia's been backward in its development from many other countries for the LAST centuries. I mean that it was backward in its.....

I hope you clerify that.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Flash

I'm a newcomer here, so I don't know all the rules of the forum. I didn't know where I was able to place these sentences, as I hadn't found the section on this forum where I could do that. So, I'm placing them here. I'd like you to correct them. I'm not too sure of some words either...

I'm a newcomer here, so I don't know all the rules of the forum. I didn't know where I was able to place these sentences, as I hadn't found the section on this forum where I could do that. So, I'm placing them here. I'd like you to correct them. Also, I'm not too sure of some words.

Originally Posted by Flash

1. Having known that a friend of mine had already been discharged from hospital two days ago, I went to the shop to buy a bunch of flowers for him. I thought it would make him happy.

I would delete already from the first sentence. Also, say Having discovered or Having learned rather than Having known. You could also say two days previously rather than two days ago. (In AE we would say the hospital.)

Originally Posted by Flash

2. My friend, a scientist, advised me to investigate the subject I was writing my essay on more thoroughly before taking the exam.

That is fine.

Originally Posted by Flash

3. After a long discussion we came to a conclusion that the reason why he had failed to perform his obligations was his careless reading of the safety regulations.

The only thing I would change there is I would put a comma after discussion.

Originally Posted by Flash

4. The buds of many trees get swollen in spring and have a lovely scent.

That is good.

Originally Posted by Flash

5. In spite of the fact that his own car, a Toyota, had repeatedly got into a crash he continued saying he was a good driver.

I don't think the car crashed by itself. Try:

Despite being involved in several accidents, he continued to assert that he was a good driver.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by Flash

6. A lot of historians believe that Columbus discovered America in 1492 due to being a very experienced navigator.

That is good.

Originally Posted by Flash

7. Despite the tree having given a lot of fruit this summer we’ll have to cut it down. What a shame!

The only thing you need there is a comma after summer.

Originally Posted by Flash

8. The war in Iraq is still the topic of argument between many European countries and the USA.

The only thing I would change there is that I would say a topic of argument rather than the topic of argument. (There might be other disputatious topics.)

Originally Posted by Flash

9. Even though Japan were considered to be of much lower class than most other teams that came to the World Championship held in South Korea and Japan they managed to reach the quarter final.

Even though the Japanese team was considered to be not nearly as good as most other teams that came to the World Championship held in South Korea and Japan, they managed to reach the quarter finals.

Originally Posted by Flash

10. The company has ceased bringing it profit because its goods were not in demand.

The company has ceased making a profit because its goods are no longer in demand.

Originally Posted by Flash

11. Africa is infested with monkeys. Perhaps, it’s the main reason why people adore them so much there.

An infestation of something is the presence of something undesirable. To say that Africa is infested with monkeys suggests that people don't want to have them there. Perhaps you would like to choose a different word.

Originally Posted by Flash

12. This material is indispensable to producing these kinds of goods.

That looks okay.

Originally Posted by Flash

13. Many correspondents thought that Lokomotiv’s chance of coming first this year had melted away long ago but having beaten Torpedo 3:1 Lokomotiv climbed to the top of the table.

Put a comma after ago. I am not sure what you mean by top of the table. "Top of the standings", perhaps?

Originally Posted by Flash

14. I was glad to know that at the press conference which had been held on the eve of the match both coaches had discussed the main problems of their teams before the forthcoming match.
15. Working at Microsoft I gained all-round experience in communicating with different kinds of people.
16. I lost a very important disc recently. I put up a notice at school yesterday which says that I’m offering a big reward to the one who finds the disc.
17. The remoteness of our village from Moscow makes us think of buying a new countryside house closer to the city.

The only thing I would change there is that in the second sentence I would put a comma after Microsoft.

Originally Posted by Flash

18. Many historians consider that the reason why Russia was backward in its development from other European countries for many centuries is that the Russians have a very peculiar disposition.

Many historians consider that the reason why Russia was backward in its development compared to other European countries for many centuries is that the Russians have a very peculiar disposition.

[Flash]

The verbs 'to learn' and 'to know' are very confusing for many leaners of English. I was told the difference between these two verbs about 18 months ago and as far as I remember I got it at the time but now it seems to me that I have totally forgotten it. Could you please remind me this difference?

Thank you for telling me where I have to put commas but I don't care about commas. We have so many punctuation rules in the Russian language that I just don't want to think about all these commas, exclamation marks, etc. in the English language.

I thought that the phrase "to be infested with smth" could have a negative meaning but I decided to know (or to learn? find out?) whether my thought/guess was true. I would say: Africa is abound in/with monkeys. I think it would look OK, wouldn't it?

Even though, you wrote that you preferred to say: two days previously I would like not to the change the expression I wrote. I'm just used to saying two/three/etc. days ago.

I like this sentence:
Despite being involved in several accidents, he continued to assert that he was a good driver.

I don't think the car crashed by itself

You know everything can happen these days

You're absolutely right! I meant the top of the standings.

Thanks a lot!

[RonBee]

I have read your post, and I will respond more fully ASAP (as soon as possible).

[RonBee]

To learn something is to acquire knowledge of it. If you know something you already have learned it. To know something is to understand it.

Rather than say Africa is infested with monkeys (negative meaning), you might say that Africa abounds in monkeys or that monkeys are plentiful in Africa.

You can use ago if you are talking about the present day. Example: "I met him two days ago." (I met him two days before today.) If the time period you are talking about is some time in the past then you must say previously (or something like that). That is because x days ago means x days before today.