[General] Last time...(two sentences...98 words)

[Silverobama]

There was a recent case of COVID in my city. Please help me with two sentences about this context.

1) Zhang asked me how the COVID test was done because I once got tested in a hospital. He thought the nurse would only swabbed the throat but actually the nose would also be swabbed.

I said to him "Last time they got the sample from my nose and throat". Is this italic sentence good?

2) Because of this recent outbreak, our English club next Monday has to be put off. I wrote a message to our host David, who didn't know the outbreak yet.

I wrote: We have to postpone next Monday's gathering * because a Korean man who worked for a factory in our city was tested positive when returning back to Korea. The place he worked for and the hotel he lived were closed soon after he was reported infected. Most importantly, the factory he worked for is close to our gathering site **. Now we still don't know if he was the first one who got infected. We need to see the test results of others who were once in close contact with him. ***

*: Next Monday's gathering means people of the English club meet every Monday, gather together to speak English.
**: Our gathering site means the place where our English club is held.
***: The logic behind the last sentence: maybe the man wasn't the first one who got infected, this means the person is not in quarantine. It's dangerous because now we don't wear masks. So, we need to the test results of other people who were once in close contact with this Korean man.
Please also help me with the longer italic sentences.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

There was a recent case of COVID in my city. Please help me with two sentences about this situation.

1) Zhang asked me how the COVID test was done because I once got tested in a hospital. He thought the nurse would only swabbed the throat but actually the nose would also be swabbed.

I said to him "Last time, they got the sample from my nose and throat". Is this italic sentence good?

2) Because of this recent outbreak, our English club meeting next Monday has to be put off. I wrote a message to our host David, who didn't know about the outbreak yet.

I wrote: We have to postpone next Monday's gathering[no space]* because a Korean man who works in a factory in our city was tested positive when returning [STRIKE]back[/STRIKE] to Korea. The place he worked for and the hotel he lived were closed soon after he was reported infected. Most importantly, the factory he worked for is close to our gathering site **. We still don't know if he was the first one who got infected. We need to see the test results of others who were once in close contact with him. ***

*[no colon] Next Monday's gathering means members of the English club meet every Monday. We gather together to speak English.

**[no colon] Our gathering site means the place where our English club is held.

***[No colon] The logic behind the last sentence: maybe the man wasn't the first one who got infected. This means the first person might not be not in quarantine. It's dangerous because now we don't wear masks. So, we need to the test results of other people who were once in close contact with this Korean man.

Please also help me with the longer italic sentences.

There you go!

 

[teechar]

He thought the nurse would only swab [STRIKE]bed[/STRIKE] the throat, but actually the nose [STRIKE]would[/STRIKE] must also be swabbed.
I said to him "Last time, they [STRIKE]got the[/STRIKE] took a (swab) sample from my nose and one from my throat".

2) Because of this recent [STRIKE]outbreak,[/STRIKE] case, our English club next Monday has to be put off. I wrote a message to our host David, who didn't know about the [STRIKE]outbreak[/STRIKE] that case yet.

I wrote: We have to postpone next Monday's club [STRIKE]gathering[/STRIKE] because a Korean man who worked for a factory in our city [STRIKE]was[/STRIKE] tested positive when [STRIKE]returning[/STRIKE] he went back back to Korea. The place he worked for and the hotel he lived in were closed soon after he was reported infected. Most importantly, the factory he worked for is close to our meeting place. [STRIKE]gathering site **[/STRIKE]. Now we still don't know if he was the first one who got infected. We need to [STRIKE]see[/STRIKE] wait for the test results of others who were [STRIKE]once[/STRIKE] in close contact with him.

.

 

[Silverobama]

Feedback to CB.

I appreciate your help, CB. But I don't see many corrections of my wrong one. For example, the phrase "gathering site" is not natural to me. Yes, I made it up but I'm not a native speaker. However, I appreciate your efforts and patience.

Feedback to teechar.

After reading your corrections, I spotted two places where I think they could be improved.

1)

Last time, they took a (swab) sample from my nose and one from my throat.

I think "a" (in red) already makes it clear that it's a singular swab. I wonder if I can rule out "one from" (in black) in the above sentence.

2)

We have to postpone next Monday's club because a Korean man who worked for a factory in our city tested positive when he went back back to Korea. The place he worked for and the hotel he lived in were closed soon after he was reported infected. Most importantly, the factory he worked for is close to our meeting place. Now we still don't know if he was the first one who got infected. We need to wait for the test results of others who were in close contact with him.

I think I need to take out one "back" (in black) in the corrected version. Am I right?

 

[tedmc]

took a (swab) sample from my nose and one from my throat"

How about "took a swab sample each from my nose and throat"?

 

[teechar]

took a (swab) sample from my nose and one from my throat"
How about "took a swab sample each from my nose and throat"?

That sounds as if there was more than one nurse taking samples from each patient!

 

[teechar]

1) I think "a" (in red) already makes it clear that it's a singular swab. I wonder if I can rule out "one from" (in black) in the above sentence.

No. My version is clearer. Yours can imply (although unlikely) that somehow they used one swab for both nose and throat.

2) I think I need to take out one "back" (in black) in the corrected version. Am I right?

Yes, that extra "black" shouldn't be there.

 

[tedmc]

That sounds as if there was more than one nurse taking samples from each patient!

How could that be when there is "my" (not "our")?

 

[emsr2d2]

I've got a bit muddled with the various quotes and responses, but this works fine for me.

Last time, they took a swab from my nose and my throat.

 

[emsr2d2]

How could that be when there is "my" (not "our")?

I see no 'he'

I think you might have misread something, Piscean.

 

[teechar]

How could that be when there is "my" (not "our")?

"each patient" = "a patient". That's not the issue. The problem I pointed out in your version is that "each" can suggest there is more than one nurse!

 

[emsr2d2]

took a (swab) sample from my nose and one from my throat"

How about "took a swab sample each from my nose and throat"?

That sounds as if there was more than one nurse taking samples from each patient!

How could that be when there is "my" (not "our")?

The problem is the word "each". It doesn't work with "my nose and throat". The only other word it can be connected to is "they", which is what makes it sound as if there were two nurses. It would be read as "They + took a swab each + from my nose and throat.
The word you needed instead of "each" is "both" and it needed to be in a different position: "They took a swab from both my nose and my throat".

 

[teechar]

"They took a swab from both my nose and my throat".

Back to square one. That can be (albeit unlikely) interpreted as one swab (for both the nose and throat).

 

[emsr2d2]

Fair point. I was dealing only with the misuse of the word "each". As was mentioned before, for two swabs taken by one person, I'd say "Last time, the nurse took a swab from my nose and one/another from my throat".

Using "the nurse" precludes any possibility of "one/another" being connected to the practitioner instead of the swab.

 

[teechar]

As was mentioned before, for two swabs taken by one person, I'd say "Last time, the nurse took a swab from my nose and one/another from my throat".

Yes, both "the nurse" or "they" (as I suggested in post #3) work.

Using "the nurse" precludes any possibility of "one/another" being connected to the practitioner instead of the swab.

Yes, and so does what I wrote in post #3.