if observed/if witnessed/if found

[GoodTaste]

Which is idiomatic in English? I have had three options:


if observed/if witnessed/if found

-----------------------------

As I rode my bicycle to the end of the street, I found there was a barricade barred it. The barricade is barely 1.2 meters high with a sign that reads: This road is closed for preventing the spread of the novel virus. Any one who dares to climb over it will be detained by police if observed.

Source: I wrote it.

 

[Rover_KE]

observed

 

[tedmc]

"There was a barricade barred it" doesn't sound right to me.

Why the change of tense from the first to the second sentence?

I think "if observed" is redundant.

 

[emsr2d2]

Which is idiomatic in English? I have had three options:

if observed/if witnessed/if found

-----------------------------

[STRIKE]As I rode my bicycle to[/STRIKE] I was riding my bike and when I reached the end of the street, I found [there was] a barricade. [STRIKE]barred it[/STRIKE] The barricade is barely 1.2 meters high with a sign that reads: This road is closed [STRIKE]for preventing[/STRIKE] to prevent the spread of [STRIKE]the novel virus[/STRIKE] coronavirus. Anyone [STRIKE]who[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]dares to[/STRIKE] seen/caught climbing over it will be detained by police. [STRIKE]if observed.[/STRIKE]

Source: I wrote it.

See above for my corrections and suggestions.

I know that a previous thread contained information about it being called "the novel virus" but that is not what it's called in everyday English. All news reports etc call it "Coronavirus". If you want people to understand the sign on the barricade, you need to use the same term.

 

[GoesStation]

All news reports etc call it "Coronavirus". If you want people to understand the sign on the barricade, you need to use the same term.

More and more news outlets have adopted "CORVID-19" since the WHO decided to make that the official name for the virus.

 

[jutfrank]

Also, since coronavirus is not technically the name of the virus, it doesn't need to be capitalised. It's just a common noun for a kind of virus.

Common usage, though, has complicated things because people are using it as a name.

 

[Tarheel]

I listen to the radio a lot, and all I ever hear is coronavirus.

 

[emsr2d2]

More and more news outlets have adopted "CORVID-19" since the WHO decided to make that the official name for the virus.

The BBC hasn't. Here's today's BBC update on the global situation. As you can see, there is no mention of "Corvid-19" or "the novel virus". The word "coronavirus" is used over and over again.
I agree with jutfrank that it doesn't need to be capitalised. I've changed my correction in post #4 so that it's not capitalised.

 

[GoesStation]

The BBC hasn't. Here's today's BBC update on the global situation. As you can see, there is no mention of "Corvid-19" or "the novel virus". The word "coronavirus" is used over and over again.

Good point. The NY Times has also stuck with "coronavirus".

 

[jutfrank]

Another point to make about this: these news agencies are not actually calling it 'coronavirus' by name. They're referring to as the coronavirus. In headlines, the article is omitted, which I suspect may be encouraging people to think of 'Coronavirus' as the name.

 

[jutfrank]

I agree with jutfrank that it doesn't need to be capitalised. I've changed my correction in post #4 so that it's not capitalised.

Following my point in post #10, you need to add a the in there too, since it's a common noun, not a name.

 

[GoesStation]

On tonight's All Things Considered, the (American) National Public Radio news program, reporters consistently called the virus coronavirus or, when the article was appropriate, the coronavirus. The one time a reporter named the disease, she called it Covid-19. I thought that was odd, but it turns out she was partially following the World Health Organization's guidance. The virus should properly be called “the COVID-19 virus”, as it's but one of many coronaviruses, but it looks like it's too late to enforce the distinction.

 

[emsr2d2]

Following my point in post #10, you need to add a the in there too, since it's a common noun, not a name.

I left it out because on all live BBC News reports I've seen in the last couple of days, they're omitting the article too.

"The number of people reported as diagnosed with coronavirus ..."
"Here is an update on the spread of coronavirus ..."
"Here's what to do if you're concerned about coronavirus ..."

 

[jutfrank]

I left it out because on all live BBC News reports I've seen in the last couple of days, they're omitting the article too.

"The number of people reported as diagnosed with coronavirus ..."
"Here is an update on the spread of coronavirus ..."
"Here's what to do if you're concerned about coronavirus ..."

Interesting.

Are these examples from written texts only? I'm wondering if there are differences between spoken and written reports. I've been trying to pay special attention to usage too over the past week or so. I had concluded that the BBC are generally using the article, so your examples are interesting (to a usage nerd like me, at least).

Here's the latest NHS advice I have up on my staffroom wall. Look at the last paragraph:

 

[jutfrank]

For anyone who isn't utterly fascinated by all this, I'm really sorry to go on about it, but I've just spotted an interesting inconsistency in the text that emsr2d2 linked in post #8.

Here's a recap of key developments as the coronavirus has continued to spread across the world:

In Britain, tests for coronavirus are being extended to include people displaying flu-like symptoms at 100 GP surgeries and eight hospitals across the country.