A sentence

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Food and Drug Administration Cannot Inspect Its Way Out Of Food Safety Problemswhat does this sentence means

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Increasing the number of inspections will not solve the FDA's problems.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

The implication might be that legislation is needed.

(I guess you didn't ask about the implication.)

Jewellery · Answer

CalifJim,

Thanks.

I think your understanding is right. I viewed the whole document. I think it really implies that in addition to inspection, some other ways shall also be used.

But can you help analyze the structure of this sentence? I cannot understand its grammatical structure.

inspect one's way?? what's that?

Avangi · Answer

It's similar to "I cannot find my way out of the forest."

"He couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag!"

"This time, she couldn't lie her way out of it."

"Perhaps we can negotiate our way out of this mess."

These are all transitive verbs. The direct object of all these verbs is "(the) way out."

The "of" phrases all modify "the way out," answering the question "out of what?"

You're in a bad situation and you want to get out of it. What method can you use to accomplish this? If you think about it, you might find a way to solve your problem - a way out of it.

CalifJim · Answer

jewellerycan you help analyze the structure of this sentence? I cannot understand its grammatical structure.

inspect one's way?? what's that?

Beth Levin (English Verb Classes and Alternations) classifies it as the X's way construction. X's represents a possessive that has to match the gender and number of the subject. The word way is invariable.

They shopped their way around Chicago.
Lucy worked her way through the book.
The boy pushed his way through the crowd.
The explorers cut their way through the jungle.
The mob shoved their way toward the stage.
Susan talked her way out of a traffic ticket.

The meaning is that the subject continues to perform the action of the verb until he has brought about the state expressed in the final phrase (or a meaning that is similar in some way). So in your example, the FDA cannot continue to perform inspections and expect the result that they will be "out of the problem", that is, they cannot expect the problem to be solved.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Okay, I give.  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/77.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/77.gif' alt='Emotion: happy'/>

Ducks1160 · Answer

The reason you do not understand this sentence is that it is badly written and makes no sense.  It might mean the Food and Drug Administration needs to do more inspections or it could mean that the inspections are not working and they need to do something else.  What is clear is that the writer has not clearly thought this out.  The reader can only guess at its meaning, and your guess is as good as anyone's.

Jewellery · Answer

CalifJim

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your detailed explanation and clarification

Now I undertand it. thank you

CalifJim · Answer

Ducks1160The reason you do not understand this sentence is that it is badly written and makes no sense.

It was meant to be a headline or a title, not a true sentence. As a headline it makes perfect sense. I don't see a way that it means that the FDA needs to do more inspections. Sorry.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

The meaning is clear to me.  More inspections will not solve the problem.<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/79.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/79.gif' alt='Emotion: shake'/>

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