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SeroMack Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

"but less" "were it not for"

I've just read an article from Newsweek and got stuck in a sentence: There will be pushback from the GOP - but less, perhaps, were it not for the House Speaker.

What does the red mean? Is there inversion in the sentence or a form of some conditional?
  

Top answer

Hello SM, It seems to be a compressed (and not entirely intelligible) version of: 1. e. had it not been] for the House Speaker, [who did XYZ].

— MrPedantic

  • Hello SM, It seems to be a compressed (and not entirely intelligible) version of: 1.
  • e.
  • had it not been] for the House Speaker, [who did XYZ].
  • All the best, MrP
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3 Answers
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Hello SM,

It seems to be a compressed (and not entirely intelligible) version of:

1. There will be pushback from the GOP - but less, perhaps [than there would have been], were it not [i.e. had it not been] for the House Speaker, [who did XYZ].

All the best,

MrP
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Shoot! I've got lots improvement to be done on my grammar... Emotion: wink

Thanks MrP! Greetings!
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I wouldn't worry too much – the journalist in question must have had a late night...
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