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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
conspiracy of silence
Hello,
look at this sentence please:
"(T)here might have been no epidemic, but for the conspiracy of silence, designed to protect the tourist trade, about the first few cases diagnosed."
Is that might a consessionary might? I am not sure.
I try to reword the sentence so that you see if I misinterpret it or not.
There was an epidemic, even though it did not became public due to the conspiracy of silence to protect the tourist trade.
"about the first few cases diagnosed"? This part of te sentence seems to me to be out of place. I can not logically link it to the rest of the sentence.
Could you help me?
Thanks.
look at this sentence please:
"(T)here might have been no epidemic, but for the conspiracy of silence, designed to protect the tourist trade, about the first few cases diagnosed."
Is that might a consessionary might? I am not sure.
I try to reword the sentence so that you see if I misinterpret it or not.
There was an epidemic, even though it did not became public due to the conspiracy of silence to protect the tourist trade.
"about the first few cases diagnosed"? This part of te sentence seems to me to be out of place. I can not logically link it to the rest of the sentence.
Could you help me?
Thanks.
Top answer
) An epidemic followed. However, it's possible that the epidemic could have been kept form happening if this conspiracy had not kept the existence of these illness a secret. " For example: But for not being able to find my keys and leaving ten minutes later than I planned, I would have been at the intersection when the accident occurred.
- ) An epidemic followed.
- However, it's possible that the epidemic could have been kept form happening if this conspiracy had not kept the existence of these illness a secret.
- " For example: But for not being able to find my keys and leaving ten minutes later than I planned, I would have been at the intersection when the accident occurred.
- Or, I would have been in that terrible accident, but for misplacing my keys.
- The silence was about/regarding the initial cases that were diagnosed.
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3 Answers
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According to the original author:
After the first few cases were diagnosed, there was a "conspiracy of silence." This conspiracy was intended to protect tourism (The idea being that people would not have come to visit if they had known about the illness.)
An epidemic followed.
However, it's possible that the epidemic could have been kept form happening
After the first few cases were diagnosed, there was a "conspiracy of silence." This conspiracy was intended to protect tourism (The idea being that people would not have come to visit if they had known about the illness.)
An epidemic followed.
However, it's possible that the epidemic could have been kept form happening
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The silence was about the first few cases. Nobody wanted to talk about those first cases because of the fear that talking about them would ruin the tourist trade. If people had talked, however, there might have been no epidemic. That is, it's possible that the epidemic would never have happened if people had talked openly about those first few cases instead of remaining sile
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Thank you, Jim and Barb.
But for my not being aware of the meaning of but for, I would have not had problem with the sentence.
"might have been" expresses possibility in the past.
I see!
Thanks for your help.
But for my not being aware of the meaning of but for, I would have not had problem with the sentence.
"might have been" expresses possibility in the past.
I see!
Thanks for your help.
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