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Ruttonjee Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

if not all

0Hi there,02br
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00Aspiring to be an advanced knowledge economy, Beijing needs the great majority, if not all, of our students to success, academically and professionally, though individuals may attain achievement at differeent paces.02br
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001. Why did the writer put 'if not all' in the middle of the sentence? If I replace 'if not all', how can I do so to change it back to a normal sentence structure?02br
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002. Why did the writer put a comma before 'though'? Is it necessary to do so?02br
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00Simon0-
  

Top answer

0 1. 02br 00 So Beijing needs 01u 00almost all02u 00 -- no, maybe Beijing needs 01u 00all02u 00 -- of the students ... 02br 02br 00 2.

— CalifJim

  • 0 1.
  • 02br 00 So Beijing needs 01u 00almost all02u 00 -- no, maybe Beijing needs 01u 00all02u 00 -- of the students ...
  • 02br 02br 00 2.
  • The comma is necessary in my opinion.
  • The thought is essentially complete at the word 01i 00professionally02i 00.
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5 Answers
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0 1. Beijing needs the great majority (almost all), if not all (perhaps even all), of our students [to be successful] ...02br
00 So Beijing needs 01u00almost all02u00 -- no, maybe Beijing needs 01u00all02u00 -- of the students ... The author has changed his mind in the middle of the sentence, or rather, he has pretended to do so to
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0Hi there,02br
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00thanks a lot. But if the idea completed, why did the writer simply a period before 'though'?02br
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00Simon0-
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0 Placing a period there would leave the 01i00though02i00 clause hanging at the end by itself, and the 01i00though02i00 clause does not form a complete sentence of its own, so it cannot be detached from the sentence it is related to.02br
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00 CJ0-
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0Hi there,02br
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00But I was told by my high teachers that 'though' means although, which should not go with a comma before it. Is it true?02br
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00Simon0-
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0 I'm not aware of any rule that says 01i00though02i00 or 01i00although02i00 must not be preceded by a comma under any circumstances. You will surely find 01i00though02i00 or 01i00although02i00 preceded by a comma in the writings of many fine authors.02br
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00 CJ0-
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