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New2grammar Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

monitoring the quake lake situation

0The Chinese goverment have been monitoring the quake lake situation in SziChuan closely after digging a spillway to drain water from the largest earthquake formed lake. Although it took Chinese military engineers a full week to dig the canal, it failed relieve the water pressure which threatens to burst its banks and flood villages downstream. Water level continue to rise today as the 10 meter wide canal couldn't cope with the increase in water in the lake.02br
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00Are there any mistakes?02br
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00Thanks0-
  

Top answer

0The Chinese gover01font 01b 00n02b 02font 00ment 01font 01del 00have02del 00 has02font 00 been monitoring the quake lake situation in SziChuan closely after digging a spillway to drain water from the largest earthquake formed lake. Although it took Chinese military engineers a full week to dig the canal, it failed 01font 00to02font 00 relieve the water pressure which threatens to burst its banks and flood villages downstream. 02br 00Water pressure is an abstract measurement, so it can't literally burst its banks.

— CalifJim

  • 0The Chinese gover01font 01b 00n02b 02font 00ment 01font 01del 00have02del 00 has02font 00 been monitoring the quake lake situation in SziChuan closely after digging a spillway to drain water from the largest earthquake formed lake.
  • Although it took Chinese military engineers a full week to dig the canal, it failed 01font 00to02font 00 relieve the water pressure which threatens to burst its banks and flood villages downstream.
  • 02br 00Water pressure is an abstract measurement, so it can't literally burst its banks.
  • (But I'll leave it to you if you really want to rephrase all that!
  • )02br 00CJ 0-
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8 Answers
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0The Chinese gover01font01b00n02b02font00ment 01font01del00have02del00 has02font00 been monitoring the quake lake situation in SziChuan closely after digging a spillway to drain water from the largest earthquake formed lake. Although it took Chinese military engineers a
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0Thanks, CJ.02br
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00I just have one small question. Why did you pluralize 'water level'? Is it not clear that the passage is taking about one particular lake, the largest quake lake? Or the reason is similar to that of 'waters'. For example, even though you are talking about one river, you would say use the plural 'waters', This polluted river was once popular for its co
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0 01blockquote
01cite10New2grammar12cite10one particular lake12blockquote
10 Oh, I see. Then it should be: 01font00The02font00 water level continue01font01b00s02b02font00 ...02br
00CJ 0-
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0Thanks, CJ. Got it! 050010id1
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0Mind you, the plural "have" for 01i00government02i00 is acceptable to some (as is for 01i00police02i00):02br
00---------02br
05002br
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00by James Percy Fitzpatrick - 2001 - 469 pages02br
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01b00...02b00 published within a stone's throw of the Government Office— w
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0Actually, I wanted to asked why the plural wasn't right since police can be singular and plural. Thanks, MH!0-
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0Police is never singular. 02br
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00In the US, we tend to use the singular verb for these collective nouns: company, team, staff, jury. Only when we want to talk about them as individuals do we use the plural. I've noticed that other places are more likely to use the plural verb for government or company.0-
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0Ummm...where did I learn that from...I stand corrected. Thanks, GG.0-
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