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Rotter Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Needed to at least given them a more-than fighting chance.

Workers from the Salaam Baalak Trust cannot offer them an easy pathway out of their condition, but the aim is to arm them with the social and personal skills needed to at least given them a more-than fighting chance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4223406.stm



I don't think the above sentence is fine. You could say the children need some skills to live in the society. But the words 'needed to at least given them a more-than fighting chance' sounds awkward to me.

What do you think?
  

Top answer

At minimum, it should be "... " As for improvements in the style of the thing, I'll leave that to others to comment on. "at least" and "more-than" seem to be the most awkward expressions of the lot.

— CalifJim

  • At minimum, it should be "...
  • " As for improvements in the style of the thing, I'll leave that to others to comment on.
  • "at least" and "more-than" seem to be the most awkward expressions of the lot.
  • CJ
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3 Answers
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At minimum, it should be "... to at least give them ..." As for improvements in the style of the thing, I'll leave that to others to comment on. "at least" and "more-than" seem to be the most awkward expressions of the lot.

CJ
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Thanks Califjim

It is awkward. That is why I posted here to know from the experts.
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An additional point of awkwardness seems to be the combination of two separate thoughts into one sentence, feebly joined by 'but'.

I might compress the last part into, '..skills needed for more than a fighting chance'.

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