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New2grammar Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

"routine"

0Security staff were doing a "01b00routine02b00" security sweep Wednesday morning when they discovered the explosives on a plastic bag belonging to a contractor working with plant insulation, said Lars Thuring, president of plant owner OKG. 02br
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00Why is routine quoted? Routine security sweet is not an uncommon term at all.02br
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00By the way, why on is used instead of in a plastic bag?02br
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00Thanks in advance0-
  

Top answer

12blockquote 10The first paragraph states: "traces of explosives were found on a contractor's bag" clearly this indicates that the contractor had something like a backpack or gym bag or maybe an equipment bag of some kind which had the traces on it. This means that the explosives were not blocks or sticks contained in the bag but small amounts smeared on the outside of the bag. 02br 02br 00Why is routine quoted?

— RayH

  • 12blockquote 10The first paragraph states: "traces of explosives were found on a contractor's bag" clearly this indicates that the contractor had something like a backpack or gym bag or maybe an equipment bag of some kind which had the traces on it.
  • This means that the explosives were not blocks or sticks contained in the bag but small amounts smeared on the outside of the bag.
  • 02br 02br 00Why is routine quoted?
  • Well this is CNN.
  • 0-
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14 Answers
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1blockquote
01cite10New2grammar12cite10By the way, why on is used instead of in a plastic bag?12blockquote
10The first paragraph states: "traces of explosives were found on a contractor's bag" clearly this indicates that the contractor had something like a backpack or gym bag or maybe an equipment bag of some kind which had the traces o
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0 I'm with RayH on these.02br
00The security staff were probably not doing a routine sweep; they were probably doing a one-time sweep because they had been tipped off to the potential problem. Nevertheless, they probably were supposed to be doing routine sweeps, but were neglectful of their duties, so, to make it seem that they were just faithfully doing their jobs, they said it was
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0So the "plastic" bag refers to the backpack or gym bag or an equipment bag or a totally different bag (which you don't think so)? The source of confusion is a plastic bag is usually a bag that you fill your groceries in. And in this context, the relationship between the bag mentioned in the first paragraph and the plastic bag was not established, leaving me thinking the possibility of having a
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0 Don't feel like the lone ranger! When I first read it, I thought there was a misprint and that it should have been 01i00in02i00. 05002br
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00CJ 010id1
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0Thank you, RayH and CJ. lone ranger ... interesting idiom 050010id1
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0 How about this for some added confusion? Later in the story there is this quote:02br
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00[President of OKG Lars] Thuring said there was no specific threat against the plant. "The only thing that we have found is this trace of explosives 01b00in02b00 the bag." [emphasis added] 0-
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0I missed that one. Now that I checked, I'm even more confused. What's wrong with the reporter? Is he not doing his job right or there's something I don't understand.0-
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0 Even later we have this, which clears up the whole story:02br
00 Oesterberg said the explosive traces were found 01b00on the bag's handle02b00, indicating it may have 01b00rubbed off from the man's hands02b00. [emphasis added]0-
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1blockquote
01cite10New2grammar12cite10What's wrong with the reporter? Is he not doing his job right or there's something I don't understand.12br
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12blockquote
10Like I said, it's CNN.0-
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0So there was only one bag involved? That means the gym bag or the equipment bag or the bag pack was made of plastic and therefore it was referred to a plastic bag? Is it common for native speakers to refer to any of these bags as a plastic bag? 0-
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