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NL888 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

Should "its risks...don't outweigh the potential benefits" be...?

Should "its risks...don't outweigh the potential benefits" be "its risks...don't be outweighed by the potential benefits"?

Context:

At issue are studies to find out which mutations might make dangerous viruses like the H5N1 avian influenza strain more easily transmissible between humans. Critics of such research argue that its risks, such as an accidental escape from the lab, don't outweigh the potential benefits.

MOre:
http://news.sciencemag.org/europe/2013/12/critics-h5n1-studies-lobby-european-commission
  

Top answer

The text is correct.

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7 Answers
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Thanks.
But if risks outweigh the benefits, what value is there for such studies?
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In my view, "Critics of such research" refers to "the people who deny the benefit of such research."
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NL888Thanks.But if risks outweigh the benefits, what value is there for such studies?
That is exactly the critics' point. They do not approve of these studies.
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NL888In my view, "Critics of such research" refers to "the people who deny the benefit of such research."
No,, they do not deny that there are benefits. They argue that the risks are too great.
For example, many critics (non-scientists) object to particle accelerators, claiming that these machines could create a black hole that could destroy the earth. Sc
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AlpheccaStars: They argue that the risks are too great.
Yes, they should argue that the risks far outweigh the benefits, not argue "the risks don't outweigh the benefits" as the article says.

That is why I asked the question:
Should "its risks...don't outweigh the potential benefits" be "its risks...don't be outweighed by the potenti
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NL888don't be outweighed by
That is incorrect English. You can't use "'do" and "be" together as helping verbs.

But you are right that the logic is flawed. The editor should have scratched "don't"

Critics of such research argue that its risks, such as an accidental escape from the lab, don't outweigh the potential benefit
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