0
Calive Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
The New York Times: Comma and verb
Below is the actual text from The New York Times:
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy. We are less certain about the administration's political strategy. The gap, and the danger, was on full display in Marja. February's military offensive drove Taliban forces out of the area and secured the city center.
Two questions about the sentence in bold:
1. Why the comma after "gap"?
2. Why "was" not "were"?
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy. We are less certain about the administration's political strategy. The gap, and the danger, was on full display in Marja. February's military offensive drove Taliban forces out of the area and secured the city center.
Two questions about the sentence in bold:
1. Why the comma after "gap"?
2. Why "was" not "were"?
Top answer
Hi, Below is the actual text from The New York Times: Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy. We are less certain about the administration's political strategy.
- Hi, Below is the actual text from The New York Times: Gen.
- Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy.
- We are less certain about the administration's political strategy.
- The gap , and the danger, was on full display in Marja.
- February's military offensive drove Taliban forces out of the area and secured the city center.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
Hi,
Below is the actual text from The New York Times:
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy. We are less certain about the administration's political strategy. The gap, and the danger, was on full display in Marja. February's military offensive drove Taliban forces out of the area and secured the city center.
Below is the actual text from The New York Times:
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has a clear military strategy. We are less certain about the administration's political strategy. The gap, and the danger, was on full display in Marja. February's military offensive drove Taliban forces out of the area and secured the city center.
00
CaliveTwo questions about the sentence in boldThe gap, and the danger, was on full display in Marja.
I believe you have to think in terms of style here, not grammar. I believe the reader is to take the sentence like this:
The gap between military and political strategies was on full display in Marja,
and we should a
00
Thanks Clive and CalifJim.
Just as I was digesting your insights, I came across another similar sentence in the NYT:
The occupations they worked in, and the skills they currently possess, are never coming back in style.
Yes, I think it's style.
Just as I was digesting your insights, I came across another similar sentence in the NYT:
The occupations they worked in, and the skills they currently possess, are never coming back in style.
Yes, I think it's style.
00
Hi,
That's not really similar, because both 'occupations' and 'skills' are plural words, so there is no question of using a singular verb.
Clive
That's not really similar, because both 'occupations' and 'skills' are plural words, so there is no question of using a singular verb.
Clive
0
Related Questions