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Licinio Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

verb ellipsis

If anything, I now knew that my bad handwriting was not accountable for the mishap, but the postal service.

Is this sentence correct? Is mishap a good word to mean failed delivery in this case?
  

Top answer

Hi Yes it looks good. I think I would say 'responsible' instead of 'accountable', but that's a matter of choice 'Mishap' is good too, if it means an unfortunate accident - you thought you had accidentally addressed the envelope badly, but in fact it was a mistake by the postal service And, yes, it is verb ellipsis... - If anything, I now knew that my bad handwriting was not accountable for the mishap, but the postal service [was] The 'was' can be omitted Dave

— Dave_anon

  • Hi Yes it looks good.
  • I think I would say 'responsible' instead of 'accountable', but that's a matter of choice 'Mishap' is good too, if it means an unfortunate accident - you thought you had accidentally addressed the envelope badly, but in fact it was a mistake by the postal service And, yes, it is verb ellipsis...
  • - If anything, I now knew that my bad handwriting was not accountable for the mishap, but the postal service [was] The 'was' can be omitted Dave
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2 Answers
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Hi

Yes it looks good. I think I would say 'responsible' instead of 'accountable', but that's a matter of choice

'Mishap' is good too, if it means an unfortunate accident - you thought you had accidentally addressed the envelope badly, but in fact it was a mistake by the postal service

And, yes, it is verb ellipsis...

- If anything, I now knew that my bad handwri
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It seems poorly arranged. 'Mishap' is OK as a general term, yes.

If anything, I now knew that it was not my bad handwriting but the postal service that was accountable for the mishap.
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