What he said were distortions

Question

Mr. Obama criticized frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.I think critisize A for NP is a correct structure, so he said means Obama said. If he said means Clinton said, for clause has a complete sentence then it is grammarically wrong, in my opinion.Or is this sentence, which has critisize A for SVC, structure totally correct?Thanks in advance.

Pter · Accepted Answer

AnonymousMr. Obama criticized frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.

I think critisize A for NP is a correct structure, so he said means Obama said.
If he said means Clinton said, for clause has a complete sentence then it is grammarically wrong, in my opinion.
Or is this sentence, which has critisize A for SVC, structure totally correct?

Thanks in advance.

Where did you get it? The original paragraph is quite different from what you quoted when you look at it in its entirety.

Mr. Obama was as heated and intense as he has been at any debate over the last year. At times, he appeared angry and close to expressing it at Mrs. Clinton — and also at her husband, Bill Clinton, whom Mr. Obama criticized frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.

“I’m here,” Mrs. Clinton said, “not my husband.”

Mr. Obama snapped, “I can’t tell who I’m running against sometimes.” At several other points, he used the phrase “Senator Clinton and President Clinton” to re-enforce his view that he is facing off against a decades-old Clinton machine.

It's from the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/us/politics/22dems.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

Liveinjapan · Answer

Pter

Mr. Obama was as heated and intense as he has been at any debate over the last year. At times, he appeared angry and close to expressing it at Mrs. Clinton — and also at her husband, Bill Clinton, whom Mr. Obama criticized frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.

Then, I should have said:

Mr. Obama criticized Mr. Clinton frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.

Thanks
LiJ
(I was Anon.)

Anonymous · Answer

Mr. Obama criticized Mr. Clinton frequently during the debate for what Obama claims were distortions by the former president of Obama's views and record.

CalifJim · Answer

critisize A for NP ... A for SVC

Please explain what these mean. A, NP, SVC.

If A means adjective, you are misunderstanding something.

CJ

Liveinjapan · Answer

CalifJim
critisize A for NP ... A for SVC
Please explain what these mean. A, NP, SVC.

If A means adjective, you are misunderstanding something. Sorry, A means a Noun like a person's name.

CJ

Hi CJ

critisize Clinton for Somthing. --> critisize N for NP(Noun or Noun Phraze, I'm not sure about Noun Phraze, though)

critisize Clinton for these things are distortions --> critisize N for Subject Verb Complement

Thanks, Anon.

Thanks
LiJ

CalifJim · Answer

OK. I think I understand.

criticize NP for NP is the pattern. (NP = noun phrase)

The example you asked about at the beginning of this thread is correct.

Mr. Obama criticized Clinton* frequently during the debate for what he said were distortions of his views and record by the former president.

* in the form of whom in the original statement.

Here's the skeletal form with NP's in brackets:

criticized [Clinton] for [what were distortions]

CJ

Liveinjapan · Answer

I understand. Thanks, CJ.

What he said were distortions

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