What, if anything, is wrong with the following sentence?

Question

Hello all,As a native English speaker with an MA and experience editing the work of others, I was not too worried when asked to complete an English grammar test for a job I was applying for today. However, one question gave me pause. I have to say that I don't see anything wrong with the following - purportedly gramatically incorrect - sentence."The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should have sought alternate routes."To me, this sentence seems unusal, but not incorrect. It could logically be followed by: "However, perhaps due to the newspaper's declining readership, there was nevertheless a traffic continual jam at the entrance to the bridge throughout the two week period."However, I was forced to choose between four choices as to the errant words in the sentence:a. reportedb. would bec. closedd. have soughtWhat I tried to do was guess what the test-giver had in mind as the correct version of the sentence. Perhaps:"The newspaper had reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should have sought alternate routes."...which would make choice a. the "correct" answer. Or perhaps:"The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should seek alternate routes."...which would make choice d. the "correct" answer.I have two questions for the forum:1. Am I correct in thinking that the original sentence, though odd, is gramatically correct?2. Which of the four choices would you have selected, and why?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Seems OK to me.

Clive

Canadian45 · Answer

cchaffeeto say that I don't see anything wrong with the following - purportedly gramatically incorrect - sentence.

"The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should have sought alternate routes."

Welcome!

The above sentence is incorrect because "would be closed" refers to the future and "should have sought" refers to the past. There is an incongruity of tenses, so the sentence makes no sense.

Or perhaps: "The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should seek alternate routes." [Y]

d. is the correct choice as the mistake in the sentence.

"Or perhaps:" is not correct. You can't use a colon in that way after a sentence fragment.

Canadian45 · Answer

CliveHi, Seems OK to me. Clive

Clive · Answer

Hi,

"The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should have sought alternate routes."

Welcome!

The above sentence is incorrect because "would be closed" refers to the future and "should have sought" refers to the past. There is an incongruity of tenses, so the sentence makes no sense.

I don't agree. "Would be closed' refers to the future from the time that the paper reported the closure, ie 'future in the past'.

Or perhaps: "The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should seek alternate routes."

Again, I disagree. 'Should have sought' is fine. It suggests the advice applies to the past. In other words, it sounds like the bridge opened again at some time in the recent past.

d. is the correct choice as the mistake in the sentence. Only if you want to change to a meaning that you think is more likely.

"Or perhaps:" is not correct. You can't use a colon in that way after a sentence fragment.

Gee, is that a colon? I thought it was a comma. I don't like a colon there. But because of what follows it, not because of what precedes it.

Clive

Canadian45 · Answer

CliveHi,
Hi Clive: I don't agree. "Would be closed' refers to the future from the time that the paper reported the closure, ie 'future in the past'.
Of course the time of reporting is past. That's why it is ''reported'', but it is not 'had reported'.

Or perhaps: "The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks, so commuters should seek alternate routes." This is infact the most likely intended meaning! Again, I disagree. 'Should have sought' is fine. It suggests the advice applies to the past.

In other words, it sounds like the bridge opened again at some time in the recent past. I don't agree. I see no reason to conclude that.
d. is the correct choice as the mistake in the sentence. Only if you want to change to a meaning that you think is more likely. I think this is the main point. 'The newspaper reported.................................., so commuters should seek alternate routes.' is to me by far the most likely intended meaning.

But as the OP suggested, another possible meaning is 'The newspaper had reported.............................., so commuters should have sought alternate routes.' But there is no had and also this is a much less likely scenario.

For your interpretation of the sentence's intended meaning, I think ''had reported'' is mandatory.

"Or perhaps:" is not correct. You can't use a colon in that way after a sentence fragment.
Gee, is that a colon? yes I thought it was a comma. I don't like a colon there. But because of what follows it, not because of what precedes it.

But the rule is that in order to have a colon followed by additional information, what precedes the colon has to be a complete sentence.

Clive

Clive · Answer

Hi,

We are running out of ways to differentiate our comments.

I don't actually have much to add, without repeating myself.

I don't see any need for Past Perfect, and certainly wouldn't say it is mandatory. The sequence of events is clear without it.

The original post still doesn't look to me like it has a colon. On my computer, it shows as a comma. But if it were a colon, I would argue that what precedes it

ie The newspaper reported that the bridge would be closed for two weeks

is a complete sentence, whether with or without Past Perfect.

Clive

Canadian45 · Answer

What precedes the colon is "Or perhaps".

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Oh, now I see. I thought you were referring to the original sentence that we have been discussing. I didn't realize that you were critiquing the rest of the Original Poster's English. To me, that seems a little unnecessary in his case, but it's your choice.

Clive

Canadian45 · Answer

It could be unnecessary, and one always has to decide how comprehensive a response to give.

But the response will be read by many people other than the original poster. So it might help someone.

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

I may now seem to be splitting hairs: maybe it is acceptable in AmE, but in BrE (if I am not wrong) "alternative" will be substituted for "alternate" in the original sentence.

Am I right?

What, if anything, is wrong with the following sentence?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions