Widely

Question

Hello!Can you, please, help me with the following:Is it OK to say "widely conducted research"?Perfect marketing strategy and previously mentioned activities are based on widely conducted research and knowledge. However, they are of no value if they are not feasible or if they cannot be implemented in the biodiesel production.Thank you in advance

Avangi · Accepted Answer

The phrase works fine.

Again, I have trouble with your groupings! It's not clear whether the modifiers apply to the whole list, or to only the first item in the list.

(I don't think I'm explaining it correctly.) You group things which don't really seem to go together. Your first sentence has a compound subject, but does the predicate really apply to both subjects? Do you really mean to say that "previously mentioned activities are based on widely conducted research and knowledge"?

"Perfect marketing strategy" is very specific. "Previously mentioned activities" may refer to something specific, but as it stands, there's a major mismatch!

Re the two things you connect with "or," the first one is just an adjective and the second one is a whole idea. The "or" makes it seem that these are two different things, but I suspect they are in fact the same thing, the second being in apposition to the first, or by way of explaining the first. (Ha, I just did the same thing. But note my comma.)
Perhaps it would read better if you said, "However, they are of no value if it is not feasible to implement them in the biodiesel production." - OR " - - - - if they cannot be implemented in the biodiesel production."

I'll admit "or" may work for an appositive as well as for two equal but different things. "She likes to drive Porches, or expensive racing cars." "She likes to drive Porches or Ferraris." Notice that with the appositive I use a comma. Anyway, you might try to balance the things you connect with "and" and "or."

I know this wasn't your question, but I had to stick my nose in.

Best regards, - A.

Antonija · Answer

Hi Avangi,

Thank you for your post. Actually, this is a translation . Now that you pointed out these things I see what's "wrong". I guess I can change the target text if it will contribute to better understanding.

If I understood you correctly, "previously mentioned activities" is not as specific as "perfect marketing strategy". What should I do, then? Should I name again these activities which were discussed in the previous paragraph and make them more specific?:)

And I see the repetition in "or" sentence and this is an annoying habit of Croatian authors of such texts. We always seem to repeat the same things in different words to make it sound more complicated and therefore "better".
If I want to keep both, "feasible" and the phrase with "implement", would it sound better if I connect them with "and" instead of "or"?

Kind regards,
Antonija

Avangi · Answer

I understand the problem. My criticisms were more about the organization of the material than about the English. Since it's a tranalation, that puts a different light on the situation. I'll have to think about it. I'm really tired at the moment.

Perhaps the trick is to first know how much freedom you have in translating.

Later - A.

I wonder if the word "activities" might be wrong. A strategy and an activity don't seem to go together. Are these activities part of a plan? That would be a strategy. To us, "previously mentioned activities" would be taken as "things which have already been done," rather than suggested elements of a plan. It's hard to see how "activities" in this sense could be the result of research. A strategy, a plan, yes.

"However, they are of no value if it is not feasible to implement them in the biodiesel production." - (You didn't find this version okay??)

Antonija · Answer

Hi Avangi!
Your version is fine, I was just curious.
Thank you very much for your effort.

Avangi · Answer

Yes, I honestly think it works well with "and."

It's certainly not a rule that things connected by "and" and "or" must be "parallel," or of similar types. It just makes it a little easier on the reader.

best regards, - A.

Sometimes I get tired and don't know when to quit. So I don't make any sense.

But I had intended to mention this example in connection with the point I tried to make about modifiers not applying to items in a series:

" - - - based on widely conducted research and knowledge." What the heck is widely conducted knowledge? Do you see my point? You should at least place a comma after "research," to discourage the reader from applying the modifiers to "knowledge." But then that doesn't say much about knowledge.

If "widely conducted" applies only to "research," then say, "based on widely conducted research and widely accepted knowledge." (or something like that)

Or if you don't wish to modify "knowledge," then place it first: "based on knowledge and widely conducted research." Well, I suppose that sounds stupid, as we wouldn't be pushing something based on the lack of knowledge. (Not in this administration!)

Cheers!

Widely

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