Oct 27, 2003 15:12
21 yrs ago
English term
were being ignored
Non-PRO
English
Art/Literary
The document so centres on the Israeli-Palestinian peace track that Lebanon can be said to have been left off the map altogether. Key Lebanon demands - the guareantee of the Palestinian right of return, for instance - are absent from Washington's proposals. Worse, the plan was delivered in the context of Washington's diplomatic offence against Hezbollah and Syria's military presence in Lebanon - which Powell had uncharacgteristically put in terms of military occupation. The Lebanese administration's interest were not simply being ingnored, they were under attack.
I have a problem understanding why the writer uses the past contiunous here. Is he referring back to the beginning of the paragraph, where the present tense is used? Can someone help me understand the coherence of the paragraph?
I have a problem understanding why the writer uses the past contiunous here. Is he referring back to the beginning of the paragraph, where the present tense is used? Can someone help me understand the coherence of the paragraph?
Responses
Responses
+1
16 hrs
chica nueva
Native in English
&
English
http://youtube/iraVWQu3Zf8
Native in: English (Variants: British, New Zealand)
Works in: Chinese to English
Related KudoZ points
:
83
Selected
coherence of the paragraph
The commentator is commenting on how the document (the plan) looks from the Lebanese perspective. He/she is 'developing an argument'...
Topic Sentence/Statement: It focuses so much on Israel-Palestine, that it ignores Lebanon.
Explanation/Justification 1 It ignores key Lebanese requirements
Explanation/Justification 2 It was offered at the same time as Colin Powell had unusually referred to Lebanon as being under military occupation.
Conclusion/Inference: (By presenting such a plan in such a context), the US was not only ignoring Lebanon's (national) interests, it was putting them under attack.
Yes, the last sentence refers back to the (unstated) whole event of 'the plan itself and its manner/context of presentation', and develops the argument to a conclusion, (that Lebanon has been put under threat by the plan).
Topic Sentence/Statement: It focuses so much on Israel-Palestine, that it ignores Lebanon.
Explanation/Justification 1 It ignores key Lebanese requirements
Explanation/Justification 2 It was offered at the same time as Colin Powell had unusually referred to Lebanon as being under military occupation.
Conclusion/Inference: (By presenting such a plan in such a context), the US was not only ignoring Lebanon's (national) interests, it was putting them under attack.
Yes, the last sentence refers back to the (unstated) whole event of 'the plan itself and its manner/context of presentation', and develops the argument to a conclusion, (that Lebanon has been put under threat by the plan).
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Sorry, I had forgotten about the question. Thanks everyone for the explanations."
+6
2 mins
Marian Greenfield
Native in English
&
English
Over 30 years in financial translation
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, Portuguese to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
732
were being ignored in the proposal itself
and/or at the time the proposal was written and submitted
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
J. Leo (X)
32 mins
|
| agree |
Rajan Chopra
1 hr
|
| agree |
Refugio
1 hr
|
| agree |
Speak Easy
5 hrs
|
| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
9 hrs
|
| agree |
mportal
5 days
|
+7
3 mins
Were ignored by the document
It simply means "Were ignored by the document".
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Note added at 4 mins (2003-10-27 15:17:16 GMT)
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\"I have a problem understanding why the writer uses the past contiunous here. Is he referring back to the beginning of the paragraph, where the present tense is used?\"
He is referring to the document and the fact that it overlooked the interests of the Lebanese administration. There is no important difference between \"were ignored\" and \"were being ignored\" here.
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Note added at 4 mins (2003-10-27 15:17:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
\"I have a problem understanding why the writer uses the past contiunous here. Is he referring back to the beginning of the paragraph, where the present tense is used?\"
He is referring to the document and the fact that it overlooked the interests of the Lebanese administration. There is no important difference between \"were ignored\" and \"were being ignored\" here.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
RHELLER
: sounds like they are talking about what happened "during the time" the Washington proposals were being written
46 mins
|
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: Agree with Rita: the past continuous form is used to refer to the process.
1 hr
|
| agree |
Speak Easy
5 hrs
|
| agree |
John Bowden
: agree with Rita - "at the time.." = incomplete actione
6 hrs
|
| agree |
Alexandra Tussing
9 hrs
|
| agree |
Empty Whiskey Glass
17 hrs
|
|
Hey Svetozar!
|
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| agree |
Catherine Norton
1 day 3 hrs
|
+5
10 mins
Maria Danielson
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
United States
Dutch into English since 1991
Native in: English
Works in: Dutch to English, English, Flemish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
28
the document disregarded the interests
- not only that, it attacked the Lebanese administration's interests
It might as well say "are being ignored". The tense doesn't change the meaning here.
It might as well say "are being ignored". The tense doesn't change the meaning here.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lesley Clarke
2 mins
|
| agree |
Speak Easy
: nicely put! Nothing ever really changes, does it?
5 hrs
|
| agree |
verbis
7 hrs
|
| agree |
Rajan Chopra
17 hrs
|
| agree |
Catherine Norton
1 day 3 hrs
|
2 hrs
I think they're using the passive here to put you in their shoes, to let you share
how they feel about this = they are the subject in this sentence yet they are passive, things are being done to them.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
RHELLER
: sarah - this is a journalist's explanation; plus, "letting you share" as you put it, is not a function of grammar to my knowledge
26 mins
|
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thanks for the input, Rita. I never studied English grammar formally.
|
+4
6 hrs
Two more suggestions...
a) the past continuous would be appropriate if attention is being focussed on the state of affairs at the specific point in the past - "at the time this document was drawn up, the interests were being ignored" - a continuous state of affairs taking place at a specific past time, i.e. the action is felt to have been incomplete/in process at the time being referred to (as distinct from "were ignored", when the whole process is felt to have been completed)
b) another possibility is that "were being ignored..." is reported speech. Powell could have said, in direct speech: "The Lebanese administration's interests are not simply being ingnored, they are under attack", in which case the sentence would appear as in teh question when put ito reported sppech.
I think a) is more likely without further facts at our disposal, but in theory both are possible.
HTH
b) another possibility is that "were being ignored..." is reported speech. Powell could have said, in direct speech: "The Lebanese administration's interests are not simply being ingnored, they are under attack", in which case the sentence would appear as in teh question when put ito reported sppech.
I think a) is more likely without further facts at our disposal, but in theory both are possible.
HTH
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Kim Metzger
: I think a) is much more likely.
6 mins
|
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Thanks Kim - I do too.
|
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| agree |
Rajan Chopra
4 hrs
|
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Thanks langclinic!
|
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| agree |
melayujati
: agree with option a).
1 day 7 hrs
|
| agree |
senin
3 days 14 hrs
|
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