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they are all slums

English translation: that all there is there is just slums and nothing else.

16:28 Dec 13, 2003
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: they are all slums
"It is not true that in Africa or Latin American they are all slums. There are pretty good cities."

The author means: "that everybody lives in slums." Correct?
Carolina B (X)
Local time: 17:27
Selected answer:that all there is there is just slums and nothing else.
Explanation:
-

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Note added at 6 mins (2003-12-13 16:34:58 GMT)
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Nothing but slums is there.
Selected response from:

Yuri Smirnov
Local time: 23:27
Grading comment
"nothing but slums" seems perfect for my context. Thanks everybody!

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +7that all there is there is just slums and nothing else.
Yuri Smirnov
4 +8the cities (they) are all slums
Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X)
3that everybody lives in slums (your suggestion)
Stefanie Sendelbach


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +7
that all there is there is just slums and nothing else.


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 mins (2003-12-13 16:34:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nothing but slums is there.

Yuri Smirnov
Local time: 23:27
Native speaker of: Native in BelarusianBelarusian, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 4
Grading comment
"nothing but slums" seems perfect for my context. Thanks everybody!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alaa Zeineldine
1 min
  -> Thanks.
agree  Pippin Michelli
2 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Christopher Crockett: That's the sense of it : "it's not true that African or Latin American cities are all slums. There are some pretty good cities there, as well."
19 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Charlie Bavington: spot on. The grammar is dubious (and therefore does not warrant over-analysis), but the meaning - as given in your answer- is clear, and would be identical even without the sentence that follows it.
49 mins
  -> Thank you
agree  Gordon Darroch (X): Maybe if it was rendered "it's all slums" it would have been clearer, if more idiomatic.
3 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Yusha (X)
4 hrs
  -> Thank you
agree  Jörgen Slet
1 day 8 hrs
  -> Thank you
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
the cities (they) are all slums


Explanation:
*

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Note added at 4 mins (2003-12-13 16:33:18 GMT)
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i think \"they\" refers to cities in this context

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Note added at 25 mins (2003-12-13 16:54:03 GMT)
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Dear Carolina,

If you are sure that \"they\" refers to the people living in Africa and Latin America then, yes, you could use your own suggestion, or say something like, \"it is not true that everyone in Africa or Latin America live in slums\". However, based on the structure of the sentence, I still believe that they refers to the cities.

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Note added at 26 mins (2003-12-13 16:55:09 GMT)
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or, rather, basted on the following sentence (like Christopher suggests)

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Note added at 27 mins (2003-12-13 16:55:37 GMT)
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based, not basted LOL

Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:27
Native speaker of: Swedish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alaa Zeineldine
3 mins
  -> thank you
agree  RHELLER: "there are pretty good cities" (too)
4 mins
  -> thank you
agree  Denyce Seow: judging from the sentence structure, you are definitely right.
12 mins
  -> thank you
agree  Christopher Crockett: Yes, the antecedant of "they" is "cities", though that's only clear because we have the second sentence. "They" is an unfortunate pronoun to use, but it doesn't refer to "the people who live in them [cities]".
19 mins
  -> thank you
agree  Ioanna Karamanou
20 mins
  -> thank you
agree  Stefanie Sendelbach: seems to be right here
33 mins
agree  Laurel Porter (X): 100%
48 mins
agree  chica nueva
3 hrs
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
that everybody lives in slums (your suggestion)


Explanation:
could be correct as well if the sentence was "they are all *living* in slums". It is a bit hard to judge which answer is right and how to interpret the sentence correctly as there is not much context.

Stefanie Sendelbach
Germany
Local time: 22:27
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 41
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