A picture caption from Newsweek of Jan.28:
Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks, for the moment
This seems to be mixing tenses, in a way. The meaning is plain enough, but this kind of careless writing seems a slippery slope.
Your opinion . . . ?
I don't know if the tenses are mixed, but I would have written "so far" instead of for the moment. Actually, better yet:
"So far, Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks."
"So far, Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks."
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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I don't know, Perry.
To me, "so far" implies a continuous action from some starting point in the past up to the present, which stands a chance of continuing, while "for the moment" implies an action which may not have been continuous but rather may only have recently begun, and which has an uncertain chance continuing.
Since the Sadr loyalists did not originally obey the call for a halt to attacks, and some still are not, I think that, for the moment, there is doubt they will continue to obey the call.
To me, "so far" implies a continuous action from some starting point in the past up to the present, which stands a chance of continuing, while "for the moment" implies an action which may not have been continuous but rather may only have recently begun, and which has an uncertain chance continuing.
Since the Sadr loyalists did not originally obey the call for a halt to attacks, and some still are not, I think that, for the moment, there is doubt they will continue to obey the call.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
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Re: Your opinion . . . ?
I don't see mixed tenses either but sloppy slopery, yes, in that as constructed it can almost mean (but for a measly comma*) either that the loyalists have refrained for now but may resume in spite of his call, or that 'he' has called only for a momentary halt (or even both).Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks, for the moment
*nod to Getrude Stein, 134 years old this week
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
Re: Your opinion . . . ?
Hi, BrogineA picture caption from Newsweek of Jan.28:
Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks, for the moment
This seems to be mixing tenses, in a way. The meaning is plain enough, but this kind of careless writing seems a slippery slope.
For there to be mixed tenses, the sentence would require two finite verbs. This sentence has but one finite verb and thus tense: the present perfect 'have obeyed.'
What you see, yet can not see over, is as good as infinite. ~Thomas Carlyle
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Right you are, Enigma. You can't mix tenses when there is one tense.Sadr loyalists have largely obeyed his call to halt attacks, for the moment.
"Most Sadr loyalists have obeyed...." would eliminate the poorly placed "largely," which would improve the clarity.
(Let's get some fresh air in the grammar threads, Enigma. glad you're here.)
Ars longa, vita brevis
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