Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[carol_gh]

Hi,
I read a line as follows,"There was an accident, and the driver was at risk." Is it saying that the driver was in danger of losing his life? Is this sentence acceptable?
Thank you

[Mister Micawber]

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The driver was in danger either of being injured or of being sued for responsibility for the accident. It is hard to judge without further context.
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_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[carol_gh]

So the sentence is gramatically correct but is vague in meaning.

Thank you very much.

[Mister Micawber]

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Yes, it is grammatically correct. Vague?-- well, that is rather an unfair assessment. It is merely out of context. For instance:

I am terribly excited about this.

There is nothing vague about this statement, because it would not stand alone during any natural utterance. Somewhere nearby is another sentence that explains what 'this' is.

Taking an utterance out of context does not make it vague.
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_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[LucentShade]

I'd say, "The driver was at fault" makes more sense. If there was already an accident, what is he at risk for? Saying "at fault" means that he caused the accident and is responsible for the damages.