Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[welkins2139]

The president did not say uncrtically to his brother, the regional manager, after he obvioulsy failed to achieve the company's goal.

Is the above sentence correct?

Thank you

[CP]

No, and it's not quite clear what you are trying to say. (Watch the spelling: uncritically, obviously.)

"The president did not say uncritically to his brother, the regional manager" say what uncritically? Maybe you mean, "The president did not speak uncritically to his brother, the regional manager," but if so, the double negative makes it a little indirect and hard to follow. Better would be, "The president spoke critically to his brother, the regional manager," or, "The president criticized his brother, the regional manager."

"after he obviously failed to achieve the company's goal" makes sense, but since the failure to achieve goals came before whatever the president said, it should be in the past perfect tense: "after he had obviously failed to achieve the company's goal."
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb