Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[rice07]

Hi

No amount of controversy over international and domestic corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband can obscure the fact that this killing has seriously compromised Pakistan's prospects of moving away from the violence,corruption and despotism that has saddled the nation since its inception.

The following points are my understanding to the paragraph in the above.Could you help me check if I'm wrong over those ones?

1.the subject of the main clause: No amount....her husband

2. modal verb and verb: can obscure

3.the object of obscure :the fact

4.noun subordinate clause:that this killing...since its inception=the fact[b]

5.adj. subordinate clause describing noun despotism :that has saddled...its inception

6.Does the following paragraph that I have made minor revisions about make sense and have the synonymous meaning with the original briefing?

Any amount of controversies over international and domestic corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband cannot obscure the fact that this killing has seriously spoiled Pakistan's chances/possibilities of moving away from the violence,corruption and despotism that has set the nation since its inception.

Thanks a lot!

[rice07]

5.sould be=>an adj.subordinate clause used to describe noun despotism :that has...its inception

[Lorikeet]

You said:
"Any amount of controversies over international and domestic corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband cannot obscure the fact that this killing has seriously spoiled Pakistan's chances/possibilities of moving away from the violence,corruption and despotism that has set the nation since its inception. "

"amount" is used with a non-count noun. Here, "number" would be better in my opinion.
"set" doesn't work here; however, "beset" might. I would think this would be the same meaning as the original (although I prefer "No amount of controversy").

Any number of controversies over international and domestic corruption charges against Bhutto and her husband cannot obscure the fact that this killing has seriously spoiled Pakistan's chances/possibilities of moving away from the violence,corruption and despotism that has beset the nation since its inception.

[rice07]

Hi Lorikeet

1.Thanks for reply!But see the following examples:

cited Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English as saying-

any amount of sth=a lot of sth(BrE):The school has any amount of resources and equipment.

But some examples in Practical English Usage(author:Michael Swan;publisher:Oxford University Press) were slightly different from
Longman,which said:

a large amount of is generally used with uncountable nouns.A large number of is used before plurals,and a following verb is plural.

A large number of problems still have to be solved

=>More natural than A large amount of problems....or A great deal of problems....


Generally to say,what ways to be used depends on wherther they are natural or not!right?

2.Yes,beset is good!

Happy new year

[rice07]

Qoted Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English as saying:

Uasage Note:Amount Grammar

Amount is usually used with uncountable nouns,and some people think this is the only correct use.

=>a large amount of money/food/electricity/hard work.

With plural countable nouns it is best to use number.

=>a large number of mistakes/people

However,people often use amount with plural countable nouns when what they are talking about is thought of as a group.

=>We didn't expect such a large amount of people.

=>an enormous amount of problems.

I shouldn't have chosen a controversial quantifier used in this case.Next time I deal with similiar cases,I'll be more careful.

So ,Teacher Lorikeet,you're really knowledgeable about English.Thanks for your tuition!

[Lorikeet]

For one thing, I speak American English. For the other, usage by normal people is often not "correct." That is, language changes, and while a language is changing, the people who want to speak "correctly" will emphasize some things that normal people won't follow. For example, I was well into my thirties when a colleague said I was confusing "few" and "little" (another count/non-count distinction). She was right, and I don't do it anymore, but many people do, and I wouldn't be surprised if in a hundred years no one bothers to make a distinction anymore.

[rice07]

Hi Lorikeet

I guess I've touch what the feeling you conveyed.

The following is my personal opinion,but I don't know whether the meaning that I'm trying to get at is comprehensible or not?

Elite always feel lonesome,as insist on "how to do things" that they think is correct but different from ordinary people,which is the very reason for them to be so-called "elite" though.

One personal question I'm curious about,if you don't mind my asking--are you a female?(I've got a feeling that you must be a female.Am I wrong with that?But it doesn't matter if you don't want to satisfy my curiosity,because it seems to get off the subject.)

[rice07]

Sorry!Teacher.

It should have been "have touched".Why I've been keeping making mistakes? so impetuous am I!

[rice07]

"One personal question I'm curious about" shoud be "One personal question that I'm curious about,"

=>because that is an relative pronoun not being able to be left out when leading an adjective subordinate clause in this case(not for converting it into participle phrase to say).Am I wrong with this point?Thanks Lorikeet and hope that you can grin and bear my talkative and impetuous character.

[Lorikeet]

[rice07]

Hi Lorikeet

Thanks for your reply and satisfy my curiosity!

I did what you taught me how to correct my mistakes on the post,but seemed that I was not familiar with computer operation or something.It didn't work .Could you please teach me in detail once again?Thanks a lot!

Hi teacher,there's no need to teach me again.I got it!

[CP]

Dear Rice 07:

Lorikeet was referring to the little "Edit" button that appears along with "Quote" and "!" on your posting. I will see one on this posting, but you will not, because I wrote this one. But you will see one on your postings, and if you click on it, you can edit and resubmit your posting.

Hope this helps.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[rice07]

Hi Cp
long time to not "talk" to you!I quess you must have been a very nice vacation.
Thanks for your reminder!I've got where the gadget is.

Have a nice day!

[CP]

[rice07]

Dear Cp

I never guessed how cold the place you were in . Do you believe-- I even never saw what snow was up to now, because Taiwan was located in subtropical zone. It is a curious spectacle of snowing in the plain in here.

You must be comfortably off with your hardworking character? even though, take care with your health! Sometimes take yourself a good vacation.

Thanks for your reminder once again! In fact, I used to do that like you suggested, but I found those words I put backwards seemed to move forwards again after I submitted them, maybe that just was my illusion. Next time I'll be more careful about it.

BTW, you taught us English while you were so tired after work. Do you know-- you have really won the respect of me. Good luck !