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Latest post Sun, Apr 22 2007 10:27 AM by nona the brit. 2 replies.
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Rex  +  353988 Sun, 22 Apr 07 10:11 AM

Unlike Mr Abramovich, most of them live in Moscow, which, if I'm not much mistaken, makes the Russian capital home to more billionaires than any other city in the world.

It is quite a change for a place that 15 years ago had no millionaires, let alone billionaires.

How exactly these people have got hold of such vast wealth in such a short time is a very good question, and one many ordinary Russians would like answered.

It is one reason why Russia's richest people like to keep their identities and their lifestyles secret.

Secret city

Ever since I arrived in Russia I've heard tall stories of a secret city deep in the forests outside Moscow where the rich indulge their fantasies in sprawling palaces of marble and gold. It sounded like a good story. I didn't expect it to be true, let alone that I'd get an invite.

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My question is on the following sentence.

How exactly these people have got hold of such vast wealth in such a short time is a very good question, and one many ordinary Russians would like answered.

It started with 'How' . So there should be a question mark at the end of the sentence.

Is it grammatically correct. I am not comfortable with the words 'would like answered' at the end. Is it correct?

 It would be fine to say something like 'ordinary Russsians would like to know the answer'.

For me, to write 'ordinary Russians would like answered' sound strange.

Rex
Joined on Wed, Jul 28 2004
Full Member 358
Cool Breeze  +  353994 Sun, 22 Apr 07 10:21 AM
 Rex wrote:

How exactly these people have got hold of such vast wealth in such a short time is a very good question, and one many ordinary Russians would like answered.

It started with 'How' . So there should be a question mark at the end of the sentence.

Is it grammatically correct. I am not comfortable with the words 'would like answered' at the end. Is it correct?


Hi Rex

It isn't a direct question but a so-called indirect question, which means that it's not a real question at all. This is obvious from the fact that the subject precedes the auxiliary verb. Cf.:

Affirmative: These people have got a car.
Question: Have these people got a car?

There is nothing wrong with like answered either.

Cheers
CB
Joined on Fri, Apr 7 2006
Senior Member 3,975
"I hope you'll all live to be 150 years old - and the last voice you hear is mine!" Frank Sinatra on stage in Oslo, Norway, 28 September 1991
nona the brit  +  353999 Sun, 22 Apr 07 10:27 AM

How.

This is not the direct question - 'How did these people get hold of such vast wealth in such a short time?'  It doesn't need a question mark. Search for 'indirect question' on this site for more information. This will get you started Post:273848.

Is it grammatically correct. Now, that is a direct question and should have had a question mark.

The original sentence is absolutely fine as it is. "a very good question...ordinary Russians would like answered' is ok. If you wanted to use your version you need to change it slightly "a very good question...ordinary Russians would like to know the answer to'. The first is shorter and clearer. It also carries a suggestion that the people with the wealth need to explain themselves directly, whereas your version just has the ordinary Russians finding out in some way.

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004
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