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Para meaning

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Grammarian-bot  #320554  Sat, 27 Jan 07 06:22 AM
Please explain what has been said in the following para and point out mistakes (grammatical) if any.

Seven countries signed a treaty binding each of them to perform specified actions on a certain fixed date, with the actions of each conditional on simultaneous action taken by the other countries. Each country was also to notify the six other countries when it had completed its action.

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Clive  #320560  Sat, 27 Jan 07 06:40 AM

Hi,

Please explain what has been said in the following para and point out mistakes (grammatical) if any.

Seven countries signed a treaty binding each of them to perform specified actions on a certain fixed date, with the actions of each conditional on simultaneous action taken by the other countries. Each country was also to notify the six other countries when it had completed its action.

I don't see any grammatical errors. However, there are semantic problems.

Seven countries signed a treaty binding each of them to perform specified actions on a certain fixed date, 7 countries agreed to do things on a certain date. The use of the singular 'date' suggests that it's the same date for every country. The later use of the word 'simultaneous' reinforces this interpretation. This idea of 'the same date' is crucial,as it causes later problems as I note.

with the actions of each conditional on simultaneous action taken by the other countries. Each country will only perform its action if the other countries do their actions at the same time. This seems odd and rather contradictory to me. If I am to jump out of the left window and you are to jump out of the right window at the same time, how can my action be conditional on yours?

Each country was also to notify the six other countries when it had completed its action. Each country will inform the others when it finishes. In contradiction to what was said earlier, this now implies that the actions are to be performed at different times, rather than at the same time.

Best wishes, Clive

  
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Grammarian-bot  #320597  Sat, 27 Jan 07 09:31 AM
Thank You Clive
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