Search results for 'tag:Semicolons tag:Past perfect' matching tags 'Semicolons' and 'Past perfect'

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Jackson6612 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:05:10 GMT

Memos show Clinton turmoil

Question: I would have written ''Clinton's turmoil''. Why didn't the author use apostrophe?

BY CRAIG GORDON AND TOM BRUNE | <email addresses removed by mod.>
August 13, 2008

Question: Why is semicolon used instead of comma to separate the email addresses above?

WASHINGTON - In a fresh postmortem (=an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed, =autopsy) on Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential bid (=attempt to obtain or do something), newly published staff memos (=a short official note to another person in the same company or organization) and e-mails reveal a campaign hobbled (=to hobble something or someone means to make it more difficult for them to be successful or to achieve what they want) by internal rivalries (=a situation in which two or more people, teams, or companies are competing for something), faulty planning, bloated (=more than needed, =excessive) spending - and perhaps most important, Clinton's own failure to make the hard decisions.

Clinton offered herself to voters as a hyper-competent (=extra competent) executive ready to be president from day one. But atop (=on top of something) her own campaign, she was a hesitant leader, who allowed bitter infighting (=when members of the same group or organization argue, or compete with each other in an unfriendly way) to fester (=If an argument or bad feeling festers, it continues so that feelings of hate or dissatisfaction increase) among staffers over whether to go negative against Barack Obama, according to the Atlantic magazine.

The most bare-knuckled (=characterized by disorderly action and disregard for rules) lines of attack came from Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, who urged Clinton to highlight Obama's "lack of American roots" due to his upbringing in Indonesia and Hawaii - saying he could only win if he faced Attila the Hun ((?406-453 AD) a king of the Huns (=an ancient people from Asia) who attacked and took control of large parts of the Roman Empire. He is famous for being violent and cruel).

But Clinton didn't embrace Penn's flag-waving (=the expression of strong national feelings, especially when these feelings seem too extreme) approach (=way of doing something), which campaign aides (=someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician) insist was never seriously considered.

Question: Clinton didn't embrace Penn's approach because she did not consider it seriously. Therefore, what campaign aides were saying is redundant.

The article also says that Clinton at times grew frustrated and short-tempered - including on the morning after her stunning third-place finish in Iowa in January, when aides on a call were silent. Clinton's camp dismissed the story as "inside-the-Beltway gossip" and "old news." And former campaign aides sharply disputed the notion of Clinton as an indecisive leader, with one campaign veteran saying, "Nobody seems to want to remember the fact that we had so many successes and come-from-behind victories in this campaign ... and they are due in large part to Senator Clinton's leadership."

Question: What does the line including on the morning...when aides on a call were silent mean? If she finished third place, then why would the author describe it as stunning? What does call mean in when aides on a call were silent?

Question: What does the phrase inside-the-Beltway gossip mean?

Question: What does the line Nobody seems to want to remember...to Senator Clinton's leadership'' mean?

But the e-mails and memos offer vivid (=very clear and detailed) new details about what had long been reported - that Clinton's headquarters was beset (=to make someone experience serious problems or dangers) by caustic (=bitter) internal battles involving Penn and former President Bill Clinton, who wanted to forcefully attack Obama, and others who wanted the New York senator to take a more positive tack (=method, =way of doing something). At one point, it was Bill Clinton - and not Hillary - who approved the famed 3 a.m. phone call ad.

Question: what had long been reported is passive past perfect tense. Am I right?

Question: I think headquarters should take plural verb. What do you say?

Question: Why are the hyphens used in -and not Hillary-? I believe commas would do instead?

Adding to the turmoil was the fact that the campaign had little strategy and no money left to seriously compete in the post-Super Tuesday contests - having (=the form having with a past participle can be used to introduce a clause in which you mention an action which had already happened before another action began) burned through $106 million before Iowa. That allowed Obama to win 12 straight contests and effectively wrap up (=to finish a job, meeting etc) the nomination.

Question: What does burned through mean?

In the end, the campaign's strategy came to reflect some of the internal turmoil, as Clinton veered (=changed course) from attacking Obama to emphasizing her personal side.

Question: What does her personal side mean?

Penn did offer some advice in March 2007 that proved on the mark - Clinton's path to victory lay with women and lower- and working-class voters.

Question: What does proved on the mark mean? I couldn't find it in the dictionary.

But by the time Clinton finally settled on that strategy to win the later primaries, it was too late.

Excerpts from the memos

"All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light ... It also exposes a very strong weakness for him - his roots to basic American values and culture are at best (=even when considered in the most positive way) limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Strategist Mark Penn, from a March 19, 2007, memo to Hillary Rodham Clinton advising her to attack Barack Obama for his "lack of American roots."

Question: What does centre mean in the above context?

"The right knows Obama is unelectable except perhaps against Attila the Hun, and a third party would come in then anyway." Penn, from the same memo.

Question: Does right refer to right wing in the above context?

"This has been a very instructive call, talking to myself." Clinton, before angrily hanging up on a staff conference call the day after coming in third in Iowa in January. "She complained of being outmaneuvered (=to gain an advantage over someone by using cleverer or more skilful plans or methods) in Iowa and being painted as the establishment candidate," according to the Atlantic - but was met with near-silence.

Question: I would have written This has been..., talking to me. Why did she use myself?

Question: What is a conference call? Is it some kind of telephone call which address many poeple?

Question: Why is in used in coming in third?

"STOP IT!! I have help my tongue for weeks. After this morning's WP story, no longer. This makes me sick. This circular firing squad that is occurring is unattractive, unprofessional, unconscionable, and unacceptable ... It must stop." Robert Barnett, a Clinton lawyer and Washington insider, from a March 6, 2008, e-mail to campaign staff after a Washington Post story detailed the infighting.

Question: What does I have help my tongue for weeks mean?

Question: What does This circular firing squad mean?

Question: Were the comments in the last paragraph made by Robert Barnett?

Re: questions on sentences

Mister Micawber — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:10:23 GMT

1. When did you last hear about it? Some said never; others said not since they left home. -- The semicolon is fine; both are independent clauses. Look at them this way: Some said, 'Never'; others said, 'Not since we left home'.

2.--1. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they had never imagined before. -- The past perfect stresses the previousness of the earlier imaginings.

2--2. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they never imagined before. -- OK too, but without the emphasis indicated in #1.

2--3. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they have never imagined until now. -- Also fine, but of course with an emphasis on more recent imaginings.

questions on sentences

Believer — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:22:50 GMT

Please answer the following questions.

1. Is this the correct use of a semicolon? I don't think the clause after the semicolon can stand on its own.

When did you last hear about it? Some said never; others said not since they left home.

2. Why is it have to be past perfect? Is that because there is the word 'before'? How does it affect? I think the past tense would work well too. Can the present perfect tense work here?

1. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they had never imagined before.

I think this can be rewritten into this:

2. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they never imagined before.

3. It can be used to help parents reach their children in ways they never have imagined until now.

Re: please.... help me.. (:'_':)

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:20:31 GMT

Hope it'll do...

Dear Rayne,

How are you? I really hope that you and all of your family members are always in the pink of health. [why an exclamation mark?] We haven't [never? too emphatic] met each other for the past two years ever since you decided to further your study abroad in London. I miss you a lot!

The other month me and my family went to France! It was fantastic! I was over the moon! We went there for just [i think you were unwilling to go back after having been there for so short a time] two weeks. I really had much fun there!

It was my first visit to France, [u d hav known better how n where to use semicolons] the largest country in Europe after Russia and Ukraine. Our tourist guide, Leonardo, [looks better when enclosed by commas] said that the name France is derived from the Franks, a Germanic group that ruled France during the 5th century. I bet that you have heard the name of Napoleon Bonaparte before, have you? Well, Leonardo said that Napoleon was a Corsican who acquired many victories for France and became emperor in 1804.

It is not only the history of France that has attracted my passion, its cultures are [missing aux. verb] also very fascinating [ah, sound better!]. Leonardo said: "France has experienced a large amount of immigration during the past 150 years, resulting in various alternations [varies? look up the dictionary] and rich conglomerate of cultures. French cultures have enriched Europe with its long lists of writers, painters and sculptors." We have also been told that France produces some of the best wine worldwide which is an important aspect of French culture. [better off rewriting the last sentence. for example, We have also been told that most experts reckon the French wine is one of the best wines around the world which is an important ... your ending.]

On the first week we went to Paris, the capital of France. I took [don't use the past perfect here!] some pictures of the Eiffel Tower. We had been told [that's correct!] by Pasco, who was another tourist guide, that the Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustava Eiffel for the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition.

We also were [again?] to the Luxembourg Garden which faces the "Palais de Luxembourg". Pasco said that during warm weather Parisians would [direct/reported speech subtlety]fill the Luxembourg Garden as if it were a picturesque garden with many kinds of flowers and had serene atmosphere.

We went to the Louvre museum too! I was like in the seventh heaven when I was in the museum. It was marvellous! I had never expected that my dream to go to this museum would be real! I had been wandering in the museum for almost four hours. I just could not take my eyes off from the wondrous arts that surrounded me. Do you know that the Louvre museum was actually [back to where it belongs] first built as a fortress? However, as time passes by, it is no longer remaining solely [fits good] as a fortress, but has been changed into a grand museum which important works of art are display. [read it again and again untill u get the meaning. maybe you meant, which displays/exhibits some important works of art?] One of the significant works of art that is exhibited in the Louvre museum is the picture of Mona Lisa which was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Have you ever heard about the cathedral of Notre Dame? I went there too! I had been told that the cathedral of Notre Dame is an excellent example of gothic architecture which was constructed before 1400âs. This letter is enclosed with some pictures of the cathedral of Notre Dame.

I really hope that you enjoy reading my two weeks' experience in France. That is all for now and I am looking forward to hearing from you very soon. Please convey my greetings to all of your family members.

Love from

YOUR NAME.