contamination

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Hello,

Is the sentence below correct? Thanks very much.

Studies conducted in the Midwest found human and environmental contamination by many agricultural products

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Type: Question • Score: 2 • Views: 475 • Replies: 7

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View best answer, chosen by Doubtful

@Doubtful,

Looks okay to me but Doubt what makes you doubt it

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@Doubtful,

Might depend on the precise meaning intended. If the meaning is that many agricultural products are contaminated by human and environment, it should be 'of' instead of 'by'. In other words, it is only correct if humans and environment are being contaminated.

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@Doubtful,

I was confused, while Rog has a handle on it

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@dalehileman,

Studies conducted in the Midwest found human and environmental contamination by many agricultural products.

I was wondering whether that short version was grammatically correct or whether I had to write the long version:

Studies conducted in the Midwest found that humans and the environment were contaminated by many agricultural products.

.... which sounds a bit clumsy.

Roger, tyvm for the input.

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@Doubtful,

Doubtful wrote:

Studies conducted in the Midwest found human and environmental contamination by many agricultural products.

I was wondering whether that short version was grammatically correct or whether I had to write the long version:

Studies conducted in the Midwest found that humans and the environment were contaminated by many agricultural products.

.... which sounds a bit clumsy.

Roger, tyvm for the input.

That doesn't sound clumsy at all. It's precise and isn't ambiguous. The short version is ambiguous.

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@InfraBlue,

Thanks very much, I'll use the long version then.

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@Doubtful,

Quote:

I was wondering whether that short version was grammatically correct

Doubt, the more I think about it, the more I believe Rog to be absolutely right; though the diff is mighty subtle So let's try

Studies conducted in the Midwest found that many agricultural products contaminated (contaminate? both?) humans and the environment

The latter is probly better 'cause otherwise we might think the contamination had stopped, which it obviously hasn't

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contamination

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