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The police questioned the hotel staff and guests. They could not establish the cause of the fire.

In joining the above sentences, which of the following sentences is correct?

1. Despite the police questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

2. Despite the police's questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

3. Despite questioning the hotel staff and guests, the police could not establish the cause of the fire.

Many thanks.

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They are all OK.

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#3 is correct. The others do not make it clear as to whether it is the police or the hotel staff and guests who could not establish the cause of the fire.

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flyboy804 wrote:

#3 is correct. The others do not make it clear as to whether it is the police or the hotel staff and guests who could not establish the cause of the fire.

1. Despite the police questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

2. Despite the police's questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

IMO, in both sentences above, 'they' clearly refers to the police.

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There sat a man playing poker with a red necktie. Common sense tells us that the man was wearing a red necktie; however gramatically the red necktie was the man's poker playing opponent.

In your example "they" is placed closer to the staff and guests; hence the staff and guests is the first choice for an antecedent.

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Yoong Liat wrote:

flyboy804 wrote:
#3 is correct. The others do not make it clear as to whether it is the police or the hotel staff and guests who could not establish the cause of the fire.

1. Despite the police questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

2. Despite the police's questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

IMO, in both sentences above, 'they' clearly refers to the police.

Why did you ask in the first place which is correct.

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TTH wrote:

Yoong Liat wrote:
flyboy804 wrote:
#3 is correct. The others do not make it clear as to whether it is the police or the hotel staff and guests who could not establish the cause of the fire.

1. Despite the police questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

2. Despite the police's questioning the hotel staff and guests, they could not establish the cause of the fire.

IMO, in both sentences above, 'they' clearly refers to the police.
Why did you ask in the first place which is correct.

To confirm that all the sentences are correct so as to improve my English.

Do you agree with Contrex?

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Yoong Liat
First of all thank you for answering. I was confused about why you would ask something you already knew or at least it appeared to me by your post you already knew.

I don't know which sentence is gramatically correct. In reading all 3 and if I heard someone say each sentence, all 3 seem correct. It seems like it is the way the sentences are worded and the use of the comma. Yes, I agree with Contrex.

flyboy804 wrote "There sat a man playing poker with a red necktie. Common sense tells us that the man was wearing a red necktie; however gramatically the red necktie was the man's poker playing opponent."
I agree with flyboy804 in this example.

I would write:
The police could not establish the cause of the fire despite questioning the hotel staff and guests.

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TTH wrote:

Yoong Liat
First of all thank you for answering. I was confused about why you would ask something you already knew or at least it appeared to me by your post you already knew.I would write:
The police could not establish the cause of the fire despite questioning the hotel staff and guests.

Thanks for giving me your version. Being a non-native speaker, I cannot be certain I'm correct. So when Contrex replied, I was happy. He replied to my query first and I was happy that I am correct.

The other members disagree and so I'm quite confused and hence I've to put forward my points to discuss and learn.

If I had known that all my sentences were correct, I wouldn't have wasted my time posting.

I hope you understand my thinking.

Best wishes

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I understand your thinking now. I admire the fact that you even try to learn the language. Most native speakers, including myself, don't write the English language correctly. I admire the fact that you even attempt it. Good luck Very Happy

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Hi TTH

Thanks for your understanding. I've been interested in English since I was in Grade 1. I've learning the language for the past fifty years and I'm still learning. I must read about 80 books on English usage and I still find my standard is not good enough.

I'm learning English every day and hope to improve a little every day.

Best wishes

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I learn everyday also so just don't tell anyone Laughing

No need to thank me. I think you are doing good and you are in fact helping me since I have tried to follow along Very Happy

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TTH wrote:

I learn everyday also so just don't tell anyone
No need to thank me. I think you are doing good and you are in fact helping me since I have tried to follow along

You're a native speaker, aren't you? So you don't need to learn. You guide and teach non-natives like me.

Best wishes.

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Hi Yoong Liat,
You didn't ask but the way you used "I've" in your sentence is incorrect. I've is equivalent to "I have".

Also, every day can be one word - everyday

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Yoong Liat wrote:

You're a native speaker, aren't you?

Yes

Yoong Liat wrote:

So you don't need to learn.

Incorrect

I am always learning.

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TTH wrote:

Yoong Liat wrote:
You're a native speaker, aren't you?
Yes
Yoong Liat wrote:
So you don't need to learn.
Incorrect

I am always learning.

You're very humble. It's good. I think the other native speaker members are humble, too. It makes for a great team of English experts, excluding me.

Best wishes.

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Hi Yoong Liat,
You didn't ask but the way you used "I've" in your sentence is incorrect. I've is equivalent to "I have".

I expect Yoong Liat meant "I've been" but left out the word "been", while typing quickly. So easy to do.

TTH wrote:

Also, every day can be one word - everyday

Yoong Liat wrote,

"I'm learning English every day and hope to improve a little every day."

He or she used "every day" correctly.

"Every day" (two words) is an adverbial phrase which means "daily" or "each day".

"Everyday", one word, is an adjective meaning "found in the ordinary course of events", "routine", "commonplace and ordinary". It only precedes nouns.

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Hi Contrex

Hi Yoong Liat,
You didn't ask but the way you used "I've" in your sentence is incorrect. I've is equivalent to "I have".

I expect Yoong Liat meant "I've been" but left out the word "been", while typing quickly. So easy to do.

You're right. It should have been "I've been ... "

'Every day' and 'everyday' are not the same in meaning. You're right on that too.

Best wishes.

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contrex
I agree with your post. The only reason I pointed out the use of the word everyday is because it can be one word. I wasn't sure if Yoong Liat knew that. If I thought it was used incorrectly, I would have posted that. I felt it was used correctly.

Edit: I also didn't see Yoong Liat's post prior to mine Embarrassed

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