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Is the sentence badly phrased?

 
 
Reply Fri 10 May, 2019 11:22 pm
Shortly before I resumed work during my hospitalisation leave in February 2016, I tripped and fell down on the road at a car park."

Is the above sentence clear or ambiguous?

Please elaborate on your reply? If not, please explain what it means.

Thanks.
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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 509 • Replies: 10
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tanguatlay
 
  -1  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 09:36 am
Could somebody please help? Thanks.
Ponderer
 
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Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 09:55 am
@tanguatlay,
Sure. I'm trying to figure out where to start. First, the part about falling down. I'm guessing that a car park is what is called a parking lot in the U.S.
So it's really not a road. "Fell down" is a common expression, but "down" is
assumed. I think "...I tripped and fell at the car park." is sufficient.
The part about resuming work during a hospitalization leave leaves me baffled. Someone is either working or on leave. So I don't know what that means.
I suggest you break it into two or more sentences, first telling about the fall and hospitalization, then resuming work.
How about "In February of 2016, I tripped and fell at a car park, and I was hospitalized as a result. Shortly after, I resumed work "
tanguatlay
 
  1  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 10:05 am
@Ponderer,
Many thanks, Ponderer.

The sentence is not mine. I extracted it from a magazine.
Ponderer
 
  0  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 10:07 am
@tanguatlay,
Perhaps I should apply for a job as editor?
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bunnyhabit
 
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Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 10:54 am
@tanguatlay,
Before I returned to work after my hospital stay, I tripped and fell down. I was on the road in a car park when I fell down.
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bunnyhabit
 
  0  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 10:57 am
@Ponderer,
you could have fell sideways not necessarily down. down contributes to clarity on direction of fall
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bunnyhabit
 
  0  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 10:59 am
@tanguatlay,
hospital stay occurred before fall not as a result of the fall. keep your present job
tanguatlay
 
  0  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 01:05 pm
@bunnyhabit ,
Thanks, bunnyhabit, for your explanation.

May I know whether the original sentence is ambiguous?
Ponderer
 
  1  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 02:07 pm
@tanguatlay,
Evidently
tanguatlay
 
  0  
Reply Sat 11 May, 2019 02:43 pm
@Ponderer,
Ponderer wrote:

Evidently
Thanks, Ponderer.
0 Replies
 
 

 
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