How to explain the pattern of an English sentence? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has advised its citizens to avoid certain "dangerous areas" in central London. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs h

JasminPhilippines

How to explain the pattern of an English sentence? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has advised its citizens to avoid certain "dangerous areas" in central London. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a map highlighting areas they deem to be crime hotspots. Most of the areas are around London's prestigious shopping area in the West End, the upmarket street Piccadilly, and the entertainment district Soho. A statement on the ministry's website urged citizens to avoid areas, "where pickpocketing, fraud and theft are frequent and where it is not advisable to live". The warning follows several attacks on Emiratis in London earlier this year. One incident saw three sisters attacked in their hotel room by a hammer-wielding burglar. How to explain the sentence pattern of "One incident saw three sisters attacked in their hotel room by a hammer-wielding burglar." ?

Aug 27, 2014 10:35 PM

Answers · 3

It's a strange construction, isn't it? I can see why it puzzles you. The only explanation I can offer is that we sometimes use the verb 'saw' to mean 'This is what happened'. For example, you might come across a sentence such as: "2008 saw a dramatic fall in share prices". meaning "In 2008, there was a dramatic fall in share prices" So the sentence in this article can be read as 'In one incident, three sisters were attacked ..etc' It's an odd kind of sentence, but it isn't uncommon, especially in journalism.

August 27, 2014

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