Is this sentence grammatically correct? Even as the future of warfare moves away from conventional weaponry, the devastating power and limited quantities of WMDs nonetheless deem them critical in th

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Mun Hwan

Is this sentence grammatically correct?

Even as the future of warfare moves away from conventional weaponry, the devastating power and limited quantities of WMDs nonetheless deem them critical in the global landscape.

I have problem understanding "them." Shouldn't the second part the sentence be changed to the passive voice and get rid of "them."

So it is written like this:
... the devastating power and limited quantities of WMDs are nonetheless deemed critical in the global landscape.

I would appreciate your insights!

2017년 3월 2일 오후 11:52

댓글 · 3

The sentences actually say two different things to me. The original sentence makes a statement that ultimately indicates the author's point of view about WMDs being critical. The changed sentence (using passive) states what the author believes is the prevailing point of view of others (and possibly including himself) about WMDs being critical.

2017년 3월 3일

To me it seems like by saying '...deemed critical' it sounds like the opinion is further removed from the author. On the other hand the use of 'them' seems to imply that the authors is reflecting his own thoughts more. Saying this though, I do agree that the second sentence has been written better.

2017년 3월 3일

I agree with you that the original sentence is bad — not so much because of the grammar, but because the word “deem” appears to have been misused. Since “deeming” is a mental act, only a human being can “deem.” Your sentence is grammatically correct and makes sense, although it’s hard to know what the original author’s intended meaning was. Perhaps the author meant to use the word “render” instead of “deem.”

2017년 3월 3일