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hogel
Member
Location: Busan,Korea
Posts: 277
Posted   Edit or Delete MessageReport This Post  
Hello, teachers!

Would you please tell me if these are both natural?

1. President Bush was referring to reports that Iran is producing a precursor to enriched uranium ahead of a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna next Thursday.

2. Ahead of a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna next Thursday, President Bush was referring to reports that Iran is producing a precursor to enriched uranium.

Thank you very much.
Best Regards.
<Grammar Exchange 2>
Posted   Edit or Delete MessageReport This Post  
In Sentence 1, the main verb "was referring" tells us that the president had made a previous statement that needed clarification. Therefore the word order is appropriate for the discourse.

Sentence 2 is not natural, precisely because the main verb is in the progressive. A more natural version would be

"” Ahead of a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna next Thursday, President Bush REFERRED to reports that Iran is producing a precursor to enriched uranium.

This version would be appropriate as the opening sentence of a news report.

Marilyn
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    Grammar Exchange    Grammar Exchange  Hop To Forum Categories  The Grammar Exchange  Hop To Forums  Questions and Answers    the position of a adverbial phrase