I recently took a pre-employment test. I didn't pass the first time. They gave me a second chance. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it again because the test seemed too difficult for me. It's based on around 160-page guidelines written in English. I had taken pains to read them through. This time I read only substantial pages with more meticulous attention. I passed the second time last night. I'll discuss the following sentences here. This time I read only substantial pages with more meticulous attention. This time I read only the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. Is the definite article, 'the' required just before 'substantial pages'?
I know you are new but I am seeing a pattern with your posts...seems similar to another thread you started. First thing I need to ask you is: is English your first language? With regards to the sentences: This time I read only substantial pages with more meticulous attention. This time I read only the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. I need to know, are you pronouncing "read" as red or as reed, because that will make the difference in the context. I really can't tell what you are asking and if English is not your first language it explains everything.
This time I read only substantial pages with more meticulous attention. This time I read only the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. .. I think 'substantial pages' is too ambiguous, or it lacks 'sense.' I can work around what the person is trying to say and establish a meaning, I think...just about...whilst the 'definite article is irrelevant. Somebody correct me... I read only the pages containing substantial information with my most meticulous attention -ughh This time I read only the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. Meh Only this time I read the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. Eek. - [that works but different meaning]
Well, I've developed a reading strategy than allows me to read a hundred books a week. I simply read the blurbs, quickly extrapolate the story in my mind - bish bash bosh!
You need the 'the'. If you were referring to a habitual action, in present tense, it would be optional. I'm confident that someone else knows the proper terminology that I'm failing to offer, but I can offer examples: I ate the olives. Usually, I eat olives at happy hour. I don't eat potato chips. I do eat olives. In your example, I also have trouble with the "more" when there's nothing for the comparison to point to, and "substantial" is a bit ambiguous as well. My quick rewrite would be: This time, I only paid close attention to the important pages.
I think you're trying to ask if it's present or past tense. How someone might pronounce it doesn't really matter if tense is not part of the equation. Personally, I would leave out "the." I don't think it changes the meaning and it's cleaner. But it does seem a bit like we're doing someone's homework. I guess we're giving them some multiple choices.
The edits sounds off because of the misplaced modifier at the end. Only modifies read, and so does with more meticulous attention. It seems that the pages actually include meticulousness. Common sense sorts it out for the most part, but it's possible to confuse that if you're not careful. The best fix is to condense that phrase to a simple adverb. It's harder to misplace since adverbs can't aim at nouns. This time I only read the substantial pages meticulously. This time I only meticulously read the substantial pages. Do you need the the? Depends on the surrounding sentences. It actually works either way, but it carries a slightly different meaning each time. It's so slight it doesn't matter, IMO. So it's a matter of taste and intention. But I will say that if you leave the off the original, it really accentuates the modifier "with more meticulous attention," and that makes its placement feel even more off. I can't explain why that is though . . . I think it might have to do with the length of phrases and how they connect. . This time I read only the substantial pages with more meticulous attention. It really seems as if the pages contain meticulousness. But you could just wrap meticulously read into a single verb and be done: This time I only studied the substantial pages. The only can float all over that sentence, changing the limit, but carrying the same average message.
