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When you know you've erred, but don't know how...

Mind that apostrophe.
Maylix
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When you know you've erred, but don't know how...

#29405

Postby Maylix » February 6th, 2017, 3:42 pm

Hi fellow pedants,
On another thread I've just typed the sentence:
" I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asks for the cancelling affecting when the cancelling is implemented from!"
I stumbled over it as I typed, but even after stopping to think about it for a few minutes I couldn't get it right.
The sentence is to do with Marriage Allowance (which is a tax mechanism where the lower paid spouse in a couple transfers some allowance to the higher paid spouse), and refers to the act of cancelling the allowance after it has been applied for. What I found out was that if the lower paid spouse applies for the cancelling it gets cancelled from date 1 whereas if the higher paid partner applies for it it gets cancelled from date 2. I found this very surprising hence my comment:
I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asks for the cancelling affecting when the cancelling is implemented from!
I didn't like the second half of the sentence and aside from it's overall clumsiness, I suspect I've made at least 1 tense error. Can anyone suggest a more elegant way of expressing the same sentiment?
TIA
Maylix

redsturgeon
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Re: When you know you've erred, but don't know how...

#29419

Postby redsturgeon » February 6th, 2017, 4:26 pm

I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asks for the cancelling affecting when the cancelling is implemented from!"



I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asking for the cancellation affecting from what date it is implemented !"

PinkDalek
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Re: When you know you've erred, but don't know how...

#29447

Postby PinkDalek » February 6th, 2017, 5:49 pm

redsturgeon wrote:
I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asks for the cancelling affecting when the cancelling is implemented from!"



I don't expect many (any) people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asking for the cancellation affecting from what date it is implemented !"


I don't expect many people would have guessed the subtlety of which partner asks for the cancellation affects the effective date!

If it is of any comfort, I understood the original in situ but have therefore removed the any, as well as the it is implemented! Fully accepting affects and effective in the same sentence is clumsy, as is including accepting (twice) in this one!

Maylix
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Re: When you know you've erred, but don't know how...

#29672

Postby Maylix » February 7th, 2017, 5:24 pm

Thanks guys, both your efforts are an improvement on mine! ;)


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