The land at Holton Lee is of great Ecological significance, and as a result fringes a site of special scientific interest, but also considered a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.

Someone wrote this and wanted it to be criticised. I noticed that all three predicates uses the same subject.

I was curious whether the sentence above is grammatical; I’m uncertain if this is just poorly written or if it is also ungrammatical because the first is just a linking verb, the second doesn’t use ‘is,’ and the third one uses ‘is’ as well as the participle considered.

So my question is basically what verbs needs to be included with each predicate. Can one of them use part of the predicate from the first one and the next one use none of it.

An example to illustrate:

he was ugly, considered everyone to be lesser of a person, walking down the hill.

Is there rules unallowing such a construction?

The land at Holton Lee is of great Ecological significance, and as a result fringes a site of special scientific interest, but also considered a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.

There is nothing incorrect about compound verbs—and no restriction on the number of verbs that can have the same subject. However, the need for clarity and readability must be taken into consideration.

First, I would question the choice of the verb, fringes. It seems to me that the land at Holton Lee is an area of scientific interest rather than fringing an area of interest. (It it’s wetlands, it’s not fringing an area of interest.)

Second, considered is passive voice (and should be is considered at the very least), so you have two active-voice verbs and one passive, making the sentence difficult to read.

Third, I think that a wetland should be a wetlands area.

There are many way to improve the sentence, but establishing consistency in verb construction is a much needed first step.

The land at Holton Lee is of great ecological significance, and—as a result—remains a site of special scientific interest, especially since it is considered a wetlands area of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.

The land at Holton Lee is of great ecological significance, and therefore remains a site of special scientific interest. It is also considered a wetlands area of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.

He was ugly, considered everyone to be lesser of a person, walking down the hill.

Lesser of a person needs be lesser persons, and walking down the hill is a bad metaphor for what lesser people do.

Also, I can’t decided whether he was ugly and walking down the hill or whether the people he considered lesser were walking down the hill.

This one is beyond help. Start over.

Thanks.

Also, I can’t decided whether he was ugly and walking down the hill or whether the people he considered lesser were walking down the hill.

This one is beyond help. Start over

I just wrote this to illustrate what I was asking about: compund predicates. I was not showing any relation between the predicates. He was ugly. He considered others lesser persons. He was walking down the hill.

And, with regard to the first sentence, I’m glad to see that we both feel the predicates to be the main problem. It is so hard to read! I noticed that you said the passive construction needs to include ‘is,’ but I thought ‘is’ from the first predicate (well actually a complement) could be used—this was part of my question. So can the first Is not be used for the passive verb predicate? I didn’t include the auxillary verb for the final predicate of my second sentence; I just assumed it was obvious that it used ‘was’ from the first predicate.

THanks

Because we have a linking verb (is) and a passive voice ([is] considered), I don’t think the second is should be considered understood. The first verb is is. The second one is is considered.

Here is a good example of how consistency in structure can make sentences easier to read. This one needs it.

O.k. thanks. SO it is a matter of clariy, but there is no such rule.

I agree that the verb should be included as it isn’t clear without it. Sometimes I wonder if people actually read over what they’ve written.

Sometimes I wonder if people actually read over what they’ve written.

You would be amazed at how badly some educated people write.

I think I have a fair idea: I have two friends, who unfortunately both have dyslexia, and I have other friends, who are all intelligent, showing a horrible understanding of English grammar, either due to laziness or not being taught it properly in School.

And since I’m on Facebook, an online social community, I see poor writing daily. Here is the sort of stuff:

Hey man I just saw your friend Dylan, he looks good, he just came back from aussie, said he went with a group of 12-sounds wicked. Anyway were plannng a trip to and your coming.

I recognize the babble.