conditional sentence without if
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For the past four billion years or so the only way for life on Earth to produce a sequence of dna—a gene—was by copying a sequence it already had to hand. Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled, the copying imperfect or undertaken repeatedly.
source link
to me, it sounds like "IF the copying (is) imperfect or undertaken repeatedly, sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled."
It is conditional, why there is no "if" in the sentence. Is it a grammar rule?
meaning grammar
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
add a comment |
For the past four billion years or so the only way for life on Earth to produce a sequence of dna—a gene—was by copying a sequence it already had to hand. Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled, the copying imperfect or undertaken repeatedly.
source link
to me, it sounds like "IF the copying (is) imperfect or undertaken repeatedly, sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled."
It is conditional, why there is no "if" in the sentence. Is it a grammar rule?
meaning grammar
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
1
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
1
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday
add a comment |
For the past four billion years or so the only way for life on Earth to produce a sequence of dna—a gene—was by copying a sequence it already had to hand. Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled, the copying imperfect or undertaken repeatedly.
source link
to me, it sounds like "IF the copying (is) imperfect or undertaken repeatedly, sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled."
It is conditional, why there is no "if" in the sentence. Is it a grammar rule?
meaning grammar
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
For the past four billion years or so the only way for life on Earth to produce a sequence of dna—a gene—was by copying a sequence it already had to hand. Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled, the copying imperfect or undertaken repeatedly.
source link
to me, it sounds like "IF the copying (is) imperfect or undertaken repeatedly, sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled."
It is conditional, why there is no "if" in the sentence. Is it a grammar rule?
meaning grammar
meaning grammar
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
edited yesterday
wtdark
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
asked yesterday
wtdarkwtdark
275
275
1
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
1
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday
add a comment |
1
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
1
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday
1
1
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
1
1
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copy' might be wrong: (1) original gene wrong (2) bad copying (3) copied too many times. But I think the text you are quoting isn't clear: "Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled" might be referring to the new gene, or (as I think) to the original gene, in which case no "if" is required..
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
add a comment |
I read it as two ways in which the DNA sequence of the copy might be wrong:
- it could be damaged and/or scrambled,
and two mechanisms by which it could be damaged and/or scrambled:
- the copying could be imperfect, or
- the copying could be undertaken repeatedly.
I’m wondering whether the comma after “scrambled”
should be a semicolon or a dash.
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copy' might be wrong: (1) original gene wrong (2) bad copying (3) copied too many times. But I think the text you are quoting isn't clear: "Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled" might be referring to the new gene, or (as I think) to the original gene, in which case no "if" is required..
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
add a comment |
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copy' might be wrong: (1) original gene wrong (2) bad copying (3) copied too many times. But I think the text you are quoting isn't clear: "Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled" might be referring to the new gene, or (as I think) to the original gene, in which case no "if" is required..
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
add a comment |
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copy' might be wrong: (1) original gene wrong (2) bad copying (3) copied too many times. But I think the text you are quoting isn't clear: "Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled" might be referring to the new gene, or (as I think) to the original gene, in which case no "if" is required..
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copy' might be wrong: (1) original gene wrong (2) bad copying (3) copied too many times. But I think the text you are quoting isn't clear: "Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled" might be referring to the new gene, or (as I think) to the original gene, in which case no "if" is required..
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
answered yesterday
Philip WoodPhilip Wood
3606
3606
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
add a comment |
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
In the circumstances, it would seem to be irrelevant whether the damaged/scrambled gene were the source gene or the new gene: the result would still be a damaged new gene - or perhaps no new gene at all.
– TrevorD
yesterday
add a comment |
I read it as two ways in which the DNA sequence of the copy might be wrong:
- it could be damaged and/or scrambled,
and two mechanisms by which it could be damaged and/or scrambled:
- the copying could be imperfect, or
- the copying could be undertaken repeatedly.
I’m wondering whether the comma after “scrambled”
should be a semicolon or a dash.
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
add a comment |
I read it as two ways in which the DNA sequence of the copy might be wrong:
- it could be damaged and/or scrambled,
and two mechanisms by which it could be damaged and/or scrambled:
- the copying could be imperfect, or
- the copying could be undertaken repeatedly.
I’m wondering whether the comma after “scrambled”
should be a semicolon or a dash.
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
add a comment |
I read it as two ways in which the DNA sequence of the copy might be wrong:
- it could be damaged and/or scrambled,
and two mechanisms by which it could be damaged and/or scrambled:
- the copying could be imperfect, or
- the copying could be undertaken repeatedly.
I’m wondering whether the comma after “scrambled”
should be a semicolon or a dash.
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
I read it as two ways in which the DNA sequence of the copy might be wrong:
- it could be damaged and/or scrambled,
and two mechanisms by which it could be damaged and/or scrambled:
- the copying could be imperfect, or
- the copying could be undertaken repeatedly.
I’m wondering whether the comma after “scrambled”
should be a semicolon or a dash.
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
answered yesterday
ScottScott
6,83882850
6,83882850
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
"Sometimes the gene would be damaged or scrambled; [sometimes] the copying [would be] imperfect; or [sometimes the copying would be] undertaken repeatedly."
– TrevorD
yesterday
1
I read it as three ways in which the data sequence of the 'copied' gene might be wrong:
– Philip Wood
yesterday