Thread: As thinktank close to No 10 tells David Cameron...

As thinktank close to No 10 tells David Cameron to slow pace of reforms, health secretary to update MPs on review of plans to create new GP-led consortia
© guardian

Did I understood this phrase correctly?

While think tank that is close to No 10 told David Cameron to slow pace of reforms, health secretary updated MPs on review of plans of creating new GP-led consortia

While a think tank that is close to No 10 is telling David Cameron to slow pace of reforms, health secretary will update MPs on review of plans for creating new GP-led consortia

Many thanks, sperk!

As I am sure you realise, this is not good English! We all have to read this sort of media garbage from time to time but at least it is usually possible to find something more intelligible in better newspapers or websites. Government publications are often little better, despite a long-standing campaign in the UK for plain English. Try to understand it by all means but please, do not imitate it!

Originally Posted by ladoga

As I am sure you realise, this is not good English! We all have to read this sort of media garbage from time to time but at least it is usually possible to find something more intelligible in better newspapers or websites. Government publications are often little better, despite a long-standing campaign in the UK for plain English. Try to understand it by all means but please, do not imitate it!

))) Thanks so much, I didn't know of it. In our newspapers (e.g. Комерсант, Российская газета, Комсомольская правда), they writes in good Russian.
ladoga, what better newspapers or websites can you recommend me?

Absolutely right! Linguistically, your newspapers are far better than ours. That is because of your superior education system. At their worst, our state schools are quite dreadful and have been so for many years. It is to the sad victims of this process that the so-called 'Red Top' tabloid newspapers direct the sort of English you have found. Such newspapers as The Sun, The Mirror, The News of the World, are best avoided. I recommend The Guardian and The Independent,. There are others with reasonable standards like The Times and The Telegraph. As for the internet, all the newspapers above run websites. Additionally try the BBC.
Standards in English English (I can't speak for American English) continue to decline. One prime example is the splitting of infinitives e.g. "to boldly go" is an infinitive split by an adverb and is not good practice. "To go boldly" is better. They call me old-fashioned!

It is me again! I see that you got that article from The Guardian. Oh dear!! I apologise. That newspaper is usually better than that. Anyway, just be aware of these captions and newsbytes.

OK! Thanks for the examples of newspapers.