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In front of the lift of my flat, there is a rectangular design on the floor. The perimeter of the rectangle is laid with brown tiles. The central portion is bare with a layer of cement as no tiles had been laid.
This crude pattern is seen on every floor from the first to the twelfth floor.
I asked a Housing Authority officer why the rectangular pattern has tiles along the sides only. He replied that it was an architectural design.
I retorted, "If this is an architectural design, everyone can be an architect."
Please let me know if my reply is grammatically correct.
Thanks.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/19/2011
Posts: 9,725
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Koh Elaine wrote:In front of the lift of my flat, there is a rectangular design on the floor. The perimeter of the rectangle is laid with brown tiles. The central portion is bare with a layer of cement as no tiles had been laid.
This crude pattern is seen on every floor from the first to the twelfth floor.
I asked a Housing Authority officer why the rectangular pattern has tiles along the sides only. He replied that it is an architectural
design.
I retorted, "If this is an architectural design, everyone can be an architect."
Please let me know if my reply is grammatically correct.
Thanks.
Funny! I would have probably said, "If this is an architectural design, anyone can be an architect", meaning any person, and I think this would be the most common way to say it, but your reply, meaning every person can, would also work.
We should look to the past to learn from it, not destroy our future because of it — FounDit
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It's grammatically correct, but (as FounDit has pointed out) we'd be much more likely to say "anyone" (or "anybody") instead.
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Thanks, FounDit and NKM.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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"If this is an architectural design, anyone can be an architect."
Would it be better if I rephrased the reply as follows?
"If this were an architectural design, anyone could be an architect."
[I was disappointed that the Housing Authority had done a slipshod job by leaving the central part bare (without tiles.)]
Thanks.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 7/4/2012
Posts: 4,386
Neurons: 17,844
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"If this is an architectural design, anyone can be an architect."
Would it be better if I rephrased the reply as follows?
"If this were an architectural design, anyone could be an architect."
[I was disappointed that the Housing Authority had done a slipshod job by leaving the central part bare (without tiles.)]
Thanks.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 8/24/2011
Posts: 5,115
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Location: London, England, United Kingdom
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Koh Elaine wrote:"If this is an architectural design, anyone can be an architect."
This does not deny that it is an architectural design, but implies that the term "architectural design" is being used very broadly/permissively.
"If this were an architectural design, anyone could be an architect."
This denies that it is an architectural design. I prefer the first version.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Thanks, Audiendus.
I was actually very annoyed that a rectangular pattern (design) with all the four sides tiled and the central portion cemented and bare was described by a Housing Authority officer as an architectural design.
That's why I wonder whether the second sentence is better in that situation.
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Koh Elaine wrote:I was actually very annoyed that a rectangular pattern (design) with all the four sides tiled and the central portion cemented and bare was described by a Housing Authority officer as an architectural design.
That's why I wonder whether the second sentence is better in that situation. OK. The second sentence is a stronger statement, and you may certainly use it. In my opinion, however, if someone deliberately designs something as a piece of architecture, it is thereby an "architectural design". In this case, it is a bad architectural design, which anyone could make.
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Thanks, Audiendus.
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This
"If this is an architectural design, everyone can be an architect."
or
this is correct
"If this is an architectural design, then everyone can be an architect."
Teachers please speak.
I am a layman.
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