Monday, February 02, 2004

Oh those dang modifiers:
My Sunday paper had this sentence: The trend threatens to leave women who become pregnant with fewer doctors in the future, said Columbia physician David Holladay.
The problem is pregnant with. One generally is pregnant with child, but some people also refer to becoming pregnant with someone. Now, you can argue that all but the most addled adolescent mind would make that connection. But as editors, we must edit with those folks in mind, too, and especially when the fix is so easy. (After all, in today's cutthroat environment, who can afford even one snickering reader or listener?)
Edited: The trend threatens to leave pregnant women with fewer doctors ... or, if the writer really wants to leave "who become pregnant" (though lord knows why): The trend threatens to leave fewer doctors in the near future for women who become pregnant.

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