Re: Future passive not particularly perfect



Greg Lee wrote:
>
> Peter T. Daniels <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Greg Lee wrote:
> > >
> > > Peter T. Daniels <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > Prai Jei wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Is it good English to say that on a certain date in the near future, the
> > > > > counter positions in a new shop will be being put in place?
> > >
> > > > what are counter positions, what is putting them in place, and how long
> > > > does it take to do it?
> > >
> > > Places for customers to use a counter; installers; long enough that the
> > > installation has to be thought of as a process that has to be lived with
> > > until completed.
>
> > If that's what it means, it doesn't make sense, since counters are
> > single long units that are installed all at once.
>
> You put in place n counter positions by installing new counters,
> extending existing counters, or placing counter seats closer together,
> in such a fashion as to seat n additional people. I just made that
> up, but it seems to me to be like other instances of business-
> analyst-speak. You seem to be making some ontological assumptions
> about what sort of a thing can be installed which I don't share.

If it's the installation of a counter with several "positions," why,
Griceanly, wouldn't it be "the counter(s) will be being put in place"?
Or of seats, why not "the new seats will be being put in place"?

OP has clearly focused on the wrong problem in the sentence!
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
.


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