To further stop the spread

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 18 May 2020

• #1

I have a question about an article on the coronavirus from BBC.

"As cases have dropped, some hotels have taken in people infected with the virus who need to be isolated to further stop the spread. "

Can you say "to stop the further spread" or "to stop the spread further" instead of "to further stop the spread"?

Hirashin

 

Lothor

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• 18 May 2020

• #2

I like 'stop the further spread' most out of the three. 'Stop' isn't really a verb to which degrees should be attached, so I don't like the BBC's sentence. And I think (without any evidence) that 'further' most often goes immediately before the noun.
Good question.

 

hirashin

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• 18 May 2020

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• #3

Thank you for the help, Lothor.

 

mdchachi

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• 18 May 2020

• #4

hirashin said:

I have a question about an article on the coronavirus from BBC.

"As cases have dropped, some hotels have taken in people infected with the virus who need to be isolated to further stop the spread. "

Can you say "to stop the further spread" or "to stop the spread further" instead of "to further stop the spread"?

Hirashin

Click to expand...

Yes they are all fine.

 

hirashin

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• #5

Thanks, mdchachi.

 

M

Michael2

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• 19 May 2020

• #6

Even though I agree with Lothor that you shouldn't really quantify the verb "stop", in this case the nuance is "to bring to an end" or "lessen", which I would say would be quantifiable. Also I would say "to further stop the spread" and "to stop the spread further" are different in meaning to "to stop the further spread". In the first two sentences you are saying this action has been taken in addition to other ones in order to lessen the spread of the virus even more, as "further" is qualifying "stop", whereas the latter sentence sounds like the virus is spreading further, as "further" is qualifying "spread", but that would be inaccurate as the rate of infection is on a steady decline.

 

hirashin

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• 25 May 2020

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• #7

Thanks for telling the difference in meaning, Michael2. I appreciate it.