<p>Many countries, punishing citizens mostly using torture and imprisonment for speaking against the government, keep the U.N. Commission on Human Rights very busy.</p>
<p>Or </p>
<p>Using torture and imprisonment, many countries punish citizens who speak against the government, a situation that keeps the U.N. Commission on Human Rights very busy.</p>
<p>Why is the latter one correct? How is the former wrong?</p>
<p>The error in the former sentence is that it is awkward and incoherent. Basically, the problem is three-fold. One, the clause "using torture and imprisonment" is too far from the subject ("many countries"), making the wording almost unintelligible. Two, it implies that it is not countries but the citizens who are doing the torturing; they are clearly not. And three, the sentence lacks an overarching clarity/emphasis with respect to the relationship between subject, predicate, and appositive. For example, the detail about the UN Commission being very busy is a side-note, not to be read as the predicate itself, as the first sentence suggests. Not to mention the use of the adverb "mostly" is superfluous. </p>
<p>Hmm...hope that was not too confusing!</p>
<p>The second one sounds wierd. The ing in the begining sounds out of place</p>
<p>Second one is correct</p>
<p>The second one is awkward, too, but not quite as awkward as the first (for the reasons daenerys points out).</p>
<p>maybe, maybe not</p>
<p>I know that the former is wrong but I don't understand why the latter is correct. </p>
<p>Using torture and imprisonment, many countries punish citizens who speak against the government, a situation that keeps the U.N. Commission on Human Rights very busy.</p>
<p>I'm okay with up to "against the government." What's up with the part after the comma? Why is that right? Is it acceptable to have a sentence like:
(noun), a something that does something. ?</p>
<p>"many countries punish citizens who speak out against the government" is a situation? </p>
<p>I know I suck at writing so can someone explain?
Also, J.Shi where did you get this problem?</p>
<p>Actually, I guess they're both right.</p>
<p>Second one sounds better. Develop saying sentences in your head.</p>
<p>azsxdc</p>