the missing word bothers me, too. It also got killed in an intersection on its way to work, to show up in this meme.

  • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netOP
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    14 days ago

    A comma maybe, then.

    the people once tied to them killed in a crosswalk’ really sounds weird to me.

    Heck, my phone agrees.

    • lugal@lemmy.ml
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      14 days ago

      Not a native speaker but for me it sounds fine. The “are now” is left out because it would be repeated if that makes sense.

      “The people, [who were] tied to them, [are now] killed in a crosswalk.”

        • lugal@lemmy.ml
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          13 days ago

          So that’s the missing word everyone is bothered by. It wasn’t in the post but in a low level comment. What an unexpected but well executed pay-off!

    • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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      13 days ago

      I think a colon would be the most apt punctuation here.

      The tracks are now unruly and wild, the people tied to them: killed in crosswalks

      But to be honest I was fine with no punctuation. The bit that most bothers me is the choice of preposition. You don’t go in a crosswalk. You go on it. Or maybe you’re at the crosswalk when you’re killed. But certainly not in.

      • Trail@lemmy.world
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        13 days ago

        In (the area of) a crosswalk would make sense?

        That said, not English native speaker.

    • itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      13 days ago

      Seems like a stylistic choice to me. Leaving out the “have been” makes it sound more poetic, but I don’t think it’s wrong per se

    • Mac@mander.xyz
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      13 days ago

      Grammar has so many “technically correct” yet odd sentence structures.
      The sentence definitely has a weird flow and could absolutely contain reader assistance via punctuation.