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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Find the mistake of this sentence and correct it :    

Find the mistake of this sentence and correct it :



normandey
Egypt

Find the mistake of this sentence and correct it :
 
A fire is thought to break out by a cigarette end yesterday.

13 Jun 2018      





kohai
Latvia

I think it should be "A fire is thought to have been broken out by..."

(BUT  I�d prefer "A fire is thought to have been caused by..." )
 
Not sure though. You should better wait for our experts� answers.
I�ll be waiting too. :)

13 Jun 2018     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

Mmm... it �s a bit awkward, and I agree with Ruta �s preferred sentence. The difficulty with that sentence is: the fire definitely broke out and it was thought to have been caused by a cigarette end. 
Maybe, �a fire, thought to have been caused by a cigarette end, broke out yesterday. �  

13 Jun 2018     



yanogator
United States

I agree with Ruta and Lynne, and I �ll also suggest "A fire broke out yesterday that is thought to have been caused by a cigarette end". You definitely want to avoid implying that it is only thought that the fire broke out.
 
Bruce 

13 Jun 2018     



aperkins4
Japan

I`d say that Bruce`s sentence is likely the one you want. You could move the day to the beginning as well:

"Yesterday, a fire broke out, which is thought to have been caused by a cigarette end."

 
If you want a shorter sentence,  "A fire is thought to have broken out by a cigarette end yesterday."

If it is for a newspaper headline, you can break a couple grammar rules as say: "FIRE YESTERDAY, THOUGHT BY CIGARETTE END"
 
Finally, if they *yesterday* thought the fire broke out by cigarette end, but *today* think it came from a different source, then you`d say, "Yesterday, a fire was thought to have been caused by a cigarette end." Today, we know it was caused by a child playing with match sticks. 

14 Jun 2018     



cunliffe
United Kingdom

I prefer my sentence

15 Jun 2018     



normandey
Egypt

Thanks for all you.

15 Jun 2018