[Grammar] Just making your lab closer to where you sample solves a lot of those problems.

[kadioguy]

[The article clip was quoted from an English magazine called Advanced English Studio Classroom]

COVID-19 has underscored the value of such approaches. And a report from the United Nations said experts expect to see a steady stream of these diseases jumping from animals to humans in the years ahead as habitats are ravaged by wildlife exploitation, unsustainable farming practices and climate change.

To test wildlife for a virus, researchers often rely on certified laboratories. But about 60% of these labs are in Europe and North America, far from where most new infectious diseases appear. That's not ideal, says Watsa, the articles lead author.

"How do you get a sample across the Andes Mountain when you need to freeze it?" Watsa said. 'Just making your lab closer to where you sample solves a lot of those problems.

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1. ... a report from the United Nations said experts expect to see ...

Why is it 'said', rather than 'says'?

2. That's not ideal, says Watsa, the articles lead author.

Why is it 'says'? Is this narrative present?

3. Just making your lab closer to where you sample solves a lot of those problems.

The verb 'sample' is transitive; however, why doesn't it need an object here?

As for this question, a friend told me: 'It's transitive but doesn't require a direct object. There is a small but significant class of transitive verbs that don't have to take a direct object.'

I agree with him, but would also like to hear your opinions.

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[teechar]

[The article clip was quoted from an English magazine called Advanced English Studio Classroom]

Are the articles in that magazine written by native speakers?

Why is it 'said', rather than 'says'?
Why is it 'says'? Is this narrative present?

This (mix of tenses) is very common in English; "said" is correct because the action happened in the past, and "says" is correct because it is referring to a current truth/fact/narrative.

3. Just making your lab closer to where you sample solves a lot of those problems.
The verb 'sample' is transitive; however, why doesn't it need an object here?

You're right. The verb "sample" is transitive, and strictly speaking the sentence should have said something like "... closer to where you can take samples". However, in casual conversation, people sometimes break/bend grammar rules, and you get usage like that.

 

[GoesStation]

Sample can work intransitively for me. Suppose you work in a laboratory and someone asks what you'll be doing tomorrow morning. "Sampling" seems like a natural reply if you'll be in the field, taking samples. It doesn't feel particularly informal to me.

 

[kadioguy]

Are the articles in that magazine written by native speakers?

For this article, I think that it was adapted from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-viruses-animals-people.html, so yes.

This (mix of tenses) is very common in English; "said" is correct because the action happened in the past, and "says" is correct because it is referring to a current truth/fact/narrative.

I found that the original text is this:

And a report earlier this week from the United Nations said experts expect to see ...

So I think that the 'say' in the past simple means that the report was released in the past; however, it can also be used in the present simple, i.e., says, which means what the author(s) say(s) in the report.

Is that right?

As for this 'say': That's not ideal, says Watsa, the article's lead author.

We often use the present tense for something that someone has already said but that we assume is something they would say again. "Says" gives more of an impression of the fact that it was and still is Watsa's opinion.
(Quoted and adapted from https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...ot-in-post-5?p=1612780&viewfull=1#post1612780)

Do I understand it correctly?

 

[GoesStation]

It's natural and correct as written. This would be incorrect: A report earlier this week says …. The sentence is set in the past, so it requires a past tense.

Add one word and it's OK: A report issued earlier this week says …. It may have been issued in the past, but it continues to say the same thing, so the present simple is fine.

That's not ideal, says Watsa, the article's lead author.

That's an example of the narrative present.

 

[emsr2d2]

[The article clip was quoted from an English magazine called Advanced English Studio Classroom]

Please provide the name of the author of the article too.

 

[kadioguy]

Please provide the name of the author of the article too.

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]More viruses will jump from animals to people, researchers say. [/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]by Jonathan Wosen[/FONT]