A dangling v-to example?,etc.

[henz988]

Teachers,i have a difficult time justifying the right and wrong of the following two sentences ftom a text book：
1. At first it was thought that the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict，....
Why was rather than were? any other errors?

2.To make as much use of the land as possible, two or more crops are planted each year where possible.
A dangling v-to example?

[Mister Micawber]

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1-- It appears to be a misprint. It should read:

the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain through war orthe skills to make copper and bronze objects were spread to Britain through war.

2-- Yes, but not a heinous one.
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[henz988]

clear
Thanks heaps.

[henz988]

Dear Mr. Micawber & other teachers:

What about the following sentences? I think I racked my brain over this long enough now.

① It was thought (that) that the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict，...

② It was thought (that) how the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict，...

③It was thought (that) the way the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict，...

[Mister Micawber]

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Frankly, I don't know what you are racking your brain over, Henz. My original suggestions I still think are more likely, and the sentences you have created are either structurally impossible (1) or awkward (2 and 3):

① It was thought (that) that [--two that's is wrong--] the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict. --- You have two finite verbs in the dependent clause, spread and was. This is the same problem as in the original.

② It was thought (that) how the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict. --- This one is grammatically OK, but very awkward with 'that how', and would be much better as: It was thought that the skills...spread to Britain through, etc, as I said at the beginning.

③It was thought (that) the way the skills to make copper and bronze objects spread to Britain was through war and armed conflict --- This one is better, and I agree that the original could have omitted 'the way' rather than incorrrectly added 'was' or misplaced 'were'.... but I still prefer mine for style, I'm afraid. It was thought (that) the way the skills...spread...was-- this is awkward composition.
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