Please help me analyze this sentence

Question

Environmental sensitivity is now as required an attitude in polite society as is ,say, belief in democracy or disapproval of plastic surgery.

I think the right order should be " environmental sesitivity is now required as an attitude in polite society as it is an belief in democracy or disapproval of plastic surgery in polite society". Is that right ? Thank you !

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

yzh1978I think the right order should be "environmental sensitivity is now required as an attitude in polite society as it is an belief in democracy or disapproval of plastic surgery in polite society". Is that right?

No. The original is right. It's a comparison of how required these attitudes are.

1. environmental sensitivity
2. belief in democracy
3. disapproval of plastic surgery

Each of these three attitudes is required to some degree or another. But the sentence says they are all required to the same degree.

1 is now as required an attitude in polite society as ... 2 or 3.

It's the use of 'required' with 'attitude' that has you confused. To help yourself understand it better, you could change it thus:

1 is an attitude that is as required as 2 or 3 in polite society.

CJ

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