Political power, used right, will produce good results.
"used right" means "if it is used right?"
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Always put the source or some explanation. Is this you read somewhere or you made it? Perfectly framed questions not only help learn us better but also maintain this site's credit.– Maulik VFeb 20, 2014 at 11:17
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1That's what it means, but I don't think anything is omitted.– user230Feb 20, 2014 at 13:58
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@user4550 Yes, that's exactly what it means.– starsplusplusFeb 20, 2014 at 14:11
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There's a strong argument for saying OP's "used right" is not in fact "used correctly" here. At the very least it should probably be rightly, though even the collocation "power used rightly" only gets a dozen hits on Google Books (but "power used right" gets less than half that). In short, the correct word is correctly, not right.– FumbleFingersFeb 24, 2014 at 22:42
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1@FumbleFingers Using right as an adverb meaning "correctly" is standard. See e.g. Collins, sense 21. It is true that neither used right nor used rightly is common, however.– user230Feb 25, 2014 at 18:26
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1 Answer
I understand, as you suggest, that it can stand for:
Political power if it is used right will produce good results.
Other alternatives:
Political power when it is used right will produce good results.
Political power when it is exercised right will produce good results.
- Or as suggested by @starsplusplus:
Political power that is used right will produce good results.
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Or "political power that is used right will produce good results". Feb 20, 2014 at 14:11