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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Is this sentence correct?
Is this sentence correct?
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no mistake
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Is this sentence correct?
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We can learn in minutes of grand ordeal what years of quiet life cannot ! |
25 Nov 2012
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Apodo
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The second part of the sentence needs a verb, also minutes of grand ordeal doesn �t sound quite right. Maybe: We can learn in minutes of great ordeal what years of quiet life cannot teach us! |
25 Nov 2012
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yanogator
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I agree with Apodo. Bruce |
25 Nov 2012
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douglas
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or (a little poetic, but it works too):
"We can learn in minutes of grand/great ordeal what we cannot in years of quiet life!" |
26 Nov 2012
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Dr. Ahmad El-Maghraby
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This sentence is neither structurally nor semantically correct. The noun clause (the direct object) "what we cannot in years
of quiet life" lacks the base form of the essential verb. Yet, I think it may be preceded by a related sentence that includes the verb omitted in it either for the requirement of eloquence or for the lack of necessity of the use of such a verb. If you extract a sentence from a text, you should first look into the context. I agree with Apodo that "great" is better than "grand".
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26 Nov 2012
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douglas
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It may go against the rules, but it would be used by a native speaker (poetically, as I already implied) and acceptable in academia. |
26 Nov 2012
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yanogator
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But, Dr. Ahmad, it is preceded by a clause that includes the verb omitted in it, so it is correct. I agree with Douglas.
Bruce |
26 Nov 2012
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