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Soheil1 Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary
A
hi.
What do the a's mean in:
" Deficits in the literature include a paucity of studies examining the effects of sexual abuse on boys, cultural effects on responses to sexual abuse, and a lack of longitudinal studies of the effects of sexual abuse."
?
What do the a's mean in:
" Deficits in the literature include a paucity of studies examining the effects of sexual abuse on boys, cultural effects on responses to sexual abuse, and a lack of longitudinal studies of the effects of sexual abuse."
?
Top answer
I understand the "a's" to be a fairly high register stylistic device. They're grammatically unnecessary. " "Deficits include paucity of A and lack of B" is fine, and means the same thing.
- I understand the "a's" to be a fairly high register stylistic device.
- They're grammatically unnecessary.
- " "Deficits include paucity of A and lack of B" is fine, and means the same thing.
- "
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3 Answers
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I understand the "a's" to be a fairly high register stylistic device. They're grammatically unnecessary.
We'd be more apt to use the "a" in something like, "We found a paucity of X and a lack of Y."
"Deficits include paucity of A and lack of B" is fine, and means the same thing.
I think you also might say that the "indefinite article" suggests that the degree
We'd be more apt to use the "a" in something like, "We found a paucity of X and a lack of Y."
"Deficits include paucity of A and lack of B" is fine, and means the same thing.
I think you also might say that the "indefinite article" suggests that the degree
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If you say something like, "There were not enough studies examining the effects etc," you're making a clear accusation, or claiming that the work is defective.
But if you say "There was a lack of etc.," you suggest that the work is defective, but you don't condemn it completely.
You don't say how great or how big the lack was. (That's indefinite/unspecified.)
But if you say "There was a lack of etc.," you suggest that the work is defective, but you don't condemn it completely.
You don't say how great or how big the lack was. (That's indefinite/unspecified.)
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