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Bob2010 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
A question about word ordering
The following is an extract from 'How to Write' by Oxford University Press.
"Next after the verb phrase, readers give most attention toa sentence’s beginning and end.
example: (sentence#1)Most of the critics of his play unfairly rubbished it.
This sequence emphasizes the severity of the critics’ judgement; but, if you wish to emphasize the unfairness rather than the severity, you only have to delay ‘unfairly’:
(sentence#2)Most of the critics rubbished his play, unfairly."
My question is :
if 'unfaily' is placed at the beginning of the sentence, as the sentence #3 is,
(sentence#3) Unfairly, most of the critics rubbished his play.
What does sentence#3 aims to emphasize? I think, as the sentence#2, it emphasizes the unfairness rather than the severity? Am I right?
Thanks for your help.
"Next after the verb phrase, readers give most attention toa sentence’s beginning and end.
example: (sentence#1)Most of the critics of his play unfairly rubbished it.
This sequence emphasizes the severity of the critics’ judgement; but, if you wish to emphasize the unfairness rather than the severity, you only have to delay ‘unfairly’:
(sentence#2)Most of the critics rubbished his play, unfairly."
My question is :
if 'unfaily' is placed at the beginning of the sentence, as the sentence #3 is,
(sentence#3) Unfairly, most of the critics rubbished his play.
What does sentence#3 aims to emphasize? I think, as the sentence#2, it emphasizes the unfairness rather than the severity? Am I right?
Thanks for your help.
Top answer
Bob2010 Unfairly, most of the critics rubbished his play. This version does not strike me as idiomatic. I don't think anybody would write it this way.
- Bob2010 Unfairly, most of the critics rubbished his play.
- This version does not strike me as idiomatic.
- I don't think anybody would write it this way.
- The adverb is too far from the verb rubbished .
- CJ
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2 Answers
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Bob2010Unfairly, most of the critics rubbished his play.This version does not strike me as idiomatic. I don't think anybody would write it this way. The adverb is too far from the verb rubbished.
CJ
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