Beat & beat up
The following sentence is taken from "Time" magazine:
It was 25 years ago, on March 3, 1991, that four white Los Angeles police officers brutally beat Rodney King, an unarmed black man.
My question is this:
Would the meaning of the sentence have changed had the reporter written, ".....Los Angeles police officers brutally beat Rodney King up,....."?
Thank you.
Top answer
teal lime Would the meaning of the sentence have changed ... No, not significantly, but there is some difference. In the given context, beat refers to delivering the blows.
- teal lime Would the meaning of the sentence have changed ...
- No, not significantly, but there is some difference.
- In the given context, beat refers to delivering the blows.
- beat up suggests the final result after the blows have stopped.
- The absence of 'up' in the Rodney King article means that the police did not really intend simply to disable King by beating him and then stop.
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teal limeWould the meaning of the sentence have changed ...
No, not significantly, but there is some difference.
In the given context, beat refers to delivering the blows. beat up suggests the final result after the blows have stopped. The absence of 'up' in the Rodney King article means that the police did not really intend simply to
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