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Rotter Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Epiphany
1. Epiphany is a Christian holiday on January 6th that celebrates the Three Kings coming to see
the baby Jesus.
2. Epiphany is a Christian holiday on January 6th that celebrates the three kings who came to
visit the baby Jesus.
The first sentence of the above is from one of my dictionaries. I think it is incorrect. The second sentence is mine.
This was a past event. So you should not write the words 'coming to see' here.
Is it not necessary to write 'Three Kings' here? It should be 'three kings' here.
Your thoughts are welcome.
the baby Jesus.
2. Epiphany is a Christian holiday on January 6th that celebrates the three kings who came to
visit the baby Jesus.
The first sentence of the above is from one of my dictionaries. I think it is incorrect. The second sentence is mine.
This was a past event. So you should not write the words 'coming to see' here.
Is it not necessary to write 'Three Kings' here? It should be 'three kings' here.
Your thoughts are welcome.
Top answer
I like your second sentence better! It may be that 'Three Kings' is still capitalised by some as a sign of respect, as in older usage.
- I like your second sentence better!
- It may be that 'Three Kings' is still capitalised by some as a sign of respect, as in older usage.
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10 Answers
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I like your second sentence better! It may be that 'Three Kings' is still capitalised by some as a sign of respect, as in older usage.
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The second sentence has a different meaning. In the first sentence, what is celebrated is that the Three Kings came. In your sentence, they are the subject of celebration, not the fact that they came
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Right, not the same.
Epiphany is a Christian holiday on January 6th that celebrates the Three Kings coming to see the baby Jesus. Celebrates the fact of the coming of the Three Kings
Epiphany is a Christian holiday on January 6th that celebrates the Three Kings coming to see the baby Jesus. Celebrates the fact of the coming of the Three Kings
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And it's their arrival, not the kings themselves, that is celebrated, so stick with "coming." However, I'm surprised that the dictionary didn't have "kings" with a possessive.
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Exactly. That is why I liked the Poster's revise better--the first sentence did not have a proper possessive. However, it did change the meaning, and I certainly agree that it is the 'coming' that should be celebrated!
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RotterIs it not necessary to write 'Three Kings' here? It should be 'three kings' here.Is it because the "Three Kings" are not really kings and the term has almost become a proper name?
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It seems so. What do others think? However, even proper names use possessives.
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Then which one should I write?
- I love the story of the three kings' coming to see the baby Jesus.
- I love the story of the three kings coming to see the baby Jesus.
- I love the story of the coming of the three kings to see the baby Jesus.
I love the story of
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That last version works especially well to emphasize that they were not really three kings! It still conveys the fact that you love the story, that is, you are not disparaging of it. Using the possessive evidently just isn't common for this usage, I guess.
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