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SuperESL Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Expanse
Hello,
(1)"The green expanse of the forest."
(2)"Here we washed our feet before entering the wide expanse of virgin forest."
(3)"We travelled by jeep and by foot through the wide expanses of paddy fields where women worked all day in the blistering sunshine with babies tied to their backs."
(4)"The desert has always been fertile ground for novelists. Not only in the otherworldliness of the landscape but also for its capacity to act as an existential sounding board for characters; such vast expanses of emptiness naturally encouraging introspection and reflection."
I don't quite understand why 'expanse' is sometimes pluralized and at other times is not, as in the above examples. How should I make the decision as to when to adopt the plural form?
Thank you.
(1)"The green expanse of the forest."
(2)"Here we washed our feet before entering the wide expanse of virgin forest."
(3)"We travelled by jeep and by foot through the wide expanses of paddy fields where women worked all day in the blistering sunshine with babies tied to their backs."
(4)"The desert has always been fertile ground for novelists. Not only in the otherworldliness of the landscape but also for its capacity to act as an existential sounding board for characters; such vast expanses of emptiness naturally encouraging introspection and reflection."
I don't quite understand why 'expanse' is sometimes pluralized and at other times is not, as in the above examples. How should I make the decision as to when to adopt the plural form?
Thank you.
Top answer
wide expanses of paddy fields - an "expanse" refers to a large contiguous area. In this clipping, there is more than one of these "large areas" of paddy fields. Perhaps they are separated by hedge rows or other land forms.
- wide expanses of paddy fields - an "expanse" refers to a large contiguous area.
- In this clipping, there is more than one of these "large areas" of paddy fields.
- Perhaps they are separated by hedge rows or other land forms.
- " - There is more than one of these desert areas.
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5 Answers
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wide expanses of paddy fields - an "expanse" refers to a large contiguous area. In this clipping, there is more than one of these "large areas" of paddy fields. Perhaps they are separated by hedge rows or other land forms.
such vast expanses of emptiness naturally encouraging introspection and reflection." - There is more than one of these desert areas.
such vast expanses of emptiness naturally encouraging introspection and reflection." - There is more than one of these desert areas.
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Hi,
Just came across this example:
"in the foreground there was little but wide expanses of pastureland."
Since there is no apparent reason why the pastureland in question should be seen as divided up into multiple areas, could one also write "the wide expanse of pastureland" with no alteration in meaning?
Likewise, if I choose to see a large area
Just came across this example:
"in the foreground there was little but wide expanses of pastureland."
Since there is no apparent reason why the pastureland in question should be seen as divided up into multiple areas, could one also write "the wide expanse of pastureland" with no alteration in meaning?
Likewise, if I choose to see a large area
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SuperESL"in the foreground there was little but wide expanses of pastureland."Here is the entire passage. The view describes distant mountains, nearby hills, and a town that looked very small from the viewpoint. Certainly there was more than one large pasture in this vast scene.
I sneaked out of a side door and headed up a small path through a for
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Thank you so much for going to the trouble of writing up an entire paragraph.
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