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Mr. Tom Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Expression: "In olden times when the king felt upset with someone..."
Hi
Could you please tell me if the following passage is correct and natural? Any suggestions are welcome.
Could you please tell me if the following passage is correct and natural? Any suggestions are welcome.
In olden times, when the king felt upset with someone, he got his face smeared black and ordered him to be taken aroud the city on a donkey, so that he could be publically humiliated.Tom
Top answer
Well, there's an unclear antecedent for "his face"---whose face, the king's, or that of the person upsetting him? And "upset" seems an odd word choice. How about: In olden times, the king would order any subject who displeased him to be publically humiliated.
- Well, there's an unclear antecedent for "his face"---whose face, the king's, or that of the person upsetting him?
- And "upset" seems an odd word choice.
- How about: In olden times, the king would order any subject who displeased him to be publically humiliated.
- The poor wretch, his face smeared black with pitch, would be paraded around the city on a donkey through crowds of jeering, spitting townsfolk.
- Of course, I've embroidered it a bit
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3 Answers
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Well, there's an unclear antecedent for "his face"---whose face, the king's, or that of the person upsetting him? And "upset" seems an odd word choice. How about:
In olden times, the king would order any subject who displeased him to be publically humiliated. The poor wretch, his face smeared black with pitch, would be paraded around the city on a donkey through crowds of jeering, spitt
In olden times, the king would order any subject who displeased him to be publically humiliated. The poor wretch, his face smeared black with pitch, would be paraded around the city on a donkey through crowds of jeering, spitt
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Delmobileto be publically humiliatedHi Delmobile
Basicly and basically are both correct but to my mind publically isn't:
He spoke about it publicly / in public.
CB
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Hmmm. It didn't look odd enough for it to jump out at me this morning, but you're right, I would write "publicly" (but never basicly). http://miscoranda.com/138, however, is someone with a strong opinion the other way. Good heavens. How do we speakers of English ever manage to commu
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