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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Grammar re: Movie quote

Judge Edward Conlin said that the suspect with her washboard abs and powerful leg muscles is of too sound body to be tried for the killing of her ex-lover.

1) Is is of too sound body synonymous with "has too sound a body to be..."

2) Why is there no "a" between "sound" and "body"?

3) Is tried synonymous with 'trialed'?

Thanks
  

Top answer

1. Yes. (Though I don't understand the sentence as a whole.

— Mr Wordy

  • 1.
  • Yes.
  • (Though I don't understand the sentence as a whole.
  • ) 2.
  • The idiom "of <adj> <noun>" doesn't require it: "of sound mind", "of easy virtue", "of dull nature".
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6 Answers
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1. Yes. (Though I don't understand the sentence as a whole. Is it satirical or something?)


2. The idiom "of <adj> <noun>" doesn't require it: "of sound mind", "of easy virtue", "of dull nature". I don't see why the presence of adverb "too" should alter this, so I suspect any perception that "a" is necessary may be due to confusion with expressions like "has too sound a
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Hi,

yes, satirical. Emotion: smile
Mr Wordy The idiom "of <adj> <noun>" doesn't require it: "of soun
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English 1b3I didn't really think of this as being an idiom...
Well, by that I just mean "standard pattern of words".
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Mr WordyWell, by that I just mean "standard pattern of words".

Ah, right, the meaning of idiom I didn't consider...
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Mr WordyThe idiom "of <adj> <noun>" doesn't require it: "of sound mind", "of easy virtue", "of dull nature". I don't see why the presence of adverb "too" should alter this, so I suspect any perception that "a" is necessary may be due to confusion with expressions like "has too sound a body".

Come to think about it, "He is of a strong build
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English 1b3Come to think about it, "He is of a strong build" would be perhaps more common than the example without the article, would it not?
Yes, that sounds reasonable. (In my earlier reply I was only addressing the possibility of "a" placed between the adjective and the noun.)
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