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Peaceblinkfriend Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

"...his characters tend to stoicism and endurance..."

...while Lawson admitted and stressed the harshness of bush life, his characters tend to stoicism and endurance and had an admirable ability to overcome difficult circumstances without self-pity.

What does 'tend to' in this context mean? And how does this construction work?

Thanks

PBF

[Edited: Fixed typos in example sentence]
  

Top answer

Many of his characters are stoic and durable. : He tends to be overly optimistic. Her religious philosophy tends toward pantheism.

— Mister Micawber

  • Many of his characters are stoic and durable.
  • : He tends to be overly optimistic.
  • Her religious philosophy tends toward pantheism.
  • com)
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7 Answers
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Many of his characters are stoic and durable.

Tend: to be disposed toward an idea, emotion, way of thinking, etc.: He tends to be overly optimistic. Her religious philosophy tends toward pantheism. (Dict.com)
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Thanks for your reply, Mister Micawber. I had hardly ever come across this construction before so it seemed so unfamiliar. Just wondering. Would it be more natural to say '...his characters tend to show stoicism and endurance..." instead?

Thank you again

PBF
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PeaceblinkfriendThanks for your reply, Mister Micawber. I had hardly ever come across this construction before so it seemed so unfamiliar. Just wondering. Would it be more natural to say '...his characters tend to show stoicism and endurance..." instead?

Thank you again

PBF

One tends to do something; one leans
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Would it be more natural to say '...his characters tend to show stoicism and endurance
In conversation, perhaps, but the original is quite good style.
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Thanks for your follow-ups. Would you say that the original is in formal language? Perhaps even old-fashioned?

Thanks you again

PBF
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Not at all old-fashioned, and not exceptionally formal except in the sense that it is carefully composed.
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Thanks for your reply Mister Micawber. I see your point. The type of text I excerpted this sentence from and the age of this publication lead me to think such ways.

Thanks again

PBF
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