If one has the/a choice?

Question

If one has the/a choice, who would want to become a subject of commiseration?(I'm talking about the younger generation leave/leaving their old folks at home in many occasions, e.g. going out to have great dinner with their spouse and children but leave their old folks at home for some lousy reasons, etc.)Please help me to correct my writing.Thanks in advance.P.S. I'm also curious if the word "commiseration" fit in there? Or is "compassion" the better alternative?Isabelle

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

If one had the/a choice, who would want to become the subject of commiseration?

(I'm talking about the younger generation leaving their old folks at home on many occasions, e.g., going out to have dinner with their spouse and children but leaving their old folks at home for some inadequate reason, etc.)

PS: I'm also curious if the word "commiseration" fits in there? Or is "compassion" the better alternative?-- Does it refer to the younger generation or the old folks? Your sentences do not make that clear.

ILE · Answer

Mister MicawberIf one had the/a choice, who would want to become the subject of commiseration?

(I'm talking about the younger generation leaving their old folks at home on many occasions, e.g., going out to have dinner with their spouse and children but leaving their old folks at home for some inadequate reason, etc.)

Thanks for the correction, Mr. Micawber.

Mister MicawberPS: I'm also curious if the word "commiseration" fits in there? Or is "compassion" the better alternative?-- Does it refer to the younger generation or the old folks? Your sentences do not make that clear.

Oh...... the subject of commiseration refers to the old folks

...

Mister Micawber · Answer

Both words will fit the situation, I think, but with the different meanings that they have.

ILE · Answer

Thanks, Mr. Micawber.

But I'm afraid I'm a bit muddled now since you told me that both words will fit with different meanings,

.

After doing some research (Previously I thought and assumed that both of them meant the same thing as sympathy), I'd say if one becomes an object of compassion, it means in the eyes of many who know him, he is suffering but actually he is not, or at least not knowing that he should have felt that way. But if one becomes an object of commiseration, its meaning is equivalent to if one becomes an object of pity/sympathy. Is that so?

Thanks again.

Isabelle.

Mister Micawber · Answer

No, no, I don't think so.

Commiseration = sharing in another's misery (being miserable about another's misery and expressing that).

Compassion = feeling sympathetic for someone through love.

ILE · Answer

I see. Thanks, Mr. Micawber.

Now it appears that I couldn't choose a suitable word for my intented meaning in my original post, I'd be most grateful if you could suggest one for me...

.

Let's me make it clear by rewriting it again:

Consider that I'm talking about the younger generation leaving their old folks at home on many occasions, e.g., going out to have dinner with their spouse and children but leaving their old folks at home for some inadequate reason, etc.

Then I says this to my friends, "If one had the choice, who would want to become the subject of commiseration?" (I mean if I were a parent in that/this particular case, I wouldn't want to be the receiving end of the pity from the others.) Or maybe pity will just work fine there.....

Isabelle

MalRey · Answer

Then I say this to my friends, "If one had the choice, who would want to become the subject of commiseration?" (I mean if I were a parent in that/this particular case, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of ~~the~~ pity from the others.) Or maybe pity will just work fine there.

My first thought when I read your original post was that the word you wanted was "pity" and now with your clarification I'm pretty sure of it.

If one had the choice, who would want to become the subject of pity?

Here is a more natural sounding version:

If one had the choice, who would want to become an object of pity?

ILE · Answer

Oh......Thanks, MalRey. I'll replace my sentence with yours. Thanks again.<img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

If one has the/a choice?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions