Is this sentence natural for native speakers of English?
This sentence below is a question in an entrance exam in Japan:
One need but read the depressing accounts of how people lived in London and other large British cities early in the 20th century to be grateful that the good old days are past.
For Japanese like me, this requires lots of effort to understand the meaning. Do you comprehend the sentence easily?
Thank you.
Top answer
Yes, not hard. What parts do you have trouble with? You didn't tell us what the question about this sentence was.
- Yes, not hard.
- What parts do you have trouble with?
- You didn't tell us what the question about this sentence was.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
Yes, not hard.
What parts do you have trouble with?
You didn't tell us what the question about this sentence was.
0For me, "One need but read" seems confusing. This isn't, however, complicated for you native speakers of English, right?
If you say "One needs only to read," this might be much easier for Japanese to understand. Is it common to use "need" as a modifier, and "but" as the word "only?" According to the comment above, this gives us kind of old-fashioned impress
0
Related Questions