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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Natural or correct phrasal construction?
Hi. Would you say the following phrase is natural or correct? I think we usually associate the word "in a gloomy fashion" with something that moves or to humans.
His chin was lying in a gloomy fashion on an old table top.
How about this? Is this natural or correct?
His chin was resting sadly on an old table top.
His chin was lying in a gloomy fashion on an old table top.
How about this? Is this natural or correct?
His chin was resting sadly on an old table top.
Top answer
To say that someone's chin is "lying" on a table top seems weird to me -- as if his chin is detached from the rest of his body. "resting" on a table top is better. Otherwise, both sentences seem OK to me.
- To say that someone's chin is "lying" on a table top seems weird to me -- as if his chin is detached from the rest of his body.
- "resting" on a table top is better.
- Otherwise, both sentences seem OK to me.
- We know that the writer is really referring to the person, not literally to the chin.
- It's a creative use of English.
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1 Answers
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To say that someone's chin is "lying" on a table top seems weird to me -- as if his chin is detached from the rest of his body. "resting" on a table top is better.
Otherwise, both sentences seem OK to me. We know that the writer is really referring to the person, not literally to the chin. It's a creative use of English.
Otherwise, both sentences seem OK to me. We know that the writer is really referring to the person, not literally to the chin. It's a creative use of English.
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