0
Henry74 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
No man is a failure who is enjoying life
Hi again,
I've been meaning to ask you about the structure above, where the relative clause is extraposed at the end (the prhase is attributed to William Feather).
Does it sound better than the alternative No man who is enjoying life is a failure, or does it sound old-fashioned?
Here's another example, originally from the Bible, that I found in Paul Auster's 'New York Trilogy':
And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
And this one was originally in Strunk & White's 'The Elements of Style':
The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak noun out of a tight place.
So, are there grammatical restricions that prevent me from using this construction whenever I have a sentece similar to the ones above, or would I simply sound like a 19th-century book?
I've tried a few experiments of my own, can you pelase tell me if they are correct and how they sound to you?
1) Please say 'please' when you're asking someone to do something who is not your minion.
2) Do alternatives sound bad that I can formulate in my language?
3) The man cannot swim, who is speaking to my wife.
4) The land is yours that I conquered for you.
5) The land is yours, which I conquered for you.
If I had to go out on a limb here, I would say: 3) sounds wrong, 5) sounds good, and 1) is on the edge. I couldn't say about 2) and 4).
Thank you very much for your help.
E.
I've been meaning to ask you about the structure above, where the relative clause is extraposed at the end (the prhase is attributed to William Feather).
Does it sound better than the alternative No man who is enjoying life is a failure, or does it sound old-fashioned?
Here's another example, originally from the Bible, that I found in Paul Auster's 'New York Trilogy':
And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
And this one was originally in Strunk & White's 'The Elements of Style':
The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak noun out of a tight place.
So, are there grammatical restricions that prevent me from using this construction whenever I have a sentece similar to the ones above, or would I simply sound like a 19th-century book?
I've tried a few experiments of my own, can you pelase tell me if they are correct and how they sound to you?
1) Please say 'please' when you're asking someone to do something who is not your minion.
2) Do alternatives sound bad that I can formulate in my language?
3) The man cannot swim, who is speaking to my wife.
4) The land is yours that I conquered for you.
5) The land is yours, which I conquered for you.
If I had to go out on a limb here, I would say: 3) sounds wrong, 5) sounds good, and 1) is on the edge. I couldn't say about 2) and 4).
Thank you very much for your help.
E.
Top answer
No man who is enjoying life is a failure . Henry74 Does it sound better than the alternative No man who is enjoying life is a failure, or does it sound old-fashioned? Not better; not worse.
- No man who is enjoying life is a failure .
- Henry74 Does it sound better than the alternative No man who is enjoying life is a failure, or does it sound old-fashioned?
- Not better; not worse.
- It doesn't sound old-fashioned any more than any other aphorism might sound.
- It just sounds a little more poetic when you move these clauses from their canonical position.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
No man who is enjoying life is a failure.
Henry74Does it sound better than the alternative No man who is enjoying life is a failure, or does it sound old-fashioned?Not better; not worse. It doesn't sound old-fashioned any more than any other aphorism might sound. It just sounds a little more poetic when you move these clauses from their canonical posit
00
Hi CJ,
I perfectly understand your points. I thought about the fact that the lenght of the relative clause might have something to do with the movement, but I forgot to elaborate a suitable example.
I will see if I can come up with something to submit to your approval. In the meantime, I will certainly stick around for other opinions.
Thank you for your reply.
H.
I perfectly understand your points. I thought about the fact that the lenght of the relative clause might have something to do with the movement, but I forgot to elaborate a suitable example.
I will see if I can come up with something to submit to your approval. In the meantime, I will certainly stick around for other opinions.
Thank you for your reply.
H.
0
Related Questions