0
Englishsz Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

obscure wording

0The actual responses of physical bodies to ponderable influences are invariably of a discouraging degree of complexity,and this is generally due much less to the influences that are primarily under scrutiny than to the many others that are inevitable and yet really incidental and effectively irrelevant.02br
02br
00 The paragraph above is from an article on a maths magazine. I've tried my best to rewrite its meaning but I have no idea whether I'm right or wrong.02br
02br
00My rewrite:02br
02br
00The actual responses of human bodies to valuable influences are always hopelessly complex, and this is generally due to the influences that are incidental and irrelevant rather than those that we have focused on.0-
  

Top answer

02br 00Your summary rewrite seems good, but there is no mention in the original of humans-- in reading it, I had presumed that the topic was physical objects or celestial bodies. 0-

— Mister Micawber

  • 02br 00Your summary rewrite seems good, but there is no mention in the original of humans-- in reading it, I had presumed that the topic was physical objects or celestial bodies.
  • 0-
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
0 .02br
00Your summary rewrite seems good, but there is no mention in the original of humans-- in reading it, I had presumed that the topic was physical objects or celestial bodies. 0-
0
0
0Thanks, pal!02br
02br
00If 'physical bodies' refers to physical objects as you've mentioned, then what does 'ponderable influences' refer to, something like gravity? But how to judge whether these influences are 'ponderable'?0-
0
0
0 . 02br
00I don't know-- I'm a grammarian, not a physicist. Anyway, I just told you what I presumed in reading the brief passage; my interpretation of the topic may well be wrong. 0-
0

Related Questions