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Taka Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
otherwise
I know from experience that the habit of avoiding controversy can in the end cause far more trouble that it avoids, because strong feelings, unexpressed, don't die but build up. They can accumulate other resentments that might otherwise be unimportant.
If you were supposed to paraphrase the 'otherwise' above, which would it be?
(1) if you expressed the strong feelings
(2) if the strong feelings didn't accumulate other resentments
If you were supposed to paraphrase the 'otherwise' above, which would it be?
(1) if you expressed the strong feelings
(2) if the strong feelings didn't accumulate other resentments
Top answer
Neither. It's the other resentments, that if expressed, would be unimportant.
- Neither.
- It's the other resentments, that if expressed, would be unimportant.
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8 Answers
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Neither.
It's the other resentments, that if expressed, would be unimportant.
It's the other resentments, that if expressed, would be unimportant.
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Then it's close to #2, isn't it? Without the accumulation, that is, if the other resentments were expressed, they would be unimportant.
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You could say it's close to either, but neither 1 nor 2 is correct. The key concept is that the thoughts are not expressed, they get bigger and stonger and take on a significance that they do not merit, if only they had been spoken in the first place.
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Grammar GeekYou could say it's close to either, but neither 1 nor 2 is correct. The key concept is that the thoughts are not expressed, they get bigger and stonger and take on a significance that they do not merit, if only they had been spoken in the first place.I know. I myself know what the author is trying to say, GG.
But this is supposed to
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Interesting. I think I'd take it like this:
1. Strong feelings, if unexpressed, can gather to themselves other resentments that would seem unimportant, if the strong feelings were not unexpressed.
MrP
1. Strong feelings, if unexpressed, can gather to themselves other resentments that would seem unimportant, if the strong feelings were not unexpressed.
MrP
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Mr. P., do you think that we are taking a different interpretation? I think we are all in agreement.
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I think we're all in broad agreement. I see this as an analogy:
"I know that dropping chewing gum on the carpet causes a great deal of trouble, because chewing gum, when not picked up immediately, attracts hairs and dirt and all kinds of unpleasant detritus that would otherwise [i.e. if the chewing gum had been picked up] be unimportant."
MrP
"I know that dropping chewing gum on the carpet causes a great deal of trouble, because chewing gum, when not picked up immediately, attracts hairs and dirt and all kinds of unpleasant detritus that would otherwise [i.e. if the chewing gum had been picked up] be unimportant."
MrP
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MrPedanticInteresting. I think I'd take it like this:Great! Your interpretation seems pretty much close to mine.
1. Strong feelings, if unexpressed, can gather to themselves other resentments that would seem unimportant, if the strong feelings were not unexpressed.
MrP
Thank you, MrP!
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