Sentence check

Question

Hi,are the following sentences correct, please?1) Mary is a really open-minded/honest/frank/sincere person; she never keeps her opinion about other people within her mind. She simply calls a spade a spade. 2) We were having dinner when we started feeling a foul stench. It was clear that somebody had cut the cheese.3) The teachers who are demanding a better pay are simply crying wolf again. Somebody should talk some sense into them. They don't have a cat in hell's chance of having their wages raised.4) She used to be too much of a talkative person. She would talk and talk until the cows come home, so it's clear she wasn't a kind of person you would confide any doubts to. She would have spilled the beans even if you'd told her to keep mum.5) I came late to work because some glass shards lying on the road had punctured my tires while on my way. However, my boss didn't believe what I was saying and almost had me fired. I have so much respect for him that I almost crapped in my pants.6) When retired, people have many chances of fulfilling their dreams they have been dreaming of/about the whole life. Needless to say, they gotta have a lot of money in case it's about travelling to other countries.7) Out of all girls in our class, nobody can hold a candle to your beauty and your character. You're second to none. I long/yearn for your presence when I'm at home!Thanks in advance!

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

Here are my suggestions.

1) Mary is a really open-minded/honest/frank/sincere person; she never keeps her opinion about other people within her mind. She simply calls a spade a spade.
Okay except "within her mind" is not the common wording. Say instead "to herself."

2) We were having dinner when we started feeling a foul stench. It was clear that somebody had cut the cheese. "Feeling" is the wrong word. Use "smelling." You can feel a table or a spoon but you have to smell a stench.

3) The teachers who are demanding a better pay are simply crying wolf again. Somebody should talk some sense into them. They don't have a cat in ****'s chance of having their wages raised.
First, say "better pay" rather than "a better pay." Also, "cat in ****" is not the expression. "They don't have a chance in **** of..."

4) She used to be too much of a talkative person. She would talk and talk until the cows come home, so it's clear she wasn't a kind of person you would confide any doubts to. She would have spilled the beans even if you'd told her to keep mum. Okay, except "the kind of person" rather than "a kind of person."

5) I came late to work because some glass shards lying on the road had punctured my tires while on my way. However, my boss didn't believe what I was saying and almost had me fired. I have so much respect for him that I almost crapped in my pants. Okay, although I might have said "while I was on my way in" and "almost fired me." (Also, don't you mean "fear of him" rather than "respect for"?)

6) When retired, people have many chances of fulfilling their dreams they have been dreaming of/about the whole life. Needless to say, they gotta have a lot of money in case it's about travelling to other countries. I would say: "When retired, people have many chances to fulfull the dreams they have been dreaming about their whole life. Needless to say, they've got to have a lot of money if their dream is to travel to other countries."

7) Out of all girls in our class, nobody can hold a candle to your beauty and your character. You're second to none. I long/yearn for your presence when I'm at home! Okay. But perhaps you should say "when I'm away from you" (the "at home" is vague).

I hope this helps.

Kane159 · Answer

Hi Doctor D,
thank you for the correction.

In the third sentence, I think I used a correct idiom.
This is from the Macmillan Dictionary:

not have a cat in ****’s chance

Doctor D · Answer

Right, it's not an American expression.

Sentence check

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

not have a cat in ****’s chance

Related Questions