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HSS Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
The Other Direction
Elaine had frequently seen the woman around the small town of Hastings, New York, where they both lived.
(omitted)
" ... that self-righteous b****d has f***d everything wearing a dress between here and White Plains, Elaine."
[ b****d = a vulgar noun, disliked person] [f***d = a vulgar verb, to have sexual intercourse] I had to place this explanatory note as these words seem to be replaced with *** automatically.
(omitted)
"Who cares that the person telling us we're not fit to educate our own children has had his prick in everything between here and Yonkers?"
"I thought it was White Plains," she said, pulling out the cork.
"Since I said that he finished off everyone in the other direction."
1) "Since I said that he finished off everyone in the other direction"
This here means "in the period following the time when I said that, he finished off ...," right? If so, you would need a comma between "that" and "he," would you not?
2) "in the other direction"
I feel "in that direction" is more like it because he refers to the direction from Hastings to White Plains. Or, is it right? Isn't it the direction?
Maybe, he just said "the other direction" based on that from Hastings to Yonkers; maybe, he just said the "other" direction as opposed to that from Hastings to Yonkers. But isn't it natural to think of that from Hastings to White Plains as the primary direction as it was just mentioned immediately before? (See what I'm saying?
)
Thanks in advance for your help.
My best,
Hiro
(omitted)
" ... that self-righteous b****d has f***d everything wearing a dress between here and White Plains, Elaine."
[ b****d = a vulgar noun, disliked person] [f***d = a vulgar verb, to have sexual intercourse] I had to place this explanatory note as these words seem to be replaced with *** automatically.
(omitted)
"Who cares that the person telling us we're not fit to educate our own children has had his prick in everything between here and Yonkers?"
"I thought it was White Plains," she said, pulling out the cork.
"Since I said that he finished off everyone in the other direction."
1) "Since I said that he finished off everyone in the other direction"
This here means "in the period following the time when I said that, he finished off ...," right? If so, you would need a comma between "that" and "he," would you not?
2) "in the other direction"
I feel "in that direction" is more like it because he refers to the direction from Hastings to White Plains. Or, is it right? Isn't it the direction?
Maybe, he just said "the other direction" based on that from Hastings to Yonkers; maybe, he just said the "other" direction as opposed to that from Hastings to Yonkers. But isn't it natural to think of that from Hastings to White Plains as the primary direction as it was just mentioned immediately before? (See what I'm saying?
)Thanks in advance for your help.
My best,
Hiro
Top answer
1) Your interpretation of the sentence is correct. A comma would help make the sentence easier to read, and would probably be more correct. However, in spoken English, many people would not pause where the comma should go.
- 1) Your interpretation of the sentence is correct.
- A comma would help make the sentence easier to read, and would probably be more correct.
- However, in spoken English, many people would not pause where the comma should go.
- Leaving the comma out in a line of dialogue helps to show that the speaker did not pause when saying the sentence.
- I don't know if dropping a comma to show speech without pausing is "correct" English, but it works, and that is the reason why that line is written the way it was.
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2 Answers
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1) Your interpretation of the sentence is correct. A comma would help make the sentence easier to read, and would probably be more correct. However, in spoken English, many people would not pause where the comma should go. Leaving the comma out in a line of dialogue helps to show that the speaker did not pause when saying the sentence.
I don't know if dropping a comma to show speech with
I don't know if dropping a comma to show speech with
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Hi, Jonathan.
Thanks so very much. Yes, it's helped me a lot. I just wish the author had written "too" in that sentence. With that, I would have been easily able to see what he means.
"Since I said that, he finished off everyone in the other direction"
--- Wouldn't it be better to say "Since I said that, he's
Thanks so very much. Yes, it's helped me a lot. I just wish the author had written "too" in that sentence. With that, I would have been easily able to see what he means.
"Since I said that, he finished off everyone in the other direction"
--- Wouldn't it be better to say "Since I said that, he's
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