The townspeople thought them heroic enough to take up a collection
Elmer loaded his family in his truck-wife and twelve kids, and started down the hill for the village. He soon saw the fire as he coasted downhill toward it but he kept right on going and ended up with his truck in the middle of the burning fire.
"Get out, kids, and put out this fire!" he ordered. And they did. They took shirts, dresses, whatever they could get and managed to beat out the fire. The townspeople thought them heroic enough to take up a collection and give the impoverished family a hundred dollars.
The townspeople thought them heroic enough to take up a collection.
I looked up the dictionary and learned that "take up a collection" means to "collect money". Obviously, the townspeople will collect money to help the family. So the sentence above will read as follows:
The townspeople thought them heroic enough / to collect money.
Then it sounds to me that the family will collect money, not the townspeople, which is really strange. Is the sentence wrong or am I wrong?
Top answer
The same problem exists with "take up a collection", but there really is not problem if you include the rest of the sentence. A reader of any skill at all can tell where it's going without a moment's thought. " forces the reader to the right interpretation by the sense of it.
- The same problem exists with "take up a collection", but there really is not problem if you include the rest of the sentence.
- A reader of any skill at all can tell where it's going without a moment's thought.
- " forces the reader to the right interpretation by the sense of it.
- Your alternate interpretation, though literally possible, is rather outlandish, and the reader would need some clues to get there.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
The same problem exists with "take up a collection", but there really is not problem if you include the rest of the sentence. A reader of any skill at all can tell where it's going without a moment's thought. Even the sentence "The townspeople thought them heroic enough to take up a collection/collect money." forces the reader to the right interpretation by the sense of it. Your
0
Related Questions