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HSS Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
To the Side
There is no mention of 'the side' in the part that precedes this sentence. I don't see why the author says 'to the side,' not 'to a side' or 'to one side'? To me it looks like there are two sides to the head, and like you can't just come right out and say 'to the side.' Don't people ask 'which side'?
I could probably count on the fingers of my hands --- maybe the fingers of one hand --- the number of serious conversations that Chuck and I ever had. With us, everything was always laughter. The way I usually explained it to people was that with Chuck, when we were boys, it came down to this: You could tell him that the world was going to end at midnight, and he'd probably just toss his head to the side and then say, "Let's go to the Toddle House for cheeseburgers and banana cream pie." ('And you Know You Should Be Glad' by Bob Greene)
Would it sound unnatural if it were 'to one side' here?
I could probably count on the fingers of my hands --- maybe the fingers of one hand --- the number of serious conversations that Chuck and I ever had. With us, everything was always laughter. The way I usually explained it to people was that with Chuck, when we were boys, it came down to this: You could tell him that the world was going to end at midnight, and he'd probably just toss his head to the side and then say, "Let's go to the Toddle House for cheeseburgers and banana cream pie." ('And you Know You Should Be Glad' by Bob Greene)
Would it sound unnatural if it were 'to one side' here?
Top answer
Hi, There is no mention of 'the side' in the part that precedes this sentence. I don't see why the author says 'to the side,' not 'to a side' or 'to one side'? ' Don't people ask 'which side'?
- Hi, There is no mention of 'the side' in the part that precedes this sentence.
- I don't see why the author says 'to the side,' not 'to a side' or 'to one side'?
- ' Don't people ask 'which side'?
- I could probably count on the fingers of my hands --- maybe the fingers of one hand --- the number of serious conversations that Chuck and I ever had.
- With us, everything was always laughter.
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4 Answers
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Hi,
There is no mention of 'the side' in the part that precedes this sentence. I don't see why the author says 'to the side,' not 'to a side' or 'to one side'? To me it looks like there are two sides to the head, and like you can't just come right out and say 'to the side.' Don't people ask 'which side'?
I could probably count on the fingers of my hands --- maybe the fingers
There is no mention of 'the side' in the part that precedes this sentence. I don't see why the author says 'to the side,' not 'to a side' or 'to one side'? To me it looks like there are two sides to the head, and like you can't just come right out and say 'to the side.' Don't people ask 'which side'?
I could probably count on the fingers of my hands --- maybe the fingers
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So Bob Greene does not care to which way Chuck would toss his head, I see. My first reaction was I wondered if one of the two sides was somehow occupied so there was only one side he would throw his head to. But that was unrealistic --- it can't have been that way all the time.
This thinking may apply if he held the receiver of a phone between his shoulder and his ear. There was only one
This thinking may apply if he held the receiver of a phone between his shoulder and his ear. There was only one
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Not, to a certain degree, if he pushes the shoulder up as he tilts his head.
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