We need to hang out the washing

Question

Dear all,Could you please tell me whether the following sentences are natural? If not, please help me to write them naturally.1) We need to hang out the washing.2) We can hang the clothes to dry on the clothesline.3) First the coconuts are to be dehusked. Then you need to break them open.4) The weather forecast said rain, so take your umbrella when you go out. 5) He was impaled by a cow's horn.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

1) We need to hang out the washing. OK.

2) We can hang the clothes out to dry on the clothesline. As shown.

3) First the coconuts are to be dehusked. Then you need to break them open. This one could be improved. See below.

The 'is to be' idiom is rarely used in conversation. It's more suitable for writing.

'to husk' (not 'to dehusk') is the right word. This verb works the same as 'to dust', when you're cleaning your house. It's 'to dust' (not to 'dedust').

to husk— to remove the husk
to dust— to remove the dust

There are lots of ways to say this. Here are a couple:

First you husk the coconuts; then you break them open.
You need to husk the coconuts first and then break them open.

4) The weather forecast said rain, so take your umbrella when you go out. OK.

I'd use 'forecast' instead of 'said', but 'said' is OK.

5) He was impaled by a cow's horn. OK. I don't know much about cows. I guess they have horns.(Have you been reading Flannery O'Connor? She wrote a story with this theme, but in her story it was a bull.)

By the way, 'impaled on' is a bit more common than 'impaled by', but both are correct.

CJ

We need to hang out the washing

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