Caxio
Hello native English speakers. Query about real two sentences and one noun phrase. 1a. No one of them has as much brains in his whole body as Bentley has in his little finger. (original) 1b. None of them has as much brains in his whole body as Bentley has in his little finger. 1c. None of them has as many brains in his whole body as Bentley has in his little finger. Which is/are grammatically correct? What is the meaning of the original? and of the "in his little finger"? 2a. The people at a sports ground whose job it is to take care of the grass, equipment, etc. (a noun phrase) 2b. The people at a sports ground whose job is to take care of the grass, equipment, etc. Question:Which is/are grammatically correct? Do both have the same meaning? 3a. She always acts as appears best to her.(original) 3b. She always acts , which appears best to her. 3c. She always acts , which action appears best to her. 3d. She always acts with her action appearing best to her. 3e. She always acts , such action as she does appears best to her. 3f. Such action as she always does appears the best to her. 3g. Such action as she always does appears the best one to her. Question. Which is /are grammatically correct?
Nov 11, 2024 10:48 AM
Answers · 6
1
Hi Caxio. Others have already commented on the grammar details. I just want to answer your questions on the context: - It is basically comparing the intelligence (or "brains") of a group of people to Bentley (im guessing one of the main characters). The comparison goes further in using the analogy of "whole body" vs "in his little finger" - that is just making a comparison in size. and by "little finger" im guessing they are referring to the "pinky finger" - probably being references because its the smallest of the fingers. And if you ask "why make the comparison with the hand?" well, thats just how the phrase is. It could have also been a comparison with the foot, or any other body part, but I suppose those who created the phrase decided to go with the hand. hope this helps!
Nov 11, 2024 10:16 PM
1a is good. 1b is acceptable but not as good. 1c means something else. Grammar acceptable, but wrong meaning. The meaning of 1a, is based on this saying: "I have more strength/skill/class/character/integrity/kindness/talent/goodness/etc in my little finger than you have in your whole body." ... Obviously it sounds strange to say "more brains" in this kind of sentence, because the brain is not located anywhere except in the head, but when you know this style of sentence, you can understand its meaning. "Brains" here, means "brain power" (intelligence, knowledge, etc). "Little finger" means "pinky finger" (the smallest finger on a person's hand). 2a & 2b are both correct and have the same meaning, but 2a is a more educated & classy way of speaking, while 2b is a lower class way of speaking, but still technically valid. 3e is wrong grammar, and can be tweaked to make it technically valid but it would still be terribly inefficient & convoluted - there are much simpler & clearer ways to say the same thing. All the other options in section 3, are technically valid sentences, but have varying meanings and varying levels of clarity. 3a is a slightly old-fashioned way of speaking, and to increase clarity in the modern day, I would personally say it like this: She always acts in the way that appears best to her. Or, to sound a bit more sophisticated and to remove any doubt about the meaning, when speaking to a well-educated native speaker: She always behaves in such a way that she deems to portray herself in the best light.
Nov 11, 2024 12:38 PM
1. “No one of them” vs. “None of them” Original Sentence (1a): “No one of them has as much brains in his whole body as Bentley has in his little finger.” So, here’s the thing: • 1b (“None of them has as much brains…”) is the best option. “None” is the more natural choice for referring to the whole group, so it sounds more fluent. • “Brains” here isn’t literally talking about brains as in physical parts; it means “intelligence” in a casual way. So, “much brains” works because we’re treating it as a quality (intelligence) rather than actual, countable brains. • Meaning of “in his little finger”: This phrase just emphasizes how smart Bentley is. It’s saying that even a tiny part of Bentley (like his little finger) has more intelligence than these people have in their entire bodies. It’s an exaggeration to highlight Bentley’s intelligence. 2. “Whose job it is” vs. “Whose job is” Options: 2a. The people at a sports ground whose job it is to take care of the grass, equipment, etc. 2b. The people at a sports ground whose job is to take care of the grass, equipment, etc. Answer: 2b sounds cleaner and is the correct choice here. “Whose job it is to…” is a bit too wordy, so “whose job is…” keeps it simpler but means the same thing. Both phrases describe the people responsible for maintaining the sports ground (probably the groundskeepers), so there’s no real difference in meaning. 3. Rewording “She always acts as appears best to her.” The original sentence is fine but sounds a bit formal. Here’s a breakdown: • 3a is okay as it is: “She always acts as appears best to her.” This means she makes choices based on what she thinks is best, even if it sounds a little stiff. • 3d: “She always acts with her action appearing best to her.” This one’s also okay but sounds a bit awkward—kind of like she’s watching herself act and thinking, “Yep, that’s good.” • 3e: “She always acts, such action as she does appears best to her.” This is also correct but feels even more
Nov 12, 2024 9:30 AM
1a) "have" and "has" are both correct. "brain", not "brains" 1b) "have" and "has" are both correct. "brain", not "brains" 1c) "have" and "has" are both correct. 2b) both correct, same meaning 3) All of these sentences are strange. The verb "appears" is a poor choice. It means "comes into view". The behavior of other people can appear good or bad to you, but it doesn't make sense to talk about how your own behavior appears to yourself. You would only talk about how your own behavior appears to other people.
Nov 11, 2024 11:44 AM
Hi Caxio. 1c is the only correct sentence. Both 2a and b are fine. 3a is good but the other versions are a mess.
Nov 11, 2024 11:00 AM
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