2
   

Is the sentence clear to you? Is editing for grammar required?

 
 
Reply Mon 26 Jan, 2015 09:55 am

Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy? Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.
 
View best answer, chosen by oristarA
dalehileman
 
  2  
Reply Mon 26 Jan, 2015 05:30 pm
@oristarA,
Ori the grammar is probably okay but why should being well-prepared preclude euphoria
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 27 Jan, 2015 04:15 am
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

Ori the grammar is probably okay but why should being well-prepared preclude euphoria


Wouldn't the face of a poorly prepared man for fatherhood turn green on hearing the birth of his child? The responsibility for the child would be too heavy for him to bear. To the contrary, a well-prepared man becomes immensely elated on hearing the news of the birth. Because his dream of being a dad has come true.
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Tue 27 Jan, 2015 10:41 am
@oristarA,
You misunderstand my implication, Ori. The two sentences seem to say that the well-prepared fella shouldn't feel euphoria

Con help me out here
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 27 Jan, 2015 11:05 am
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

You misunderstand my implication, Ori. The two sentences seem to say that the well-prepared fella shouldn't feel euphoria

Con help me out here


Quote:
Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy? Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.


Compare it with this sentence
Isn't such a euphoria to be the CEO of Microsoft?
It says that it is a euphoria to become the CEO of Microsoft. Not deny it (shouldn't).
0 Replies
 
dalehileman
 
  2  
Reply Tue 27 Jan, 2015 11:46 am
@oristarA,
Quote:
Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy?
"some" implying a minority

Quote:
Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.
Implying that if these few men had been better prepared they wouldn't be euphoric

Con, help
oristarA
 
  0  
Reply Tue 27 Jan, 2015 12:08 pm
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

Quote:
Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy?
"some" implying a minority

Quote:
Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.
Implying that if these few men had been better prepared they wouldn't be euphoric

Con, help


Yeah I failed to understand you, Dale.
Contrex please come here to enlighten us.
oristarA
 
  0  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 11:47 am
@oristarA,
Well, it seems that Contrex would not like to come here to help us out.
dalehileman
 
  1  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 11:55 am
@oristarA,
Okay Ori, but if he were aware of your OP he might indeed participate. So why not send him a private message
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 12:11 pm
@dalehileman,
I indeed sent him private messages sometimes. But not this time. PM should be cherished.
0 Replies
 
contrex
  Selected Answer
 
  3  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 12:40 pm
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
Well, it seems that Contrex would not like to come here to help us out.

Contrex has not seen this thread before. Contrex has a thing called a "life", where he does things other than trawl A2K for questions to answer, e.g. work, sleep, eat, spend time with his wife, etc. However:

Quote:
Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy?

Questions starting with a negative such as "isn't" often expect the answer "yes", or imply that to be the natural one, and are often asked as a rebuke or if rhetorical, as a lament.

Don't you like eggs? (Everybody should like eggs!)

Aren't you interested in hearing about my vacation?(You insensitive clod!)

Isn't Washington the capital of the United States? (You wrote "Boston"!)

Doesn't anybody know how to spell these days? (I am implying that lamentably few people do)

Quote:
Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.

'Fatherhood", not "the fatherhood"; also it is missing a question mark at the end.

This second question suggests (I think) that the speaker thinks that euphoria should be uncommon, is surprising or unnecessary. Thus it would be better if the first question started with 'Is' rather than 'Isn't'.

The complete utterance seems a rather foolish one.

dalehileman
 
  0  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 02:18 pm
@contrex,
Quote:
Contrex has a thing called a "life", where he does things other than trawl A2K...
Amen Con. I keep hearing the call of yardwork, alas

Thank you for your more complete response to the basic issues
0 Replies
 
Glennn
 
  0  
Reply Wed 28 Jan, 2015 07:38 pm
@oristarA,
I would write the first sentence like this:

Is it common for some fathers to experience euphoria upon hearing that their baby is born healthy?
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 09:39 am
@contrex,
contrex wrote:


This second question suggests (I think) that the speaker thinks that euphoria should be uncommon, is surprising or unnecessary. Thus it would be better if the first question started with 'Is' rather than 'Isn't'.

The complete utterance seems a rather foolish one.



What I wanted to express is that euphoria is neither popular nor uncommon. How to edit it then?
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 09:40 am
@Glennn,
Glennn wrote:

I would write the first sentence like this:

Is it common for some fathers to experience euphoria upon hearing that their baby is born healthy?


Yes, clearer.
0 Replies
 
contrex
 
  2  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 12:14 pm
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
What I wanted to express is that euphoria is neither popular nor uncommon.

Why do you want to express this? It seems a nonsensical idea.

Popular is not a word I would use. It implies choice. Popular among fathers? A silly idea. Any father with normal human emotions feels strong joy, excitement and relief when his child is born safely. He does not choose to do so (to feel like this cannot be said to be "popular" among new fathers, or men in general), he feels it spontaneously. Or did you mean popular with other people? The joy of fatherhood is disapproved of? Really? Where?

I would agree however that such a feeling is, as you surmise, not uncommon.
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 01:57 pm
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:
common in some people


this sounds odd now that I understand what you're trying to express

it suggests that some people have a particular experience/feeling more often than not.

While Joe is usually euphoric after his wife gives birth, he wasn't after the birth of their third child.

drop the "some"
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 01:58 pm
@contrex,
contrex wrote:

The complete utterance seems a rather foolish one.


yes
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 01:59 pm
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:

What I wanted to express is that euphoria is neither popular


what do you mean by this?
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Thu 29 Jan, 2015 05:55 pm
@dalehileman,
dalehileman wrote:

Quote:
Isn't euphoria on becoming a father common in some people who hear their baby comes out healthy?
"some" implying a minority

Quote:
Surely these people are well-prepared for the fatherhood.
Implying that if these few men had been better prepared they wouldn't be euphoric

Con, help


Oristar is correct. The two sentences suggest the opposite of what you say. They're clumsy and I think they are empirically clearly untrue......any unprepared idiot can become euphoric at the birth of his baby....but they do imply that if someone is euphoric at the birth of his baby then he is "surely well prepared"
0 Replies
 
 

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