'high up' vs 'high'

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Yoong Liat

#288278 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:22 PM

The boys fell down and landed on their buttocks. Fortunately, the branch they were on was not too high up, otherwise they would have been seriously injured.

Is the word 'up' necessary? Are there any mistakes in the sentence?

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (6,084)

Yoong Liat

Marius Hancu

#288279 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:25 PM

I think you would say:
the branch is high up in the tree
and to a lesser extent:
the branch is high in the tree
thus I would keep up in.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Grammar Geek

#288281 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:27 PM

You may also want to say they fall off instead of down. Certainly, down was the direction, but the problem was that they were on something (the branch) and fell off it.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,958)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Yoong Liat

#288287 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:35 PM

Thanks, Marius and Barbara.

Yoong Liat

Marius Hancu

#288288 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:36 PM

I made a search at
http://www.google.com
in the online classical literature, with:
site:literaturepost.com "high up in the tree"
and
site:literaturepost.com "high in the tree"
and both show up, thus as I assumed, this seems to be a matter of preference.

Marius Hancu

Literature

Yoong Liat

#288294 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:43 PM

Do you think as Marius does? He says that I should write "The branch was not high up in the tree." By adding 'in the tree' would it make the sentence better? Or is it understood that the branch is in the tree? In other words, "in the tree" need not be added.

Yoong Liat

Marius Hancu

#288296 Wed, 01 Nov 06 03:49 PM

Sorry, I don't insist on (having) "in the tree." It was reflex reading Smile [:)]

Marius Hancu

Yoong Liat

#288306 Wed, 01 Nov 06 04:06 PM

Marius, thanks for clarifying that it is not necessary to include the phrase 'in the tree'.

Yoong Liat