"Mary was as noble and kind as her brother was selfish and cruel."

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Peaceblinkfriend

#543636 Sat, 19 Jul 08 08:12 PM

Mary was as noble and kind as her brother was selfish and cruel.

This is an sentence that I got from a workbook that I am working on. Since I don't recall seeing a sentence with exactly this type of construction, I was wondering if you could tell me if it is natural and commonly used. Also, I am thinking that it really is saying the degree of Mary's nobility and kindness is the same as that of her brother's selfishness and cruelness. Am I correct? How would you understand this sentence?

Thank you

PBF

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Vorpar

#543646 Sat, 19 Jul 08 08:33 PM

No, people don't talk like that. It's kind of a dramatic way to write a sentence that you would generally see in overwritten novels.

Yes, the degree is the same, they are opposites to the same degree.

Vorpar

Joined on Tue, Sep 20 2005

Santa Barbara, CA

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New2grammar

#543650 Sat, 19 Jul 08 08:47 PM

Vorpar, how would you say it in casual conversation?

New2grammar

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Philip

#543661 Sat, 19 Jul 08 09:33 PM

I hear it from time to time among educated speakers. I can't think of a better way of expressing it.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

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Vorpar

#544334 Mon, 21 Jul 08 09:35 AM

I wouldn't use a comparison for opposites, though it isn't wrong.

I'd probably say something like: "Mary is extremely noble and kind, while her brother is the exact opposite."

I also sometimes use phrases like: "Diametrically opposed" or "180 degrees".

Vorpar

Peaceblinkfriend

#544379 Mon, 21 Jul 08 11:00 AM

Thanks all for replying.
I am not at all surprised to learn that people wouldn't talk like this. After all, this was an invented material I read about in an English workbook. I guess this just shows all the more why English learners should not treat examples like this one as models to follow.

PBF

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