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BW2/3  #308292  Fri, 29 Dec 06 01:55 AM

I am truly sorry what I'd written to you a compassion love letter a couple years ago. It was madness. I didn't even know you much. I guess I did you injustice. I have been deeply remorseful since then. I wish that you knew how much I've suffered so you can pity me. The pain is unbearable sometimes although it was not in physical. I've tried not to think about it if necessary but the dreadful memories come again and again. It is truly a punishment that fit the bad deed. No matter how repentance I am, I cannot be forgiven. It was too late that I was lead into temptation and could not be gone back.

Are they correct?

Thank you

  
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Inchoateknowledge  #308338  Fri, 29 Dec 06 03:34 AM

I am truly sorry about that compassionate billet doux I wrote to you a couple of years ago. It was a mistake. I didn't even know you much. I guess I unjustly treated you. I have been deeply remorseful since then. I wish that you knew how much I had suffered so you can feel sympathy towards me. The pain is unbearable sometimes (although it was not in physical way). I've tried not to think about it (if necessary) but the dreadful memories haunt me again and again. It is indeed a punishment that commensurates with my bad deed. No matter how repentant I am, I cannot be forgiven. It is no use crying over spilt milk; I did what I did and I must bear the consequences.


Did this happen to you, or it is just a flight of fancy?
  
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Phoenix PR  #308354  Fri, 29 Dec 06 04:43 AM
Hi BW2/3,

The goal of an editor is to correct and clarify, not to change the structure and meaning so much that the original writer's "essense" is removed.  Let's take these one at a time:
  • I am truly sorry what I'd written to you a compassion love letter a couple years ago.  [Edit to: "I'm truly sorry about what I wrote to you in my compassionate love letter of several years ago."  Note that I'm always going to use contractions (e.g., I'm) to be consistent throughout the paragraph.]
  • It was madness.  [Good sentence.  Short and insightful.]
  • I didn't even know you much.  [Edit to: "I didn't even know you very well."]
  • I guess I did you injustice. [Edit to: "I guess I didn't do you justice." (OR) "I guess I did you an injustice." depending on what you truly mean.]
  • I have been deeply remorseful since then.  [Edit to: "I've been deeply remorseful since then."]
  • I wish that you knew how much I've suffered so you can pity me.  [Edit to: "I wish you knew how much I've suffered -- so you can pity me."  Adding the dash provides dramatic effect.]
  • The pain is unbearable sometimes although it was not in physical.  [Edit to: "Sometimes the pain is unbearable."  You don't need to include the rest about "physical" pain because it's assumed the reader knows that it's all mental anguish via the use of the words "remorseful" and "pity" before.]
  • I've tried not to think about it if necessary but the dreadful memories come again and again.  [Edit to: "I've tried not to think about it, but the dreadful memories come back again and again.]
  • It is truly a punishment that fit the bad deed. [Edit to: It's truly a punishment that fits the deed."  The phrase is "fit the deed," so to insert the word "bad" wouldn't ring true in the ears of an English-speaker.]
  • No matter how repentance I am, I cannot be forgiven. [Edit to: "No matter how repentant I am, I can't be forgiven."  Note the correct use of the word "repentant".]
  • It was too late that I was lead into temptation and could not be gone back.  [Edit to: It's too late: I was led into temptation and I can't go back."  Because you're now in the present tense -- I can't be forgiven -- this last train of thought should be in the present tense too, so that's why I phrase it the way I do.]
And here are my suggested edits as a full paragraph:

I'm truly sorry about what I wrote to you in my compassionate love letter of several years ago.  It was madness.  I didn't even know you very well.  I guess I did you an injustice.  I've been deeply remorseful since then.  I wish you knew how much I've suffered -- so you can pity me.  Sometimes the pain is unbearable.  I've tried not to think about it, but the dreadful memories come back again and again.  It's truly a punishment that fits the deed.  No matter how repentant I am, I can't be forgiven.  It's too late: I was led into temptation and I can't go back.
  
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Inchoateknowledge  #308396  Fri, 29 Dec 06 08:16 AM

Hi Phoenix

I am a physicist and not an editor. Besides, a non-native helper who have been ploughing the lone furrow of his English language acquisition for less than 4 years.
  
BW2/3  #308609  Sat, 30 Dec 06 01:11 AM

 Inchoateknowledge wrote:


Did this happen to you, or it is just a flight of fancy?

Thank you all,

Hi Incho,

It is not true at all. I made it up. I like to play around with words from my thought.

Wel

  
Phoenix PR  #308629  Sat, 30 Dec 06 02:54 AM
Hi Incho,

I wasn't pointing to anyone specific when I mentioned "the goal of an editor."  It could be anyone -- including me!  Smile [:)]

Congratulations on getting to where you're at today.  Your English, no doubt, is much better than my French.  I started taking Spanish lessons a few years ago, but work prevented me from continuing.  I really should take it up again. 

Best regards,

Jim (in Phoenix)

  
Inchoateknowledge  #308655  Sat, 30 Dec 06 06:47 AM
No problemo
  
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