1. Bakkerbaard

    Bakkerbaard Contributor Contributor

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    On-About-Concerning

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by Bakkerbaard, Jan 24, 2021.

    My English may be getting worse. I need help again.

    Here's the line as currently written:
    Why is there paperwork on my soul?

    My girlfriend says on should be replaced with about. I think about is wrong, but now I can't see on working anymore either. I'm thinking it could be concerning, but it's just a regular guy saying it. Concerning doesn't seem like a word he'd use in a surprised question.

    The original version works, right?
     
  2. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Why does my soul have paperwork?
     
  3. Bakkerbaard

    Bakkerbaard Contributor Contributor

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    Sometimes it's just that simple...
    Thanks.
     
  4. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    You'd be shocked how many awkward sentences/wonky prepositions can be fixed by swapping the nouns.
     
    Bakkerbaard and Lifeline like this.
  5. Friedrich Kugelschreiber

    Friedrich Kugelschreiber marshmallow Contributor

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    What was it supposed to mean?
     
  6. Bakkerbaard

    Bakkerbaard Contributor Contributor

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    I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.

    I wrote about a guy who discovers that there is paperwork concerning his soul and he's rather surprised about it. Then I got into a "no, you're wrong" argument with my girlfriend/alpha reader about the way it was written and Homer provided a proper way to write it and then I thanked him for the simple solution I would probably never have arrived at myself.
     
  7. Friedrich Kugelschreiber

    Friedrich Kugelschreiber marshmallow Contributor

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    I'm just wondering if you intended this literally or if it was figurative. I guess you're writing fantasy or something?
     
  8. Bakkerbaard

    Bakkerbaard Contributor Contributor

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    Oh. Yeah, literally.
    I don't know if it counts as fantasy though. There aren't any of the fantasy staples in it, but it does definitely have a bunch of things that can't actually happen...
    Genre is another thing I'll have to look into at some point.
     

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