Aliya
Hello friends Which sentence is better ? 1、Happiness and misery beget, complement and set off each other. 2. Happiness and misery beget each other. Why?
Feb 27, 2023 10:38 AM
Answers · 7
2
The second one, but you are more likely to hear: Happiness and misery go hand in hand. Happiness and misery are two sides of the same coin.
February 27, 2023
1
Hi Aliya, Thank you for letting us provide feedback! Sentence #1 has a couple of errors. "Set off each other" is not exactly correct. Perhaps try, "offset one another". Then, "compliment" and "offset" are very similar words and concepts. It almost sounds like you are saying the same thing twice. Sentence #2 is easier to understand and is very interesting! It is a good sentence all by itself. If you want to talking about how happiness and misery offset one another, it might be helpful to talk about that in a separate sentence. I hope I was able to explain clearly! Your English is very good. Keep trying!
February 27, 2023
Beget is obsolete. Except for when we quote an old saying like, 'Misery begets misery'.
February 27, 2023
@Bronzethesling Wow! I have never heard Americans using it. People would look at you as if you're speaking Greek....well almost....in SA.
March 7, 2023
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