Community Web Version Now Available
Alex
Better off
" We stepped forth into the darkness, free, but little better off than we had been before, other than that we had full stomachs ".
What might be mean that writer's statement of " being better off than before" ? Better equipped ? In the better surrounding conditions or what ?
Thanks. In breathless expectancy as I waited for the answer just came across other brain-tortured issue.
The battle scene in the arena..
" Time and time again I won the applause of the bloodthirsty multitude,and toward the end there were cries that I be taken from the arena and be made a member of the hordes of Warhoon ".
" I be taken and be made??"
Is it a proper fugure of speach nowadays by omitting " have/ought/should to be" ?
Jan 9, 2012 3:44 PM
7
0
Answers · 7
"be better off " means to be in a better situation, if or after something happens; an example can be: " my true feeling is that she would be better of better off without him" .. I found it in my dictionary and hope this helps :-)
January 9, 2012
Their current situation was not that much better than the situation they were in before they were free. The only difference was that they had food.
January 9, 2012
cries that I be taken....this is present subjunctive tense-----this phrase can be understood as (there were demands that I BE taken). It is typically used in dependent clauses with "that". It can express a wish, a demand, an emotion, a possibility, a judgement, an opinion, a necessity, or an action that is unlikely to occur or did not occur.................It has the same form as the bare infinitive in all persons.......The police insisted that he SURRENDER his gun. (not surrenders) Long LIVE the King! (not lives) It is proper, though somewhat formal, English.
January 15, 2012
