Could I use the same structure for two verbs of the same meaning?
-She died unmarried/a spinster.
-She passed away unmarried/a spinster.
Posted by Nightedge · June 16, 2015 · 2 replies
Could I use the same structure for two verbs of the same meaning?
-She died unmarried/a spinster.
-She passed away unmarried/a spinster.
a) Nothing wrong with the grammar, but spinster is very archaic. Ok if you're talking about eg Jane Austen, but it's rarely used now because of its negative connotations.
b) I initially thought She passed away unmarried sounded odd and that it was a matter of collocation - that he only expressions that usually follow "pass away" are time references He passed away three years ago or adverbs related to the manner of death She passed away quietly / in her sleep. But Google it and you'll see lots of examples which, in context, sound fine. As always - you can't evaluate language use out of context in the sort of individual sentences you provide. Always give the surrounding text.
Good answer. Thank you.