Are sentences natural?

[Tan Elaine]

The black clouds foreboding rain cleared. What a relief! We were thus spared the onslaught the rain.

Are the above sentences natural? In the last sentences should I use the underlined words? If not, what words should I use?

Many thanks.

[Ann1977]

The black clouds foreboding rain cleared. What a relief!

We were thus spared the onslaught the rain.

I think "We were thus spared the onslaught OF the rain."

But this whole passage is a little too stuffy for its meaning. It speaks about a personal response to a familiar event, but it uses relatively rare and formal words -- literary words, maybe -- to do so.

A person who is recounting this event would speak more casually, I think.

"The black clouds that spelled out rain cleared. What a relief! We were spared being caught in a downpour."

[dragn]

"The black clouds foreboding rain cleared" sounds rather formal, although it is correct. The verb forebode is not a very common verb; foreboding is far more often used as either a noun or an adjective. The reader has to pause for a microsecond or two to realize you are using the word in its less frequently used verbal form. For that reason alone, I give it low marks on the "natural" scale, even though, again, it is a grammatically correct sentence.

"We were thus spared the onslaught the rain" is wrong because you need to say this:

"We were thus spared the onslaught of the rain."

With of in there, it's a good sentence. Onslaught works well here, if that's what you're worried about. I give it higher marks on the "natural" scale.

Hope this helps.

Greg

Hi Ann. Beat me again.

[Ann1977]

"The black clouds foreboding rain cleared" sounds rather formal, although it is correct. The verb forebode is not a very common verb; foreboding is far more often used as either a noun or an adjective. The reader has to pause for a microsecond or two to realize you are using the word in its less frequently used verbal form. For that reason alone, I give it low marks on the "natural" scale, even though, again, it is a grammatically correct sentence.

"We were thus spared the onslaught the rain" is wrong because you need to say this:

"We were thus spared the onslaught of the rain."

With of in there, it's a good sentence. Onslaught works well here, if that's what you're worried about. I give it higher marks on the "natural" scale.

Hope this helps.

Greg

Hi Ann. Beat me again.

LOL!

No doubt that is due to the fact that you have a real job and do real work for a living.