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  1. #1
    vil
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    Default she was taken by an apoplectic seizure

    Dear teachers,

    Would you be kind enough to give me your considered opinion concerning the interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

    Within the hour, when Carry’s mother reached home, she was taken by an apoplectic seizure and never spoke again. (A. J. Cronin, “Adventures in Two Worlds”)

    she was taken by an apoplectic seizure = she had a stroke
    Last edited by vil; 10-Aug-2011 at 14:19.

  2. #2
    Michael84 is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: she was taken by an apoplectic seizure

    not a teacher of course

    I'm just curious if "taken by..." doesn't mean that she died of the stroke? People who died will never speak again either.
    Of course, in normal cases people lose the ability to speak or use their limbs properly after a stroke.

    Apoplexy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Last edited by Michael84; 10-Aug-2011 at 16:26.

  3. #3
    riquecohen's Avatar
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    Default Re: she was taken by an apoplectic seizure

    Quote Originally Posted by vil View Post
    Dear teachers,

    Would you be kind enough to give me your considered opinion concerning the interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

    Within the hour, when Carry’s mother reached home, she was taken by an apoplectic seizure and never spoke again. (A. J. Cronin, “Adventures in Two Worlds”)

    she was taken by an apoplectic seizure = she had a stroke
    Yes. Apoplexy isn't used very much nowadays, except in the sense of extreme anger. "She became apoplectic when she discovered that her husband was seeing his ex-wife."
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael84 View Post
    not a teacher of course

    I'm just curious if "taken by..." doesn't mean that she died of the stroke? Not necessarily. It's an old-fashioned way of saying "become sick with." People who died will never speak again either.
    Of course, in normal cases people lose the ability to speak or use their limbs properly after a stroke.

    Apoplexy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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