came to be born

That's how my first baby came to be born!!!

Hi,

Is the expression grammatical?

I was looking for a more colorful expression than "was born"
but I am not sure if it's OK to use it.

Thanks in advance.

The sentence is grammatically correct and is, indeed, a more colorful way of saying 'was born.' It has an archaic and formal ring to it, rather like the sort of speech employed in prayer. It sounds similar to Matthew 1:18, "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about." I suppose Matthew could very well have said, "This is how Jesus Christ was born." But that doesn't really do justice to the occasion, now does it?

Thanks for your insight.

If it was just a regular mom, talking about her proud son and how her son came to her life after a series of hardships and ordeals, rather than some high-minded academic, recounting the grandiose birth incidents of some mythical figures, would using the expression fit the occasion or would you recommend looking for some other expressions?

I think there would have to be something slightly unusual or unlikely about the birth for this expression to be used by such a mother.

Please remember that we do not discuss religion or politics in this language forum Any future posts should be about the words under discussion. Whether or not Jesus is a mythical figure is irrelevant.

That's how my first baby came to be born!!!

Is the expression grammatical?

No. Only a single exclamation mark is acceptable in standard English.

Rover

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 5jj

Whether or not Jesus is a mythical figure is irrelevant.

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Just so you know, I wasn't referring to Jesus when I said "some mythical figures".

But rather, I was thinking something along the lines of Zeus or the three-headed Demarcia.

If I wanted to talk about Jesus, I don't think I would've used the word "grandiose" to describe his birth.