the car rolled over

[alpacinou]

Hello,

I am writing a story and describing a situation when a rocket hits a car. The car explodes and then rolls over a couple of times. I want to know if "roll over" is the correct verb.

Please take a look at this picture:



Imagine this car is hit by a rocket and then it is turned upside down and up and down again a couple of times. Like a person who is tossing and turning in bed.

Is this sentence okay?

The car was hit by a rocket and exploded in a ball of flames. It was tossed in the air and slammed into the ground rolling over a few times before it came to a screeching halt with sparks flying all over the place.


P.S: As a matter of common courtesy, I should inform you that I created a general thread about the similar subject in another forum with no result.

 

[GoesStation]

The sentences are OK, but I think the active voice would give them more of a punch. The final sentence in your post contains an article error. Can you find it?

 

[alpacinou]

The sentences are OK, but I think the active voice would give them more of a punch. The final sentence in your post contains an article error. Can you find it?

Do you mean "the" before similar? I felt it!

Does it work in active voice like this?

The rocket hit the car and exploded it in a ball of flames. It tossed in the air and slammed into the ground rolling over a few times before it came to a screeching halt with sparks flying all over the place.

 

[GoesStation]

Do you mean "the" before similar? I felt it!

Yes!

Does it work in active voice like this?

The rocket hit the car and exploded it in a ball of flames. It tossed in the air and slammed into the ground rolling over a few times before it came to a screeching halt with sparks flying all over the place.

I'm not sure I like this version, but it fixes a couple of mistakes:

The rocket hit the car, which exploded in a ball of flames. It flew into the air and slammed into the ground, rolling over a few times and coming to a screeching halt with sparks flying all over the place.

 

[alpacinou]

Yes!

I'm not sure I like this version, but it fixes a couple of mistakes:

The rocket hit the car, which exploded in a ball of flames. It flew into the air and slammed into the ground, rolling over a few times and coming to a screeching halt with sparks flying all over the place.

I like it a lot!:-D And I love this language they call English!:up:

 

[Tarheel]

One minor thing.

exploded into a ball of flame

 

[alpacinou]

One minor thing.

exploded into a ball of flame

Don't we have several flames in a fire?

 

[GoesStation]

Don't we have several flames in a fire?

Yes, but "of flame" tells us what the ball is made of: the substance "flame".

Unfortunately, a nearly identical expression usually takes the plural: a wall of flames. This focuses on the many distinct flames visible in such a thing.

 

[Skrej]

There's nothing wrong with 'roll', but you'll often hear the verb 'flip' used for these sorts of accidents.

'Flip' imparts a sense of quicker, faster revolutions. Think of flipping a coin - but now we're dealing with enough energy to do the same to something that weighs over a ton.

 

[Tarheel]

I think it's a difference in direction. When a car rolls over the motion is from left to right or right to left. When a car flips over the motion is from back to front.

 

[emsr2d2]

One minor thing.

exploded into a ball of flame

"... exploded in a ball of flame/fire" is fine in BrE.

 

[alpacinou]

There's nothing wrong with 'roll', but you'll often hear the verb 'flip' used for these sorts of accidents.

'Flip' imparts a sense of quicker, faster revolutions. Think of flipping a coin - but now we're dealing with enough energy to do the same to something that weighs over a ton.

I like the coin example! Now I will always remember it!