When Linda lost her expensive Dior sunglasses

[Bassim]

Have I made any mistakes?

When Linda lost her expensive Dior sunglasses while hiking on a little island, almost the whole village went around looking for them. She couldn't believe that the people could leave their work and other things they were doing and engage in the search for her glasses. After all she was just a stranger and a tourist who was going to leave the island soon and probably didn't come back.

After a few hours, a teenage boy came up to her and gave her the sunglasses. He refused a reward and told her that no tourist was going to leave their island disappointed. Linda got tears in her eyes. Their hospitality and kindness were so generous that she was overwhelmed. The villagers were not wealthy in economic therms, but their inner richness was enormous. She looked at their suntanned faces. and they all smiled at her. She compared them to the people in the city where she lived, and felt embarrassed. She couldn't remember when it was the last time there that a stranger or a passer-by had given her a smile or showed kindness.

 

[Tarheel]

Have I made any mistakes?

When Linda lost her expensive Dior sunglasses while hiking on a little island, almost the whole village went around looking for them. She couldn't believe that the people could leave their work and other things they were doing and engage in the search for her glasses. After all she was just a stranger and a tourist who was going to leave the island soon and probably not come back.

After a few hours, a teenage boy came up to her and gave her the sunglasses. He refused a reward and told her that no tourist was going to leave their island disappointed. Linda got tears in her eyes. Their hospitality and kindness were so generous that she was overwhelmed. The villagers were not wealthy in economic therms, but their inner richness was enormous. She looked at their suntanned faces. and they all smiled at her. She compared them to the people in the city where she lived, and felt embarrassed. She couldn't remember the last time a stranger or a passer-by had given her a smile or showed kindness.

Instead of "their inner richness was enormous" how about: "But they have a different kind of wealth--love and charity which is overflowing"?

 

[Tdol]

How about

He refused a reward and told her that no tourist was going to leave their island disappointed, which brought tears to her eyes.

 

[tedmc]

How about

He refused a reward and told her that no tourist was going to leave their island disappointed, which brought tears to her eyes.

Which moved her to tears?

 

[Matthew Wai]

Their kind hospitality and great generosity overwhelmed her, leaving her in tears.

 

[Tarheel]

Their kind hospitality and great generosity overwhelmed her, leaving her in tears.

That makes it seem like she was upset.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Tears of gratitude filled her eyes.

 

[Tarheel]

That's better.

 

[Bassim]

There is something called fiction. When you don't read fiction, you don't understand how fiction works. Fiction is not a set of grammar rules but a living language. This is one of the reasons why robots and some people are unable to write fiction. You have to think. You have to sit hours and hours and read. Thousands of novels. You have to use your mind and imagination. But some people do not have imagination and believe a language is about grammar rules, which has never been.

 

[Tarheel]

Bassim, I have read fiction. I understand it. (I think I do.) I haven't read any fiction lately, but I know the point is to tell a story.

 

[Bassim]

Tarheel,

Of course you have read fiction. Your mother tongue is English. You are a well-educated man. But there are people on this forum who believe they speak English better than natives. They know all the rules, but they are unable to write a short story, because they are unable to think creatively. And when they don't understand they ask stupid question like some above. The worst is when someone is stupid and don't understand how stupid he or she is and how narrow-minded.
You can ban me from this forum. I don't care. But I hate stupid people and their stupidity. It is because stupidity people die and suffer. It is because stupidity there is still hunger and injustice in the world.
Now you can ban me and let tedmc and Matthew completely take over this forum, and let them teach you your mother tongue.

 

[Tarheel]

Bassim, you can always put somebody on "Ignore" if you don't want to see their posts. Then you will see their posts only if you choose to.

I have somebody on "Ignore" because they were "correcting" me. (I do know my language, believe it or not.)

A long time ago, there was this person on the dictionary.com forum who knew what he knew from grammar books. I don't remember what he said to me, but my response was "Are you correcting me?" One of the other members of that forum posted "Be afraid. Be very afraid." (I think it was meant humorously.)

Take care.

 

[Matthew Wai]

The villagers were not wealthy in economic therms, but their inner richness was enormous.

The villagers were not rich financially but rich in love and charity.

 

[Tdol]

I think this thread is probably better closed for now.