[General] He strikes a spark from a flint and then they bring the candles back to life

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Marina Gaidar

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Can I strike a spark from a flint or with a flint? "He strikes a spark from a flint and then they bring the candles back to life and close tight the window". By the way, is it ok to say "bring candles back to life"?
 

Gillnetter

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Can I strike a spark from a flint or with a flint? "He strikes a spark from a flint and then [STRIKE]they[/STRIKE] it bring the candles back to life and close tight the window". By the way, is it ok to say "bring candles back to life"?
If he only strikes a spark there is only one spark. Here you would use "it", not "they".

Better - He strikes a spark from a flint and it brings the candles back to life (though I can't see how one spark could light more than one candle).

Even better - He strikes a spark from a flint and it brings the candle back to life.

As to the rest of the sentence - "and close tight the window" - Here you are almost saying that the flint closed the window.

Better - "...and he tightly closed the window".
 

emsr2d2

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He would only have to light one single candle with the spark from the flint, then he could light all the other candles using the flame from the first one.

Having said that, I don't really find "bringing a candle back to life" very natural at all. I would simply say that he relit the candle.

He struck a spark with a flint to relight the candles, then tightly closed the window.
 
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