[Essay] ...to be upfront...

Status
Not open for further replies.

rodgers white

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2016
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Hi there. Would you please proofread the following text? Any help would be appreciated.

***************************************************************************************************

Gan didn’t lead his team blindly; he sent out scouts to check the area ahead as he usually would, as Lili had taught him. Gan also began teaching Bailian to be a scout. She was fast, but she was noisy, and a scout had to be not only as silent as possible but also had to be able to read the signs of the terrain. Bailian, Gan found, was a quick study, and Gan soon had her accompanying other scouts to learn more.

Jingying had decided to join her husband’s trek for a few reasons. The most important one was to save him from himself. She knew he would want to be upfront, scouting ahead etc. He wasn’t one to delegate when he could do something himself, but Gan was not a young man anymore, at least not physically. Gan had to learn to tell others what to do, and she would make sure that that was what he did.


 

Tarheel

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
You use too many words, starting with Gan didn't lead his team blindly.

It seems that Gan is leading an army unit.

If Gan is a leader he knows how to delegate responsibility. If he doesn't know how to do that he isn't a leader yet.

She was fast, but she was noisy ...

I am not sure what that means.

If you want to learn how to be a musician, you might want to learn from a musician. If you want to learn how to be a scout you might want to learn from a scout.

If there are signs to read that sure makes it easy. (You might want to say read the terrain for signs of ....

I am not sure these paragraphs advance the story.
 

Tarheel

VIP Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
One more thing. Rather than saying Gan would want to be upfront (which doesn't fit there in my opinion), I suggest that you say he would want to take the lead.

www.dictionary.com
 

Charlie Bernstein

VIP Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
One more thing. Rather than saying Gan would want to be upfront (which doesn't fit there in my opinion), I suggest that you say he would want to take the lead.

www.dictionary.com
Right. Upfront doesn't mean up front or in front. It means honest, forthright.

It's also a more contemporary word that doesn't fit the old-fashioned style of the story.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top