beauty contest

[Jiayun]

A beauty contest was held yesterday. I think the champion is not very good looking. Can I say "I do not understand why she was chosen to be the champion"?

Thanks!

JY

 

[Rover_KE]

You can, but a beauty contest usually has a winner rather than a champion.

Rover

 

[Jiayun]

Thanks!

Can I say:

1. I do not understand why she was the winner
2. I do not understand why she was voted to be the winner

You can, but a beauty contest usually has a winner rather than a champion.

Rover

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks!

Can I say:

1. I do not understand why she was the winner.
2. I do not understand why she was voted to be the winner.

Neither of those is very natural. The first one simply isn't true - you do understand why she was the winner - she won because the judges voted for her. The second sentence would be better as "I don't understand why the judges voted for her to win" or "I don't understand why the judges voted her the winner".

 

[Academic Writing]

just chiming in with another option "I do not understand why she was chosen as the winner."

 

[billmcd]

just chiming in with another option "I do not understand why she was chosen as the winner."

Another "chime". I would scratch "as".

 

[emsr2d2]

Another "chime". I would scratch "as".

Interesting. I must admit that if I saw "I don't understand why she was chosen the winner" I would assume the word order was incorrect and I would amend it to "I don't understand why she was the chosen winner".

 

[billmcd]

Interesting. I must admit that if I saw "I don't understand why she was chosen the winner" I would assume the word order was incorrect and I would amend it to "I don't understand why she was the chosen winner".

Not uncommon and perhaps peculiar to AmE and sometimes without the article as in "I don't understand why he was chosen captain". Adjective vs. Verb.