Contains/parallel

[Anna232]

Do you use "contain" when talking about parts and chapters of a book and does "in parallel" work in my sentence? I mean they can read and compare both stories.

The book contains two parts. Both parts are two different stories. Readers can familiarize with both stories in parallel.

 

[tedmc]

How about the following?

The book is divided into two parts with two different stories. Readers can read both stories in parallel.

We don't say we "familiarise with stories".

 

[Anna232]

How about the following?

The book is divided into two parts with two different stories. Readers can read both stories in parallel.

We don't say we "familiarise with stories".

I was judging by these examples from OAD. I can't say familiarize with stories because it is not idiomatic, is it?

• You'll need time to familiarize yourself with our procedures.
• As a teacher I try to familiarize students with a wide variety of fiction

 

[teechar]

The book contains two parts.

I understand that.

Both parts are two different stories.

That's ungrammatical, and I have no idea what you mean by it.

Readers can familiarize with both stories in parallel.

That's ungrammatical, and I have no idea what you mean by it.
Note that "familiarize" is a transitive verb.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was judging by these examples from OAD. I can't say "familiarize with stories" because it is not idiomatic grammatically correct, is it?

• You'll need time to familiarize yourself with our procedures.
• As a teacher I try to familiarize students with a wide variety of fiction

In the first example sentence, "familiarise" means "gradually learn" or "study and learn".
In the second, it means "introduce the students to".

Your original context simply needs the word "read". I still don't really understand the concept, though. It is physically impossible for a person to read two separate stories at the same time, especially if those two stories are contained inside a single book! Your eyes can only be on one page at a time.

Please explain the idea a different way so we can work out how to help you express it better.

 

[Anna232]

In the first example sentence, "familiarise" means "gradually learn" or "study and learn".
In the second, it means "introduce the students to".

Your original context simply needs the word "read". I still don't really understand the concept, though. It is physically impossible for a person to read two separate stories at the same time, especially if those two stories are contained inside a single book! Your eyes can only be on one page at a time.

Please explain the idea a different way so we can work out how to help you express it better.

I intended it to mean that a reader can read or be introduced to both stories chapter by chapter. For example, chapter one is about the characters of the first story, while the second is about the charachers of the second story.

 

[Tarheel]

I intended it to mean that a reader can read or be introduced to both stories chapter by chapter. For example, chapter one is about the characters of the first story, while the second is about the CHARACTERS of the second story.

Unfortunately, that's unclear. Do you mean that the two stories have some of the same characters?

If I were you I would forget the phrase "chapter by chapter".

 

[Anna232]

Unfortunately, that's unclear. Do you mean that the two stories have some of the same characters?

If I were you I would forget the phrase "chapter by chapter".

No, I mean the book is written in two parts and both of them are about different people. It is two different stories within one book.

 

[SoothingDave]

If there are two separate stories, then there is no reason why people would read them "in parallel." Wouldn't they more likely read one story and then the other?

I think you want to say that they can be read independently.

 

[Anna232]

If there are two separate stories, then there is no reason why people would read them "in parallel." Wouldn't they more likely read one story and then the other?

I think you want to say that they can be read independently.

Yes, but I wanted to say readers compare them while reading.

 

[Tarheel]

Do you mean they compare the stories to each other?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, but I wanted to say readers compare them while reading.

They can only compare them after they've finished reading them both. As SoothingDave said, the reader would read one of the stories and then the other. Logically, they'd read the first one followed by the second but, if they're both standalone stories, I suppose they could read the second followed by the first.

 

[Anna232]

Do you mean they compare the stories to each other?

Yes.

 

[Tarheel]

Awhile back I was reading a couple of books. I would read a few pages of one and then a few pages of the other. They weren't similar though.