I was paralyzed by the color of your hair.

[khurdull]

I was paralyzed by the color of your hair.

Does this make sense?? Is it okay for the sentence not to contain "I was +to + verb" - form?

Thank you

 

[GoesStation]

Paralysis seems like rather an extreme reaction to hair color, but the sentence is constructed correctly.

 

[Rover_KE]

Thank you. [STRIKE][/STRIKE]

Not for the first time: do not use a home-made smiley to replace a standard punctuation mark.

 

[tzfujimino]

I was flabbergasted by ... would be good in your context. It doesn't mean the same thing as the original, though.

 

[khurdull]

I was flabbergasted by ... would be good in your context. It doesn't mean the same thing as the original, though.

I have never seen that word but wow I'll make a use of it. It looks nice. :shock:

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think 'dumbfounded by' also works.

 

[teechar]

Try "stunned".

 

[andrewg927]

Use "shocked". Using "paralyzed" in this case makes you sound like a non-native.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I found an example which may explain why the OP used 'paralyzed'.

'(figurative) She stood there, paralysed with fear.'—quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/paralyse#paralyse__12

 

[andrewg927]

How can someone's hair color cause such intense fear that someone is paralyzed? That's the question.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think it is not intense fear but intense surprise.

 

[andrewg927]

We don't usually associate "surprise" with "paralysis". It's possible but it's not the first thing that comes to mind. Other things would come first like "speechless", "shocked", "stunned" etc.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Appalled.

 

[khurdull]

I'm sorry to make that sentence. I exactly know what paralyze means. I was just trying to be romantic there. :roll:

 

[emsr2d2]

If the speaker likes the unusual colour of the hair in question, he/she might say "I was awestruck/fascinated/captivated by the colour of your hair". If he/she doesn't like it, then "I was horrified/appalled/disgusted by the colour of your hair". A few words spring to mind that could be used in either situation - dumbstruck/left speechless/taken aback.

 

[Rover_KE]

I'm sorry to make that sentence. I exactly know what paralyze means. I was just trying to be romantic there. :roll:

There's nothing romantic about it. You probably meant 'creative'.