Their movements were clumsy/inept/awkward/sloppy.

[99bottles]

In the sentence below, I describe two people grappling with neither of them knowing martial arts. What adjective should I use for their movements? Below are the words I have in mind so far.

Their movements were clumsy/inept/awkward/sloppy.

 

[jutfrank]

Are you writing a new book? We still haven't received our share of the royalties from the last one.

 

[99bottles]

Are you writing a new book? We still haven't received our share of the royalties from the last one.

I'll PM you to answer this question. For the time being, answer to what I asked in the OP.

Edit: I'm just asking which synonym has the correct meaning here.

 

[emsr2d2]

For the time being, answer [strike]to[/strike] what I asked in the OP.

There's an important word missing from that sentence. Here's a clue - it has six letters and starts with "p".

 

[99bottles]

There's an important word missing from that sentence. Here's a clue - it has six letters and starts with "p".

Is it please?

I just want to know whether which word I use in that sentence changes the meaning.

Edit: By the way, I knew it was answer what and not answer to what. It's just that when I'm anxious, I make such mistakes -- sometimes I want to punch myself in the face when I realize how careless I am when typing on forums.

 

[Rollercoaster1]

Is it please?

You have hit the spot. When I read that sentence in your post 3, I felt it impolite/emphatic.

 

[99bottles]

What's the difference between those synonyms? I searched on online dictionaries, but I can't find out what the difference is.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't know that I would use any of them, but "inept" might come closest to what you have in mind. Having said that, you don't need martial arts training to know how to hit somebody.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't understand what relevance their lack of knowledge of martial arts has. Aren't they just fighting/scrapping?

 

[Tdol]

If they are trying to use martial arts they don't know, then inept could work. If they're just without much skill, clumsy works.

 

[99bottles]

If they are trying to use martial arts they don't know, then inept could work. If they're just without much skill, clumsy works.

What if they are just grappling without trying to use any martial art?

 

[Tarheel]

Then they are fighting. Or wrestling.

Are you hoping "martial art" will catch on?

 

[99bottles]

Then they are fighting. Or wrestling.

Are you hoping "martial art" will catch on?

Don't martial arts include moves for grappling situations as well?

 

[emsr2d2]

Don't martial arts include moves for grappling situations as well?

I don't know the technical terminology of any martial arts. It's possible that to the untrained eye, a lot of martial arts moves might just look like two people scrapping with each other.

We can't help without knowing the context. Were the two people pretending to know martial arts but when they started fighting it was clear neither of them knew anything about them? Were they just fighting? Why did you bring the idea of martial arts into that sentence in the first place? What were you thinking?

 

[5jj]

You said in post 11 that no martial art was involved in their grappling, so perhaps it's best to forget martial arts.

 

[Tarheel]

Don't martial arts include moves for grappling situations as well?

Judo comes to mind. But in your own words they don't know judo.

 

[99bottles]

I don't know the technical terminology of any martial arts. It's possible that to the untrained eye, a lot of martial arts moves might just look like two people scrapping with each other.

We can't help without knowing the context. Were the two people pretending to know martial arts but when they started fighting it was clear neither of them knew anything about them? Were they just fighting? Why did you bring the idea of martial arts into that sentence in the first place? What were you thinking?

They were grappling over possession of something. I want to show that they do so in a sloppy way, because they don't know martial arts.

 

[Tarheel]

They were grappling over possession of something. I want to show that they do so in a sloppy way, because they don't know martial arts.

Just say they were fighting over something.

The "sloppy way" thing doesn't make sense here, and It's hard to see how martial arts comes in at all.
:-?

 

[emsr2d2]

That makes no sense, I'm afraid. We don't think that people fighting looks any particular way just because they don't know martial arts. You seem to be suggesting that using martial arts is the only way for two people to fight effectively. It's not.

 

[Tdol]

Maybe 99b should visit a few pubs on Friday night to see alternative forms of fighting.