May 2012 Writing Discussion

<p>I think that “the of them both” was the correct answer. It actually avoided the redundancy of saying the guy’s name and his wife again. The “both” was not redundant. It merely implied that each contributed to each other’s work.</p>

<p>But isn’t the wife the subject the sentence - so ‘she and pollock’ influenced each other, not ‘the two of them both influenced each other’, because pollock is not a subject of the sentence?</p>

<p>No, that logic would not be correct. For the second part of the sentence it is talking about Pollack and Pollack’s wife. </p>

<p>The reason “the two of them both” is correct is because it avoids the error of repetition in naming them and creates a better sentence.</p>

<p>Yes but it is a new subordinate clause. So the subject is now she and Pollock or the two of them both. It was like “she was a better abstract expressionist then her husband, Jackson Pollock, and ______________” I think the two of them both is less vague and redundant.</p>

<p>I went with ‘she and pollock’. “Two of them both” is better written as “both of them” which wasn’t an option.</p>

<p>Also, what’d you guys get for the question with the "two stone statues named ‘something’ and ‘something’?</p>

<p>Lee Krasner was the subject of the sentence. The sentence said ‘she was the wife of Jackson Pollock.’ So she and Pollock influenced each other, no?</p>

<p>It was definitely “she and pollock”. I think people missed that fact that “two of them both” is not correct grammar usage. As awkward as “she and pollock” seems (not to mention, somewhat redundant), it is still correct grammar as opposed to the other option.</p>

<p>E.g.</p>

<p>Incorrect - John and Bob played Skyrim, and the two of them both helped me play.</p>

<p>Correct - John and Bob played Skyrim, and both of them helped me play.</p>

<p>I know the example had to do with “influenced each other”, but the same argument is valid.</p>

<p>Ethos : Haven’t scored under 800 in writing before xD</p>

<p>@sid: if you score an 11 or 12 on the essay, but get -1 on mc, what does that equate to out of 800?</p>

<p>@skylimits, that should definitely be an 800 :D</p>

<p>-1 MC with a 10 on the essay is usually an 800, but in october it was 790. But an 11 or 12 would definitely be an 800.</p>

<p>I think it’s somewhat safe to say that a -2 with an 11 or 12 would be 790/800 was well.</p>

<p>the error is ‘the two of them both.’
I got that wrong too, and just making the better sounding sentence to you doesn’t cut it. I was also thinking that “and she and Polly” sounded bad, which messed me up, but that sentence is perfectly fine.</p>

<p>And how do act/sat essay scoring compare? As in are they more lenient on one test or the other?</p>

<p>No idea about the ACT essay. Planning on taking ACT in september.</p>

<p>I thought “two of them both” is wrong because it’s redundant. “two” and “both” mean the same thing (referring to two people/places/things/etc) so you shouldn’t include those two words in the same phrase.</p>

<p>I feel like they both are redundant, and we have to wait and see. But I see the correctness of both and the error in both. I was counting myself an 800 until that one.</p>

<p>“the two of them both” was clearly the right answer. Some of you seemed to have gotten tripped up with the answer “she and pollack” but it is just no correct. You have to think about what makes the sentence the most clear, what avoids redundancy. </p>

<p>The “both” is not wrong at all. It emphasizes that each of them influenced each other (as opposed to one influencing the other)</p>

<p>@divy,</p>

<p>Both are definitely redundant for sure. One is outright incorrect grammar though. When would you ever use “two of them both” instead of “both of them”?</p>

<p>@bllbb6</p>

<p>Again…“two of them both” should never be used in a sentence. It should ALWAYS be “both of them”.</p>

<p>xD</p>

<p>Eh, I was planning on taking the June test anyway. Oh well!!</p>

<p>‘The two of them both’… Who does this refer to? If Lee Krasner is the subject of the sentence, then she and Jackson Pollock influenced each other. The sentence was not about both Pollock and Krasner.</p>

<p>Im going to say this one more time. Nothing is wrong with referring to them as “both”, but saying “two of them both” is incorrect. If this was an Identify Error question, you would circle this answer because “two of them both” should be corrected to “both of them”.</p>

<p>I think the both is referring to the action not them. It’s they both influenced. Not both influenced. That’s why I chose it. But like I said I get both sides</p>