Raen Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
A "scrupulous mother"
Sorry I don't have furthur text for that, I can't locate it, it's from a novel.
What does it mean? What kind of mother is she like? Could you paint a picture (in words), by ways of examples, for me what a scrupulous mother is like and how she's likely to behave? Of course I have looked up the word, it says:
1. conscientious and exact; painstaking
2. having scruples; principled
One of the hard things for me about learning English is that sometimes I find that even though I have the complet and extended definition of a word, I still don't get it. In fact, a "comprehensive" lists of definition often times add to my confusion. In this case, conscientious and exact vs. painstaking, how can someone be the first 2 and then be painstaking. Do we use "painstaking" to describe someone?
Anyway, if anyone would be kind enough to comment, I'd most grateful. Thanks a millions.
Raen
What does it mean? What kind of mother is she like? Could you paint a picture (in words), by ways of examples, for me what a scrupulous mother is like and how she's likely to behave? Of course I have looked up the word, it says:
1. conscientious and exact; painstaking
2. having scruples; principled
One of the hard things for me about learning English is that sometimes I find that even though I have the complet and extended definition of a word, I still don't get it. In fact, a "comprehensive" lists of definition often times add to my confusion. In this case, conscientious and exact vs. painstaking, how can someone be the first 2 and then be painstaking. Do we use "painstaking" to describe someone?
Anyway, if anyone would be kind enough to comment, I'd most grateful. Thanks a millions.
Raen
Top answer
To me it suggest that she is very conscientious, doing everything that she is supposed to and maybe more, but perhaps with very little emotion - that she does things because she feels obliged to, not from love, or with any enthusiasm. 'Scrupulous' is a a rather cold way to describe a mother.
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To me it suggest that she is very conscientious, doing everything that she is supposed to and maybe more, but perhaps with very little emotion - that she does things because she feels obliged to, not from love, or with any enthusiasm. 'Scrupulous' is a a rather cold way to describe a mother.
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Thank you Kate, that's awsome...not the way the word is used to describe someone, but that your comment really helps paint the picture. Thank you so much.
Raen
Raen
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