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a heavy responsibility (urgent question)

 
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Junkomama



Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 592

PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:51 pm    Post subject: a heavy responsibility (urgent question) Reply with quote

Children feel their parent's excessive expectation as a heavy responsibility."

Is this sentence acceptable?
Does this "responsibility" mean "burden" or "pressure"?

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama
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eddfx



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
Posts: 38
Location: Behind you!

PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To answer your question, it means pressure or burden in this situation. You are correct in your guess.

I would not write a sentence like that, it is too thick for my taste. I would have written something like, �Children feel a heavy burden when dealing with their parent�s high expectations.� Or �Children are under tremendous pressure when dealing with their parent�s high expectations.�
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Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it would be better to use parents' instead of parent's.
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eddfx



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lorikeet wrote:
I think it would be better to use parents' instead of parent's.


Interesting. Why is that?
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Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Because I would think the sentence refers to both parents. I realize there are many different kinds of "families" nowadays, and some have only one parent, but it just sounded that way to me.
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eddfx



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lorikeet wrote:
Because I would think the sentence refers to both parents. I realize there are many different kinds of "families" nowadays, and some have only one parent, but it just sounded that way to me.


Ahh, you must be talking about artificial insemination or cloning. Razz


Last edited by eddfx on Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:58 am; edited 1 time in total
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Junkomama



Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 592

PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for your answer, eddfx-san!!
Thank you for your advice, Lorikeet-san!!

Regards,
Junkomama
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Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

eddfx wrote:
Lorikeet wrote:
Because I would think the sentence refers to both parents. I realize there are many different kinds of "families" nowadays, and some have only one parent, but it just sounded that way to me.


Ahh, you must be talking about artificial insemination or cloning. Razz


Um no. I was talking about single parent households, in case that was what you were referring to.
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eddfx



Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lorikeet wrote:

Um no. I was talking about single parent households, in case that was what you were referring to.


I know, I was joking. Razz

I come from a single parent house hold and I found no need to change parent's to parent.

Though I am still curious why you would change parent's to parents'. Very confusing.
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Lorikeet



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eddfx wrote:
Lorikeet wrote:

Um no. I was talking about single parent households, in case that was what you were referring to.


I know, I was joking. Razz

I come from a single parent house hold and I found no need to change parent's to parent.

Though I am still curious why you would change parent's to parents'. Very confusing.


Well, I don't know why it's confusing.
"parent's" means belonging to one parent.
"parents'" means belonging to both parents.

So if I say, "I am a product of my parents' value system." it means the value system of my parents. If I say, "I am a product of my parent's value system." it means the value system of one parent.
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