Chan-Seung Lee
Joined: 03 Dec 2005
Posts: 1032
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 Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:40 am Post subject: an instance where/when |
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| Quote: |
| There are rare instances when justice almost ceases to be an abstract conception. |
I have two questions about the above sentence.
First, I'd like to know the meaning of the sentence.
(I cannot tell whether most of the justice instances are abstract or not?)
Second, I think that 'instances where' is more correct rather than 'instances when'. Can you let me know the truth?
Thanks. |
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CP
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 2875
Location: California
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:22 am Post subject: |
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First: Justice is an abstract concept, not a physical object. But, according to the writer, sometimes it seems as though justice is not abstract but concrete. Most likely his next sentence or two will reveal that someone was immediately repaid for some bad act by having something suitably bad happen to him -- sometimes called "poetic justice."
Second: It sounds right as written. An instance is an occurrence, something that happens in time, so "when" sounds fine. To my ear, "where" would not sound out of place, either, but if I had to choose, I'd probably choose "when."
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