Expression: He could feel life...

[Tom]

Hi

Could you please tell me which one of the following sentences sound more natural to you?

1- He could feel life leaving his body--inch by inch.
2- He could feel the life leaving his body--inch by inch.

Tom

[Jamie (K)]

In the first one it sounds like he's dying for sure.

In the second one it could be that not enough life is leaving his body for him to actually die. He might die, but he might just be getting very tired.

Other people may have varying interpretations, but in any case, both sentences sound perfectly natural.

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

I think Jamie described the subtle difference well. That's pretty much the feeling I get, too.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English