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 Mon Jan 30, 2006 14:05 pm Detract from someone's argument |
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| cooliegirly wrote: | | What does it mean when an assertion "detracts from the author's argument"? |
You seem to choose rather tough reads – good girl!
Detract is the opposite of praise. So, when an assertion "detracts from the author's argument", it means that someone says something that is belittling what the author meant to say, in other words they are lessening the value of the author's argument. |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| Mon Jan 30, 2006 14:10 pm Detract |
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Hi cooliegirly,
Detract from has the sense of taking something away from another thing so that it is made to look less effective. In your sentence the remark/assertion removes the reader's interest from the main argument and in this way tends to devalue it.
Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Not Really |
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Alan
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| Mon Jan 30, 2006 14:31 pm Detract from someone's argument |
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| So, if I understand correctly, if an assertion detracts least from the author's argument, it means this assertion agrees most with the author's point? |
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cooliegirly
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Posts: 256
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| Mon Jan 30, 2006 14:45 pm Detracts |
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Hi cooliegirly,
Well - I suppose so. A strange way of putting it. I think I need to know the whole context to give a considered opinion.
Alan
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Alan
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