I have made up (1) below.
(1) Jack is jealous that Jim always gets all of their parents' attention.
My non-native English speaking friends' revision is (2) below.
(2) Jack is jealous that Jim always gets all the attention from their parents.
I don't understand why my phrase in bold is wrong. My friends think it makes my sentence sound confusing. Please help me. Thank you very much.
all the attention from their parents vs all of their parents' attention
Moderator: Alan
-
- Top
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Mon May 18, 2020 9:18 pm
- Status: Learner of English
- Alan
- Teacher/Moderator
- Posts: 15476
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:56 pm
- Status: Teacher of English
- Location: Japan
Re: all the attention from their parents vs all of their parents' attention
#1 is not wrong, and, since it is generally understood that people have no more than 2 parents, not even potentially confusing.
However, if in some specific case there were any doubt regarding the number of parents, the sentence could be more precisely - if less felicitously - rephrased as follows:
Jack is jealous that Jim always gets all of the attention of both of their parents.
However, if in some specific case there were any doubt regarding the number of parents, the sentence could be more precisely - if less felicitously - rephrased as follows:
Jack is jealous that Jim always gets all of the attention of both of their parents.