Writing question

[LadyCibelle]

If you read in a story something like

"The next bottles I picked up didn’t do any better for my mood; they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me when I came up with a case of the ‘blues’"

What do you understand by it? Are you gonna ask yourself 'different to what'? Or, are you gonna understand that the writer is refering to truly and simply 'different kinds' of antidepressant?

Please, please, answer.....I have an 'argument' running with my husband.


Here's the whole thing....hope you have enough to get the context:

I picked one up and my stomach sank. The bottle in question had contained thirty pills when it had been prescribed for our son three years ago. He had come home from a ski trip with both legs broken and after they reset them, the doctor had prescribed him some Morphine for the pain. I remember Jason had only taken two or three while the pain was at its worse and the bottle had sat in our medicine cabinet ever since.

Then, there was the bottle of Demerol the doctor had prescribed Joanna for the pain after they tied her tubes two years ago. Joanna had never taken any when I filled the prescription as she said it was making her sleepy and the pain wasn’t so bad anyway.

The next bottles I picked up didn’t do any better for my mood; they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me when I came up with a case of the ‘blues’ a few years back. Every time, I had filled a full prescription and only taken a few to find out they were making me sicker than not taking them.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

If you read in a story something like

"The next bottles I picked up didn’t do any better for my mood; they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me when I came up with a case of the ‘blues’"

What do you understand by it? Are you gonna ask yourself 'different to what'? Or, are you gonna understand that the writer is refering to truly and simply 'different kinds' of antidepressant?

Please, please, answer.....I have an 'argument' running with my husband.

Lady C,

"...they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me..." I don't see anything confusing in that statement. They are different kinds of antidepressants.

 

[kendo1]

I think I would miss out 'the' from 'the different' to make the meaning clearer.

Not that it is totally unclear, but once you get something in your head - it bugs you.

Ken the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly

 

[LadyCibelle]

I think I would miss out 'the' from 'the different' to make the meaning clearer.

Not that it is totally unclear, but once you get something in your head - it bugs you.

Ken the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly

So, Ken, to be clear, you're saying that the instance of 'the' here makes it unclear or just can be confusing to some readers?

 

[rgraham666]

I got this from the sentence.

The narrator picked up some bottles.

The bottles didn't help the narrator's mood.

This is because they contained various anti-depression medications the narrator's doctor had prescribed when the narrator was feeling 'blue'.

My assumption is that the narrator's mood wasn't helped because of all the different medicines they've taken, and how little they helped.

Err, that's it. Should there be more?

 

[LadyCibelle]

Lady C,

"...they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me..." I don't see anything confusing in that statement. They are different kinds of antidepressants.

Thank Jen.

Now the score is one-one.....we'll wait to see how many agree with my husband and how many agree with me.

 

[kendo1]

So, Ken, to be clear, you're saying that the instance of 'the' here makes it unclear

Yep.

It is as if thay were all 'the' different kinds available.

Ken the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly

 

[Guest]

i'm on your side lady C

what's the question again?

 

[LadyCibelle]

I got this from the sentence.

The narrator picked up some bottles.

The bottles didn't help the narrator's mood.

This is because they contained various anti-depression medications the narrator's doctor had prescribed when the narrator was feeling 'blue'.

My assumption is that the narrator's mood wasn't helped because of all the different medicines they've taken, and how little they helped.

Err, that's it. Should there be more?

The question I was asking was.....does saying 'the different kind of antidepressant' make the reader scratch his head wondering 'different to what' or is it clear that it refers to 'different' kinds of pills....all in the family of antidepressant.

 

[LadyCibelle]

i'm on your side lady C

what's the question again?

PMSL Fem....thanks for the vote of confidence though.

Now, please.....answer with your mind..not your heart.

 

[kendo1]

What was the question again?

ken the the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly that is very annoying.

 

[Guest]

PMSL Fem....thanks for the vote of confidence though.

Now, please.....answer with your mind..not your heart.

youre sentence made perfect sense to me

 

[LadyCibelle]

What was the question again?

ken the the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly that is very annoying.

Annoying can be good at times Ken.

 

[rgraham666]

The question I was asking was.....does saying 'the different kind of antidepressant' make the reader scratch his head wondering 'different to what' or is it clear that it refers to 'different' kinds of pills....all in the family of antidepressant.

I see it as different kinds of pills, myself.

 

[3113]

The question I was asking was.....does saying 'the different kind of antidepressant' make the reader scratch his head wondering 'different to what' or is it clear that it refers to 'different' kinds of pills....all in the family of antidepressant.

Actually, when I got half-way through the sentence I thought it was a different kind of bottle...not a different kind of antidepressent. Can you say bottle of pills or pill bottle?

 

[kendo1]

I refer you to my 'yep' post.
I think you missed it while I edited.

Ken the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly

 

[LadyCibelle]

I refer you to my 'yep' post.
I think you missed it while I edited.

Ken the endangered Something-Swallowtail-Blah-Blah Butterfly

Nope....I saw it afterward and I love you anyway!

 

[LadyCibelle]

Actually, when I got half-way through the sentence I thought it was a different kind of bottle...not a different kind of antidepressent. Can you say bottle of pills or pill bottle?

You're joking, trying to annoy me or did you think it was different kind of bottles?

 

[LadyCibelle]

I see it as different kinds of pills, myself.

Thank, Rob.

The question is still up for answer as there as many people who agree as they are who disagree.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Part of the problem is that the line is out of context. A greater context may make it completely clear you mean different kinds of antidepressent medications.

But I still think "...different kinds of antidepressent..." is clear in my mind what you mean.












(I need my meds now...)

 

[kendo1]

I'd go to a different doctor.

Ken

 

[Guest]

(I need my meds now...)

and here i am to make u feel all better

 

[3113]

You're joking, trying to annoy me or did you think it was different kind of bottles?

Not joking or trying to annoy you. The context of the story might make a big difference, but out of context as it is, the first thing that popped to mind when it said, "I picked up a different bottle" was some sort of glass bottle--maybe a beer bottle? I had no idea till I got to the antidepressant part that it was a bottle of pills.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

and here i am to make u feel all better

Awwww... I love you, Fem

 

[LadyCibelle]

Part of the problem is that the line is out of context. A greater context may make it completely clear you mean different kinds of antidepressent medications.

But I still think "...different kinds of antidepressent..." is clear in my mind what you mean.












(I need my meds now...)

Yeah...you've just raised an issue my husband said....so....to make it fair for the both of us......here's the whole thing:

I picked one up and my stomach sank. The bottle in question had contained thirty pills when it had been prescribed for our son three years ago. He had come home from a ski trip with both legs broken and after they reset them, the doctor had prescribed him some Morphine for the pain. I remember Jason had only taken two or three while the pain was at its worse and the bottle had sat in our medicine cabinet ever since.

Then, there was the bottle of Demerol the doctor had prescribed Joanna for the pain after they tied her tubes two years ago. Joanna had never taken any when I filled the prescription as she said it was making her sleepy and the pain wasn’t so bad anyway.

The next bottles I picked up didn’t do any better for my mood; they were the different kinds of antidepressant the doctor had tried on me when I came up with a case of the ‘blues’ a few years back. Every time, I had filled a full prescription and only taken a few to find out they were making me sicker than not taking them.