Is this sentence grammatically correct? Does it sound natural to you?
Hi friends,

Is the following sentence grammatically correct? I just translated a proverb in my native language to English. Is it correct to say “the bad” and “the worse” like "the unknown"?

"witnessing the bad” is better than “inviting the worse”.

Thanks in advance,
Niwantha

Question

Is this sentence grammatically correct? Does it sound natural to you?
Hi friends,

Is the following sentence grammatically correct? I just translated a proverb in my native language to English. Is it correct to say “the bad” and “the worse” like "the unknown"?

"witnessing the bad” is better than “inviting the worse”.

Thanks in advance,
Niwantha

Answer

SarahC   explained it in detail ..  Totally agreed.

Answer

Thank you all! Stay safe!

Answer

Hi there Niwantha,

As I'm sure you're aware, idioms are notoriously difficult to directly translate word for word as they often lose their intended meaning.

In this instance that phrase doesn't make gramatical sense even though I can interpret what the meaning might be.

To answer your question 'bad' or 'worse' are generally always followed by an adjective.

Answer

Hi Niwantha. It doesn't translate literally because 'the worse' doesn't mean 'the unknown. We have an idiom in English that is very similar - 'It's better the devil you know, thank the devil you don't'. Look it up and let me know what you think! Best wishes, Sarah

Answer

Sure! Just be aware that when you say "the bad" there is an hidden noun after it: witnessing the bad (people - acts - etc.)

Answers · 6

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