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“From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success.” - is this grammatically acceptable?

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I am grappling with a sentence here, which is rather poetic in nature and is way beyond my intuitive knowledge of English. Please help!

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The contextual meaning is that there were three attempts made and only one of them was successful. It was successful because the chance was affirmed.

Is the sentence in question grammatically correct? Or can it be rephrased for compactness: "A single of three attempts affirmed the chance for success."

Thank you!

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

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  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The clearest formulation I can think of is "One of three attempts succeeded." To me, "affirmed the chance" sounds unnatural and doesn't add to the meaning.
  
  – Andreas Blass
  Jul 14 '18 at 1:43
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Sorry, Misha; you’re missing all that matters. Far from “poetic” your “From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success" is simply unacceptable. “… of success" might work. “… for success" shows the author is not an educated native speaker. To discuss three attempts of which only one was successful you need a site dealing with literature, not language. To discuss what was successful because a chance was affirmed you need a site dealing with philosophy. Here the phrase is not correct, nor could it be rephrased as you hoped.
  
  – Robbie Goodwin
  Aug 1 '18 at 21:39
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

0

I am grappling with a sentence here, which is rather poetic in nature and is way beyond my intuitive knowledge of English. Please help!

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The contextual meaning is that there were three attempts made and only one of them was successful. It was successful because the chance was affirmed.

Is the sentence in question grammatically correct? Or can it be rephrased for compactness: "A single of three attempts affirmed the chance for success."

Thank you!

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The clearest formulation I can think of is "One of three attempts succeeded." To me, "affirmed the chance" sounds unnatural and doesn't add to the meaning.
  
  – Andreas Blass
  Jul 14 '18 at 1:43
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Sorry, Misha; you’re missing all that matters. Far from “poetic” your “From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success" is simply unacceptable. “… of success" might work. “… for success" shows the author is not an educated native speaker. To discuss three attempts of which only one was successful you need a site dealing with literature, not language. To discuss what was successful because a chance was affirmed you need a site dealing with philosophy. Here the phrase is not correct, nor could it be rephrased as you hoped.
  
  – Robbie Goodwin
  Aug 1 '18 at 21:39
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

I am grappling with a sentence here, which is rather poetic in nature and is way beyond my intuitive knowledge of English. Please help!

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The contextual meaning is that there were three attempts made and only one of them was successful. It was successful because the chance was affirmed.

Is the sentence in question grammatically correct? Or can it be rephrased for compactness: "A single of three attempts affirmed the chance for success."

Thank you!

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

share|improve this question

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

share|improve this question

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

asked Jul 14 '18 at 0:43

MishaMisha

41

2 Answers
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"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The sentence is grammatically sound, but semantically a little confusing.

I wouldn't use single here, as a single one suggests a rare outlier amongst many, not just one of three. Also, it is not success that is affirmed, but rather the chance of success. My interpretation and rephrasing of the sentence would be:

"One of three attempts proved success was possible."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 14 '18 at 6:55

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

add a comment | 

0

'affirmed' is more of a declaration, but the declarer is an abstract noun: 'attempt', so isn't logical. A better word would be 'guaranteed' if the chance of success is definite, or 'offered' if it is not. 'chance of' is redundant.

share|improve this answer

edited Aug 13 '18 at 10:20

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

add a comment | 

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0

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The sentence is grammatically sound, but semantically a little confusing.

I wouldn't use single here, as a single one suggests a rare outlier amongst many, not just one of three. Also, it is not success that is affirmed, but rather the chance of success. My interpretation and rephrasing of the sentence would be:

"One of three attempts proved success was possible."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 14 '18 at 6:55

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

add a comment | 

0

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The sentence is grammatically sound, but semantically a little confusing.

I wouldn't use single here, as a single one suggests a rare outlier amongst many, not just one of three. Also, it is not success that is affirmed, but rather the chance of success. My interpretation and rephrasing of the sentence would be:

"One of three attempts proved success was possible."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 14 '18 at 6:55

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

add a comment | 

"From three attempts a single one affirmed the chance for success."

The sentence is grammatically sound, but semantically a little confusing.

I wouldn't use single here, as a single one suggests a rare outlier amongst many, not just one of three. Also, it is not success that is affirmed, but rather the chance of success. My interpretation and rephrasing of the sentence would be:

"One of three attempts proved success was possible."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 14 '18 at 6:55

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 14 '18 at 6:55

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

answered Jul 14 '18 at 6:41

pablopaulpablopaul

1,248211

0

'affirmed' is more of a declaration, but the declarer is an abstract noun: 'attempt', so isn't logical. A better word would be 'guaranteed' if the chance of success is definite, or 'offered' if it is not. 'chance of' is redundant.

share|improve this answer

edited Aug 13 '18 at 10:20

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

add a comment | 

0

'affirmed' is more of a declaration, but the declarer is an abstract noun: 'attempt', so isn't logical. A better word would be 'guaranteed' if the chance of success is definite, or 'offered' if it is not. 'chance of' is redundant.

share|improve this answer

edited Aug 13 '18 at 10:20

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

add a comment | 

'affirmed' is more of a declaration, but the declarer is an abstract noun: 'attempt', so isn't logical. A better word would be 'guaranteed' if the chance of success is definite, or 'offered' if it is not. 'chance of' is redundant.

share|improve this answer

edited Aug 13 '18 at 10:20

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

share|improve this answer

edited Aug 13 '18 at 10:20

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013

answered Aug 13 '18 at 10:06

cloudsafecloudsafe

1013