Timeline for Should I say something (plural) were v+ed with something (singular)?

6 events

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Oct 15, 2014 at 13:39	comment	added	TimR		`Expressions of praise were spoken rapidly.` is good.
Oct 15, 2014 at 13:38	comment	added	TimR		When this question is understood in conjunction with his other question about acoustic measurements, I'm inclined to agree with you, Jay, but I did not see that question until after I'd left my comment above.
Oct 15, 2014 at 13:24	comment	added	Jay		@TRomano Well, the poster's intended meaning appears to me to be that the words of praise were spoken rapidly, not that they said many words of praise or that the delay before they began praising whomever was short. I'd suggest, "Expressions of praise were spoken rapidly" or "... at a rapid-fire rate".
Oct 15, 2014 at 12:48	comment	added	TimR		I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to convey with "relatively fast speaking rates". Also, I'm no fan of passive constructions in general; I find them usually unclear in one way or another. Here are some possibilities: Praise was effusive or People were quick to praise. The first means that praise (from various sources) was heaped upon or lavished upon {someone} and the second means that people instantly perceived that some act\|deed or some person was praiseworthy, and they praised it or him\|her.
Oct 15, 2014 at 12:30	comment	added	Ping Tang		So how to rephrase this sentence to be more idiomatic? As: Praising expressions were spoken with relatively fast speaking rates. ?
Oct 15, 2014 at 12:21	history	answered	TimR	CC BY-SA 3.0