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We say something like

He is no ordinary human being.

This phrasing gives the negative more emphasis than usually given by negation device "not"

He is not an ordinary human being.

It is this added emphasis that I am trying to induce in the following sentence, but I have some doubts as to the usage of "no" after the verb "makes"

Her mastery of French makes her no typical member of the laity.

May I have some feedback on the sentence, please?

Thank you.

PS: And if the sentence is Ok, would the following sound better:

Her mastery of French makes of her no typical member of the laity.

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2 Answers 2

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I think there's nothing wrong grammatically with the following sentence:

Her mastery of French makes her no typical member of the laity.

On the other hand, the other sentence with the use of the phrasal verb "make of" doesn't sound correct in the sentence as someone makes something/someone of, not something makes someone/something of. You use the phrasal verb to express your opinion about or how you understand someone/something.

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As a native US English speaker, I think the intended meaning (emphasizing the negative) comes across better if you say

Her mastery of French makes her no ordinary member of the laity.

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