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This book is dreary vs The book was dreary

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "This book is dreary" is used to describe the current state of the book, while "The book was dreary" is used to describe the past state of the book. The choice between the two depends on whether you are talking about the book's current condition or its condition at a specific point in the past.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 965 views

This book is dreary

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe the current state of a book.

Use this phrase to describe the current condition of a book that you find dull, gloomy, or uninteresting.

Examples:

  • This book is dreary; I couldn't get past the first chapter.
  • I'm sorry, but this book is dreary and lacks any excitement.
  • Every black person in this book is dreary, unimaginative and negative. The author managed to cover every stereotype imaginable... The successful but angry  ...
  • This book is dreary, and Kate, the main character, is a woman with no sense of humor, who is very critical of the beauty business. That's fine, and I might have ...
  • This book is dreary, dark, boring, and left me feeling empty and "blue". Ms Tyler's extraordinary talent usually lies in her uncanny ability to make the ...
  • Apr 26, 2011 ... This book is dreary and tedious as fuck. The scenes with Titania and her court were by far the most interesting parts; I even liked Demon Puck!

Alternatives:

  • This book is boring
  • This book is dull
  • This book is uninteresting
  • This book is uninspiring
  • This book is lackluster

The book was dreary

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to describe the past state of a book.

Use this phrase to describe the condition of a book at a specific point in the past that you found dull, gloomy, or uninteresting.

Examples:

  • The book was dreary, but it picked up towards the end.
  • I remember reading that book; it was dreary and depressing.
  • To Nabokov, the book was "dreary conventional stuff." The prizeless author deemed the competing book "a sorry thing, clumsy, trite and melodramatic, with stock ...

Alternatives:

  • The book used to be dreary
  • The book had been dreary
  • The book seemed dreary
  • The book appeared dreary
  • The book felt dreary

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