The actual cost, regrettably, is being borne by ...

[svetlana14]

The source is Reddit. Does such a paraphrase work for you? Would you use it as an English speakers community? The original text is The true price, however, is being paid in Ukrainian blood. And that's not a price I can stomach.

The paraphrase (two options) is as follows.

1. The actual cost, regrettably, is being borne by the Ukrainian people in the form of human lives. This is a cost that is difficult for me to reconcile with.


2. The real deal is, it’s the folks in Ukraine who are paying the price, and man, that’s just too hard to swallow.

 

[teechar]

Did you get AI help in writing the paraphrase?

 

[svetlana14]

Did you get AI help in writing the paraphrase?

Yes. I asked it to set two tones: a diplomatic and a more friendly and relaxed way of discussing the topic. However, as you understand, the AI has not generated the original text. I have found an interesting way of reading Reddit (UK) posts with comments, trying to convert them into a form of discussion/conversation. By doing this, I am trying to avoid "scripted" and journalistic things like BBC and CNN articles and delve into a more relaxed atmosphere. Where it is appropriate, I get AI help.

 

[teechar]

The original sentence was short and pretty straightforward. Try to paraphrase it yourself (without help from AI).

 

[svetlana14]

The original sentence was short and pretty straightforward. Try to paraphrase it yourself (without help from AI).

The life of Ukrainians is priceless to bargain with. Nothing gonna change my mind.

 

[teechar]

No.

The life of Ukrainians is priceless to bargain with.

Go back to the original text. What does "price" in it refer to?

Nothing gonna change my mind.

Again, in the original text, the key word in the last part is "stomach".
Take a look at the entry for it as a verb here:

stomach

1. an organ in the body where food is digested, or the soft front part of your…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Can you think of similar words?

 

[svetlana14]

No.

Go back to the original text. What does "price" in it refer to?

Again, in the original text, the key word in the last part is "stomach".
Take a look at the entry for it as a verb here:

stomach

1. an organ in the body where food is digested, or the soft front part of your…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Can you think of similar words?

The inevitable result is the blood of Ukrainians, which I cannot swallow (the throat is the part of the body).

 

[teechar]

1- No. Look at the sentence before:
"The money we have sent to Ukraine was an absolute bargain considering what we got for it".
Then comes:
"The true price, however, is being paid in Ukrainian blood".
Thus, they are talking about the cost of the war. Try using this word in your sentence.

2- For the second part, the word I was thinking of is "bear" (as a paraphrase of "stomach"). You can use that, or you can simply say "which I find totally unacceptable".
Try again.

 

[svetlana14]

1- No. Look at the sentence before:
"The money we have sent to Ukraine was an absolute bargain considering what we got for it".
Then comes:
"The true price, however, is being paid in Ukrainian blood".
Thus, they are talking about the cost of the war. Try using this word in your sentence.

2- For the second part, the word I was thinking of is "bear" (as a paraphrase of "stomach"). You can use that, or you can simply say "which I find totally unacceptable".
Try again.

But the cost has been already suggested by AI in my original post. 1. The actual cost, regrettably, is being borne by the Ukrainian people in the form of human lives. This is a cost that is difficult for me to reconcile with. I suggest - I cannot take it/it is against my religion) that Ukrainians will pay with their lives/sacrifice their lives.

 

[teechar]

But the cost has been already suggested by AI in my original post. 1. The actual cost, regrettably, is being borne by the Ukrainian people in the form of human lives. This is a cost that is difficult for me to reconcile with.

You can still use it, but I wanted you to come up with it in your own sentence, not to use a sentence made up by AI.

I suggest - I cannot take it/it is against my religion) that Ukrainians will pay with their lives/sacrifice their lives.

Try: I find it unconscionable that Ukrainians are paying for this war with their lives.

 

[svetlana14]

You can still use it, but I wanted you to come up with it in your own sentence, not to use a sentence made up by AI.

Try: I find it unconscionable that Ukrainians are paying for this war with their lives.

As the general approach concerns, if due to various reasons (including various energy disruptions in Ukraine) I cannot afford a teacher right now to coordinate my regular learning process in the way you're assisting me (and even if due to many reasons you do not like to involve AI in the learning process) what is the best way you think to proceed (given my circumstances - certainly, I do not want and expect to ask the forum's teachers each time I do not understand something). Again, I find it interesting to read British and American general forums (Reddit UK), which are loaded with various topics, to pick up a lot of colloquial expressions and turn them into my active vocabulary. And where AI comes into play - I ask it to turn a couple of paragraphs into a friendly or more professional discussion. And finally, I get its assistance for paraphrasing a couple of expressions that I see as the most interesting or otherwise important for me. And certainly, I request its assistance in case I do not understand something. Overall, I am trying not to instruct AI to create something from a general idea, remembering your comments that it generates a sort of script or theatrical performance. I would be grateful for your advice.

 

[teechar]

As the general approach concerns,

That's not natural in English. It means nothing. Perhaps you mean: "Given the/my circumstances".

if due to various reasons (including various energy electricity/power disruptions in Ukraine), I cannot afford a teacher right now to coordinate my regular learning process in the way you're assisting me (and even if due to many reasons you do not like to involve AI in the learning process). What is the best way you think to proceed

(given my circumstances - certainly, I do not want and expect to ask the forum's teachers each time I do not understand something).

There's no problem with that. You can ask! Sometimes, we ask members not to flood the forum, which means not to have more than five or six threads actively been discussed at any one time.

Again, I find it interesting to read British and American general forums (Reddit UK), which are loaded with various topics, to pick up a lot of colloquial expressions and turn them into my active vocabulary.

OK, but just beware that the standard and quality of English on such sites might not be the best. Not all the participants are native or competent speakers of English.
I suggest you read online newspapers and magazines. Also, watch TV series, especially if they have English subtitles.

And where AI comes into play - I ask it to turn a couple of paragraphs into a friendly or more professional discussion.

I'm never in favour of AI when it comes to language learning. I much prefer to see the student challenge themselves instead of asking a robot for help.

And finally, I get its assistance for paraphrasing a couple of expressions that I see as the most interesting or otherwise important for me.

Paraphrasing is not always easy, but there are a couple of useful tricks which you can easily learn and become good at with practice.

And certainly, I request its assistance in case I do not understand something.

That might be okay. I mean just to ask an AI assistant what something means.

Overall, I am trying not to instruct AI to create something from a general idea, remembering your comments that it generates a sort of script or theatrical performance.

I would be grateful for your advice.

And we look forward to your questions/posts.