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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
A pronoun problem
a pronoun problem
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
In the 1970s many intellectuals had become political radicals. Marxism was correct, liberalism was for wimps, and Marx had pronounced that “the ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.” The traditional misgivings about human nature were folded into a hard-left ideology, and scientists who examined the human mind in a biological context were now considered tools of a reactionary establishment. The critics announced they were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group.
I'd like to ask what the underlined 'they' stands for.
It seems to represent 'scientists' and the next underlined 'the group' also does.
Am I right?
(The reason I'm posting this thread is that I cannot rule out the possibility of the underlined 'they' referring to 'the critics'.)
Regards.
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
In the 1970s many intellectuals had become political radicals. Marxism was correct, liberalism was for wimps, and Marx had pronounced that “the ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.” The traditional misgivings about human nature were folded into a hard-left ideology, and scientists who examined the human mind in a biological context were now considered tools of a reactionary establishment. The critics announced they were part of a “radical science movement,” giving us a convenient label for the group.
I'd like to ask what the underlined 'they' stands for.
It seems to represent 'scientists' and the next underlined 'the group' also does.
Am I right?
(The reason I'm posting this thread is that I cannot rule out the possibility of the underlined 'they' referring to 'the critics'.)
Regards.
Top answer
Perhaps it would become clearer if I had time to read all the text in your link. But I don't. In terms of sensible meaning, I'm not sure.
- Perhaps it would become clearer if I had time to read all the text in your link.
- But I don't.
- In terms of sensible meaning, I'm not sure.
- If the reference is to 'scientists who .
- .
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2 Answers
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The intended meaning is not clear to me .Perhaps it would become clearer if I had time to read all the text in your link. But I don't.
In terms only of grammar, 'they' refers to 'the critics'
.In terms of sensible meaning, I'm not sure. If the reference is to 'scientists who . .
In terms only of grammar, 'they' refers to 'the critics'
.In terms of sensible meaning, I'm not sure. If the reference is to 'scientists who . .
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