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Pleasehelp Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Complex sentence
He dreamt of walking in a flowering wood where birds flew before them he and the child and the sky was/were aching blue but he was learning how to wake himself from just such siren worlds.
It was written with was but shouldn't it be were?
It was written with was but shouldn't it be were?
Top answer
The 'was' probably refers only to the sky and not to the 'he and the child' (they're without a verb). I can't be sure of that but it seems possible to me. This is not entirely uncommon in poetry.
- The 'was' probably refers only to the sky and not to the 'he and the child' (they're without a verb).
- I can't be sure of that but it seems possible to me.
- This is not entirely uncommon in poetry.
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12 Answers
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The 'was' probably refers only to the sky and not to the 'he and the child' (they're without a verb). I can't be sure of that but it seems possible to me. This is not entirely uncommon in poetry.
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pleasehelpHe dreamt of walking in a flowering wood where birds flew before them he and the child and the sky was/were aching blue but he was learning how to wake himself from just such siren worlds.Where are the grammar wizards?
It was written with was but shouldn't it be were?
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He dreamt of walking in a flowering wood where birds flew before them he and the child and the sky was/were aching blue but he was learning how to wake himself from just such siren worlds.
It was written with was but shouldn't it be were?
It was written with was but shouldn't it be were?
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Yes. The child and the sky were aching blue. ??
Okay, He dreamt of walking in a flowering wood where birds flew.
Don't we need some punctuation here? Does "before them" go with "flew," or with "he and the child"?
"Where birds flew before them," or "Before them, he and the child and the sky were aching blue."
"But he was learning how to wake himself from just
Okay, He dreamt of walking in a flowering wood where birds flew.
Don't we need some punctuation here? Does "before them" go with "flew," or with "he and the child"?
"Where birds flew before them," or "Before them, he and the child and the sky were aching blue."
"But he was learning how to wake himself from just
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AvangiDon't we need some punctuation here? Does "before them" go with "flew," or with "he and the child"?It's written without any punctuation and was is used in the book not were before aching blue...
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I think you need to decide what it is you're trying to do with this thing. If it's completely free from rules, then how can you fix it?
(Actually, I was under the impression you had written it.)
(Actually, I was under the impression you had written it.)
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I'd call it "stream of consciousness in the extreme." It seems to have very little regard for the poor reader.
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May I humbly suggest that the "correct" sentence might be something like: He dreamed of walking ina flowering wood where birds flew before them (him and the child), and the sky was aching blue, but he .... In other words, the phrase "he and the child" is in apposition to "them." (Of course, "correct" English calls for "him," but anything is allowed in poetry or music.) *** Mr. Moderator: Would yo
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