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Contraposition Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary
could no sooner have done ... than
What does the highlighted sentence mean? Could you please paraphrase it?
Top answer
The probability of Harry's picking the exit door was as low as the probability of his locating a black ant on a black floor.
- The probability of Harry's picking the exit door was as low as the probability of his locating a black ant on a black floor.
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4 Answers
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The probability of Harry's picking the exit door was as low as the probability of his locating a black ant on a black floor.
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contrapositionparaphrase itHe had little or no ability to detect a black ant against the background of a black floor.
The same was true for his ability to pick which door was the exit door. He had little or no ability to do it.
Similarly,
A pig could no sooner understand calculus than it could fly.
CJ
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CalifJimA pig could no sooner understand calculus than it could fly.Does it make much difference to the meaning to replace 'sooner' with 'more'?
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"Sooner" is idiomatic.
"More" is ok; the meaning is pretty much the same.
"More" is ok; the meaning is pretty much the same.
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