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Taka Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
ellipsis?
In most animals, partial sensory deprivation can lead to hallucinations, and extreme deprivation to madness; the 'thoughts' of the monkey's brain may not have been meaningful or clear thoughts, but nerve cells firing randomely.
About the part in bold, is it:
(1) the 'thoughts' of the monkey's brain may have been nerve cells firing randomely.
(2) nerve cells may have been firing randomely
About the part in bold, is it:
(1) the 'thoughts' of the monkey's brain may have been nerve cells firing randomely.
(2) nerve cells may have been firing randomely
Top answer
Hi Taka I'd interpret it this way: not ... e. but rather the random firing of nerve cells) So, (1) would be closer to my interpretation.
- Hi Taka I'd interpret it this way: not ...
- e.
- but rather the random firing of nerve cells) So, (1) would be closer to my interpretation.
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4 Answers
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Hi Taka
I'd interpret it this way:
not ... thoughts, but (rather) nerve cells firing randomly (i.e. but rather the random firing of nerve cells)
So, (1) would be closer to my interpretation.
I'd interpret it this way:
not ... thoughts, but (rather) nerve cells firing randomly (i.e. but rather the random firing of nerve cells)
So, (1) would be closer to my interpretation.
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OK. Thank you, Amy!
Amy, your version, 'thoughts might have been the random firing' is easy to follow. But don't you think 'thoughts might have been nerves' sounds a bit awkward? Or does it sound perfectly natural to you?
Amy, your version, 'thoughts might have been the random firing' is easy to follow. But don't you think 'thoughts might have been nerves' sounds a bit awkward? Or does it sound perfectly natural to you?
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Hi Taka
The parallelism with 'the random firing of nerve cells' may be better, but I didn't have any trouble following the original wording. If I'd been reading the article with that sentence in it, I doubt I'd have given the sentence structure a second thought -- probably because it seems easy to equate 'meaningful/clear thought' with 'nerve cells that are not simply firing randomly'.
The parallelism with 'the random firing of nerve cells' may be better, but I didn't have any trouble following the original wording. If I'd been reading the article with that sentence in it, I doubt I'd have given the sentence structure a second thought -- probably because it seems easy to equate 'meaningful/clear thought' with 'nerve cells that are not simply firing randomly'.
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