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Jooney Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Need help with this sentence

Hi,

Please bear in mind it's a bit long.

Precise language, however, is not always precise. Many times, the meaning of a word is other than the dictionary meaning. For example, during the evening sharing of feelings, Lily explains her anger at a boy who visited her school that day but who didn't understand the playground rules. The visitor behaved differently, so Lily and Jonas call him an "animal." To them, the word "animal" means "someone uneducated or clumsy, someone who didn't fit in." However, Lily and Jonas don't really know what an animal is because apparently animals do not exist in their community. That people in the community, because they have never had contact with animals, believe that animals are imaginary can be seen in the comfort objects which Sevens and younger sleep with. Comfort objects are stuffed animals that represent actual animals.

1. I think a simplified version of the underlined sentence would be something like this:

The fact that they believe that animals are imaginary creatures can be seen in their stuffed animals.

2. What is the subject of the sentence?

subject: That people in the community, because they have never had contact with animals, believe that animals are imaginary.

predicate: can be seen in the comfort objects which Sevens and younger sleep with.

3. Why were they baffled when someone called them 'animals'?

Because they believe 'animals' to be some creatures living only in an imaginary world and they find them synonymous with comfy objects like stuffed animals, which have nothing to do with causing harm.

Can someone check my answers please?

p.s. The text was written by a native speaker.
  

Top answer

Hi, Please bear in mind it's a bit long. Precise language, however, is not always precise. Many times, the meaning of a word is other than the dictionary meaning.

  • Hi, Please bear in mind it's a bit long.
  • Precise language, however, is not always precise.
  • Many times, the meaning of a word is other than the dictionary meaning.
  • For example, during the evening sharing of feelings, Lily explains her anger at a boy who visited her school that day but who didn't understand the playground rules.
  • " However, Lily and Jonas don't really know what an animal is because apparently animals do not exist in their community.
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4 Answers
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Hi,

Please bear in mind it's a bit long.

Precise language, however, is not always precise. Many times, the meaning of a word is other than the dictionary meaning. For example, during the evening sharing of feelings, Lily explains her anger at a boy who visited her school that day but who didn't understand the playground rules. The visito
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Thank you for the reply, Clive.

As for #3, I admit I got it all wrong. I'm a little confused though. When they called the boy an 'animal' to criticize his behaviour, they used that particular word because it fit their own definition of 'animal', someone uneducated or clumsy. However, it says later in the passage that their belief that animals are imaginary can be seen in their stuffed
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Hi,

That matter is not clear to me, either.

Clive
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Clive, thank you for the help.Emotion: smile

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