0
Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #5
The protagonist was attacked by someone on April 30 every year for several years.
And he came to believe the attacker was his best friend Luke.
Now someone is mentioning the serial attacks to him.
"It seemed to me, as an observer, that he quit that business as soon as he got to know you better."
"You means back about the time we became friendly?that wasn't just an act?"
"I couldn't tell for sure then?and he certainly countenanced the years of attacks on you?but I believe that he actually
sabotaged some of them."
["Trumps of Doom" of The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny]
I'd like to know if "back" modifies "about the time."
And I'd like to know why it is "then," not "about that."
Thank you in advance for your help.
And he came to believe the attacker was his best friend Luke.
Now someone is mentioning the serial attacks to him.
"It seemed to me, as an observer, that he quit that business as soon as he got to know you better."
"You means back about the time we became friendly?that wasn't just an act?"
"I couldn't tell for sure then?and he certainly countenanced the years of attacks on you?but I believe that he actually
sabotaged some of them."
["Trumps of Doom" of The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny]
I'd like to know if "back" modifies "about the time."
And I'd like to know why it is "then," not "about that."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
It doesn't seem to me as if "back" modifies "about the time". e. the time when the events in question happened.
- It doesn't seem to me as if "back" modifies "about the time".
- e.
- the time when the events in question happened.
- "I couldn't tell for sure" means "I couldn't tell for sure that he quit the business and it was not just an act".
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
It doesn't seem to me as if "back" modifies "about the time".
"then" means "at that time", i.e. the time when the events in question happened. "I couldn't tell for sure" means "I couldn't tell for sure that he quit the business and it was not just an act".
"then" means "at that time", i.e. the time when the events in question happened. "I couldn't tell for sure" means "I couldn't tell for sure that he quit the business and it was not just an act".
00
Thank you, GPY, for another very kind answer from you. 
Then I'd like to know what role "back" plays here.
Then I'd like to know what role "back" plays here.
00
park sang joon back about the timeback = "in the past." A frequent informal expression (adverb).
Also a story remembering some events a long time ago "back in the days when people lived on potatoes and water"...
park sang joonNow someone is mentioning the serial attacks on him.
par
0
Related Questions