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Rose Bowl Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
What does "but these its own workings" mean?
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had
roamed in its forlornness up the hill, like an evil spirit, seeking
rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist,
it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly
followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an
unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out
everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its
own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the
labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
roamed in its forlornness up the hill, like an evil spirit, seeking
rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist,
it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly
followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an
unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out
everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its
own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the
labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
Top answer
e. the visible ripples and waves) that the mist itself created".
- e.
- the visible ripples and waves) that the mist itself created".
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4 Answers
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I think it means something like "except for those things, or artefacts, (i.e. the visible ripples and waves) that the mist itself created".
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Shouldn't there have been a comma between these and its own workings? I don't understand how "these" can precede "its".
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nevermind, it is probably because of "but". thank you, i was wondering why there was no comma.
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I see what you're saying about the comma. In some similar structures a comma might be thought desirable:
"It's a shame it rained on this, our wedding day"
"I wouldn't expect this from you, my own wife!"
In your sentence, a comma isn't beneficial in my opinion. It seems to disrupt the flow somehow, by throwing too much emphasis on "these".
"It's a shame it rained on this, our wedding day"
"I wouldn't expect this from you, my own wife!"
In your sentence, a comma isn't beneficial in my opinion. It seems to disrupt the flow somehow, by throwing too much emphasis on "these".
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