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Soonhow Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Why 'studies', rather than 'study'
I have a couple of questions in the sentence below. Thank you for your in help in advance.
Our first studies sought to determine whether the increase in serotonin observed in rats given a large injection of the amico acid tryptophar might also occur after rats ate meals that change tryptophar level in the blood.
1 Why is says 'Our first studies', rather than first study. I thought first means singular?
2 'after rats ate meals that change tryptophar level in the blood.' - Does the word 'that' here modifies noun meals, or the whole main clause ' rat ate meals'? The latter one makes more sense but I thought that can only modif a word in the main clause?
Thanks
Hao
Our first studies sought to determine whether the increase in serotonin observed in rats given a large injection of the amico acid tryptophar might also occur after rats ate meals that change tryptophar level in the blood.
1 Why is says 'Our first studies', rather than first study. I thought first means singular?
2 'after rats ate meals that change tryptophar level in the blood.' - Does the word 'that' here modifies noun meals, or the whole main clause ' rat ate meals'? The latter one makes more sense but I thought that can only modif a word in the main clause?
Thanks
Hao
Top answer
soonhow . I thought first means singular? Not at all; it can be the first set of any number in series: My first two wives were Americans .
- soonhow .
- I thought first means singular?
- Not at all; it can be the first set of any number in series: My first two wives were Americans .
- The first ten years of this century have been troubled ones .
- ' - Does the word 'that' here modifies noun meals, or the whole main clause ' rat ate meals'?
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3 Answers
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soonhow. I thought first means singular?Not at all; it can be the first set of any number in series: My first two wives were Americans. The first ten years of this century have been troubled ones.
soonhowafter rats ate meals that change tryptophar level in the blood.' - Does the word 'that' here modifies noun meals, or
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Thanks. Regarding to your last point:
Not to me; it is the meals that change the typtophar level in the rats' blood.
I was confused as I thought the meal itself placed on table won't change anything. The change was made only after the meal was ate by rat. Did I think it in the wrong way? Thanks
Not to me; it is the meals that change the typtophar level in the rats' blood.
I was confused as I thought the meal itself placed on table won't change anything. The change was made only after the meal was ate by rat. Did I think it in the wrong way? Thanks
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soonhow Did I think it in the wrong way?Yes; you are thinking too literally. We don't worry about the table; we know the rats eat the meal.
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