[lit-ideas] Re: I shall appreciate the opinion of native speaker sof English on the correctness fo the judgment in the last line (to the effect that the sentence can mean and can only mean THE BOY WHO LOST IS LEFT

  • From: "Adriano Palma" <Palma@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:21:34 +0200

** For Your Eyes Only **
** High Priority **
** Reply Requested by 11/22/2011 (Tuesday) **

thank you, your judgment does indeed accord with the theory, not being a native 
I prefer to 'double' check my own judgments. thank you M. McCreery
 


>>> John McCreery <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx> 11/22/2011 4:25 PM >>>
To me it would not mean the boy who is lost left.
It could mean is the boy who lost [the game] still here?
It could also mean is the boy who lost [the game, fight, whatever] left 
[speaking of political parties].

The critical difference is between "the boy who is lost," i.e. confused about 
which direction to go, can't find his parents, etc., and "the boy who lost," 
which assumes a game or fight or some other rivalrous activity.

JOhn

On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 9:40 PM, Adriano Palma <Palma@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Is the boy who
lost left 
fails to have the following interpretation: 
(is it the case that) the boy who is lost left?
Why does this string only mean: 




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