runner5511717  +  36073 Tue, 06 Jul 04 07:30 AM Dear all, I came acoss the below question. Only one of the following four parentheses was wrong. In art, caricature is a pictorial (representation which) the physical features (of) a person (or object) have been grossly exaggerated for (comic effect). The answer was (representation which). it should be reworded as (representation in which). But I get confused: Why didn't we pick (or object) instead? Inferred from the word "object", I'd directly add "an" object to come with a person. So we get the physical features of a person or an object have been grossly exaggerated for comic effect. Can anyone explain why? Thank you so much. runner5511717 Joined on Sun, May 9 2004 New Member 10

	Nestor  +  36110 Tue, 06 Jul 04 03:22 PM runner (numbers)-- Although I don't see anything in the dictionary that specifically prohibits 'caricature' from being applied to objects, the word most often refers to a satiric or exaggerated portrait of a person. But, my dictionary also lists 'literary style, etc.' as possible objects of caricature. So, you're right; 'or object' is OK. I think you have encountered a poor test or homework question. Nestor Nestor Joined on Mon, Mar 29 2004 Greensboro, North Carolina, US Junior Member 70

	miriam  +  36248 Wed, 07 Jul 04 11:06 AM Hello, runner I don't know if this will be very easy to understand. It will depend, perhaps, on how familiar you are with syntactic analisis. "a person or object" is a noun phrase which has two heads: person and object. Both heads appear in coordination (linked by the conjunction "or"). The indefinite article "a" doesn't modify the noun "person" only; it modifies the whole construction "person or object". "a" is a premodifier of the whole noun phrase and, within that construction are the two heads (nouns). The construction "a person or an object", which you suggested, is also possible. Both are grammatically correct. Miriam miriam Joined on Mon, May 10 2004 Argentina Regular Member 821 "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." Plato Articles, Constructions, Nouns, Noun Phrases, Indefinite Articles, Definite Articles