Infinik  +  961343 Wed, 04 Nov 09 09:38 AM Hi   The following sentences appears in Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth", first page in prologue.   "The small boys came early to the hanging. It was still dark when the first three or four of them sidled out of the hovels, quiet as cats in their felt boots."   Could anyone tell me what does the word "their" refer to, the first three or four of them or the cats? And why? If it's cats, does "cats in felt boots" have any special implications? I mean cats already walk quitely without boots. Plus, if it's metaphor, I think cats have no fur in their palms---not quite similar to felt boots which have fur as bottoms.     Thanks,   i Infinik Joined on Mon, Jan 14 2008 Full Member 115 Metaphors, Sentences

	Ivanhr  +  961415 Wed, 04 Nov 09 12:05 PM Cats walk quitely. But they are even more quiet when resting in their felt boots. Ivanhr Joined on Fri, Oct 2 2009 Full Member 176 Sentences, Structures

	Yankee  +  961436 Wed, 04 Nov 09 12:56 PM I would automatically assume that the word "their" refers to the small boys (three or four of them) and that the boys were wearing felt boots. The fact that the boys were wearing felt boots helped them to be quiet as cats. In their felt boots, the boys were quiet as cats. Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,494 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Sentences, Structures

	Infinik  +  962024 Thu, 05 Nov 09 02:52 AM That's what I thought on my first read. But I was told that by the way the sentence is structured, "their" should mean "cats" to be more grammartically correct, or otherwise ambiguity arises. Any comment on that? Infinik Sentences, Structures

	Grammar Geek  +  962053 Thu, 05 Nov 09 03:30 AM Okay, in a sentence like "Peter went to meet Mike, looking stylish in his new sunglasses" it's more ambiguous - you're not completely sure who has the new sunglasses, but you'd probably assume it's Peter, since the sentence is about him. But you can't be sure, because either Peter or Mike could wear sunglasses.   But really - do you think that cats wear boots?   (That was one of my favorite books. The bad guys are so, so bad. The good guys suffer so much. And hey, you learn how to build a cathedral in the process.) Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,652 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Structures

	Yankee  +  962065 Thu, 05 Nov 09 03:48 AM Hi Infinik, I understand that point, but I still think that most people would attribute the felt boots to the boys. The way I see it, any ambiguity here probably doesn't actually make much difference anyway. The mention of boots brings feet to mind, and I guess everyone knows how very quietly cats walk. And ultimately that is the picture the author is creating:  walking very quietly -- like cats. Yankee Sentences, Structures

	Yankee  +  962069 Thu, 05 Nov 09 03:54 AM Grammar Geek “But really - do you think that cats where boots?” Sorry, Barb, but I just couldn't resist reminding you of "Puss In Boots".  Yankee Sentences, Structures, Apologies

	Grammar Geek  +  962076 Thu, 05 Nov 09 03:57 AM Since it's almost bedtime, I now have visions of Antonio Banderas to keep me company. Thank you for that! Grammar Geek

	Yankee  +  962077 Thu, 05 Nov 09 04:01 AM Yes, that should make for some sweet dreams. Yankee Sentences, Structures