trail a sweater from one hand / to plaster to

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Selecter

#340839 Mon, 19 Mar 07 01:29 PM

Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed¹ it now² from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered³ to his forehead.

1. What does 'trail' mean in this context?
2. Why is 'now' there? What it could possibly mean? then = now(in the past)?
3. Why the author used the word 'plastered' here?
4. Guess the title of the book not using a search engine :-) Hint: modern classic

Selecter

Joined on Fri, Jan 20 2006

Slavic Russia

Full Member (296)

Please correct my mistakes if there are any.

Mister Micawber

#340872 Mon, 19 Mar 07 01:56 PM

1-- drag on the ground behind
2-- 'now' means now, at the moment.
3-- 'plastered' is a common word choice here, where his damp hair is stuck closely upon his head, like wet plaster on a wall.
4-- I am not interested in thinking about it.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,223)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Selecter

#340994 Mon, 19 Mar 07 07:31 PM

Mister Micawber wrote:

1-- drag on the ground behind
2-- 'now' means now, at the moment.
3-- 'plastered' is a common word choice here, where his damp hair is stuck closely upon his head, like wet plaster on a wall.
4-- I am not interested in thinking about it.

1. "trail a sweater from one hand". Why 'from'? Why not 'in'?
2. So, 'now' can be used in a sentence with a verb in the past tense?
3. It's good you mentioned that 'is plastered' is a common word choice in this sentence.

Selecter

Verbs, Tenses, Past tenses

Feebs11

#341023 Mon, 19 Mar 07 09:14 PM

1. "trail a sweater from one hand". Why 'from'? Why not 'in'? Because the sweater is hanging from the hand and dragging along on the ground. Take a piece of cloth and try it for yourself. It is difficult to hang a piece of cloth in the hand.

2. So, 'now' can be used in a sentence with a verb in the past tense? He has taken off his sweater; the next action is he trails it on the ground. "Now" indicates this sequence of action.

Feebs11

Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006

Senior Member (4,919)

Verbs, Tenses, Past tenses