Taka  +  375906 Wed, 06 Jun 07 04:18 PM Seeing her daughter every night and morning, without fail, look into the mirror, and seem to talk with it, her father at length asked her the reason for her strange behavior. What people do you think are involved here? (1)a mother; the mother's daughter; and the mother's father(i.e. the daughter's grandfather) (2)a mother; the mother's daughter; and the daughter's father (3)either, depending its context Taka Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004 Japan Senior Member 2,625

	Feebs11  +  375920 Wed, 06 Jun 07 05:07 PM Without context, it would be almost impossible to say. Feebs11 Joined on Thu, Nov 23 2006 UK Veteran Member 5,015

	nona the brit  +  375922 Wed, 06 Jun 07 05:09 PM ugh. That hurt my brain. Only 1 is comfortable for me, but I suppose I could stretch it to finding sense in 2 as well. nona the brit Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004 England Veteran Member 11,713 The name says it all.

	Taka  +  375928 Wed, 06 Jun 07 05:36 PM  Nona The Brit wrote: ugh. That hurt my brain. Only 1 is comfortable for me, but I suppose I could stretch it to finding sense in 2 as well. How would you stretch it to finding sense in 2, nona? Taka

	nona the brit  +  375941 Wed, 06 Jun 07 05:50 PM I suppose I just wanted to force some meaning into it. I can't make it work now...it involved some complicated situation where the mother and/or father also had children with other people. nona the brit

	Taka  +  375973 Wed, 06 Jun 07 06:44 PM  Nona The Brit wrote: I suppose I just wanted to force some meaning into it. I can't make it work now...it involved some complicated situation where the mother and/or father also had children with other people. I see. Now, nona, could I ask something grammatical? My book says both 'every night and morning' and 'without fail' modify 'look into the mirror', but do you think it's really so? I think they both modify 'seeing her daughter'... Taka

	nona the brit  +  375980 Wed, 06 Jun 07 07:13 PM Ah I saw it as modifying looking in the mirror. nona the brit

	Kooyeen  +  375982 Wed, 06 Jun 07 07:21 PM  Taka wrote: Seeing her daughter every night and morning, without fail, look into the mirror, and seem to talk with it, her father at length asked her the reason for her strange behavior. I'd say a doughter and her father (or a father and his daughter, which is the same). Kooyeen Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005 Italy Senior Member 4,970 Parental Advisory / Explicit Posts

	Old Man Gordon  +  375986 Wed, 06 Jun 07 07:32 PM I'll take number one.  I think the logical antecedent of the last her is the first her and second her, even though the daughter is the first noun.  eg.  I love her daughter and her cooking.  The best interpretation is that I love the daughter's mother's cooking.  But I could be wrong. Unless the mother is a transvestite, then I'll say (4) A human and his/her/its offspring. Either way, I'm going to ask for a new author, preferably one who uses less commas. Old Man Gordon Joined on Fri, Mar 16 2007 Full Member 410 Nouns, Commas