--- In [email protected], new.morning <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote:
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <sparaig@> wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jstein@> 
> > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <sparaig@> 
> > wrote:
> > <snip>
> > 
> > > > > Nectar is NOT "sweet 
> > > > > > poison." In fact, it is worse than normal poison.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Huh??  MMY said ayurveda turns normal poison
> > > > > into worse than normal poison?
> > > > 
> > > > Nevermind, I got it.  "It" in the last sentence
> > > > refers to "sweet poison," not nectar, right?
> > > 
> > > Yeah. An interesting problem with the English language.
> > > Does "it" in the second senttence refer to the most recent 
> > > subject,  or to the most recent noun?
> > 
> > I don't know whether there's an actual rule,
> > but the problem here is that you have three
> > nouns all referring to similar substances,
> > and you're attempting to elucidate the 
> > relationships between them.  There aren't
> > any clues as to the antecedent of the 
> > pronoun, as there would be if you were to
> > say, for example, "The bee stung the dog.
> > It howled and ran away."
> > 
> > I think that's what caused my confusion.
> >
> I learned pronouns always refer to the LAST reference. Has that changed?
>

I recall that being the rule also, but obviously it isn't hard and fast. We 
should all just 
speak Classical Latin and be done with it.


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