Timeline for "they were lost" meaning in this context
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
9 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2019 at 22:52 | vote | accept | dan | ||
| Dec 11, 2019 at 9:41 | comment | added | dan | @AIQ Yeah, that 'lost' made me lost. :) | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 9:33 | comment | added | AIQ | Let's ignore "lost" for a moment and replace it with "dead". "the moment anyone entered the room and saw the absence of three prisoners, they were dead" is valid. It's like saying "the moment I find out you are cheating on her, you are a dead man" or "when you hear an explosion, it is time!" That construction is fine. Not sure why the author finds it exciting to write like this - "lost". It certainly isn't fun to read. Others may disagree. | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 9:18 | answer | added | Borgh | timeline score: 1 | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 9:02 | comment | added | dan | @AIQ, if it means "destroyed physically", I think it should be they would be lost, shouldn't it? | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 9:00 | comment | added | dan | @AIQ, Dobby is not a prisoner. He was the one to come to rescue them. | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 8:57 | comment | added | AIQ | I don't get the "absence of three prisoners" thing. Didn't 4 prisoners escape (Dobby, Luna, Dean, and Ollivander)? In Collins, one meaning of "lost" is "destroyed physically" (no. 6 BrE) and "destroyed or ruined physically or morally" (no. 1a AmE). | |
| Dec 11, 2019 at 8:40 | history | edited | dan | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 1 character in body
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| Dec 11, 2019 at 8:33 | history | asked | dan | CC BY-SA 4.0 |