Wandering Cleric

[Keith Katsikas]

087
Wandering Cleric
Human
Cleric
6
1
1
1
WANDERING
May use an Action to return any Target Creature from any Cemetery to Play under it’s owner’s control.
2
2
0
3
4
Chris Seaman
C

[cadrac]

admin said:

May use an Action to return any Target Creature from any Cemetery to Play under it’s owner’s control.

The meaning of the word "it's" in this ability is not clear. Is "it" the Target Creature or the Wandering Cleric. That is, does the Target Creature return to Play under the control of the owner of the Target Creature or the owner of the Wandering Cleric? I would assume it is the former, but I'd rather know for sure before the issue comes up in game.

[Keith Katsikas]

"Target Creature" is the subject of this sentence, "it's" is refering to the subject of the sentence. The Wandering Cleric is not mentioned at all in this sentence. Maybe I'm missing something?

[cadrac]

admin said:

"Target Creature" is the subject of this sentence, "it's" is refering to the subject of the sentence. The Wandering Cleric is not mentioned at all in this sentence. Maybe I'm missing something?

Actually, it isn't even a sentence unless it has an implied subject:

(The Wandering Cleric) May use an Action to return any Target Creature from any Cemetary to Play under it's owner's control.

Which is why the referrent for "it: was unclear to me, but given your response I can pretty much assume, therefore, that "it" is the Target Creature.

[Grammar was always one of my strong suits in school. Got a 750 Verbal score on the S.A.T.'s. ;D ]

[Deleted]

I see what you are saying English professor (lol! jk), but by that logic than the prepositional phrase "under it's owner's control" would only serve to remind you who probably activated this action in the first place that you are the owner of Wandering Cleric. Otherwise, let's say that this Wandering Cleric is owned by me and it wandered to you. Every time you activate it, you return a creature to play under my control, since I am the owner? That's hot! lol I think that you see this would make no sense.

[Deleted]

Moreover...

The use of "it's" in this sentence is as a possesive case pronoun. All pronouns have antecedents, which is the noun that the pronoun refers to or replaces. The antecedent is usually the noun located nearest before the intended pronoun. In this case, it is confusing perhaps to recognize the antecedent, which is "target creature" because there are a myraid of prepositional phrases cluttering up this sentence, not to mention, that "it's", hereto, is found within a prepositional phrase itself.

A prepostitional phrase can be an adjective or an adverb. An adjective should immediately follow a noun as they cannot stand alone. So in looking for our antecedent for which "it's" is referring to, we must cut clearly to it and not use nouns found in prepositional phrases which will most likely be also describing either that same noun or perhaps the verb.

" (Wandering Cleric) May use an Action to return any Target Creature from any Cemetary to Play under it's owner's control."

(You were right by the way in that this has an implied subject of Wandering Cleric.)

...the phrase "under it's owner's control" is prepositional functioning as an adverb for "return." (Notice that this is also true of "from any Cemetary" and "to Play", which are also prepositional adverb phrases of return).

Moving on, we see that "under" is simply the preposition.

the words "owner's control" are an adjective phrase of "it's". Alas, that's not what we are confused with, huh?

That leaves "it's" alone, but it is just a pronoun, and the antecedent will be the last mentioned noun not found within a prepositional phrase, which would be "target creature" (target is also an adjective), since all the words inbetween them are also descriptive phrases.

Phew. This concludes ME English lesson of the day. Now we see the destructive power the simple word of "it's" can have. And not to nitpick, but since we've learned that "it's" is a possesive case pronoun..it's "its". Get it? LOL...drop the apostrophe.

(LOL...don't be offended that I got carried away. I just went back to a time when I liked grammer too. )

[tirus]

Edit: Nevermind, Q seems to like grammer and got it all.

Although I would like to comment that 'from any cemetary' could be an adj. modifing target creature (which is a noun phrase).

[Deleted]

tirus said:

Edit: Nevermind, Q seems to like grammer and got it all.

Although I would like to comment that 'from any cemetary' could be an adj. modifing target creature (which is a noun phrase).

By golly I think you're right. I think that is a noun phrase! That would make "...to Play under its owner's control" a verb phrase, and since entire phrases function as simple nouns and verbs, it is much easier to see the antecedent of the pronouns "its" this way. LOL. Thanks for the assist, tirus.

[tirus]

queue said:

tirus said:

Edit: Nevermind, Q seems to like grammer and got it all.

Although I would like to comment that 'from any cemetary' could be an adj. modifing target creature (which is a noun phrase).

By golly I think you're right. I think that is a noun phrase! That would make "...to Play under its owner's control" a verb phrase, and since entire phrases function as simple nouns and verbs, it is much easier to see the antecedent of the pronouns "its" this way. LOL. Thanks for the assist, tirus.

*blink*

huh? wuzzah wazzah?

umm.. your welcome.

[Deleted]

LOL. You helped me if only accidentaly see the light more clearly. The ruling stands as the "its" portion of Wandering Cleric describes the owner of the creature being targeted.

[tirus]

queue said:

LOL. You helped me if only accidentaly see the light more clearly. The ruling stands as the "its" portion of Wandering Cleric describes the owner of the creature being targeted.

I would just like to take this moment to say.....

*insert black backdrop, spotlight, and podium with mike*

ahem.. *pulls out several papers and straightens them

I hate grammar.

...

that is all...