our? their?

[ChuckHong]

Good afternoon(I'm in Sri-Lanka now), teachers, I have a question.

I read some article at WSJ about parenting issue comparing between American and French.

While reading, I saw a sentence, "I started noticing that the French families around us didn't look like they were sharing our mealtime agony."

In that sentence, I think that "our" should be "their" logically. Can you tell me why "our" was used?

P.s. If you don't mind, please correct wrongs in this thread.

[5jj]

Presumably because it was we, the writer and those with him/her, who were feeling the agony.


Welcome to the forum, ChuckHong.

[emsr2d2]

Good afternoon(I'm in Sri-Lanka now), teachers, I have a question.

I read some an article at WSJ (I don't know what WSJ is - if it's a magazine, then we say "in WSJ) about parenting issue comparing parenting issues between American and French America and France (or Americans and the French).

While reading, I saw a this sentence, "I started noticing that the French families around us didn't look like they were sharing our mealtime agony."

In that sentence, I think that "our" should be "their" logically. Can you tell me why "our" was used?

P.s. If you don't mind, please correct wrongsany errors in this thread my post.

As 5jj said, it is the writer and her family who appear to suffer "mealtime agony". The writer has noticed that the French families did not appear to be having the same problems as the writer's family. So "they" (the French families) aren't having the same mealtime agony as "our" (the writer's) family.

[SoothingDave]

Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com

The Wall Street Journal, America's business and financial newspaper.

[ChuckHong]

Presumably because it was we, the writer and those with him/her, who were feeling the agony.


Welcome to the forum, ChuckHong.

Thank you for welcoming and helping

[ChuckHong]

As 5jj said, it is the writer and her family who appear to suffer "mealtime agony". The writer has noticed that the French families did not appear to be having the same problems as the writer's family. So "they" (the French families) aren't having the same mealtime agony as "our" (the writer's) family.

Thanks to you! Finally, I got the meaning. I think I misunderstood that "sharing". I'm now clear.