question

[Taka]

The sentence:

At the Munich Olympics in 1972 a hoaxster snuck on to the track a couple of minutes before the leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap, pretending to be a competitor, before being dragged away by security guards.

Which is the subject of "ran a full lap", a hoaxster or the leading runner? I think it's a hoaxster, but I'm not sure on this one.

[twostep]

The sentence:

At the Munich Olympics in 1972 a hoaxster snuck on to the track a couple of minutes before the leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap, pretending to be a competitor, before being dragged away by security guards.

Which is the subject of "ran a full lap", a hoaxster or the leading runner? I think it's a hoaxster, but I'm not sure on this one.

run a full lap - one complete circle of an indoor or outdoor running track
leading runner - runner in the lead of the pack, numer one, point man
hoaxter - prankster, joker - in this case someone with an inappropriate sense of humor

PS - you are working overtime on Sunday

[Francois]

Which is the subject of "ran a full lap", a hoaxster or the leading runner? I think it's a hoaxster, but I'm not sure on this one.

You're right.

FRC

[twostep]

Which is the subject of "ran a full lap", a hoaxster or the leading runner? I think it's a hoaxster, but I'm not sure on this one.

You're right.

FRC

Got me! I am not quite with the program today. :wink:

[Casiopea]

The sentence:

At the Munich Olympics in 1972 a hoaxster snuck on to the track a couple of minutes before the leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap, pretending to be a competitor, before being dragged away by security guards.

Which is the subject of "ran a full lap", a hoaxster or the leading runner? I think it's a hoaxster, but I'm not sure on this one.

It's a matter of Pragmatics: The track is inside the stadium, not outside the stadium. The 'leading (marathon) runner' was approaching the stadium (i.e., just about to enter the stadium. Note that, marathons start in the stadium, then move outside the stadium, and finish inside the stadium). In short, you can't run a full lap around a track if you're outside the stadium; the track is inside the stadium. :wink:

[Taka]

You're right.

Glad I'm right. :D

[Taka]

It's a matter of Pragmatics: The track is inside the stadium, not outside the stadium. The 'leading (marathon) runner' was approaching the stadium (i.e., just about to enter the stadium. Note that, marathons start in the stadium, then move outside the stadium, and finish inside the stadium). In short, you can't run a full lap around a track if you're outside the stadium; the track is inside the stadium. :wink:

What about this sentence, Cas? Isn't it pragmatic?:

The leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap

That is, the leading runner came back from outside the stadium and ran a full lap to finish the race. So if I say:

a hoaxster snuck on to the track a couple of minutes before the leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap

then it can be:

a hoaxster snuck on to the track a couple of minutes before (the leading runner reached the stadium and ran a full lap).

In other words, it was a couple of minutes before the leading runner came back from outside the stadium the stadium and ran a full lap to finish the marathons that the hoaxster snuck on to the track.

Well, as I said first, that is not the interpretation of my choice, but pragmatically, I thought it was possible.

[Francois]

Yes, it could have been possible, but the sentence should read:
ran a full lap (pretending to be a competitor) before being dragged away by security guards.
It is clearly the hoaxster who got dragged away, so the "before being dragged away" means he must have done something before. And what he did was: run a full lap.

FRC

[Taka]

Yes, it could have been possible, but the sentence should read:
ran a full lap (pretending to be a competitor) before being dragged away by security guards.
It is clearly the hoaxster who got dragged away, so the "before being dragged away" means he must have done something before. And what he did was: run a full lap.

FRC

Don't you think the sentence can be also interpreted as "a hoaxster snuck on to the track (pretending to be a competitor) before being dragged away by security guards"?

Even without running a full lap, sneaking on to the track pretending to be a competitor should be a legitimate reason to be dragged away.

[Tdol]

It's possible, but I'd say that he managed the lap first.