ball vs ball of string/wool

[dreamer2009]

Hi there,

In an illustrated grammar for children I saw the picture of a cat sleeping on a ball of string (wool?) and one of the characters says: 'Look, Kitty is sleeping on the ball.'
Could they use only 'ball' for 'ball of string/wool'? Perhaps they used only 'ball' because the illustration made it clear what kind of ball it was?

Secondly, I read 'It could be a lesson in patience.'
Shouldn't it be 'a lesson ON patience'?

Thanks,
daydreamer

[BobK]

Hi there,

In an illustrated grammar for children I saw the picture of a cat sleeping on a ball of string (wool?) and one of the characters says: 'Look, Kitty is sleeping on the ball.'
Could they use only 'ball' for 'ball of string/wool'? Perhaps they used only 'ball' because the illustration made it clear what kind of ball it was?

Maybe you're right. Perhaps the reading-age they were aiming at wouldn't allow a noun phrase like 'ball of string'. Using 'ball' on it's own strikes me as rather unclear but not wrong.

Secondly, I read 'It could be a lesson in patience.'
Shouldn't it be 'a lesson ON patience'?

Thanks,
daydreamer

Either. To my ears, a lesson on something is less likely to sink in: the owner gave her his usual lecture on trespassing, but she went back the next day.' (I've cheated by changing to noun to 'lecture', but it underlines the meaning I attach to 'a lesson on'. A lesson on something is a bit more abstract.)

b