but if

[giuly90]

Dear teachers,

could you please explain to me what is th meaning of "but if" in the following text:

"The prairie is sometimes called a sea of grass—a metaphor that points to the endless green expanse and the wavelike motion of the grasses. But if there is also a tide in these grasslands—a cycle of growth that sweeps chronologically across the Flint Hills. High tide comes early in the year. The prairie swells into life in early spring, and if fire comes then, the plants respond with a redoubled burst of growth. The fires clear away last year's plant debris, letting in more light and warming the soil".

Thank you in advance,
G.

 

[kfredson]

Dear teachers,

could you please explain to me what is th meaning of "but if" in the following text:

"The prairie is sometimes called a sea of grass—a metaphor that points to the endless green expanse and the wavelike motion of the grasses. But if there is also a tide in these grasslands—a cycle of growth that sweeps chronologically across the Flint Hills. High tide comes early in the year. The prairie swells into life in early spring, and if fire comes then, the plants respond with a redoubled burst of growth. The fires clear away last year's plant debris, letting in more light and warming the soil".

Thank you in advance,
G.

The problem may be that the sentence in question (the second sentence) is grammatically incorrect. It is a sentence fragment. "But if there is a also a tide in these grasslands..." "But if.... "means, "well, if it is also the case that this happens (a tide in these grasslands) then THIS will happen." But the "this" never appears, only a phrase following a dash which merely defines the "tide."
Are you sure you have copied the passage exactly?

 

[giuly90]

Yes, you can find this passage on the internet by googling keywords.

 

[Amigos4]

Dear teachers,

could you please explain to me what is th meaning of "but if" in the following text:

"The prairie is sometimes called a sea of grass—a metaphor that points to the endless green expanse and the wavelike motion of the grasses. But if there is also a tide in these grasslands—a cycle of growth that sweeps chronologically across the Flint Hills. High tide comes early in the year. The prairie swells into life in early spring, and if fire comes then, the plants respond with a redoubled burst of growth. The fires clear away last year's plant debris, letting in more light and warming the soil".

Thank you in advance,
G.

Yes, you can find this passage on the internet by googling keywords.

I found the passage online in a National Geographic article. I believe the correct sentence should be: But if there is also a tide in these grasslands—a cycle of growth that sweeps chronologically across the Flint Hills—high tide comes early in the year.
The copy editor was asleep at his desk! ;-)

 

[kfredson]

I found the passage online in a National Geographic article. I believe the correct sentence should be: But if there is also a tide in these grasslands—a cycle of growth that sweeps chronologically across the Flint Hills—high tide comes early in the year.
The copy editor was asleep at his desk! ;-)

National Geographic? I'm shocked, truly.