Hey everyone, just a quick question regarding the meaning of a sentence if anyone would be kind enough to offer their opinions please. I have asked a similar question before but unfortunately I made a mistake on the sentence so I would really appreciate your opinions on this one please. Thanks guys. 
‘What do you think of the Physics lesson?
It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons but we learnt so much more!
The ‘learnt so much more’ does it apply the ‘Physics lesson’ or the ‘Biology lessons’?
I believe it applies to the Physics lesson because the part of the sentence before the ‘but’ is a negative opinion of the Physics lesson (or positive opinion of the Biology lessons) and the opinion after the ‘but’ is a positive opinion ‘we learnt so much more’ so one would assume it applies to the Physics lesson for appropriate contrast when using the word ‘but’. I believe the sentence means the Physics lesson wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons however the Physics lesson was more beneficial for the students as they learnt more. Would anyone agree with this?
The other argument is that the ‘we learnt so much more’ applies to the Biology lessons. The only way I can think of interpreting the sentence this way would be a possible surprise generated from the ‘It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons’ part of the sentence before the ‘but’ and the contrast in this case after the ‘but’ would be the reduced level of surprise by saying it was ‘expected’ E.g.:
‘What do you think of the Physics lesson?
It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons but we learnt so much more [in the Biology lessons so this is expected]’
However I guess the speaker may have to actually say ‘this is expected’ to produce this meaning. What do you think?
Basically I am interested in the ‘we learnt so much more’ part of the original sentence and if you think it applies to the Physics lesson’ or the ‘Biology lessons’. I know I may have over complicated something that is quite obvious through over analysis. I would really appreciate your interpretation of this sentence please. Thanks guys, once again for any time and help on this issue. :up:
‘What do you think of the Physics lesson?
It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons but we learnt so much more!
The ‘learnt so much more’ does it apply the ‘Physics lesson’ or the ‘Biology lessons’?
I believe it applies to the Physics lesson because the part of the sentence before the ‘but’ is a negative opinion of the Physics lesson (or positive opinion of the Biology lessons) and the opinion after the ‘but’ is a positive opinion ‘we learnt so much more’ so one would assume it applies to the Physics lesson for appropriate contrast when using the word ‘but’. I believe the sentence means the Physics lesson wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons however the Physics lesson was more beneficial for the students as they learnt more. Would anyone agree with this?
The other argument is that the ‘we learnt so much more’ applies to the Biology lessons. The only way I can think of interpreting the sentence this way would be a possible surprise generated from the ‘It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons’ part of the sentence before the ‘but’ and the contrast in this case after the ‘but’ would be the reduced level of surprise by saying it was ‘expected’ E.g.:
‘What do you think of the Physics lesson?
It wasn’t as fun as the Biology lessons but we learnt so much more [in the Biology lessons so this is expected]’
However I guess the speaker may have to actually say ‘this is expected’ to produce this meaning. What do you think?
Basically I am interested in the ‘we learnt so much more’ part of the original sentence and if you think it applies to the Physics lesson’ or the ‘Biology lessons’. I know I may have over complicated something that is quite obvious through over analysis. I would really appreciate your interpretation of this sentence please. Thanks guys, once again for any time and help on this issue. :up:
