Hi all,
I’m working through my Wheelock, and have a problem with this sentence from chapter 9 ‘In illo libro(in that book), illa de hoc homine scribet’.
I looked at the ‘scribet’ (scribo, scribere) and thought ‘3rd person sing’ - (s/he will write), so looked for a noun or pronoun to suit. I saw ‘illa’ and thought nominative sing fem - ‘That woman will write about this man.’ But the answers took illa to be neuter accusative plural and say ‘He will write those things about this man.’
Am I right, or possibly are we both right? ???
Look forward to comments.
Cheers,
Phil.
I believe the illa is meant to be neuter accusative plural, not feminine nominative singular… hence “those things”.
I think you could both be right 
Just as in English, context is important.
E.g. Is “read” present or past tense?
Is “lead” a verb or an element (plumbum)?
Does “light” mean “c” as in E=mc(2) or just not heavy?
etc.
Without context I’d lean towards “those things” but as Benissimus says – both could be right gramatically.
Magistra
is “egg” something that I throw at politicians or a credit card? 
good examples
Both are correct. And I’m sure of it. If such a sentence is written in a text, you have to see which is best in the context. But without context both are correct.
That’s great,
thanks very much. Because I study on my own, it’s easy to get disheartened when I just can’t work something out. It’s a great help to have a forum like this to turn to!
Cheers
Phil