(June 5, 2016 at 10:17 am)mh.brewer Wrote:(June 5, 2016 at 10:06 am)SteveII Wrote: "The book is on the table" specifically references the present time. "The sun always rises" specifically references all time. "On" is a preposition that describes the table. "Always" is an adverb modifying the verb rises. Either every part of the sentence is true and therefore the sentence is true, or if one thing is false, the whole sentence is false. If indeed the book is on the table, that statement is true. The sentence "The sun always rises" will never be a true statement.
Fine, take out always. "The sun rises". Continue.
The book and table are both negatively ionized. They are not "on" each other. You statement is not true.
The book and table are hanging by wires but touching. They are not "on" each other. You statement is not true.
I don't quite know what your point about the sun rising is. Are you trying to deliberately fine an example where the meaning of the verb is not really the meaning we ascribe to the sun's movement? If so, you are merely pointing out word choices and are not proving any point about whether a truth is relative or absolute. The sun does not rise, never has and never will. It does not change anything if you say and I understand what you mean that the sun will rise tomorrow.
Regarding the book, "on" has a definition. The book being on the table is either true or not. No subjectivity. If you start talking about "negative ions" "gravity" and other analysis of the word "on", you are merely defining the word. The burden of defining all the words in every sentence we say or write would become unbearable--that's why we came up with the word on to represent that concept.
