Practical answers about this arc, generated with AI and reviewed for accuracy.
What does "puts soil on a roof" mean?
"Puts" means places or sets down. "Soil" is the dirt plants grow in. A "roof" is the top surface of a building. So line 6 means he places soil on top of a roof. This is the first step in building the rooftop garden. The sentence is straightforward, but the meaning may be unusual because roofs aren't usually for gardening.
Why are "seeds" plural in line 7?
"Seeds" is plural because he plants more than one seed. In line 7, "plants" is the verb: "He plants small seeds." The plural -s on "seeds" matches the idea of many seeds. If it were one seed, it would be "a seed." The plural is important because later, "them" refers to these multiple seeds.
Who or what does "them" refer to in lines 8 and 9?
"Them" appears in lines 8 and 9: "The sun shines on them" and "The rain falls on them." It refers to the "small seeds" from line 7. The sun and rain both affect the seeds so they can grow. There is no other plural noun in the arc, so "them" clearly points back to the seeds.
Why does "shines" have an -s but "sun" is singular?
In present simple tense, a singular subject takes a verb with -s. "The sun" is singular, so the verb is "shines." Similarly, "the rain falls" uses "falls." This pattern appears in lines 8 and 9. It doesn't change meaning. Just remember to add the -s when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun like sun or rain.
What is the order of events in this arc?
The arc follows a clear sequence: first, he puts soil on a roof (line 6). Second, he plants small seeds (line 7). Then the sun shines on them (line 8). After that, rain falls on them (line 9). Finally, small green plants appear (line 10). This shows the beginning of a garden on a rooftop.