0
Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a sentence #1
The narrator recalls his childhood, now about his home schooling.
He lives with his mother, Peggotty the only maid of his house, his stern stepfather Mr. Murdstone, and Mr. Mudstone's eccentric elder sister in his late father's house.
I come into the second-best parlour after breakfast, with my books, and an exercise-book, and a slate. My mother is ready for me at her writing-desk, but not half so ready as Mr. Murdstone in his easy-chair by the window (though he pretends to be be reading a book), or as Miss Murdstone, sitting near my mother stringing steel beads. The very sight of these two has such an influence over me, that I begin to feel the words I have been at infinite pains to get into my head, all sliding away, and going I don't know where. I wonder where they do go, by-the-by?
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I think "to get into my head" means "in order to get into my head" and "the words (that)" is an object of "get," but don't think an infinitive of adverbial phrase can take an antecedent as an object.
So I was wondering why it is "the words I have been at infinite pains to get into my head," not "the words I at infinite pains got into my head."
I'd like to know why it is "going I don't know where," not "going where I don't know."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He lives with his mother, Peggotty the only maid of his house, his stern stepfather Mr. Murdstone, and Mr. Mudstone's eccentric elder sister in his late father's house.
I come into the second-best parlour after breakfast, with my books, and an exercise-book, and a slate. My mother is ready for me at her writing-desk, but not half so ready as Mr. Murdstone in his easy-chair by the window (though he pretends to be be reading a book), or as Miss Murdstone, sitting near my mother stringing steel beads. The very sight of these two has such an influence over me, that I begin to feel the words I have been at infinite pains to get into my head, all sliding away, and going I don't know where. I wonder where they do go, by-the-by?
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I think "to get into my head" means "in order to get into my head" and "the words (that)" is an object of "get," but don't think an infinitive of adverbial phrase can take an antecedent as an object.
So I was wondering why it is "the words I have been at infinite pains to get into my head," not "the words I at infinite pains got into my head."
I'd like to know why it is "going I don't know where," not "going where I don't know."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
"I have been at infinite pains to get the words into my head" -> "the words (that) I have been at infinite pains to get into my head" "to be at pains to do something" is a set pattern of words, meaning to make a meticulous effort to do that thing. "going I don't know where" is idiomatic in a way that "going where I don't know" is not. I doubt that this can be deduced from grammatical rules
- "I have been at infinite pains to get the words into my head" -> "the words (that) I have been at infinite pains to get into my head" "to be at pains to do something" is a set pattern of words, meaning to make a meticulous effort to do that thing.
- "going I don't know where" is idiomatic in a way that "going where I don't know" is not.
- I doubt that this can be deduced from grammatical rules
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
5 Answers
0
"I have been at infinite pains to get the words into my head" -> "the words (that) I have been at infinite pains to get into my head"
"to be at pains to do something" is a set pattern of words, meaning to make a meticulous effort to do that thing.
"going I don't know where" is idiomatic in a way that "going where I don't know" is not. I doubt that this can be deduced from gram
"to be at pains to do something" is a set pattern of words, meaning to make a meticulous effort to do that thing.
"going I don't know where" is idiomatic in a way that "going where I don't know" is not. I doubt that this can be deduced from gram
00
Thank you, GPY, for your so very helpful answer. 
Then, I was wondering if "to get" is adverbial or adjectival.
And I'd like
Then, I was wondering if "to get" is adverbial or adjectival.
And I'd like
00
park sang joonI think "to get into my head" means "in order to get into my head" and "the words (that)" is an object of "get," but don't think an infinitive of adverbial phrase can take an antecedent as an object.Actually, that's possible. There are many places in a relative clause where the antecedent may fit in.
Those are the words (that) I kno
00
Thank you, Mr.Jim, for your further explanation.
Then I was wondering "that" is implied before "where" in "going I don't know w
Then I was wondering "that" is implied before "where" in "going I don't know w
00
park sang joonThen I was wondering "that" is implied before "where" in "going I don't know where."No. "that" is not used in an indirect question, and "where" is simply a reduced indirect question.
I don't know where I was going. ~ I don't know (the answer to:) ("Where was I going?")
Never: I don't know that where I was going.
0
Related Questions