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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #2
The narrator recalls his childhood.
He visited his nurse Pegotty's brother's with Peggtty again over a year after the first visit.
Today is the wedding day for Peggotty and the coachman Mr. Bariks.
And the ceremony was all finished.
I have often thought, since, what an odd, innocent, out-of-the-way kind of wedding it must have been! We got into the chaise again soon after dark, and drove cosily back, looking up at the stars, and talking about them. I was their chief exponent, and opened Mr. Barkis's mind to an amazing extent. I told him all I knew, but he would have believed anything I might have taken it into my head to impart to him, for he had a profound veneration for my abilities, and informed his wife in my hearing, on that very occasion, that I was "a young Roeshus," by which I think he meant prodigy.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I think "it" refers to "all I knew."
If so, I was wondering what "take all I knew into my head" means.
And I'd like to know "to impart" indicates the result/ continuous action and "anything" is an object "impart."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He visited his nurse Pegotty's brother's with Peggtty again over a year after the first visit.
Today is the wedding day for Peggotty and the coachman Mr. Bariks.
And the ceremony was all finished.
I have often thought, since, what an odd, innocent, out-of-the-way kind of wedding it must have been! We got into the chaise again soon after dark, and drove cosily back, looking up at the stars, and talking about them. I was their chief exponent, and opened Mr. Barkis's mind to an amazing extent. I told him all I knew, but he would have believed anything I might have taken it into my head to impart to him, for he had a profound veneration for my abilities, and informed his wife in my hearing, on that very occasion, that I was "a young Roeshus," by which I think he meant prodigy.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I think "it" refers to "all I knew."
If so, I was wondering what "take all I knew into my head" means.
And I'd like to know "to impart" indicates the result/ continuous action and "anything" is an object "impart."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
" No. 'It' (in 'taken it into my head') is a meaningless 'it'. It can be omitted with no change in meaning.
- " No.
- 'It' (in 'taken it into my head') is a meaningless 'it'.
- It can be omitted with no change in meaning.
- anything' — Yes.
- It is not really continuous (it cannot be 'very imparted'), although of course it would take time.
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3 Answers
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park sang joonI think "it" refers to "all I knew."No. 'It' (in 'taken it into my head') is a meaningless 'it'. It can be omitted with no change in meaning.
park sang joonAnd I'd like to know "to impart" indicates the result/ continuous action and "anything" is an object "impart."'Impart...anything' — Yes. It is not real
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Thank you, Mr.Micawber, for your very helpful answer. 
Then I was wondering if "take it into head" means "make up anything."
Then I was wondering if "take it into head" means "make up anything."
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park sang joonThen I was wondering if "take it into head" means "make up anything."'Take (it) into one's head to do...' = get the idea to do...
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