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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #2
The narrator recalls his childhood.
He was forced to work for his own living for Mr. Murdstone's friend Mr. Quinion at London by his stepfather Mr. Murdstone.
When the protagonist started to run away to his grand aunt Miss Betsey Trotwood, he was robbed his money and box by a porter and then he abandoned pursuing him after a long distance pursuit.
At last, he arrived his grand aunt's place after a long and rough traveling.
He said his own story to his aunt and her friend Mr. Dick, whom his aunt takes care of.
And she sent a letter to his stepfather Mr. Murdstone to ask him come over, and his reply said he was coming tomorrow.
Now Mr. Murdstone with his sister Miss Jane Murdstone came to his aunt's.
"I have my own opinions," resumed Mr. Murdstone, whose face darkened more and more, the more he and my aunt observed each other, which they did very narrowly, "as to the best mode of bringing him up; they are founded in part, on my knowledge of him, and in part on my knowledge of my own means and resources. I am responsible for them to myself; I act upon them, and I say no more about them. It is enough that I place this boy under the eye of a friend of my own, in a respectable business, that it doe not please him, that he runs away from it, makes himself a common vagabond about the country, and comes here, in rags, to appeal to you, Miss Trotwood. I wish to set before you, honourably, the exact consequences?so far as they are within my knowledge??of your abetting him in this appeal."
"But about the respectable business first," said my aunt. "If he had been your own boy, you would have put him to it, just the same, I suppose."
"If he had been my brother's own boy," returned Miss Murdstone, striking in, "his character, I trust, would have been altogether different."
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "if I say" is omitted before "that."
2. And I'd like to know if "it" refers to "such a condition."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He was forced to work for his own living for Mr. Murdstone's friend Mr. Quinion at London by his stepfather Mr. Murdstone.
When the protagonist started to run away to his grand aunt Miss Betsey Trotwood, he was robbed his money and box by a porter and then he abandoned pursuing him after a long distance pursuit.
At last, he arrived his grand aunt's place after a long and rough traveling.
He said his own story to his aunt and her friend Mr. Dick, whom his aunt takes care of.
And she sent a letter to his stepfather Mr. Murdstone to ask him come over, and his reply said he was coming tomorrow.
Now Mr. Murdstone with his sister Miss Jane Murdstone came to his aunt's.
"I have my own opinions," resumed Mr. Murdstone, whose face darkened more and more, the more he and my aunt observed each other, which they did very narrowly, "as to the best mode of bringing him up; they are founded in part, on my knowledge of him, and in part on my knowledge of my own means and resources. I am responsible for them to myself; I act upon them, and I say no more about them. It is enough that I place this boy under the eye of a friend of my own, in a respectable business, that it doe not please him, that he runs away from it, makes himself a common vagabond about the country, and comes here, in rags, to appeal to you, Miss Trotwood. I wish to set before you, honourably, the exact consequences?so far as they are within my knowledge??of your abetting him in this appeal."
"But about the respectable business first," said my aunt. "If he had been your own boy, you would have put him to it, just the same, I suppose."
"If he had been my brother's own boy," returned Miss Murdstone, striking in, "his character, I trust, would have been altogether different."
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "if I say" is omitted before "that."
2. And I'd like to know if "it" refers to "such a condition."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. No, I don't see any reason to think that. 2.
- 1.
- No, I don't see any reason to think that.
- 2.
- I think "it" probably refers to "respectable business".
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5 Answers
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1. No, I don't see any reason to think that.
2. I think "it" probably refers to "respectable business".
2. I think "it" probably refers to "respectable business".
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Thank you, GPY, for your very kind answer. 
It is enough that I place this boy under the eye of a f
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park sang joonThen I'd like to know if "it" refers to "that I place this boy under the eye of a friend of my own, in a respectable business, that it doe not please him, that he runs away from it, makes himself a common vagabond about the country, and comes here, in rags, to appeal to you, Miss Trotwood."In "It is enough that X", you can think of "it" as being
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Further to my last response, note that the use of a "that" clause as a subject is not very common in English (though of course possible), so the kind of pattern you see in your text is frequently encountered. For example, we often say:
"It is fortunate that ~" rather than "That ~ is fortunate"
"It is obvious that ~" rather than "That ~ is obvious"
"It was alleged that ~" rather th
"It is fortunate that ~" rather than "That ~ is fortunate"
"It is obvious that ~" rather than "That ~ is obvious"
"It was alleged that ~" rather th
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I must say you are making progress, park sang joon. You have nearly reached the best part of the whole book.
CJ
CJ
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