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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #3
The narrator recalls his adolescence.
After his young, charming wife died of a disease, he took a long journey, during which he would think he and his old friend Agnes would have fallen for one another.
He came to his great aunt's house, and then he visited Agnes, who lives with her father, a retired lawyer Mr. Wikfield, operating a school at a neighboring village.
He had boarded at her house as a child.
Mr. Wikfield tells him about his late wife.
His wife got married to him despite her father's strong opposition, died of heartbreak.
'My love for my dear child was a diseased love, but my mind was all unhealthy then. I say no more of that. I am not speaking of myself, Trotwood, but of her mother, and of her. If I give you any clue to what I am, or to what I have been, you will unravel it, I know. What Agnes is, I need not say. I have always read something of her poor mother's story, in her character; and so I tell it you tonight, when we three are again together, after such great changes. I have told it all.'
His bowed head, and her angel-face and filial duty, derived a more pathetic meaning from it than they had had before. If I had wanted anything by which to mark this night of our re-union, I should have found it in this.
Agnes rose up from her father's side, before long; and going softly to her piano, played some of the old airs to which we had often listened in that place.
'Have you any intention of going away again?' Agnes asked me, as I was standing by.
'What does my sister say to that?'
'I hope not.'
'Then I have no such intention, Agnes.'
'I think you ought not, Trotwood, since you ask me,' she said, mildly. 'Your growing reputation and success enlarge your power of doing good; and if I could spare my brother,' with her eyes upon me, 'perhaps the time could not.'
'What I am, you have made me, Agnes. You should know best.'
2. I'd like to know why it is "does," not "will."
3. I'd like to know why it is "ask," not "asked."
4. And I'd like to know what "the time could not" means.
Thank you in advance for your help.
After his young, charming wife died of a disease, he took a long journey, during which he would think he and his old friend Agnes would have fallen for one another.
He came to his great aunt's house, and then he visited Agnes, who lives with her father, a retired lawyer Mr. Wikfield, operating a school at a neighboring village.
He had boarded at her house as a child.
Mr. Wikfield tells him about his late wife.
His wife got married to him despite her father's strong opposition, died of heartbreak.
Chapter 60 AGNES
.................................'My love for my dear child was a diseased love, but my mind was all unhealthy then. I say no more of that. I am not speaking of myself, Trotwood, but of her mother, and of her. If I give you any clue to what I am, or to what I have been, you will unravel it, I know. What Agnes is, I need not say. I have always read something of her poor mother's story, in her character; and so I tell it you tonight, when we three are again together, after such great changes. I have told it all.'
His bowed head, and her angel-face and filial duty, derived a more pathetic meaning from it than they had had before. If I had wanted anything by which to mark this night of our re-union, I should have found it in this.
Agnes rose up from her father's side, before long; and going softly to her piano, played some of the old airs to which we had often listened in that place.
'Have you any intention of going away again?' Agnes asked me, as I was standing by.
'What does my sister say to that?'
'I hope not.'
'Then I have no such intention, Agnes.'
'I think you ought not, Trotwood, since you ask me,' she said, mildly. 'Your growing reputation and success enlarge your power of doing good; and if I could spare my brother,' with her eyes upon me, 'perhaps the time could not.'
'What I am, you have made me, Agnes. You should know best.'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know if "it" refers to the clause in blue.2. I'd like to know why it is "does," not "will."
3. I'd like to know why it is "ask," not "asked."
4. And I'd like to know what "the time could not" means.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. "it" refers to "clue". I don't see how your suggestion is grammatically possible.
- 1.
- "it" refers to "clue".
- I don't see how your suggestion is grammatically possible.
- 2.
- "will" is also possible, but "does" more clearly invites an immediate response rather than a response further into the future.
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3 Answers
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1. "it" refers to "clue". I don't see how your suggestion is grammatically possible.
2. "will" is also possible, but "does" more clearly invites an immediate response rather than a response further into the future.
3. "ask" is natural there because the question is very recent and still open. "asked" is also possible though.
4. It means "the time could not spare my brothe
2. "will" is also possible, but "does" more clearly invites an immediate response rather than a response further into the future.
3. "ask" is natural there because the question is very recent and still open. "asked" is also possible though.
4. It means "the time could not spare my brothe
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Thank you, GPY, for your so very kind answer. 
Here "sister" refers to Agnes, "brother" the narrator.
Here "sister" refers to Agnes, "brother" the narrator.
1. "it" re
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park sang joonI was wondering why "it" can't refer to one of previous clauses.Well, "it" cannot refer directly to a clause. It would have to refer to an implied noun phrase. This is possible in some cases, e.g., to give a random example, "It's all over, and we know it", where "it" means "(the fact) that it's all over". It is a real strain to make this work in
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