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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #4
The narrator recalls his childhood; now he visited a undertaker's place for his mother's sudden death.
And now he is going home with a party from the place on a chaise.
.......................................
So, when they stopped to bait the horse, and ate and drank and enjoyed themselves, I could touch nothing that they touched, but kept my fast unbroken. So, when we reached home, I dropped out of the chaise behind as quickly as possible, that I might not be in their company before those solemn windows, looking blindly on me like closed eyes once bright. And oh, how little need I had had to think what would move me to tears when I came back?seeing the window of my mother's room, and next it that which, in the better time, was mine!
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I'd like to know if "to think" means "in order to think."
I'd like to know if "what" refers to the gerund phrase "seeing~."
And I'd like to know if that means "the window of my room."
Thank you in advance for your help.
And now he is going home with a party from the place on a chaise.
.......................................
So, when they stopped to bait the horse, and ate and drank and enjoyed themselves, I could touch nothing that they touched, but kept my fast unbroken. So, when we reached home, I dropped out of the chaise behind as quickly as possible, that I might not be in their company before those solemn windows, looking blindly on me like closed eyes once bright. And oh, how little need I had had to think what would move me to tears when I came back?seeing the window of my mother's room, and next it that which, in the better time, was mine!
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I'd like to know if "to think" means "in order to think."
I'd like to know if "what" refers to the gerund phrase "seeing~."
And I'd like to know if that means "the window of my room."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
" No; 'had had to' is the past perfect of the verb 'have to (do)'. " Yes. " 'That' means 'window' only.
- " No; 'had had to' is the past perfect of the verb 'have to (do)'.
- " Yes.
- " 'That' means 'window' only.
- was mine'.
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3 Answers
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park sang joonI'd like to know if "to think" means "in order to think."No; 'had had to' is the past perfect of the verb 'have to (do)'.
park sang joonI'd like to know if "what" refers to the gerund phrase "seeing~."Yes. (And that phrase continues all the way to '...mine'.)
park sang joonAnd I'd lik
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Thank you, Mr. Micawber, for another so very kind answer from you. 
how little need I had had to think wha
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Rephrased: ..I had had little need to think...
So I misled you above. It is past perfect of 'have' (possession) with noun object 'need' and 'to think' an infinitive complement of 'need'.
So I misled you above. It is past perfect of 'have' (possession) with noun object 'need' and 'to think' an infinitive complement of 'need'.
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