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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #5
The narrator recalls his adolescence.
He is an apprentice for the lawyer Mr. Spenlow.
On his arriving at his office one Saturday morning, He heard that Mr. Spenlow has died last night.
.............................
I thought it was the office reeling, and not I, as one of the clerks caught hold of me. They sat me down in a chair, untied my neck-cloth, and brought me some water. I have no idea whether this took any time.
'Dead?' said I.
'He dined in town yesterday, and drove down in the phaeton by himself,' said Tiffey, 'having sent his own groom home by the coach, as he sometimes did, you know -'
'Well?'
'The phaeton went home without him. The horses stopped at the stable-gate. The man went out with a lantern. Nobody in the carriage.'
'Had they run away?'
'They were not hot,' said Tiffey, putting on his glasses; 'no hotter, I understand, than they would have been, going down at the usual pace. The reins were broken, but they had been dragging on the ground. The house was roused up directly, and three of them went out along the road. They found him a mile off.'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know what "it was the office reeling, and not I."
2. I'd like to know if the man refers to the groom."
3. And I'd like to know if "going down" modifies "they."
Thank you in advance for your help.
He is an apprentice for the lawyer Mr. Spenlow.
On his arriving at his office one Saturday morning, He heard that Mr. Spenlow has died last night.
.............................
I thought it was the office reeling, and not I, as one of the clerks caught hold of me. They sat me down in a chair, untied my neck-cloth, and brought me some water. I have no idea whether this took any time.
'Dead?' said I.
'He dined in town yesterday, and drove down in the phaeton by himself,' said Tiffey, 'having sent his own groom home by the coach, as he sometimes did, you know -'
'Well?'
'The phaeton went home without him. The horses stopped at the stable-gate. The man went out with a lantern. Nobody in the carriage.'
'Had they run away?'
'They were not hot,' said Tiffey, putting on his glasses; 'no hotter, I understand, than they would have been, going down at the usual pace. The reins were broken, but they had been dragging on the ground. The house was roused up directly, and three of them went out along the road. They found him a mile off.'
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
1. I'd like to know what "it was the office reeling, and not I."
2. I'd like to know if the man refers to the groom."
3. And I'd like to know if "going down" modifies "they."
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
1. I thought that the office was reeling, not that I was reeling. 2.
- 1.
- I thought that the office was reeling, not that I was reeling.
- 2.
- It is not clear.
- It could be, or it could be another man at the stables.
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3 Answers
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1. I thought that the office was reeling, not that I was reeling.
2. It is not clear. It could be, or it could be another man at the stables.
3. Yes.
2. It is not clear. It could be, or it could be another man at the stables.
3. Yes.
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Thank you, GPY, for your so very helpful answer. 
1. Then I'd like to know if "it was the office reeling" is the abbreviation o
1. Then I'd like to know if "it was the office reeling" is the abbreviation o
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park sang joon1. Then I'd like to know if "it was the office reeling" is the abbreviation of "it was the office that is reeling."Well, it would be "it was the office that was reeling", but you have basically the correct idea.
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