The house was just such as I had pictured from
The house was just such as I had pictured it from Sherlock Holmes’s succinct description, but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected. On the contrary, for a small street in a quiet neighbourhood, it was remarkably animated.
A Scandal in Bohemia, short story
Hi. Would it make sense if I say “The house was just such as I had pictured from Sherlock Holmes’s succinct description” (delete “it”)? Because “such as” means “of a kind that” here.
Thank you.Top answer
Doyle is not modern English as it is used nowadays. It is also not American, of course. I would never write that the way he did.
- Doyle is not modern English as it is used nowadays.
- It is also not American, of course.
- I would never write that the way he did.
- " I believe that Doyle's "such" has a different implication than our modern ears register.
- I would say that "it" is indispensable.
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Doyle is not modern English as it is used nowadays. It is also not American, of course. I would never write that the way he did. I would write "The house was just as I had pictured it …." I believe that Doyle's "such" has a different implication than our modern ears register. I would say that "it" is indispensable.
0Leaving out the "it" would make the sentence ungrammatical. If you want a shorter sentence, the following would be okay, although less literary:
The house was just as I had pictured it from...
The house was as I had pictured it from...
0zuotengdazuoWould it make sense if Isaysaid“The house was just such as I had pictured from Sherlock Holmes’s succinct description” (delete “it”)?
Omitting "it" sounds strange to our modern ears, but it's possible that in the nineteenth century it would have been accepted that way. I don't know, but if I read
0
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