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Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Usages of to-infinitive

The protagonist is one of family members of Amber.
The Pattern is a maze-like shrine and the core of Amber.
If one of family members of Amber goes through the Pattern, he/ she gets some special abilities.
He is going out with a daughter of the prime minister from a neighboring country Begma.

"I'd like to see it."
"Whatever for?"
"The Pattern's down there. It must be pretty colorful."
"Oh, it is?all bright and swirly. Rather intimidating, though."
"How can you say that when you've walked it?"
"Walking it and liking it are two different things."
"I'd just thought that if it were in you to walk it, you'd feel some affinity, some deep resonant kinship with it."
I laughed, and the sounds echoed about us.
"Oh, while I was walking it I knew it was int me to do it," I said. "I didn't feel it beforehand, though. I was just scared then. And I never like it."
"Strange."
"Not really. It's like the sea or the night sky. It's big and it's powerful and it's beautiful and it's there. It's a natural force and you make of it what you will."
["Sign of Chaos" of The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny]
I'd like to know what "to walk it" means.
And I'd like to know what "to do it" means.
Thank you in advance for your help.
  

Top answer

"to be in someone to do something" is a set pattern meaning that someone has the ability or capability to do that thing.

  • "to be in someone to do something" is a set pattern meaning that someone has the ability or capability to do that thing.
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3 Answers
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"to be in someone to do something" is a set pattern meaning that someone has the ability or capability to do that thing.
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Thank you, GPY, for another so very kind answer from you. Emotion: smile
I'd like to know if this structure is confined to the construction "I
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park sang joonI'd like to know if this structure is confined to the construction "It is in someone to do something."
Yes, I think the subject may always be dummy "it". At least, I cannot think of any other cases.

There are also some related patterns, e.g. "to find/have it in one(self) to do something".

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