What it's like to do

Question

So this is [what it's like to escape reality right before a deadline.]Is it that "what" is the object of like and "to escape~" is a real subject, "it" being a placeholder?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymousSo this is [what it's like to escape reality right before a deadline.]

The following are not necessarily grammatical. They are invented to show the structure.

~ So this is
[that / the thing] which it is like to escape reality right before a deadline.

~ So this is
the thing which it is like (this thing) to escape reality right before a deadline.

~ So this is
the thing which to escape reality right before a deadline is like (this thing).

Also possible:

~ So this is
the thing like which to escape reality right before a deadline is.

anonymousIs it that "what" is the object of like and "to escape~" is a real subject, "it" being a placeholder?

'what' is a fused form of 'that which' or 'the thing which' (see above). This makes for a sort of vacuous subject complement "the thing" (this is the thing) followed by a relative clause starting with "which". Within the relative clause "which" (whose antecedent is "the thing") is the object of the preposition "like".

"it" is a dummy placeholder, as you say, and "to escape ... a deadline" is the subject of the relative clause.

CJ

What it's like to do

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions