Jooney Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Complex relative clause
Hi,
She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she became.
I'd like to know the exact meaning of the sentence above.
I see it as some kind of a relative construction, but the construction seems a little from the typical type in that it may be a combination of three separate clauses, instead of two.
For example,
C1: She had a fear and suspicion of the press.
C2: A fear and suspicion of the press is unusual in so public a figure.(I'm not sure that this sentence makes sense:it doesn't sound quite right. 'A fear is unusual in someone'??)
C3: As she became so public a figure.
C1+C2: She had a fear and suspicion of the press that is unusual in so public a figure.
(C1+C2)+C3: She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she became.
Do you see what I'm getting at??
I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me understand this sentence.
She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she became.
I'd like to know the exact meaning of the sentence above.
I see it as some kind of a relative construction, but the construction seems a little from the typical type in that it may be a combination of three separate clauses, instead of two.
For example,
C1: She had a fear and suspicion of the press.
C2: A fear and suspicion of the press is unusual in so public a figure.(I'm not sure that this sentence makes sense:it doesn't sound quite right. 'A fear is unusual in someone'??)
C3: As she became so public a figure.
C1+C2: She had a fear and suspicion of the press that is unusual in so public a figure.
(C1+C2)+C3: She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she became.
Do you see what I'm getting at??
I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me understand this sentence.
Top answer
The original has a little problem of its own. It should read: S he had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she had become . I don't quite see what you are getting at, but here is how I get at it.
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The original has a little problem of its own. It should read:
She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she had become.
I don't quite see what you are getting at, but here is how I get at it. We can break it down this way:
She had (a fear and suspicion of the press) ([which was] unusual in [so public a figure as she had
She had a fear and suspicion of the press unusual in so public a figure as she had become.
I don't quite see what you are getting at, but here is how I get at it. We can break it down this way:
She had (a fear and suspicion of the press) ([which was] unusual in [so public a figure as she had
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Thank you for the reply, Mister Micawber. That's basically what I thought it meant. But why is it that the preposition 'in' is present in the sentence? Why not 'for'?
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Tearfulness is embarrassing in a football player.
It's unusual to see such grace in a hip-hop dancer.
It's unusual to see such grace in a hip-hop dancer.
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What if we use 'such a public figure as she had become', instead of 'so public figure as she had become'?
Any difference?
Any difference?
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No difference in meaning, but I like 'such a' much better. If that had been used in the original sentence, this thread mightn't have been necessary!
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