Delayed Subjects - From A Dog of Flanders by
Ouida
1. It
took Patrasche
(DO) long
to discover [DelSubj] any
scent [#1]. |
2. It took them (DO) long to traverse [DelSubj] the familiar path [#2], | and the bells were sounding four (DO) {of the clock} [Adv. to "were sounding" as they approached the
hamlet (DO)].
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3. Jehan Daas resisted long, [Adv. to "long" for the old man was one (PN) {of those} [Adj. to "those" who thought it [#3] a foul shame to bind dogs [#3] {to labor} [Adj. to "labor" {for
which} Nature
never formed
them (DO)]]].
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4. A few years [NuA] later, old Jehan Daas, [Adj. to "Jehan Daas" who had always been a cripple (PN)], became so paralyzed (P) {with rheumatism} [Adv. to "so" that it was
impossible
(PA) {for him}
to go [DelSubj]
out {with the cart} any
more [NuA] ].
|
5. Now [Adv. to "Now" that he had left it (DO) there], it seemed {to him} so hazardous (PA), so vain (PA), so foolish (PA), to dream [DelSubj] [DO of "to dream" that he, a little lad [App] {with bare feet}, [Adj. to "lad" who barely knew his letters (DO)], could do anything (DO) [Adj. to "anything" {at which} great painters, real artists [App], could ever deign to look [#4] ]]. | Notes 2. "Path" is the direct object of the infinitive "to traverse." 3. "Dogs" is the direct object of the infinitive "to bind," which is a delayed subject to the preceding "it." That "it" is the subject of an ellipsed infinitive (*to be*), and "shame" is a predicate noun after that infinitive -- to bind dogs *is* a foul shame. 4. The infinitive "to look" functions as the direct object of "could deign." Note that the "at which" functions both as the subordinating "conjunction" and as an adverb to "to look." |