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How to understand “he realized a split second too late was also a mistake”
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Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
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"It's not like that!" said Harry, and he was so relieved at finally understanding what she was annoyed about that he laughed, which he realized a split second too late was also a mistake.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It seems to me that "a split second too late" is the subject of the clause. But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase, and hence it's not a legitimate subject in my opinion. Or we should parse it as "he realized [a split second] that too late was also a mistake"? How should we understand that phrase here?
phrase-usage sentence-structure
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
add a comment |
"It's not like that!" said Harry, and he was so relieved at finally understanding what she was annoyed about that he laughed, which he realized a split second too late was also a mistake.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It seems to me that "a split second too late" is the subject of the clause. But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase, and hence it's not a legitimate subject in my opinion. Or we should parse it as "he realized [a split second] that too late was also a mistake"? How should we understand that phrase here?
phrase-usage sentence-structure
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
4
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47
add a comment |
"It's not like that!" said Harry, and he was so relieved at finally understanding what she was annoyed about that he laughed, which he realized a split second too late was also a mistake.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It seems to me that "a split second too late" is the subject of the clause. But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase, and hence it's not a legitimate subject in my opinion. Or we should parse it as "he realized [a split second] that too late was also a mistake"? How should we understand that phrase here?
phrase-usage sentence-structure
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
"It's not like that!" said Harry, and he was so relieved at finally understanding what she was annoyed about that he laughed, which he realized a split second too late was also a mistake.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
It seems to me that "a split second too late" is the subject of the clause. But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase, and hence it's not a legitimate subject in my opinion. Or we should parse it as "he realized [a split second] that too late was also a mistake"? How should we understand that phrase here?
phrase-usage sentence-structure
phrase-usage sentence-structure
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
asked Mar 20 at 13:19
dandan
5,63832884
5,63832884
4
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47
add a comment |
4
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47
4
4
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
No, the subject of was also a mistake is the act of laughing, he laughed. Laughing at that moment was a mistake. But he was aware of that just a split second after laughing, too late because he couldn't avoid it.
a split second too late is a complement that determines when exactly he was aware of his mistake, when he realized that.
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
add a comment |
But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase
No, it's acting as an adverb. The basic sentence is "Harry realized that laughing was a mistake." "laughing was a mistake" is a dependent clause with "laughing" as the subject "was" as the verb, and "mistake" as the subject complement. "that laughing was a mistake" is the object of the verb "realized". "a split second too late" acts as an adverb modifying "realized", saying when Harry realized it. It could also be written as "which he realized was also a mistake a split second too late."
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
oldest
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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oldest
votes
No, the subject of was also a mistake is the act of laughing, he laughed. Laughing at that moment was a mistake. But he was aware of that just a split second after laughing, too late because he couldn't avoid it.
a split second too late is a complement that determines when exactly he was aware of his mistake, when he realized that.
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
add a comment |
No, the subject of was also a mistake is the act of laughing, he laughed. Laughing at that moment was a mistake. But he was aware of that just a split second after laughing, too late because he couldn't avoid it.
a split second too late is a complement that determines when exactly he was aware of his mistake, when he realized that.
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
add a comment |
No, the subject of was also a mistake is the act of laughing, he laughed. Laughing at that moment was a mistake. But he was aware of that just a split second after laughing, too late because he couldn't avoid it.
a split second too late is a complement that determines when exactly he was aware of his mistake, when he realized that.
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
No, the subject of was also a mistake is the act of laughing, he laughed. Laughing at that moment was a mistake. But he was aware of that just a split second after laughing, too late because he couldn't avoid it.
a split second too late is a complement that determines when exactly he was aware of his mistake, when he realized that.
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
edited Mar 20 at 17:46
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
answered Mar 20 at 13:39
RubioRicRubioRic
5,35011337
5,35011337
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
add a comment |
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
I got it now. But "a split second too late" doesn't sound a correct phrase to me. "A split second late" sounds correct.
– dan
Mar 20 at 15:30
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan Do you know the expression "It's too late". The adverb too is used to emphasize the grade of "lateness", it's not just late, it's too late. Check the meaning of late: more than is needed or wanted; more than is suitable or enough. Maybe if you read the examples in the Cambridge Dictionary ... dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/too
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:46
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
@dan The meaning of "too". I got a typo above
– RubioRic
Mar 20 at 15:53
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
I know the phrase "too late". But I have a hard time to understand the grammar of "a split second too late".
– dan
Mar 20 at 22:52
2
2
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
@dan think of it as "he realized too late, by a split second, that laughing was a mistake." In other words, his realization came too late to do anything to prevent his mistake, but only by the very tiniest of margins (he almost realized his mistake on time but did not.) The entire phrase is acting as an adverb describing when the action occurred.
– KutuluMike
Mar 21 at 1:24
add a comment |
But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase
No, it's acting as an adverb. The basic sentence is "Harry realized that laughing was a mistake." "laughing was a mistake" is a dependent clause with "laughing" as the subject "was" as the verb, and "mistake" as the subject complement. "that laughing was a mistake" is the object of the verb "realized". "a split second too late" acts as an adverb modifying "realized", saying when Harry realized it. It could also be written as "which he realized was also a mistake a split second too late."
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
add a comment |
But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase
No, it's acting as an adverb. The basic sentence is "Harry realized that laughing was a mistake." "laughing was a mistake" is a dependent clause with "laughing" as the subject "was" as the verb, and "mistake" as the subject complement. "that laughing was a mistake" is the object of the verb "realized". "a split second too late" acts as an adverb modifying "realized", saying when Harry realized it. It could also be written as "which he realized was also a mistake a split second too late."
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
add a comment |
But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase
No, it's acting as an adverb. The basic sentence is "Harry realized that laughing was a mistake." "laughing was a mistake" is a dependent clause with "laughing" as the subject "was" as the verb, and "mistake" as the subject complement. "that laughing was a mistake" is the object of the verb "realized". "a split second too late" acts as an adverb modifying "realized", saying when Harry realized it. It could also be written as "which he realized was also a mistake a split second too late."
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
But "a split second too late" doesn't look like a noun phrase
No, it's acting as an adverb. The basic sentence is "Harry realized that laughing was a mistake." "laughing was a mistake" is a dependent clause with "laughing" as the subject "was" as the verb, and "mistake" as the subject complement. "that laughing was a mistake" is the object of the verb "realized". "a split second too late" acts as an adverb modifying "realized", saying when Harry realized it. It could also be written as "which he realized was also a mistake a split second too late."
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
answered Mar 20 at 21:12
AcccumulationAcccumulation
1,74717
1,74717
add a comment |
add a comment |
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4
Probably clearer if you read it as "he laughed, which he realized - a split second too late - was also a mistake".
– Daniel Roseman
Mar 20 at 13:47