Whatever I have up till now accepted as most true and assured I have gotten either from the senses or through the senses.
What does this sentence mean? I can't find the main verb here.
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1DIRECT OBJECT: "Whatever ... assured" SUBJECT: "I" VERB: "have gotten"– StoneyB on hiatusCommented Mar 18, 2015 at 17:31
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@Araucaria: It's not an adjunct in OP's context, whatever you might say! :) Terminology isn't my strong suit, but it's probably a relative determiner/pronoun. It's obviously some kind of "nouny" thing, since it's definitely serving as an "object" in OP's text (not in mine though).– FumbleFingersCommented Mar 18, 2015 at 18:35
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@FumbleFingers No the whole clause whatever I have .... assured is an adjunct (adverbial in your terminology, I believe) :)– Araucaria - Not here any more.Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 18:37
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@Araucaria: In my understanding, an "adjunct" is an optional component. That seems to me to be basic vocabulary, not specialist terminology. But in constructions like Whatever I have I owe to you the direct object (whatever I have) is required, not optional.– FumbleFingersCommented Mar 18, 2015 at 18:41
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@FumbleFingers Hmm, I need to think about that. EDIT: Yes, FF, you're right ... at least on one analysis of the sentence, but maybe altogether :)– Araucaria - Not here any more.Commented Mar 18, 2015 at 18:45
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2 Answers
The following shows the main verb in bold, and helps demonstrate the meaning of the sentence through added punctuation and rewording.
Add punctuation:
Whatever I have (up till now) accepted as, "most true and assured",
I have gotten either from the senses or through the senses.
Rearrange and reword:
Until now, all the things that I have accepted as reality,
I have gotten either from the senses or through the senses.
Simplify language:
Until now, what I considered to be true and real
was based on the senses--either directly or indirectly.
answered Mar 18, 2015 at 18:21
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Why the downvote? This answer appears to me to be a very clear and straightforward way of helping someone see what the original sentence says and how it says it. Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 11:46
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@BenKovitz - Thanks! Riddle: Having a downvote applied to this answer makes it even better. Why? Commented Mar 20, 2015 at 0:16
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@BenKovitz Nope! The value of accepting criticism: the downvote came before I improved the answer, and the improved answer is the one you like. Granted, I worded the riddle specifically to throw you off the presumed time-line of events; compare if I had said, the downvote made it better. All's fair in love and riddles. :) Commented Mar 21, 2015 at 6:44
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Hooray, the system worked! :) I gave your answer a +1 the instant I read it. Now that I've looked at the edit history, indeed I see what an improvement it was to explicitly point out the main verb. Commented Mar 21, 2015 at 7:29
Have gotten is the primary verb. To reorder the sentence, I have gotten [everything I have up till now accepted as most true and assured] from the senses.
