English Language & Usage Asked by Clock ZHONG on October 4, 2021
John Dewey once observed that more of our time than most of us care to admit is spent “trifling with mental pictures, random recollections, pleasant but unfounded hopes, flitting, half-developed impressions.”
This sentence is from “Beyond feelings, a guide to critical thinking”.
I could analyze it to this extent:
“John Dewey” is subject, “once observed ” is the verb phrase. and all the content after “that” is the object of “once observed”.
But I don’t know how to deconstruct it:
more of our time than most of us care to admit is spent “trifling with mental pictures, random recollections, pleasant but unfounded hopes, flitting, half-developed impressions.”
What’s the meaning of “care to admit”? Maybe they have some other meaning which blocks me to understand this statement.
Thanks for BillJ's help. I believe this is the correct answer: "more of our time than most of us care to admit is spent" is the subject of the clause. This subject full format should be:
"more of our time than the time most of us care to admit"
"the time" is omitted and the "most of us care to admit" is another attributive clause for the missed "the time". This is my obstacle to fully understand the whole sentence.
And the “trifling with mental pictures, random recollections, pleasant but unfounded hopes, flitting, half-developed impressions.” is the adjunct.
Correct answer by Clock ZHONG on October 4, 2021
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