In due course to be undergone

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Marius Hancu - 15 Jul 2009 11:06 GMT

Hello:

Should I be surprised by the placement of "in due course?"

---
At the time, the Horabin's party itself was important enough [...]
because of the behavior of Jean Templer at the dance, conduct which to
some extent crystallised in my own mind my feelings towards her; at
the same time precipitating acquaintance with a whole series of
emotions and apprehensions, the earliest of numberless similar ones in
due course to be undergone.

Anthony Powell, A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring, p. 67
----

--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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CDB - 15 Jul 2009 13:06 GMT

> Should I be surprised by the placement of "in due course"?

IFYPFY

That placement serves to take the main emphasis off the phrase and put
it on "to be undergone". It's possible that it was also intended to
suggest the appearance of the emotions "in due course", in addition to
the standard association of the phrase with "to be undergone".

> ---
> At the time, the Horabin's party itself was important enough [...]
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Anthony Powell, A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring, p. 67
> ----

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ke10@cam.ac.uk - 17 Jul 2009 12:00 GMT

>Hello:
>
>Should I be surprised by the placement of "in due course?"

Only slightly. It improves the cadence of the sentence considerably over "to
be undergone in due course", and it's no more rarefied in style than all the
rest.

Katy

>---
>At the time, the Horabin's party itself was important enough [...]
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>Thanks.
>Marius Hancu

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Marius Hancu - 17 Jul 2009 13:15 GMT

On Jul 17, 7:00 am, k...@cam.ac.uk wrote:

> >Should I be surprised by the placement of "in due course?"
>
> Only slightly. It improves the cadence of the sentence considerably over "to
> be undergone in due course", and it's no more rarefied in style than all the
> rest.

The cadence is definitely better, that's a very good point.

> >---
> >At the time, the Horabin's party itself was important enough [...]
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> >emotions and apprehensions, the earliest of numberless similar ones in
> >due course to be undergone.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

In due course to be undergone