What does "again" here refer to?

Apied   Tue May 15, 2007 1:06 am GMT
`I dare say Sophie was glad to see you,' he said, pleased with himself again for having remembered her name ".
Does again refer to "he was pleased again" or "for having remembered her name again "?
furrykef   Tue May 15, 2007 2:26 am GMT
It means "he was pleased again". For it to refer to remembering, it would have to be somewhere after the "for", most likely at the end of the clause ("for having remembered her name again"), but for extra emphasis, it could be immediately after the "for", or between "having" and "remembered".

The reason that "again" can't be modifying "remembered" is because the clause where "remembered" appears doesn't begin until the word "for". In other words, the word "for" starts the new clause, so any adverbs before it must be modifying the verb in the preceding clause. Does that make sense?

- Kef
Apied   Tue May 15, 2007 6:53 am GMT
That makes perfect sense!Thanks furrykef!
Pos   Tue May 15, 2007 7:13 am GMT
"I dare say Sophie was glad to see you," he said, pleased with himself again for having remembered her name.

"Again" modifies "pleased with himself".


`I dare say Sophie was glad to see you,' he said, pleased with himself for again having remembered her name ".
?`I dare say Sophie was glad to see you,' he said, pleased with himself for having again remembered her name ".
`I dare say Sophie was glad to see you,' he said, pleased with himself for having remembered her name again ".

"Again" modifies "remembered".