4
   

they will take commissions where they are to be had?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
Email this Topic • Print this Page
 
 
oristarA
 
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 12:27 am
Does "they will take commissions where they are to be had" mean "great artists will take commisions where they (the great artists) are to be employed/used"?

Context:

But there is an additional point that I might have made, and
which needs to be made whenever religion is given credit for, say,
the Sistine Chapel or Raphael's Annunciation. Even great artistshave to earn a living, and they will take commissions where they
are to be had. I have no reason to doubt that Raphael and
Michelangelo were Christians - it was pretty much the only option
in their time - but the fact is almost incidental.
  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 420 • Replies: 7
No top replies

 
View best answer, chosen by oristarA
Lordyaswas
  Selected Answer
 
  2  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 12:40 am
@oristarA,
They took any work that was offered, probably in order to put bread on the table.

oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 12:51 am
@Lordyaswas,
Lordyaswas wrote:

They took any work that was offered, probably in order to put bread on the table.



Thanks.
But what does "had" mean there? I failed to get its nuance.
Lordyaswas
 
  1  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 01:03 am
@oristarA,
'To be had' is another way of saying potentially available, I suppose.

The work or commision didn't necessarily need to be offered as such. If the Artist was a good salesperson and knew that someone had plenty of money, he could always try to sell his services to them somehow. Talk them into a portrait, mural etc.

He knew there was money to be had (by him).
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 01:24 am
@Lordyaswas,
Lordyaswas wrote:

'To be had' is another way of saying potentially available, I suppose.

The work or commision didn't necessarily need to be offered as such. If the Artist was a good salesperson and knew that someone had plenty of money, he could always try to sell his services to them somehow. Talk them into a portrait, mural etc.

He knew there was money to be had (by him).


So "they will take commissions where they are to be had" means "the artists (the first "they") will take commissions where the commissions (payments, the second "they") are to be had (by the artists)"?
Lordyaswas
 
  2  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 01:26 am
@oristarA,
Yes!
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  2  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 09:34 am
@oristarA,
To catch fish one has to go where they are, where they can be had, a lake, river, stream, the ocean.

Where they can be had/acquired/gotten = where people can have/catch/acquire them
oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Thu 10 Jul, 2014 09:37 am
@JTT,
JTT wrote:

To catch fish one has to go where they are, where they can be had, a lake, river, stream, the ocean.

Where they can be had/acquired/gotten = where people can have/catch/acquire them


Excellent.
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

deal - Question by WBYeats
Expert help needed: pronoun form following main verb before a gerund - Question by adavis444
Let pupils abandon spelling rules, says academic - Discussion by Robert Gentel
Please, I need help. - Question by imsak
Do you understand what "Transition overground" means? - Question by Alexander7
Is this sentence grammatically correct? - Question by Sydney-Strock
"come from" - Question by mcook
Is this paragraph incomprehensible? Would you suggest an edit? - Question by tamara123454
Does this sentence make any sense in English? - Question by estherara
Could someone review my assignment? - Question by kair0s
concentrated - Question by WBYeats
 
  1. Forums
  2. » they will take commissions where they are to be had?
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.03 seconds on 10/01/2024 at 06:38:17
▲ ▼