as much as she ever did

[Bushwhacker]

What's really saying as much as she ever did?

Found in this sentence:

When she opened, as much as she ever did, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly.

Might it mean something like the few occasions she did?

Thank You

 

[Bushwhacker]

Any help here, please

 

[bhaisahab]

What's really saying as much as she ever did?

Found in this sentence:

When she opened, as much as she ever did, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly.

Might it mean something like the few occasions she did?

Thank You

It looks like it's meant to mean that, but it's badly expressed.

 

[susiedqq]

When she opened, as much as she ever did, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly

But the word "unreseredly" means she opened it willingly and with ease. So "as much as she ever did" means that in the past, she opened the door the same way.

 

[Bushwhacker]

When she opened, as much as she ever did, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly

But the word "unreseredly" means she opened it willingly and with ease. So "as much as she ever did" means that in the past, she opened the door the same way.

Quite disturbing too. And this ever, doesn't it refer to the notion of "few occasions" "in some moments"?

 

[susiedqq]

Because the sentence is not well written it is difficult to really understand.

I believe it means "as much as she ever did in her life" "Always" would have been better.

The "unreservely" really makes it ambiguous. "Reservely" would have made more sense.

 

[euncu]

Why using simple past ?, shouldn't it be as (replacing as much as ... ever);"When she opened, as she had always done, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly." ?

Or it is just a simple transformation of simple present (as she always does) to the past one
(as she always did).

I am asking this, because to my (humble) knowledge, when we refer to the experiences in the past, we should use present perfect (as she has always done) , since the sentence indicates past, I've turned it to "as she had always done".

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Because the sentence is not well written it is difficult to really understand.

I believe it means "as much as she ever did in her life" "Always" would have been better.

The "unreservely" really makes it ambiguous. "Reservely" would have made more sense.

I must say that the character is more into being reserved. She doesn't open her heart to anyone passing by, not even remotely, so opening her heart is not an everyday attitude

 

[bhaisahab]

Why using simple past ?, shouldn't it be as (replacing as much as ... ever);"When she opened, as she had always done, the doors into her life, she did so unreservedly." ?

Or it is just a simple transformation of simple present (as she always does) to the past one
(as she always did).

I am asking this, because to my (humble) knowledge, when we refer to the experiences in the past, we should use present perfect (as she has always done) , since the sentence indicates past, I've turned it to "as she had always done".

Thanks in advance for your replies.

"As much as she had ever done" would make a lot more sense, but we are dealing with an American writer here.

 

[Bushwhacker]

"As much as she had ever done" would make a lot more sense, but we are dealing with an American writer here.

Even in your proposal, I have difficulty understanding "as much as", but it is a problem I have many times with this comparative formula "as much as". If the fact is she is opening her heart as never before have done, wouldn't it be more understandable to say precisely "as never before did"? Just a suggestion. Any explanation of using "as much as" in a sense not exactly of levelling would be most appreciated because is one of my nemesis in English.

Thank You

 

[euncu]

Even in your proposal, I have difficulty understanding "as much as", but it is a problem I have many times with this comparative formula "as much as". If the fact is she is opening her heart as never before have done, wouldn't it be more understandable to say precisely "as never before did"? Just a suggestion. Any explanation of using "as much as" in a sense not exactly of levelling would be most appreciated because is one of my nemesis in English.

Thank You

I don't think that as much as indicates more or less of something. If she has done it few times in her life, as much as denotes, this is one of those rare times she did a similar thing, or, If she has done it lots of times in her life, as much as, this time, denotes that this is one of those times she did one of those things that she has always done. And, in the context, I think "ever" is used as "every time"

 

[Bushwhacker]

Yes. Every time might be fine, but those times have been rather scarce. OK. It does make most sense and my nemesis disappears in this case at least.