I've gotten into an odd sort of argument on Reddit which is boiling down to basic reading comprehension.
It stems from "# 5" on this list
What Finn lacks in Force sensitivity — though he may want to take a class or two in lightsaber dueling, just to be safe — he makes up for in courage and dedication.
The statement "What Finn lacks in force sensitivity" is causing a whole bunch of confusion. I'll just leave what this guy is saying here:
"what is the "WHAT" Finn lacks "IN" force sensitivity? I'll tell you, it's referring to " Finn doesn’t quite have a handle on how the Force works" ..That's what Finn lacks IN Force sensitivity according to the paragraph meaning he is force sensitive because it states he lacks knowing how the force works in his force sensitivity not "Finn lacks force sensitivity""
So… I don't quite understand what this guy's even asking, and it's starting to hurt my head. It's making me realize that I might not understand the phrase "what x lacks in y" all that well, and now I'm wondering how it's grammatically correct at all, because as this guy says… what does the word "what" refer to, in this case?
Best Answer
"What X lacks in Y" means "that element of Y that X has not got".