I'm trying to figure out what "こと” is referring to in this idiom/grammar
point.

In the following example sentence:

彼は若いころから日本に住んでいただけのことはあって、さすが日本語がうまいんだね。

What does koto refer to here?

Additionally, is this perfectly interchangeable with だけあって

Compare the following 2 sentences

彼は若いころから日本に住んでいた **だけのことはあって** 、さすが日本語がうまいんだね。  
彼は若いころから日本に住んでいた **だけあって** 、さすが日本語がうまいんだね。

Are these different? If so, why?
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2011-07-27T16:54:59.120
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2011-12-29T06:07:26.373
2011-12-29T06:07:26.373
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question
grammar formal-nouns
What does こと refer to in だけのことはある
I think `こと` just refers to the general situation, and does not refer to some
particular thing. A close English analogue may be `the case` as in `It is the
case that he was living in Japan`. Your two sentences with and without `こと`
are interchangeable.
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2011-07-27T17:22:01.907
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2011-07-27T17:22:01.907
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answer
It doesn't refer to anything. Again, it's just two grammar points:

  * だけのことはある is surely because ～; not surprising that ～; It was worth ～ 

  * だけあって because, as expected (used for positive things)

Examples:

> 毎日訓練してるだけあって上達した。

As expected after a while of daily training, he improved a lot.

> さすがにばかと呼ばれるだけのことはある。

He's not called an idiot for no reason indeed !
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2011-07-28T03:13:33.307
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2011-07-28T03:13:33.307
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answer