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The full dialogue in the light novel is:

「だが注意したまえ。白峰は聡い男だからネ。何かしらの手は打ってくるだろう」

The characters were discussing about some operation.

I'm not sure of why the author would use the particle は here instead of を. From another post on the usage of 何かしら, I have taken it to mean "some kind of", and in this case, would the sentence mean that, "as for some kind of measure, I think he would strike us" , but as this comment has shown, if を is used instead, then it might mean "I think he will use some kind of measures towards us."

Can someone please clarify the usage of particles in this context?

Edit: A further comment from the above mention commenter explained that it might originally be をは but the を has been dropped by the author to make the action itself be the topic instead.

Daniel Tan
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    This [answer](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/3578/article-versus-postposition/3581#3581) might help you. – marasai Jun 23 '15 at 03:02

2 Answers2

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Compared with 何かしらの手を…, using は conveys a sense of "at least".

user4092
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As I posted on a previous comment, to my understanding を is omitted because the action of "taking measures" needs to be qualified as the topic. There is also a great answer from Derek Schaab about particle omission here https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/3152/4419.

Kaizokugari
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  • The post in the link was very informative. In the case of omitting を , does this mean the clauses are grouped as such: [何かしら]の[手は打ってくる]だろう ? – Daniel Tan Jun 22 '15 at 14:02
  • Yes, I believe that の qualifies the whole 手は打つってくる clause. – Kaizokugari Jun 22 '15 at 14:11
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    There are no grammars that enable の to do that. You said "the action of "taking measures" needs to be qualified as the topic.". But that should be expressed as 何かしらの手を打ってくるのは. When it says 手は, the topic is 手. – user4092 Jun 22 '15 at 20:59
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    [何]{なに}かしらの(≒[何]{なん}らかの) modifies 手. 何かしらの/何らかの modifies nouns/体言. It's [([何]{なに}かしらの)手]は打ってくるだろう ≒ 少なくとも[何]{なん}らかの手を打ってくるだろう. >> [アルク辞書「何らかの」](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E4%BD%95%E3%82%89%E3%81%8B%E3%81%AE) – Chocolate Jun 22 '15 at 23:16
  • @Choko So in this case the sentence would mean that "he will at least take some sort of measures towards us?" Is there a reference for the meaning of は to convey the sense of at least, for further reference? – Daniel Tan Jun 23 '15 at 00:39
  • @DanielTan, I haven't seen any dedicated to this topic, but this is not uncommon. It is extremely common for adverbs of degree and quantify. 月末には (by the end of the month), 少しは (more or less), 多少は, たまには (sometimes), ~くらいは (for things like ~). They can naturally occur with adverbs like せめて, 少なくとも, etc. And it seems to contrast with も, e.g. 1万円はかかる (understate 1万円) vs 1万円もかかる (overstate 1万円). これくらいはわかる vs そんなこともわかる. 少しでも多く vs 少しは多く – Yang Muye Jun 23 '15 at 01:13