What is the grammatical role of “for you” in “I am waiting for you”? Is it a direct object, a prepositional phrase or what? Functionally, it seems to be of an object, as “you” in “I love you”, but I am not sure how English labels objects of verbs which require a preposition. Answer The … Read more
I’m trying to understand the difference between supplements and adjuncts/modifiers. In my search for enlightenment, I’ve come across a number of entries and posts, of which I think this one summarises the issue most clearly. However, nowhere have I found a clear explanation as to what the actual functional difference is. In fact, it seems … Read more
I can’t understand what is the role of word “one” in this sentence: A hillside in the morning so radiant with light one has the feeling he has been looking at Van Gogh’s drawings. Source: The Guardian I know that it says the hillside is very radiant such as Van Gogh’s drawings. But I don’t … Read more
Here singing is a noun: I like singing. But what about here? I like singing loudly. Loudly is still an adverb, right? But singing is still behaving like a noun, right? So which is it, a noun or a verb? How can it behave like a noun when it gets modified by an adverb? Answer … Read more
Where is the subject in a sentence that starts with a prepositional phrase. For example the preposition phrase beginning with after below: After breakfast the boys wandered out to the garden. Is the subject the boys only or After breakfast the boys, and why? It would be helpful if someone did a tree diagram and … Read more
A sentence from this site reads ungrammatical. On the sweet side, don’t pass up the walnut coffee cake, which is served warm, the better to soak up the bourbon-caramel glaze. Is the better a noun phrase in this sentence? Why is it not better to soak up the bourbon-caramel glaze as an adverbial? Is the … Read more
I didn’t come to offer help. As far as I can tell, this is how I would analyze this sentence from a grammatical perspective. I = pronoun didn’t = aux. verb with “not” for negation. come = zero infintive verb. to offer = infinitive acting as an adverb modifying the verb come. help = ? … Read more
CaGEL on page 216 cite the following: “Kim gave the key to Pat” An NP indirectly related to the verb through the preposition is referred as an oblique. The phrase “to Pat” is a non-core compliment of the verb give, but the NP Pat is an oblique. In a double object construction where both the … Read more
This question, which I first posed on the ELL site a few weeks ago, remains effectively unanswered. Although there an answer did finally get posted, it seemed to be more of a parody of an answer than a real one, to me at least. So here goes; please consider this sentence: I can barely see … Read more
In the following sentence, I did quite well in the examination, without having to burn the midnight oil. What is “having” — a gerund, a participle, or just a present continuous verb? I tried Wren & Martin, but without luck. Answer I did quite well in the examination, without having to burn the midnight oil. … Read more
