BW2/3  +  294327 Fri, 17 Nov 06 03:14 PM Importantly, its core personalities (like Harold John Ockenga and Billy Graham), institutions (for instance, Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College), and organizations (such as the National Association of Evangelicals and Youth for Christ) have played a pivotal role in giving the wider movement a sense of cohesion that extends beyond these "card-carrying" evangelicals. Is 'giving' a noun? Is 'the wider movement' a noun phrase? Is 'a sense of cohesion' a noun phrase? Does 'giving' modify 'the wider movement' which turned to modify 'a sense of cohesion'? Thank you   BW2/3 Joined on Sat, Oct 22 2005 Contributing Member 1,283 Carpe diem!! Nouns, Noun Phrases

	Mister Micawber  +  294590 Sat, 18 Nov 06 02:16 AM Is 'giving' a noun? -- Not precisely; it is the nonfinite clause which is a noun object of the preposition in. Is 'the wider movement' a noun phrase? -- Yes Is 'a sense of cohesion' a noun phrase? -- Yes Does 'giving' modify 'the wider movement' which in turn modifies 'a sense of cohesion'? -- No.  the wider movement is the indirect object of giving; a sense of cohesion is the direct object. That's my take on the structure. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,842 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Prepositions, Clauses, Nouns, Noun Phrases, Direct Objects, Indirect Objects