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Modal Substitutes

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Anonymous  #303537  Wed, 13 Dec 06 08:31 PM

I have a sentence that I am trying to label parts of speech, but having some difficulty.The sentence is:

I am allowed to ride the roller coaster

I know that 'am allowed to' is a substitute for the modal verb 'may' as in:

I may ride the roller coaster

In the second example, I have 'I' as the subject, 'may' as a modal connected to the verb 'ride', and 'the roller coaster' as a noun phrase serving as a direct object of the verb.

My question is this: How do I label the parts of the substitute 'am allowed to' to make up a modal.

I have look through phrase structure rules and cannot find a rule that says modals may be phrases made up of other parts of speech.

Any Ideas?

Calcio Tongue Tied [:S]

  
Inchoateknowledge  #303547  Wed, 13 Dec 06 09:20 PM

to be allowed to is a semi auxiliary, and the modal is an auxiliary ( modal auxiliary)

to be allowed to expresses modal or aspectual meaning.

  
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CalifJim  #303610  Thu, 14 Dec 06 01:01 AM
I - pronoun subject
am - linking verb
allowed - predicate adjective
to ride - infinitive complement of allowed
the roller coaster - noun phrase object of ride

Alternately, depending on the analytical technique you are using, the sentence is derived by transformations of the underlying structure:

someone allow [ I ride the roller coaster ]

CJ





  
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Inchoateknowledge  #303733  Thu, 14 Dec 06 10:12 AM

 CalifJim wrote:
I - pronoun subject
am - linking verb
allowed - predicate adjective
to ride - infinitive complement of allowed
the roller coaster - noun phrase object of ride

Alternately, depending on the analytical technique you are using, the sentence is derived by transformations of the underlying structure:

someone allow [ I ride the roller coaster ]

CJ





It is another interpretation of grammarians.

I like mine moreWink [;)]

  
Anonymous  #351980  Tue, 17 Apr 07 12:12 PM
what is the pronoun of flowers.
  
nona the brit  #352012  Tue, 17 Apr 07 01:21 PM

One flower - it/this

More than one flower - they/those/them/these

  
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