Sentence analysis 2

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Hela  #67982  Sun, 16 Jan 05 01:22 PM
Dear teachers,

Here are other sentences that I analized. Would you mind correcting them ?

4) A larger than normal pay increase was awarded to the nurses.

Parts of speech:

Larger = comparative adjective
Than = ?
Normal = adjective
Pay = adjective (?)
Increase = noun

Sentence elements: (??)

? = subject (passive)
was awarded = ditransitive verb
a larger than normal pay increase = direct object
The nurses = indirect object (what about “to” ?)


5) The policeman was not impressed by your alibi.

Sentence elements:

The policeman = subject
Was not impressed = intransitive verb (?)
By your alibi = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)

6) I'm trying to light the fire.

sentence elements:

I = subject
Am trying to light (?) = transitive verb
The fire = direct object

7) She's very proud of her looks.

She = subject
Is = copular verb
Very proud = subject complement
Of her looks = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)

Thank you again for your patience.

Kind regards,
Hela
  
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paco2004  #68067  Sun, 16 Jan 05 10:30 PM
4) [A [larger than normal] pay increase] [was awarded] [to the nurses].
(a)"Larger than normal" is an adjectival phrase:"larger-than-normal".
(b)"Pay increase" is a noun-noun phrase where "pay" works as an adjective.
(c)"Award" is a ditransitive verb : to award IO DO. But like other ditransitive verbs the IO can't stand alone when the sentence is passivized. The IO should be changed into "to IO" in a passive sentence where DO comes as the subject.
S do IO DO (I gave John the book)--> DO is done to IO (by S).(The book was given to John)

5) [The policeman] [was not impressed] [by your alibi].
--> Your alibi did not impress the policeman. The verb "impress" is a transitive verb.

6) Idea [I] [VP am trying] [DP to light the fire].
I think "to light the fire" is the object of the verb "try"

7) She's very proud of her looks.
"Of her looks" works as the complement of the adjective "proud".
So I feel we could take it as an adverbial phrase modifying "proud".

I believe better comments surely will come from moderators.

paco
  
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Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004
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In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.
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