Sentence driving me crazy - help!

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Newbie7

#227006 Fri, 19 May 06 08:25 PM

In the following sentence:

Near the top of the 200-meter avalanche, disappearing under its 100-meter wide path, are the fresh tracks of two skiers.

I think the subject is "tracks", the verb is "are" and in this case intransitive.

I also think that "near the top of the 200-meter avalanche" is an adverb phrase modifiying "are".

And finally, I think that "disappearing under its 100-meter wide path" is a participial phrase acting as an adjective modifiying "tracks".

Am I right or am I way off?

Newbie7

Joined on Fri, May 19 2006

New Member (09)

Verbs, Adverbs

Pinenut

#227011 Fri, 19 May 06 08:44 PM

Newbie7 wrote:
In the following sentence:

Near the top of the 200-meter avalanche, disappearing under its 100-meter wide path, are the fresh tracks of two skiers.

I think the subject is "tracks", the verb is "are" and in this case intransitive.

I also think that "near the top of the 200-meter avalanche" is an adverb phrase modifiying "are".

And finally, I think that "disappearing under its 100-meter wide path" is a participial phrase acting as an adjective modifiying "tracks".

Am I right or am I way off?

Consider the following sentence in a normal or usual syntactical order .

The fresh tracks of two skiers are near the top of the 200-meter avalanche as they (the tracks) disappeared under its (the avalanche's) 100-meter wide path.

Pinenut

Joined on Fri, Oct 14 2005

Illinois, U.S.A.

Full Member (108)

Verbs, Adverbs

CalifJim

#227016 Fri, 19 May 06 08:55 PM

Welcome to English Forums!

You are on the right "track"!

I don't know if I'd call "near" an adjective or an adverb here, but someone will be by to take this up I'm sure. Other than that, I agree with all of your analysis.

CJ