ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:54:17 GMT

Nominal, you can differentiate them by their function. In every example the clause is the subject, which is one of the functions of the noun. Therefore, they are nominal. To be adjectival they have to identify or qualify a noun (adjective function)

Re: adjective phrases

Velimir — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:09:33 GMT

Hello Anonymous,

In your sentences there is no adjective phrases.A phrase is a name used in the english grammar to label a group of words which acts as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence,which means that you need at least two words to label some part of the sentence a phrase. Words,phrases and clauses are three building blocks of speech and proper distinction between these elements is an essential step and the starting point in every analysis.
Adjective phrase consists of the head of the phrase,i.e adjective, and various pre-modifying and postmodifying elements.For example,

It is too hot for this time of the year.

In this sentence the whole phrase "too hot for this time of the year" is an adjective phrase which functions as a subject complement. We could say this same in a brief manner :

It is hot.

but we felt like we wanted:

1. to accentuate the meaning of hot by premodifying the head "hot" with the intensifying adverb "too"

2. and also to specify that we refer our assertion to some particular part of the year

Therefore,you get adjective phrases when you're trying to convey more information about what you mean or feel about the matter in question.

The first sentence you've quoted for example should be analysed like:

1. Carnivores are eaters of meat.

Carnivores - plural form of noun ,acts as the subject of the sentence

are - linking verb

Eaters of meat - noun phrase ,acts as a subject complement

The other two sentences follow the same syntactic pattern : subject -> linking verb -> subject complement

Best regards

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:17:35 GMT

I need help with adjective phrases. Can you please help me identify the adjective phrase and the word it modifies in the following sentences:

Carnivores are eaters of meat.

Pet dogs and cats are descendants of wild carnivores.

Popular carnivires at zoos include lions and tigers.

Thanks for the help!!

Dyakn

Re: adjective phrases

Sakota — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:27:32 GMT

Anonymous
dear teachers,
please give 20 examples of adjective phrases and also adverb phrases.
thank you
weler

Hey Weler, welcome to forums

I am not a teacher but I would advise you to search forums for whichever subject you are interested. I am sure you will find many examples of adjective phrases and adverb phrases...don't wait for other people to do work for you, if you need something go for it

search till you find what you want, in case you are not sure of your findings...make a new thread and ask for explanation and I am sure somebody will answer to your question.

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:47:34 GMT

dear teachers,

please give 20 examples of adjective phrases and also adverb phrases.

thank you

weler

Re: adjective phrases

Velimir — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:14:11 GMT

Hello everybody,

I like all the answers on this question,especially the explanation which Miriam has given.I just want to add that post-modification can make adjective phrases more lengthy and complex than it is a case with the simple modification with a pre-modifying adverb,for example.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned that. (adjective phrase = adjective(surprised) complemented with a that-clause).

He is very strong for a man of his age.( adjective phrase = adjective (strong) postmodified with a prepositional phrase)

It is maybe useful to say that there is a slight difference between the complementation and postmodification of adjectives.A complement is controlled with an adjective head,and postmodifier is a freelancer.

That was my two-cents worth on it.(I like this phrase, hope I've used it correctly)

Best regards all

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:26:43 GMT

It depends on if you mean the someone is remarkable or if the act of saving him was remarkable. The two sentences mean two different things. "Someone remarkable saved my uncle's life," tells me that the person who saved his life is remarkable. "Someone remarkably saved my uncle's life tells me that how and or the fact that your uncle's life was saved is remarkable. Remarkable is an adjective modifying a the nouns someone. Remarkable is an adverb modifying the verb saved.

Good Luck,
Mrs. Williams English Teacher in ND

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:46:33 GMT

1. is a nominal; there is no prepositional phrase

2. is an adjective; there's a prepositional phrase

3. nominal

4. nominal

5. nominal

i hope this helped!

just think of it this way:

if the sentence has a prepostional phrase, than there is an adjective

if there isn't than there's no adjective because the prepositional phrase can't modify it!

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:33:24 GMT

Hela wrote:

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell me if the following phrases are adjectival or nominal ?

1) A beautiful young girl won the race.

2) The French boy will leave in June.

3) The very little boy broke his leg.

4) The old building opposite our school is being pulled down.

5) Someone remarkable saved her uncleâs life.

How do you differenciate a nominal phrase from an adjectival one?
Thanks a lot,

Hela

Re: adjective phrases

Hela — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:19:34 GMT

Thank you, Anonymous

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Mon, 21 May 2007 23:20:19 GMT

Dear Hela,

I would like to tell you that an adjective phrase is-

A phrase that describes a noun or pronoun.

Thanks for posting the question,

Your favorite teacher: anonomous

Re: adjective phrases

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:55:45 GMT

Hela wrote:

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell me if the following phrases are adjectival or nominal ?

1) A beautiful young girl won the race.

2) The French boy will leave in June.

3) The very little boy broke his leg.

4) The old building opposite our school is being pulled down.

5) Someone remarkable saved her uncleâs life.

How do you differenciate a nominal phrase from an adjectival one?
Thanks a lot,

Hela

Re: adjective phrases

Grammar Geek — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:48:54 GMT

Yes, with the "spider" in there it is certainly a noun phrase. But I have to be honest - I'm not sure what the Anonymous poster was asking.

She saw a spider that was big, fat, and hairy - that should suit his needs, whatever they were.

Re: adjective phrases

Hela — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:42:24 GMT

Hello Barbara,

"She saw a big, fat, hairy, black spider" is a noun phrase not an adjectival phrase, isn't it?

Best wishes,

Hela

Re: adjective phrases

Goodman — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:25:42 GMT

What happen to the âmagic wordâ ? Does anyone use it anymore?