ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Function of words in a sentence

CalifJim — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:36:23 GMT

Avangi
I'd say "speak" is a "bare infinitive" and "English" is it's direct object.

Me too. I don't know what else it could be.

However, the adjective idea is weird.

father is the subject of the infinitive. It's the father who does the speaking of English, after all.

You have interlocking clauses here. I listen to my father. My father speaks English. The second becomes subordinate to the first, and its verb becomes non-finite.

Re: Function of words in a sentence

Avangi — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:28:17 GMT

I probably should have left this for someone who knows what he's talking about. I'd say "speak" is a "bare infinitive" and "English" is it's direct object. I believe the infinitive phrase acts as an adjective, modifying "father."

Function of words in a sentence

Anonymous — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:33:41 GMT

In the following construction, how do the words "speak" and "English" function? " Everyday I listen to my father speak English."