ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Sentence analysis

paco2004 — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 22:35:55 GMT

Hello Jim

Thank you for correcting my errors. Please forgive me to post too much in spite of my poor English abilities.

paco

Re: Sentence analysis

CalifJim — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 22:24:06 GMT

Paco,

Good work! I'm terribly forgetful about the names of all those grammatical patterns!

However, "eat less meal" should be "eat less food" or "eat fewer meals".

"attaining at eternal peace" should be "attaining eternal peace".

Just typing too fast, I suspect!

CJ

Re: Sentence analysis

paco2004 — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 21:53:03 GMT

Hello hela

1) The representative told the press a lie out of fear of retribution.
As for this one, I think your analysis is perfect.

2) [Children] [should watch] [less television]
"Less television" might sound someway odd to you.
But "less" actually works here as the adjective, as you correctly analyzed.
A similar example: "If you want to lose your weight, eat less meal"

3) [We] [walked] [AP five miles] [PP to a garage].
Yes, "walked" is an intransitive verb.

"Five miles" works here as an adverbial phrase.
These kind of noun phrases are called as "adverbial accusative nouns".
They come from Old English grammar.
Some examples of adverbial accusative nouns are;
(EX) The tsunami attack lasted two hours.
(EX) Please wait a minute.
(EX) We stayed in France eight months.
(EX) We have to walk a long way before attaining at eternal peace.
(EX) Anne Frank's family lived three doors from this post office.
(EX) I'm going your way.
(EX) I'm twenty years old.

paco

Re: Sentence analysis

Hela — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 13:19:46 GMT

Hello,

Nobody replied to my previous post, but I hope someone will for this one

1) The representative told the press a lie out of fear of retribution.

Parts of speech:

The = definite article
Representative = noun
Told = ditransitive verb
Press = noun
A = indefinite article
Lie = noun
Out of = complex preposition
Fear = noun
Of = preposition
Retribution = noun

Sentence elements:

The representative = subject
Told = verb
The press = indirect object
A lie = direct object
Out of fear of retribution = adverbial of reason

2) Children should watch less television.

Parts of speech:

Children = noun
Should = modal auxiliary
Watch = transitive verb
Less = comparative adjective (?)
Television = noun

Sentence elements:

Children = subject (noun phrase)
Should watch = verb (verb phrase)
Less television = direct object (?) (noun phrase)

3) We walked five miles to a garage.

Parts of speech:

We = subjective personal pronoun
Walked = intransitive verb (?)
Five = determinative adjective / cardinal numeral (?)
Miles = nouns
To = preposition
A = definite pronoun
Garage = noun

Sentence elements:

We = subject
Walked = verb
Five miles = adverbial (?)
To a garage = adverbial of place

See you for another post,
Hela

Re: Sentence analysis

Hela — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 08:47:09 GMT

Hello CalifJim,

Thanks again for your answer.

I gave my shoes a good shine with a soft brush.
She bought herself five pounds of chocolate for her birthday.
The representative told the press a lie out of fear of retribution.

I / She / The representative = subjects
gave / bought / told = ditransitive verbs
my shoes / herself / the press = indirect objects
a good shine / five pounds of chocolate / a lie = direct objects
with a soft brush = adverbial of manner
for her birthday = adverbial of time
out of fear of retribution = adverbial of reason (?)

In fact I shouldn't have said "other sentences LIKE THIS ONE" because I am not looking for sentences of exactly the same pattern (S V Oi Od A) but other complicated patterns too (but only with non-complex sentences).

So if you see, or think of, some, please remember to send them to me.

What do you think of this one ?

"Alice Roosevelt was the daughter of American President Theodore. She was a popular personality and frequently wore a certain shade of blue. That shade became known as Alice-blue."

That shade = subject
became = copular verb
known as Alice-blue = subject / adjectival complement (?)

All the best,
Hela

Re: Sentence analysis

CalifJim — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 03:48:07 GMT

All OK, including the adverbial of manner! Nothing missing that I can see!

I gave my shoes a good shine with a soft brush.
She bought herself five pounds of chocolate for her birthday.
The representative told the press a lie out of fear of retribution.

Surely you can come up with many others! You have a fine grasp of the concepts!

CJ

Sentence analysis

Hela — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:48:32 GMT

Dear teachers,

Would you please tell me if my analysis is correct ?

"He showed his father his sincerity by cooperating with all his teachers at school."

a) He = subject
b) showed = ditransitive verb
c) his father = indirect object
d) his sincerity = direct object
e) by cooperating with all his teachers at school = adverbial of manner (?)

Have I missed something?

Many thanks,
Hela

PS: Would somebody have more simple sentences like this one for me to analyze?