Search results for 'tag:Noun phrases tag:Difference between' matching tags 'Noun phrases' and 'Difference between'

Re: Lack of emphasis on NPs in ESL

Kooyeen — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:38:55 GMT

I obviously agree with Forbes: it depends on your first language. I have never had any problems with passive sentences, subjects and objects, the difference between countable and uncountable, etc. because those are all features I have in Italian too. It is not difficult at all for me to use conditional structures (= modal verbs) in polite requests, like in "Could you lend me 1,000 dollars?", because very similar structures are used the same way in Italian too. On the other hand, I know some Asian languages don't even have past or future tenses, so it's easy to imagine how much more difficult it must be for them to learn English.

So instead of focusing on noun phrases, shouldn't we rather focus on the real difficulties, which happen to vary from learner to learner according to their native language and past experience with languages in general?

Anonymous

How about this student?

<<I assume many of you have watched the cartoon "Totally spies", right?
I just wonder why it is "Totally" here. "totally" is always an adverb, so what do they imply when using "totally" here? How can it go with the noun "spies"?>>>

Heh, good question! I don't know! Could somebody tell me more about that, as a side note here without going completely off topic? Otherwise I will open another thread. I would say "Total spies", but if I suspect that "totally" in "Totally spies" is used informally in some dialects to mean "definitely", like in, like " Are you, like, coming to my awesome party tonight? - Oh, yeah, totally!"
If that is the case, then I don't think that "totally" has anything to do with proving learners have trouble with noun phrases. It would suggest learners have trouble with informal English, and if you ask me, that's true.

Re: The verb complement in "John tends to get hungry."

ouyang — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:58:39 GMT

Actually, I do classify some infinitive phrases that follow the verbs "seem" and "appear" as subject complements. I'm not totally comfortable with that view, so I like to consider other options.

Also, I'm not fluent in Chinese, but I think that there is an important difference between its verb-verb complements and the verb-verbal phrase complements that begin with "tend" and "dare". Verb-verb complements are like phrasal verbs in that they combine as immediate constituents before they take objects. In phrases like, "tends to be late", "tends to say stupid things", and "dare to be different", I would say that the infinitves combine with their own complements before the infinitive phrase combines with the main verb. If this is true, then I think I need to correct my previous post because these infinitive phrases must be noun phrases functioning as objects.

I would say that the dependent clauses which follow "seem" and "appear" in sentences like, "It seems that he is confused" and "It appears that he fixed the computer" are noun clauses functioning as predicate nouns. The fact that a common noun can't be substituted for predicate nouns which follow these verbs is significant, but it doesn't matter. When verbal phrases follow these verbs, then the type of verb which forms the verbal shouldn't affect the function of the phrase. The verb phrases in the following sentences should have the same pattern, "He seems to be honest.", "He seems to be the owner.", and "He seems to eat a lot." Since these phrases could function as predicate nouns in sentences like, "The important thing is to be honest.", "The best job is to be the owner." and "My advice is to eat a lot.", I would say they are also predicate nouns when they follow "seem" and "appear". Different substitutions might imply that they are predicate adjectives. I wish there was a strong argument for classifying the infinitves which follow "seem" and "appear" as their immediate constituents, but I don't think there is.

Re: difference between "consider" and "consider to"

CalifJim — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:52:01 GMT

There are six patterns involving a predicate complement of the object. The complement can be a noun phrase (NP) or an adjective phrase (AP).

NP V NP NP |   NP V NP AP
NP V NP to be NP |   NP V NP to be AP
NP V NP as NP |   NP V NP as AP

The same verb can often take more than one of these patterns with no change of meaning. But exactly which pattern(s) each verb can take is a matter of considerable confusion at times! (Reminder: * = ungrammatical; ?= borderline grammatical; possibly ungrammatical.)

consider him a fool | consider him crazy
consider him to be a fool | consider him to be crazy
?consider him as a fool | ?consider him as crazy

prove him an innocent man | prove him innocent
prove him to be an innocent man | prove him to be innocent
*prove him as an innocent man | *prove him as innocent

appointed/named him secretary | *appointed/named him secretarial
appointed/named him to be secretary | *appointed/named him to be secretarial
appointed/named him as secretary | *appointed/named him as secretarial

*knew him an honest man | *knew him honest
knew him to be an honest man | knew him to be honest
*knew him as an honest man | *knew him as honest

*describe/treat him a friend | *describe/treat him foolish
*describe/treat him to be a friend | *describe/treat him to be foolish
describe/treat him as a friend | describe/treat him as foolish

proclaim him a hero | ?proclaim him heroic
proclaim him to be a hero | ?proclaim him to be heroic
*proclaim him as a hero | *proclaim him as heroic

CJ

Re: The Debate Over Merit Pay for Teachers Part 1

Ti:Ê§É — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:19:36 GMT

Osee wrote:
Hi there,

Questions post near the red parts below. Thanks a lot.

Osee
_____________________________________

The idea seems reasonable. Recognize better workers with extra pay. But it's not that simple. Performance may be easy to measure in some workplaces. But teachers say a classroom is not one of them.
Last year, we reported on a program in Florida to give merit pay to teachers if student scores increase on a statewide test. But a newspaper in Florida now reports that school systems across the state are rejecting the program for a second year. (Q: How about students scores or students' scores? Any difference between them?)

Student scores is a noun phrase. In this case the noun student acts as an adverb, modifying scores.

You could say students' scores (making it possessive) without any real change in meaning.

Osee wrote:
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune says only about one-third of the school districts in Florida may answer a call for proposals (Q: What's this phrase mean?) by October first.
Why? Teachers say the program forces them to compete against each other. They say it is unfair to link their pay to results on statewide tests (Q: May I replace the "on" by "from?"). Also, a high school teacher told the paper that a limited budget means that some top teachers may not be recognized.

From the context, it looks like the government has asked (called) the school districts to give suggestions (proposals) on the program.

In this situation, you could replace on with from.

Re: In the following sentence ''He'' is subject, ''is'' is a...

Jackson6612 — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:35:24 GMT

Hi Doll,

Calm down Jackson. You will find the answer you want in the end. If you don't want any other person to answer your posts, please add " teachers reply only" .And what is wrong with learning other sides of point? I think it is a chance for you to learn compound nominal predicate. By the way, don't forget that we are all volunteers here.

I didn't ask Paulio to stop replying to my question. I just asked him to be little more comprehensive. Yes, I do learn from everyone and I do respect everyone for teaching me.

And please let me know the definition of ''compound nominal predicate

He --- subject is --- copula a nice person--- subject complement/attribute. Who is a nice person? He. You see subject answers this so it is subject attribute. The things I explained are functions.¹As for categories¹: He---noun , is ---verb phrase² a nice person ---- noun phrase . More detailed: a is an article, nice is an adjective modifying person.

This is what I think.

1: What is the difference between categories and functions?

2: I never heard anyone calling is a verb phrase. Mostly they call it helping verb or linking verb. What do you say on this?

Re: Noun phrases containing relative clauses...help!

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 06:10:35 GMT

Anonymous wrote:
Could someone break this down grammatically for me?

One thing that I'd really miss is my mom's cooking.

Subject: One thing

verb: miss

noun: mom's cooking

Is that right? oNe more thing...what's the difference between a noun and a subject? Isn't a subject a noun?

Re: socially awkward

Clive — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:19:53 GMT

Hi,

What does "socially awkward" mean? Is it "shy" or something? It refers to someone who lacks social skills, although they may possibly be able to learn them. Such a person may be shy, but not necessarily.

Is there any difference between "socially awkward"and " socially misfit"? The normal expression is the noun phrase, 'He's a social misfit'. This is a much stronger expression, meaning that he does not fit well into a social setting. It sounds like a more permanent condition.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: difference between the meaning of these sentences: I used to play...cri

Jackson6612 — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 09:04:27 GMT

Definition of preposition in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:

a function word that typically combines with a noun phrase to form a phrase which usu. expresses a modification or predication.

Please explain me above definition with the help of an example. Is preposition always followed by noun/pronoun?

Definition of to in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary:

¹to: 8 - used as a function word to indicate that the following verb is an infinitive <wants to go> and often used by itself at the end of a clause in place of an infinitive suggested by the preceding context.

How can it be differentiated that whether to is being used as preposition or infinitive in a certain sentence?

Re: Modifier

Mr Patrick — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:41:09 GMT

Hi,

Here are a couple lof links to get you started. These articles are not dedicated specifically to your problem, but they explain adjectives and compound words very well.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compounds.htm

Here's the part where Charles Darling explains the difference between -ing and -ed participles:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm#Participles

My understanding of grammar is much more patchy, but according to this source I would comment on your example as follows:

a) Sounds strange, I would not use it.

b) Much better. However, it sounds like reduced-fat milk, implying that the plastic on the blade previously had more friction and that there are other alternatives plastics which don't have this friction removed from them.

c) My favourite. The plastic on this blade actively and purposefully reduces friction.

Regards, Patrick

Final comment to all others: Could you help out with the following analysis?

with a special friction-reducing plastic is a prepositional phrase.

a special friction-reducing plastic is the object of the prepositional phrase, and is also a noun phrase.

plastic is the head noun.

a special friction-reducing is an adjective phrase??? Here, my patchy grammar slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean...

Re: Noun phrases containing relative clauses...help!

Welkins2139 — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:07:40 GMT

Anonymous wrote:

Could someone break this down grammatically for me?

One thing that I'd really miss is my mom's cooking.

Is that right? oNe more thing...what's the difference between a noun and a subject? Isn't a subject a noun?

It is called adjective relative clause that modifies one thing .

A noun can be a subject but a subject is not always be a noun. For example, a subject can be a noun clause as well.