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Grammar Question: Identify Parts of Speech

 
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katsu



Joined: 15 Mar 2007
Location: here and there

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:31 pm    Post subject: Grammar Question: Identify Parts of Speech Reply with quote

I have to identify the following sentence in terms of parts of speech, and I am uncertain about 4 words. I've researched this question in google and it seems like there is an array of answers. So I'm even more confused as to who is right. (this is for tesol)

The sentence is: I usually go swimming with my best friend and his rather unusual girlfriend.

Is "with" a conjunction or preposition?
Is "my" a possessive adjective or a pronoun?
Is "his" a possessive adjective or a possessive pronoun
Is "rather" a conjunction or an adverb

I'm really confused with these four. If you could help, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

preposition
possessive adjective
possessive adjective
adverb
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12ax7



Joined: 07 Nov 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
preposition
possessive adjective
possessive adjective
adverb



Yes.

Conjunctions and prepositions can be confusing because they play similar roles in a sentence.

What the OP needs to remember is that a conjunction links words, phrases, and clauses.

http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/conjunct.html

...while a preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases within a sentence. There is usually a temporal, spatial or logical relationship between its object and the rest of the sentence.

http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/preposit.html


'My' is an adjective here. It modifies the noun 'friend'. The only instance I can think of where 'my' would be used as an adverb is when it modifies a noun in the possessive form (in other words, a noun which acts as a possessive adjective). For example, 'my grandmother's wig'...It's not my wig, it's Grandma's.

'His' acts as an adjective in that sentence because it modifies the noun 'girlfriend' (Whose girlfriend? His girlfriend).

Notice that the words placed between these adjectives and the nouns they modify are other adjectives (which modify the same nouns) and a word which modifies one of these adjectives.

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/adjectve.html

...which brings me to 'rather'. It is an adverb because it modifies an adjective (How unusual is she? She is rather unusual).

http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/adverbs.html


Last edited by 12ax7 on Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
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katsu



Joined: 15 Mar 2007
Location: here and there

PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you !
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