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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:46 am Post subject: Afraid |
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How do we use afraid in English?
I'm afraid of ghosts.
I'm afraid I will be late.
I'm afraid he will be late.
Is there a difference between the last two? |
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icnelly
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:01 am Post subject: Re: Afraid |
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| mrsquirrel wrote: |
How do we use afraid in English?
I'm afraid of ghosts.
I'm afraid I will be late.
I'm afraid he will be late.
Is there a difference between the last two? |
Your sentences are essentially the same; at least in regards to the core independent clause = I am afraid --> that is your core sentence.
I (subject) am (linking verb) afraid (predicate adjective).
'of ghosts' is a prepositional phrases that functions as an adjective in this instance.
Your last two examples both use eliptical clauses, which just means the relative pronoun ('that' in this instance maybe) is removed.
You can write the same sentence as:
I'm afraid that I will be late.
I'm afraid that he will be late.
I guess the question is to see how your 'that' clause functions?
Anyone else?
EDIT: think I'm right, but unsure, so someone else give it a spin. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:11 am Post subject: |
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What you have said is basically what I have come up with after a couple of hours reading grammar books and websites. It still doesn't sit right with me though.
Maybe it's too late for this. |
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icnelly
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| mrsquirrel wrote: |
What you have said is basically what I have come up with after a couple of hours reading grammar books and websites. It still doesn't sit right with me though.
Maybe it's too late for this. |
Okay, sorry for the mixup: a relative clause must modify a noun, so that doesn't apply to your sentence, but this does:
"that" in your sentence is function as a conjunction:
It's used to introduce a subordinate clause as the subject or object of the principal verb or as the necessary complement to a statement made, or a clause expressing cause or reason, purpose or aim, result or consequence, etc.: I'm sure that you'll like it.
The sentence in bold in much likes yours: I'm sure you'll like it (with the that conjunction removed).
There's more left to be uncovered, but someone else needs to give it the old college try...
Hope this helped!! Sorry for mudding up the water.
EDIT: messed up the bold...  |
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The Bobster
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| "Afraid" has a spectrum meanings ranging from "I hope that doesn't happen" to "I'm nervous" all the way to "mortal dread over the fear of imminent death." Fortunately, English is quite flexixible and all of these things can be expressed in various ways ... |
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