Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

would you please correct my analyses ?

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

Thank you in advance,
Hela

[helen1]

Hi Hela,

1) Perfect

2) Perfect - those you have queried are correct.

3)

[hela]

Hi Helen,

I thought that in "five miles" five would be a determinative adjective since it clarifies "miles" which is a noun. Now if it were a ponoun it would replace the noun instead. Am I right?

I would like you to explain something for me, please. Why in "all / all of his teachers" ALL is a pronoun and not an adjective ?

Thank you in advance and all the best,
Hela