Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teachers,

1) Would you please tell me which kind of adverbial is this? It doesn�t seem to be �of location�.

My best friend�s son has become first violin in the orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

my best friend�s son = subject
has become = copular / linking verb
first violin = subject related complement [second violins]
in the orchestra of the ROH = adverbial of place / location ??

2) The customer sent the store a letter of complaint about the service.

The customer = subject
Sent = ditransitive verb
the store = indirect object
a letter of complaint = direct object
about the service = a) adverbial / b) object complement ?

Kind regards,
Hela

[clonc]

What the hell are you studying, Hela; English or Grammar? There is not one in ten thousand native English speakers who will know what an adverbial of location. a Copular verb, or a ditransitive verb is.

I will be surprised if any native English speaker connected with this forum knows either.

Studying grammar like this is NOT the way to learn English and this forum is specifically for those who are interested in learning English, not learning the finer and detailed specifics of grammar

[bud]

Clonc, that's undeserved! How is it your right to say exactly how this forum should be used, what one should study, or how one should study it? If you don't know the answers (I don't, either), just move on to the next topic.

[clonc]

I agree with and respect your views, and take your point, but as I said, I think this is pure nit picking. I cannot believe that Hela is a student who is interested in studying English. I think he is just selecting esoteric sentences and submiiting frivolous nit picking enquiries.

This sort of thing just gets up my nose, and I just have to express my views.

Frankly, if someone asks if this part of a sentence is a copular verb or if it has ditransitive verbs in it I feel certain he is trying to show off, and is not seriously trying to expand his knowledge.

I feel that pretentions questions such as this destroy the purpose of this forum which is for the purpose of discussion in connection with learning English, not Lingusitics, Rhetoric, of obscure points of grammar.

[hela]

Hi clonc,

I think it's for the webmaster or the moderators to say what kind of questions about English a member of this forum should ask. If they tell me to stop posting such kinds of questions, I will. Otherwise, I'll carry on. On the other hand I'm not trying to show off at all since I don't master the English language perfectly; but as a university student I am also supposed to know how to parse different types of sentences.

Ciao

[lotus]

Hi hela,

Your analyses of the sentences are fairly accurate. I've inserted comments in parenthesis ().

QUOTE:

1) My best friend�s son has become first violin in the orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

my best friend�s son = subject
has become = copular / linking verb (a resulting copula is a linking verb that changes the state of the subject: son has become first violin)
first violin = subject related complement [second violins]
in the orchestra of the ROH = adverbial of place / location ?? (although they may be adverbial prepositional phrases which describe place or location, I believe they are simply consecutive prepositional phrases describing first violin and orchestra, respectively)

2) The customer sent the store a letter of complaint about the service.

The customer = subject
Sent = ditransitive verb (a ditransitive verb is a verb that takes a direct object and indirect object at the same time)
the store = indirect object
a letter of complaint = direct object (a letter is the direct object; of complaint is the prepositional phrase describing letter)
about the service = a) adverbial / b) object complement ? (prepositional phrase describing complaint)

Resulting copulas, ditransitive verbs, adverbial prepositional phrases, and direct and indirect objects are discussed in these links from "Guide to Grammar and Writing" (aka, "Ask Grammar"). They also have a nice index of grammar topics.

verbs: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verbs.htm#linking
adverbs: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm
direct objects and indirect objects: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm

main site: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
index: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index2.htm


--lotus

[hela]

Hello Lotus,

Thank you for your help.
When you say that a sentence element is a prepositional phrase isn't this the FORM of the element rather than its FUNCTION ? If yes, what would the FUNCTION of these phrases then?

See you soon

[lotus]

Hi hela,

Prepositional phrases function as modifiers; acting as adjectives or adverbs, describing a noun or telling when or where something occurs.


--lotus

[pugachevV]

I bet you a dollar clonc is an English man!

[clonc]

No, pugachevV. You lose your dollar, you rash gambler, you. I am not an English man. I am a Welsh man (and a Welshman).