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sentence analysis 3

 
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hela



Joined: 02 May 2004
Posts: 420
Location: Tunisia

PostPosted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:15 am    Post subject: sentence analysis 3 Reply with quote

Dear teachers,

Would you please correct my analysis ?

4) A larger than normal pay increase was awarded to the nurses.
Parts of speech:

Larger = comparative adjective + Than = ? + Normal = adjective
or: larger than normal = comparative adjective ?

Pay = adjective (?) + Increase = noun
or: pay increase = compound noun ?

Sentence elements: (??)


a larger than normal pay increase = subject ?
was awarded = verb (of what type ?)
to the nurses = ?


5) The policeman was not impressed by your alibi.
Sentence elements:

The policeman = subject
Was not impressed = intransitive verb (?)
By your alibi = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)

6) I'm trying to light the fire.
sentence elements:

I = subject
Am trying (?) = transitive verb
to light the fire = direct object ?

7) She's very proud of her looks.
She = subject
Is = copular verb
Very proud = subject complement
Of her looks = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)

Thank you very much indeed.

Kind regards,
Hela
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helen1



Joined: 24 Nov 2004
Posts: 115

PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
4) A larger than normal pay increase was awarded to the nurses.
Parts of speech:

Larger = comparative adjective + Than = ? + Normal = adjective
or: larger than normal = comparative adjective ?


'than' = conjunction

Quote:
Pay = adjective (?) + Increase = noun
or: pay increase = compound noun ?


Second option 'pay increase' = compound noun

Quote:
Sentence elements: (??)


a larger than normal pay increase = subject ?
was awarded = verb (of what type ?)
to the nurses = ?


you are correct about the subject
was - copula verb
awarded to the nurses = subject complement


Quote:
5) The policeman was not impressed by your alibi.
Sentence elements:

The policeman = subject
Was not impressed = intransitive verb (?)
By your alibi = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)


you are again correct on the subject
was not = copula verb + negative
impressed by your alibi = subject complement
impressed = verbal noun
by your alibi = prepositional
your alibi = noun phrase

Quote:
6) I'm trying to light the fire.
sentence elements:

I = subject
Am trying (?) = transitive verb
to light the fire = direct object ?


Again correct with the subject
am = copula verb
trying to light the fire = subject complement
trying = verbal noun
to light = verb infinitive
the fire = noun phrase

Quote:
7) She's very proud of her looks.
She = subject
Is = copular verb
Very proud = subject complement
Of her looks = ? (noun phrase or prepositional phrase ?)


Correct on both subject and verb
'very proud of her looks' = subject complement
of her looks = prepositional phrase
her looks = noun phrase

Hope this helps
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hela



Joined: 02 May 2004
Posts: 420
Location: Tunisia

PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Helen,

It's a long time since I have heard from you. Are you back on the web?
I hope you did well in your assignments.
Thank you for your answers. I thought that one would consider verbs like "am trying" as transitive verb, and "was awarded" a passive form of a transitive verb. Is that wrong ?

Dear All,

Could someone help me with this explanation? I didn't understand it.

THE POLICEMAN: subject
WAS NOT IMPRESSED: passive verb phrase
BY YOUR ALIBI: agentive adverbial

Quote:
"an agentive adverbial" is a by-phrase denoting the agent of a passive verb - another 'minor' subclass of adverbial.


All the best,
Hela
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