sentence analysis 5

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

Moderator: Alan

Post Reply
Hela
Top Contributor
Top Contributor
Posts: 557
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:59 pm

sentence analysis 5

Post by Hela »

Dear Alan,

Here are the last 2 sentences for today:


1) The Indus was only a glinting trickle far below.

how many sentence elements does this sentence have?

Three ? =
a) The Indus = subject
b) was = copular verb
c) only a glinting trickle far below = adverbial of place?
(form?)

More ? = ?

2) There was no sign of the path, and no other trail looked at all convincing.

2 clauses:

1/ There was no sign of the path
a) There = ?
b) was = copular verb
c) no sigh of the path = ? (noun phrase?)

2/ and no other trail looked at all convincing
a) and = (form = coordinating conjunction) function ?
b) no other trail = subject
c) looked = copular verb
d) at all = adverbial ? (of what?) (form = adverb phrase?)
e) convincing = subject complement (form = adjectival (or adjective?) phrase?)

Best regards,
Hela
User avatar
Alan
Teacher/Moderator
Teacher/Moderator
Posts: 15204
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 7:56 pm
Status: Teacher of English
Location: Japan

Re: sentence analysis 5

Post by Alan »

1) The Indus was only a glinting trickle far below.

how many sentence elements does this sentence have?
********
There is no fixed answer to this question: the number of sentence elements depends entirely on the depth of the analysis.

**********



2) There was no sign of the path, and no other trail looked at all convincing.

2 clauses:

1/ There was no sign of the path
a) There = PREPOSED ADVERBIAL COMPLEMENT (sometimes termed an 'existential pronoun')

b) was = copular verb
c) no sign of the path = noun phrase
*******

Yes, but note that postposed subject NP 'no sign of the path' consists of

non sign - NP
of the path - prepositional phrase

*********

2/ and no other trail looked at all convincing
a) and = CONJUNCTION (CLAUSE-COORDINATOR)
b) no other trail = subject
c) looked = copular verb
d) at all = ADVERBIAL, MODIFYING 'CONVINCING'
e) convincing = PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVE, COMPLEMENTING 'LOOKED'

(My additions/ corrections in capitals)
Post Reply