Quote:
Originally Posted by Soup  FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Let's get a meaty discussion going.  She's in the house.Form: prepositional phrase <nominal> Function: adverbial <tells us where> So, given that adverbs give off this kind of duality, why couldn't next in Who's next? be a preposition in form, that is, be nominal and thereby privy to the category "subject complement"? Why is it called a predicate adverb? |
I have found that students and some textbooks can get somewhat mixed-up about the types of phrases.
By usage (or function), there are:
(a)
Noun phrases (including appositives and complements);
(b)
Adjective phrases;
(c)
Adverb phrases.
By construction (or form), there are:
(a)
Absolute phrases, consisting of nouns only (one or more), and their modifiers (adjectives modifying nouns, and adverbs modifying adjectives) if any;
(b) Phrases headed by a
Preposition;
(c) Phrases starting with an
Infinitive preceded by
to (often also preceded by a pronoun or adverb, such as
what, which, who, whom, whose, when, where, how, why);
(d) Phrases starting with a
Continuous Participle or
Perfect Participle (sometimes preceded by a noun, pronoun, or adverb)
Examples
This shop sells
branded labels (noun phrase)
Birds
of a feather flock together (adjective phrase)
Don't let it get
under your skin (adverb phrase)
Branded labels are sold here (absolute phrase)
Falling leaves drift by the window (absolute phrase, falling = adjective)
Birds
of a feather flock together (preposition phrase)
He rushed
to go to the movies (infinitive phrase)
Doing nothing can be very boring (participle phrase)
Shoes
made in China are fairly good (participle phrase)
Combining usage + construction:
A broken window invites thieves (subject = noun/absolute phrase)
We consider her
the best student (complement = noun/absolute phrase, NOT adjective)
He reminded us
of our duty (complement = noun/preposition phrase)
I'm thinking
about whom to call (complement = noun/preposition phrase)
He wants
to start a business (object = noun/infinitive phrase)
When to begin is the question (subject = noun/infinitive phrase)
Teach them
how to do this (object = noun/infinitive phrase)
Tell me
what to cook (object = noun/infinitive phrase)
Lazing about has its merits (subject = noun/participle phrase)
Always sleeping well keeps you fit (subject = noun/participle phrase)
They'd like
having a try at this (object = noun/participle phrase)
Haier,
a Chinese brand, sells well (adjective/absolute phrase)
A careful person, she spends little (adjective/absolute phrase)
Birds
with singing voices cost a lot (adjective/preposition phrase)
The boy
in the loud shirt is crying (adjective/preposition phrase)
Beer
from Qingdao is good (adjective/preposition phrase)
His support
for our cause is steadfast (adjective/preposition phrase)
The girls
at our school are snooty (adjective/preposition phrase)
The law
to fight waste was passed (adjective/infinitive phrase)
His call
to close ranks went unheeded (adjective/infinitive phrase)
Taken aback, the thief ran off (adjective/participle phrase)
Looking pleased, he sat down (adjective/participle phrase)
He likes his steak
well done (adjective/participle phrase)
Plants
tended with care grow well (adjective/participle phrase)
They returned
on the last flight (adverb/preposition phrase)
She went
to the grocers nearby (adverb/preposition phrase)
She's good
at doing housework (adverb/preposition phrase)
He was loaded
with tons of work (adverb/preposition phrase)
We are going
for a stroll (adverb/preposition phrase)
I went
to meet him for lunch (adverb/infinitive phrase)
He's lucky
to have rich parents (adverb/infinitive phrase)
