I, for one, like X

[TheParser]

Many people do not like X, but this is not true for everyone.

I, for one, like X.

Would you kindly R-K the bolded sentence?

Thank you SO much.

[Frank Antonson]

I think I would simply put "for one" underneath "I" as a modifying prepositional phrase -- similar to "by myself" or "as an example".

[TheParser]

I think I would simply put "for one" underneath "I" as a modifying prepositional phrase -- similar to "by myself" or "as an example".

Thank you, sir. That is a very insightful answer. Another expert told me

that she, too, feels for one is like the intensifier myself. Thanks again.

[Frank Antonson]

The idea of an "intensifier" is interesting. That makes it almost an appositive. And yet, "myself" would require the verb to change its inflection by adding an "-s".

But then, "myself" would not really modify "I". What kind of I? -- myself I. That doesn't really work.

This may be a situation where Reed-Kellogg comes up short.

Tell me what you -- or the other authorities that you know -- think.

[TheParser]

The idea of an "intensifier" is interesting. That makes it almost an appositive. And yet, "myself" would require the verb to change its inflection by adding an "-s".

But then, "myself" would not really modify "I". What kind of I? -- myself I. That doesn't really work.

This may be a situation where Reed-Kellogg comes up short.

Tell me what you -- or the other authorities that you know -- think.

Perhaps I did not explain myself well. She just said that for one is an

intensifier like myself.

I, for one, like X.

I myself like X.

Yes, the books say that myself is in apposition with I. So some

people make the case that for one is in apposition with I. Sounds like

a good idea. But your idea is great, too. For one is a prepositional

phrase. In fact, she told me that for one is something like for example.

You parse it as modifying I. Appositive or modifier -- it doesn't matter.

She agrees that it refers to I. For R-K, we could diagram it your way, or

I guess we could do it this way (please forgive my crude description):


We could diagram for one in the way we always diagram a prep. phrase.

Then we could fit that diagram in the parentheses to indicate an

appositive: I ( ) like X.

Another way: I ( one ) like X. Above one, we could draw a line

and on that line write the word for. That is, we could call for an expletive

introducing one.

Personally, I think that your idea is the simplest and best.

P. S. Some dictionaries even call for one an adverb!!! But they do not

explain what it modifies.

I suspect that of the 7,000,000,000 people on earth, most (99.99%)

could not care less!!!

[BobK]

That many?

b

[birdeen's call]

Please pardon me if I'm talking nonsense. I have very little knowledge about these things. But I've just thought, couldn't we say it plays a role similar to that of the word "only" in "only I like X"? I'm not saying they mean the same, I only thought they have a similar role in the sentence.

[Frank Antonson]

Please pardon me if I'm talking nonsense. I have very little knowledge about these things. But I've just thought, couldn't we say it plays a role similar to that of the word "only" in "only I like X"? I'm not saying they mean the same, I only thought they have a similar role in the sentence.

I think I agree with Birdeen's call. "Only" would be a modifier, as is the prepositional phrase "for one". I'm not too sure about the idea of "for" as an expletive since it is so certainly a preposition.

As far as those 7,000,000 are concerned, they don't know what they are missing. I am going to let my website of competitive sentence diagramming expire, but this fall I am going to teach the art to my students. I haven't done that in over a decade. It will be interesting to see if they discover the sport in it.

[Frank Antonson]

Also, the idea of "for one" being an appositive doesn't quite work because if it is truly duplicating the subject then the remaining sentence without the duplication would be "For one like X". That doesn't work.

[TheParser]

Also, the idea of "for one" being an appositive doesn't quite work because if it is truly duplicating the subject then the remaining sentence without the duplication would be "For one like X". That doesn't work.

Attention: All ten fans of "for one."

I have just received further intelligence (don't you just love that word!).

Two persons have suggested to me that for one is actually a sentence adverb.

One person (a professional translator) says that I, for one, like X is about the same as For example, I like X.

Another person (I do not know his/her credentials) says that I, for one, like X is the same as I personally like X. Of course, we will all agree that personally is, indeed, a sentence adverb.

So fickle am I!! I now am leaning toward the sentence adverb theory. Maybe those dictionaries are right: it is a phrasal adverb.