To whom it may concern,
How can I analyze the sentence " Things she was most afraid would happen did happen"?
1. Is there a relative pronoun omitted between "she" and " things"?
2. If so, what is the function of the omitted relative pronoun?
3. Is "she was afraid" a parenthesis?
Confusing Jeanette
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1-- Yes, that or which is omitted.
2-- it merely introduces the relative clause
3-- no, it's the subject, verb, and complement of the clause.
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Dear Mr. Micawber,
Thank you for your reply. Yet, I still have some questions about the structure of this sentence.
1. If a "which" or "that" is omitted before "she", is this relative pronoun the
subject or object of the relative clause?
2.What is the subject and verb in this relative clause?
Jeanette
.
1-- neither; it is a subordinating conjunction.
\2-- the subject is she and the verb is was.
Things -- Subject of main clause
[that] she was most afraid would happen -- adjective clause modifying things
did happen -- Verb of main clause.
[that]-- conjunction
she -- Subject of dependent clause
was -- Verb (linking) of dependent clause
afraid -- predicate adjective
would happen -- dependent clause as adverbial modifier of afraid (I think).
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Dear Mr. Micawber,
Thank you for your reply. Are you an English teacher in Japan?
Jeanette
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If you click on my name, you will be able to read my Profile. Your Profile states that your first language is Chinese and that you live in Taipei.
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