I need help with analysing a sentence

[icarlos]

Hi !

I'm studying how to analyse sentences in my grammar course at the university, and I was given a homework. I needed to analyse a whole text, and identify simple, compound and complex sentences. and then if it is complex I have to divide it into an adverb, adjective or noun clause.

I analysed the text with no problem except for one sentence.

Here it goes:

"Only a little tired of myself", replied Estella, freeing her arm, and moving to the chimney piece, where she stood looking down at the fire.


I'm really confused with this one. I hope you can help me !, Thanks !

[Teia]

Originally Posted by icarlos

Hi !

I'm studying how to analyse sentences in my grammar course at the university, and I was given a homework. I needed to analyse a whole text, and identify simple, compound and complex sentences. and then if it is complex I have to divide it into an adverb, adjective or noun clause.

I analysed the text with no problem except for one sentence.

Here it goes:

"Only a little tired of myself", replied Estella, freeing her arm, and moving to the chimney piece, where she stood looking down at the fire.


I'm really confused with this one. I hope you can help me !, Thanks !

Hi Carlos.
In my opinion this is a complex sentence. Complex sentences describe more than one thing or idea and have more than one verb. They are made up of more than one clause : an independent clause[it can stand by itself] and a subordinate clause[ which cannot stand by itself].
Let`s take your example:
"Only a little tired of myself" - noun clause [ I am not sure]
.........replied Estella,..-main clause
freeing her arm - subordinate clause[ adverbial clause of manner]
and moving to the...- subordinate clause[adverbial clause of manner]
where she stood ..- subordinate clause of place

If we take "while freeing her arm, and moving ....", then we have 2 subordinate clauses of time.

I`d like to see some experts` advice.

All the best.

[RonBee]

"Only a little tired of myself" is an adjectival clause. It describes how Estella is feeling.

~R

[Casiopea]

Additionally, ellipsis is the key:

Ex: (I am) only a little tired of myself, replied Estella, ...

The speaker, Estella, has omitted (...) the subject-verb pair I am:

“What!” said Miss Havisham, flashing her eyes upon her, “are you tired of me?”

“(No. I am) Only a little tired of myself,” replied Estella, disengaging her arm, and moving to the great chimney-piece, where she stood looking down at the fire.

Great Expectations (Chapter XXXVIII)
by Charles Dickens

[Teia]

Thank you Casiopea and RonBee.

I still have a question if you don`t mind :

[I am ] Only a little tired of myself -is this sentence an independent one? can it be taken that way?
The question word we can use here is : What did Estella reply?
She replied , [she was] Only a little tired of herself. Is this sentence still an adjectival clause ? I don`t know how to ask the question by which I can state the subordinate clause Only a little tired of myself.

Thank you.

[RonBee]

"I am only a little tired of myself" can certainly be an independent clause (sentence).

Did I answer your question?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by teia_petrescu

[I am] Only a little tired of myself - is this sentence an independent one?

Elided, yes, but, and as you have mentioned, it functions as the object of the verb replied;i.e., What did Estella reply?:

Ex: She replied, "Only tired of myself."

Originally Posted by teia_petrescu

Is this sentence still an adjectival clause?

There are two possibilities:

#1 Adjectival: I am only tired of myself.
#2 Adverbial: I am only tired of myself. (Meaning, I am tired of myself, only.)

Which meaning do you think Estella intended?

[Teia]

Originally Posted by Casiopea

Elided, yes, but, and as you have mentioned, it functions as the object of the verb replied;i.e., What did Estella reply?:

Ex: She replied, "Only tired of myself."

There are two possibilities:

#1 Adjectival: I am only tired of myself.
#2 Adverbial: I am only tired of myself. (Meaning, I am tired of myself, only.)

Which meaning do you think Estella intended?

Well, I think that the first one is correct. Yet, I am not sure if my choice is good. Estella says she is tired only of herself and not [tired]of Miss Havisham. Is my choice correct? Or, should I think it over again?

Thank you.

[Teia]

Originally Posted by RonBee

"I am only a little tired of myself" can certainly be an independent clause (sentence).

Did I answer your question?

Yes, you did. Thank you very much RonBee.