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13-Aug-2004, 03:49
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Yeh! Empty subject! That's the term I should have used here.
Unless it is a pronoun, "it" in "It is your turn to drive" is an empty subject, right?
And about the infinitive "to drive", it's adjective. Correct, tdol?
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By the way, I don't really understand this part of your comments: Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I can see you case for distinguishing it because it does have a different function. | |
13-Aug-2004, 06:32
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher | |
errr, 'your case'. 
I'll mull this 'infinitive as adjective' thing over a bit. My first reaction is negative, but let's see how I feel tonight. |
13-Aug-2004, 13:44
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol errr, 'your case'. | OK. I understand. Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol I'll mull this 'infinitive as adjective' thing over a bit. My first reaction is negative, but let's see how I feel tonight. | At least, it's not the semantic subject , which means the infinitive is not used as a noun. Then...adverbial...??
Well, I'm looking forward to your reply. :wink: |
14-Aug-2004, 10:13
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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It is modifying the noun, but I don't see it as an adjectival modification. You could descrivbe 'your turn to drive' in its entirety as an adjectival complement, couldn't you? |
14-Aug-2004, 10:35
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol It is modifying the noun, but I don't see it as an adjectival modification. You could descrivbe 'your turn to drive' in its entirety as an adjectival complement, couldn't you? | An infinitive modifying a noun but not adjectival???
Are you trying to redefine the concept of adjectival infinitive?? |
14-Aug-2004, 13:10
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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It seems to be adding something more than an adjectival sense to me. |
14-Aug-2004, 14:54
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol It seems to be adding something more than an adjectival sense to me. | Then what exactly is the function of adjetives besides its modification of nouns? And what is the "something" here?? |
14-Aug-2004, 16:35
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Member Type: English Teacher | |
Given that it is not a single word, it is not an adjective, so its function is up for debate. |
14-Aug-2004, 17:20
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol It is modifying the noun, but I don't see it as an adjectival modification. | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea It is your turn to study.
to study is an integral part of the phrase 'your turn'. :wink: | What is it that makes you teachers hesitant about simply calling it "an adjectival infinitive" here? It's just a "noun (one's turn)+to do" construction, isn't it? |
14-Aug-2004, 17:57
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
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Cas, that's not my point.
What I'm wondering about is this: as tdol says, the infinitive is modifying the noun "one's turn". But he argues that it is not an adjectival modification, and should be adding something more than an adjectival sense.
Modifying a noun, but still not adjectival...Then, what is it at all???
And you say it's an integral part of "one's turn"... Why can't you disintegrate it and simply take the infinitive as adjectival.
What an enigma... :? | | |
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