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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 03-Dec-2004, 04:53
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Default sentence structure question

Using a dictionary I got all the possible types of each word for the sentence below. I also gave a reason why that structure is not correct for that sentence. But when trying all the possibilites for this sentence I am not left with just one possibility. Can you explain why the ones with a "?" can not be
correct for the sentence below:

The old walk home.

1. determiner adjective verb noun
2. determiner adjective verb adverb
3. determiner adjective verb adjective
4. determiner adjective verb verb
5. determiner adjective noun noun
6. determiner adjective noun adverb
7. determiner adjective noun verb
8. determiner adjective noun adjective
9. determiner noun verb noun
10. determiner noun verb adverb
11. determiner noun verb adjective
12. determiner noun verb verb
13. determiner noun noun noun
14. determiner noun noun adverb
15. determiner noun noun adjective
16. determiner noun noun verb

reasons given for each case:

1. can not occur since a adjective/verb combination can not exist.
2. can not occur since a adjective/verb combination can not exist.
3. can not occur since a adjective/verb combination can not exist.
4. can not occur since a adjective/verb combination can not exist.
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. can only occur for certain noun/adjective combinations, not in this case
9. ?
10. ?.
11. can only occur if verb is a linking verb, not in the case
12. can only occur if first verb is a auxiliary verb, not in this case
13. ?
14. ?
15. can only occur for certain noun/adjective combinations, not in this case
16. ?

Thank you for your help.
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  #2 (permalink)  
Old 03-Dec-2004, 08:04
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Are they phrases in isolation or are they phrases that make up a sentence? If the former, then I agree with your list, but if the latter, well, there's a great deal of variation to consider, so a list of examples would be more than helpful.
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Old 04-Dec-2004, 05:25
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Casiopea, I am sure what is being asked is for a phrase that makes up that sentence, as a complete sentence. That being the case, why are the ones that have a reason given as "?" not the correct structure for that sentence?

Would this be the correct reason for some of them:

5. no verb exists in the sentence.
6. no verb exists in the sentence.
7. ?
9. ?
10. ?
13. no verb exists in the sentence.
14. no verb exists in the sentence.
16. ?
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Old 04-Dec-2004, 06:57
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Thank you, notmyname216, and welcome.

Quote:
Can you explain why the ones with "?" can not be
correct for the sentence: The old walk home.
Sorry. I did not see your example sentence.

Here are my reasons:

5. determiner adjective noun noun
Two consecutive nouns that (a) do not form a compound and (b) are not joined by a conjunction. In terms of syntax, 'noun noun' should be listed as 'noun'; i.e., a compound, but that would result in walkhome, which is not an English word. 5. is not OK.

6. determiner adjective noun adverb
If we expand our example sentence The old walk home to The old walk that leads home, a relative clause modifying the noun 'walk', then 'home', even though it's a noun in form and an adverb in function within the relative clause, it functions as an adjective because it represents an adjectival clause that has been partially omitted. On the other hand, if we expand The old walk home to The old walk (leads) home, a linking structure, then 'home' in answering the question Where? functions as an adverb, so 6. is OK iff interpreted as a linking structure, one in which the linking element has been omitted. Otherwise, 6. is not OK.

(Please note, Adverbs of Place can indeed function as the predicate of a linking structure. The reason being, they are nominal in form; i.e., prepositions and nouns.)

7. determiner adjective noun verb
If 'home' were a verb it would require an object; e.g., The missile named, 'old walk' homed in on the target. 7. is not OK.

9. determiner noun verb noun
'old' is an adjective in form, but it functions as a substantive noun; e.g., The old (i.e., the seniors) walk home (everyday at 5:00), so 'old' can be a noun. That is, the first part of 9. determiner noun verb is OK. It's the last part, the noun, that the problem. 'home' answers the question Where?, so it functions as an adverb; e.g., Where did the old walk?, as in 10. below, but 9. is not OK.

10. determiner noun verb adverb
The old (i.e., the seniors) walk home. 10. is OK.

13. determiner noun noun noun
Again, way too many nouns. Functionally, the first noun could be listed as an adjective and the last two nouns as a compound, giving the structure:

13a. determiner adjective compound noun (The old walkhome)

but 'walkhome' is not a word, so 13a. is not possible. We could try re-structuring the nouns, wherein 'oldwalk' describes what kind of home

13b. determiner adjective noun (The oldwalk home)

but then again 'an oldwalk home' is not English either. So structurally, 13b. is not possible.

14. determiner noun noun adverb
Aside from the double nouns, there the problem of the adverb. Adverbs, note the prefix ad-, add to the meaning of adjectives and verbs. In 14. there is neither an adjective nor a verb for the adverb to pass its meaning onto, so the structure is faulty. 14. is not OK.

16. determiner noun noun verb
As a verb, 'home' is transitive, so it needs an object to realize its meaning. 16. is not OK.
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Old 24-Jul-2007, 09:02
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Mr.Laxman is having lunch.
Mr.Laxman is having his lunch
which of the above statements is correct or are both the statements correct
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Old 24-Jul-2007, 09:13
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Quote:
Originally Posted by ritzven View Post
Mr.Laxman is having lunch.
Mr.Laxman is having his lunch
which of the above statements is correct or are both the statements correct
In my opinion, the first sentence is correct. It`s not necessary adding "his".
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Old 17-Jan-2008, 08:53
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Default Re: sentence structure question

Hi,
I am not sure I understand what is being asked. But you have nominated " The old walk home", as a sentence, therefore it has a subject and a predicate, which of course must include a verb. So initially the sentence needs analysing. I see the subject as 'The old' the verb as 'walk' and 'home' as the adverbial clause of place. The next step is then to dissect the analysied sentence into parts of speech. Determiner, noun, verb, (to) noun.
If "The old walk home" is not a sentence then it is a collection of words and every part of speech that can be attributed to each single word is the correct answer. ie if "old' is an adjective to the noun "walk" then we do not have a sentence, as you nominated in your introduction.
Very interesting
edwin.
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