corum
Senior Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2010
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Hungarian
- Home Country
- Hungary
- Current Location
- Hungary
Allow me to explain.
Sentence 2., as we know, is an example of a reduced relative clause, the relative pronoun (who) and its verb (is) having been omitted:
1. ...with Mr Smith who is a well-respected teacher.The resulting modifying phrase 'a well-respected teacher' sees into the PP (with Mr Smith) and modifies the NP (Mr Smith), and not the P (with), because relative adjectival clauses, even reduced ones, modify nouns, and that, by the way, is the problem with our original sentence (3. below).
2. ...with Mr Smith, a well-respected teacher. :tick:
How is [the fact that reduced adjectival clauses stick to nouns] a problem in the sentence below?
3. The drawback of virtual school is lack of human contact (which is) providing students with daily ongoing interaction with teachers. :cross:
The head of our phrase is a noun (lack), which is what the modifier sees:
There are two NPs, one placed inside another. At this point, what I suspect is this: the reduced relative hinges on a NP. Which one? Find the closest NP which is not built into a bigger NP. Find the head of this phrase and we have arrived. Correct?
In (3.), the closest noun, from a non-linear view,
What does non-linear view mean?
Note that, because of the copular structure, 'drawback' also plays a role:
5. The drawback is providing students with interaction. :cross:
Fair enough.
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