I, for one, like X

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TheParser

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Many people do not like X, but this is not true for everyone.

I, for one, like X.

Would you kindly R-K the bolded sentence?

Thank you SO much.
 

Frank Antonson

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I think I would simply put "for one" underneath "I" as a modifying prepositional phrase -- similar to "by myself" or "as an example".
 

TheParser

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I think I would simply put "for one" underneath "I" as a modifying prepositional phrase -- similar to "by myself" or "as an example".

Thank you, sir. That is a very insightful answer. Another expert told me

that she, too, feels for one is like the intensifier myself. Thanks again.
 

Frank Antonson

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The idea of an "intensifier" is interesting. That makes it almost an appositive. And yet, "myself" would require the verb to change its inflection by adding an "-s".

But then, "myself" would not really modify "I". What kind of I? -- myself I. That doesn't really work.

This may be a situation where Reed-Kellogg comes up short.

Tell me what you -- or the other authorities that you know -- think.
 

TheParser

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The idea of an "intensifier" is interesting. That makes it almost an appositive. And yet, "myself" would require the verb to change its inflection by adding an "-s".

But then, "myself" would not really modify "I". What kind of I? -- myself I. That doesn't really work.

This may be a situation where Reed-Kellogg comes up short.

Tell me what you -- or the other authorities that you know -- think.

Perhaps I did not explain myself well. She just said that for one is an

intensifier like myself.

I, for one, like X.

I myself like X.

Yes, the books say that myself is in apposition with I. So some

people make the case that for one is in apposition with I. Sounds like

a good idea. But your idea is great, too. For one is a prepositional

phrase. In fact, she told me that for one is something like for example.

You parse it as modifying I. Appositive or modifier -- it doesn't matter.

She agrees that it refers to I. For R-K, we could diagram it your way, or

I guess we could do it this way (please forgive my crude description):


We could diagram for one in the way we always diagram a prep. phrase.

Then we could fit that diagram in the parentheses to indicate an

appositive: I ( ) like X.

Another way: I ( one ) like X. Above one, we could draw a line

and on that line write the word for. That is, we could call for an expletive

introducing one.

Personally, I think that your idea is the simplest and best. :)

P. S. Some dictionaries even call for one an adverb!!! But they do not

explain what it modifies.

I suspect that of the 7,000,000,000 people on earth, most (99.99%)

could not care less!!!:oops:
 

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Please pardon me if I'm talking nonsense. I have very little knowledge about these things. But I've just thought, couldn't we say it plays a role similar to that of the word "only" in "only I like X"? I'm not saying they mean the same, I only thought they have a similar role in the sentence.
 

Frank Antonson

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Please pardon me if I'm talking nonsense. I have very little knowledge about these things. But I've just thought, couldn't we say it plays a role similar to that of the word "only" in "only I like X"? I'm not saying they mean the same, I only thought they have a similar role in the sentence.

I think I agree with Birdeen's call. "Only" would be a modifier, as is the prepositional phrase "for one". I'm not too sure about the idea of "for" as an expletive since it is so certainly a preposition.

As far as those 7,000,000 are concerned, they don't know what they are missing. I am going to let my website of competitive sentence diagramming expire, but this fall I am going to teach the art to my students. I haven't done that in over a decade. It will be interesting to see if they discover the sport in it.
 

Frank Antonson

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Also, the idea of "for one" being an appositive doesn't quite work because if it is truly duplicating the subject then the remaining sentence without the duplication would be "For one like X". That doesn't work.
 

TheParser

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Also, the idea of "for one" being an appositive doesn't quite work because if it is truly duplicating the subject then the remaining sentence without the duplication would be "For one like X". That doesn't work.

Attention: All ten fans of "for one."

I have just received further intelligence (don't you just love that word!).

Two persons have suggested to me that for one is actually a sentence adverb.

One person (a professional translator) says that I, for one, like X is about the same as For example, I like X.

Another person (I do not know his/her credentials) says that I, for one, like X is the same as I personally like X. Of course, we will all agree that personally is, indeed, a sentence adverb.

So fickle am I!! I now am leaning toward the sentence adverb theory. Maybe those dictionaries are right: it is a phrasal adverb. :)
 

Frank Antonson

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"Sentence adverb" is a new term for me. Does it mean that an adverb modifies the whole clause instead of the simple predicate? To me, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Furthermore, they answer one of the four questions -- how, when, where, or why. "Adverb" is a part of speech. "Modifier" is a part of a sentence. I think it is pretty important that the two regimes (morphology and syntax) do not get confused. "For one" pretty clearly is a modifier. I guess the question, then, comes down to "Which sentence part does it modify?"

On another matter, I must admit, Parser, that I am interested in who are the authorities that you consult.

Still on another matter, I think it would be worth your while, dear Parser, to find a way to diagram online. "SmartDraw 7: Suite edition" is what I use.
 

TheParser

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"Sentence adverb" is a new term for me. Does it mean that an adverb modifies the whole clause instead of the simple predicate? To me, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Furthermore, they answer one of the four questions -- how, when, where, or why. "Adverb" is a part of speech. "Modifier" is a part of a sentence. I think it is pretty important that the two regimes (morphology and syntax) do not get confused. "For one" pretty clearly is a modifier. I guess the question, then, comes down to "Which sentence part does it modify?"

On another matter, I must admit, Parser, that I am interested in who are the authorities that you consult.

Still on another matter, I think it would be worth your while, dear Parser, to find a way to diagram online. "SmartDraw 7: Suite edition" is what I use.

Thanks for your kind note.

I believe that sentence adverb (or disjunct in current terminology) is quite well-known and accepted.

For example, The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammarsays they qualify the sentence as a whole rather than any particular part. For example:

Truly, certainly, assuredly, undoubtedly, etc.

My favorite is kindly. When you say "Would you kindly move?" the adverb does not mean "in a kind manner." It means Would you be kind enough to ....[BUT: He spoke kindly. = He spoke in a kind manner.]

Do you have Professors Pence and Emery's A Grammar of Present-Day English. They say that the adverbs in these sentences seem to modify the sentences, BUT they admit it is easier to just say they modify the verb:

I scarcely know what to say.
She never fails to smile.
John has not arrived. [In another book, I read that notreally modifies the whole sentence because a sentence like that means: It is not the case that John has arrived.]
Evidently he missed the train. [That is, it is evident that he .... It is not possible to miss the train in an evident manner.]

By the way, I am delighted to note that more and more people are discovering the Analysing [Analyzing] and Diagramming forum. I have received so much help from you -- as have others.

Thank you
 

Frank Antonson

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Okay, I know what you are talking about. You explained it well. I have just never heard the term. I guess I would have called it an "absolute phrase" or and "interjection" or something like that. In any case, it would be diagrammed the same way by the Reed-Kellogg system, i.e. not connected by any line to the clause.
 

BobK

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...
For example, The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammarsays they qualify the sentence as a whole rather than any particular part. For example:

Truly, certainly, assuredly, undoubtedly, etc.

My favorite is kindly. When you say "Would you kindly move?" the adverb does not mean "in a kind manner." It means Would you be kind enough to ....[BUT: He spoke kindly. = He spoke in a kind manner.]

...

:up: And, notably, for some users, "Hopefully". Personally, I can't bring myself to use it in any other sense than 'in a hopeful state of mind*', but I know when I'm beat! ;-)

*Not entirely coincidentally, this is where all those -ment(e) endings come from in Fr, Sp, It, Pg, Cat. etc.

b
 
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