Descriptive grammar exam - diagrams

Status
Not open for further replies.

Barmherzig

New member
Joined
May 21, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Hi!
I am a second-year student of English from Poland. In few weeks, I am having my descriptive grammar exam. I have just a couple of revision classes left before the exam, so my friends and I revise a lot. Our descriptive grammar teacher has given us some sentences to work on. I'm having a problem with some of them, and I would totally appreciate your help. The first sentence is:
She wondered whether the place where she had spent what was left of her childhood should be the place to be visited by many now.
Which I analyse as follows:
Subject [She] + Verb (monotransitive) [wondered] + Direct Object [
whether the place where she had spent what was left of her childhood should be the place to be visited by many now]
Direct Object: subordinator [whether] + Subject [
the place where she had spent what was left of her childhood] + Verb (copula) [should be] + Subject Complement [the place to be visited by many now]
Now, here are my questions: how to further analyse the clause the place where she had spent what was left of her childhood? Could it be that the place is the headand where she had spent what was left of her childhood is the modifier?
How to further analyse the subject complement the place to be visited by many now?
Would be very grateful if you helped me.
Warm regards,
B.

 

chester_100

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Here's a both functional and grammatical representation; tell us what you think about it.
The place where she had spent what was left of her childhood?

-The place (noun phrase) ---->(Article + noun)
-where she had spent (noun clause modifying the above noun phrase)---->(pronoun + sentence)
-what was left (noun phrase functioning as a direct object)---->(pronoun + to be + participle as adjective)
-of her childhood (prepositional phrase modifying the above noun phrase to delimit it)---->(preposition + possessive + noun )
 

Barmherzig

New member
Joined
May 21, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Hard to say anything but that it's utterly correct :-D Thank you very much.
Nevertheless, my teacher requires from us drawing a peculiar from of diagrams I'm going to present now:
EDIT: I can't post images here, so - here's the link: img155.imageshack.us/img155/8218/diagram.gif
So, I assumed that She is the subject, wondered is a monotransitive verb, and the rest of the sentence is one big direct object. Then I analyse further the direct object: whetheris a subordinator, the place where she had spent what was left of her childhood is a subject [which consists of the head (the place) and its modifiaction (where she had spent what was left of her childhood)], should be is a copular verb, and the place to be visited by many now is the subject complement [which consists of the head (the place) and its modifiaction (to be visited by many now)].
Now I analyse the subject of the first subordinate clause [which consists of the head (the place) and its modifiaction (where she had spent what was left of her childhood)]: where is a subordinator, she is a subject, had spent is a monotransitive verb, and what was left of her childhood is a direct object.
And now things are starting to be tricky for me; I analyse the aforementioned direct object: what is a
subordinator(is it a subject at the same time???), was left is a verb (but what type?), and of her childhood is an adverbial optional. Actually, I'm not sure how to analyse this direct object...
Let's now analyse the subject complement of the first subordinate clause [which consists of the head (the place) and its modifiaction (to be visited by many now)]. to be visited is a verb(again, what type???) and by many, and now are 2 optional adverbials.
Is it anywhere near being correct?
 

chester_100

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
That's simple:
-many [people]: noun
-now: adverb of time
-by: preposition
-a place to be visited: it's a passive infinitive clause that functions like an adjective. Te infinitive modifies place.

I've explained the rest of your points in my previous post. However, now, I would say that where is an adverb. It's the element that introduces the clause anyway.
 

Frank Antonson

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
wondered.gif
 

Frank Antonson

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I would call "many" an indefinite pronoun.
 

Frank Antonson

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
It was fun!
 

chester_100

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Yes, that's right, Frank. I was working too fast.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top