I was recently told that in the sentence "The light is on" on is an adverb rather than a particle of a phrasal verb.
Could someone explain this please?
Thanks.
I would say you can even think of it as of an adjective. Not so long ago, there was a discussion over a similar sentence: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/115458-adverbial-phrase-adjective-phrase.html
You probably didn't mean a particle but a preposition?
Grammatical particle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preposition and postposition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's not a preposition here because it doesn't introduce a prepositional phrase. The light is not on anything. It's on. "On" can be deemed to modify the subject or the verb "is". Depending on what you decide to think of it, you should choose to call it either an adjective or an adverb.
I am not not a teacher and can be wrong.
It looks like a predicate adjective. I'm not a teacher, but I would say that the word on modifies the noun light.
Hmmm, thank you for trying to solve this puzzle but I am not convinced - aren't adjectives supposed to describe nouns while this "on" relates to the verb instead?
What I think is that you're right not being convinced. AFAIK, the grammarians are not convinced either. I believe we have some English-speaking ones here, they could remove all the doubts from this matter.Hmmm, thank you for trying to solve this puzzle but I am not convinced - aren't adjectives supposed to describe nouns while this "on" relates to the verb instead?
I would say you can even think of it as of an adjective. Not so long ago, there was a discussion over a similar sentence: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/115458-adverbial-phrase-adjective-phrase.html
You probably didn't mean a particle but a preposition?
Grammatical particle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preposition and postposition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's not a preposition here because it doesn't introduce a prepositional phrase. The light is not on anything. It's on. "On" can be deemed to modify the subject or the verb "is". Depending on what you decide to think of it, you should choose to call it either an adjective or an adverb.
I am not not a teacher and can be wrong.
Your analysis is partially correct. Here ‘on’ is complementing the subject ‘light’ because ‘is’ is a linking verb which can link a subject to a complement(adjective). So ‘on’ is an adjective. In the following sentence ‘look’ is an action verb, so ‘on’ modifies it.
Why are you looking on while others are working?
I do not think you are right, Sarat. 'is' being a linking verb does not justify your argument in favor of 'on' being an adjective. Linking verbs occur in two clause types:
A = obligatory predicate adjunct
- SVC
- SVA
Tests:
1. Is the light on or off? :tick:
Here, 'on' demonstrates a typical attribute of adjuncts: alternative interrogation.
2. Can 'on' be the focus of a cleft sentence?
It is on that the light is. :?:
3. Adjuncts come within the scope of predication ellipsis:
The green light is on and so is the yellow. :tick:
4. The light is on and yellow. :?: -- coordinated adj? or coordinated adj and adv?
'on' does not stand the clefting test, nor does it pass the "coordination test" with an(other?) adjective.