Hi,
I have a question regarding the following exercise:
Choose the letter which does not have the same grammatical function:
"They took off their coats and went to the table near the window"
A. off
B. to
C. near
The answer is A. off.
I do not understand why. "to" and "near" are prepositions in the sentence above, I believe, but I also thought "off" is a preposition.
Near is a prep, right. Try to draw a parallel with a similar sentence.
They took off their coats and went to the table
near the window.
They took off their coats and went to the table
at the window.
Definition for preposition: A
word that usually comes before a noun or a pronoun and shows its relation to another part of the sentence.
The table and the window - 'near' shows the relation and is used before 'the window'.
Why is that off is something else? Behaves differenty from near, that is why. How? In what way? Show me! Okay, I will! For the sake of simplicity, I will curtail the sentence and leave the part that is of concern to us.
They took off their coats.
They took their coats off.
They took it off.
*They took off it. :cross: (separable optional phrasal verb)
the table at the window
*[STRIKE]the table the window at[/STRIKE]
They
took off their coats.
They
removed their coats.
Off is part of a complex verb with whose head verb, take (took), it forms an idiomatic verb phrase (phrasal verb). :up:
There are several useful tests in Radford's Transformational Syntax book that you may want to learn about. Here they are:
1.
If you can substitute other PPs (prepositional phrases) and get aparallel meaning, it's a prepositional verb. If you get nonsense or a new idiomatic meaning, it's a phrasal verb.
If the verb component of the phrase has a more-or-less constantmeaning no matter what follows, it's a prepositional verb. If themeaning changes unpredictably, it's a phrasal verb
They took on/off/to their clothes.
In many verb plus adverb combinations in which 'off' functions as an adverb, 'on' yields a parallel meaning. If 'to' is substituted for on or off, however, there happens an abrupt change meaningwise. Took to means to form a liking to something.
2.
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
If the range of complements that goes with the verb phrase is similar with different prepositions, it's a prepositional verb. If the complements that make sense with the verb phrase change when you change the particle, it's a phrasal verb.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
They take on new staff/ unemployed people.
[/FONT]
They take off their clothes/hats, trousers. -- verb + adverb[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
3. [/FONT]
If you can move the whole structure that looks like a PP to the front of the sentence. prepositional verb it is. Otherwise, you have a verb plus adverb combination.
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
On the bus the passengers would get.
*[STRIKE]Off their customers they put. [/STRIKE]
4. [/FONT]
If you can use the prepositional phrase as a fragment in the answer to a question, it's a prepositional verb; else, it's a phrasal verb.
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
Did they get off a bus?
No, off a plane.
Did they put off the neighbors?
No, them.
* [STRIKE]No, off new customers.[/STRIKE]
5. [/FONT]
If you can insert a verb-phrase adverb like quickly, slowly,or completely between the verb and the particle, then it's aprepositional verb; else, it's a phrasal verb[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]They took
quickly off their coats and fell
quickly near the window.
[FONT=arial, sans-serif]
6. [/FONT]
If you can omit the verb, keeping the particle, in anelliptical construction, it's a prepositional verb; else it's a verb plus adverb combo.
*[STRIKE]They took off their coats and off their shirts.[/STRIKE] -- adverb
They got off the bus and on the plane. -- prepo
*[STRIKE]They took off their coats and us off our shirts.[/STRIKE]
They got off the bus and us on the plane.
7. If you can place a pronomial after the particle, you have a prep phrase; else a verb plus adverb.
*[STRIKE]They took off it.[/STRIKE]
They get off the bus/it.
They take their coats off of their bodies?
off = adv
of = prep.
