Re: How to parse this sentence
Plenty of learners ask for the answers without really trying themselves first. We regularly ask posters to give us their answers and their justification for those answers.
As far as why they want to know is concerned, that question certainly sounded remarkably like it might be homework. We don't help with homework or assignments, as shown in the forum rules.
I understand and agree OPs' questions had better not be answered directly if they ask purely for the sake of homework.
However, I did not give what I thought the answer should be because I really did not know it. "I was clear it was not subject, nor object of the sentence and so forth". Maybe I will add something like that to a question I post next time?
I am grateful Usingenglish's experts have helped answer lots of my questions, but I certainly will be more grateful if questions could be answered more straightforward.
I needed the answer because my friend's child asked me to help him with that question. In fact, my friends' children always come with different questions regarding English now that they know I am fond of and a bit good at English. As their 34-year-old friend, I probably do not have homework of parsing a sentence to do as I am preoccupied already by my job serving a British organisation in my home country.
Thank you all the same.