[Grammar] Does my analyses make sense?

[Maggie Q]

Horace was first to feel the fresh air, because he was lowest to the ground. He began to bark.

Question 1: In this case, the adverbial of place 'to the ground' functions as an adjective complement modifying the adjective 'lowest,' right?

Question 2: In this case, 'to the ground' is an ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT as well as an ADVERBIAL OF PLACE, right?

Question 3: In this case, the infinitive 'to feel the fresh air' functions as an adjective complement modifying the adjective 'first,' right?

Question 4: In this case, the infinitive 'to feel the fresh air' functions as an ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT, right?
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[PaulMatthews]

Q1. No: "to the ground" is a preposition phrase functioning as complement of "lowest" (not a modifier).

Q2. No: see answer to Q1.

Q3. No: the infinitival "to feel the fresh air" is not a modifier; it is functioning as complement of "first".

Q4. No: see answer to Q3.

 

[GoesStation]

The thread title should be "Do my analyses make sense?" Analyses is the plural of "analysis". Its last syllable sounds the same as the word "sees".

 

[Maggie Q]

Horace was first to feel the fresh air, because he was lowest to the ground. He began to bark.


Question: In this case, 'to the ground' also functions as an ADVERBIAL OF PLACE, right?

 

[andrewg927]

The thread title should be "Do my analyses make sense?" Analyses is the plural of "analysis". Its last syllable sounds the same as the word "sees".

Or "seize".

 

[PaulMatthews]

Horace was first to feel the fresh air, because he was lowest to the ground. He began to bark.


Question: In this case, 'to the ground' also functions as an ADVERBIAL OF PLACE, right?

That question has already been answered. See my previous reply.

 

[jutfrank]

Horace was first to feel the fresh air, because he was lowest to the ground. He began to bark.


Question: In this case, 'to the ground' also functions as an ADVERBIAL OF PLACE, right?

What's your aim here? Is this part of a homework task or something?

As PaulMatthews has pointed out, grammatically, to the ground complements the adjective lowest. It doesn't have much sense without lowest. Semantically, you can understand that the whole phrase lowest to the ground describes Horace's position, relative to the ground and relative to the position of at least one other.