[Grammar] "I am happy for you."

[sky3120]

"I am happy for you."

Some say that "for you" modifies "happy", but some say "for you" modifies "I am happy" or "am happy".

I think that in the end they all mean the same. What do you native English speakers think? Please help me out again. Thank you so much as usual.

I wish this question is the last in my life.

 

[philo2009]

"I am happy for you."

Some say that "for you" modifies "happy", but some say "for you" modifies "I am happy" or "am happy".

I think that in the end they all mean the same. What do you native English speakers think? Please help me out again. Thank you so much as usual.

I wish this question is the last in my life.

Modifiers to adjectives (e.g. 'so, very, extremely') are typically be placed before, not after, them, whilst, at the other end of the scale, a modifier to an entire sentence would be an adverbial disjunct (e.g. 'luckily' in

Luckily, I had my torch with me.)

Thus we would reckon 'for me' here an adverbial adjunct to the predicate, namely modifying 'am happy', specifying the reason for my being happy.

 

[sky3120]

Great!! You blew away my concern!! Thank you so much.

 

[philo2009]

 

[sky3120]

Please wait. Could I ask one more question?

"I will make you happy with this present."

Do you think that 'with this present' modifies (be) 'happy' or 'will make you happy'? I think either one is okay and there is not a meaning difference. What do you think? Please help me out again with your wisdom.

 

[philo2009]

Please wait. Could I ask one more question?

"I will make you happy with this present."

Do you think that 'with this present' modifies (be) 'happy' or 'will make you happy'? I think either one is okay and there is not a meaning difference. What do you think? Please help me out again with your wisdom.

Same answer: it is a predicate modifier.