[Grammar] I took a short drive around ...

[NAL123]

Consider this sentence of mine, please:

I took a short drive around with my happy kids.

In the above sentence, is the word "around" acting like an adverb or does it fall under any other parts of speech?

 

[jutfrank]

Why are you asking about parts of speech?

Are you trying to understand the meaning of the word around?

 

[NAL123]

Why are you asking about parts of speech?

Are you trying to understand the meaning of the word around?

Actually I wanted to know how the word "around" is connected to that sentence and what its meaning is in that sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

In that context, you have to read it in conjunction with "drive". If you "drive around", you drive with no real destination, you drive for the sake of it, you drive within a fairly short radius of where you live (usually).

Q: What do you do on rainy Sundays?
A: I just drive around with my kids.

Q: What did you do yesterday?
A: I drove around looking for my missing cat.

Q: Do you like your car?
A: I love it. Sometimes I just drive around in it for fun!

 

[jutfrank]

Actually I wanted to know how the word "around" is connected to that sentence and what its meaning is in that sentence.

Don't worry about parts of speech—that's not going to help very much.

It would be strange to use a word in a sentence that you claim not to know the meaning of. Your use of the word is fine, which tells me that you do know what it means. Why don't you try to tell us what you think it means.

 

[NAL123]

In that context, you have to read it in conjunction with "drive". If you "drive around", you drive with no real destination, you drive for the sake of it, you drive within a fairly short radius of where you live (usually).

Q: What do you do on rainy Sundays?
A: I just drive around with my kids.

Q: What did you do yesterday?
A: I drove around looking for my missing cat.

Q: Do you like your car?
A: I love it. Sometimes I just drive around in it for fun!

So can I say that in the original sentence, the word "around" is acting like an adjective modifying the noun ''drive" and in your examples, it is acting like an adverb modifying the verb "drive?"

 

[emsr2d2]

I had overlooked the fact that you wrote "this sentence of mine". I assumed you had found it somewhere. As jutfrank said, it's very odd to write a sentence yourself and then ask us to tell you what it means. Are you, in a way, looking for someone to diagram the sentence for you? If so, why?

 

[NAL123]

Don't worry about parts of speech—that's not going to help very much.

It would be strange to use a word in a sentence that you claim not to know the meaning of. Your use of the word is fine, which tells me that you do know what it means. Why don't you try to tell us what you think it means.

The meaning was not very clear to me.

 

[NAL123]

I had overlooked the fact that you wrote "this sentence of mine". I assumed you had found it somewhere. As jutfrank said, it's very odd to write a sentence yourself and then ask us to tell you what it means. Are you, in a way, looking for someone to diagram the sentence for you? If so, why?

Actually, I'm experimenting with these little words.

 

[jutfrank]

So can I say that in the original sentence, the word "around" is acting like an adjective modifying the noun ''drive" and in your examples, it is acting like an adverb modifying the verb "drive?"

Why are you asking us about parts of speech and what's modifying what? Forget about the grammar and focus on the meaning and use of the sentence.

Tell us what you think the sentence means, and why you think anybody would say it.

 

[jutfrank]

The meaning was not very clear to me.

People don't write sentences that they don't know the meaning of.

I'm asking you to tell us what you meant when you wrote the sentence. Don't worry yet about what we think you mean.

 

[emsr2d2]

Actually, I'm experimenting with these little words.

If you're just experimenting, all you need to know is whether the sentence you wrote is grammatically correct and natural. It is. Move on.

 

[NAL123]

People don't write sentences that they don't know the meaning of.

I'm asking you to tell us what you meant when you wrote the sentence.

The context that was in my mind is:

The day was boring...kids wanted to go out...so I took a short drive(around) with them. Before this, I was learning about the word "around". I leaned that it can be used as an adverb and sometimes as a preposition.

 

[jutfrank]

Okay, good.

 

[TheParser]

In the above sentence, is the word "around" acting like an adverb or does it fall under any other parts of speech?

NOT A TEACHER

I commend you for wanting to know the parts of speech.

According to the online macmillan dictionary, "around" is both a preposition and an adverb.

1. "We walked around the old town." Preposition. ("around" plus noun)

2. "She turned around and smiled at me." Adverb.

3. "Don't discuss this when children are around." Adverb. (My note, not the dictionary's: Sometimes, "be" means something like "to exist." For example, that famous line from Shakespeare: "To be or not to be.")