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Djurdja
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:09 pm
Post subject: structure of a noun phrase |
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Can somebody, please, analyse the structure of the following Noun Phrase for
me? Please explain this to me!
Pathetic, what's-the-point-of-getting-up lying in bed. |
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jerry_friedman@yahoo.com
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 11:49 pm
Post subject: Re: structure of a noun phrase |
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Djurdja wrote:
| Quote: | Can somebody, please, analyse the structure of the following Noun Phrase for
me? Please explain this to me!
Pathetic, what's-the-point-of-getting-up lying in bed.
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I'm not good at doing this formally, but "lying" is a verbal noun or
gerund. "In bed" is a prepositional phrase modifying it. (For the
lack of a determiner, search Google Groups for "in hospital" in a.u.e.)
"Pathetic" and "what's-the-point-of-getting-up" are coordinate (I
think) adjectives, each modifying "lying in bed".
"What's-the-point-of-getting-up" is an adjective of a type that's more
common in informal English than formal (though never really common)--a
group of words joined with hyphens and meaning roughly "that is
connected with the words 'What's the point of getting up?'"
--
Jerry Friedman hopes that helps. |
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CDB
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 11:53 pm
Post subject: Re: structure of a noun phrase |
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"Djurdja" <sanja1e@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:digou1$74d$3@ss405.t-com.hr...
| Quote: | Can somebody, please, analyse the structure of the following Noun
Phrase for
me? Please explain this to me!
Pathetic, what's-the-point-of-getting-up lying in bed.
"Lying in bed" seems to be a participial phrase acting as a noun. |
This noun-like thing is modified by the adjective "pathetic" and an
adjective-like thing, the question "What's the point of getting up?"
hyphenated to show that it's being used attributively as a unit. It's
not really formal English. |
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CDB
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:48 am
Post subject: Re: structure of a noun phrase |
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"CDB" <unbellecd@sprint.ca> wrote in message
news:k_S2f.5828$5I2.21577@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
| Quote: | a participial phrase acting as a noun.
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gerund phrase |
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Djurdja
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:22 am
Post subject: Re: structure of a noun phrase |
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"CDB" <unbellecd@sprint.ca> wrote in message
news:vNT2f.5832$5I2.21514@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
| Quote: |
"CDB" <unbellecd@sprint.ca> wrote in message
news:k_S2f.5828$5I2.21577@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
a participial phrase acting as a noun.
gerund phrase
Thank you very much, everyone! Your answers helped me understand this |
better. |
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