Grammer anyone?

Jun 26, 2006 19:16

Dammit Molly, send me a freaking number I can reach you at. In fact, send me all the freaking numbers I can reach you at! I've had a grammar question that has been bothering me all afternoon ( Read more... )

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curvycrip June 27 2006, 05:25:46 UTC
I think it's a simple predicate:

" A piece of pepperoni pizza would satisfy his hunger.

The subject is built around the noun "piece," with the other words of the subject -- "a" and "of pepperoni pizza" -- modifying the noun. "Piece" is the simple subject.

Likewise, a predicate has at its centre a simple predicate, which is always the verb or verbs that link up with the subject. In the example we just considered, the simple predicate is "would satisfy" -- in other words, the verb of the sentence."

(http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/subjpred.html)

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dierdra June 27 2006, 12:31:07 UTC
Thank you; I think you're right. Does the function of "are" change from one sentence to the other?

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helenahandbag June 27 2006, 14:06:19 UTC
The function of "are" is the same in both sentences. "At", in the first sentence, is actually a dangling preposition; the sentence is gramatically incorrect because prepositions need subjects ("at the bar," "on the desk," etc.). But "are" functions as the simple predicate in both the sentences.

I'm at work all afternoon, with no access to a phone, so email is the best way to contact me (I'm always checking my email, heh). At night, I'm either at my dad's house or Joel's. I'll email you those (I am le e-paranoid about these things heh).

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dierdra June 27 2006, 14:26:59 UTC
I knew at was a dangling preposition (you'll notice that I said the sentence was grammatically incorrect). Thanks!

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helenahandbag June 27 2006, 15:16:54 UTC
I knew you knew :) But you did ask what part of speech "at" was, so I told you :P

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dierdra June 27 2006, 17:45:05 UTC
=P

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helenahandbag June 27 2006, 18:03:01 UTC
:D

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asinpterodactyl June 28 2006, 16:09:13 UTC
While I agree that "Tell me where you're at" sounds awful, I'm not so sure it's grammatically incorrect. Yes, "at" needs a subject, but I think it has one -- "where".

Though it may make me sound like a stuffy know-it-all, here's my reasoning:

"Tell me" can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example, I could say "Tell me why the sky is blue", which just a way of saying "Why is the sky blue?" without phrasing it interrogatively.

When you phrase it as a question, the original sentence "Tell me where you're at" becomes "Where are you at?", and now it's easier to see how "where" might be the subject of "at". In English, when we make a question, we move the subject to the beginning of the sentence, leaving behind an unspoken trace. So, even though when we say "Where are you at?", the word "where" comes first, its real ("deep-structure") location within the sentence is back where the trace is -- in this case, after the word "at", leaving it perfectly situated to be the subject of "at ( ... )

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helenahandbag June 28 2006, 17:04:21 UTC
Hi Peter! How's your summer going? I can't wait to hear more about your trip!

*wishes she had her linguistics textbooks with her*

Everything you said is true, but "at" is still unnecessary. It's just reiterating the idea of location that was already described by the interrogative word "where". Also, "where are you" accomplishes asking about your current location without stranding the preposition. Preposition-stranding is still being debated as to whether it constitutes correct grammar or not, so it's probably best to avoid doing it until the linguists figure it out heh.

I <3 Noam Chomsky. He's effing brilliant. His work on identifying the Language Acquisition Device is one of the reasons I became interested in linguistics.

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asinpterodactyl June 28 2006, 23:54:13 UTC
Avoid it? No problem. Correct or not, "where you're at" sounds awful to my ears. I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot polemic.

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dierdra June 28 2006, 17:29:43 UTC
And this, folks, is why I love my friends. Thanks! (and having "at" at the end does sound terrible- the midwest butchers language)

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asinpterodactyl June 28 2006, 23:58:16 UTC
Speaking of Midwestern dialects: many of the Eastern Ohioans I've spoken with will say things like "the floor needs swept" or "the car needs fixed". I don't know whether it's a Midwestern thing, an Appalachian thing, or both, but it sure caught me by surprise. I still can't figure out the grammaticality of it.

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dierdra June 29 2006, 00:06:24 UTC
I know I'm guilty of things like that. I'm not sure where it originated though.

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