ATEG Archives

September 2015

ATEG@LISTSERV.MIAMIOH.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Karl Hagen <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 28 Sep 2015 07:41:56 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (63 lines)
I'd say the clause you highlight is a content clause that is the second internal complement of the verb "agreed." The first internal complement is the preposition phrase "with him."

Verbs like "agree" belong to a subset of verbs that allow a PP to come between the verb and the content clause. Cf., arrange, confirm, conclude, learn, etc.

Note, by the way, that the position of the PP here is evidence that the content clause is not adequately analyzed as the direct object of the verb. In verbs with uncontroversial direct objects, you typically can't insert a PP there. Compare the following:

She arranged the vacation.
*She arranged with the family the vacation.
She arranged that they would fly to Paris.
She arranged with the family that they would fly to Paris.

I'm also one of those who believe that the traditional labels of "noun clause," "adjective clause," etc. are unhelpful, not just descriptively but also as a matter of pedagogy. I've found that those labels encourage students to confuse word, phrase, and clause levels of constituency, and to reason incorrectly about what "must be so" as a result.

Karl

> On Sep 28, 2015, at 6:37 AM, Turner, Tildon L. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hi Scott,
> 
> The clause you're referring to (that it was coming) is a noun clause.  As you may know, noun clauses act like nouns or noun phrases in that they can be in object or subject position.  In this case, your noun clause is the object of the sentence.  It is "what" everyone agreed.   The prepositional phrase (with him) would also stem or tree off of --to use sentence diagramming terms-- the verb (agreed).  As with any syntactic analysis, there can be numerous detailed interpretations and taxonomies, but I hope this basic approach helps answer your question. 
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Til
> 
> 
> 
> Til Turner
> Languages and Literature
> Northern Virginia Community College
> http://blogs.nvcc.edu/tturner
> http://tilturner.wordpress.com
> www.englishiskillingme.com
> Ph: 703.323.3269
> 
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Scott Woods [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2015 11:54 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: grammar question "agreed" + clause
> 
> Dear List,
> 
> How would you analyze the following sentence, especially regarding the clause "that it was coming"? 
> 
> "Everyone agreed with him that it was coming."
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Scott Woods
> 
> 
> 
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list"
> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/

ATOM RSS1 RSS2