Michael,

In Higher Lessons in English (R&K 1907) the authors do not answer your
question specifically.  You may note on my website that I addressed a
similar sentence structure in my diagram of their sentence (p.82):

There are one-story intellects, two-story intellects, and three-story
intellects with skylights.

But your desire appears to be somehow treating the complement as a
complement to the copula.  This is not really necessary, as the verb "is"
seems to have the meaning of "exists" as does "are" in the above sentence.
It seems to be the absence of a complement that helps to motivate the use of
"there" (in its place?).

    difference  | is
    -----------|----                          (There)
\a \    \           |               coca
     \     \                       ----------
   ---\big \between      /
    \very     ---------<  |and
                                \  cocaine
                                  -----------
I trust you can make out what I tried to do here in a proportional font.  If
you want I can send you a diagram directly as an attachment.

Bruce


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kischner, Michael" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:05 PM
Subject: Reed-Kellog help



How would you diagram "There is a very big difference between coca and
cocaine"?

Specifically, would you see the prepositional phrase as modifying
"difference" or "is"?

Thanks.

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