<But the most vivid impression left on me this summer by this theater came not from the stage; instead, it came from the rooms underneath the theatre. In this world underneath existed an atmosphere of mystery which made me feel as if I was exploring an old dungeon in a decaying castle.>
 
If we think in terms of constituents, "underneath" serves here as "underneath the stage" serves in the previous sentence: a postmodifier in a noun phrase.  As such, it functions adjectivally.  Additionally, it still carries characteristics of a prepositional phrase (e.g., postmodification); so it would seem to be an adjectival prepositional phrase with the NP elided.  More simply, though, because of ellipsis, it's now an adjective that follows the head noun rather than precedes it while it reprises the structure of the previous sentence--a nice stylistic device.  Notice, however, that "underneath" doesn't meet the formal requirements for an adjective (e.g., it cannot be compared).   Fuzzy is fun!  I like eating peaches with the skin on.
 
Jeff Glauner,  Assoc. Prof. of English
Park University
Parkville MO 64152
Phone:  816-741-2000 Ext. 6352
E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]>Ed Vavra
To: [log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2000 2:11 AM
Subject: Re: elliptical "underneath"

I wouldn't make the statement Max did -- "Your "after" is a preposition because it's
followed by a noun phrase. Period." But I do agree with his statement that in the case in point, the "after" functions as a preposition. (What comes into my mind is a student's sentence from long ago -- "No one can train a horse better than me." Although this involves "than" rather than "after," I don't think she meant what she said, and I imagined several of the young men in the class wanting to try to train her. Thus, I hesitate with Max's "period" and think that we have to teach students to look at meaning and context.)
      This discussion reminds me of several examples that I'm beginning to collect and starting to call "sliding constructions."  Consider, for example, the following sentences:
But the most vivid impression left on me this summer by this theater came not from the stage; instead, it came from the rooms underneath the theatre. In this world underneath existed an atmosphere of mystery which made me feel as if I was exploring an old dungeon in a decaying castle.
What is "underneath" in the second sentence? I let students explain it in either of two ways, but before I say what they are, I'm waiting to see what responses I get.

Ed V.