You are spot on, David! Super point. Thanks. Sophie ----- Original Message ----- From: David D Mulroy <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 11:38 PM Subject: Re: Fwd: Infinitive phrase as adjective and as appositive > I've been following this exchange with interest. I have trouble thinking > of "my decision" and "to leave my job" as appositives. I thought that the > elements in appositives denoted identical entities, as in "my teacher, > Professor Jones." In contrast to this, "my decision" denotes a mental > activity, whereas "to leave my job" is its implementation. They aren't > really the same thing. For example, you could say that your decision to > leave your job was a secret, but it would not make sense to say that to > leave your job was a secret. > > > In Latin, you have "complementary infinitives" used to complete the > meaning of certain verbs that don't normally stand alone, e.g., solet > cantare, "he is accustomed to sing." In my view, "my decision to leave" > is rather similar to that and is obviously related to "I decided to > leave." In the latter, to leave is adverbial. Hence I > would vote for its being unambiguously adjectival in the phrase, "my > decision to leave." > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, 5 Jun 2001, Sophie Johnson wrote: > > > Goody! I love it when I can > > disagree with everybody. Here goes: > > > > The `adjectives' issue need not arise in > > > > `My decision to leave my job was wise'. > > > > Instead, there are two nounal sequences here: > > > > `my decision' and `to leave my job'. > > > > Both of them are described by the predicate > > adjective `wise': > > > > My decision was wise. > > To leave my job was wise > > > > In the same sentence both sequences > > are the noun subjects of the copula `was'. > > They are demarcated by the comma because > > they constitute a list of nouns: > > > > My decision, to leave my job, was wise. > > > > Of course, when this infinitive phrase is intended as > > an adjective it cannot be comma demarcated > > from the noun it describes, `my decision', for > > the simple reason that there is neither syntactic > > nor logical reason for the demarcation: > > > > My decision to leave my job was wise. > > > > Sophie > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Richard Veit <[log in to unmask]> > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 4:00 AM > > Subject: Fwd: Infinitive phrase as adjective and as appositive > > > > > > > In a sense you're both right, since the sentence is ambiguous. If you > > speak > > > it with pauses before and after the infinitive (denoted in writing by > > > commas, dashes, or parentheses), you've got an appositive: > > > > > > My decision, to leave my job, was wise. > > > > > > More often the sentence would be spoken without pauses (or punctuation) > > and > > > it is then "adjectival": > > > > > > My decision to leave my job was wise. > > > > > > I'd actually label the latter as a "complement infinitive," since it > > > corresponds with the nominal complement "My decision that I leave my job > > > was wise." > > > > > > Dick Veit > > > UNCW > > > > > > >Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 10:34:31 -0700 > > > >From: "Kischner, Michael" <[log in to unmask]> > > > >Subject: Infinitive phrase as adjective and as appositive > > > > > > > >Does someone know a convincing way of distinguishing between the > > infinitive > > > >phrase as adjectival ("The attempt to robe the bank failed") and as > > > >appositive ("His goal, to win the Presidency, was never realized"). The > > > >example that my class got hung up on was "My decision to leave my job > > was > > > >wise." I called the infinitive phrase there an adjectival. The students > > > >seemed unsatisfied by my explanation that in their hearts they know I'm > > > >right. > > > > > > 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/ 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/