Here's one piece of evidence that "Behind the table" is an actual subject in the sentence under discussion: the verb "is" moves in front of it to form a yes-no question: Is behind the table where I looked? Contrast that with the case with an unquestionable instance of inversion: On the table is my book. *Is on the table my book? On 9/3/2010 3:23 PM, John Dews-Alexander wrote: > Good points. Maybe I can do better. > > Subject: /Behind the table/ is where I looked. This could be a sentence > pattern 1 (Subject, being verb, adverb of Time/place), just in a > reversed syntax. “behind the table” would then be an adverbial > prepositional phrase. I suppose this depends on whether you base > function on a generative concept of language; I tend to base function on > the pattern as it is exists, not the prototypical form. As your exchange > with Larry proves, the form is context-driven, but I think that is the > point. Prepositional phrases can function nominally if context calls for > it. Perhaps a better example would be "Behind the table is filthy." > > Subject Complement: The best part of my day is /after lunch/. Same as > above, with “after lunch” being the adverbial prepositional phrase > answering the question “when.” I don't see how this PP is adverbial. If > you changed the pattern, it could be the subject. If you remove it you > get "The best part of my day is." (?). Isn't this the subject complement? > > Direct Object: Don't nose about /in my business/. “In my business” > would seem to be an adverbial prep phrase answering the question > “where,” following the phrasal intransitive verb “nose about.” I think > you're right with that example. But what about "Jane painted in the > bathroom." An adverbial would describe how Jane paints, like "Jane > painted with smooth strokes." But "along the trim" describes /what/ she > paints, not how she paints -- isn't that the function of the direct object? > > Object Complement: I bought the best gift /at the party. /(could be > adjectival depending on analysis) there are two kinds of object > complements, one adjectival and the other nominal. I could see “at the > part” as an adverbial, as a peripheral adjectival, or as an essential > adjectival for a pattern 9 sentence, but I can’t see it as a nominal > object complement. Again, I see your point. Maybe a bad example. What > about this one: "Children often consider the scariest time of day during > the night." I'll admit it is a stretch and probably elliptical, but if > we take it as it is, could it be a nominal object complement? Maybe not > so I could probably concede that one. > > Indirect Object: You might want to give /inside the car/ a good cleaning > as well. This may be used in informal speech (I think I’ve heard this > actual phrase), but in more formal speech, of course, it would read “you > might want to give THE inside OF the car a good cleaning as well.” > Point taken in informal speech, though. I agree that this is informal > but not by much. The dialectologists may know better than I; perhaps it > is moving toward standard. > > Telling my students that prepositional phrases are never used as > nominals is one of the few absolutes I have left to give them—I’m loathe > to give it up. I understand completely. I tell my students the same > thing and warn them against those who come bearing a multitude of rules > and absolutes. When we do find a rule that works, we hold on for dear life! > > John > > P.S. If anyone can't see color in their emails, I apologize now for the > mess above! > > > > > > On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 2:11 PM, Joshua D. Hill <[log in to unmask] > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote: > > John, > > Some of these could be analyzed differently. > > > Subject: /Behind the table/ is where I looked. This could be a > sentence pattern 1 (Subject, being verb, adverb of Time/place), just > in a reversed syntax. “behind the table” would then be an adverbial > prepositional phrase. > Subject Complement: The best part of my day is /after lunch/. Same > as above, with “after lunch” being the adverbial prepositional > phrase answering the question “when.” > Direct Object: Don't nose about /in my business/. “In my business” > would seem to be an adverbial prep phrase answering the question > “where,” following the phrasal intransitive verb “nose about.” > Object Complement: I bought the best gift /at the party. /(could be > adjectival depending on analysis) there are two kinds of object > complements, one adjectival and the other nominal. I could see “at > the part” as an adverbial, as a peripheral adjectival, or as an > essential adjectival for a pattern 9 sentence, but I can’t see it as > a nominal object complement. > Indirect Object: You might want to give /inside the car/ a good > cleaning as well. This may be used in informal speech (I think I’ve > heard this actual phrase), but in more formal speech, of course, it > would read “you might want to give THE inside OF the car a good > cleaning as well.” Point taken in informal speech, though. > > Telling my students that prepositional phrases are never used as > nominals is one of the few absolutes I have left to give them—I’m > loathe to give it up. J > > J. Hill > > > > wrote: > > Dear List, > > Does it make sense that a prepositional phrase can be used > nominally? If it makes sense to substitute "that," "this," "it," or > some other pronoun for the prepositional phrase, could it make sense > to call a prepositional phrase a direct object? > > For instance: in <he told his friends of the peculiar weather>, does > it make sense to call "friends" the indirect object and "of the > peculiar weather" the direct object? In <he told his friends the > truth> would "friends" be the indirect object and "truth" the direct > object? In <he told his friends> is "friends" a direct object, or > an indirect object with an implied direct object? In <he told the > truth> is there an implied indirect object, those who were told? In > <he told the truth to his friends> is "truth" the direct object and > "friends" the indirect object in a prepositional phrase? In <he told > his friends about the truth> is "friends" the indirect object and > "about the truth" the direct object? In <he told his friends that > the truth can be found> is "that the truth can be found" a clausal > direct object? How else could these be analyzed? > > Thanks for your help, > > 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/ > > > 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/