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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Adverb or Adjective phrase
Adverb or Adjective phrase
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Nebal
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Adverb or Adjective phrase
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Hello everybody,
yesterday I argued with another teacher over considering the following phrase an adverb or an adjective phrase.
I met a lot of people from all walks of life.
I considered the phrase in green an adjective phrase modifying the noun " people" if the phrase " from all walks of life" means " from different positions in society". Also, I considered the same phrase an adverb phrase modifying the verb " meet" if the phrase means " from different places or countries".
Well, the other teacher opposed my opinion and considered the phrase as only an adjective phrase.
What do you think about? Who is right and why?
Plz state your opinion coz I really need to know. |
28 Nov 2008
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Zora
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The teacher is right, here you are just modifying the noun in the sentence, not the verb.
If you had said, "I met a lot of people last year at the conference... " this is modifying the verb... Just change the verb and you�ll see how the sentence is not affected at all... - you could say "saw, talked to, conversed with, partied with, heard talk ..." this doesn�t change the modifier.. Yet, if you were to change the noun, then the sentence would make no sense at all....
Same with the above example: "I met people from all walks of life"... you can change people to kids, women, boys, teachers, priests etc... and the sentence makes sense... Change the verb and... uh-uh.. it makes no sense at all...
Hope that helps.
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28 Nov 2008
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libertybelle
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That�s difficult because "Walks of Life" is an idiom- or figure of speech.
If you dissect it, word for word, it makes no sense.
But the sentence in itself describes the people.
I agree with Zora - but who knows? I may be wrong!
We all learn something new everyday!
L
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28 Nov 2008
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goodnesses
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Hi , Nebal
I completely agree with Zora.
The phrase "from all walks of life" simply answers the question "What sort of people did you meet?" not "Where are the people you met from?" since the expression "walks of life" refers to the kind of people and means their personalities, cultural backgrounds, social positions and not really the places where they are from or live in.
hope it could help.
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28 Nov 2008
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wolfy
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I miss these grammar questions, the others seemed to have answered it before me, but keep them coming, I like to join in these debates. |
28 Nov 2008
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Nebal
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Hi all,
I�m convinced now!!!!! Thnx a lot!!! |
28 Nov 2008
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Ayaniw
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Hi everyone,
I agree with Zora and would like to add the following:
I met a lot of people from all walks of life. The phrase in green is a reduced defining relative clause.
==> I met a lot of people who were from all walks of life. Defining Relative clause has the function of an adjective.
even the phrase in the sentence: "I met a lot of people from Canada." is an adjective phrase and is also a reduced relative clause : ==> I met a lot of people who were / came from Canada.
Cheers!
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28 Nov 2008
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Zora
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Hi azyman2,
Funny that you should mention the thing about them being clauses... I had an awful time trying to think of an adverb // adjective clause that wasn�t also defining relative clause of some sort for that particular example... 
Thanks, for pointing that out though, it shows that defining clauses can actually act as an adverbial or adjective clause also.
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28 Nov 2008
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