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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 2 of 2 1 2 Re: grammars Avy #197324 02/12/2011 9:14 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague ['Wondering what the deep structure and surface structure of this sentence could be in nursery rhyme terms' e] This one? > Then I go "uff" and switch off. Bah bah black sheep are you a flock..........? Hum tee dee dum tee dee dum etcetera. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: DAG[g]ing LukeJavan8 #197325 02/13/2011 12:21 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8 I am trying to think if I ever heard of the cowhands saying "the herd are restless" tonight, in any old Western, but nope, it is always the herd is. But they might say "The beeves are restless tonight." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: DAG[g]ing Faldage #197331 02/13/2011 4:06 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water Originally Posted By: Faldage Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8 I am trying to think if I ever heard of the cowhands saying "the herd are restless" tonight, in any old Western, but nope, it is always the herd is. But they might say "The beeves are restless tonight." Yupper! or "them dogies". ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re:GAG[g]ing Faldage #197398 02/15/2011 11:00 AM Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Tromboniator old hand Tromboniator old hand Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Originally Posted By: Faldage But they might say "The beeves are restless tonight." Nope: "The beef is restless tonight. So is the hosses." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Diagraming Avy #197400 02/15/2011 11:33 AM Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Tromboniator old hand Tromboniator old hand Joined: May 2010 Posts: 963 Alaska Originally Posted By: Avy I want to know what is the subject of the sentence "A trail of ants marched across the table". Is "trail" the subject or "a trail of ants". Isn't "of ants" an adjectival prepositional phrase? So how can it be the subject? OTOH a trail marching sounds wrong and incomplete. What marched? A trail marched - sounds incomplete. Yet can a prep phrase be a part of a noun phrase? Thanks for your help. Avy, trail is the subject, and the rest is logic. Boiled down, the sentence is "Trail marched." You're absolutely right, a trail can't march, so the sentence logically is absurd; but you could use it poetically, on the pride or exaltation model. Peter Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re:GAG[g]ing Tromboniator #197402 02/15/2011 11:58 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: Tromboniator Originally Posted By: Faldage But they might say "The beeves are restless tonight." Nope: "The beef is restless tonight. So is the hosses." In my days in cattle country I never heard anyone use beef to mean anything but the meat on the table (or grill). Someone might say "I got 400 beeves," but not "That there beef over there's got him a case of hoof-in-mouth disease. Cain't shut up and all the other beeves just laugh at him." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Diagraming Tromboniator #197408 02/15/2011 1:39 PM Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 724 Avy old hand Avy old hand Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 724 Okay thanks Peter. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re:GAG[g]ing Faldage #197422 02/15/2011 4:27 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water Up until a couple decades ago, our License plates bragged: "The Beef State". And don't forget the little old lady "Where's the Beef?" ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Page 2 of 2 1 2 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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