A noun phrase works like an adverb
A. At the last company meeting, we didn’t budge an inch on the issues.
In sentence A, is the noun phrase "an inch" adverbial, modifying the verb "budge"?
I think "an inch" is not the direct object of the verb "budge", and it looks like a noun phrase adverbially modifying the verb "budge". Am I right?
And is sentence A natural and grammatical? I saw A in a book. If so, could you make some similar examples as well?
Thank you very much!! And happy New year!
Top answer
fire1 In sentence A, is the noun phrase "an inch" adverbial, modifying the verb "budge"? Yes. fire1 And is sentence A natural and grammatical?
- fire1 In sentence A, is the noun phrase "an inch" adverbial, modifying the verb "budge"?
- Yes.
- fire1 And is sentence A natural and grammatical?
- Yes.
- fire1 If so, could you make some similar examples as well?
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fire1In sentence A, is the noun phrase "an inch" adverbial, modifying the verb "budge"?
Yes.
fire1And is sentence A natural and grammatical?
Yes.
fire1If so, could you make some similar examples as well?
move a fraction
fall three feet
care a bit
0Hi
Within the expression 'budge an inch', you are right that 'an inch' is a noun that modifies the verb.
But it might be better just to think of the whole phrase as an idiomatic verb phrase which you can't really take apart
If I went into a meeting and said 'OK guys, on this issue, we're going to have to budge fifty centimetres', either people would think it was nonsense or t
0
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