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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Adverb form

Running rampant through the city

Is that idiomatic for the mortechnically correct 'rampantly' through the city?

Thanks
  

Top answer

The usage is perfectly grammatical. Rampant is an adjective in the "sentence". In other more inflected languages such as Finnish there is a special grammatical case -- the essive -- which is used in contexts like this.

— Cool Breeze

  • The usage is perfectly grammatical.
  • Rampant is an adjective in the "sentence".
  • In other more inflected languages such as Finnish there is a special grammatical case -- the essive -- which is used in contexts like this.
  • Since English lacks the essive case, some native speakers think this usage of an adjective is somehow wrong.
  • CB
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6 Answers
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The usage is perfectly grammatical. Rampant is an adjective in the "sentence". In other more inflected languages such as Finnish there is a special grammatical case -- the essive -- which is used in contexts like this. Since English lacks the essive case, some native speakers think this usage of an adjective is somehow wrong.

CB
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Aren't we needing an adverb here? How is it running?
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English 1b3Aren't we needing an adverb here? How is it running?

I hate to reiterate, but rampant does not indicate how something is running. It shows what something is likewhen it is running. If you think differently, that is of course fine with me!
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It's just that what you're saying goes against the basics of what I've learned about grammar:

adjectives modify nouns.

adverbs modify verbs and adjectives.

If 'rampant' is an adjective, where's the noun it modifies? What do you suggest it is modifying?

Thanks
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English 1b3If 'rampant' is an adjective, where's the noun it modifies? What do you suggest it is modifying?
Nothing, because you didn't give us a complete sentence.
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Although " rampantly " is the correct adverb, it's not often heard or used in casual context. Without additional context, it's an incomplete sentence as appeared.

Rats in New York are running rampant.
Dandelions are running rampant in my yard with the spring sun and recent rain .
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