At its most divided
"Boxed in by multiple global crises, the group of major industrialised democracies is arguably at its most divided since its founding in 1977."
(The Guardian.)
Is "its most divided" a noun phrase and complement in the PP "at its most divided"?
Is "its" is a genitive NP and determiner and "most" a determinative and complement in the NP "its most divided" ?
Is "divided" an adjective and the head of the noun phrase "its most divided" (the way the adjectives "poor" and "rich" are heads in noun phrases "the poor" and "the rich")?
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Top answer
The construction "at its most divided" is elliptical. The complete phrase would be something like: at its most divided position/stance. The word "position/stance" is omitted for brevity and stylistic considerations and is understood from the context.
- The construction "at its most divided" is elliptical.
- The complete phrase would be something like: at its most divided position/stance.
- The word "position/stance" is omitted for brevity and stylistic considerations and is understood from the context.
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The construction "at its most divided" is elliptical. The complete phrase would be something like: at its most divided position/stance. The word "position/stance" is omitted for brevity and stylistic considerations and is understood from the context. In the complete phrase, "at" is a preposition, "position/stance" is the object of the preposition, "its" and "divided" is are adjectives modi
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