Can a noun or noun phrase be used to appositively refer to an adjective?
The basic trend of art has been naturalistic, a characteristic already evident as early as the Three Kindoms period.
In this sentence, what does "a characteristic" refer to?
1."The basic trend of art... naturalistic"
2. "The basic trend of art"
3."naturalistic"
I think the right answer is 3, but I'm not sure whether it's possible an adjective like "naturalistic" can be appositively refered to by a noun phrase like "a characteristic".
Could you make some examples as well if you can?
Top answer
It's 3, but that is sloppy writing, as you sensed. The grammar of it makes you read it as 2 because you think it can't be the adjective. " The trend is not naturalistic, the art is.
- It's 3, but that is sloppy writing, as you sensed.
- The grammar of it makes you read it as 2 because you think it can't be the adjective.
- " The trend is not naturalistic, the art is.
- A sentence should yield its meaning unambiguously upon close examination.
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It's 3, but that is sloppy writing, as you sensed. The grammar of it makes you read it as 2 because you think it can't be the adjective. The problem lies not in the apposition but in the absent referent: "The basic trend of art has been toward naturalism, a characteristic already evident as early as the Three Kindoms period." The trend is not naturalistic, the art is. A sentence should yield i
0The basic trend of art has been naturalistic, a characteristic already evident as early as the Three Kindoms period.
"A characteristic" is intended to refer to "naturalistic".
Appositives are noun phrases that define or re-name other noun phrases. But "naturalistic" is an adjective and hence it cannot be modified by an appositive NP.
0
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