For compliance with

Question

"Much of the credit for compliance with affirmative action belongs to conservative Republican president Richard Nixon."

I don't see a subject(person) in the phrase 'for compliance with affirmative action', then should I understand people in general are the subject of this phrase?
And what does it mean "credit belongs to someone"?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Here is an analysis of this sentence:

Much (pronoun, subject of the sentence)
of the credit (prepositional phrase. credit is a noun, object of the preposition)

for compliance (prepositional phrase)
with affirmative action (prepositional phrase)
belongs to (main verb - phrasal)
conservative Republican president Richard Nixon. (direct object)

Prepositional phrases need a noun for their object. There are 3 prepositional phrases, each with its own object. Prepostional phrases do not have subjects, only objects.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

eunjinnyAnd what does it mean "credit belongs to someone"?

Sorry, I didn't answer this question in the prior post.
If we give that person credit for doing something - we believe they are responsible, and give them praise for doing it. It is most often positive.

Credit for my success belongs to my second-grade teacher who taught me all about life.

A frequent expression is:
We must give credit where credit is due. (We should acknowlege people who do good things.)

Adrenochrome · Answer

The sentence could be read as

"Conservative Republican President Richard Nixon deserves much of the credit for Americas compliance with affirmative action".

It is written in a business/political/essay style manner.

For compliance with

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