Grammatical role of the phrases

Question

Hi ,I've just read two articles from an online newspapers and couldn't figure out the grammatical role the underlined phrases below play in the sentences. Hope you could please help me.  Thank you in advance.1. In a blind fury, Ajax slayed all the cows and sheep around him, believing they were the commanders who had betrayed him and his honor.2. Considering these factors, Thomas went to bed, determined to seek a safer refuge than his home.3. Encouraged by political and civic leaders, the massacring of Tutsis spread from region to region. 4. Throughout Rwanda, mass rape and looting accompanied the slaughter

BillJ · Accepted Answer

The underlined elements in your examples 1-3 are supplementary adjuncts. 4. is an adjunct, but it's not a supplement.

1. In a blind fury, Ajax slayed all the cows and sheep around him, believing they were the commanders who had betrayed him and his honour.

"In a blind fury" is a preposition phrase functioning as a predicative adjunct. It's predicative because it refers to a predicand, i.e. "Ajax", and it's an adjunct because it's an optional item in clause structure.

"Believing they were the commanders who had betrayed him and his honour" is a gerund-participial clause functioning as a depictive adjunct.

2. Considering these factors, Thomas went to bed, determined to seek a safer refuge than his home.

"Considering these factors" is a preposition phrase functioning as a predicative adjunct with "Thomas" as predicand.

"Determined to seek a safer refuge than his home" is an adjective phrase functioning as a predicative adjunct with "Thomas" as predicand.

3. Encouraged by political and civic leaders, the massacring of Tutsis spread from region to region.

The adjective phrase "encouraged by political and civic leaders" functions as a predicative adjunct, though the predicand is covert, i.e. only understood. This kind of adjunct is sometimes called a 'dangling participle'.

4. Throughout Rwanda, mass rape and looting accompanied the slaughter.

"Throughout Rwanda" is a preposition phrase functioning a locative adjunct. Note that the adjunct does not refer to a predicand and hence is not predicative.

Grammatical role of the phrases

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions