Help analyzing this Prepositional Group (and sentence in general)

Question

Hello, I have a question about this sentence.

Most teens attach great importance to their peer group.

I've disected it as follows:

[Most teens]1 [attach]2 [great importance]3 [to their peer group]4

1 = Nominal group, with a det 'most' and the head 'teens'
2 = verbal group, head verb
3 = NominalG again, Head = importance and 'great' is an Adjective as a modifier of importance.
4 = PrepG with its head being 'to' and inside is a nominal group "their peer group".

My question is
1) is this correct?
2) is "their peer group" an indirect object? Is it possible to have a direct object or indirect object (in this case) inside of a prepositional group?

Thanks in advance

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

No, you cannot have a verb object which is also the object of a preposition.  You must make it one or the other.  Here, I suggest that the prepositional phrase is an adverb modifying 'attach'.

Zkyevolved · Answer

I'm sorry, but how would that look? In my class we don't need to say that the prepositional phrase is modifying anything, because it comes "implied", but for example, I've never seen a prepositional phrase having the function as an adverb. We usually see them as Adjuncts in this case. This is my definition of an Adjunct:

Adjuncts = have the semantic function of telling us how / when / where / why of the situations expressed. They're recognized as adverbial and prepositional groups.

By this definition, I'm not sure.

How can it be a PrepG/Adverb (as its function?)
I've only seen PrepGs having the function of Prep Object, Complement, Adjunct and that's pretty much it.

Would you mind elaboriting? Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

Your class may use different terminology. In my understanding, 'adjunct' is a very vague term that included adverbs (= verb, adjective and sentence modifiers). The definition you present ('how / when / where / why of the situations expressed') is an excellent one for an adverb.

In any case, I have no idea what you mean by 'implied', since the phrase is right there in the sentence. Also, all (or almost all?) words in a sentence that are not nouns or verbs must be modifiers of those nouns and verbs: even the complement in a linking-verb sentence at least modifies its subject.

Prepositional phrases as adverbs are very common. Here are some:

She met me in the kitchen. Adverb of place

I saw her in the morning. Adverb of time

I left without my trousers. Adverb of manner

Zkyevolved · Answer

Mister MicawberPrepositional phrases as adverbs are very common. Here are some:

She met me in the kitchen. Adverb of place

I saw her in the morning. Adverb of time

I left without my trousers. Adverb of manner

Thank you very much for the help. I really enjoyed these examples. I understand now that what my teacher calls 'an adjunct' is really just her way of not entering into the topic too profoundly. We're in Intro to English Syntax, and we only look at simple sentences, so we can be able to identify main groups and such.

So in your examples:
She met me in the kitchen.
She = NG/Subject
Met = VG/V
In the kitchen = Prepositional Group/Adverb of place. That would be it's function? I would have just called it an Adjunct.

I really appreciate your help, Mister Micawber. You've been a great help

Help analyzing this Prepositional Group (and sentence in general)

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