Help disecting this sentence.

Question

Support for the party dropped 5 points in May.

Support for the party = nominal group & subject.
for the party = prepositional group. Does this group have a function (like how the nominal group is the subject)
the party = a nominal group functioning as a complement, right?

dropped = verbal group/verb

5 points = nominal group, 5 being a determiner and points being the head.

in May = prepositional group. Once again, does this have a function?
May = NominalG, as a complement.

Is this an accurate representation?

What functions can a prepositional group have? I'm very confused about this group. Thanks

Dokterjokkebrok · Accepted Answer

/Support for the party / dropped / 5 points / in May. /
Subject:NP Verb:VP DO:NP ADVERB:PP

H:noun PP H:Lex det:num H:noun PP

prep + pp complement prep + pp complement

det:def.art. + H:noun prep H:noun

This is how I would've analysed your sentence. I'm not sure if this is entirely correct.

Concerning the prepositional phrases, I think you have to analyse them seperately. By this I mean that the only thing that they do is to precede the rest of the phrase, but no more. Seperate them, categorize them as a preposition, and then go on to analyse the prepositional complement, which is basically the phrase without the preposition, which you can analyze just like a noun phrase, for example.

Regards

Jordy

Zkyevolved · Answer

Thank you so much

You've been most helpful!

I love this forum

CalifJim · Answer

Just one thing.

5 points is not a direct object.

I can drop a plate on the floor, but support can't drop 5 points in the same sense.

5 points is an adverbial expression (of degree). (How much dropping occurred?)

CJ

Dokterjokkebrok · Answer

Yes, I thought so. It makes much more sense if you don't interpret the 'dropping' literally, which makes is thus an adverbial of degree.

Thanks CalifJim.

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