How do I understand "flash by" here?
Hi guys,
In "Leiningen Versus the Ants" :
... It was announced by a stampede of animals, timid and savage, hurtling past each other; jaguars and pumas flashing by nimble stags of the pampas, bulky tapirs, no longer hunters, themselves hunted, outpacing fleet kinkajous, maddened herds of cattle, heads lowered, nostrils snorting, rushing through tribes of loping monkeys, chattering in a dementia of terror; ...
Is this "by" an adverb or a preposition?
To my knowledge, "flash by" means to move quickly, with the "by" being an adverb and the phrase having no object. Then there is "flash past," in which "past" is a preposition invariably followed by an object.
Since there is obviously an object "stags" that follows, I don't know what to make of the "by" here.
Than you for your help.
Top answer
"Flash by" is a phrasal verb. The word "by" is variously labeled a particle, adverb, or preposition, depending on the system of grammar that you follow. The complement of the verb is the noun phrase: nimble stags of the pampas.
- "Flash by" is a phrasal verb.
- The word "by" is variously labeled a particle, adverb, or preposition, depending on the system of grammar that you follow.
- The complement of the verb is the noun phrase: nimble stags of the pampas.
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"Flash by" is a phrasal verb. The word "by" is variously labeled a particle, adverb, or preposition, depending on the system of grammar that you follow. The complement of the verb is the noun phrase: nimble stags of the pampas.
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