How does the well function?

Question

"Typical summers of my adult life are spent in snow and sleet, cracking rocks on cliffs well north of the Arctic Circle."(from Your Inner fish, written by Neil Shubin, pp.3)

Could you tell me what role the "well" plays in the sentence? Does it modyfy the verb "cracking"?

Or "north"? And "north of the Arctic Circle" has no preposition. It sounds odd...

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

aramahosiCould you tell me what role the "well" plays in the sentence?

Yes. It acts as an adverb of degree. well north of = very much north of = far north of

aramahosiDoes it modyfy the verb "cracking"?

No. It modifies the adjective north by saying how far north. Very far north.

aramahosiAnd "north of the Arctic Circle" has no preposition.

on cliffs well north of the Arctic Circle = on cliffs which are well north of the Arctic Circle.

You can omit the relative pronoun and a form of the linking verb to be when you have a relative clause. This is called "Whiz Deletion", by the way.

The big factory which is east of our town has to pay a fine for polluting the air.
=
The big factory east of our town has to pay a fine for polluting the air.

Shake hands with the person who is nearest to you.
=
Shake hands with the person nearest to you.

CJ

How does the well function?

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