Modifiers, complements, and adjuncts oh my!
So I'm a little confused about complements, modifiers, and adjuncts.
Let's take this sentence for example: "Rindhind is a capable student who has worked well in science this semester." (I took this example from reddit's r/grammar just for the sake of honesty).
A poster suggested that "in science" and "this semester" are modifiers, but they're not, are they? Aren't they optional complements? If they are modifiers, then what exactly do the phrases modify?
I would take "who has worked well in science this semester" to be a relative clause where the entire clause is a modifier, but what about those elements within the relative clause "in science" and "this semester"?
I'm probably way, way off here so huge thanks in advance guys! I've learned so much here.
Top answer
In modern grammar the term "modifier" typically applies to modifiers of nouns, so the preferred terminology (as far as I know, and I'm not an expert) for "in science" and "this semester" is "adjunct". ) In other words they're both adjuncts. At a bare minimum at least the NP (noun phrase) "this semester" is an adjunct.
- In modern grammar the term "modifier" typically applies to modifiers of nouns, so the preferred terminology (as far as I know, and I'm not an expert) for "in science" and "this semester" is "adjunct".
- ) In other words they're both adjuncts.
- At a bare minimum at least the NP (noun phrase) "this semester" is an adjunct.
- The head of the verb phrase is "worked", and all complements, if any, immediately follow the head before the adjuncts do, so arguing that "well" is not a complement but another adjunct, I'd say that "in science" can't be a complement either.
- It doesn't follow "worked" closely enough.
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In modern grammar the term "modifier" typically applies to modifiers of nouns, so the preferred terminology (as far as I know, and I'm not an expert) for "in science" and "this semester" is "adjunct". (Even so, adjuncts are considered modifiers.) In other words they're both adjuncts. At a bare minimum at least the NP (noun phrase) "this semester" is an adjunct.
The head of the verb ph
0anonymousI've learned so much here.
Well, you have not honored us with selecting a username, have you?
Anyway, I have found that linguistic definitions and labels get you into a tangled matted mess of confusion if you mix sources and schools. It will preserve your sanity to stick with one system.
Here is a resource of 900 relatively modern (ci
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