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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Parsing
What was it that finally decided you to give up your job?
What - a subject;
was - a predicator (a linking verb);
it that finally decided you to give up a job - a subject complement [where "it that finally decided you to give up a job" is a noun phrase in which "it" is the head of the phrase and "that finally decided you to give up a job" a head modifier (where "that" {a relative pronoun} is a relative clause subject, "finally" an adverbial, "decided" a predicator, "you" an object, "to give up your job" {a non-finite clause}, an object complement)].
Is my parsing acceptable?
What - a subject;
was - a predicator (a linking verb);
it that finally decided you to give up a job - a subject complement [where "it that finally decided you to give up a job" is a noun phrase in which "it" is the head of the phrase and "that finally decided you to give up a job" a head modifier (where "that" {a relative pronoun} is a relative clause subject, "finally" an adverbial, "decided" a predicator, "you" an object, "to give up your job" {a non-finite clause}, an object complement)].
Is my parsing acceptable?
Top answer
I do not perceive "it that finally decided you to give up your job" as a phrase.
- I do not perceive "it that finally decided you to give up your job" as a phrase.
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4 Answers
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I do not perceive "it that finally decided you to give up your job" as a phrase.
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AnonymousIs my parsing acceptable?Yes, though 'you' functions both as the object of 'decide' and as the subject of the non-finite clause 'you to give up your job', so I would not call 'to give up your job' an object complement. It's the predicate of the non-finite clause. 'your job' is the direct object of 'give', of course, though you didn't mention
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CalifJimso I think you could argue quite persuasively that the antecedent of the relative clause is 'what', not 'it'.Indeed.
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CalifJim[It was what] that finally decided you to give up your job. > [What was it] that ...?Thank you for the detailed reply.
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