Please explain this

Question

I was watching the TV show, "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader".
The 3rd grade level question was, how many adjectives are in the following sentence:

"Spencer takes good care of his hairy dog."

The answer was two.

Obviously, "hairy" is an adjective, but I was thrown, by "good". It would have been much easier if the sentence was,
"Spencer cares greatly for his hairy dog".

Depending on how they are used, "good" can be an adjective or an adverb, and "care" can be a noun or a verb.

"Care" just feels like a verb to me ;-) I think this is too confusing for a 3rd grader.... or an old guy like me. ;-)

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Actually, I see three adjectives.
But, what's your question?

DumberThanA3rdGrader · Answer

I'm wondering why "care" is a noun in this case. As I remember it, a noun is a person, place or thing.

What is the 3rd adjective?

Oh, wait...... "his"! I can't believe I missed it! "his hairy" must be the two adjectives. "Takes" is the verb.... so what is "good care'? Is that some kind of verb phrase?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Nouns can also be qualities, concepts, etc.

Quick definitions (care)

noun: activity involved in maintaining something in good working order (Example: "He wrote the manual on car care")

noun: the work of caring for or attending to someone or something (Example: "No medical care was required")

noun: attention and management implying responsibility for safety (Example: "He is in the care of a bodyguard")

noun: a cause for feeling concern (Example: "His major care was the illness of his wife")

noun: an anxious feeling (Example: "Care had aged him")

noun: judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger (Example: "He handled the vase with care")

To take care of is the idiomatic phrasal verb:

take care of--

a.	to watch over; be responsible for: 'to take care of an invalid'.

b.	to act on; deal with; attend to: to 'take care of paying a bill'.

Good is optional. Take (good/great/special) care of your children.

Anonymous · Answer

The answer is not at all simple. "Take care" is a phrasal verb, so what is "good" in this sentence? "His" functions as an adjective as well. I actually discussed this question on my blog a couple of days ago and ran across your question while researching the answer.

http://blogs.oc.edu/ee/index.php?/dlovejoy/a_grammar_puzzle/.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Sorry; I misspoke in my earlier post. Take care of is not a phrasal verb, it is just a verb phrase, a verbal idiom.

Phrasal verbs consist of a verb + particle (adverb, preposition) which behave as a syntactic unit

Make up (= invent) is a phrasal verb, and cannot take an internal adverb: Make up quickly, NOT Make quickly up.
Stand up (= rise) is a verb + adverb, not a phrasal verb, so can take an internal adverb: Stand quickly up.

Take care of (= deal with) is not in any phrasal verb list I can find-- and I can insert an adverb (Take care immediately of). Your adverb test is irrelevant here, I think. Care remains a noun (the object of take), and the noun can be modified with an adjective (e.g. good):

Please take good care immediately of any customers who require assistance.

The final answer is simple enough, though the way to it may be a bit confusing.

English_Learner · Answer

Tthank you, Mister Micawber. Your explanation is very clear and very helpful.
Thanks a lot.

Loojka · Answer

DumberThanA3rdGrader "Spencer takes good care of his hairy dog."

"His" is also an adjective - possessive adjective.

DumberThanA3rdGrader Depending on how they are used, "good" can be an adjective or an adverb, and "care" can be a noun or a verb.

I'd rather say that "good" is an adjective and "well" is an adverb.
She's a good mother to her children.
She doesn't sing very well.

But, on the other hand, there's this James Brown's song "I feel good"

As for "care"... yes, it can be a noun and a verb... just like many other words in English language.

Anonymous · Answer

I couldn't believe they didn't correct this answer. It is three! I almost yelled at my tv!

Please explain this

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