0
Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar
Postmodifiers
Hi! I read an explanation on the British Council website that says that noun phrases can be modified by a postmodifier phrase 'to + infinitive' and that this is common with indefinite pronouns and adverbs. The examples they give are:
you should take something to read. (something being the indefinite pronoun)
I need somewhere to sleep. (somewhere being the adverb)
I've got no decent shoes to wear. (??)
I don't understand the last example. The postmodifier is the phrase 'to wear' but I don't see an adverb or an indefinite pronoun, so how do I explain this example to my students?
Really grateful for your help!
you should take something to read. (something being the indefinite pronoun)
I need somewhere to sleep. (somewhere being the adverb)
I've got no decent shoes to wear. (??)
I don't understand the last example. The postmodifier is the phrase 'to wear' but I don't see an adverb or an indefinite pronoun, so how do I explain this example to my students?
Really grateful for your help!
Top answer
Anonymous I don't understand the last example. The postmodifier is the phrase 'to wear' but I don't see an adverb or an indefinite pronoun, so how do I explain this example to my students? It's an example of a noun ( shoes ) being modified by an infinitival.
- Anonymous I don't understand the last example.
- The postmodifier is the phrase 'to wear' but I don't see an adverb or an indefinite pronoun, so how do I explain this example to my students?
- It's an example of a noun ( shoes ) being modified by an infinitival.
- Somewhere is not an adverb in I need somewhere to sleep .
- Like something in the first example, it is head of a noun phrase ( somewhere to sleep ) functioning as direct object.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
AnonymousI don't understand the last example. The postmodifier is the phrase 'to wear' but I don't see an adverb or an indefinite pronoun, so how do I explain this example to my students?It's an example of a noun (shoes) being modified by an infinitival.
Somewhere is not an adverb in I need somewhere to sleep. Like something
00
AnonymousI need somewhere to sleep. (somewhere being the adverb)'somewhere', here, is a noun, i.e. 'an undetermined place', not an adverb.
0
Related Questions