Prepostional Adjectival Phrase?

Question

Could someone help me? In the following sentence, is "in several shapes and colours" a prepositional adjectival phrase?"We sell a variety of paper products in several shapes and colors."

Enoon · Accepted Answer

I guess so. It has that effect. An argument could be made for its being an adverb modifying "sell", though (We make them in several forms.).

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

Thank you very much, enoon. Appreciate it.

RandomGuy · Answer

Selvakumarprepositional adjectival

It’s best not to mix those terms. They refer to categories, and a word or phrase can belong only to one category at a time, so once you identify its category, your next move might be to identify its function: in several shapes and colors is a preposition phrase, and its function is modifier. Whether it modifies sell or paper products depends on your interpretation, but I would say the former is more likely: A variety of paper products are sold in several shapes and colors.

Even in the case where the phrase modifies paper products, it’s still not “adjectival” because it’s headed by a preposition, not an adjective. Adjective phrases are headed by adjectives (afraid of the dark, very kind), noun phrases by nouns (some clients, the guy who cut his arm off), and so on.

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

Aspara Gus, thank you for your detailed answer. Please forgive me if I sound ignorant: I am still in the process of learning the technicalities of grammar and linguistics.

You said that "in several shapes and colors" still not " 'adjectival' because it’s headed by a preposition, not an adjective". Some grammars I consulted gave the following as examples of prepositional adjectival phrases (italicised): in the sentences, the phrases are headed by 'prepositions'. Maybe, I have misunderstood the examples---please help me with this problem.

1. The manager with the pink slips terrorized the employees.
2. The price of the promotion was much too steep.
3. Something in the corner of the desk was moving.
(It has been explained that the adjectival phrase “in the corner” describes the noun “something”; the adjectival phrase “of the desk” describes the noun “corner.”)

RandomGuy · Answer

SelvakumarIt has been explained that the adjectival phrase “in the corner” describes the noun “something”

In the corner is semantically very similar to an adjective there, and you can call it adjectival if you like, but syntactically, it’s a preposition phrase functioning as post-head modifier.

Selvakumarthe adjectival phrase “of the desk” describes the noun “corner

Of the desk is not a modifier but a complement licensed by the noun corner. Notice how other nouns don’t admit the of phrase: *the boy of the desk, *the computer of the desk, etc. aren’t possible, whereas the modifier in the corner of the desk gets along with all sorts of nouns: the blanket/man/cheesecake in the corner of the desk. (The replacement won’t necessarily make sense, but the grammar will remain intact.)

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

Thank you, Aspara Gus, for your patience and convincing explanation. I shall go through your views; try to understand it. And, if I have any problem, I shall consult you, Aspara Gus. Once again, thank you for your help.

Prepostional Adjectival Phrase?

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