Proper as an adverb
Hello there. I have a question.
Regarding the following sentence:
As he walked down the cobblestone way, the entrance to the famous Buddhist temple came into view -- but since entering the grounds proper took an admission fee, the main hall remained out of sight.
In the part right after the dash, I believe that "proper" works as an adverb, modifying "entering (the grounds)." Do you sometimes use "proper" as an adverb instead of "properly"?
Top answer
As he walked down the cobblestone way, the entrance to the famous Buddhist temple came into view -- but since entering the grounds proper took an admission fee, the main hall remained out of sight. It is not an adverb. This is the postpositive use of the adjective "proper".
- As he walked down the cobblestone way, the entrance to the famous Buddhist temple came into view -- but since entering the grounds proper took an admission fee, the main hall remained out of sight.
- It is not an adverb.
- This is the postpositive use of the adjective "proper".
- It is modifying the noun "grounds" in the noun phrase "grounds proper".
- In this sense, "proper" means "in the strict/proper sense of the term".
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
As he walked down the cobblestone way, the entrance to the famous Buddhist temple came into view -- but since entering the grounds proper took an admission fee, the main hall remained out of sight.
It is not an adverb. This is the postpositive use of the adjective "proper". It is modifying the noun "grounds" in the noun phrase "grounds proper". In this sense, "proper" means
0It's an adjective, describing the grounds.
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/proper
always used after a noun— used to emphasize that you are referring to the specific thing that is being named
- Her family lived outside the city proper. [=lived in an area that
0
Related Questions