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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Quick questions driving me nuts

"It is a characteristic of reduced clauses, both adverbial and relative, to be non-finite."

1) Is both an adjective or conjunction here?



2) Is this phrase adjectival or what?



3) Is there a possible ambiguity with the sentence above (only I seem to see it!!!):

I'll use another sentence to explain:

"It is a problem with most houses, (which are) both rundown and small."

In this example, the both x and y phrase defines each house as rundown AND small,

whereas, in the original, it uses both x and y to mean clauses that are adverbial OR are relative.

See what I mean?

Thanks
  

Top answer

I'd say it's a conjunction. When used with 'and', 'both' is used as a conjunction to indicate that the two things in the coordinated phrase or clase are included; in this case 'adverbial (clauses) and relative (clauses)'. Both as a conjunction means 'not just one, but also the other'.

— Tarirotari

  • I'd say it's a conjunction.
  • When used with 'and', 'both' is used as a conjunction to indicate that the two things in the coordinated phrase or clase are included; in this case 'adverbial (clauses) and relative (clauses)'.
  • Both as a conjunction means 'not just one, but also the other'.
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20 Answers
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I'd say it's a conjunction. When used with 'and', 'both' is used as a conjunction to indicate that the two things in the coordinated phrase or clase are included; in this case 'adverbial (clauses) and relative (clauses)'.

Both as a conjunction means 'not just one, but also the other'.
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Yes, but wouldn't you agree there is an ambiguity, because it doesn't have 'clauses' after each word?

It is a characteristic of reduced clauses, both adverbial clauses and relative clauses.

It makes the sentence read almost as though reduced clauses are both adverbial and relative at the same time. This cannot be so. They can be adverbial OR
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English 1b32) Is this phrase adjectival or what?
I see it as an appositive clause. But I'm not sure.
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Greetings,
English 1b31) Is both an adjective or conjunction here?
- PART OF A CORRELATIVE (CONJUNCTION) - NEVER AN ADJECTIVE, YOU SEEM TO CONFUSE THEM WITH DETERMINERS;
English 1b32) Is this phrase adjectival or what?
- A TYPICAL INSTANCE OF AN ELLIPTED RELATIVE CLAUSE;
English 1b3
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English 1b3Yes, but wouldn't you agree there is an ambiguity, because it doesn't have 'clauses' after each word?

It is a characteristic of reduced clauses, both adverbial clauses and relative clauses.
Well, I don't think there's an ambiguity since, even though the word "clauses" is not repeated after each adjective, it is implied. The adjectives
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Gleb_Chebrikoff'BOTH (...AND) SIGNALS SEGREGATORY MEANING. AS YOU MAY KNOW, ONLY SEGREGATORY MEANING IS POSSIBLE WHEN CONJOINS DENOTE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE PROPERTIES

I think I understand what you mean here, and this is what I expected.

Are there instances where both refers to each (x & y) at the same time?

The man, both tall and han
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English 1b3Are there instances where both refers to each (x & y) at the same time?

The man, both tall and handsome, was...

In this instance it doesn't seem to denote mutually exclusive properties...
I see now the ambiguity you mean. Because if we say:

"The two men, both tall and handsome, were..."

In this case tall and
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Gleb_Chebrikoff PART OF A CORRELATIVE (CONJUNCTION) - NEVER AN ADJECTIVE, YOU SEEM TO CONFUSE THEM WITH DETERMINERS;
...

- 'BOTH (...AND) SIGNALS SEGREGATORY MEANING. AS YOU MAY KNOW, ONLY SEGREGATORY MEANING IS POSSIBLE WHEN CONJOINS DENOTE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE PROPERTIES.
Please do not post in all capitals. By convention among
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English 1b3Is there a possible ambiguity with the sentence above
Yes, but only a computer program (and you and I) would be likely to detect it.
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Gleb_ChebrikoffONLY SEGREGATORY MEANING IS POSSIBLE WHEN CONJOINS DENOTE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE PROPERTIES.
Just a bit of friendly advice.

If you could explain linguistic principles in simpler words, I think you could reach more of the students who visit our site. Many of them are just beginners in their study of English. Frankly, even as a native speak
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