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Jigneshbharati Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Seemed to advance

The trees seemed to advance—to close ranks—as if in menacing formation, branches flailing, trunks forming cavities resembling huge distorted mouths from which the most horrifying and ungodly screams seemed to issue, filling the swamp with a hellish cacophony (Guerrero 210).

http://www.professorguerrero.com/2008/08/chapter-1-absolute-phrases-make-your.html?m=1
If "seemed " is the main verb and "the trees" a subject, what is the grammatical form and function of "to advance " and "to close ranks"?

  

Top answer

The trees seemed to advance—to close ranks—as if in menacing formation, branches flailing, trunks forming cavities resembling huge distorted mouths from which the most horrifying and ungodly screams seemed to issue, filling the swamp with a hellish cacophony. Yes, the matrix (main) clause has "the trees" as subject and "seemed" as verb. " is its catenative complement.

— BillJ

  • The trees seemed to advance—to close ranks—as if in menacing formation, branches flailing, trunks forming cavities resembling huge distorted mouths from which the most horrifying and ungodly screams seemed to issue, filling the swamp with a hellish cacophony.
  • Yes, the matrix (main) clause has "the trees" as subject and "seemed" as verb.
  • " is its catenative complement.
  • The "as if" phrase is probably best analysed as a manner complement.
  • "To close ranks" is an infinitival clause functioning as a supplementary adjunct, a loosely attached element (here with the form of an interpolation) outside the structure of the clause.
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1 Answers
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The trees seemed to advance—to close ranks—as if in menacing formation, branches flailing, trunks forming cavities resembling huge distorted mouths from which the most horrifying and ungodly screams seemed to issue, filling the swamp with a hellish cacophony.

Yes, the matrix (main) clause has "the trees" as subject and "seemed" as verb.

This is a catenative construction wher

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