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This is from MCT's Practice Voyage:

 

Acrid fumes poured from the engine room; we hoped to put the fire out.  

 

TO PUT THE FIRE OUT is described by MCT as a direct object and infinitive phrase.  

 

OUT is labeled as an adverb, but we can't figure out what it is modifying.  It can't modify TO PUT because it TO PUT is a noun and adverbs only modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.    

 

So what is OUT modifying?  

 

Thank you for your help! 

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This is from MCT's Practice Voyage:

 

Acrid fumes poured from the engine room; we hoped to put the fire out.  

 

TO PUT THE FIRE OUT is described by MCT as a direct object and infinitive phrase.  

 

OUT is labeled as an adverb, but we can't figure out what it is modifying.  It can't modify TO PUT because it TO PUT is a noun and adverbs only modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.    

 

So what is OUT modifying?  

 

Thank you for your help! 

 

Why would you think that "to put" is a noun? :huh: What person, place, thing, or idea does it name?

 

AFIK, "put" is always a verb. When "to" is in front of a verb, it's an infinitive. "Out" modifies the infinitive "to put."

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Why would you think that "to put" is a noun? :huh: What person, place, thing, or idea does it name?

 

AFIK, "put" is always a verb. When "to" is in front of a verb, it's an infinitive. "Out" modifies the infinitive "to put."

 

Good question.  I thought direct objects must always be nouns.  So when TO PUT THE FIRE OUT is labeled as a direct object, I thought TO PUT would be acting as a noun.  

 

But in re-reading MCT, it says that infinitive phrases can be nouns or modifiers.  "He lived to read."  TO READ is acting as an adverb.  So maybe TO PUT is acting as an adverb?  

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Here's some information-

http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/infinitive.html

 Search "verbals and infinitives" for more information sources.  The entire verbal phrase may act as a direct object thus performing the job of a noun.  So you weren't very far off. 

 

ETA:  I purchased the online program Get Smart Grammar from Grammar Revolution and have learned a lot about grammar that I either never knew or had forgotten.  :thumbup1:

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Good question.  I thought direct objects must always be nouns.  So when TO PUT THE FIRE OUT is labeled as a direct object, I thought TO PUT would be acting as a noun.  

 

But in re-reading MCT, it says that infinitive phrases can be nouns or modifiers.  "He lived to read."  TO READ is acting as an adverb.  So maybe TO PUT is acting as an adverb?  

 

No. "To put" is not acting as an adverb. What would it be modifying?

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I believe the entire phrase "to put the fire out" would be an infinitive acting as a noun serving as a direct object of the predicate verb "hoped."    I think the the phrase "the fire out" answers the question what, thus making it an adverb.  According to the site I referenced, a verbal phrase can act  as an adverb even though it is modifying a noun-substitute (the infinitive) becuase the infinitive still retains some of its verb characteristics. 

 

 

OK, I think this is it:

 

"Hoped" is your verb; "to put the fire out" is your direct object.  "Out" might be an adverb answering the question "where" with regard to putting the fire, but I'm not sure about that part. 

 

I looked at the diagrams on this page to try to parse it out, start in the 40's.

 

 

My kids got up early and are now napping so I have missed my window to do school today. So, might as well study grammar all on my own.  LOL

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So, there is actually an app for that... ;)

 

http://1aiway.com/nlp4net/services/enparser/

 

 

I'm not sure what it all means though.  If you hover over a word in your sentence, the program will tell you what part of speech it is and the "job" it is doing.  But I'm not sure I understand it all.  I think if I ever write such a sentence, I'll just use the word "extinguish."  :crying:

 

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we hoped to put the fire out

 

                   \

                    \ put | fire

                          \     \

                       |

we | hoped |   ^__

 

("to" on the top diagonal, "out" on the put diagonal, "the" on the fire diagonal.)

 

I think that's right, based on The First Whole Book of Diagrams' example of infinitive verbs that have a direct object.  (Beethoven likes to compose music.)

"and it may be used in the sentence as if it were a noun, except that since it is a verb it can also have a direct object."

 

So, "to put" is an infinitive verb being used as a noun with the direct object "fire", "out" modifying "to put".


I think.

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