Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 A sentence came up last week in CW (Fox and Crow), and it's been pestering my brain for days. Here's a variation of the original sentence. Please help me analyze it. Let me hear just one song. This is what I've come up with so far. Please help me identify the parts in italics, and correct the others if I'm wrong. (you) - subject (implied) Let - simple predicate me - direct object hear - infinitive form (without "to") acting as indirect object? just - adverb modifying "one"? one - adjective modifying 'song' song - object of -- what? the infinitive phrase "hear just one song"? Thanks! Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Suzanne, I've been thinking about this and reviewing Descriptive English Grammar, but I don't have an answer yet, and I'm not sure that I will even be able to make an educated guess. Have you posted this question on the CW boards? If you figure this out, or get an answer from someone else, I would really appreciate it if you let me know. I'm still trying to get up to speed on my grammar skills. We were talking about the subjunctive mood in CW Homer yesterday. Let's just say it wasn't pretty, and I have a better explanation to give before we start today's lesson. Talk about feeling inadequate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KForce Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'm totally new to the forums, but I love grammar puzzles (former high school English teacher). Looks like you did a great job parsing the sentence! The technical term for the infinitive phrase is "objective complement." I dug out my old college textbook Descriptive English Grammar, 2nd edition by House & Harmon, and they listed this sentence as an example of an infinitive objective complement: Let me see your book. Based on that example, your sentence should be parsed something like this: Let me hear just one song. You: understood subject Let: verb me: direct object hear: infinitive objective complement song: direct object of the infinitive objective complement one: adjective describing song just: adverb describing one If you were diagramming this sentence, you'd place a forward slanting line after the verb let, and then put the infinitive phrase hear just one song up on stilts similar to a prepositional phrase (hear would be placed where the object of the preposition normally sits, then you'd draw a straight line and place song after in to indicate the direct object). Back on the baseline, after the stilts, you would draw a normal direct object line and place the direct object me. Hope this helps:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thank you for taking the time to help me puzzle this out! I'm going to print it out tomorrow to share with my dd. We were totally scratching our heads about this. I've had Descriptive English Grammar on my Amazon wish list for at least a year, but I've never seen it (the 2nd edition) for less than $100.00. :/ Thanks again, Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Oh, please don't tell me you feel inadequate! You're one of my inspirations! I'm only on the first lesson of CW - Older Beginner. I really started to panic, until I realized that we weren't supposed to parse/diagram in this lesson. Once I relaxed, we really enjoyed it. But, this sentence still kept poking at me. I always liked grammar, but it's been so long! Anyway, did you see KForce's answer? I'm so glad there are so many smart people on this board! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KForce Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 "I've had Descriptive English Grammar on my Amazon wish list for at least a year, but I've never seen it (the 2nd edition) for less than $100.00. :/" Suzanne, Sorry it's so expensive!! I just bought it with all my other outrageously expensive textbooks in college. Frankly, I'm happy to know that I might actually get to use it again when I start teaching Latin! If I lived closer, you could borrow the book until my girls get old enough for me to need it... Anyway, please feel free to shoot another question my way if you run into an instance where I can look something up for you again:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thank you, KForce! What page in DEG did you find that on? Suzanne, I was able to find Descriptive English Grammar used from a friend for $40. It's a great resource, but I wish I had an answer key to it. It includes a lot of diagramming examples which has helped me in both R&S grammar and CW. I wouldn't pay $100 for it though. Have you tried Abebooks or Alibris for a copy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KForce Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Beth, I found the example on DEG p. 330 (first half of the page). Always glad to help:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Beth, I found the example on DEG p. 330 (first half of the page). Always glad to help:) I looked all throughout DEG trying to find a similar sentence for Suzanne, and I couldn't find one. I thought I was really missing something when I read your post, and I was! I have the first printing of DEG with a copyright date of 1931, so page 330 is part of the Appendix that talks about Old English verbs. I really hope you have a different printing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 and I don't think we covered it in level 7, because for the first time all of those crazy sentences make sense now! You can also find diagrammed examples of objective complements and other forms at the following website: Diagramming Sentences Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks, Julie! That's a great link. Now we have something to look forward to in R&S 8. As I was looking through DEG this morning, I had book open to diagramming infinitive objective complements. My oldest son walked by and said, "What is that?! I hope we never have to diagram those." I just smiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KForce Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I looked all throughout DEG trying to find a similar sentence for Suzanne, and I couldn't find one. I thought I was really missing something when I read your post, and I was! I have the first printing of DEG with a copyright date of 1931, so page 330 is part of the Appendix that talks about Old English verbs. I really hope you have a different printing... Beth, My book is the second edition of DEG, 1950, ISBN 0131990837. Perhaps even though the page numbers aren't the same as the first edition, some of the content is. The example I referred to is found in the Sentence Analysis section, with the chapter entitled "Infinitives." Several numbered examples of infinitives are given and this one is listed under #5: Infinitive Phrase as Objective Complement. Under the third illustration is a paragraph that explains that let is one of the verbs that does not permit to when using an infinitive. Suzanne, Looks like you can get a good used copy of the second edition for around $50 at the websites Beth mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 That's good to know. We just finished R&S6, so I guess it'll be awhile before we get to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Thanks for the suggestion. I found a 2nd Edition copy at AbeBooks for $47, with free shipping! I might need a primer on how to use it, though! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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