Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 In this sentence: "Doubles games follow most of these rules." what is the word "most" doing? Is it an adverb of degree? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 It can't be an adverb because it isn't modifying the verb ("follow"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 It is an adjective modifying the noun "rules" - it tells how many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 It is an adjective modifying the noun "rules" - it tells how many. That makes sense. Since "rules" is part of a prepositional phrase, how would you diagram that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 That's where I got stuck, too. It looked like it was modifying rules, but I didn't know if an adj. outside a prep. phrase could modify the object of a preposition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I would put "games" as the subject and "follow" as the verb. On a slanted line under games I would but the adjective "Doubles" and under follow I would put a slanted line with "of" attached to a horizontal line with the object of the preposition "rules." The I would put two separate slanted lines beneath rules with "these" and most" on them. After I typed that it didn't seem right. It seems like "follow" is a transitive verb with the direct object "rules." But that ignores the preposition of. Now I'm confused.:confused::D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Right! Doubles games follow most of these rules. I'd have games as the subject, follow as the predicate, and rules as the object, if it weren't part of a prep. phrase. Now, it does appear to me that a prep. phrase can serve the function of a direct object, so maybe that's why "most" can modify "rules"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I think most is a pronoun in that sentence and is the direct object. I'm no grammar expert, but I diagram it with games as the subject, doubles on a slanted line under games, follow as the verb, most as a direct object, of as a preposition under most, rules as the object of the proposition, and these as the adjective modifying rules. But I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I think most is a pronoun in that sentence and is the direct object. I'm no grammar expert, but I diagram it with games as the subject, doubles on a slanted line under games, follow as the verb, most as a direct object, of as a preposition under most, rules as the object of the proposition, and these as the adjective modifying rules. But I could be wrong. This was my second thought, but I've never heard of most being used as a pronoun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Here's a list of pronouns and most is on it. Who knew?:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 I can't find any backing for using it as a pronoun. I'm at my tutoring job right now, and this sentence was in an exercise about identifying adjectives. The teacher's manual did NOT include it as an adjective, and this wild goose chase is an effort to explain *why*. I'm increasingly convinced that the TM was wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Most is listed on the indefinite pronoun list in Analytical Grammar. Here's an example... Twelve boys are in the math class. Most are getting an 'A' in the class. You could say, 'Most boys are getting an 'A' in the class,' but it would be redundant after the previous sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Here's another website with it listed as a pronoun: http://www.esldesk.com/vocabulary/pronouns And another: http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/list-of-pronouns.html Megan is right - it is an indefinite pronoun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Maybe the point of the exercise was to identify the adjectives doubles and these in that sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Yes...but. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saille Posted January 15, 2011 Author Share Posted January 15, 2011 Thank you! My friend and I were driving ourselves to drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Here's another website with it listed as a pronoun: http://www.esldesk.com/vocabulary/pronouns And another: http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/list-of-pronouns.html Megan is right - it is an indefinite pronoun. :iagree: Just chiming in to agree that the word "most" is an indefinite pronoun, and it is used as the direct object of this sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I didn't read all of the responses. I think it is a noun, the direct object of the verb follows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 I agree with the most is a pronoun acting as a direct object crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 :iagree: Just chiming in to agree that the word "most" is an indefinite pronoun, and it is used as the direct object of this sentence. :iagree: I vote that most is functioning as the direct object in this sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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