Object of preposition

[mawes12]

Can adjective or adverb be an object of preposition?

 

[Matthew Wai]

'He walked slowly instead of quickly.'
If the above sentence was correct, then 'quickly' should be the object of 'of'.

Not a teacher.

 

[mawes12]

'He walked slowly instead of quickly.'
If the above sentence was correct, then 'quickly' should be the object of 'of'.

Not a teacher.

Maybe you're right.

I heard of the phrase, "for good." I know some adjective can be before a preposition but I don't know if they can be after preposition.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Adjectives and adverbs cannot be objects of prepositions.

 

[mawes12]

Adjectives and adverbs cannot be objects of prepositions.

Can you explain to me why "good" is an object of preposition for "for"?

 

[tedmc]

The "good" in "for good" is a noun, not an adjective.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Mawes:

Here is some information from one of my favorite books. It is your decision as to whether or not you wish to accept the author's opinion. (The emphases are mine.)

"In a few idiomatic expressions, an adverb or an adjective is used as the object, and thus becomes a noun-equivalent."

The scholar gives these examples:

1. I did not know until now. (adv.)
2. I can see it from here. (adv.)

3. We worked in vain. (adj.)
4. They looked on high for help. (adj.)



Credit: Walter Kay Smart, English Review Grammar (fourth edition, 1940).

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think the following can be added to the above examples, but I am not a teacher.

'Jerry lived in Cairo until quite recently. (adv.)'── quoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/recently
'An attempt to reform the system from within (adv.)'── quoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/within

 

[SoothingDave]

'He walked slowly instead of quickly.'
If the above sentence was correct, then 'quickly' should be the object of 'of'.

Not a teacher.

I would say that an understood "walking" was the object of the preposition. He walked slowly instead of (walking) quickly.

 

[mawes12]

I think when an adjective or adverb is object of preposition it probably has a secret noun or gerund or it acts like a noun.


what do you guys think?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think when an adjective or adverb is object of preposition it probably has a secret noun or gerund or it acts like a noun.

Then what is the omitted noun/gerund in 'until recently'?

 

[mawes12]

Then what is the omitted noun/gerund in 'until recently'?

Probably living or moving.

I heard now can be a noun, also.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree with you.

 

[MikeNewYork]

The scholar gives these examples:

1. I did not know until now. (adv.)
2. I can see it from here. (adv.)

3. We worked in vain. (adj.)
4. They looked on high for help. (adj.)

/

In the first two, the underlined words are nouns. The second two are idioms.

 

[Matthew Wai]

How would you explain the underlined word below?
'● Seen from above the cars looked tiny. (adv.)'── quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/above_2

Not a teacher.

 

[mawes12]

I agree with you.

Who did you agree with?

 

[mawes12]

How would you explain the underlined word below?
'● Seen from above the cars looked tiny. (adv.)'── quoted from http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/above_2

Not a teacher.

Probably It means "seen from above the building or any object, the cars looked tiny." Do you agree?

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Who did you agree with?"

You!

 

[Matthew Wai]

Me?

Probably It means "seen from above the building or any object, the cars looked tiny." Do you agree?

Then 'above' would be a preposition instead of an adverb. Do you agree?

Not a teacher.

 

[mawes12]

Me?


Then 'above' would be a preposition instead of an adverb. Do you agree?

Not a teacher.

I didn't see that. I got a little bit confused but it seems like a prepositional phrase acting like an adverb. Do you agree with that?