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22 September 2008

For Denise Richards, the "I's" have it


Actress and current "reality show" celebrity Denise Richards recently on her show documented her being escorted by her father to an entertainment gala/awards ceremony. (It's always one or the other these days).* Denise described the date with her father thus:

"Tonight was a great night for both my father and
I
to go to this event."

Denise meant: "...for both my father and
me to go to this event."

The phrase "father and I (me)" serves as the object of a preposition, even though it appears to serve as the subject in a clause. There is no verb, really, even though the infinitive phrase "to go" has verbal qualities. "Me" is an object pronoun and needs to fulfill its mission. "I" can only act, not be acted upon, not even in the most narcissistic of circumstances.

The sentence parsed:

Tonight: (A noun subject of clause)
was: (v. linking)
a great night:
subject complement, predicate noun phrase
for: preposition
both:
pronoun
my father and
I (me): compound object of preposition
to go: infinitive phrase used as adverb modifying "great night"
(answers question: "How is it a great night?" That is, if you were to go to the event, it would be a great night)
to this event: prep. phrase (acts as adverb modifier to "to go" (answers the question: to go where?)

*
Should we be tiring of the term "Red Carpet Event"!

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