Grammar Discussion!

[fantastic_jackie]

So, someone sent me an e-mail asking a question - a question I've been pondering myself, though not specifically the sentence itself, for the past couple weeks. Yes, I ponder sentence structures in my free time. Leave me alone! =P

Someone asks, "This is wrong, right? Relena's eyelids fell closed." 

English buddies, unite! Because I dunno the answer to this one, but my theory is beneath the cut. (And beware: I thought about this way too much.)

The best way to figure out what a sentence should say is to take the extra stuff out. So this sentence, supposing to be past tense, would be, "Relena's eyelids closed." That makes sense. When you add "fell" in there, it shouldn't make the sentence structure change, but it does. So we have warning bell number one. 

As far as tenses go, "fell" is already past tense, so is it superfluous to add the d to "close?" Based on tense, no. The rest of our language does not work like this; if one thing is past tense in a sentence, then everything has to be. However, when you add "fell" in, does "closed" remain a verb or does "closed" become an adverb? I think it's the latter, but the former could work, too.

Relena's - Adjective. Eyelids - Noun/Subject. Fell - Verb. Closed - Verb phrase or adverb? So ask the question: Fell how? Fell closed. So... It's an adverb. So Closed = adverb.

The word Closed is an adjective or verb, not an adverb; therefore, I believe it is correct to say that this sentence is incorrect because of the usage of closed. Close can be an adverb, but used in this sense, it wouldn't mean what it's supposed to mean; if something falls close, it falls nearby. This sentence needs the finality of a closed door, so the 'd' is a must. But closed can't be an adverb. - At least not according to any dictionary I've picked up.

However.

"Fell" is a verb that can and does work with other words to create verb prhases and idioms: is fell closed one of these? More importanty, does "fell close(d)" grammatically make sense? 

I think it can and does, although I've A) been thinking about this too long and B) the way we speak is often grammatically incorrect.

So. My answer? It is incorrect unless "fell closed' is, indeed, a verb phrase. 

Someone tell me I'm close! (No pun intended!!)

Comments

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

Fell isn't really the right verb to use with eyelids in the first place so I wouldn't worry about the grammar at all, lol.

[patriot-jackie.livejournal.com]

LOL You make it so simple! XP

It's not the best sentence, I agree, but I just wonder if "closed" is really supposed to ever be used in that particular context.

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

There probably is something grammatically wrong with it if you analyze it, though I can't imagine what it would be. I would think no one would think twice about it because it sounds like someone would say it and doesn't particularly catch the eye.