I. Modal-predicative structures.

Analyse modal-predicative structures in bold type fromExtract II from S.W.Maugham’s “The Razor’s Edge”:

The result of the discussion was that Isabel agreed to have the matter out with Larry once and for all. Mrs. Bradley suggested that Isabel should ask him to drive her down to Marvin. She was ordering new curtains for the living-room and had mislaid the measurements, so she wanted Isabel to take them again.

"Bob Nelson will give you luncheon," she said.

"I have a better plan than that," said Elliott. "Put up a luncheon basket for them and let them lunch on the stoop and after lunch they can talk."

"That would be fun," said Isabel.

"There are few things so pleasant as a picnic lunch eaten in perfect comfort," Elliott added sententiously.

"The old Duchesse d'Uzes used to tell me that the most recalcitrant male becomes amenable to suggestion in these conditions. What will you give them for luncheon?"

"Stuffed eggs and a chicken sandwich."

"Nonsense. You can't have a picnic without pate de foie gras. You must give them curried shrimps to start with, breast of chicken in aspic, with a heart-of-lettuce salad for which I'll make the dressing myself, and after the pate if you like, as a concession to your American

habits, an apple pie."

"I shall give them stuffed eggs and a chicken sandwich, Elliott," said Mrs. Bradley with decision.

"Well, mark my words, it'll be a failure and you'll only have yourself to blame."

"Larry eats very little, Uncle Elliott," said Isabel, "and I don't believe he notices what he eats."

"I hope you don't think that is to his credit, my poor child," her uncle returned. But what Mrs. Bradley said they should have was what they got. When Elliott later told me the outcome of the excursion he shrugged his shoulders in a very French way.

"I told them it would be a failure. I begged Louisa to put in a bottle of the Montrachet I sent her just before the war, but she wouldn't listen to me. They took a thermos of hot coffee and nothing else. What would you expect?"

It appeared that Louisa Bradley and Elliott were sitting by themselves in the living-room when they heard the car stop at the door and Isabel came into the house. It was just after dark and the curtains were drawn. Elliott was lounging in an arm-chair by the fireside reading a novel

and Mrs. Bradley was at work on a piece of tapestry that was to be made into a fire-screen. Isabel did not come in, but went on up to her room. Elliott looked over his spectacles at his sister.

"I expect she's gone to take off her hat. She'll be down in a minute," she said. But Isabel did not come. Several minutes passed.

"Perhaps she's tired. She may be lying down."

"Wouldn't you have expected Larry to have come in?"

"Don't be exasperating, Elliott."

"Well, it's your business, not mine."

He returned to his book. Mrs. Bradley went on working. But when half an hour had gone by she got up suddenly.

"I think perhaps I'd better go up and see that she's all right. If she's resting I won't disturb her."

She left the room, but in a very short while came down again.

"She's been crying. Larry's going to Paris. He's going to be away for two years. She's promised to wait for him."

"Why does he want to go to Paris?"

"It's no good asking me questions, Elliott. I don't know. She won't tell me anything. She says she understands and she isn't going to stand in his way. I said to her, 'If he's prepared to

leave you for two years he can't love you very much.' 'I can't help that,' she said, 'the thing that matters is that I love him very much.' 'Even after what's happened today?' I said.

'Today's made me love him more than ever I did,' she said, and he does love me; Mamma. I'm sure of that.' "

Elhott reflected for a while.

"And what's to happen at the end of two years?"

"I tell you I don't know, Elliott."

"Don't you think it's very unsatisfactory?"

"Very."

"There's only one thing to be said and that is that they're both very young. It won't hurt them to wait two years and in that time a lot may happen."

They agreed that it would be better to leave Isabel in peace. They were going out to dinner that night.

"I don't want to upset her," said Mrs. Bradley. "People would only wonder if her eyes were all swollen."

But next day after luncheon, which they had by themselves, Mrs. Bradley brought the subject up again. But she got little out of Isabel.

"There's really nothing more to tell you than I've told you already, Mamma," sne said.

"But what does he want to do in Paris?"

Isabel smiled, for she knew how preposterous her answer would seem to her mother.

"Loaf."

II. Multi-word verbs: crime and punishment

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 984