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I concede that the question title may be wrong since I ask this in question 1, so please feel free to edit it. In "as we discuss in detail in a moment" - why not "as we'll discuss"?, querier and user CopperKettle wrote:

I understand that the authors use the Present Simple in a way similar to its use in description of scheduled events:

1. What are some formal terms describing the bolded phrase? 'in a way' seems a prepositional phrase, but then it's followed by similar, so 'prepositional phrase' fails to describe this construct?

2. Can you replace the bolded with an adverb? For example, with 'similarly'? Why or why not?

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    You cannot. Similar is an adjective modifying the noun way; it follows way because it has its own following complement. Jan 23, 2015 at 4:18
  • @StoneyB: So, you're saying that "similar to its use in description of scheduled events" is an adjective followed by three prepositional phrases, which jointly form a modifier for "way" , right? And this would be true even if we parsed it as "in a way [that is] similar....", right? But it would be completely different if it had said "... author's use OF the Present Simple IS in a way similar....." because then "in a way" would be modifying "similar", right? Jan 23, 2015 at 8:25

3 Answers 3

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1) What term describes the phrase "in a way similar".

In the sentence in question, that string of words isn't a coherent phrase.  That is to say, it's not an independent constituent.  It's a preposition, a noun phrase, and the beginning of an adjective phrase.
 

The phrase "in a way" is, on its own, a prepositional phrase.  The preposition is "in" and the preposition's object is "a way". 

It remains a prepositional phrase even when the object involves additional modifiers. For example, "in a similar way" and "in a way similar to something else" are both still prepositional phrases.  In fact, that second example is a prepositional phrase which contains an adjective which is modified by another prepositional phrase.

I've heard this property called chaining, but I think nesting is a better word for prepositional phrases inside prepositional phrases.  Prepositional phrases can be nested to an arbitrary depth.  I parse the original phrase as follows:

( in [ a way ] <-{ similar <-( to [ its use ] <-( in [ the description ] <-( of [ scheduled events ] ) ) ) } )

The innermost prepositional phrase is "of scheduled events", which modifies "the description".  "In the description of scheduled events" modifies "its use".  The phrase that starts with "to its use" modifies the adjective "similar".  The adjective phrase starting with "similar" modifies "a way".  Finally, the entire, huge prepositional phrase modifies the verb "use" in the original sentence.
 
 

2) Can a prepositional phrase like "in a similar way" be replaced by the adverb "similarly"?

In this sentence, yes, it can.  The prepositional phrase that starts with "to its use..." modifies the adjective "similar".  The same prepositional phrase can modify "similarly".  That modified adverb can, in turn, modify the verb of its clause.  The result is a sentence with a slightly different structure and much the same meaning:

I understand that the authors use the Present Simple similarly to its use in description of scheduled events.

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"Similar" is modifying "way", which is a noun.

"I understand that the authors use the Present Simple in a particular way. Let's talk about the way. What sort of way is it? It's a way that is similar to its use in description of scheduled events."

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I believe the phrase "that is" is understood (but absent) here.

I understand that the authors use the Present Simple in a way (that is) similar to its use in description of scheduled events.

You could also say, "The cup is in the cupboard (that is) next to the sink."

In this scheme, "in a way..." is a prepositional phrase, and "that is similar to..." is really a dependent, adjective clause forming part of the prepositional phrase and modifying the noun "way." And StoneyB is correct that since adverbs don't modify nouns, "similarly" would be incorrect in place of "similar."


English does a lot of this kind of thing—we routinely omit words that are what's called "understood," meaning we intend and convey their meaning without actually using them. The understood "you" as the subject of an imperative (command) sentence is one example: "Go to the store." This really means: "(You) go to the store." Another example that came up recently was: "The paragraph is composed of sentences, each of them nominal." This really means: "The paragraph is composed of sentences, (with) each of them (being) nominal."

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