"Dear John" -- The Importance of Correct Punctuation
I want a man who knows what love
is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are
not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined
me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever.
When we're apart, I can be forever happy.
I want a man (DO) [Adj. to "man" who knows [DO what [#2] love is]]. | All [#3] {about you} are generous, kind, thoughtful people, [Adj. to "people" who are not {like you} (PA)]. | *You* Admit {to being useless and inferior [#4]}. | You have ruined me (DO). | {For other men}, I yearn. | {For you}, I have no feelings (DO) whatsoever [#5]. | [Adv. to "can be" When we're apart (PA),] I can be forever happy (PA). | Will you let me be [#6] ? | Yours, Jane Notes 2. In this version, "what" functions as both the predicate noun to "love is" and as the subordinate conjunction. 3. There are two different ways of processing this. In the text, I have considered "all" as an adverb meaning "completely" or "everywhere," and "about you" as functioning as an adverb to "are." Some people, however, may process "All" as the subject (implicitly meaning "all people" and "about you" as an adjective to "All." In this case, "people" becomes a predicate noun. . "Useless" and "inferior" are predicate adjectives after the gerund "being." The gerund phrase functions as the object of the preposition "to." 5. See the note for version 1. 6. "Me" is the subject of the infinitive "be." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "let." |