Learn English – What part of speech is “run”

grammarmodifiers

A JobInstance refers to the concept of a logical job run.

In the above sentence, is the final word "run" a noun? and which word does the adjective "logical" modify? job or job run?

Is the word "job run" a compound noun?

Best Answer

A JobInstance refers to the concept of [a logical job run].

The phrase "a logical job run" seems to be a noun phrase, due to the presence of the article "a".

And so, "run" is probably the head noun--or functioning as the head of that noun phrase.

Often it is the case that the two modifiers--"logical" and "job"--are either both modifying the word "run" (#A), or else are together a phrase which then modifies the word "run" (#B). That is, it's parsed as one of the following:

  • A: "a [logical [job [run]]]" - - [stacked modification]

  • B: "a [ [logical job] [run]]" - - [submodification]

Version #A is interpreted as: a "run" that is a "job" (modifier) and that is also "logical" (modifier). That is, "a job run" and "a logical run" should both make sense.

Version #B is interpreted as: a "run" that is a "logical job" (modifier phrase).

There is a third possibility:

  • C: "a [logical [job-run]]"

where version #C is interpreted as a "job-run" that is "logical" (modifier). (The hyphen might or might not be optional.)

You would know better than me as to which interpretation is the more reasonable one.

ADDED: Don't let the possibility of "job" being a noun mislead you. For look at the following example, where "brick" is also a noun:

  • "a [new [brick [wall]]]" - - [stacked modification]

Here, the head of the noun phrase is "wall". It has two separate modifiers: "new" and "brick". This can be seen due to the acceptability here of the following phrases: "a new wall", "a brick wall", "a wall". And so, the noun "brick" is merely a modifier in "a new brick wall".

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