What parts of speech are "about" and "going"?

[Dawoodusmani]

Hi dear teachers!
What parts of speech are the following underlined words? Are these modal verbs that show future like will? Please explain......

1- The train is about to leave.
2- She is going to buy a car.

Thanks a million
Dawood

[Milanya]

about - adverb
to be going to is a verbal phrase expressing future
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con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Dawoodusmani]

[Milanya]

[quote="Dawoodusmani"]
If about is an adverb, what kind of adverb is it? I have no idea, but my dictionary says it is an adverb:
about
Adverb
8. about to on the point of; intending to: she was about to get in the car
9. not about to determined not to: we're not about to help her out
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/about

Also, what is "to leave" then? a verb

Also, does the word 'going' have its identification here i.e. is it an adjective, or noun or what? "To go" is a verb, "to be going to" is a verbal phrase indicating future. "Going" in this sentence is a part of a verbal phrase "she is going to."
_________________
con·text - The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

[Dawoodusmani]

If about is an adverb, what kind of adverb is it? I have no idea, but my dictionary says it is an adverb:
about
Adverb
8. about to on the point of; intending to: she was about to get in the car
9. not about to determined not to: we're not about to help her out
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/about

Also, what is "to leave" then? a verb A verb? Infinitives are not verbs. Are they? They are verb-nouns. They function just as nouns in becoming subjects, objects, complements and so on.Don't they? What is this confusion? The more I study English, the deeper I go into the grammar the more confused I am. I think English doesn't have authentic and perminent rules.

[Milanya]

[Kitosdad]

"The more I study English, the deeper I go into the grammar the more confused I am. I think English doesn't have authentic and perminent rules."

Hurrah, someone finally sees through all of this grammar bull****.
Say it like it is. Keep it simple!

Well said Dawoodusmani, join the gang. We are call "The Confused."

Kitos.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Alan]

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Hi,

I'd like to come in here and try to clear away some of the 'confusion' referred to above. There are two important points I would like to make. English is a very versatile language. What today you thought was a noun becomes a verb tomorrow. This very morning I heard someone using 'trend' as a verb. Up until a few hours ago 'trend' to me had always meant something along the lines of 'fashion' 'tendency' 'pattern' and so on. But now I hear someone saying something like: This attitude trends among the younger generation, which I suppose means that this attitude is fashionable among the younger generation. Fine, Ill get used to the new use and maybe, though I doubt it, I might even use it myself. The point I'm making is that you can get away with murder in the things you can do with English, which would be unthinkable in other European languages. Then there are those words that have split personalities and quite legitimately can have dual personalities (even triple ones, too) like the word 'about' that can be both adverb and preposition and also link up with 'be' and create a verb form as in: The train is about to leave the station. This versatility should be valued and enjoyed. My second point is that you should never start with grammar when you begin learning English. Grammar is there as a guide when you want something interpreted or explained. Take other forms of expression aside from language such as art and music. You can enjoy a painting without knowing anything about the subject matter or the painter. You can also be confused about a painting because you don't really know what's going on.Then you turn to the grammarian equivalent, the critic and see what he has to say. You may love a piece of music or you may be listening to a piece that leaves you totally bewildered and the grammarian figure becomes the conductor.
My message is that you should never be a slave to grammar. Much better to regard it like a railway timetable. In the meantime sit back and enjoy the ride.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Esl_Expert]

[Clunker]

If about is an adverb, what kind of adverb is it?

From Oxford English Dictionary:
Adv,
At the very point when one is going to do something; intending or preparing immediately to do something.

We know about is a temporal adverb.

Also, what is "to leave" then?
"to leave" is a non-finite clause functioning here as an adverbial premodified by temporal adverb "about", in order to express the meaning of purpose.

The train is about to leave is a pattern of Subject (the train)+ Verb (is) +Adverbial(=Adverb (about) + infinitive clause (to leave)). Compare,
I am about to tell you the truth.

Definition of non-finite clause:
A clause which has a non-finite verb phrase. Non-finite clauses are subdivided into
(a) infinitive clauses, (b) -ing clauses and (c) -ed clauses. For example:

(a) This is the best way [to serve dressed crab].
(b) They have an odd way of [serving dressed crab].
(c) The dressed crab [served in this restaurant] is excellent.

Non-finite clauses are normally subordinate clauses. They are
treated as clauses because they have elements such as subject,
verb, object and adverbial. However, as in the examples above,
although its meaning is implied, the subject of a non-finite clause
is usually omitted.

[Dawoodusmani]

Thanks a million. You've been very very helpful. Nobody has yet been able to answer me the way you did. This is really awesome. You are great and have a wonderful command in grammar.
I'm now totally satisfied. May God bless you!

[Kitosdad]

"Much better to regard it like a railway timetable. In the meantime sit back and enjoy the ride."

Does that mean totally unreliable, unpredictable, and without any sense of reality Alan?

Kitos. :) :)
ps. Alan, I think we are both getting far too old for all this trending. Time to call it a day.

pps. Where would "these guys" be without their Oxford dictionaries? :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.