Acting on "V at n" construction
Form
NP
Agent
Verb
at
NP
Patient
Examples
Meaning
An Agent acts in some way on a Patient.
Roles
Agent
The person who acts on the Patient.
Patient
What the Agent acts on.
Frames
Inherits from
Sub-constructions
She tugged at her hand, but he wouldn't let go.
He poked at the spaghetti with a knife.
Ruth nibbled at her coloured pencil.
He slashed at his opponent's head, wearing him down.
The old man beat at the thorns with his stick.
Men hacked at vegetation with ferocious-looking machetes.
Lindsey tapped at the door of the Empress Suite.
She nibbled at the buttered toast.
She snatched at the cord of the light switch.