Acting on "V away at n" construction
Form
NP
Agent
Verb
away
at
Patient
NP
Examples
Meaning
An Agent acts in some way on a Patient, either repeatedly or over a long period of time.
Roles
Agent
The person who acts on the Patient.
Patient
What the Agent acts on.
Frames
Description
This construction can be seen as a variant of the "Acting on V at" construction, from which it inherits parts of its form. It is used in similar ways and at the highest level can be seen to have a very similar meaning, except than it implies a repetition or duration that uses of the "Acting on V at" construction do not necessarily have. However, it is more restricted in its distribution than the "Acting on V at" construction.
Inherits from
Sub-constructions
I'm toiling away at an MBA.
Ancient Egyptians used to hack away at their beards with bronze knives.
We can only chip away at attitudes bit by bit.
I munched away at my apple.
The acid began to eat away at the edge of her tunic.