Spending efforts "V away at n" construction

Form

NP
Agent
Verb
away
at
NP
Goal

Examples

Agent I
'm
Verb toiling
away away
at at
Goal [an MBA.]

Meaning

An Agent spends efforts towards achieving some Goal.

Roles

Agent
The person or thing that is acting.
Goal
What the Agent's efforts are aimed towards.

Frames

Inherits from

Sub-constructions

Lexical items ( Verb slot)

Work work I'd be prepared to keep working away at a deal, if one were still possible. toil I'm toiling away at an MBA in order to be better at my job as an ad account manager. Lexical items without a frame: beaver He beavered away at border issues with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge into the night.

Phraseological constructions