One more question related to 'for' goes as follows. Thank you for your explanation.
11. The nice gift for my birthday was a dictionary.
12. A nice gift for my birthday was a dictionary.
(Q1: Do we have to use 'the' or 'a' before 'nice gift' in the sentences? Q2: In #11 and #12, 'for my birthday' is used as an adverbial clause. Is it right? 'for my birthday' modifies 'A nice gift' in each sentence. Am I right?)
Q1. Either one works.
Q2. In 11 and 12, since the prepositional phrase occurs immediately after "gift" (a noun), it's being used as an adjective.
Q1: In the sentences given, both "the" and "a" can be used before "nice gift" depending on the context and specific intention of the speaker.
"The" is used to refer to a specific gift that has already been mentioned or is known to both the speaker and the listener. For example, if the speaker had mentioned the gift earlier in the conversation or if there is only one gift being discussed or considered.
"A" is used to refer to any nice gift in a general sense or to introduce a new gift into the conversation. It does not refer to any specific gift that has been mentioned before.
Therefore, which article to use before "nice gift" depends on the specific context and the information the speaker wants to convey.
Q2: In both sentences 11 and 12, "for my birthday" functions as a prepositional phrase and not as an adverbial clause.
An adverbial clause would require a subject and a verb, and it would function as an adverb modifying the verb in the main clause. In this case, "for my birthday" does not have its own subject and verb; instead, it acts as a prepositional phrase modifying the noun phrase "A nice gift."
Prepositional phrases provide additional information about location, time, purpose, or manner. In these sentences, "for my birthday" indicates the purpose or occasion for which the gift was given. It tells us why the gift was received.
To identify the function of a phrase, it is helpful to ask yourself what specific role it plays in the sentence. In this case, "for my birthday" is providing additional information about the circumstances in which the nice gift was given.