1. and 2. -- Since "at the coffee shop" occurs right after "people," it's an adjective phrase, modifying "people."
English depends a great deal on word order in sentences. Other languages (such as Latin, French, and many others) depend on specific endings on words to tell which modifies what.
1. He was talking to people at the coffee shop.
[Does 'at the coffee shop' modify 'people' or 'talking'? Is it an adverbial phrase or an adjective phrase?]
2. He was talking to 'the people' at the coffee shop.
[Does 'at the coffee shop' modify 'the people' or 'talking'? Is it an adverbial phrase or an adjective phrase?]
1 answer