the kiss grammar book · web viewthe gingerbread boy from everyday classics first reader 49 ex. 1 -...

The KISS Grammar BooksThe KISS Grammar Books

Book 2Book 2

The Boys’ New Yorkby John George Brown

(1886) Private collectionSource:The Athenaeum

© Dr. Ed VavraRevised August 26, 2015

KISS Instructional Materials are available for free at KISSGrammar.org.

http://www.KISSGrammar.org/

http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=533

http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/detail.php?ID=44407

Welcome and Introduction..............................................................................5Unit 1—Review.................................................................................................6

Capital Letters....................................................................................................................6

Ex. 1 - On Capitalization...............................................................................................7

Punctuation........................................................................................................................8

Ex. 2 - Punctuating Sentences: from "Dick Whittington"............................................8

Ex. 3 - Apostrophes to Show Possession.......................................................................9

Ex. 4 - Punctuating Contractions.................................................................................10

Ex. 5 – Replacing Lost Punctuation.............................................................................11

Other Constructions.........................................................................................................12

Ex. 6 - “There” as a Subject.........................................................................................12

Ex. 7 - Modal Helping Verbs.......................................................................................13

Unit 2—Nouns and Pronouns.......................................................................14Identifying Nouns and Pronouns....................................................................................14

Ex. 1 - Identifying Nouns From Bunny Rabbit’s Diary..............................................16

Ex. 2 - Identifying Nouns and Pronouns The StorkThe Stork.....................................................17

Ex. 3 - A Focus on Pronouns From Bunny Rabbit’s Diary (#1).................................18

Common and Proper Nouns............................................................................................19

Ex. 4 - Common and Proper Nouns.............................................................................20

Nouns— Singular and Plural (Number).........................................................................21

Ex. 5 - Singular and Plural Nouns...............................................................................22

Ex. 6 – Number: Irregular Plurals..............................................................................23

Ex. 7 - Replacing Nouns with Pronouns The Blacksmith...........................................24

Possessive Nouns and Pronouns......................................................................................25

Ex. 8 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns From The Haliburton First Reader (#1).....25

Ex. 9 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns From The Haliburton First Reader (#2).....26

Unit 3 – The Five Types of Complements....................................................27Identifying the Types of Complements—a Flowchart....................................................28

Examples of the Process for Identifying the Types of Complements.........................29

Ex. 1 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise Smythe..................................................32

Ex. 2 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise Smythe..................................................33

The Ugly Duckling by E. Louise Smythe.......................................................................34

Ex. 3 - Identifying Predicate Adjectives from “The Ugly Duckling”..........................37

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Ex. 4 - Identifying Predicate Nouns from “The Ugly Duckling”................................38

Ex. 5 - Identifying Indirect and Direct Objects from “The Ugly Duckling”...............39

Ex. 6 - Zero Complements from “The Ugly Duckling”..............................................40

Ex. 7 - A Passage for Analysis from “The Ugly Duckling”........................................41

Ex. 8 – Writing about “The Ugly Duckling”...............................................................41

Unit 4 – Adding Three Simple Constructions.............................................42Nouns Used as Adverbs...................................................................................................42

Ex. 1 - Nouns Used as Adverbs from Laughing-Eyes................................................43

Simple Interjections.........................................................................................................44

Ex. 2 - Interjections From Growth in English.............................................................45

Direct Address.................................................................................................................46

Ex. 3 - Exercise on Direct Address from The Haliburton First Reader.....................47

Ex. 4 - Nouns Used as Adverbs, Interjections, and Direct Address...........................48

Unit 5 – A Focus on Style—“The Gingerbread Boy”.................................49The Gingerbread Boy from Everyday Classics First Reader.........................................49

Ex. 1 - Sentence Combining with Adjectives..............................................................54

Ex. 2 - Sentence Combining with Verbs......................................................................55

Ex. 4 - Sentence Building with Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositional Phrases.....57

Ex. 5 - Sentence Models..............................................................................................58

Ex. 6 - Writing Your Own Version of ”The Gingerbread Boy”.................................59

Unit 6 – More about S/V/C Patterns............................................................60Verbs as Subjects and Complements...............................................................................60

Ex. 1 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet............................................................61

Ex. 2 - From At the Back of the North Wind................................................................62

Varied Positioned in the S/V/C Pattern...........................................................................63

Ex. 3 - From Old-time Stories......................................................................................63

Palimpsest Patterns..........................................................................................................64

Ex. 4 - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales...........................................................65

Ex. 5 - From At the Back of the North Wind................................................................66

Phrasal Verbs—Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?..........................................67

Ex. 6 - From the Tales of by Beatrix Potter.................................................................69

Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan.............................................70

Unit 7 – More about Prepositional Phrases.................................................71Compound Objects of Prepositions.................................................................................71

3


The “To” Problem...........................................................................................................72

Ex. 2 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan.............................................73

Is It a Preposition? (PP or SC?).......................................................................................74

Ex. 3 – Ten Sentences..................................................................................................75

Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects........................................................................76



Embedded Prepositional Phrases.....................................................................................78

Ex. 6 - Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.........................................................79

Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of Benjamin Bunny............................................................80

Unit 8 – Phrases: Modification and Chunking............................................81What is a “Phrase”?.........................................................................................................81

Two Ways of Looking at Sentences—Modification and Chunking................................81

The Chunking and Functions of Prepositional Phrases...................................................84

Ex 1. – “One Stormy Winter Day,” Part 1...................................................................85

Ex 2. - “One Stormy Winter Day,” Part 2....................................................................86

Ex 3. - Writing about One Stormy Winter Day...........................................................86

Ex. 4 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 1................................................................87

Ex. 5 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 2................................................................88

Ex. 6 – Write about “A Squirrel’s Morning Run”.......................................................88

Ex. 7 – “The Happy Butterfly” ...................................................................................89

Ex. 8 – Writing with “The Happy Butterfly” as a Model............................................90

Ex. 9 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”.............................................................91

Ex. 10 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”...........................................................92

Ex. 11 – Punctuation—“Sammy’s Flying Machine”...................................................93

Unit 9 -- Compound Main Clauses...............................................................94Main Clauses...................................................................................................................94

Ex. 1 - From The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan....................................................96

Ex. 2 - From The Tale of Benjamin Bunny..................................................................97

Ex. 3 - From The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin....................................................................98

Ex. 4 - From The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher...............................................................99

Ex. 5 - From The Tailor of Gloucester......................................................................100

Other Ways of Combining Main Clauses......................................................................101

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Ex. 6 - From The Tale of Peter Rabbit.......................................................................102

Ex. 7 - Punctuation from “Billy Mink’s Swimming Party”......................................103

Welcome and IntroductionWelcome and Introduction

Welcome to the second of the KISS Grammar Books. You might be interested

to know that if you successfully completed the first book, you have mastered the two

parts of KISS that give many college students the biggest problems—you can identify

most subject/verb patterns, and you can identify most prepositional phrases. You can

also identify the functions of adjectives and adverbs. As you continue to work in

KISS, keep in mind how many of the words in sentences that you can already explain.

In this book you will build on what you have already learned. For example, in

the first book, you learned to identify complements. In Unit Three of this book, you

will learn how to distinguish the five important types of complements. Unit Four

introduces three concepts that appear frequently in what you read and write. They are

Nouns Used as Adverbs, Interjections, and Direct Address. These will increase the

number of words that you can intelligently discuss in what you read and write. Unit

Five focuses on the style of sentences in your writing.

Units Six and Seven will expand your understanding of S/V/C patterns and

prepositional phrases. Unit Eight, on phrases, begins your study of how all the words

in any sentence work together to make meaning. In the final unit, Nine, you will learn

the important difference between “sentence” and “clause.”

Remember that you are expected to make some mistakes as you work with

new materials, but there are some mistakes that you should never make. For example,

you should always underline “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” and “were” twice because they

always function as verbs, and you should always place parentheses around simple

prepositional phrases.

5

Unit 1—ReviewUnit 1—Review

Capital LettersCapital Letters

The Painter to the Moon

1917 by

Marc Chagall (1887-1985)

1. A capital letter is used for the first word in a sentence. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

2. Every proper noun begins with a capital letter. A proper noun is a noun that names a particular person, place, or thing. The following are proper nouns: The name of a person—Patrick Coleman, Anne White

The name of a city or a town—Buffalo, Centralia

The name of a state or a country—Texas, China

The name of a street or an avenue—Market Street, Chester Avenue

The name of a holiday—Christmas, Thanksgiving

The name of a school—Upton School, John Monroe Middle School

The name of a religious denomination—Catholic, Quaker, Protestant

The name of a political party—Democratic, Republican

The name of a day of the week—Sunday, Friday

The name of a month of the year—January, October

3. An abbreviation begins with a capital letter when a capital would be used if the word were written in full. Dr. John Warren Dawes moved to Ohio.

The last item on Mother’s shopping list is “1 qt. strawberries.”

4. An initial is always written with a capital letter.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

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Ex. 1 - On Capitalization

Young Girl Reading

byMary

Cassattc.1908

Directions:1. Fix the missing capital letters. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once. 3. Write “C” over complements.

1. they flew to sandorf, alaska.

2. my brother goes to taylor elementary school.

3. elaine would like to go to tokyo, japan in june.

4. a big pine tree is in mr. william's yard.

5. in december, many people have a pine tree in their house for christmas.

6. billy lives on maple street in greenville.

7. janet johnson visited the national museum in washington, d.c.

8. mary cassatt painted a picture named a girl in a big hat.

7

Ex. 2 - Punctuating Sentences:

from "Dick Whittington"

in THE BEACON SECOND READER

Lesson: A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.

Directions: In the following ten items, one is not a sentence. Write “NS” after it (for “not a sentence”). For those that are sentences, 1.) fix the capitalization and punctuation,2.) place parentheses around each prepositional phrase,3.) underline the verbs twice and their subjects once, 4.) label complements “C.”

1. dick whittington was a poor little boy

2. where are you going

3. i could pick up gold from the streets

4. he had heard many times about the great city of London

5. will you sell me that cat

6. mr fitzwarren again and again for his kindness

7. london was a long way from his home

8. how lonely poor dick was without puss

9. that night dick slept in a barn with the horses

10. what is dick going to send in the ship

8

Ex. 3 - Apostrophes to Show Possession

Based on Bunny Rabbit's Diary by Mary Frances Blaisdell

Directions: Fix the apostrophe problem in each sentence. Then1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase,2. underline the verbs twice, their subjects once,3. and label complements “C”.

1. Then he pulled Bobtails long ears.

2. Teddy jumped out of Jacks arms.

3. Someone is in my masters garden.

4. Poor Bunnys heart began to beat very fast.

5. They came to Mr. Mans barn.

6. Then they told Mrs. Ducks secret to all their friends.

7. One little duck wriggled out from under her mothers wing.

8. At last they reached Whities house.

9. The rabbits could hear Bobbys feet.

10. Bunny put the acorn in front of Sammys door.

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Ex. 4 - Punctuating Contractions

Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers

by Beatrix Potter

An apostrophe is used to indicate that letters have been left out. This

usually happens when two words are combined into one. The resulting word

is called a “contraction.” For example, “it’s” is a contraction of “it is.”

Directions: 1. In the line after each sentence, write the full forms of the contractions. 2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (C).

1. I’m in sad trouble, Cousin Ribby. ____________________

2. I’ve lost my dear son Thomas. ____________________

3. He’s stolen a pat of butter and the rolling-pin. ____________________

4. I’m not afraid of rats. ____________________

5. Here’s one of your kittens at least. ____________________

6. There’s been an old woman rat in the kitchen. ____________________

7. She’s stolen some of the dough! ____________________

8. He’s a bad kitten, Cousin Tabitha. ____________________

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Ex. 5 – Replacing Lost Punctuation

Based on The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter

Directions: In addition to their clothes, the kittens lost the punctuation and capitalization in the following text. Please fix it (right on this page).Then:

1. Put parentheses around prepositional phrases. 2. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements “C.”

once upon a time there were three little kittens their names were

mittens tom kitten and moppet

they had dear little fur coats of their own and they tumbled about the

doorstep and played in the dust

but one day their mother expected friends to tea she fetched the kittens

indoors

first she scrubbed their faces

then she brushed their fur

then she combed their tails and whiskers

tom was very naughty and he scratched

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Other ConstructionsOther Constructions

Ex. 6 - “There” as a Subject

Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskersby Beatrix Potter

1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements “C.”

1. There was scarcely any light.

2. There was less smoke.

3. There is no end to them!

4. There used to be queer noises inside the walls.

5. There might be a little secret staircase.

6. There are rats, and rats, and rats in his barn!

7. But there was a strong smell of rats.

8. So there was plenty of room for a little Tom Cat.

9. Sure enough there were marks of little scratching fingers.

10. After that, there were no more rats

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Ex. 7 - Modal Helping Verbs

Based on The Tales of Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label

complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).

1. But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr.

McGregor!

2. Shall I come in and cut off your threads?

3. The storeroom ought to have been empty.

4. But there would be no Christmas dinner for Simpkin and the poor old

Tailor of Gloucester.

5. He will throw sticks at you, and stamp his feet and scold, and shout.

6. I might fall in the fire and singe my beautiful tail and my little blue jacket.

7. We must lay up a store of nuts for winter and spring.

8. I should never have dared to go fishing again!

9. Now what can that be?

10. May I pass you the marmalade?

11. I need never leave my nest.

12. They could be stitched by an old man in spectacles, with crooked old

fingers, and a tailor’s thimble.

13

Unit 2—Nouns and PronounsUnit 2—Nouns and Pronouns

Vincent van Gogh's (1853-1890)

Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear

1889

Identifying NounsIdentifying Nouns

and Pronouns and Pronouns

You may or may not know it, but the words that you have been identifying

as subjects and objects of prepositions are either nouns or pronouns. Many of the

complements are also nouns or pronouns, but some of them are adjectives. We’ll

look at adjectives later. Now we need to focus a bit on nouns and pronouns.

NounsWords that name people, places, or things are nouns:

dad, sister, friend, Mr. Jones,

park, school, New York,

tree, apple, car, air, idea, health

Note that many nouns name things that you can see, but others name things

such as “air,” “idea,” or “health” that cannot be seen.

PronounsPronouns are words that act like nouns but do not name specific people,

places, or things. They take the place of nouns:

Karla and George went to the store.

They went to the store.

Pronouns can stand in for a noun anywhere in a sentence.

14

The following words can be pronouns. You need not remember the top

row (“Subjects,” etc.). It is there to suggest how the different pronouns function

in sentences. You’ll learn more about functions later. Right now, it will help you

just to recognize these words as pronouns.

Subjects Objects Possessive Intensive

I we you he she it

they who

me us

(you) him her (it)

them whom

mine ours yours

his hers its

theirswhose

myself ourselves

yourself (yourselves) himself herself itself

themselves

Other words that can be pronouns are:

which, what, this, that

some, someone, something, somebody

any, anyone, anything, anybody

Some of these words, like “his,” her,” “this,” “that,” “some,” or “any” can be

pronouns, but sometimes they function as adjectives: In “His is in the car.”

“His” functions as a pronoun, the subject of the sentence.

But in “Where is his book?” “his” functions as an adjective.

Similarly, some words can be nouns or verbs. The real test is how a word

functions in a sentence. “Fish,” for example, can be a noun or a verb:

Noun: The fish were swimming in the pond. They were watching the fish (DO).

Verb: Billy and Jane fish in the pond.

15

Ex. 1 - Identifying Nouns

From Bunny Rabbit’s Diary

by Mary Frances Blaisdell Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1915

Directions: 1. Write “N” over every noun and “P” over every pronoun.2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.3. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“C”).

1. So Bunny sat down on the stump and opened his book.

2. One morning in winter Bunny opened his eyes.

3. The big round sun peeped up from behind the hills.

4. The ground was covered with snow.

5. Something hit Bunny on the head.

6. Billy can make a long slide over in the meadow.

7. The rabbits stood at the top of the hill and looked down at the pond.

8. Jack Frost covered the pond with ice last night.

9. But the garden was far away, across the field and over the other side of

the road.

10. All the red squirrels scampered off to get the best seats among the

branches of the oak tree.

16

Ex. 2 - Identifying Nouns and Pronouns

The StorkThe StorkAdapted from: Chit-chat stories for little folks.

New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons; London: S. W. Partridge & Co.

Directions: 1. Write “N” above each noun and “P” above each pronoun. 2. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline the verbs twice, subjects once, and label (“C”) any complements.

The stork is a large bird, and has a long bill, and very long

legs. He needs these as he lives in marshes, and feeds on frogs and

fishes. He makes a rough nest of sticks and twigs. The stork is held

in high honor in most countries, because he is so useful. He helps

keep the streets clean.

17

Ex. 3 - A Focus on Pronouns

From Bunny Rabbit’s Diary (#1)

by Mary Frances BlaisdellIllustrated by George F. Kerr

Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1915Directions:

1. Write “N” above each noun and “P” above each pronoun. 2. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline the verbs twice, subjects once, and label (“C”) any complements.

1. That is too large for our Christmas tree.

2. Why don’t you try it, Bunny?

3. They were waiting for him near the old stone wall.

4. But they did not tell the secret to any of their friends.

5. You did not make it the right way.

6. Then he went to the door and peeped out of it.

7. She made it herself out of maple leaves.

8. That is a diary. You must write the stories in it yourself.

9. There Bunny found the acorn, and he tied the string around it.

10. Bunny sat still on the bank, but he did not say anything.

18

Common and Proper NounsCommon and Proper Nouns

A common noun is a noun that is used as the name of

a class of things.

cat, forest, hill, fishhook

Common nouns tend to be abstract. There are lots of

different kinds of cats, forests, hills, fishhooks, etc.

A proper noun is a name that belongs only to some

particular person, place, or thing.

Henry, Boston, Monday, April, Christmas

Proper nouns tend to name one specific person, place, or

thing. Begin every proper noun with a capital letter.

19

Lady Sewing 1879 by

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

(1841-1919)

Ex. 4 - Common and Proper Nouns

Ex. # 3, Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year

by Rev. Paul E. Campbell and Sister Mary Donatus MacNickle

Directions: In the following sentences, write “C” over each common noun and “P” above each proper noun.

1. Weeds grow rapidly in rainy weather.

2. The United States built the Panama Canal.

3. Gertrude plays the piano.

4. In March, the rain caused a flood in Mississippi.

5. Andrew washed Rex.

6. Mr. and Mrs. Smith went to France.

7. Mexico produces silver.

8. Cinderella wore glass slippers to the Prince’s ball.

9. Sam and Sarah live in Albany, New York.

10. The French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted Lady Sewing.

20

Nouns— Nouns—

Singular and Plural (Number)Singular and Plural (Number)

Number is that form or use of a word by

which it denotes one or more than one. The

singular number of a noun is the form or use of it that denotes one. The

plural number of a noun is the form or use of it that denotes more than one.

Five rules for forming plurals.

Rule 1. Most nouns add s to the singular to form the plural.

books, rats, lions, cars

Rule 2. When the singular ends in a hissing letter or letters, such as s,

z, sh, ch (sounded as in the word church), and x, the plural is formed by

adding es to the singular.

hisses, kisses, sashes, latches

Rule 3. When the singular ends in y preceded by a vowel, the plural is

formed by adding s to the singular.

bays, keys, volleys, toys, guys

Rule 4. When the singular ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is

changed into i and es is added to form the plural.

Spy—spies, sky—skies, belfry—belfries

Rule 5. Most nouns ending in f or fe form their plurals by adding s to

the singular; some by dropping the f or fe and adding ves.

fifes, skiffs, cliffs, strifes, half—halves, shelf—shelves

21

Ex. 5 - Singular and Plural Nouns

A. Write the plural form (meaning more than one) of each of the following nouns. Then use that form in a simple sentence. Underline the verb in the sentence twice, its subject once, and label (C) any complements.

1. rabbit

2. tree

3. acorn

4. noise

5. game

B. Write the singular form (meaning just one) of each of the following nouns. Then use that form in a simple sentence. Underline the verb in the sentence twice, its subject once, and label (C) any complements.

1. secrets

2. leaves

3. branches

4. stories

5. dresses

22

Ex. 6 – Number:

Irregular Plurals

The Railway (1872-73)

by Edouard Manet

(1832-1883)

Many nouns form their plurals irregularly. There is no better way to learn

these forms than to study them one by one. A few are given below. Study them so

that you will be able to give the plural when you hear the singular, or the reverse.

Singular Plural Singular Plural

ox

mouse

goose

man

woman

child

tooth

oxen

mice

geese

men

women

children

teeth

foot

penny

cow

brother

die

cherub

seraph

feet

pennies or pence

cows or kine

bothers or brethren

dies or dice

cherubs or cherubim

seraphs or seraphim

Select five of the words in the list above and write two sentences for each. In one sentence, use the noun in the singular. In the second sentence, use it in the plural.

23

Ex. 7 - Replacing Nouns with Pronouns

The Blacksmith

Adapted from: Chit-chat stories for little folks. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons; London: S. W. Partridge &

Co.Directions:

1. Cross out nouns that are not needed and above them write the pronoun that can replace them.

Optional: 2. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline the verbs twice, subjects once, and label (“C”) any complements. (Skip the words in small letters. Note that some sentences have more than one S/V/C pattern.)

John Roper is a blacksmith. John Roper works hard

and gets up very early. John Roper shoes horses, mends

carts, and strikes the hot iron on John Roper’s anvil till

John Roper sends a shower of sparks flying about. The

children often stand at the door of John Roper’s smithy

after dark and look at the sparks. Just now John Roper is

resting John Roper, and is reading the newspaper.

24

Possessive Nouns and PronounsPossessive Nouns and Pronouns

Possessive nouns and pronouns function as adjectives:

That is Anthony’s house. It is his house. This is the dog’s house. It is its house.

Ex. 8 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

From The Haliburton First Reader (#1)

Boston: D.. C. Heath and Co., 1912

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once, and write “C” above any

complements. 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective and adverb to the word it modifies.

1. The hen’s name is Cluck-cluck.

2. Can you help build my house?

3. Her name is Betty.

4. The bird’s nest is on the big bough.

5. They will find their baby birds.

6. Here is the children’s home.

7. Then he took his pick from the bag.

8. The kitty’s name is Mink.

9. There he saw his friend the sparrow with his bow and arrow.

10. We will put some flowers on your pet’s neck.

25

Ex. 9 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns

From The Haliburton First Reader (#2)

Boston: D.. C. Heath and Co., 1912

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once, and write “C” above any

complements. 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective and adverb to the word it modifies.

1. We will read in our story book.

2. She saw a bird’s nest in the oak tree.

3. She jumped out of her teeny-tiny bed.

4. Max found a lark’s nest on the ground.

5. I can cut down the trees with my sharp teeth.

6. Do you see Betty’s doll and the kitty?

7. The three little kittens lost their mittens.

8. They set out to go to the king’s castle.

9. Betty’s bonnet isn’t like Daffydowndilly’s.

10. He shook his feathers and his wings and sat in the king’s window.

26

Unit 3 – The Five Types of ComplementsUnit 3 – The Five Types of Complements“Complement “is simply one word we can use instead of repeating the five types of

complements: Zero Complement; Predicate Adjective; Predicate Noun; Direct and/or Indirect Object.

Use the following sequence to identify the types of complements.

Step # 1: Subject / Verb

If nothing answers the question “Verb + whom or what?”, the pattern is S/V.

[STOP: You have your answer.]

Step # 2: Subject / Verb / Predicate Adjective

If the word that answers the question “what?” after the verb describes the subject, it is an adjective. The pattern is S/V/PA.[STOP: You have your answer.]

Step # 3: Subject / Verb / Predicate Noun

If the word that answers the question is a noun (or pronoun) that renames the subject and the verb implies an equality or identity between subject and complement, the pattern is S/V/PN. For example:

Ed remained a child. (“Remained” here means “was” and “continues to be.”) Bill became a teacher. (He “was” not, but now he “is.”)

A sentence such as “Sleeping children resemble angels.” means that when they are sleeping, children equal angels. “Angels” is therefore a predicate noun.

[STOP: You have your answer.]Note that the equality between subject and complement eliminates “herself” from consideration as a predicate noun in a sentence such as “She washes herself.” “Washes” does not mean “equals.”

Steps 4 and 5: Subject / Verb / (Indirect Object) Direct Object [If it’s not 1, 2, or 3, it has to be #4 or 5.]

If a word or construction answers the question “whom or what?” after a verb and is not a predicate noun or predicate adjective, it has to be an indirect or direct object. An indirect object indicates the person

“for” or “to” whom something is done. Examples of Direct Objects:

Sally bought ice cream (S/V/DO) The cat washed itself (S/V/DO) Examples with Indirect Objects:They sent him (IO) a letter (DO).

The sun gave the church’s windows (IO) a warm glow (DO).

27

Identifying the Types of Complements—a FlowchartIdentifying the Types of Complements—a Flowchart

Contributed by Elaine Augustine, a Homeschooling mother in Lehi, Utah

28

Examples of the Process for

Identifying the Types of Complements

These examples are based on modified sentences from “Little Red Riding Hood,” in Children’s Hour with Red Riding Hood and Other Stories, edited by Watty Piper.

The directions will always be: Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

Note that the directions tell you to look for “PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO.” What you want to do is to use this sequence. It will soon become automatic and easy to use.

Example # 1: Her grandmother often gave her a great many pretty things.

Step # 1. Find and underline the subject and verb:

Her grandmother often gave her a great many pretty things.

Step # 2. Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb,

and “whom” or “what.”

Grandmother gave whom or what?

In this sentence, two words answer this question—“her” and “things.” Thus there

are two complements. Since there are two of them, take them one at a time.

Step # 3. What type of complement is “her”?

a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Her” does not describe “grandmother,” so it

cannot be a predicate adjective.

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Her” is not the same thing as “grandmother,” and

“gave” does not mean “equals.” Thus “her” cannot be a predicate noun.

c.) Is it an indirect object? The sentence means that grandmother gave something

“to her.” Thus “her” is an indirect object of “gave.”

What type of complement is “things”?

29

a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Things” is not an adjective, so it does not

describe the subject “grandmother.” Therefore it can not be a predicate

adjective

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Things” is not the same thing as the subject

“grandmother,” and “gave” does not mean “equals,” so “things can not be a

predicate noun.

c.) Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean that the grandmother

gave something to or for the things. Therefore, “things” can not be an

indirect object.

d.) The only option left is “direct object, so “things” has to be a direct object of

“gave.”

Nothing else in the sentence answers the “whom” or “what” question, so we

have finished finding the complements and their types:

Her grandmother often gave her (IO) a great many pretty things (DO).

Example # 2: It was a bright and sunny morning.


It was a bright and sunny morning.

Step # 2: Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb,

and “whom” or “what.” It was whom or what? The answer to this question is

“morning,” so “morning” is the complement of “It was.”

Step # 3. Find the type of the complement.

a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Morning” does not describe “It.” Therefore

“morning” is not a predicate adjective.

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Morning” tells us what “It” means or is “equal to.”

Thus “morning” is a predicate noun.

We have found all the subjects, verbs, and complements in this sentence, so

we are finished with it: It was a bright and sunny morning (PN).

30

Example # 3: Little Red Riding Hood lived with her father and mother in a pretty

little cottage at the edge of the village.


Little Red Riding Hood lived with her father and mother in a pretty

little cottage at the edge of the village.

Step # 2: Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb,

and “whom” or “what.”

Little Red Riding Hood lived whom or what?

Nothing in this sentence answers that question. Many linguists—people

who study language—would say that we have a “zero” complement. In KISS, we

do not need to worry about that. We have here a simple subject/verb pattern.

31

Mixed Complements

Ex. 1 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise Smythe

(Old-time Stories, Fairy Tales and Myths Retold by Children)

Directions: 1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO” or “DO”).

1. Jason was a brave young man.

2. Loki was always playing tricks.

3. A fairy came by and gave the tree gold leaves.

4. The only light came from the dwarfs’ fires.

5. Loki was ugly and mean.

6. All the other trees in the woods have pretty leaves.

7. Can you make me a gold crown?

8. This is not a very pretty hammer.

9. The next night the Frost Giant flew into the house.

10. No other tree was so bright.

32

Mixed Complements

Ex. 2 - From Old-time Stories, by E. Louise

Smythe

(Old-time Stories, Fairy Tales and Myths Retold by

Children)



1. She must be very hungry.

2. Her grandma made her a red coat with a hood.

3. They would have to fight wild men and animals.

4. He lived a little way from the king’s city.

5. It was a very dark night.

6. The bride ate a whole ox and eight salmon.

7. Then the little pine tree was happy.

8. Will you give me the golden fleece?

9. Then the two men with wings flew up in the air.

10. The eagle was a giant and not a bird.

33

The Ugly DucklingThe Ugly Duckling

by E. Louise Smytheby E. Louise Smythe

A duck made her nest under some leaves.

She sat on the eggs to keep them warm.

At last the eggs broke, one after the other. Little ducks came out.

Only one egg was left. It was a very large one.

At last it broke, and out came a big, ugly duckling.

“What a big duckling!” said the old duck. “He does not look like us. Can he

be a turkey?—We will see. If he does not like the water, he is not a duck.”

The next day the mother duck took her ducklings to the pond.

Splash! Splash! The mother duck was

in the water. Then she called the ducklings to

come in. They all jumped in and began to

swim. The big, ugly duckling swam, too.

The mother duck said, “He is not a turkey. He is my own little duck. He

will not be so ugly when he is bigger.”

Then she said to the ducklings, “Come with me. I want you to see the other

ducks. Stay by me and look out for the cat.”

They all went into the duck yard. What a noise the ducks made!

While the mother duck was eating a big bug, an old duck bit the ugly

duckling.

“Let him alone,” said the mother duck. “He

did not hurt you.”

“I know that,” said the duck, “but he is so

ugly, I bit him.”

The next duck they met, said, “You have lovely ducklings. They are all

pretty but one. He is very ugly.”

34

The mother duck said, “I know he is not pretty. But

he is very good.”

Then she said to the ducklings, “Now, my dears,

have a good time.”

But the poor, big, ugly duckling did not have a good time.

The hens all bit him. The big ducks walked on him.

The poor duckling was very sad. He did not want to be so ugly. But he

could not help it.

He ran to hide under some bushes. The little birds in the bushes were afraid

and flew away.

“It is all because I am so ugly,” said the duckling. So he ran away.

At night he came to an old house. The house looked as if it would fall

down. It was so old. But the wind blew so hard that the duckling went into the

house.

An old woman lived there with her cat and her

hen.

The old woman said, “I will keep the duck. I

will have some eggs.”

The next day, the cat saw the duckling and began to growl.

The hen said, “Can you lay eggs?” The duckling said, “No.”

“Then keep still,” said the hen. The cat said, “Can you growl?”

“No,” said the duckling.

“Then keep still,” said the cat.

And the duckling hid in a corner. The next day he went for a walk. He saw

a big pond. He said, “I will have a good swim.”

But all of the animals made fun of him. He was so ugly.

The summer went by.

35

Then the leaves fell and it was

very cold. The poor duckling had a

hard time.

It is too sad to tell what he did

all winter.

At last it was spring.

The birds sang. The ugly duckling was big now.

One day he flew far away.

Soon he saw three white swans on the lake.

He said, “I am going to see those birds. I am afraid they will kill me, for I

am so ugly.”

He put his head down to the water. What did he see? He saw himself in the

water. But he was not an ugly duck. He was a white swan.

The other swans came to see him.

The children said, “Oh, see the lovely swans. The

one that came last is the best.”

And they gave him bread and cake.

It was a happy time for the ugly duckling.

36

Ex. 3 - Identifying Predicate Adjectives

from “The Ugly Duckling”

by E. Louise SmytheDirections: 1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO” or “DO”). Note: Some of these sentences have more than one S/V pattern.

1.) They are all pretty but one.

2.) He is very ugly.

3.) But he is very good.

4.) It was so old.

5.) The poor duckling was very sad.

6.) Then the leaves fell and it was very cold.

7.) The ugly duckling was big now.

8.) The little birds in the bushes were afraid and flew away.

9.) He will not be so ugly when he is bigger.

37

Ex. 4 - Identifying Predicate Nouns


by E. Louise Smythe



1.) He is not a turkey.

2.) He is my own little duck.

3.) At last it was spring.

4.) But he was not an ugly duck.

5.) He was a white swan.

6.) It was a happy time for the ugly duckling.

38

Ex. 5 - Identifying Indirect and Direct Objects


by E. Louise Smythe

Directions:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”


1.) He did not hurt you.

2.) You have lovely ducklings.

3.) What did he see?

4.) He saw a big pond.

5.) He saw himself in the water.

6.) And they gave him bread and cake.

7.) I will keep the duck. I will have some eggs.

8.) The next day, the cat saw the duckling and began to growl.

9.) But the poor, big, ugly duckling did not have a good time.

10.) Soon he saw three white swans on the lake.

39

Ex. 6 - Zero Complements


by E. Louise Smythe



1.) The mother duck was in the water.

2.) They all jumped in and began to swim.

3.) The big, ugly duckling swam, too.

4.) They all went into the duck yard.

5.) Now, my dears, have a good time.

6.) The big ducks walked on him.

7.) At night he came to an old house.

8.) An old woman lived there with her cat and her hen.

9.) And the duckling hid in a corner.

10.) The next day he went for a walk.

40

Ex. 7 - A Passage for Analysis


by E. Louise Smythe

This is a short selection from Smythe’s story. It includes some sentences that have more than one subject/verb/complement pattern, and it includes some other things that you are not expected to be able to explain. Do your best and see how much you CAN already explain--from a real text!



A duck made her nest under some leaves.

She sat on the eggs to keep them warm.

At last the eggs broke, one after the other. Little ducks came out.

Only one egg was left. It was a very large one.

At last it broke, and out came a big, ugly duckling.

“What a big duckling!” said the old duck. “He does not look like us.

Can he be a turkey? -- We will see. If he does not like the water, he is not a

duck.”

The next day the mother duck took her ducklings to the pond.

Ex. 8 – Writing about “The Ugly Duckling”

Your teacher will give you the assignment.

41

Unit 4 – Adding Three Simple ConstructionsUnit 4 – Adding Three Simple Constructions

Nouns Used as AdverbsNouns Used as Adverbs

Nouns often function as adverbs to answer questions such as:

”When?” “How long?” “How far?” “How much?” “Where?”

Peter is six months old.

Tuesday, the cat was in the garden.

Peter stopped five feet from her.

The cat looked two feet tall.

It happened a week ago.

Peter ran home.

He was ill five weeks.

The watering can cost five dollars.

The fish are worth twenty dollars.

42

Ex. 1 - Nouns Used as Adverbs

from Laughing-Eyes

Anonymous

Directions: 1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label

complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Label every noun used as an adverb (“NuA”).

1. Every day Bertie hurried home from school.

2. That spring, she took her dolly with her every time.

3. I’m just five years old!

4. I saw a monkey the other day.

5. But one summer the water was shut off for a while.

6. She had a beautiful home a few miles from the city.

7. One day brother John came home from market and brought a baby lamb

for Maude.

8. She was only seven years old.

9. One day he came home and ran down to the mill as usual.

10. Down in the valley, two thousand feet below, a hen may be scratching

for worms for her dinner.

43

Simple InterjectionsSimple Interjections

“Interjection” comes from the Latin words for “throw” (“ject”) and “among” (“inter”). An interjection is thus a word or construction that is “thrown among” the words in a sentence. Unlike all the other words, interjections DO NOT chunk to the rest of the sentence. Instead, they usually indicate an attitude about the entire sentence.

In speech, short interjections are common:

Golly, Peter looks sick!

Uhm, do you think supper is ready?

Ah, it’s a beautiful day!

Ouch! That hurt.

Whew, that was close.

Well, I thought I was right.

Alas, all is lost.

Gee, I forgot!

Interjections such as those above are not considered proper in formal

writing, but the following, which consist of prepositional phrases, are

common to both writing and speech:

In fact, Peter was lucky.

He was, in my opinion, brave.

Of course Freddie won.

“In fact” here simply emphasizes the writer’s belief that the sentence is

factual, whereas “in my opinion” suggests that the sentence may not be. “Of

course” suggests that the statement is obviously true. (But sometimes it may

not be.)

44

Ex. 2 - Interjections

From Growth in English

Directions: 1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements

(“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Write “Inj” over every interjection.

1. Ah, I forgot my notebook.

2. Hmm, do you really want that?

3. Alas, Sue’s kitty is sick.

4. Whew, that was a lot of work!

5. Gee, that was a silly picture.

6. Shute! I left my coat at school.

7. Ouch! That wasn't funny!

8. Um, I don't know the answer.

9. Oh well, maybe we will win tomorrow's game.

10. Boo hoo! I didn't get any candy!

45

Direct AddressDirect Address

Nouns sometimes function to get the attention of someone to whom a

person wants to speak. This function is called “Direct Address” because the

speaker is directly addressing the person. Note that the name of the person is

usually set off by a comma or commas.

Peter, where are you going?

Mother, can I have the basket?

Dear Flopsy, you can have the basket.

Mommy, can I stay home?

No, Mopsy, you have to go.

Can you tell me, children, that you will be good?

46

Ex. 3 - Exercise on Direct Address

from The Haliburton First Reader

Boston: D.. C. Heath and Co., 1912Directions: 1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label

complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Label each example of direct address (“DirA”).

1. Alice, let us play Queen in the Garden.

2. I will get up on the wall, Grace.

3. But the baby birds are gone, Frank.

4. Mother bird, sing a little song to me.

5. Do you like wheat and corn, Cousin?

6. It is such a pretty nest, Alice.

7. Look at the rosebuds, Betty.

8. Lambikin! Lambikin! I’ll eat you!

9. Frank, did you and Max see the nest in the rose vine?

10. Little girl, little girl, Where have you been?

47

Ex. 4 - Nouns Used as Adverbs, Interjections, and Direct Address

from The Haliburton First Reader Boston: D.. C. Heath and Co., 1912


complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb

(“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).

1. The children have been happy all winter.

2. Well, come along with me.

3. Well, go on to your granny's house, but come back this way.

4. See the flowers, Grace.

5. I eat wheat and corn year after year.

6. Oh, such good things they saw!

7. Look at the clock, children.

8. Alice, you must wake Boy Blue.

9. Pray, where are you going, Wee Robin?

10. One day the children found a mouse in the meadow.

48

Unit 5 – A Focus on Style—“The Gingerbread Boy”Unit 5 – A Focus on Style—“The Gingerbread Boy”

The Gingerbread BoyThe Gingerbread Boy

fromfrom Everyday Classics First ReaderEveryday Classics First Reader

Baker and Thorndike, eds.Illustrated by Maud and Miska Perersham

New York: Macmillan, 1922, 53-62.

One day an old woman was making gingerbread cookies.

Her little boy was looking on.

She made a Gingerbread Boy for him.

She put sugar on the head for hair.

She put in two raisins for eyes.

Then she went out to call

the old man to his dinner.

She said to her little boy,

“Stay here and watch the oven.

See that the cookies do not burn.

And watch the Gingerbread Boy.

We do not know what he may do.”

Well, the boy watched the oven

for a time;

but, by and by, he went out

to get a drink of water.

49

As soon as he was out of the door,

the Gingerbread Boy

hopped out of the pan,

jumped out of the oven,

and was down on the floor.

The boy heard him and ran back

as fast as he could.

He tried to shut the door.

But he was not in time.

In a minute the Gingerbread Boy

was through the door

and out in the yard.

He ran through the yard.

He ran out into the road,

and he kept running

as fast as he could go.

The boy ran after him.

He called to his mother.

The old woman saw what had happened,

and she ran too.

The old man saw them, and he

ran as fast as he could.

But they could not run fast enough.

They could not catch the Gingerbread Boy.

So they walked back home.

The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on.

50

He felt happy, and he liked to run.

He was pleased with himself.

By and by he came to two farmers.

“Wait a minute,” they cried.

“You look good enough to eat.

Come here, and we will eat you.”

But the Gingerbread Boy did not stop.

He ran on and called out:

”I’ve outrun a woman,

A boy, and a man.

I can outrun you, too.

I’m sure that I can.”

Down the road he ran.

The farmers ran behind him

as fast as they could.

But they could not catch him.


The Gingerbread Boy ran on and

on.

He came to two puppies by the road.

First they saw him,

and then they smelled him.

He smelled good enough to eat.

“Wait a minute,” they said.

“You smell good enough to eat.

51

Wait, so that we can eat you.”

But the Gingerbread Boy ran on.

He called back:

”I’ve outrun two farmers,

As fast as they ran,

A little old woman,

A boy and a man.



Down the road ran the Gingerbread Boy.

The puppies ran after him.

They ran as fast as they could.

They ran until their legs were tired.

But they could not run fast enough

to catch the Gingerbread Boy.


The Gingerbread Boy ran on and on.

By and by he came to a fox.

The fox was lying close by the road.

He did not move.

He called to the Gingerbread Boy;

”Good morning.

You seem to be in a hurry.

Where are you going so fast?”

The Gingerbread Boy stopped a minute.

52

He wanted to hear what the fox said.

“You are a fine boy,” said the fox.

“Where are you going so fast?”

Then the Gingerbread Boy said:

”I’ve outrun the puppies,

And farmers who ran.

A little old woman,

A boy and a man.



“Oh,” said the fox, “I see.

It’s those fine legs of yours.

I think I never saw such fine legs.

Please come close to me.

Don’t be in such a hurry.”

No one had ever been so kind

to the Gingerbread Boy before,

So he came nearer and nearer.

Soon he was close to the fox.

Then the fox gave one jump,

and one bite with his teeth.

That was the end

of the Gingerbread Boy.

53

Ex. 1 - Sentence Combining with Adjectives

From “The Gingerbread Boy” in Baker and Thorndike, Everyday Classics First Reader

Illustrated by Maud and Miska Perersham; New York: Macmillan, 1922, 53-62.

Directions:

Rewrite the sentences in each of the following by

putting the adjectives in the later sentences into

the first.

Example:

They ran through the grass. The grass was green.

They ran through the green grass.

1. One day a woman was making cookies. She was old. The cookies were

gingerbread.

2. Her boy was looking on. He was little.

3. He came to two puppies by the road. The puppies were playful.

4. They could not catch the Gingerbread Boy. The Gingerbread Boy was fast.

5. It’s those legs of yours. They are fine.

54

Ex. 2 - Sentence Combining with VerbsFrom “The Gingerbread Boy”

in Baker and Thorndike, Everyday Classics First Reader Illustrated by Maud and Miska Perersham; New York: Macmillan, 1922, 53-62.

Directions:

Rewrite the sentences in each of the

following by combining the verbs into

one sentence.

Example: They ran through the grass. They played in the field.

They ran through the grass and played in the field.

1. Stay here. Watch the oven. See that the cookies do not burn.

2. The old man saw them, and he ran fast after them.

3. The Gingerbread Boy felt happy. He liked to run.

4. The boy heard him. He ran back. He tried to shut the door. But he was not in

time.

5. In a minute the Gingerbread Boy was through the door. Then he was out in

the yard. He ran through the yard. He ran out into the road.

55

Ex. 3 - Sentence Building

with Adjectives and AdverbsFrom “The Gingerbread Boy”

in Baker and Thorndike, Everyday Classics First Reader


Directions: Rewrite the following sentences by adding as many adjectives and adverbs as you sensibly can.

1. But the Gingerbread Boy did not stop.

2. So the boy, the woman, and the man walked back home.

3. The farmers ran behind him.

4. The puppies ran after him.

5. The fox was lying by the road.

56

Ex. 4 - Sentence Building

with Adjectives, Adverbs, and

Prepositional Phrases

From “The Gingerbread Boy” in Baker and Thorndike, Everyday Classics First Reader


Directions: Add at least one prepositional phrase plus some adjectives and/or adverbs to each of the following sentences. Think of adjectives that would describe the people (or animals). Add adverbs that indicate where they were, when things happened, or how they felt.

1. The Gingerbread Boy ran.

2. He came to two farmers.

3. He came to two puppies.

4. The puppies ran until their legs were tired.

5. Then the fox made one jump and one bite with his teeth.

57

Ex. 5 - Sentence Models

From “The Gingerbread Boy” in Baker and Thorndike,

Everyday Classics First Reader Illustrated by Maud and Miska Perersham

New York: Macmillan, 1922, 53-62.

1. The following sentence has one subject with three compounded verbs. Each

verb is modified by a prepositional phrase. (This is called “parallel construction,”

but you do not need to remember that now.)

The Gingerbread Boy hopped out of the pan, jumped out of the

oven, and was down on the floor.

Write a sentence that has the same sentence pattern—three verbs for one subject

and each verb modified by a prepositional phrase. The following are things you

may write about, or you can choose something else, but do not write about

anything in “The Gingerbread Boy.”

an airplane, a rabbit (or some other animal or bird), a teacher, a

policeman, a baseball player, a dancer, a book

2. In the following sentence, the verb “have outrun” has four complements.

Write a sentence about something else (see above) that has four complements for

one verb phrase.

I’ve outrun two farmers, a little old woman, a boy, and a man.

58

Ex. 6 - Writing Your Own Version of

”The Gingerbread Boy”

In Baker and Thorndike,Everyday Classics First Reader


1. You have read “The Gingerbread Boy” and done several exercises about

it. Now write your own version of the story without looking at the text. The

following list of characters will help you remember them. You are welcome to

add your own details to the story.

an old woman, the Gingerbread Boy, her little boy, the old man,

two farmers, two puppies, a fox

End your story by explaining what the Gingerbread Boy did wrong that led to

his being eaten by the Fox.

2. Your first version should be considered a draft. Rewrite it and add more

details by adding sentences, adjectives, adverbs, and/or prepositional phrases.

3. Before you feel you are done, check your second version for spelling and

punctuation.

59

Unit 6 – More about S/V/C PatternsUnit 6 – More about S/V/C Patterns

Verbs as Subjects and ComplementsVerbs as Subjects and Complements

Leonardoda Vinci

1452-1519 The Mona Lisa

Verbs can act as subjects or complements. These verbs are called

“verbals” to distinguish them from the verbs that you underline twice (which

are called “finite”). You will learn more about verbals later, but for now

consider the following:

Swimming is good exercise (PN).

To win is wonderful (PN).

Many children hate to go (DO) to bed early.

The family stopped swimming (DO) in the pond.

Happiness is being (PN) with your family.

Verbs that act as subjects or complements may themselves have

complements:

Sandi started reading (DO) a story (DO).

Playing baseball (DO) is fun (PA).

They began to play (DO) the game (DO).

60

Ex. 1 - From Pinocchio, The Tale of a Puppet

By C. Collodi



1. Asking for a little bread isn’t a disgrace, is it?

2. No, the quickest way of all is to cook it in a saucer.

3. Pinocchio began kissing him again and again.

4. He then began to run about the room.

5. Going to school will be good for you.

6. To give a spring and seize hold of it was the affair of a moment.

7. Climbing up the wall was the only way to get in the window.

8. Pinocchio continued to sleep and to snore.

9. He became furious and there was no holding him.

10. “And that trade—what is it?”

“It is to eat, drink, sleep and amuse myself, and to lead a vagabond life from

morning to night.”

61

Verbs as Subjects or Complements

Ex. 2 - From At the Back of the North Windby George Macdonald

Simplified by Elizabeth Lewis; Illustrated by Maria L. KirkDirections:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”


1. Wandering up and down wasted a lot of time.

2. Diamond’s first thought was to run away from the misery of it.

3. To drive all sorts of horses amused Diamond.

4. Watching the ships at Sandwich interested Diamond.

5. To not give them a share is not being really kind to them.

6. To use many rough and bad words in front of the boy embarrassed the

men.

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Varied Positioned in the S/V/C PatternVaried Positioned in the S/V/C Pattern

You have seen some of these before, so this exercise just shows you more of them.

Ex. 3 - From Old-time Stories

Fairy Tales and Myths Retold by Children

By E. Louise Smythe



1. In this room was a table.

2. On the sea were two big rocks.

3. By the tree was a dragon.

4. Oh, how angry the king was!

5. There on the grass was a fine large sheep.

6. How big your eyes are, grandma.

7. There in an oak tree was a big eagle.

8. Here comes the bride!

9. How thirsty she is!

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Palimpsest PatternsPalimpsest Patterns

Before the invention of paper, people wrote on clay tablets. These tablets

were often erased by rubbing them fairly smooth and then new writing was put

over the old. These tablets are called “palimpsests.”

Sometimes the easiest way to explain a sentence pattern is to see it as an S/V

pattern written over an S/V/PA pattern. For example, in the sentence

At last the tears came hot (PA) and fast (PA).

“hot” and “fast” could be considered adverbs to “came,” but they are also

adjectives to the subject “tears.” Thus we can explain this as an S/V/PA pattern

(“tears were hot and fast”) with an S/V pattern (“tears came”) on top of it.

“Palimpsest” is a big word, and palimpsest patterns are not

very frequent, but you may find the idea very helpful.

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Palimpsest Patterns

Ex. 4 - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales

by Edric Vredenburg; Illustrated by Jennie Harbour



1. Then there came a wind.

2. The sun appeared a marvelous sight to her.

3. The wife of a rich man fell sick.

4. I shall die a brave man.

5. Many years ago there lived a dear little girl.

6. So the Wolf lifted the latch, and the door flew open.

7. She began to feel very ill.

8. He lay thinking in his bed one night.

9. They got very hungry.

10. All the little birds under heaven came chirping and fluttering in.

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Palimpsest Patterns

Ex. 5 - From At the Back of the North Wind

by George MacdonaldSimplified by Elizabeth Lewis; Illustrated by Maria L. Kirk



1. Even the ground smelled sweet.

2. Even the ground smelled sweetly.

3. They had been sitting silent for a long time.

4. Diamond stood looking at the great elm tree.

5. The stars were still shining clear and cold overhead.

6. She sat motionless with drooping head and did not move nor speak.

7. But a little later they came floating past a window.

8. And indeed, Diamond felt very strange and weak.

9. After the first month, however, he fell lame.

10. The grass showed white in the morning with the hoar frost.

11. The small panes in the roof of his loft were glimmering blue in the light of

the morning.

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Phrasal Verbs—Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?Phrasal Verbs—Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?

Elk

Many words that function as prepositions can also function as simple adverbs, or as a part of the verb itself. In order to tell how a word that looks like a preposition actually functions, you need to look at the meaning of the sentence. As you will see, in many cases, more than one explanation is acceptable. Deer

Adverbs That Look Like Prepositions

Consider the following sentence:

Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief.

“Up” can function as a preposition, but in this sentence “up the pocket-handkerchief”

does not make sense as a prepositional phrase. Note also that we can change the word

order to “folded the pocket-handkerchief up.” In cases like this, we can simply consider

“up” as an adverb to the verb. What you may at first take as the object of the preposition,

is usually the direct object of the verb:

Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief (DO).

In many cases, the word is a preposition, but its object has been left out (ellipsed).

Consider the following, perfectly correct sentence:

Then he took out his nephew Peter.

Here again, “out his nephew Peter” does not make sense as a prepositional phrase, and

here again we can move the preposition—“Then he took his nephew Peter out.” To

understand what the “out” means, we often can look at the context. This sentence is from

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, by Beatrix Potter. Before this sentence, we find the

following. It makes it clear that our sentence means “Then he took out of the basket his

nephew Peter.”

When old Mr. Bunny had driven the cat into the greenhouse, he locked the door.

Then he came back to the basket and took out his son Benjamin by the ears, and whipped him with the little switch.

Then he took out his nephew Peter.

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Then he took out the handkerchief of onions, and marched out of the garden.

Instead of explaining all of this, we can simply explain the preposition as an adverb:

Then he took out his nephew Peter (DO).

“Prepositions” That Are Part of the Verb

Sometimes words that look like prepositions are actually part of the verb:

He had to figure out the answer.

If you rely on your knowledge of what words mean, you will be able to see that “out the

answer” is not a prepositional phrase here. The “out” goes with “figure.” Together, they

mean “discover,” or “find,” etc. Whenever you can replace a verb plus what looks like a

preposition with one verb, you can consider the “preposition” to be part of the verb. This

combination is fairly frequent in English. The following are just a few examples.

cry out = scream

go on = continue

look like = resemble

look out for = seek, guard, avoid, watch

put up with = endure

think of = remember

think up = invent

went in = entered

went up = approached

Note that your final decision needs to be based on the meaning of the words in

the sentence. In

She ran up the hill; he ran up the flag.

(“up the hill”) indicates where she ran, but he probably raised the flag up the flagpole.

Note again that sometimes you can tell because words that are not prepositions can be

moved. We would say “He ran the flag up,” but “She ran the hill up” would not make any

sense.

In some cases, two explanations are equally acceptable:

*You* Look {at the doggie} {in the window}.

*You* Look at the doggie (DO) {in the window}.

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Phrasal Verbs

Ex. 6 - From the Tales of by Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO”

or “DO”).

1. Mr. McGregor tied up the sack.

2. He was looking for his son.

3. A little old mouse picked over the rubbish among the jam pots.

4. Mr. McGregor threw down the sack on the stone floor.

5. Mr. McGregor came back and picked up the sack.

6. The slanting slates kept out the rain.

7. He was looking over the top of the newspaper.

8. Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs.

9. She borrowed a small saucer, and scooped up the dough with her paws.

10. Old Mrs. Rabbit strung up the onions and hung them from the kitchen

ceiling.

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Phrasal Verbs

Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan

by Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO”

or “DO”).

1. I will pour out the tea.

2. Ribby put on her shawl and bonnet.

3. Has somebody been trying on my mittens?

4. I have taken out all the bones.

5. Ribby put on some coal and swept up the hearth.

6. I put in a little tin patty-pan to hold up the crust.

7. I will just lock up the spoons!

8. Duchess tilted up the pie-dish.

9. The patty-pan held up the pie-crust.

10. She got up and went to the table.

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Unit 7 – More about Prepositional PhrasesUnit 7 – More about Prepositional Phrases

Compound Objects of PrepositionsCompound Objects of Prepositions


By C. Collodi

When some students see a sentence such as “He played with Bob and Bill,” they mark “with Bob” as the prepositional phrase. Make sure that you pay attention to the meaning of the sentence and include all the compound objects of the preposition, in this case “with Bob and Bill.”

Directions:1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,”

“PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. He looked into a basket of shavings and sawdust.

2. The building was made of wood and canvas.

3. In the meanwhile, a crowd of idlers and inquisitive people began to

assemble.

4. Between today and tomorrow your five sovereigns would have become

two thousand.

5. The beautiful little carriage was lined on the inside with whipped cream,

custard and vanilla wafers.

6. After the hare, the Fox sent for a dish of partridges, rabbits, frogs, lizards

and other delicacies.

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The “To” ProblemThe “To” Problem

When the word that answers the question "To

what?" is a noun or pronoun, the construction is a

prepositional phrase. When that word is a verb, the

construction is not a prepositional phrase.

(It is an infinitive, but you do not need to remember that now.)

Not Prepositional Phrases: Prepositional Phrases:

Do the mice want to talk? Pay attention {to their talk}.

To give is better than to receive. He gave some money {to an orphanage}.

It was a summer to remember. They traveled {from April} {to August}.

Sam went to see Bill. But Bill went {to sea}.

Carol wished to play. Carol went {to a play}.

Jerome wanted to object. Jennifer went close {to the object}.

Terri loves to shop. She’ll go {from shop} {to shop} all day long.

Note that an “a,” “an,” or “the” before a word usually indicates that it is a noun.

Remember that you need to pay attention to the meanings of the words:

Margaret remembered to bill the team. She gave the bill {to Bill}.

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Ex. 2 - Based on The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan

by Beatrix Potter


“PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. Ribby went out down the field to the farm, to fetch milk and butter.

2. Then she went out with a can to the well, for water to fill up the kettle.

3. Ribby went out again with a basket, to the village shop to buy a packet of

tea, a pound of lump sugar, and a pot of marmalade.

4. Ribby settled Duchess in an armchair before the fire, and went out and

hurried to the village to look for the doctor.

5. I was just going to invite you to come here, to supper, my dear Ribby, to

eat something most delicious.

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Is It a Preposition? (PP or SC?)Is It a Preposition? (PP or SC?)

Is it a Preposition?If it looks like a duck,

and it quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.

Many words that function as prepositions also have other functions. You find a

prepositional phrase by asking the question “What?” after a word that can function as

a preposition. When the word or words that answer that question form a

sentence, the construction is not a prepositional phrase. They are subordinate clauses, but you do not need to remember that now.

Just remember: do not put parentheses around them.Examples

Prepositional Phrase: We watched television {after dinner}.

Not

a Prepositional Phrase:We watched television after we had dinner.

Prepositional Phrase: {Before sunrise}, the birds begin to chirp.

Not

a Prepositional Phrase:Before the sun rises, the birds begin to chirp.

Prepositional Phrase: Billy can’t swim {like her}.

Not

a Prepositional Phrase:Billy can’t swim like she does.

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Ex. 3 – Ten Sentences

When the words that answer the question "To what?" form a

sentence, the construction is not a prepositional phrase.


“PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. They haven’t eaten since breakfast.

2. They have had nothing to eat since they had breakfast.

3. Karen was late because of her brother.

4. Roberta won the race because she practiced a lot.

5. My mother made supper after she returned from where she works.

6. My brother played baseball with us when he got home from work.

7. After they read the story, they wrote about it.

8. They took a nap after dinner.

9. They talked about Sam.

10. They talked about what they wanted to do.

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Prepositional Phrases as Indirect ObjectsPrepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects


By C. Collodi

Part One:Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO,” or “DO”). 3. Write “IO” above phrases that can be explained as an indirect object.

1. I am teaching the alphabet to the ants.

2. Pinocchio kept calling to his father by name.

3. Make a little room for me.

4. One chicken we will give to you.

5. Geppetto gave his own breakfast to Pinocchio.

Part Two:

Rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the prepositional phrases with

normal indirect objects.

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By C. Collodi

Part One:Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO,” or “DO”). 3. Write “IO” above phrases that can be explained as an indirect object.

1. I will buy a spelling-book for myself.

2. I would lend it to you willingly.

3. Geppetto found a name for his puppet and began to work in good earnest.

4. The wind brought to me the smell of fried fish.

5. Go at once and take them to him with my compliments.

Part Two:

Rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the prepositional phrases with

normal indirect objects.

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Embedded Prepositional PhrasesEmbedded Prepositional Phrases

When a prepositional phrase modifies a word

that is inside another phrase, it is said to be

“embedded” in the first phrase. [Think of it as being

planted in the flower bed of the first phrase.] Other

phrases may “jump over” phrases to modify a word

that is separated from them.

Embedded: They went {to the store} {on the corner} .

Here, “on the corner” describes the store, so we consider it embedded in the “to

the store” phrase. This creates one longer phrase that begins with “to the store.

That phrase chunks to “went,” forming one long verb phrase.

Not Embedded: They went {to the store} {on Monday}.

In this case, “on Monday” explains when they “went.” The phrase thus “jumps

over” the “to the store phrase” and modifies “went.” From “went” to “Monday” is

still one long verb phrase, but the words are connected differently.

The chunking of embedded prepositional phrases:

Image courtesy of Shelagh Manton (in Australia)

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Ex. 6 - Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

by Beatrix Potter

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase, and draw an arrow from each

preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,”

or “DO”).

1. Mr. Jeremy Fisher lived in a little damp house amongst the buttercups at the

edge of a pond.

2. His boat was tied to a water-plant in the middle of the pond.

3. MR. JEREMY bounced up to the surface of the water, like a cork and the

bubbles out of a soda water bottle.

4. He hopped home across the meadow with his macintosh all in tatters.

5. Instead of a nice dish of minnows—they had a roasted grasshopper with lady-

bird sauce.

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Ex. 7 - Based on The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

by Beatrix Potter

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional

phrase, and draw an arrow from each preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.

2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

3. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).

1. He led the way boldly towards the other end of the garden.

2. Anyway, she sat down upon the top of the basket.

3. They went along a little walk on planks, under a sunny, red brick wall.

4. In the neatest, sandiest hole of all lived Benjamin's aunt and his cousins.

5. His relations lived in the wood at the back of Mr. McGregor's garden.

6. Little Benjamin came round the back of the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled

upon the top of his Cousin Peter.

7. They got upon the flat top of the wall at the bottom of the wood.

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Unit 8 – Phrases: Modification and ChunkingUnit 8 – Phrases: Modification and Chunking

What is a “Phrase”?What is a “Phrase”?

Study: At a

Reading Desk 1877 by

Fredrick Lord Leighton (1830-1896)

A “phrase” is a group of words that work together as one. For example, the

words that you have been identifying as prepositional are in prepositional phrases.

Adjectives modify nouns and by doing so form noun phrases:

the old fir tree

Every prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus a noun phrase, as in

He was sitting (under the old fir tree).

Similarly, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and by doing

so they form phrases:

Verb phrases: came quickly

Adjectival phrases: very beautiful

Adverbial phrases: too slowly

Phrases grow as more words are added to them or as they connect to other words.

Phrases are named by the most important word in them. Thus

very beautiful house

is called a noun phrase because the “very” modifies “beautiful,” and “beautiful”

modifies the noun “house.”

Two Ways of Looking at Sentences—Modification and ChunkingTwo Ways of Looking at Sentences—Modification and Chunking

When we talk about “modification,” we are looking at the way a word

modifies, or affects the meaning of the word it modifies. For example, when we

say “very beautiful,” we mean that it is not just “beautiful.” And when we say

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speak of a “very beautiful house,” we do not mean any old house—we are talking

about a “very beautiful” house. “Modification” changes the meaning of the word

that is modified.

There is, however, another important way of looking at sentences. Almost

every word in every sentence connects to another word (or construction) in its

sentence until all the words end up connected to a main subject / verb /

complement in the sentence. Linguists (people who study how language works)

call this connecting “chunking.” They call it that because when we hear or read

English, we do not read individual words. As we read we chunk words into

phrases and often phrases into longer phrases until almost every word connects to

an S/V/C pattern.

You will be learning more about this later, but for now we are simply

interested in noun, verb, and prepositional phrases. Consider the following

sentence:

The little boy ran very quickly {through the yard}.

The adjectives “The” and “little” modify (and thus chunk to) the noun “boy.” They

form a noun phrase that functions as the subject of the sentence. Similarly, the

adverb “very” modifies (chunks to) the adverb “quickly,” and “quickly” modifies

(chunks to) the verb “ran.” They thus form a verb phrase that functions as the verb

in the sentence. At the end of the sentence, the prepositional phrase “through the

yard” explains where he ran. That means that the phrase functions as an adverb

and chunks to “ran.” This makes the verb phrase in this sentence “ran very quickly

through the yard.”

Usually the words in a phrase are right next to each other in the sentence.

Adjectives are well behaved and stay very close to the noun they modify. Adverbs,

on the other hand, move around and are sometimes separated from the word they

modify, as in:

Then mother loudly sang the rain song (DO).

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In this sentence, “Then” functions as an adverb (when?) to “sang,” so it is part of

the “loudly sang” verb phrase. The words “the” and “rain,” of course, are part of

the noun phrase (the rain song” that functions as the direct object of “sang.”

Nouns Used as Adverbs also tend to be separated from the verb that they

modify:

One day [NuA] the children found a mouse (DO) {in the meadow}.

You probably noticed that the prepositional phrase in this sentence is also

separated from the verb that it modifies.

If you keep working with KISS, you will learn how every word in any

sentence chunks to the words in an S/V/C pattern, but you probably can already

understand the two exceptions mentioned above. They are “Interjections” and

“Direct Address.”

The word “interjection” comes from Latin words that mean “throw into.”

Thus the words we call “interjections” are words that are thrown into a sentence

without chunking to any other specific word in the sentence. In “Whew, that was

a lot of work!” “Whew” is the speaker’s comment on the entire sentence.

(Many linguists call these words “sentence modifiers.”)

Direct Address, the second exception, is actually a specific type of

interjection. It is like the address on an envelope—it names the person or

people for whom the sentence is meant, as in “Can I have a cookie, mother?”

The question is addressed to “mother.”

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The Chunking and Functions of Prepositional PhrasesThe Chunking and Functions of Prepositional Phrases

Most prepositional phrases function as adjectives, as adverbs, or both. Just as with regular adjectives and adverbs, to find the function of a prepositional phrase you need to first find what it describes.

The squirrel {in the tree} was eating nuts (DO).

The phrase “in the tree” describes the squirrel, and since “squirrel” is a noun, the prepositional phrase functions as an adjective. Compare this to:

The squirrel was eating nuts (DO) {in the tree}.In this sentence, the phrase “in the tree” explains where the squirrel was eating. It therefore functions as an adverb to “was eating.”

Sometimes a prepositional phrase can function as both an adjective and an adverb at the same time.

The squirrel wants nuts (DO) {for supper).

Some people will see “for supper” as explaining which nuts the squirrel wants. Thus they will explain the “for supper” as an adjective to “nuts.” Other people will view the phrase as answering the question “Wants why? They will consider it to be an adverb to “wants.” Either explanation is acceptable.

Remember that some prepositional phrases function as indirect objects:

The squirrel offered a nut (DO) {to the owl) (IO).In this sentence, “to the owl” functions just like the indirect object would in

“The squirrel offered the owl (IO) a nut (DO).”

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Ex 1. – “One Stormy Winter Day,” Part 1

Directions:

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.

2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements

(“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an

arrow from every adverb to the word it modifies.

4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase

modifies. Above the phrase write “J” for “adjective” or “V” for

“adverb.”

1. Large, feathery snowflakes are floating slowly through the air.

2. Bright, cheerful fires are noisily crackling on the hearth.

3. Five lively little chickadees have quickly come for their supper.

4. A beautiful white blanket is spread silently over the field.

5. The bare, brown branches of the trees are completely covered

with pearl.

6. Each tall pine is fully wrapped in a pure, white cloak.

7. The world is strangely changed into a new, white world.

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Ex 2. - “One Stormy Winter Day,” Part 2

Directions:

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements

(“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”). 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an

arrow from every adverb to the word it modifies.4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase

modifies. Above the phrase write “J” for “adjective” or “V” for “adverb.”

1. Here comes a big party of boys and girls.

2. The loud wind blows very fiercely.

3. The children are snugly tucked under warm robes.

4. The metal bells jingle merrily.

5. The big horses toss their heads impatiently.

6. Away they dash into the woods.

7. Soon they plunge into a snowbank.

8. Over goes the wooden sleigh.

Ex 3. - Writing about One Stormy Winter Day

Write a short story of two or more paragraphs, telling what happened on a stormy winter day. Take what you choose from the two preceding exercises. Use adverbs that tell how, when, or where.

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Ex. 4 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 1

Directions:

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,”

“PN,” “IO,” or “DO”). 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an arrow

from every adverb to the word it modifies.4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.

Above the phrase write “J” for “adjective” or “V” for “adverb.”

1. A barking, scolding sound is heard from the tree.

2. Two black eyes appear at a knot-hole.

3. An empty nut rattles to the ground.

4. A red squirrel scurries down through the branches.

5. He leaps upon the fence.

6. Away he goes with flying colors.

7. Suddenly he halts and springs into an apple tree.

8. A buzzing is heard among the bees.

9. Down comes a snowfall of blossoms.

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Ex. 5 – “A Squirrel’s Morning Run,” Part 2

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label

complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”). 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it

modifies; and an arrow from every adverb to the word it modifies.4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.


1. Again he is dashing down the fence.

2. He clears a certain rail with one long jump.

3. Under this rail hangs a hornet’s nest.

4. He finds a woodpecker’s den in a dead tree.

5. Madam is at home.

6. She delivers a pickax blow between his eyes.

7. Away he speeds with whisking tail.

8. He looks wistfully at a robin’s nest.

9. His appetite for birds’ eggs has been spoiled.

Ex. 6 – Write about “A Squirrel’s Morning Run”

Make a connected story of the sentences given in the two preceding exercises. You may make any changes and additions that will help your story.

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Ex. 7 – “The Happy Butterfly”

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional

phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and

label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an arrow from every adverb to the word it modifies.

4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase modifies. Above the phrase write “J” for “adjective” or “V” for “adverb.”

1. For a few weeks or months the butterfly flits in the sunshine

among the flowers.

2. The butterfly’s happy life in the sunshine among the flowers

lasts only for a few weeks or months.

3. Have not the earth, the sky, and the sea given all their prettiest

tints to the butterfly?

4. How beautifully the colors are put together in spots, streaks, and

rich borders!

5. On the butterfly’s gorgeous wings look for all the colors of the

rainbow.

6. He goes through the air with a zig-zag motion.

7. This gay creature of the sunshine is seldom seen on the wing

before nine in the morning.

8. Long before sunset he steals away under the leaves.

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Ex. 8 – Writing with

“The Happy Butterfly” as a Model

Make a composition about “The Happy Butterfly.” You may change

the sentences of the preceding exercise, and work them into your

composition. Or you can write about a different insect or animal. Note that

the preceding exercise describes all butterflies in general. The first two

sentences describe where and how long butterflies live. Sentences three,

four, and five describe how butterflies look. Sentence six tells how they

move. Sentence seven tells when the butterflies first appear in the day, and

the last sentence tells when they disappear in the day.

If you can, make the preceding one paragraph, and in a second

paragraph, tell what happened one specific time when you saw a butterfly or

another insect or when you were with the animal that you decided to write

about.

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Ex. 9 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”

by Mary Frances Blaisdell

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO,” or “DO”). 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an arrow from

every adverb to the word it modifies.4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.


1. Sammy Red Squirrel was sitting on the stone wall.

2. Blacky Crow flew over the field.

3. I am going to the pasture now.

4. The crow flew over the tallest tree and out of sight.

5. Just then something hit Sammy on the head.

6. There at his feet lay an oak leaf.

7. He looked up in the top of the tree.

8. West Wind flew by and shook the branches of the tree very gently.

9. And another leaf floated softly down to the ground beside its brother.

10. I can make some wings for myself out of those oak leaves.

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Ex. 10 - Based on “Sammy’s Flying Machine”


Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,”

“IO,” or “DO”). 3. Draw an arrow from every adjective to the word it modifies; and an arrow from

every adverb to the word it modifies.4. Draw an arrow from every preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.


1. Sammy put the two leaves on the ground and covered them with a stone.

2. You must be at the tree in a few minutes.

3. All the red squirrels scampered off among the branches of the oak tree.

4. You would have to go to Mr. Man’s garden and ask him for some of the

leaves from the rhubarb plants.

5. I will fly to the oak tree this very minute.

6. He ran up the tree and out on one of the longest branches.

7. He stood on the very end of the branch for just one minute.

8. The wings would not hold Sammy up in the air.

9. And down to the ground Sammy fell.

10. He almost fell on top of Bunny Rabbit.

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Ex. 11 – Punctuation—“Sammy’s Flying Machine”


Directions:1. The punctuation and capitalization in the following sentences was lost. Please

fix it, on this paper.Optional:

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the preposition to the word that the phrase modifies, and above the phrase write “J” for “adjective” or “V” for “adverb.”

2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

For analysis, this is a difficult exercise. Remember that you are expected to get some things wrong. Some of the sentences in this exercise have more than one S/V/C pattern in them, and you are not expected to be able to explain the functions of the words that are in blue.

sammy stopped eating the nut and looked up to see who was talking to

him he saw blacky crow sailing round and round over his head

i am eating my breakfast he answered would you like to have a nut to

eat too

oh no answered blacky crow i can find something better than that

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Unit 9 -- Compound Main ClausesUnit 9 -- Compound Main Clauses

Main ClausesMain Clauses

Claude Monet’s(1840-1926)

The ParasolCamille Monet

and Her Son Jean (Woman with a

Parasol)1875

Thus far you have been working with sentences and have learned to

identify the “subject / (finite) verb / complement patterns” in them. You have also

learned that adjectives, adverbs, and most prepositional phrases modify (and thus

chunk to) the words in the S/V/C slots. You have probably noticed that many

sentences have more than one S/V/C pattern. To be able to discuss these patterns

in a sentence, we need to distinguish between “sentence” and “clause.”

What Is a Clause?

A “clause” is a subject, finite verb, complement pattern and all the words that chunk to it.

Because you can already identify S/V/C patterns, you will probably find

clauses easy to understand. There are two types of clauses, main and subordinate.

Book Three begins the explanation of subordinate clauses. Here, we will explore

compound main clauses.

Main Clauses

Every main clause could be punctuated as a separate sentence, but just as

we compound subjects, verbs, etc., we also compound main clauses. Thus you will

often find more than one main clause in a sentence. Although short main clauses

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can be combined with commas (I came, I saw, I conquered.), most main clauses

are joined together with the following punctuation:

, and Tom was very naughty, and he scratched.

, or Tom went to the lake, or he went home.

, but Sarah arrived late, but she did her homework.

Note that some writers omit the comma, but you probably should not do so until you are an established writer. (Some teachers don’t like the missing commas.)

Later we will be exploring other ways of compounding main clauses, but

because these are the most common, the following exercises focus on them.

In analyzing sentences, you will be asked to put a vertical line after every

main clause:

Tom was very naughty (PA), | and he scratched. |

Tom went {to the lake}, | or he went home [NuA]. |

Sarah arrived late, | but she did her homework (DO). |Because every sentence has at least one main clause, from now on you will be

asked to put a vertical line at the end of every sentence:

My friends will arrive {in a minute}. |

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Ex. 1 - From The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan


complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”). 3. Put a vertical line after every main clause.4. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb


1. But she thought a great deal about Ribby’s pie, and she read Ribby’s letter

over and over again.

2. She dusted the clock and the ornaments on the mantelpiece, and she

polished and rubbed the tables and chairs.

3. I can’t find it anywhere, and I have looked all over the house.

4. Duchess went home and brushed her beautiful black coat, and then she

picked a bunch of flowers in her garden as a present for Ribby.

5. The pie had become a lovely brown, but it was steaming hot.

6. Duchess opened the door of the top oven, and out came a rich steamy

flavour of veal and ham.

7. Duchess was too early, and she had to wait a little while.

8. I will lend you a nice warm shawl, and you shall take my arm.

9. Ribby and Duchess said goodbye affectionately, and Duchess started

home.

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Ex. 2 - From The Tale of Benjamin Bunny


complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”). 3. Put a vertical line after every main clause.4. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb


1. Mr. McGregor was driving a gig along the road, and beside him sat Mrs.

McGregor in her best bonnet.

2. That wood was full of rabbit holes, and in the neatest, sandiest hole of all

lived Benjamin’s aunt and his cousins.

3. There was water in the shoes, and the coat was somewhat shrunk.

4. Benjamin tried on the tam-o’-shanter, but it was too big for him.

5. Little Benjamin took one look, and then, in half a minute, he hid himself and

Peter and the onions underneath a large basket.

6. The sun got round behind the wood, and it was quite late in the afternoon,

but still the cat sat upon the basket.

7. At length there was a pitter-patter, pitter-patter, and some bits of mortar fell

from the wall above.

8. Cotton-tail and Peter folded up the pocket-handkerchief, and old Mrs. Rabbit

strung up the onions and hung them from the kitchen ceiling, with the

bunches of herbs and the rabbit-tobacco.

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Ex. 3 - From The Tale of Squirrel NutkinDirections:1. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label

complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Put a vertical line after every main clause.4. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb


1. But next morning they all came back again to Owl Island, and Twinkleberry

and the others brought a fine fat mole, and laid it on the stone in front of

Old Brown’s doorway.

2. Presently a little thread of blue smoke from a wood fire came up from the top

of the tree, and Nutkin peeped through the key-hole and sang.

3. Twinkleberry and six other little squirrels each carried a fat minnow, but

Nutkin brought no present at all.

4. The other squirrels hunted up and down the nut bushes, but Nutkin gathered

robin’s pincushions off a briar bush, and stuck them full of pine-needle

pins.

5. Now old Mr. Brown took an interest in eggs, and he opened one eye and shut

it again.

6. Nutkin danced up and down like a sunbeam, but still Old Brown said nothing

at all.

7. This looks like the end of the story, but it isn’t.

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Ex. 4 - From The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher




1. Nobody ever scolded him, and he never caught a cold!

2. His rod was a tough stalk of grass, his line was a fine long white horse-

hair, and he tied a little wriggling worm at the end.

3. The rain trickled down his back, and for nearly an hour he stared at the

float.

4. Mr. Jeremy bounced up to the surface of the water, like a cork and the

bubbles out of a soda water bottle, and he swam with all his might to

the edge of the pond.

5. He scrambled out on the bank, and he hopped home across the meadow

with his macintosh all in tatters.

6. I have lost my rod and basket, but it does not much matter.

7. He put some sticking plaster on his fingers, and his friends both came to

dinner.

8. He could not offer them fish, but he had something else in his larder.

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Ex. 5 - From The Tailor of Gloucester




1. The tailor worked and worked, and he talked to himself.

2. No one lived there at night but little brown mice, and they run in and out

without any keys!

3. Behind the wooden wainscots of all the old houses in Gloucester, there are

little mouse staircases and secret trap-doors, and the mice run from

house to house through those long narrow passages.

4. But do not lose the last penny of the fourpence, Simpkin, or I am undone

and worn to a thread-paper.

5. Simpkin hated the snow, and there was snow in his ears, and snow in his

collar at the back of his neck.

6. The little mice inside sprang to their feet, and all began to shout at once in

little twittering voices.

7. He unlocked the door of the little shop in Westgate Street, and Simpkin

ran in.

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Other Ways of Combining Main ClausesOther Ways of Combining Main Clauses

Writers often use just a semicolon, colon or dash to join compound main

clauses. The following explanations and examples from Beatrix Potter’s Tales and

should help you analyze their sentences.

a semicolon Now I’ve finished my ironing; I’m going to air some clothes.

a colon Don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden: your Father had an accident there

a dash TOM THUMB went up the kitchen chimney and looked out at the top—there was no soot.

These punctuation marks have different meanings, so for now, when you

yourself compound main clauses, you should probably use a comma plus “and,”

“or,” or “but.”

In older texts, many writers used both a conjunction and one of these

punctuation marks. The following sentence is from Potter’s Two Bad Mice:

Lucinda sat upon the upset kitchen stove and stared; and Jane leant

against the kitchen dresser and smiled—but neither of them made

any remark.

Lucinda sat {upon the upset kitchen stove} and stared; | and Jane

leant {against the kitchen dresser} and smiled— | but neither {of

them} made any remark (DO). |The following exercise includes more examples.

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Ex. 6 - From The Tale of Peter Rabbit


complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO” or “DO”).3. Put a vertical line after every main clause.4. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an

adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct address (“DirA”).

1. Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden.

2. Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became

more and more puzzled.

3. Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were

overheard by some friendly sparrows.

4. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish, she sat very, very still, but now

and then the tip of her tail twitched.

5. Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care.

6. His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a

dose of it to Peter!

7. Now my dears, you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go

into Mr. McGregor’s garden: your Father had an accident there; he

was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor.

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Ex. 7 - Punctuation

from “Billy Mink’s Swimming Party”

Old Mother West Wind, by Thornton W. Burgess

Directions: 1. The punctuation and capitalization in the following text was lost. Please fix it (right on

this page). 2. Put parentheses around each prepositional phrase.3. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO”

or “DO”).4. Put a vertical line after every main clause.

billy mink was coming down the bank of the laughing brook

billy mink was feeling very good indeed he had had a good

breakfast the sun was warm little white cloud ships were sailing

across the blue sky and their shadows were sailing across the green

meadows the birds were singing and the bees were humming billy

mink felt like singing too but billy minks voice was not meant for

singing

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