Modern Grammar - ASSIGNMENT 18

James Madison University

Instructions: This assignment will be marked as an acceptable or unacceptable effort. Taking time to go slowly and carefully, diagram each of the following sentences. Remember that you have practiced all the basic types of constituents and just need to find combinations either joined with conjunctions or, in the case of some Ss and "S-bars," built into another constituent. A complete phrase structure rules handout is available on Blackboard.


:

  1. To my surprise, the words on the first page of that author's new novel sent shivers down my back for hours. (nothing new - just a lot of PPs again :) )
    2. MORE SENTENCES WITH GERUND PHRASES:
  2. Finding gerunds is easy.
  3. That friendly monkey started giving the little girl pieces of its fruit.
  4. Your ignoring the facts will not change the situation.
  5. Actually, some people do like dancing in their bare feet.
    6. NOW SOME SENTENCES WITH CONJUNCTIONS:
  6. The door was open, and all the leaves blew into the house.(First sentence with a coordinate conjunction in it)
  7. They sent the petition to their senator and to other national leaders.
  8. The children were writing poems and chatting.
  9. While the president spoke, the lawyers doodled
    10. (First sentence with a subordinate conjunction building an adverbial clause before the main clause)
  10. Because the invisible monster smells like rotten eggs, we know its location.
  11. John seemed normal before he ate that old man's strange mushrooms. (First sentence with an adverbial clause after the main clause)
  12. Although the guests did not leave early, the party was quiet and rather boring. (both a subordinate conjunction and a coordinate conjunction are in this sentence)
  13. We need more time for fun, but we have piles of homework!
  14. The lady threw her gloves and handkerchief to the knight when he requested it sweetly.
  15. The employees get a raise if they increase production or if the company's stock splits. (note that there's a coordinate conjunction of adverbial clauses here!)
  16. After the nervous babysitter turned off the lights, she became scared of the shadows in the old house because she was familiar with the dark rumors about that neighborhood. (Don't panic -- just find the three clauses and see what connects them. )

    17. NOW DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH THIS LAST SENTENCE, IN WHICH THE VERB "SAY" HAS AN S INSTEAD OF AN NP AS A DIRECT OBJECT. (The new rule for a Sentential Direct Object is VP --> V S.)
  17. The directions say we need every screw.


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