Modern Grammar - ASSIGNMENT 19

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.


  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. SOME SENTENCES WITH COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS:
  6. Betty and Jughead are planning an amazing party.
  7. Those mushrooms may be safe, but they could be poisonous.
  8. He washed and polished his new car before his date with Odette.
  9. Carefully, the farmer picked all the ripest and tastiest fruit.
  10. Slowly but steadily, the snail inched towards the sea.
    11. FINALLY, TRY SOME SENTENCES WITH SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS. REMEMBER THAT A SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION IS ONLY ABOUT COMBINING WHOLE SENTENCES TO MAKE BIGGER ONES. THE "SCONJ" ATTACHES TO THE FRONT OF A SENTENCE TO MAKE AN "ADVERBIAL CLAUSE. THIS CLAUSE THEN MODIFIES EITHER THE WHOLE OTHER SENTENCE -- IF IT COMES BEFORE THAT OTHER SENTENCE -- OR THE VP INSIDE THAT OTHER SENTENCE IF IT FOLLOWS IT. IN OTHER WORDS, THIS PROCESS EXACTLY PARALLELS WHAT WE DO WITH ADVERBIAL PHRASES.
    THE THREE "NEW" RULES ARE BASED ON THIS LOGIC:
    AdvCL --> sconj S
    S --> AdvCL S
    VP --> VP AdvCl
  11. Because the invisible monster smells like rotten eggs, we know its location. (Adverbial Clause comes first.)
  12. John seemed normal before he ate that old man's strange mushrooms. (A first sentence with an adverbial clause after the main clause)
  13. 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)
  14. The lady threw her gloves and handkerchief to the knight when he requested it sweetly. (ditto)
  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!)


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