Modern Grammar - ASSIGNMENT 20 James Madison University

Instructions: This assignment will be marked as an acceptable or unacceptable effort.

1. Diagram each of the following sentences:
   
   1. From the beginning, the story seemed new and exciting to most of us. (no gerunds, despite the -ing forms, but do be careful with the PPs and look for the conjunction)
   2. Their screaming at the waiter will not help in any way. (there is a gerund in this one)
   3. Ultimately, he did finish writing his article about endangered ghosts before the magazine's deadline. (another gerund here)
   4. While I was getting sponges and soap, those kids spilled more food onto the sticky floor. (Adverbial clause)
   5. The project will fail unless we find more investors and a cheaper warehouse before July. (adverbial clause and a coordinate conjunction)
   6. 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 three clauses and see how two of them work as adverbial clauses. Watch for the verb-particle combo too and for the roles of the various PPs)
   
   NOW SOME PRACTICE WITH AN S-BAR (OR EVEN JUST AN S) USED AS A SENTENTIAL DIRECT OBJECT:
   
   7. The directions say we need every screw. (no complementizer)
   8. Undoubtedly, many customers complained that the food was bland and overcooked. (A sentential direct object with "that" as a complementizer.)
   9. The actor doubted if he got a part in the new sitcom. (Hint: Remember, "if" can be a complementizer sometimes instead of a subordinate conjunction.)
   10. We heard the university cancelled all exams.
   
   NEXT, TRY AN S-BAR AS A "SENTENTIAL SUBJECT":
   
   11. That the squeaky wheel gets the grease frustrates quieter people. (Look at the subject of "frustrates." Hint: It's not "grease." :) )
   12. That those fish can fly seems very unlikely.
   
   AND FINALLY.. TRY TO CONSIDER SOME OTHER USES OF S AND S-BAR ("NOUN COMPLEMENTS" AND "ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENTS"):
   
   13. The revelation that the lion loved the mouse shocked everyone. (Look at what modifies the noun "revelation". Yes, the embedded clause (still an S-BAR) is acting fair similarly to a PP modifying an N-bar. For the new rule, just find the right PP rule and change PP to S-BAR! The rule is also in your new handout..)
   14. She is afraid that her feet grow larger on a daily basis. (And here, the embedded S-BAR clause is modifying the adjective "afraid" just as a PP would do. This rule is listed now too...)
   
   MORE PRACTICE SENTENCES WITH HINTS:
   
   15. The poet kept changing the metaphors in his sonnet because they sounded awkward and ruined the poem's meter. (Look for a gerund phrase, a subordinate conjunction, and a coordinate conjunction.)
   16. The winds blew very loudly through the night, but the baby slept well. (two main clauses connected with a coordinate conjunction)
   17. That the cat hated all dogs changed Spot's perspective. (Look at the subject of "changed"
   18. Ralph believes that someone knows the truth. (Look for the sentential direct object of "believes".)
   19. The singer faced the fact that he was tone-deaf. (There's an S-Bar as a "noun complement" in this sentence too, modifying "fact".)
   20. The librarian was fearful that his brain might be getting full.(and look for the S-BAR after the adjective "fearful" this time)

2. Diagram each of the following sentences, without clues:
   
   1. After we left, someone turned off the lights.
   2. That egg will break if you drop it.
   3. That cookies smell delicious is a well-known fact.
   4. Whenever their parents take them to the carnival, Sally and her little brother like riding the merry-go-round
   5. To Debbie's surprise, Ben confessed that he loved her.
   6. After a careful search of our family records, we found out the truth about some of our crazy relatives.
   7. You should find out whether that position in the marketing department offers opportunities for advancement.
   8. Their changing the subject suggested that they were somewhat embarrassed.
   9. I know that you wish that this sentence did not require recursion.