Traditional Grammar - Assignment 15 James Madison University

Instructions: THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE GRADED. You MAY use your notes and your textbooks for help, but you MUST work alone.

1. Find a written example in a book, magazine, or newspaper (not in your notes, grammar texts, or other explicit sources of grammar examples) of a sentence containing a correlative conjunction. MAKE SURE TO LOOK THIS UP IF YOU GOT IT WRONG ON THE TEST! :) Write down the sentence and its source, and underline all the parts of the correlative conjunction. (6 points)
2. Find a written example (under the same constraints) of a sentence that contains exactly two prepositional phrases. Write down the sentence and its source, and underline the two prepositional phrases. (6 points)
3. In the same way, find a written sentence containing a gerund (make sure it is a gerund use of the form, not a main verb use, advjective use, or participial phrase use! Underline the whole gerund phrase. (6 points)
4. Choose just option A or option B and make a single sentence following the directions for that option:
   1. Re-write the following three sentences as a single bigger sentence by combining the first and second sentences into a compound of two gerund phrases conjoined by "and", and then replacing part of the third sentence with this compound gerund phrase in a meaning-appropriate, grammatical way. (6 points)
      1. Gretchen dances in the moonlight.
      2. Gretchen collects colorful stones.
      3. Gretchen always enjoys these activities.
   2. OR Re-write the following three sentences as a single bigger sentence by turning the first sentence into a gerund phrase and the second into a participial phrase and then adding both these phrases to the third sentence in a meaning-appropriate, grammatical way. (6 points)
      1. Hannah bought a new house.
      2. The house is shaped like a medieval castle.
      3. The purchase changed Hannah's life.
5. Explain WHY the following sentence is ambiguous: (6 points)
   His special talent is influencing people's attitudes.
   (Remember that the point is not to describe the multiple meanings but to give a grammar explanation for why the multiple meanings are possible.)
6. Diagram SEVEN OUT OF NINE of the following sentences (10 points each):
   1. Unfortunately, the company's latest and most disturbing policies were given little scrutiny by the leaders of the union.
   2. John, a rather sensitive man, usually seems very aware of the problems of other people.
   3. Becoming a professional dancer requires both years of hard work and a good measure of natural talent.
   4. The two shy co-workers began buying each other moderately personal gifts, but they did not start dating.
   5. Which plane, train, or bus should they have taken to New York last week?
   6. Your rubbing that ancient lamp has very clearly made the genie angry.
   7. That wise, old woman with a brave plan and millions of loyal followers is in serious danger.
   8. In New York, the tourist industry has been and still is a big part of the economy.
   9. Out of respect for their new neighbors, the nudists are now working out and jogging in clothing.

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OPTIONAL BONUS: You may do just ONE additional sentence for a possible five point bonus. To get the five points, the sentence must be diagrammed virtually without errors. If the analysis has just one MINOR error, the bonus is two points. There is no bonus for an eighth sentence that has more than one minor error. NOTE: I will assume your bonus sentence is the eighth one in your assignment unless you very clearly mark one of the other seven as the bonus sentence.

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