kissgrammar.orgkissgrammar.org/kiss/wb/PBooks/G6_L1.doc · Web viewFillette au Grand Chapeau 1908...

A KISS GrammarA KISS GrammarLevel One WorkbookLevel One Workbook

Free, from the KISS Grammar Web Sitewww.KISSGrammar.org

© Ed Vavra

August 3, 2013

View ofToledoc. 1597

byEL GRECO

The Metropolitan

Museum of Art,

New York

3

Contents

Introduction—Welcome to KISS GrammarIntroduction—Welcome to KISS Grammar..........................................................................................................................................................66KISS Level 1. 1. Identifying Subjects & VerbsKISS Level 1. 1. Identifying Subjects & Verbs........................................................................................................................................99

Exercise 1 - Is It a Sentence?..............................................................................................................9What Is a Sentence?........................................................................................................................9

1. Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year...................................................................11Exercise 2 - Recognizing Single-Word Verbs.................................................................................12

Single-Word Verbs.......................................................................................................................122. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri..............................................................................................13

Exercise 3 - Finding the Complete Verb Phrase (Tenses)................................................................14Helping Verbs...............................................................................................................................14

3. From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight...........................................................................15Exercise 4 - Finding the Complete Verb Phrase (Modal)................................................................16

Helping Verbs (Modal).................................................................................................................164. a. From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight.......................................................................174. b. Writing Sentences with Modal Helping Verbs................................................................18

Exercise 5 – Other Helping Verbs....................................................................................................19Other Helping Verbs.....................................................................................................................19

5.5 From Heidi by Johanna Spyri.............................................................................................20Exercise 6 - More Practice with Helping Verbs...............................................................................21

6. From “How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves”.........................................................................21Exercise 7 - A Fill-in-the-Blanks Exercise.......................................................................................22

7. From The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.......................................................22Exercise 8 - Passages for Analysis...................................................................................................23

8. a. - From Heidi by Johanna Spyri.........................................................................................238. b. - Horse Sense, by a Sixth-Grade Writer............................................................................24

Exercise 9 - Just for Fun...................................................................................................................259. Why the English language is so hard to learn (# 4)..............................................................25

KISS Level 1. 2 Adding Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, and PhrasesKISS Level 1. 2 Adding Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, and Phrases..............................2626Exercise 1. Identifying Nouns and Pronouns...................................................................................26

Identifying Nouns and Pronouns..................................................................................................26Ex. 1.a. From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll..............................................................28Ex. 1.b. Based on “Perseus” by Charles Kingsley...................................................................29

Exercises 2 & 3 - Singular and Plural Nouns...................................................................................30Nouns— Singular and Plural (Number).......................................................................................30

Ex. 2 * Number - Creating Plurals...........................................................................................31Ex. 3 * Number - Irregular Plurals...........................................................................................32

Exercise 4 - Replacing Nouns with Pronouns..................................................................................33Ex. 4. From: Growth in English: Seventh Year.........................................................................33

Exercise 5 - Identifying Adjectives and Adverbs.............................................................................34Identifying Adjectives and Adverbs.............................................................................................34

Ex. 5.a. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri (Ex. #1)........................................................................35Ex. 5.b. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri (Ex. #2)........................................................................36

Exercise 6 - Identifying Phrases (Chunking and Modification).......................................................37What is a “Phrase”?......................................................................................................................37

Ex. 6.a. Ten Sentences from “The Gorgon's Head”..................................................................40

4

Ex. 6.b. A Passage from “The Gorgon's Head”........................................................................41Exercise 7 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns Function as Adjectives.............................................42

Ex. 7. Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar...................................................42Exercise 8. - Fill in the Blanks with Verbs, Adjectives or Adverbs.................................................43

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................43Exercise 9 - Adjectives (Synonyms)................................................................................................45

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year........................................................................45Exercise 10 - Adjectives (Antonyms)..............................................................................................45

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year........................................................................45Exercise 11 - The Logic of Adjectives and Adverbs........................................................................46

The Questions that Adjectives and Adverbs Answer...................................................................46Ex. 11.a. Adapted from The Mother Tongue, Book II.............................................................48Ex. 11.b Based on The Queen of the Pirate Isle by Bret Harte...............................................49

Exercise 12 - A Passage for Analysis...............................................................................................50From John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony......................................................................................50

KISS Level 1. 3 Adding Complements (PA, PN, IO, DO)KISS Level 1. 3 Adding Complements (PA, PN, IO, DO)................................................................................................5151Identifying Complements.............................................................................................................51Identifying the Types of Complements........................................................................................52Examples of the Process for Identifying the Types of Complements..........................................54

1 - Identification—Mixed Complements.........................................................................................571.a - From The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett...................................................571.b - From the Writing of Sixth Graders...................................................................................581.c - From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...........................................................................................591.d - Based on The Queen of the Pirate Isle by Bret Harte......................................................60

2 - A Focus on Predicate Adjectives................................................................................................61Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar..............................................................61

3 - A Focus on Predicate Nouns.......................................................................................................62Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar..............................................................62

4 - A Focus on Direct Objects..........................................................................................................63From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................63

5 - A Focus on Indirect Objects........................................................................................................64From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................64

6 - A Focus on Zero Complements..................................................................................................65From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................65

7 - Verbs as Subjects or Complements.............................................................................................66Verbs as Subjects or Complements..............................................................................................66

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................678 - Predicate Adjective or Part of the Verb?....................................................................................68

Predicate Adjective or Part of the Verb Phrase?........................................................................68Based on “The Nightingale” From Stories from Hans Andersen............................................69

9 - Writing Sentences with Complements........................................................................................7010 - A Passage for Analysis.............................................................................................................71

From Chapter 22 of Heidi by Johanna Spyri............................................................................7111 - Just for Fun................................................................................................................................72

KISS Grammar Tongue Twisters..............................................................................................72KISS Level 1.4. - Coordinating Conjunctions and CompoundsKISS Level 1.4. - Coordinating Conjunctions and Compounds............................................................................7373

Coordinating Conjunctions and Compounding............................................................................731 - Mixed Compounds......................................................................................................................74

From The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett...........................................................74

5

2 - Compound Finite Verbs..............................................................................................................75From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight................................................................................75

3 - Compound Complements............................................................................................................76From At the Back of the North Wind by George Macdonald....................................................76

4 - Writing Sentences with Compounds...........................................................................................765 - Sentence-Combining...................................................................................................................77

Combining Sentences by Compounding Verbs............................................................................77From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................78

6 - Decombining Compounds...........................................................................................................79From “How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves”.............................................................................79

7 - A Passage for Analysis...............................................................................................................80A Riddle Poem from At the Back of the North Wind..............................................................80

8 - Treasure Hunt / Creating an Exercise.........................................................................................80KISS Level 1. 5. Adding Simple Prepositional PhrasesKISS Level 1. 5. Adding Simple Prepositional Phrases........................................................................................................8181

What Is a Prepositional Phrase?...................................................................................................81Words That Can Function as Prepositions....................................................................................82

1 - Identifying Prepositional Phrases................................................................................................83Fill in the Blanks Adapted from Introductory Lessons in English Grammar..........................83

2 - The Functions of Prepositional Phrases......................................................................................84The Functions of Prepositional Phrases........................................................................................84How Prepositional Phrases Work in Sentences............................................................................85

2.a - Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar By Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A...........862.b - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales by Edric Vredenburg........................................87

3: Prepositions by Themselves Can Function as Adverbs...............................................................88Mama Skunk.............................................................................................................................88

4 - Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects...................................................................................89From Heidi by Johanna Spyri...................................................................................................89

5 Compound Objects of Prepositions...............................................................................................906 - Separated Objects of Prepositions...............................................................................................91

Based on Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell..................................................................................917 - Writing Sentences with Compound Objects of Prepositions.....................................................928 - Rewriting Adjectives and Adverbs as Prepositional Phrases.....................................................93

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year.......................................................................939 - Using Adjectives or Prepositional Phrases to Combine Sentences.............................................94

From “Jack and His Golden Box”.............................................................................................9410 - The Logic of Prepositional Phrases..........................................................................................95

What Prepositional Phrases Can Add to a Text............................................................................9510. a. – From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight..................................................................9610. .b. - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales by Edric Vredenburg....................................97

11 - Adding Prepositional Phrases of Time and Space...................................................................98Adapted from Voyages in English............................................................................................98

12 - Style—Left-, Right-, and Mid-Branching Prepositional Phrases.............................................99The Branching of Adverbial Prepositional Phrases......................................................................99

12. a. - Based on The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children.................................10012. b. - The Sheep and the Pig from The ÆSOP for Children................................................101

13 - Sentence Models for Writing with Style.................................................................................102Similes from The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien........................................................................102

14. Passages for Analysis...............................................................................................................10314. a. Aesop’s The Swallow and the Crow............................................................................103

6

14. b. A Selection from “Blue Beard”....................................................................................10315. - Write, Revise, Edit, and Analyze (Describing an Event)......................................................104

KISS Level 1. 6. Case, Number, and TenseKISS Level 1. 6. Case, Number, and Tense............................................................................................................................................1051051. The Antecedents of Pronouns.....................................................................................................105

Antecedents of Pronouns...........................................................................................................105Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar.............................................................106

2. Antecedents - Fill-in-the-Blanks................................................................................................107From “The Happy Prince,” by Oscar Wilde...........................................................................107

3. Pronouns as Subjects in Multi - S/V/C Sentences......................................................................109From A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang.....................................................................................109

4 - Pronouns Person, Number, and Case........................................................................................111The “Person” in Personal Pronouns: Person, Number, and Case..............................................111

4.a. - Adapted from English for Use -- Book Three..............................................................1134.b. - “The Story of the First Diamonds” by Florence Holbrook............................................115

5. Pronouns: The Gender Question................................................................................................118Pronouns: The Gender Question.................................................................................................118

Adapted from Growth in English: Eighth Year......................................................................1196. Writing Sentences with Personal Pronouns................................................................................120

6.a. - A Recipe Roster.............................................................................................................1206.b. - Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar....................................................121

7. Pronouns as Predicate Nouns.....................................................................................................1227.a - Adapted from Voyages in English..................................................................................1227.b. - * Pronouns as Predicate Nouns (Choose)......................................................................1237.c. - * A Research Project......................................................................................................124

8 - Identifying Tenses.....................................................................................................................125The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?.................................................................................................125

8.a. - From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight....................................................................1268.b. - Changing to a Different Tense..............................................................................................127

8.b. - From A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang............................................................................1279 Person, Number, Case, and Tense...............................................................................................128

From Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson................................................................128KISS Level 1. 7. Punctuation and CapitalizationKISS Level 1. 7. Punctuation and Capitalization........................................................................................................................129129

Punctuating Sentences................................................................................................................129Commas......................................................................................................................................129Apostrophes................................................................................................................................130Quotation Marks.........................................................................................................................130

1 - The Importance of Punctuation.................................................................................................131“Dear John” -- The Importance of Correct Punctuation........................................................131

2 - Punctuating Sentences...............................................................................................................132Based on The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children by Charles Kingsley..........132

3 - Capitalization............................................................................................................................133Capital Letters.............................................................................................................................133

4 - Commas in a Series...................................................................................................................135Based on “How Perseus Vowed a Rash Vow” by Charles Kingsley.....................................135

5 - Commas in Addresses and Dates..............................................................................................136Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year......................................................................136

6 - Apostrophes to Show Possession..............................................................................................137From Heidi by Johanna Spyri.................................................................................................137

7 - Apostrophes in Contractions.....................................................................................................138

7

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri.................................................................................................1388 - Quotation Marks.......................................................................................................................1399 - Replacing Lost Punctuation & Capitalization...........................................................................140

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri.................................................................................................14010 - Creating an Exercise...............................................................................................................140

KISS Level 1.8. - Vocabulary and LogicKISS Level 1.8. - Vocabulary and Logic....................................................................................................................................................1411411 - Abstract and Concrete Words...................................................................................................141

Abstract and Concrete Words.....................................................................................................141Adapted from Child-Story Readers: Wonder Stories.............................................................146

2 - Common and Proper Nouns......................................................................................................147Common and Proper Nouns........................................................................................................147

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year......................................................................1483 Synonyms....................................................................................................................................1494 - Antonyms..................................................................................................................................150

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year.....................................................................1505 - Fill in the Blanks with Interesting Words.................................................................................151

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year.....................................................................1516 - The Logic of Words and Phrases..............................................................................................152

Word Families (Small and Big)..................................................................................................1537 - Suffixes.....................................................................................................................................155

7 A - Suffixes That Create Nouns: (State of Being, Condition, Quality)...............................155B - Suffixes That Denote People.............................................................................................1567 C - Suffixes That Create Nouns (Office, Place, Collection)...............................................1577 D - Suffixes That Create Nouns (Art, Science, Practice)....................................................1587 E - Suffixes That Create Adjectives (Quality)....................................................................1597 F - Suffixes That Create Adjectives (Power, Potential)......................................................1607 G - Suffixes That Create Adjectives (Relationship)...........................................................161H - Suffixes That Create Adjectives (Likeness)....................................................................1627 I - Suffixes for Making Verbs..............................................................................................1637 J - Suffixes That Create Verbs from Nouns and Adjectives...............................................1647 K - Suffixes That Create Adverbs........................................................................................165

8 - Prefixes......................................................................................................................................166Some Common Prefixes (for Level 1.8).................................................................................166

9 - Roots.........................................................................................................................................167Identifying Roots.....................................................................................................................167

Introduction—Welcome to KISS GrammarIntroduction—Welcome to KISS GrammarIf you have worked with other approaches to grammar, you will probably see a difference in KISS.

The KISS Approach is designed to enable you to directly apply what you learn about grammar to

everything you read and also to your own writing. The exercises are almost all based on sentences from

real stories and poems, including the writing of students of your own age. The most important difference

with KISS grammar is that it should make sense to you. As you work your way into it, in other words,

you should quickly begin to see how much you already understand. And, because you will be able to

8

understand much about how sentences work, you should also begin to understand many of the “rules” for

writing and punctuation.

You are about to start KISS Level One—The Basic Concepts. By “basic,” KISS means those

grammatical constructions that are most important to a sentence (subjects, verbs, and complements), and

those constructions that most frequently appear in sentences (adjectives, adverbs, coordinating

conjunctions, and prepositional phrases). If you work with KISS thoughtfully, you will find that by the

end of KISS Level One, you will probably be able to identify the grammatical construction of 90 % of the

words you read in any sentence. And you will be able to explain how these words affect the meaning of

that sentence. To do this, however, there are some things that you need to keep in mind:

1. There are some things that you are expected to always get right. The instructional material for the

second exercise in this book tells you that “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” and “has,” “had,”

and “have” (unless it follows “to”) are always verbs that you should underline twice. It is very

important that you remember this as soon as possible. Unlike most approaches to grammar, in

KISS you will always be underlining verbs twice. The words in the list are very common. The

sooner you remember them, the faster you will be able to do later homework assignments—and

do them correctly. There is not a lot of instructional material in KISS that you need to

memorize, but when you are told to do so, you will be doing yourself a favor.

2. Because you will be analyzing sentences from real texts, there are other things that you will be

expected to get wrong. Expect to make mistakes. Everyone made lots of mistakes as little

children. We all said things like “Daddy readed me a story” or “My brother cutted out the

pictures in the book.” We learn the general rules first, and only after we have learned them can

we begin to master the exceptions. Your teachers will know what you are expected to get right,

and what you are expected to get wrong. Following the suggestions you are being given, and

don’t worry about making mistakes.

3. Always work systematically. Most of the exercises are either a set of numbered sentences or a

short paragraph. In the early exercises, the directions are very simple—“Underline subjects

once, and verbs twice.” Work sentence-by-sentence. Find a verb (or verb phrase) in the first

sentence. Then find its subject by making a question with “Who or what” plus the verb. Then

look for another verb (or verb phrase) in that sentence. If you find one, find its subject. If there

are no more verbs in the sentence, you are finished with it. Do your best with a sentence, and go

on to the next. Do not jump all over the place in the exercise.

9

As you work through the book, things are added to the directions. For example,

prepositional phrases are added at KISS Level 1.5, but from that point on, finding prepositional

phrases is the first step:

1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase.

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

“IO,” or “DO”).

As you get to these, continue to work sentence-by-sentence, and following the directions—in

sequence, with each sentence. In other words, 1.) find all the prepositional phrases in the first

sentence, and then 2.) underline the subjects, verbs, and complements in that sentence. Do your

best and then move on to the next sentence. You will find that this systematic approach will take

less time and result in more correct answers.

4. We humans have a tendency to worry about what we do not know or do not understand. Do not let

that frustrate you. From time to time, stop and look at how much you can already explain.

5. Have fun!

10

KISS Level 1. 1. Identifying Subjects & VerbsKISS Level 1. 1. Identifying Subjects & Verbs

Exercise 1 - Is It a Sentence?

Education is Everything (Detail) 1780

Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806)

What Is a Sentence?What Is a Sentence?

A sentence is a group of words that names something and then says something about what it

has named. Because the thing that is named is what the sentence is about, grammarians call it the

“subject.” The most important words that say something about the subject are called “verbs.” In

the following sentence, the subject is in green and is underlined once. The verb is in blue and is

underlined twice.

Birds fly.

Note that some sentences say something by asking a question about the subject.

Do birds fly?

In longer sentences, we speak of subject and verb phrases. In

The little words are the most difficult.

“words” is the subject, but because the words “The” and “little” go with “words,” we can call

“The little words” the subject phrase. Similarly, “the most difficult” go with “are,” so we can call

“are the most difficult” a verb phrase. A phrase, in other words, is a group of words that does not

contain both a subject and a verb that says something about the subject.

The following are examples of sentences:

April is the cruelest month.

Is April the cruelest month?

Bert likes baseball.

Does Bert like baseball?

Sarah was going to the museum.

Swimming can be good exercise.

Jane will have to work on Friday

The book was written by a child.

The following are examples of phrases, meaningful groups of words that do not contain a

subject/verb pattern:

11

around the house

the bright, beautiful sun

going to the store

swimming in the pond.

were lonely and sad

on the table

There are thousands of verbs in English, and learning to recognize them is probably the

hardest part of understanding grammar. The next few exercises will help you. You will be

expected to make mistakes, but the next lessons will introduce you to some verbs that you will be

expected to always recognize correctly.

Note that many sentences will have more than one subject/verb pattern:

At supper, the food was passed around, and the glasses clashed together

till they rang again; while before the town-gate the mail-coach stopped

with twelve strange passengers.

Simply find a verb or verb phrase, find its subject, and then check for another verb and its subject

until there are no more verbs in the sentence. Then go to the next sentence.

12

1. Is It a Sentence?1. Adapted from

Voyages in English - Fifth Year by Rev. Paul E. Campbell

and Sister Mary Donatus MacNickle

The Turtle Dove

by Sophie Anderson

(1823-1903)

Directions: Which of the following are sentences? Draw a line through each of the following that is NOT a sentence. In the sentences:

1. complete the punctuation with a period for a statement or a question mark for a question;2. underline the subject once, and the verb twice.

1. Tom lives in the mountains

2. The squirrel up the tree

3. The boat down the river

4. I saw the elephant

5. Rose studied her lesson

6. Food everywhere

7. I hear sweet music

8. The Scouts built a fire

9. Flying a kite

10. The poems of Joyce Kilmer

11. The book in the library

12. Several boys helped him

13. They keep the streets clean

14. Along the muddy road

15. The fire engines whizzed by

16. To write a book

17. James good manners

18. George did the work

19. Mary caught a fish

20. Tom playing baseball

13

Fillette au Grand Chapeau

1908 by

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

Exercise 2 - Recognizing Single-Word Verbs

Single-Word VerbsSingle-Word Verbs

Many verbs express action that is performed by the subject. There are thousands of such verbs in English. The following are examples.

Ginger wrote a story. Bill argued with his friend. They went on a trip. Paula kept a diary.

Lance flew an airplane. Anthony rode in one. We built a snowman. My father paints houses.

Some common words do not express action, but they always function as verbs and therefore should always be underlined twice. The most common of these describe a “state of being.” Most of these verbs are forms of the verb “to be” — “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” and “were.” When used alone, these verbs state what the subject is, what kind of thing it is, or where it is:

Mysha was our cat. Their neighbor is nice. I am in the garden.

Other words that are always verbs and that express “state of being” are “seem,” “resemble,” and “become.”

The baby seems hungry. That store resembles a barn. The weather became nasty.

If you remember not just these words, but what the words mean, you should be able to recognize many other verbs. For example, “The weather turned nasty” means that the weather became nasty. Because “turned” means “became,” it functions as a verb and should be underlined twice.

The words “has” and “had” are always verbs, as is “have” (unless it follows the word “to” — you’ll learn more about that later).

Margaret has Ted’s book. The walls have pictures on them.

There are more words that function only as verbs. You’ll learn about many of them in later lessons. For now, you need to remember that:

“Am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” and “has,” “had,” and “have” (unless it follows “to”) are always verbs that you should underline twice.

14

Single Word Verbs

2. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Directions: Underline every verb twice, and its subject(s) once.

1. Her appetite grew amazingly.

2. Why are his eyes so fierce?

3. Peter had a hard time with his goats that day.

4. I am with my grandfather again.

5. All the perfume came from the modest little brown flowers.

6. “Grandfather, our milk is the best in all the world.”

7. Heidi and her grandfather were back on the Alp.

8. The grandfather was still with the children.

9. Peter brought the letter up with him next morning.

10. Clara is so much better.

11. The following days were happier still for Clara.

12. And now I am so hungry!

13. Mr. Sesemann always brought many lovely things home with him.

14. Your hands are as warm as toast!

15. Heidi was always busy with the strange child.

15

Illustrationby Kate Greenaway

Exercise 3 - Finding the Complete Verb Phrase (Tenses)

Helping VerbsHelping Verbs

Some verbs “help” other verbs express differences in time or emphasis. The results are “verb phrases”:

Bobby is playing.

Bobby will be playing.

Bobby was playing.

Bobby had been playing.

Bobby will be playing.

Bobby will have been playing.

Bobby does play.

Bobby did play.

Bobby has played.

Bobby was going to play.

These helpers are usually forms of the verbs: be: is, are, was, were, am, be, being, beenhave: have, has, haddo: do, does, did, done

Note that “will,” “going to,” and “used to” are also used as parts of a verb phrase:

Sam will play tomorrow. They were going to play baseball. Toni also used to play baseball.When you underline verbs, be sure to underline all the helping verbs

in the verb phrase.

16

Recognizing the Full Verb Phrase (Tenses)

3. From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight

Directions: Underline subjects once, and verbs twice.

1. I’ll go to the market.

2. We’ve done the best we can.

3. And still she had not closed the gate.

4. What are you trying to do now?

5. A young child does not have to undergo many dangerous experiences in life.

6. It’s going to walk round this loch?

7. In those trenches they had had no warm hearths.

8. Well, a valuable dog will have owners somewhere.

9. The one driving force of her life was wakened, and it was leaving her no peace.

10. Never before in her five years of life had she been out alone at night.

17

Exercise 4 - Finding the Complete Verb Phrase (Modal)

Helping Verbs (Modal)Helping Verbs (Modal)

As you try to identify verb phrases, remember that the following words often function as "helping" verbs and are thus part of the verb phrase.

Can and Could They can see the parade (DO) from here. But Samantha could see it (DO) from there.

Dare Do they dare go to the cemetary?

May and Must Charlie Brown may have seen the Great Pumpkin (DO). Charlie, you must not kick that football (DO).

Might You might see Venus (DO) on a clear night.

Need They need only ask for help.

Ought Bobby ought to practice more if he wants to be a better player.

Shall and Should

Cinderella shall not go to the ball. You should read more fairy tales (DO).

Will and Would Cinderella, you will go to the ball. A fairy Godmother would be a big help (PN).

Note that “had better” means the same as “should”:

They should weed the garden. They had better weed the garden.

Thus “better” is considered part of the verb phrase.

18

Recognizing the Full Verb Phrase (Modal Helping Verbs)

4. a. From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight

Directions: Underline subjects once, and verbs twice.

1. Her nose and ears would warn her of any approaching danger.

2. She must keep away from men.

3. Lassie ought to have some exercise.

4. It may live the night.

5. This two-footed animal could never catch up with her.

6. She didn’t even need to put on speed.

7. Lassie did not seem to worry about Hynes.

8. She just kept on going at a steady lope, down the path, over the lawn.

9. It would be a terrible waste.

10. Only once in a while could they see a glimpse of the dog.

11. But it might need some help.

19

Edouard Manet's

The Railway1872-73

4. b. Writing Sentences

with Modal Helping Verbs

Directions: Write sentences using each of the following words as helping verbs. In each sentence, underline the subjects once and the verbs twice.

1. can

2. could

3. dare

4. may

5. must

6. might

7. need

8. ought

9. shall

10. should

11. will

12. would

20

Illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright

Exercise 5 – Other Helping Verbs

Other Helping VerbsOther Helping Verbs

Some helping verbs show the beginning, continuation, or ending of an action. For example: begin He will begin to swim in the morning.

They began playing the game (C).

start Bobby is starting to draw a picture (C). Sandi started reading a story (C).

continue The rabbit continued to run away. Blackie Crow will continue to fly high in the sky.

keep (on) Bobtail kept on eating nuts (C). Bobby will keep climbing into the trees.

stop Mrs. Duck stopped swimming in the pond. They will stop playing soon.

Other helping verbs show an attitude toward an action. For example: like Sammy Squirrel likes eating nuts (C).

Would you like to go to the park?

love The ducks love to swim. Bobtail does not love flying.

hate Children hate to go to bed early. Bobtail hates flying.

want Blackie Crow will want to fly to the party.

try Bobby will try to fly too.

21

Other Helping Verbs

5.5 From Heidiby Johanna Spyri

Directions: Underline every finite verb twice, and its subject(s) once.

1. Heidi kept on asking in her excitement.

2. The old acquaintances immediately started gossiping about their friends in the

neighborhood.

3. Wouldn't you like to hear something about it?

4. Stop trembling.

5. The footpath begins to go steeply and abruptly up the Alps.

6. And now you want to hand over the child to this terrible old man.

7. Grandmother would love to see you.

8. I hate to rob her of this pleasure.

9. A small, white goat, called Snowhopper, kept up bleating in the most piteous

way.

10. Clara must try to stand longer this evening for me.

22

Exercise 6 - More Practice with Helping Verbs

6. From “How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves”From The Lilac Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang


1. Walter is six years old, and he must soon begin to go to school. He cannot read

yet, but he can do many other things.

2. That is how I should shoot you if you were a wolf!

3. Indeed, some thought that the brave boy boasted a little; but one must indeed

believe him since he said so himself.

4. I could manage very well alone with three, but if there were more, I might not

have time to kill them all before they ran away.

5. Down, Caro! you ought to be rather ashamed to have put such a great hero to

flight!

23

Exercise 7 - A Fill-in-the-Blanks Exercise

7. From The Secret Garden,

by Frances Hodgson BurnettIllustrator: M. B. Kork, N.Y.: The Phillips Publishing Co., 1911

Directions: Fill in the blanks with interesting verbs. Then underline each verb or verb phrase twice and each subject once. (In some cases, helping verbs are already there.)

1. “I don’t know anything about him,” ____________________ Mary.

2. The wind itself had ____________________ and a brilliant, deep blue sky

____________________ high over the moorland.

3. “He does look rather better, sir,” ____________________ Mrs. Medlock.

4. Mary ____________________ across the grass to him.

5. The wind ____________________ in soft big breaths down from the moor.

6. She put her hand on his shoulder and ____________________ the mist out of

her eyes.

7. “I never thowt much o’ thee!” he ____________________.

8. The train ____________________ him through mountain passes and golden

plains.

9. One morning the rain ____________________ down unceasingly.

10. Sometimes the stream ____________________ a sound rather like very low

laughter as it ____________________ over and round stones.

11. The afternoon was ____________________ toward its mellow hour. The sun

was ____________________ the gold of its lances.

24

Exercise 8 - Passages for Analysis

8. a. - From Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Directions: Underline every verb twice and its subject once.

They started merrily up the Alp. A cloudless, deep-blue sky looked down on

them, for the wind had driven away every little cloud in the night. The fresh green

mountain-side was bathed in brilliant sunlight, and many blue and yellow flowers

had opened. Heidi was wild with joy and ran from side to side. In one place she

saw big patches of fine red primroses, on another spot blue gentians sparkled in the

grass, and everywhere the golden rock-roses were nodding to her. In her transport

at finding such treasures, Heidi even forgot Peter and his goats. She ran far ahead

of him and then strayed away off to one side, for the sparkling flowers tempted her

here and there.

25

A Passage for Analysis

8. b. - Horse Sense,

by a Sixth-Grade Writer


My favorite show is “Horse Sense.” “Why?” might you ask? Because it is a

funny show. And it has horses in it. And I like horses. It is about two cousins. They

have to get along with each other. Their names are Andy and Matthew Lawrence.

Andy works on a farm. Matt is a rich guy who lives in Washington D.C. Matt has

to go work on the farm because he got in trouble at his house and he has to go to

the farm and help them work. Andy and his mom are going to lose the ranch if

Matt doesn’t help them get money. But Matt has no clue about what to do.

26

Exercise 9 - Just for Fun

9. Why the English language is so hard to learn (# 4)

Directions: Underline verbs twice, and their subjects once.

1. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

2. He could lead if he would get the lead out.

3. If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

4. If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

5. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

27

KISS Level 1. 2 Adding Nouns, Pronouns,KISS Level 1. 2 Adding Nouns, Pronouns,

Adjectives, Adverbs, and PhrasesAdjectives, Adverbs, and Phrases

Exercise 1. Identifying Nouns and Pronouns

Vincent van Gogh's(1853-1890)

Self-Portraitwith Bandaged Ear

1889

Identifying Nouns and PronounsIdentifying 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 are often used to 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.

(continues)

28

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.

Subjects Objects Possessive IntensiveI

we you he she it

they who

me us

(you) him her (it)

them whom

mine ours yours

his hers its

theirs

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,” and “any” can be pronouns, but

sometimes they function as adjectives:

Where is his book? His is in the car.

This tastes good (PA). This ice cream tastes good (PA).

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.

29

Identifying Nouns and Pronouns

Ex. 1.a. From Alice in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll

Illustration by

Arthur Rackham

Directions: 1. Underline verbs twice, subjects once. 2. Then put a circle around each noun and a rectangle around each pronoun.

1. She had succeeded in bringing herself down to her usual height.

2. “What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar, sternly. “Explain yourself!”

3. The judge, by the way, was the King and he wore his crown over his great wig.

4. She waited for some time without hearing anything more.

5. Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for

you now, dears?

6. “Let us get to the shore and then I’ll tell you my history.”

7. She looked up, but it was all dark overhead; before her was another long passage

and the White Rabbit was still in sight.

8. “Mouse dear! Do come back again, and we won’t talk about cats, or dogs either,

if you don’t like them!”

9. “That’s the jury-box,” thought Alice; “and those twelve creatures (some were

animals and some were birds) I suppose they are the jurors.”

10. “It matters a good deal to me,” said Alice hastily; “but I’m not looking for

eggs, as it happens, and if I was, I shouldn’t want yours—I don’t like them

raw.”

30

Identifying Nouns and PronounsEx. 1.b. Based on “Perseus”

by Charles KingsleyFrom The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children

Illustrations by Howard Davie

Directions: 1. Underline verbs twice, subjects once. 2. Then put a circle around each noun and a rectangle around each pronoun.

Perseus wondered at that strange cloud, for there was no other cloud all round

the sky; and he trembled as it touched the cliff below. And as it touched, it broke,

and parted, and within it appeared Pallas Athene, as he had seen her at Samos in

his dream, and beside her a young man more light-limbed than the stag, whose

eyes were like sparks of fire. By his side was a scimitar of diamond, all of one

clear precious stone, and on his feet were golden sandals, from the heels of which

grew living wings.

31

Exercises 2 & 3 - Singular and Plural Nouns

Nouns— Singular and Plural (Number)Nouns— 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

Adapted from Introductory Lessons in English Grammar for Use in Intermediate Grades, by Wm. H. Maxwell

32

The Oath of the Horatii 1784

by David, Jacques Louis (1748-1825)

Ex. 2 * Number

- Creating Plurals

Directions: Write the plural of each of the following nouns, and give the number of the rule for making it.

sailor

horse

donkey

star

watch

pony

lady

chief

wife

monkey

apple

knife

valley

lash

church

shelf

mass

tiger

fox

story

circus

rose

tree

camp

witness

turkey

life

calf

half

cow

river

lake

wolf

kiss

glove

dove

muff

rush

grass

glass

window

lamp

piece

thief

strife

eye

fly

sigh

bench

leaf

loaf

dwarf

beef

sheaf

brush

boss

index

suffix

prefix

coach

33

Ex. 3 * Number

- Irregular Plurals

The Railway(1872-73)

byEdouard 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.

34

Exercise 4 - Replacing Nouns with Pronouns

Portrait de Mademoiselle M.T.

(Young Girl with a Parrot)

c. 1873 Berthe Morisot

(1841-1895)

Replacing Nouns with Pronouns

Ex. 4. From:

Growth in English: Seventh YearDirections: 1. Replace the nouns in bold type with pronouns. 2. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice.

1. “I told Mary that Helen would help Mary,” said Helen.

2. What time will James be ready, James?

3. The wife of the witness sat behind the witness.

4. Mary and Jane said Mary and Jane would serve on the committee.

5. The captain told the men that the men must be ready at dawn.

6. The leader insisted that the leader had given the correct command.

7. Jack had the measles and Jack was very sick.

8. Anna washed and ironed Anna’s dress.

9. The train is coming. We can hear the train.

10. Mother promised Jean and Jerry that mother would take Jean and Jerry to the

fair.

35

Exercise 5 - Identifying Adjectives and Adverbs

Identifying Identifying AdjectivesAdjectives and and AdverbsAdverbs

Adjectives and adverbs describe (modify the meaning of) other words in a sentence. Adjectives

modify nouns or pronouns. Therefore:

A word (or construction) that describes a noun or pronoun functions as (and therefore is) an adjective.

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Therefore:

A word (or construction) that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb functions as (and therefore is) an adverb.

“A,” “an,” and “the” always function as adjectives. “A” and “an” indicate that the

word modified refers to anything named by the noun or to something that is not

specifically known to the person spoken to. For example, “A man never cries,” means

that any man never cries. In “A man was walking down the road,” the speaker or writer

implies that the person hearing or reading does not know the identity of the man. On the

other hand, “The man was walking down the road,” means that the people hearing or

reading already know which man is being talked or written about.

36

In order to tell if a word is an adjective or an adverb, you should first look at the

word in the context of a sentence. Thus, in the sentence:

The little swan proudly blew his trumpet.

“The” and “little” are adjectives because they describe the noun “swan.” “Proudly”

describes how he “blew.” Since “blew” is a verb, “proudly” is an adverb. Similarly, “his”

describes the noun “trumpet,” so “his” is an adjective.

37

Ex. 5.a. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri (Ex. #1)

Directions:1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Put a box around every adjective and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.3. Make an oval around every adverb and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.

1. He did not often get such a treasure, and therefore his face was beaming and he

laughingly dropped the money deep into his pocket.

2. Heidi looked thoughtfully at her fresh, new bed.

3. The strong wind nearly blew her from her seat.

4. Suddenly she heard a loud, sharp scream.

5. Heidi suddenly wiped away her tears, for she had had a cheering thought.

6. Blue and yellow flowers graciously greeted her at every step.

7. The old grandmother alone stuck to him faithfully.

8. She unexpectedly found herself on a high white bed in a spacious room.

9. A black stream of ink flowed darkly across the length of the room.

10. Clara had a pale, thin face with soft blue eyes, which at that moment were

watching the clock impatiently.

38

Ex. 5.b. From Heidi by Johanna Spyri (Ex. #2)

Directions:1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Put a box around every adjective and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.3. Make an oval around every adverb and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.

1. Heidi could hardly tear herself away from the pretty kittens.

2. They both played happily with the two graceful creatures.

3. Sebastian obediently pulled the dirty street-boy after him.

4. The grandmama, with her kind and loving way, immediately befriended the

child.

5. But poor Mr. Sesemann, unfortunately, did not get his answer, and had to listen

to very long-winded explanations of the child’s character.

6. He has a friendly laugh and wears a gold pendant with a red stone on his thick

gold chain.

7. The slowly setting sun was shedding a golden light over everything.

8. She would look at the beautiful pictures and read all the stories aloud to Clara.

9. Grandmama would quietly listen and explain something here and there.

10. Sebastian was placing footstools in front of nearly every armchair, and Miss

Rottenmeier walked with great dignity about the house, inspecting everything.

39

Exercise 6 - Identifying Phrases (Chunking and Modification)

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

Study:At a

Reading Desk 1877 by

Fredrick LordLeighton (1830-1896)

A “phrase” is a group of words that work together as one. Adjectives, for example, modifying nouns

and by doing so form noun phrases:

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 ChunkingWhen we talk about “modification,” we are looking at the way a word modifies, or affects the

meaning of the word it modifies. 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

these words end up connected to a main subject and verb in the sentence. Linguists (people who study

how language works) call this connecting “chunking.” You will be learning more about this later, but for

now we are simply interested in adjectival and adverbial phrases. Consider the following sentence:

The little boy runs very quickly.

The adjectives “The” and “little” modify (and thus chunk to) the noun “boy.” In other words, 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 “runs.” They thus form a verb

phrase that functions as the verb in the sentence.

40

About these Exercises on PhrasesThe following exercises ask you to focus on noun and verb phrases. You really do not want

to work with simple sentences such as “The little boy runs very quickly.” You can do better than

that. Therefore, the sentences in the exercises are more complicated. The directions for all these

exercises are:

1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice.

2. Label every noun (N), every pronoun (PRN), adjective (J), and adverb (A).

3. Draw a box around every noun phrase and an oval around every verb phrase.

4. If parts of a phrase are separated by other words, draw a line to connect from box

to box or from oval to oval to connect the parts of the phrase.

The exercises include some words that function in ways that you have not studied yet. In the

exercises, these words are in bold. For these exercises, you should simply ignore those words.

For example,

In return Simon gave them a place to sleep on the floor of the attic.

In this sentence, “In,” “to sleep on,” and “of” are in bold, so you should ignore them. Having

completed KISS Level 1.1, you should be able to identify “Simon gave” as a subject and verb.

Next you have to label every noun, pronoun, adjective, and adverb. You will need to do

some thinking, but remember that you are expected to make some mistakes. “Return,” for

example, could be a verb, but here it does not have a subject, so it probably functions as a noun.

You should easily recognize “them” as a pronoun. Similarly, “a” and “the” are always adjectives.

After you follow direction number two, your paper should look something like:

In return (N) Simon (N) gave them (PRN) a (J) place (N) to sleep on the (J) floor

(N) of the (J) attic (N).

The nouns “return” “Simon” are not modified, so they are simple nouns, but “place,” “floor,”

and “attic” are modified, so you should have boxes around three noun phrases: “a place,” “the

floor,” and “the attic.”

(Continues)

41

Split phrases Sometimes, modifiers are separated from the words they modify. For example:

Maybe she will give me a new red coat.

In this sentence, “Maybe” modifies (chunks to) “will give.” In cases like this, draw an oval

(because “maybe” is an adverb) around “Maybe” and around “will give.” Connect the two ovals

with a curved line.

Dr. Vavra, the developer of KISS Grammar, truly believes that you are smart and can find

the noun and verb phrases in even more complicated sentences. The following examples include

constructions that you will be learning about later, not only in KISS Level 1, but also in KISS

Level 3.

More than one subject or verb -- “and” You may have already seen subjects that have more than one verb and verbs that have more

than one subject. Technically, these are called “compounds.” They are the focus of KISS Level

1.4, and they are usually joined by “and.” For now, simply remember to look for all the subjects

that go with a verb and for all the verbs that go with a subject. (Note that the “and” in the

following sentence is in bold. You are not expected to explain it, but you should be able to

identify both of the subjects of “hurried.”

The Fairies and the Goblins hurried to the kitchen in the hollow.

Multiple subject/verb patterns As in the following example, many sentences have more than one subject/verb pattern. A

subject/verb pattern and all the phrases that chunk to it is called a “clause.” You will be studying

clauses in KISS Level 3. For now, simply remember to look for all the subject/verb patterns in a

sentence.

“You speak truly, brother,” said another tree.

Note that the example includes the word “brother.” You have not yet studied the function of

“brother,” but you should be able to identify it as a noun.

Remember—being smart does not mean that you will not make mistakes. Smart people

make lots of mistakes—and they learn from them. Ideally, your teacher will go over these

exercises with you to help you understand your mistakes.

42

Identifying Phrases

Ex. 6.a. Ten Sentences from “The Gorgon's Head”by Nathaniel Hawthornein A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys

Illustrated by Walter CraneDirections: 1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Label every noun (N), every pronoun (PRN), adjective (J), and adverb (A). 3. Draw a box around every noun phrase and an oval around every verb phrase. 4. If parts of a phrase are separated by other words, draw a line to connect from box to box or from oval

to oval to connect the parts of the phrase.

1. This fisherman was an exceedingly humane and upright man.

2. So this bad-hearted king spent a long while in considering what was the most

dangerous thing that a young man could possibly undertake.

3. The bridal gift which I have set my heart on presenting to the beautiful

Hippodamia is the head of the Gorgon Medusa with the snaky locks.

4. You must bring it home in the very best condition, in order to suit the exquisite

taste of the beautiful Princess Hippodamia.

5. The only good man in this unfortunate island of Seriphus appears to have been

the fisherman.

6. Medusa’s snakes will sting him soundly!

7. The three sisters were really a very frightful and mischievous species of dragon.

8. The teeth of the Gorgons were terribly long tusks.

9. Every feather in them was pure, bright, glittering, burnished gold, and they

looked very dazzlingly.

10. Not only must he fight with and slay this golden-winged, iron-scaled, long-

tusked, brazen-clawed, snaky-haired monster, but he must do it with his eyes

shut.

43

Identifying Phrases

Ex. 6.b. A Passage from “The Gorgon's Head”by Nathaniel Hawthorne

in A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys Illustrated by Walter Crane

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Label every noun (N), every pronoun (PRN), adjective (J), and adverb (A). 3. Draw a box around every noun phrase and an oval around every verb phrase. 4. If parts of a phrase are separated by other words, draw a line to connect from box to box or from oval

to oval to connect the parts of the phrase.

PERSEUS was the son of Danaë, who was the daughter of a king. And when

Perseus was a very little boy, some wicked people put his mother and himself into

a chest, and set them afloat upon the sea. The wind blew freshly, and drove the

chest away from the shore, and the uneasy billows tossed it up and down; while

Danaë clasped her child closely to her bosom, and dreaded that some big wave

would dash its foamy crest over them both. The chest sailed on, however, and

neither sank nor was upset; until, when night was coming, it floated so near an

island that it got entangled in a fisherman’s nets, and was drawn out high and dry

upon the sand. The island was called Seriphus, and it was reigned over by King

Polydectes, who happened to be the fisherman’s brother.

44

Exercise 7 - Possessive Nouns and Pronouns Function as Adjectives

Ex. 7. Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar

By Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A.

Possessive nouns and pronouns function as adjectives – That is Anthony’s house. It is his house.

Directions:1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Circle every adjective and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies. 3. Put a box around every adverb and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.

1. The robin’s song reached the sick man’s darkened room.

2. June’s lovely days bring buds and flowers.

3. The brook’s clear surface reflected the moon’s silver rays.

4. The teacher’s explanation made the example clear.

5. The flowers’ fragrance completely filled the invalid’s room.

6. Were John’s clothes well made?

7. The tree’s leaves absorb the atmosphere’s poisons.

8. The boy’s flesh was pierced.

9. The graceful maple tree has shed its beautiful scarlet leaves.

10. The audience admired the lawyer’s speech.

45

Exercise 8. - Fill in the Blanks with Verbs, Adjectives or Adverbs

From Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Directions: Fill in the blanks with interesting verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

1. A _____(Adj.)_____ girl, with _____(Adj.)_____ hair and _____(Adj.)_____ face,

was _____(Adv.)_____ leaning on Heidi, whose _____(Adj.)_____ eyes

_____(Verb)_____ with _____(Adj.)_____ delight.

2. When Clara had _____(Verb)_____ a long time at the _____(Adj.)_____ sky above

and all the _____(Adj.)_____ crags, she said _____(Adv.)_____: "I wish I

_____(Verb)_____ walk round the hut to the fir-trees.

3. A _____(Adj.)_____ bunch of _____(Adv.)_____ blue gentians _____(Verb)_____ as

if they had grown there.

4. A _____(Adj.)_____ morning breeze _____(Verb)_____ their cheeks, and the

_____(Adj.)_____ fragrance from the fir-trees filled _____(Adj.)_____ lungs with

every breath.

5. Day after day the sun _____(Verb)_____ on a _____(Adj.)_____ sky, and at night it

would _____(Verb)_____ its _____(Adj.)_____, _____(Adj.)_____ light down on

the rocks and snow-fields till everything seemed to _____(Verb)_____ like fire.

(Continues on next page)

46

6. A _____(Adj.)_____ wind was _____(Verb)_____, which at this moment

_____(Adv.)_____ closed the shop-door.

7. They had been sitting _____(Adv.)_____ for a few hours, _____(Verb)_____ in the

beauty about them, when Heidi _____(Adv.)_____ began to long for the spot where

so _____(Adj.)_____ flowers grew.

8. Near together in _____(Adj.)_____ patches the bluebells were nodding

_____(Adv.)_____ in the breeze.

9. The _____(Adj.)_____ boy was _____(Adv.)_____ bewildered, for he had dreamt that

the rolling-chair with the _____(Adj.)_____ cushions stood _____(Adv.)_____

before his eyes.

10. He had _____(Adv.)_____ _____(Verb)_____ a _____(Adj.)_____ bunch of

_____(Adj.)_____ gentians.

47

Exercise 9 - Adjectives (Synonyms)

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year

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

The Model 1919 by

Guy Rose (American 1867-

1925)

Words that have the same general meaning are called synonyms.

Directions: 1. Write a synonym for each of the following adjectives. 2. Use your synonym in a short sentence.

Example: big -- large They saw a large rabbit in their garden.

foolish generous damp polite rich

upper strange sharp clever tardy

Exercise 10 - Adjectives (Antonyms) Adapted from

Voyages in English - Fifth Year


Mistover Point Lobos

by Guy Rose

(American 1867-1925)

Words of opposite meaning are called antonyms.

Directions: 1. Write an antonym for each of the following adjectives. 2. Use your antonyms in a short sentence.

Example: smooth -- rough: The glass is smooth, but the grass is rough.

dark strong wise rich small

heavy crooked soft right sharp

48

Exercise 11 -

The Logic of Adjectives and Adverbs

The Questions that AdjectivesThe Questions that Adjectivesand Adverbs Answerand Adverbs Answer

Adjectives and adverbs are called “modifiers” because they modify (change) the meaning of the

words they chunk to. Adjectives and adverbs add many kinds of information to sentences. Here we will

focus on the most common questions that they answer.

Adjectives

Adjectives help identify what nouns or pronouns mean. They do so by describing or limiting the

words they modify. They usually answer the questions: What kind of? Which? Whose? How many?

Adverbs

Adverbs of Time answer question When? Some examples are: now, then, soon, early, formerly, and

today.

Adverbs of Space answer questions such as Where? or In what direction? Examples are: here,

there, far, near, aloft, forward, backward, north, and northward.

Adverbs of Manner usually answer the questions How? Examples are happily, carefully, easily,

quickly, fast, and hard as in “They work hard.”

Adverbs of Degree usually and questions like How much? or How often? Some examples are so,

very, much, little, exceedingly, hardly, regularly, often, barely, rarely, and not (the negative adverb).

Note that some words can be seen as answering more than one of the listed questions. For example, in a

sentence such as “He never missed a catch,” “never” can be described as an adverb of time (When?) and

as an adverb of degree (How often?)

(Continues)

49

In the exercises that follow, words in the sentences will be numbered. On separate paper, write the

number of the word, whether the word functions as an adjective or adverb, the word it modifies, its

logical category, and the question that it answers. Note that for this perspective, the logical category of all

adjectives is “identity.” For example:

1. Yesterday [1], the young [2] prince took his new bride to his father’s [3] palace.

2. The hunters very [4] quickly [5] turned northward [6] to follow the bear.

1. Adverb to “took” Time When?

2. Adjective to “prince” Identity Which? What kind of?

3. Adjective to “palace” Identity Whose?

4. Adverb to “quickly” Degree How much?

5. Adverb to “turned” Manner How?

6. Adverb to “turned” Space In what direction?

Note that “young” (#2) could mean “which” if there are two or more princes. Otherwise “young” simply

describes the prince and thus answers the question “What kind of?”

50

Ex. 11.a. Adapted from The Mother Tongue, Book II

by George Kittredge and Sarah Arnold Boston, Ginn & Company, 1903, 49ff.

Leaving School c. 1847-48

by Honoré Daumier

(1808-1879)

Directions: On separate paper, write the number of the word, whether the word functions as an adjective or adverb, the word it modifies, its logical category, and the question that it answers. Note that for this perspective, the logical category of all adjectives is "identity."

1. The starving [1] man then [2] ate greedily [3].

2. The three [4] men plodded wearily [5] back [6] to their old [7] shack.

3. Mary explained her [8] problem very [9] clearly [10].

4. Jessica’s [11] big [12] brown [13] eyes barely [14] saw the bird slowly [15] move.

5. Bobby ran away [16] so [17] fast [18] that his [19] father did not [20] see him.

51

The Logic of Adjectives and Adverbs

Ex. 11.b Based on The Queen of the Pirate Isle by Bret Harte

Illustrated by Kate Greenaway

Directions: On separate paper, write the number of the word, whether the word functions as an adjective or adverb, the word it modifies, its logical category, and the question that it answers. Note that for this perspective, the logical category of all adjectives is “identity.”

1. I first [1] knew her as the Queen of the Pirate [2] Isle.

2. To the best of my [3] recollection she had no reasonable [4] right to that [5] title.

3. Her personation of a certain Mrs. Smith was never [6] perfectly [7] appreciated by her

own circle.

4. Wan Lee’s [8] silent, stolid, mechanical [9] performance of a Pirate’s duties had been

their one delight and fascination!

5. “Go to bed instantly [10] without your supper,” she said, seriously [11].

6. Thither [12] they solemnly [13] proceeded along the ridge in single [14] file.

7. The eyes of the four [15] children became rounder and rounder.

8. The continual [16] traffic had gradually [17] worn a shallow gully into the face of the

mountain.

9. She felt very [18] lonely, but was not [19] quite [20] afraid; she felt very melancholy, but

was not entirely sad.

52

Exercise 12 - A Passage for Analysis

From John Steinbeck’s The Red PonyN.Y. Bantam Books, 1937, 1988

The Opening Paragraph of Chapter II. “The Great Mountain” (p. 36)

Directions:1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Circle every adjective and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies. 3. Put a box around every adverb and draw an arrow from it to the word it modifies.

In the humming heat of a midsummer afternoon the little boy Jody listlessly

looked about the ranch for something to do. He had been to the barn, had thrown

rocks at the swallows’ nests under the eaves until every one of the little mud

houses broke open and dropped its lining of straw and dirty feathers. Then at the

ranch house he baited a rat trap with stale cheese and set it where Doubletree Mutt,

that good big dog, would get his nose snapped. Jody was not moved by an impulse

of cruelty; he was bored with the long hot afternoon. Doubletree Mutt put his

stupid nose in the trap and got it smacked, and shrieked with agony and limped

away with blood on his nostrils. No matter where he was hurt, Mutt limped. It was

just a way he had. Once when he was young, Mutt got caught in a coyote trap, and

always after that he limped, even when he was scolded.

53

KISS Level 1. 3 Adding Complements (PA, PN, IO, DO)KISS Level 1. 3 Adding Complements (PA, PN, IO, DO)

Identifying ComplementsIdentifying Complements

The S / V / C Pattern(Subject / Verb / Complement)

Once you are fairly comfortable with finding subjects and verbs, you should

start to look at the full S/V/C pattern. The “C” stands for “complement.” To find

the subject of a verb, ask a question with “Who” or “What” before the verb. For

example, in the sentence

Arthur likes sandwiches.

we can ask “Who or what likes?” The word in the sentence that answers that

question is “Arthur,” so “Arthur” is the subject of “likes.”

To find the complement of a verb, simply create a question with “whom” or

“what” after the verb. “Arthur likes what?” The answer to that question in this

sentence is “sandwiches,” so “sandwiches” is the complement of “likes.”

Note that the question has to be based on the verb plus “whom” or “what.”

Words that answer the questions “When?” “Why?” “How?” etc. do not reveal

complements, they reveal adverbs.

Special Note: In KISS Level One, you are expected to be able to identify

single words that function as complements, but some complements consist of

several words and may confuse you. You will not be expected to identify these

complements. Simply concentrate on the complements that you can identify.

54

Identifying the Types of ComplementsIdentifying the Types of ComplementsThere are four different possible types of complements. Use the following sequence to identify the

types of complements.

Possibility # 1: Subject / VerbIf nothing answers the question “Verb + whom or what?”, the pattern is S/V.

[STOP: You have your answer.]

Possibility # 2: Subject / Verb / Predicate Adjective If the word that answers the question “what?” after the verb is an adjective,

the pattern is S/V/PA. [STOP: You have your answer.]

Possibility # 3: Subject / Verb / Predicate NounIf the word that answers the question is a noun (or pronoun) that renames the

subjectand 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, at least in appearance.“Angels” is therefore a predicate noun.

[STOP: You have your answer.]Note that the criteria of implied equality between subject and complement eliminates “herself” from

consideration as a predicate noun in a sentence such as “She washes herself.” “Washes” does not imply equality.

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

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 of Indirect Objects:They sent him (IO) a letter (DO).

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

56

Examples of the Process forExamples of the Process forIdentifying the Types of ComplementsIdentifying the Types of Complements

These examples are based on modified sentences from Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge. The illustration is by Edna Cooke.

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

Example # 1: A Dutch wagon with its funny little crooked pole is a perfect mystery of mysteries.

Step # 1. Find and underline the subject and verb: A Dutch wagon with its funny little crooked pole is a perfect mystery of mysteries.

Step # 2. Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb, and “whom” or “what.”

The wagon is whom or what?

In this sentence, the answer to that question is “mystery.” Thus “mystery” is the complement.

Step # 3. Find the type of the complement “mystery.”a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Mystery” is not an adjective, so it does not describe “wagon.”

Therefore it is not a predicate adjective.

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Is” can mean “equals,” and the sentence means that the wagon equals a

mystery. Therefore “mystery” functions as a predicate noun.

We have found the type of the complement, so we are finished with this sentence.

A Dutch wagon with its funny little crooked pole is a perfect mystery (PN) of mysteries.

Example # 2: On a bright December morning long ago, two thinly clad children were kneeling upon the bank of a frozen canal in Holland.

Step # 1. Find and underline the subject and verb: On a bright December morning long ago, two thinly clad children were kneeling upon the bank of a

frozen canal in Holland.

Step # 2: Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb, and “whom” or “what.”

The children were kneeling whom or what?

Nothing in this sentence answers that question. Indeed, the question does not make any sense. 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.

57

Example # 3: The pure morning air was very delightful.

Step # 1. Find and underline the subject and verb: The pure morning air was very delightful.

Step # 2. Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb, and “whom” or “what.”

The pure morning air was whom or what?

The answer to this question is “delightful,” so “delightful” is the complement of “air was.”

Step # 3. Find the type of the complement. a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Delightful” is an adjective, and in this sentence it describes the

subject “morning.” Therefore “delightful” is a predicate adjective.

We have found all the subjects, verbs, and complements in this sentence, so we are finished with it:

The pure morning air was very delightful (PA).

Example # 4: The expression on her face gave our boys little promise of a kind reception.

Step # 1. Find and underline the subject and verb: The expression on her face gave our boys little promise of a kind reception.

Step # 2: Find the complement by making a question with the subject, verb, and “whom” or “what.”

The expression gave whom or what?

In this sentence, two words answer this question—“boys” and “promise.” Thus there are two

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

Step # 3. What type of complement is “boys”? a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Boys” is not an adjective, so it does not describe the subject

“expression.” Therefore it cannot be a predicate adjective.

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Boys” and “expression” name different things, and “gave” in no way

means “equals,” so “boys” cannot be a predicate noun.

c.) Is it an indirect object? The sentence means that the expression gave little promise to the boys.

Thus “boys” in an indirect object to “gave.”

(Continues on the next page)

58

What type of complement is “promise”? a.) Is it a predicate adjective? “Promise” is not an adjective, so it cannot describe the

subject “expression.” Therefore is cannot be a predicate adjective.

b.) Is it a predicate noun? “Promise” does not in any way equal the subject “expression,”

and “gave” does not mean “equals,” so “promise” can not be a predicate noun.

c.) Is it an indirect object? The sentence does not mean that anything was given to or for

the promise, so “promise” cannot be an indirect object.

d.) The only option left is direct object, so “promise” 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:

The expression on her face gave our boys (IO) little promise (DO) of a kind reception.

59

1 - Identification—Mixed Complements

1.a - From The Secret Garden,

by Frances Hodgson BurnettIllustrator: M. B. Kork, N.Y.: The Phillips Publishing Co., 1911

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” “DO”).

1. The robin was very pert and lively.

2. She was making heaps of earth and paths for a garden.

3. I am Mary Lennox.

4. You are going to your uncle.

5. It actually gave Mary a queer feeling in her heart.

6. They were obsequious and servile.

7. A man gave me a ride in his cart.

8. He lives in a great, big, desolate old house in the country.

9. Basil was a little boy with impudent blue eyes and a turned-up nose.

10. But the flower-beds were bare and wintry.

60

KISS Level 1.2 Mixed Complements

1.b - From the Writing of Sixth Graders

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. That day was rainy and cold.

2. I was in a cast for six months.

3. It is a great show.

4. He saved us from a black bear.

5. We were cold, and the day was getting late.

6. I gave you enough reasons.

7. His family lives in the back of the house.

8. That’s my first reason.

9. Boy Meets World teaches people important lessons about life.

10. On the way back to our camp I heard a threatening growl.

61

1.c - From Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Directions: Underline every verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. Grandmother, shall I read you a song from your book now?

2. Why have you come down here?

3. Suddenly the doctor raised his finger.

4. This book became her dearest treasure.

5. Miss Rottenmeier told him her fears about Heidi’s mind.

6. His brain got dizzy.

7. Grandmother’s blindness was always a great sorrow to the child.

8. Not a sound came from the street.

9. My poor eyes can neither see the snow nor the light.

10. Though his hair was grey, his face was still fresh, and his eyes were lively and

kind.

62

1.d - Based on The Queen of the Pirate Isle by Bret Harte

Illustrated by Kate Greenaway

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” “DO”).

1. At supper, she timidly asked Bridget a question.

2. It wasn't a dead man, it wasn't an animal, it wasn't a baby!

3. She had borrowed from another's fiction.

4. This last infamous suggestion fired the corsair's blood.

5. The last act was reckless and irretrievable, but it was vague.

6. The eventful day dawned without any unusual sign of importance.

7. It was her real existence.

8. Long waves of spicy heat rolling up the mountain from the valley brought her

the smell of pine trees and bay.

9. For a moment the good men held their breath in helpless terror.

10. She was only nine years old.

11. The entrance of Polly's mother at this moment put an end to Polly's authority

and dispersed the pirate band.

63

2 - A Focus on Predicate Adjectives

Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar

For Use in Intermediate Grades By Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A.

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Write “PA” over every predicate adjective .

1. The knife was sharp and keen.

2. The winter winds are cold and fierce.

3. John had been faint and ill.

4. Tomorrow we shall be gay and happy.

5. The people of New England are frugal and industrious.

6. Our baby is roguish, winsome, and pretty.

7. The prince was young and charming.

8. The poor beggar’s footstep is lagging and weary.

9. Always be careful of the feelings of others.

10. The day is long and dark and dreary.

64

3 - A Focus on Predicate Nouns

Based on Introductory Lessons in English Grammar

For Use in Intermediate GradesBy Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A.

Directions: 1. Underline every subject once and every verb twice. 2. Write “PN” over every predicate noun.

1. My mother is the kindest and dearest friend in all my troubles.

2. Caesar was undoubtedly a statesman and a warrior.

3. The present from my uncle was a genuine surprise to me.

4. A battle in these times is a fearful scene.

5. Little folks are sincere believers in Santa Claus.

6. Apples and peaches are delicious fruit.

7. The beautiful silver moon is a dead world.

8. Kings and queens are generally unhappy people.

9. New York and London are very big and wonderful cities.

10. Julius Caesar was a very famous Roman general and emperor.

65

4 - A Focus on Direct Objects



1. Why do the mountains have no names, grandfather?

2. Sometimes the grandfather would make small round cheeses.

3. I have never heard the name before.

4. Heidi shook her head doubtfully at these prospects.

5. Suddenly Heidi remembered all the happenings of the previous day.

6. "Where are you taking the child, Deta?"

7. The girls always spent their evenings together.

8. She nearly made a hole in my head just now.

9. That night at supper Miss Rottenmeier watched Heidi constantly.

10. Mr. Sesemann then explained the circumstances.

66

5 - A Focus on Indirect Objects



1. I shall also give you a big piece of bread.

2. Heidi gave him her hand.

3. Deta gave Heidi another blow.

4. Nobody can ever show me the light again.

5. Grandmother, I shall tell grandfather about it.

6. Mother and I wish you a good-afternoon.

7. Heidi, bring the goats some salt.

8. She had gone to the housekeeper and told her all about Heidi.

9. You might bring her some soft white rolls of bread.

10. The child told him now about all the happenings of the day, and especially

about the wonderful fire.

67

6 - A Focus on Zero Complements



1. The wind often blew in violent gusts up there.

2. The sun was already sinking down behind the mountains.

3. At last even Peter could not come any more.

4. Two winters had nearly passed.

5. The spring was coming again.

6. The goats ran after her like little dogs.

7. Snowdrops were peeping through the ground.

8. Heidi did not stop at once.

9. A ghost is in the house.

10. This cottage rattles and creaks, and when the wind blows, it comes in through

every chink.

68

7 - Verbs as Subjects or Complements

VerbsVerbs

as Subjects or Complementsas Subjects or Complements

Leonardo da Vinci

1452-1519

The Mona Lisa

Verbs can function as subjects or complements. Technically, 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 in later KISS levels, but for

now consider the following:

Verbs can function as subjects or complements:

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 function as subjects or complements may themselves have

complements:

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

Playing baseball (DO) is fun (PA).

They began playing (DO) the game (DO).

69

Verbs as Subjects or Complements



1. Bringing Grandmama soft rolls of bread pleased Heidi.

2. The children had planned to take her by surprise.

3. He could not help thinking of the policeman.

4. To sit alone day after day made Peter sad.

5. Clara’s greatest wish is to be able to walk.

6. Climbing the mountain up to the hut was difficult.

7. She wanted to see the happiness of her son.

8. Heidi really liked living on the mountain with her Grandfather and the goats.

9. Her favorite activity was going up the mountain with Peter and the goats.

10. To live here in the Alps would be very good for Dr. Classen.

70

8 - Predicate Adjective or Part of the Verb?

Predicate Adjective Predicate Adjective or or

Part of the Verb Phrase?Part of the Verb Phrase?

Master Hare1788 by

Sir Joshua Reynolds 1723-1792

In a previous exercise, you saw verbs that can function as subjects or complements.

Sometimes these verbs can be explained either as part of the verb phrase or as a predicate

adjective that describes the subject. Generally speaking, if the focus is on the action of these

verbs, the verb is best explained as part of the verb phrase. If the verb functions primarily to

describe the condition of the subject, it can be seen as a predicate adjective.

Consider the following sentences:

1. The door was closed by John.

2. The door was closed (PA) when they arrived.

3. The door was closed.

Because the first sentence tells us who performed the action of closing the door, the sentence

focuses on the action. Thus it is best to see “was closed” as the verb phrase. In the second

sentence, however, the important point is not the act of closing the door, but rather the condition

of the door when they arrived. Thus in the second sentence we can see “was” as the verb to be

underlined and “closed” as a verb that functions as a predicate adjective.

The only way to determine the focus of the third sentence is to see it in context, and even

then it might not be clear. In such cases it is best to explain the verb in question as part of the

verb phrase. Thus, in the third sentence, “was closed” should be underlined as the verb.

Note that this is a fine point that is not even discussed in many grammar textbooks. In those

books, the verbs that here function as predicate adjectives are usually considered as part of the

verb phrase. When in doubt, therefore, include the verb in the verb phrase.

71

Based on “The Nightingale” From Stories from Hans Andersen

with illustrations by Edmund Dulac

Be sure that you underline the entire verb phrase.Directions: Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or

“DO”).

1. The nightingale was always put above everything else.

2. It has never been presented at court.

3. The palace had been brightened up for the occasion.

4. They were all dressed in their best.

5. The emperor was charmed.

6. A ribbon was tied round its neck.

7. A new emperor was already chosen.

8. The real nightingale was banished from the kingdom.

9. Everybody’s eyes were turned towards the little grey bird.

10. Cloth had been laid down in all the rooms and corridors.

72

9 - Writing Sentences

with Complements

MICHELANGELO'sJoel

1508-12, Fresco Cappella Sistina,

Vatican

Directions: 1. Use each of the following words in a sentence. After each, write the type of the complement of the verb

(zero, predicate adjective, predicate noun, indirect or direct object).2. Underline every subject once and every verb twice.

eats

smiles

sets

will be

killed

studied

threw

drew

sit

hates

scream

heard

life

became

writes

is

reads

left

fell

built

arrived

crossed

brought

laughed

were

crows

chirp

hammers

plants

spent

cough

taught

seems

found

washed

Select one of the sentences and use it to begin a story.

73

10 - A Passage for Analysis

From Chapter 22 of Heidi

by Johanna Spyri


The sky was a deep blue, and the snow on the peaks was glistening. The eagle

was floating above the rocky crags. The children felt wonderfully happy. Now and

then one of the goats would come and lie down near them. Tender little

Snowhopper came oftener than any and would rub her head against their shoulders.

74

11 - Just for Fun

KISS Grammar Tongue Twisters


1. Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos.

2. Sly Sam slurps Sally's soup.

3. The two-twenty-two train tore through the tunnel.

4. Ed had edited it.

5. Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.

6. Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

7. What time does the wristwatch strap shop shut?

8. Are our oars oak?

9. Chop shops stock chops.

10. The ochre ogre ogled the poker.

75

KISS Level 1.4. - Coordinating Conjunctions and CompoundsKISS Level 1.4. - Coordinating Conjunctions and Compounds

Coordinating Conjunctions and CompoundingCoordinating Conjunctions and Compounding

“Compound” refers to two or more words or phrases that serve the

same function within a sentence. Usually, compounds are joined

together by coordinating conjunctions—“and,” “or,” or “but.”

Adjectives can be compounded:

They love their tan and white kitten.

And so can adverbs:

Geoffrey quickly and quietly cleaned his room.

Similarly, subjects, verbs, and complements can all be compounded:

“Mary and Bill ate dinner (DO) and then

played tennis (DO) and basketball (DO).”

Note that “either ... or...” and “neither ... nor....” are variations of “or,” and thus also

function as coordinating conjunctions:

Neither Bill nor Tom likes either swimming (DO) or fishing (DO).

Simply remember that any type of grammatical construction may be

compounded.

76

1 - Mixed Compounds

From The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Illustrator: M. B. Kork, N.Y.: The Phillips Publishing Co., 1911

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

1. Do you want toys, books, dolls?

2. Mary was imperious and Indian, and at the same time hot and sorrowful.

3. The spade, and hoe, and fork were very useful.

4. Sometimes the rook flapped his black wings and soared away over the tree-tops

in the park.

5. He was rather a nervous man.

6. Then she ran lightly across the grass, pushed open the slow old door and slipped

through it under the ivy.

7. Sometimes I think perhaps I’m a bird, or a fox, or a rabbit, or a squirrel, or even

a beetle.

8. A boy, and a fox, and a crow, and two squirrels, and a new-born lamb, are

coming to see me this morning.

9. Dickon has brought the fox and the crow and the squirrels and a new-born lamb.

10. In India she had always been too hot and languid and weak to care much about

anything.

77

2 - Compound Finite Verbs

From Lassie, Come Home

by Eric Knight


1. The younger man lifted the rifle quickly, cuddled the stock, and fired.

2. They would stretch out their hands and snap their fingers and call in kindly

tones.

3. Lassie sank, plunged a moment, and then fell on her side.

4. The two old people brought Lassie into the warmth of the hearth and laid her on

the rug.

5. Lassie accepted these men, but responded to none of them, nor went where they

could touch her, nor answered any of their commands.

6. The people did not move suddenly or shout noisily or throw things that hurt.

7. The dogs, then the men, tumbled out, and raced away after Lassie’s tracks.

78

3 - Compound Complements

From At the Back of the North Wind

by George Macdonald

Simplified by Elizabeth Lewis; Illustrated by Maria L. Kirk


1. Then Ruby was so lazy and fat.

2. The rabbits looked very sober and wise.

3. In a loft in the barn they kept hay and straw and oats for the horses.

4. The room had a bright light and a warm fire in it.

5. And how thin and weak you grew in the beautiful blue cave in the side of the ice.

6. North Wind swept the people all into their homes and the bad smells out of the

streets.

7. The wind down below was making waves in the ripe grain and ripples on the rivers

and lakes.

8. He kept picturing to himself the many places, lovely and desolate, the hill sides and

farm yards and tree-tops and meadows.

9. He could hear the straining of the masts, the creaking of the boom, and the singing

of the ropes with the roaring of the wind; also the surge of the waves past the

ship’s sides and the thud of the waves against the hull of the ship.

10. So on a certain day, Diamond’s father took his mother and Diamond himself and

his little brother and sister and Nanny and Jim down by train to “The Mound.”

4 - Writing Sentences with Compounds

Write a sentence that has three or more verbs for one subject. Write another sentence that has four or

more complements for one verb.

79

5 - Sentence-Combining

Birdsongby

SophieAnderson(1823-1903)

Combining Sentences byCombining Sentences by Compounding VerbsCompounding Verbs

When two sentences in a row have the same meaningful subject, they can

usually be combined by deleting the subject of the second sentence and

attaching its verb to the verb in the first sentence with a coordinating

conjunction ("and," "or," or "but."):

Bill often went to the hobby shop. He bought most of his trains there.

Bill often went to the hobby shop and bought most of his trains there.

You may even find three or more sentences that share the same subject such

that you can combine several sentences into one:

Sarah wanted to go to the game. But she caught a cold. She had to stay

home.

Sarah wanted to go to the game, but caught a cold, and had to stay home.

When you combine sentences in this way, do not forget to adjust the punctuation and capitalization to fit the revised sentence.

80

Sentence-Combining (Compounds)


Directions: Combine the sentences in each set to create one sentence with compound subjects, verbs, or complements.

Example: The little Fawn drew near. She looked at the Prince quietly.The little Fawn drew near and looked at the Prince quietly.

1. He did not speak. But he kept his eyes fastened on the ground.

2. The grandfather milked a full bowl from the white goat. He cut a piece of bread

for the child. And he told her to eat.

3. The grandfather put into the bag a piece of bread. And he put in a slice of

cheese.

4. Her face was as red as a lobster. Her neck was as red as a lobster. And her arms

were as red as a lobster.

5. She has Adelheid’s fine limbs and black eyes, and she has curly hair like Tobias

and the old man.

6. Sunshine had come again into the blind woman’s life, and it made her days less

dark and dreary.

7. The days are so long, and they are dreary.

8. Miss Rottenmeier yawns behind her book. And Mr. Candidate yawns behind his

book.

9. A boy had a barrel-organ on his back. And he had a curious animal on his arm.

10. She has curly hair. She has black eyes. And she talks in a funny way.

81

6 - Decombining Compounds

From “How Brave Walter Hunted Wolves”From The Lilac Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang

De-Combining Compound Finite Verbs

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

Then, rewrite the passage into sentences so that every sentence has only one verb phrase.

He can turn cartwheels, stand on his head, ride see-saw, throw snowballs, play

ball, crow like a cock, eat bread and butter and drink sour milk, tear his trousers,

wear holes in his elbows, break the crockery in pieces, throw balls through the

windowpanes, draw old men on important papers, walk over the flower-beds, eat

himself sick with gooseberries, and be well after a whipping.

82

7 - A Passage for Analysis

A Riddle Poem from

At the Back of the North Windby George Macdonald

Simplified by Elizabeth Lewis; Illustrated by Maria L. Kirk

Directions: Underline every finite verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” “DO”).

I have only one foot, but thousands of toes;

My one foot stands but never goes.

I have many arms and they are mighty, all;

And hundreds of fingers large and small.

From the ends of my fingers my beauty grows,

I breathe with my hair and I drink with my toes.

In the summer, with song I shake and quiver,

But in winter, I fast and groan and shiver.

8 - Treasure Hunt / Creating an Exercise

Treasure Hunt: In a story or book that you are reading, find a sentence that has three or more verbs

for one subject. Find a sentence that has three or more complements for one verb.

Creating an Exercise: In a story or book that you are reading, find one sentence that has compound

subjects, two sentences that have compound verbs, and two sentences that have compound verbs. Use

them to make a mixed exercise (like exercise # 1). Make an analysis key for the exercise. (You can use

the sentences that you found in the treasure hunt.)

83

KISS Level 1. 5. Adding Simple Prepositional PhrasesKISS Level 1. 5. Adding Simple Prepositional Phrases

What Is a Prepositional Phrase?What Is a Prepositional Phrase?

Prepositional phrases are simply prepositions plus the

noun or pronoun that answers the question “What?” after

them:

“to the house”

“under the desk”

“from the street”

Thus, to identify prepositional phrases you need to recognize

prepositions and then make a question with “What?” after

them – “Under what?” – “Under the desk.”

If a verb answers the question “To what,”

it is probably not a prepositional phrase.

84

Words That Can Function as PrepositionsWords That Can Function as Prepositions Note: Some prepositions consist of more than one word.

about above across according toafter against along among around as aside from as for as to at because of before behind beneath besidebetween beyond but * by despite down down to due to during except for from

in inside instead of into like near of off on onto opposite out out of outside over per regardless ofsince such asthanthrough to toward under until up upon via with within without

Note that all the words

in brown could be used

to tell a squirrel's relationship

in space to trees:

The squirrel is ____ the trees.

Other prepositions express relationships in time:

They left after dinner.

They arrived before dinner.

We talked during dinner.

We haven't eaten since dinner.

We waited until dinner.

* when it means "except"

85

1 - Identifying Prepositional Phrases

Fill in the BlanksAdapted from

Introductory Lessons in English Grammar


Directions: Use prepositions from the following list to fill the blanks. Then place parentheses around each prepositional phrase, underline verbs twice, subjects once, and label complements.

without with from into under toward

of opposite aboard across near before

past above among around beneath on

below in during except over until

behind along beside against beyond between

down through at for to up

1. We went __________ the ship and sailed __________ the bay and __________ the

ocean.

2. A pleasant path lies __________ the grove __________ the meadows.

3. A missionary had lived __________ Indians. He talked __________ us

__________ their habits.

4. They walked __________ the river bank __________ late __________ the

afternoon.

5. The travelers drew __________ the city, and many beggars swarmed __________

them and asked __________ alms.

6. __________ the dinner, an impolite boy left the table __________ permission.

7. The picnic was held __________ a grove __________ pines __________ the lake.

8. We rowed our boat __________ the stream, __________ the current.

9. Sam jumped __________ the train and was quickly carried __________ the city.

10. The ancient prophets looked __________ the present __________ the future.

86

2 - The Functions of Prepositional Phrases

The Functions of Prepositional PhrasesThe Functions of Prepositional Phrases

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

The squirrel {in the tree} was eating nuts.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 {in the tree}.In this sentence, the phrase “in the tree” explains

where the squirrel was eating. It therefore describes “was eating” and thus functions as an adverb.

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

The squirrel wants nuts {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.

Some prepositional phrases function as indirect objects:

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

87

How Prepositional Phrases Work in SentencesHow Prepositional Phrases Work in Sentences

Every word in a sentence has a job to do. That job is called its “function.” The function of subjects is to name what the sentence is about. Verbs say something about the subject(s). Some verbs raise the question “whom or what?” The nouns or adjectives that answer that question function as complements.

This subject / verb / optional complement pattern (S/V/C) is the most important part of any sentence. Remember that conjunctions (“and,” “or,” and “but”) can join two or more subjects, verbs, or complements within one sentence.

Almost every word in every English sentence describes (modifies) the words in an S/V/C pattern. You have already learned how adjectives and adverbs modify, and thus grammatically connect to, subjects, verbs, and complements.

Almost all prepositional phrases function as adjectives or adverbs:

Mr. Green Frog lives {in a pond}.

Just like an adverb would, “in a pond” describes where he lives. Similarly, in the sentence

The squirrels {in the tree} were having fun (DO).

the prepositional phrase “in the tree” identifies which squirrels the sentence is about and thus functions as an adjective.

Sometimes more than one prepositional phrase will modify the same word:

Mr. Green Frog will be {in the pond} {for a few hours}.

In this sentence, “in the pond” tells where he will be, and “for a few hours” tells how long he will be there.

But a prepositional phrase can also modify a word in another prepositional phrase:

The squirrels scampered off {among the branches} {of the oak tree} .

In this sentence, “of the oak tree” modifies “branches” and thus functions as an adjective. The “among the branches” phrase modifies “scampered.” In other words, the “of the oak tree” phrase connects to the verb because it is connected to “branches.”

88

Simple Prepositional Phrases

2.a - Based on Introductory Lessons in English GrammarBy Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A.

Directions: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase and draw an arrow from each preposition to the

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

1. Why did Henry and your cousin from the country leave the city so suddenly

without any explanation?

2. The terrified passengers dressed hastily and came on deck.

3. Tina fed with crumbs and warmed the starving sparrow.

4. Did you practice your lesson on the violin faithfully today?

5. Visitors from many different countries attend the receptions at the White House.

6. The fern seeks the shade and shuns the sunshine.

7. Cotopaxi is the highest and most terrible volcano in the world.

8. The strong and stalwart oak tree catches the dew in its many dainty cups.

9. Cluck-a-luck sat on a high fence, and crowed, and tumbled backward, and broke

her neck.

10. Strains from a distant guitar floated languidly and dreamily to my ear.

89

The Functions of Prepositional Phrases

2.b - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Tales by Edric VredenburgIllustrated by Jennie Harbour

Directions:1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the beginning of each phrase

to the word it modifies. Above adverbial phrases, write “AV.” Above adjectival phrases, write “J.” 2. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” “DO”).

1. By day again must you run through the forest as a Fawn.

2. For this reason I changed myself into the little rabbit, and ran to you in my distress.

3. “We will lead our children away, quite early in the morning, into the thickest part

of the wood.”

4. Then he picked up a sack of jewels, and slipped out of sight behind a piece of rock.

5. Beyond himself with fury, Chéri commanded his foster-brother to send soldiers to

bring Suliman to him in chains, like a criminal.

6. The Fairies endowed the little Princess with beauty, and virtue, and health.

7. Then he fetched a sack of pearls that lay among the rushes, and hobbled off and

disappeared behind a large stone.

8. So in a carriage like a large dark box, shut up with her Lady in Waiting and her two

Maids of Honour, Giroflée and Longue Epine, Princess Desirée departed for

Prince Guerrier’s Court.

9. The Queen’s attendants were in a serious state of anxiety at the prolonged absence

of Her Majesty.

10. The beard was fixed in a gash in the tree trunk, and the tiny fellow was hopping to

and fro, like a dog at the end of a string.

90

3: Prepositions by Themselves Can Function as Adverbs

When their objects are understood, prepositions often function as adverbs. In the sentence, “Come

in.” it is understood that the speaker is inside something—a room, a house, a den—so the object of “in” is

left out. In such cases, you can usually consider the preposition by itself to be an adverb.

Image is adapted from one by Robert Day for

Fun Fare: A Treasury of Reader’s Digest Wit

and Humor, N.Y. Simon and Schuster,

1949, 237.

Mama Skunk

Directions:

1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.

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

3. Draw an arrow from each preposition (without an object) to the word it modifies.

Mama Skunk was worried because she could never keep track of her two children.

They were named In and Out, and whenever In was in, Out was out; and if Out was in,

In was out. One day she called Out in to her and told him to go out and bring In in. So

Out went out and in no time at all he brought In in.

“Wonderful!” said Mama Skunk. “How, in all that great forest, could you find him

in so short a time?”

“It was easy,” said Out. “In stinct.”

--This Week Magazine

91

4 - Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects


In a sentence such as “He gave the flower to June,” some grammarians consider “to June” to be an

adverbial phrase that modifies “gave.” Others consider “to June” to be a prepositional phrase that

functions as an indirect object of “gave.” Either explanation is acceptable.

Part One:Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. Write “IO” over phrases that function as

indirect objects. 2. Underline every verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or

“DO”).

1. Aunt Deta has left a bundle for you.

2. At last she had found a splendid chance for Heidi.

3. Heidi might bring a lovely present to the grandmother.

4. “A gentleman with white hair sends his regards to you, Mr. Sesemann.”

5. She talked to Heidi and amused her in various ways.

6. Brigida now showed Heidi’s feather hat to the old man and asked him to take it

back.

7. Clara gave many messages to him for Heidi.

Part Two:

On separate paper, rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the prepositional phrases with normal indirect objects.

92

5 Compound Objects of Prepositions

Compound Objects of Prepositions

In looking for prepositional phrases, make sure that you pay attention to the meaning of the sentence.

Some students don’t, and when they see a sentence such as “He played with Bob and Bill,” they simply

mark “with Bob” as the prepositional phrase. They totally ignore 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. Aunt Sally read us a story about ghosts, goblins, and witches.

2. They saw the skunk behind the trees and bushes.

3. Andrea wanted a day of peace and quiet.

4. The road into Winchester and Wellsboro is not safe.

5. It was a big contest between Jan and Bob.

6. The evenings during August and September are beautiful.

7. A breakfast with cereal, milk, and fruit is good for you.

8. The streets around the school and playground are always busy with traffic.

9. The days before Christmas, Thanksgiving, and my birthday are usually exciting.

10. The accident happened near the corner of Via Bella and Roosevelt Ave.

93

6 - Separated Objects of Prepositions

Based on Black Beauty, by Anna SewellDirections: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,”

“PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

Sometimes compound objects of prepositions are separated from each other by other constructions. In analyzing these, you can consider the preposition as ellipsed and write it in within asterisks:

They were playing ball (with Jim) who was home on vacation from college and (*with* Bill) who was about to leave to play with the Mets.

Note that even if you cannot grammatically explain the constructions that separate the objects of the preposition, you should be able to find them if you pay attention to what the sentence means.

1. Still, he had his own ways of making me understand by the tone of his voice or the

touch of the rein.

2. At the distance of a mile or two from the village we came to a pretty, low house, with a

lawn and shrubbery at the front and a drive up to the door.

3. One mile of such traveling, with a weight to draw and no firm footing,would take more

out of us than four on a good road.

4. They are always talking about “keeping the horse well in hand” and “holding a horse

up,” just as if a horse was not made to hold himself up.

5. By this time we were well used to the roar of heavy guns, the rattle of musket fire, and

the flying of shot near us; but never had I been under such a fire as we rode through

on that day.

6. Then came up a broad-faced man, dressed in a great gray coat with great gray capes

and great white buttons, a gray hat, and a blue comforter loosely tied round his neck;

his hair was gray, too; but he was a jolly-looking fellow, and the other men made

way for him.

94

7 - Writing Sentences

with Compound Objects of Prepositions

Option 1Option 1Write five sentences, each of which contains a prepositional phrase with

compound objects. Use a different preposition for each phrase.

Option 2Option 2Write six sentences. In each sentence, use a prepositional phrase that has

compound objects. In the first three sentences, those phrases should function

as adjectives. In the last three, as adverbs. Use a different preposition for each

phrase.

95

8 - Rewriting Adjectives and Adverbs as Prepositional Phrases



Shark Fishing 1885 by

Winslow Homer

(1836-1910)

Note how adjectives may be changed into adjectival prepositional phrases.Adjectives Adjectival Phrases

He uttered wise words. He uttered words of wisdom.

The red-haired boy was chosen. The boy with the red hair was chosen.

We import Canadian products. We import products from Canada.

The knife has a wooden handle. The knife has a handle of wood.

The Jeffersons’ house is on the corner. The house of the Jeffersons is on the corner.

And note how adverbs may be changed into adverbial phrases.Adverbs Adverbial Phrases

The dog growled angrily. The dog growled with anger.

The soldiers fought fearlessly. The soldiers fought without fear.

He walked northward. He walked toward the north.

They live here. They live in this place.

Directions: Change the adjectives and adverbs in bold into prepositional phrases.

1. The wind blew violently.

2. Edward answered politely.

3. Rita dances gracefully.

4. He speaks truthfully.

5. The waves dashed furiously.

6. A brick wall surrounds the yard.

7. The Aronsons’ yard is beautiful.

8. Important business delayed the messenger.

9. Robert painted a beautiful picture.

10. Robert Frost was an American poet.

96

9 - Using Adjectives or Prepositional Phrases to Combine Sentences

From “Jack and His Golden Box”

Directions: Combine the sentences in each number below into one sentence by using prepositional phrases.

Example: Then the eagle set out. Jack was on his back.

Then the eagle set out with Jack on his back.

1. At last he found the castle. It was the castle of the king of the frogs.

2. It was the second morning. The frog came up with the little box.

3. The gentleman and all his guests had left. They went for the hunt.

4. They dropped the golden box. It went to the bottom of the sea.

5. There on guard at the gate was one of the frogs. He had a gun on his shoulder.

6. Jack had the mouse. He put it into his pocket.

7. Then they ran off. They had the castle. They went at full speed.

97

10 - The Logic of Prepositional Phrases

What Prepositional Phrases Can Add to a TextWhat Prepositional Phrases Can Add to a Text

The words in prepositional phrases can answer a number of different questions about the words they

modify.

What kind of? Which? What? Whose?

Many prepositional phrases help to describe or identify the word that they modify:

The seeds of apples are small. [What kinds of seeds are small?]The boy in the blue coat won the race. [Which boy won the race?]One of the fish got away. [One what got away?]She is a friend of my sister. [Whose friend is she?]

Where?

Some prepositional phrases indicate where things are or where they happen.

The tree in the back yard was hit by lightning.She took a nap on the couch in the living room.

"On the couch" explains where she took a nap. Some phrases can answer more than one question. "In the back yard" tells both which tree and where it is. "In the living room" explains both which couch, and where it is.

When? How long?

They left after dinner.At seven o'clock, he was sleeping.They played soccer for four hours.

Why?

Because of the rain, they went inside.Sam made a sandwich for lunch.

How?

The Johnsons went to Hawaii by boat.He cut the string with a knife.She became a good swimmer by practicing.He walks to school with his sister.It was sent by an angel.

Under What Conditions?

The twins walked home in the rain.

98

The Logic of Prepositional Phrases

10. a. – From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight

Directions: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from each preposition to the word

that the phrase modifies. Use the instructional materials to find the question that each phrase answers. Write the question above each phrase.

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

1. In a small village like Greenall Bridge, everyone knew the business of everyone

else.

2. For a long time there was nothing but the sound of their breathing.

3. Hyne’s small, thin figure in its checked coat, riding breeches, and cloth leggings

halted for a moment near the door.

4. She faded through a gap in a hedge and shot away from the road up into the

bleak back-country.

5. Without pausing, he went past the shops on High Street, through the village to

the little lane going up the hillside, up the lane and through a gate, along a

garden path, and then through the cottage door.

6. Throughout the long winters, at the small inn by the loch, McBane would argue

for hours that his Mr. Freeth was one of Britain’s greatest landscapists.

99

The Logic of Prepositional Phrases

10. .b. - From My Book of Favorite Fairy Talesby Edric Vredenburg

Illustrated by Jennie Harbour

Directions: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the beginning of each phrase

to the word it modifies. 2. Above each phrase write the question that the phrase answers in relation to the word it modifies. (What

kind of? Which? What? Whose? Where? When? How Long? Why? How? Under What Condition?) 3. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” “DO”).

1. Only at night should the dark carriage be opened.

2. Copies of the Princess’s portrait were carried to all the Courts in the world.

3. The cottage stands under three great oak trees.

4. The cradle was ornamented with rubies and diamonds.

5. Then, for the first time, the Princess Desirée saw the light of day!!!

6. The king’s daughter should not die, but fall asleep for a hundred years.

7. In the evening, she returned to her attendants.

8. Suliman had often dared to tell the Prince of his faults.

9. How cheerful everything is around you in the forest.

10. The two sisters went to the brook to catch fish for dinner.

11. The Wolf, however, ran straight to the house of the old grandmother.

12. So she roved about by herself, and poked at all the rooms and chambers.

13. Then, with three waves of a wand, the Fairies caused a high tower to spring up.

100

11 - Adding Prepositional Phrases of Time and Space

Adapted from Voyages in English


Stonehenge 1836 by

John Constable (1776-1837)

Directions: Rewrite each of the following sentences by adding at least two prepositional phrases. One phrase should indicate time (when something happened), and the other should indicate place (where something happened).

1. Bill rode his bicycle.

2. Airplanes travel.

3. We left at the appointed hour.

4. The girl wore a dark blue uniform.

5. The bird flew.

6. Sam broke his leg.

7. The band practices.

8. A storm with strong winds arose.

9. The water trickled over the rocks.

10. The Scouts sat around the campfire.

101

The Poet (Half Past

Three) 1911

Marc Chagall (1887-1985)

Russian

12 - Style—Left-, Right-, and Mid-Branching Prepositional Phrases

The BranchingThe Branchingof Adverbial Prepositional Phrasesof Adverbial Prepositional Phrases

Adjectival phrases normally follow the noun that they modify, but adverbial modifiers can often be moved in a sentence to create variety in sentence structure, or even to emphasize something. When the phrase comes before the subject and verb, it is called “left-branching.” If it is between the subject and verb, it is called “mid-branching,” and if it is after the subject and verb, it is called “right-branching.”

Consider, for example, the following versions of the same sentence. In each version, a prepositional phrase is in bold. In the brackets after each version, letters indicate the branching of that phrase.

Pinocchio jumped up in a rage at these last words. [R - 10] At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a rage. [L - 8] Pinocchio, at these last words, jumped up in a rage. [M - 5]

The numbers after the letters are a subjective rating of the “normality” of the position of the phrase. A ten indicates branching that would be normal. In other words, in a sentence like this one, it is where most writers would probably put the phrase.

Most adverbial prepositional phrases branch to the right—after the subject and verb. Thus, in most cases, right-branching would get a rating of ten. In some cases, however, especially when the phrase states where or when something happened, the phrase frequently branches to the left—before the subject and verb. In these cases, you could give both the left and right-branching versions a ten:

In the morning, Robert slept late. [L - 10] Robert slept late in the morning. [R - 10] Robert, in the morning, slept late. [M - 5]

Mid-branching is the least used, in part because it separates the subject from the verb.In context, several other things affect where a prepositional phrase is placed. Your teacher may ask

you simply to indicate whether the phrases in the following exercises are left-, right-, or mid-branching, or she may ask you to give a subjective rating and then give a reason for that rating, a reason that you and your classmates can discuss. Remember that there is usually no right or wrong rating. The numbers are subjective and simply give you and your classmates a means of focusing on the degree of the differences.

The most important things for you to remember about these exercises are that 1.) phrases can

be moved to add variety to your sentence structure, and 2.) breaking norms draws attention and

thus creates emphasis. In our two examples, the mid-branching version draws a little more

attention to the content of the prepositional phrases.

102

12. a. - Based on The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children

by Charles Kingsley


Directions:

A. After each of the sentences below, indicate the branching of the phrase that is in bold (L.M, R]. Then

rewrite the sentence twice so that it branches in each of the other two ways. Your teacher may also

ask you to rate them on a scale of ten (as in the instructional material) and briefly explain any effects

in emphasis caused by the branching.

B. Write three versions of a sentence of your own by placing a prepositional phrase as left-branching,

mid-branching, and then right-branching.

C. In something that you are reading, find a left-, a mid-, and a right-branching prepositional phrase.

1. At last poor Danae drooped her head and fell asleep.

2. Perseus, with rage, ground his teeth.

3. Then he towered in the air like an eagle.

103

A Study in Left-, Right-, and Mid-Branching

12. b. - The Sheep and the Pigfrom The ÆSOP for Children

with Pictures by Milo Winter

Directions:To explore adding variety to writing, on a sheet of paper, write each of the numbered sentences three

times. First, write it as it is in the text. Then rewrite the sentence to make the adverbial prepositional phrase (in bold) branch in a different way. The third time, make it branch in still a different way.

Label each version (L, M, or R). Your teacher may also also ask you to rate each version on a scale of ten (as in the instructional material) and to briefly explain any effects in emphasis caused by the branching.

One day a shepherd discovered a fat Pig in the meadow (1) where his Sheep

were pastured. He very quickly captured the porker, which squealed at the top (2)

of its voice the moment the Shepherd laid his hands on it. You would have thought,

to hear the loud squealing, that the Pig was being cruelly hurt. But in spite (3) of its

squeals and struggles to escape, the Shepherd tucked his prize under his arm (4)

and started off to the butcher’s in the market place.

The Sheep in the pasture were much astonished and amused at the Pig’s

behavior (5), and followed the Shepherd and his charge to the pasture gate (6).

“What makes you squeal like that?” asked one of the Sheep. “The Shepherd

often catches and carries off one of us. But we should feel very much ashamed to

make such a terrible fuss about it like you do.”

“That is all very well,” replied the Pig, with a squeal and a frantic kick (7).

“When he catches you he is only after your wool. But he wants my bacon! gree-ee-

ee!”

It is easy to be brave when there is no danger.

104

13 - Sentence Models for Writing with Style

Similes from The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien

A simile is a comparison made by using “like” or “as.”

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” “DO”). 3. Using this sentence as a model, write similar sentence with five similies (four of them for the same

thing), all based on “like.”

[The “Arkenstone” is a great white gem.]

The Arkenstone was like a globe with a thousand facets; it shone like silver in

the firelight, like water in the sun, like snow under the stars, like rain upon the

Moon!

105

14. Passages for Analysis

14. a. Aesop’s The Swallow and the Crow

-- Translated by George Tyler Townsend

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

THE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about their plumage. The

Crow put an end to the dispute by saying, “Your feathers are all very well in the

spring, but mine protect me against the winter.”

Fair weather friends are not worth much.

14. b. A Selection from “Blue Beard”

(Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book)

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

After that they went up into the two great rooms, where the best and richest

furniture was. They could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the

tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking-glasses, in which you

might see yourself from head to foot. Some of them were framed with glass, others

with silver, plain and gilded.

106

15. - Write, Revise, Edit, and Analyze

(Describing an Event)

a.) Writing:

In approximately 75 words, write a story (narrative) that describes something you did once during

the last week. Choose something that lasted no longer than a few hours—an interesting ballgame, lunch

with a friend, an afternoon in the library, fishing on Saturday afternoon, a trip to the mall.

b.) Revising:

After you have written it, revise it by trying to add adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases

(especially adverbial phrases of time and place, and descriptive adjectival phrases).

c.) Editing:

Edit what you have written for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

d.) Analyzing:

1. Underline the verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements ("PA," "PN," "IO," or "DO").

2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the preposition to the word

that the phrase modifies.

Suggestions for Teachers

At a minimum, students could read each others’ final papers. If you have more time, you might have them work in small groups for the revising, in different small groups for the editing, and in still different small groups for the analyzing.

107

KISS Level 1. 6. Case, Number, and TenseKISS Level 1. 6. Case, Number, and Tense1. The Antecedents of Pronouns

Thomas Hart Benton's

(1889-1975),New York,

Early Twenties 1920

Antecedents Antecedents

of Pronounsof Pronouns

The antecedent of a pronoun is the name of the person or thing the pronoun refers to.

Antecedent means “going before,” and the word is used because the name of the person

or thing denoted by a pronoun generally occurs in the sentence before the pronoun. In

Bill found a fortune when he went to California.

the antecedent of the pronoun “he” is “Bill.”

Some pronouns do not have antecedents. For example, to what word does the

pronoun “it” refer in a sentence like “It is raining”? In some cases, the antecedent is not

in the text. For example, what would be the antecedent of “I” in “I saw him at the store”?

Sometimes you will find an “antecedent” that comes after the pronoun. Consider the

following sentence from Oscar Wilde’s “The Happy Prince”:

“Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince?” asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon.

In the story, the “you” cannot be identified until one gets to the word “boy.”

Later, you will be learning of other constructions in which the "antecedent" comes

after the pronoun. One example is

It is easy to catch a fish here.

In cases like this, the word “it” simply fills the subject slot in the sentence. We get to the

real subject later: “To catch fish here is easy.”

108

Antecedents of Pronouns

Based onIntroductory Lessons in English Grammar


Allegory of Wealth(1630-35) Louvre,

by Simon Vouet (1590 - 1649)

Directions: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, subjects once, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” “DO.”) 3. Circle the pronouns and draw a line from each circle to the antecedent. If there is no antecedent, and

you do not know to what it refers, put a question mark over it.

1. Frank’s kite flew so high that he could scarcely see it.

2. “Children,” said Aunt Sue, “you must be quiet at your play, or I shall send you

to bed.”

3. King Midas valued his royal crown because it was made of gold.

4. The sun was shining on the sea,

Shining with all his might;

He did his very best to make

The billows smooth and bright.

5. The wind blew with all his strength a cold blast; but the fiercer he blew, the

tighter did the man clasp his cloak around him.

6. “What a selfish dog you are!” said the ox; “you can not eat the hay yourself, nor

will you let me eat it.”

7. The herald bade Cinderella sit down on a stool in the kitchen, and himself put

the slipper on her pretty little foot, which it fitted exactly.

109

2. Antecedents - Fill-in-the-Blanks

From “The Happy Prince,” by Oscar Wilde

Directions: Fill in the blanks with pronouns or possessive adjectives. If the pronoun or possessive

adjective has an antecedent, draw an arrow to it from the pronoun or adjective.

1. The boy was tossing feverishly on __________ bed, and the mother had fallen

asleep, __________ was so tired.

2. One night __________ flew over the city a little Swallow. __________ friends had

gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but __________ had stayed behind, for

__________ was in love with the most beautiful Reed. __________ had met

__________ early in the spring as __________ was flying down the river after

a big yellow moth, and had been so attracted by __________ slender waist that

__________ had stopped to talk to __________.

3. “__________ is curious,” __________ remarked, “but __________ feel quite warm

now, although __________ is so cold.”

4. At noon the yellow lions come down to the water’s edge to drink. __________ have

eyes like green beryls, and __________ roar is louder than the roar of the

cataract.

5. “Why can’t __________ be like the Happy Prince?” asked a sensible mother of

__________ little boy __________ was crying for the moon.

(Continues on next page)

110

6. “Alas! __________ have no ruby now,” said the Prince; “__________ eyes are all

that __________ have left. __________ are made of rare sapphires,

__________ were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of

__________ and take __________ to __________. __________ will sell

__________ to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish __________

play.”

7. So the Swallow plucked out the Prince’s eye, and flew away to the student’s garret.

__________ was easy enough to get in, as __________ was a hole in the roof.

Through __________ __________ darted, and came into the room. The young

man had __________ head buried in __________ hands, so __________ did

not hear the flutter of the bird’s wings, and when __________ looked up

__________ found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets.

8. Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in

company with the Town Councillors. As __________ passed the column

__________ looked up at the statue: “Dear __________! how shabby the

Happy Prince looks!” __________ said.

“How shabby indeed!” cried the Town Councillors, __________ always

agreed with the Mayor; and __________ went up to look at __________.

9. “Bring __________ the two most precious things in the city,” said God

to __________ of __________ Angels; and the Angel brought __________ the

leaden heart and the dead bird.

“__________ have rightly chosen,” said God, “for in __________

garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in __________

city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise __________.”

111

3. Pronouns as Subjects in Multi - S/V/C Sentences

From A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang

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

1. Stark and grim was the three-headed watchdog, Cerberus, which guarded the

door, and with the growls and the furious roaring of a wild beast athirst for its

prey it greeted Orpheus.

2. She was the fairest thing on earth, worthy indeed of the deathless gods who had

created her.

3. And still do we watch the butterfly, which is her emblem, bursting from its ugly

tomb in the dark soil, and spreading joyous white and gold-powdered wings in

the caressing sunshine, amidst the radiance and the fragrance of the summer

flowers.

4. All the heroes gazed at her with eyes that adored her beauty.

5. Great was the shout that rose from those who still lived when that grim hunt thus

came to an end.

(Continues on the next page)

112

Continuation ofExercise 6 - Pronouns as Subjects in Multi - S/V/C Sentences

6. Upon the earth, and on the children of men who were as gods in their knowledge

and mastery of the force of fire, Jupiter had had his revenge.

7. From her bed sprang Althæa, and, heedless of the flames, she seized the burning

wood, trod on it with her fair white feet, and poured on it water that swiftly

quenched its red glow.

8. Telamon rushed on to destroy the filthy thing that would have made carrion of

the sons of the gods.

9. The merchants wondered who could be the one upon whom Pygmalion lavished

the money from his treasury.

10. And from the trees sang birds with song more sweet than any that Psyche had

ever known, and with brilliant plumage which they preened caressingly when

they had dipped their wings in crystal-sparkling fountains.

113

4 - Pronouns Person, Number, and Case

The “Person” in Personal Pronouns: The “Person” in Personal Pronouns:

Person, Number, and CasePerson, Number, and Case

A noun or pronoun is of the first person when it denotes the speaker, as I, me, we, us, etc.: I was sick. Mary saw us.

A noun or pronoun is of the second person when it denotes the person or thing spoken to, as thou, thee, you, etc.

Thou are the man. Did you go?

A noun or pronoun is of the third person when it denotes the person or thing spoken about, as he, him, she, it, they, etc.

Birds are happiest when they are free. When the sun rose, he darted his fierce beams

on the flowers, and they withered.

Pronouns and Number

Most pronouns, like nouns, have separate forms to show whether they denote one person or thing, or more than one. In other words, pronouns have number.

Thus, in the following sentences, it is shown by the form of the pronouns that only one person is denoted by each pronoun:

I run. He saw her. She taught him. Thou seest me.

Again, the following pronouns by their form denote the plural number: We helped you. They escaped us. By their fruits ye shall know them.

The pronouns you, your, yours are used in both numbers. The hat you said was your hat was not yours.

In this sentence, it is easy to see that the pronouns denote the singular. But in the following sentence they denote the plural number.

You shall all go directly to your homes.

114

Pronouns and Case

The pronouns in the table are in “nominative case.” They are pronouns that function as subjects or predicate nouns.

Person Singular Pluralfirst I we

second you youthird he, she, it they

“Objective case” pronouns function as objects (indirect or direct) or as objects of prepositions.

Person Singular Pluralfirst me, myself us, ourselves

second you, yourself you, yourselves

third him, her, it himself, herself, itself

them themselves

Pronouns in “possessive case” can function as subjects, predicate nouns, or objects.

Person Singular Pluralfirst mine ours

second yours yoursthird his, hers, its theirs

That book is yours. Mine is in my room. They forgot about theirs.

The pronoun “who” can be either singular or plural. It has an objective case form –

“whom,” and a possessive case form “whose.”

115

Hurricane, Bahamas 1898-1899

by Winslow Homer

(1836-1910)

Person, Number, and Case

4.a. - Adapted from English for Use -- Book Three

by John H. Beveridge, Belle M. Ryan, & William D. Lewis

Philadelphia, 1926: The John C. Winston Company, 220.

Directions: In the sentences below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. In the table on the next page, write the person, number, case, and antecedent (if there is one) of each numbered pronoun. If there is no antecedent, write “U” for “unknown.” (Remember that possessive pronouns, like possessive nouns, can function as adjectives.)

1. “I gave my (1) pencil to him (2),” said John.

2. We (3) shared our (4) gifts with the children next door.

3. “You (5) and your (6) parents are invited to the entertainment,” said the teacher.

4. John waved to his (7) friend as he (8) passed his door.

5. She laughed gaily when her friends told her (9) some of their (10) funny

experiences.

6. Our (11) flag made a lovely picture as its (12) brilliant folds fluttered in the

breeze.

7. Give credit to them (13); it is truly theirs (14).

8. “I believe you,” said the mother, “for I (15) have never known you (16) to

deceive me.”

9. My (17) brother and I earned the money with which we bought our (18) gifts.

10. Father let us (19) decide for ourselves (20), whether we should go or stay.

116

Name_______________________________________

L1.6, Exercise # 4.a Person Number Case Antecedent

1. my

2. him

3. We

4. our

5. You

6. your

7. his

8. he

9. her

10. their

11. Our

12. its

13. them

14. theirs

15. I

16. you

17. My

18. our

19. us

20. ourselves

117

Pronouns -- Person, Number, and Case

4.b. - “The Story of the First Diamonds”by Florence Holbrook

from The Book of Nature Myths

Directions: In the sentences below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. In the table on the next page, write the person, number, case, and antecedent (if there is one) of each numbered pronoun. If there is no antecedent, write “U” for “unknown.” (Remember that possessive pronouns, like possessive nouns, can function as adjectives.)

The chief of an Indian tribe had two sons whom he (1) loved very dearly. This chief was at

war with another tribe, and one dark night two of his enemies crept softly through the trees till

they came to where the two boys lay sound asleep. The warriors caught the younger boy up

gently, and carried him far away from his home and his friends.

When the chief woke, he cried, “Where is my (2) son? My enemies have been here and have

stolen him (3).”

All the Indians in the tribe started out in search of the boy. They (4) roamed the forest

through and through, but the stolen child could not be found.

The chief mourned for his son, and when the time of his death drew near, he (5) said to his

wife, “Moneta, my tribe shall have no chief until my boy is found and taken from our (6)

enemies. Let our oldest son go forth in search of his brother, and until he has brought back the

little one, do you rule my people.”

Moneta ruled the people wisely and kindly. When the older son was a man she (7) said to

him, “My son, go forth and search for your (8) brother, whom I (9) have mourned these many

years. Every day I shall watch for you (10), and every night I shall build a fire on the mountain

top.”

“Do not mourn, mother,” said the young man. “You (11) will not build the fire many nights

on the mountain top, for I shall soon find my brother and bring him back to you.”

He went forth bravely, but he did not come back. His mother went every night to the

mountain top, and when she was so old that she (12) could no longer walk, the young men of the

tribe bore her up the mountain side in their (13) strong arms, so that with her (14) own

trembling hand she could light the fire.

118

One night there was a great storm. Even the brave warriors were afraid, but Moneta had no

fear, for out of the storm a gentle voice had come to her that said, “Moneta, your sons are coming

home to you.”

“Once more I must build the fire on the mountain top,” she cried. The young men trembled

with fear, but they (15) bore her (16) to the top of the mountain.

“Leave me (17) here alone,” she said. “I hear a voice. It is the voice of my son, and he is

calling, ‘Mother, mother.’ Come to me, come, my boys.”

Coming slowly up the mountain in the storm was the older son. The younger had died on the

road home, and he lay dead in the arms of his (18) brother.

In the morning the men of the tribe went to the mountain top in search of Moneta and her

sons. They were nowhere to be seen, but where the tears of the lonely mother had fallen, there

was a brightness that had never been seen before. The tears were shining in the sunlight as if

each one of them (19) was itself a little sun. Indeed, they were no longer tears, but diamonds.

The dearest thing in all the world is the tear of mother-love, and that is why the tears were

made into diamonds, the stones that (20) are brightest and clearest of all the stones on the earth.

119

Name_______________________________________

L1.6, Exercise # 4.b

Person Number Case Antecedent

1. he

2. my

3. him

4. They

5. he

6. our

7. she

8. your

9. I

10. you

11. You

12. she

13. their

14. her

15. they

16. her

17. me

18. his

19. them

20. that

120

5. Pronouns: The Gender Question

Diego and I 1949

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Mexican

Pronouns: The Gender QuestionPronouns: The Gender Question

Many people see a problem in the following sentence.

A person should take care of his pets.

The pronoun “his” is masculine—it refers only to men. But women also have pets, and the noun

“person” includes both men and women. English, however, does not have a singular, third-

person pronoun that includes both men and women. To solve this problem, writers choose from

at least five options.

1. If possible, make the antecedent plural:

People should take care of their pets.

Most people agree that this is a good solution, but it does not always work

because antecedents cannot always be made plural—“No one has been given her

present yet.”

2. If possible, drop the pronoun:

“No one has been given a present yet.”

3. Use the plural form of the pronoun:

A person should take care of their pets.

Although many people use this option, others don’t like it because the plural

“their” does not agree in number with the singular “person.”

4. Include both the masculine and feminine pronouns:

a.) A person should take care of his or her pets.

b.) A person should take care of his/her pets.

There are two objections to these two options. First, many people find them both

long and awkward. Second, they raise the question of which gender is mentioned

first. (Perhaps men could always put “her” first, and women could put “his” first,

but there is no agreement about this.)

121

5. Vary your use of the masculine and feminine pronouns. Sometimes use the masculine and

sometimes the feminine. This option applies not only to sentences, but also to larger texts.

Sometimes use a masculine example; sometimes, a feminine one. This will still not please

everyone, but at least you will be trying.

Note that in some cases the masculine or feminine may be totally appropriate. A conductor

talking to a male choir can appropriately say, “Will everyone please take his seat.”

Heads of Angels

1787 Sir Joshua Reynolds

English 1723-1792

Adapted from

Growth in English: Eighth Year

Directions: In the following, assume that you are writing or speaking to both men and women. Rewrite each of the following sentences to fix the problem with “his” or “her.”

1. Anyone can waste his time.

2. Everybody ought to do her part.

3. Neither Tom nor Beverly is doing his best.

4. Each of them is going to have his picture taken.

5. A person ought to be careful of her speech.

6. Nobody in those games exerts himself.

7. Someone left her coat on the floor.

8. Who wants to read her story to the class?

9. Will no one lend me his pencil?

10. Neither Sam nor Mary left his dirty cups in the sink.

122

6. Writing Sentences with Personal Pronouns

6.a. - A Recipe Roster

The Dancing Class (1873-1875)

by Edgar Degas

(1834-1917) Musée d'Orsay

Paris

Directions: Write sentences containing the words in the following list. Label the person, number, and case of each pronoun.

1. him, he, his, referring to an animal.

2. their, them, I, referring to persons.

3. it, she, her, referring to a doll.

4. they, them, referring to plants.

5. she, her, he, his, their, referring to children.

6. he, his, them, referring to boys.

7. we, us, our, referring to persons.

8. she, her, referring to the moon.

9. my, mine, I, referring to a person. 10. us, them, we, theirs, referring to girls.

123

Personal Pronouns [Recipe Roster]

6.b. - Based on

Introductory Lessons in English GrammarBy Wm. H. Maxwell, M.A.

Madame Vigee LeBrun

self portraitwith daughter Julie (age 6)

- 1786 The Louvre, Paris

Directions: Write sentences containing:

by Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-Lebrun

(1755-1842)

1. Two or more pronouns in the first person singular.

2. Two or more pronouns in third person plural.

3. Two or more pronouns in first person plural.

4. Two or more pronouns in third person singular.

5. Two pronouns in first person singular and two in third person plural.

6. Two or more pronouns in second person plural.

7. One or more pronouns in first person plural and two or more in second person

plural.

8. Three or more pronouns in second person plural.

9. Two or more pronouns in second person plural and one or more pronouns in first

person singular.

10. Three or more pronouns in first person singular.

124

7. Pronouns as Predicate Nouns7.a - Adapted from Voyages in English


Portrait of a Young Girl (in

Milanese Dress) 1505 by

Albrecht Durer 1471-1528

Formal and Informal Speech

When I get home from work, I do not open the door and say “It’s I.” Like most people, I say, “It’s me.” “It’s me” is informal, colloquial language. But in formal writing, I use “It’s I.” We adjust our language to our audience and purpose. In formal speaking and writing, a predicate noun is equal to the subject—in person, number, and case. Thus, in formal language, pronouns used as predicate nouns should usually be the same as those used as subjects.

Part 1. 1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once and every finite verb twice, and label complements. 3. Put a vertical line after each main clause. 4. Explain why the pronouns are not in objective case.

1. Those children are they. 2. It was he. 3. The speaker was she. 4. It is I. 5. The best pupil is he.

Part 2. Write a predicate pronoun in place of each predicate noun.

1. It is Josephine. 2. Was it Gerald? 3. The captain is David. 4. These are the boys. 5. The singers are Sarah and Joseph.

Part 3. Write the following sentences, filling in each blank with a predicate pronoun.

1. The best players were Andrew and ____________. 2. It that ____________? 3. The hunters are ____________. 4. Yes, it was ____________. 5. It was Bernard and ____________.

125

7.b. - * Pronouns as Predicate Nouns (Choose)

American Gothic 1930

byGrant Wood (1891-1942)

Adapted from

The New College Grammarby Mason Long.

New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1935

Directions: 1. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline every subject once and every finite verb twice, and label complements. 3. Select the correct pronoun for formal writing.

1. It is (we or us).

2. Wasn’t it (they or them)?

3. Between you and (me or I), this plan will not work.

4. Is it (I or me) that you addressed, or ( he or him) ?

5. It must be you or (they or them) that I saw.

6. They took us to be (them or they) .

7. Was it (we or us) you desired to see, or (she or her)?

8. They may not permit you and (we or us) to vote.

9. Are you as old as (he or him)?

10. She likes this story as well as ( I or me).

11. She likes the flower better than (I or me).

12. Would you not like to be (she or her)?

126

7.c. - * A Research Project

Give each student in the class five copies of exercise 7.b (the preceding exercise) without the

instructions for identifying the constructions. Have each student ask five different people to circle the

pronoun that they would use. (You might want to include space at the end for “Comments.”) Then have

the class count how many people gave each answer for each question. The class can then discuss the

results in terms of “formal” vs. “popular” grammar.

To make the results more interesting you can include at the top of each sheet a request for

information about age (10-20, 21-30, etc). sex (“m” or “f”), educational level (high school grad, years of

college,) and or degree (B.S., M.A., Ph.D.). It would be particularly interesting to see how people with

degrees in English respond.

127

8 - Identifying Tenses

The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?

PastPast PresentPresent FutureFuture

“Tense” is very easy to understand. It means the forms of verbs that refer to time.

Verbs in “past tense” show what happened in the past:

Sheila read a book.

Sheila was reading a book.

Sheila has been reading a book.

Sheila had been reading a book.

Verbs in “present tense” show was usually happens, or what is happening now:

Bob reads books.

Bob is reading a book.

Verbs in “future tense” show what will happen in the future:

They will read a book.

They will be reading a book.

They will have been reading a book.

This is what teachers (and other people) mean when they talk about grammatical “tense.”

128

Identifying Tenses

8.a. - From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight

Directions: 1. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from each preposition to the word

that the phrase modifies. 2. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”). 3. After each sentence, write the tense (“past,” “present,” or “future”) of the verbs.

1. I’ll be back for ye at noon.

2. Dogs have been bred throughout the years to develop types to meet varying

needs.

3. It’s my duty.

4. And the crack of a gun will send most collies running for cover.

5. She turned away angrily and continued to set the table.

6. Downstairs in the subterranean office, Fergusson blustered before his assistant.

7. Lassie does look a bit poorly.

8. I shall report you—for both impertinence and cruelty.

9. Lassie was not listening to him now.

10. This dog has no signs of rabies.

129

8.b. - Changing to a Different Tense

8.b. - From A Book of Myths, by Jean Lang

Directions: This passage was written in the past tense. Rewrite it in the present tense, and then turn it into a prophecy by rewriting it in future tense.

From his throne on Olympus, Zeus looked down on the earth and saw, with

wonder, airy columns of blue-grey smoke that curled upwards to the sky. He

watched more closely, and realized with terrible wrath that the moving flowers of

red and gold that he saw in that land that the Titans shared with men, came from

fire, that had hitherto been the gods’ own sacred power. Speedily he assembled a

council of the gods to mete out to Prometheus a punishment fit for the

blasphemous daring of his crime. This council decided at length to create a thing

that should for evermore charm the souls and hearts of men, and yet, for evermore,

be man’s undoing.

130

9 Person, Number, Case, and Tense

From Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

Directions: 1. Over each pronoun and possessive adjective, write its person, number, and case. Draw an arrow to the

antecedent of each.2. Over each verb, write its tense (Present, Past, Future).

1. “I hear a voice,” said he, “a young voice. Will you give me your hand, my kind

young friend, and lead me in?”

2. “Livesey,” said the squire, “you will give up this wretched practice at once.

Tomorrow I start for Bristol.”

3. Terrified as I was, I could not help thinking to myself that this must have been

how Mr. Arrow got the strong waters that destroyed him.

4. “Well, there’s my boat, that I made with my two hands. I keep her under the

white rock.”

5. “Will any kind friend inform a poor blind man, who has lost the precious sight

of his eyes in the gracious defence of his native country, England—and God bless

King George!—where or in what part of this country he may now be?”

“You are at the Admiral Benbow, Black Hill Cove, my good man,” said I.

131

KISS Level 1. 7. Punctuation and CapitalizationKISS Level 1. 7. Punctuation and Capitalization

Punctuating SentencesPunctuating Sentences

Sentences should begin with a capital letter and

end with a period, question mark, or exclamation

point:

Molly wanted to go home.Did Molly want to go home?Molly, go home!

CommasCommas are used:

1.) to separate items in a series:

Tom, Bill, and Jerry went to the park.Tom played football, ate a sandwich, and then went to a movie.Bill found an old, dirty, uncomfortable jacket.

2.) to set off constructions, such as prepositional phrases, direct address, interjections, or nouns used as adverbs, that add extra information to a sentence:

Long ago, on a hill in Greece, Philemon and Baucis lived.David, where have you been?Gee, I didn't think it was important.Monday, they went to see the doctor.

3.) to separate the parts of a date and the parts of an address:

I will meet you Thursday, May 13, 15 at Cousin John's house, 814 Maple Street, Akron, Ohio.

132

ApostrophesApostrophes

An apostrophe is used:

1. to show possession (that something in some way belongs to someone or

something).

Anthony's house; Sharon's idea; the town's streets; the church's windows

2. in contractions to show that letters have been left out.

We’ll be there. = We will be there.

I’m going. = I am going.

It’s here! = It is here!

’Til = Until

Quotation MarksQuotation Marks

Use quotation marks around

1. the exact words that people said: Molly said, “I want to stay here.”Note that a comma is used after words such as “said,” and before the quotation, and that

the closing quotation mark goes after the final punctuation mark.

2. a word that refers to the word itself and not to what it means: “Five” has four

letters in it.

133

1 - The Importance of Punctuation

“Dear John”

-- The Importance of Correct Punctuation

Directions: The following letter can be punctuated two different ways to mean two entirely different things. Copy the letter and add punctuation marks to make it clear and meaningful. You will need to change some small letters into capitals.

Dear John

I want a man who knows what love is all about you are generous kind

thoughtful people who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior you

have ruined me for other men I yearn for you I have no feelings whatsoever when

we’re apart I can be forever happy will you let me be yours

Jane

134

2 - Punctuating SentencesBased on

The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children by Charles Kingsley


Lesson: A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period,

question mark, or exclamation point.

Directions: 1. Use a period, question mark, or exclamation point to punctuate the following sentences. 2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline every subject once, every verb twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. I can do this

2. Where can I find the monster

3. Is this your respect for the Gods, and thy mercy to strangers and widows

4. You shall die

5. Perseus took his mother to the temple of Athene

6. Who are you, lady

7. But day and night Perseus saw before him the face of that dreadful woman, with

the vipers writhing round her head

8. And I will bring it

9. Perseus, dare you face such a monster as this

10. Then Perseus would have spoken, but the strange lady vanished, and he awoke

135

3 - Capitalization

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, a particular place, or a particular 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.

5. The principal words in titles of books, plays, poems, pictures, and compositions are written with capital letters.

"America for Me" was written by Henry Van Dyke.

6. The first word in a direct quotation is always written with a capital letter. A direct quotation is the use of the exact words of a speaker. Even if the quotation begins in the middle of the sentence, the first word of the quotation is written with a capital letter.

Robert said, "Catch me if you can."

Adapted from Voyages in English - Fifth Year, byRev. Paul E. Campbell and Sister Mary Donatus MacNickle. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1943.

136

The Dance Examination

c. 1880 by

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

CapitalizationAdapted from Voyages in English

by Rev. Paul E. Campbelland Sister Mary Donatus MacNickle

Directions: 1. Fix the following sentences, replacing small letters with capital letters where needed. 2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline every verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or

“DO”).

1. rhode island is the smallest state in the united states.

2. on the card was printed, john l. donahue, m. d.

3. labor day is the first monday of september.

4. this letter came from ms. mildred l. flanagan.

5. little men was written by the author of little women.

6. mrs. j. f. mayer lives at 792 maple avenue, davenport, iowa.

7. roosevelt dam is in arizona.

8. ella sheehan lives on ritner avenue.

9. the class sang “america the beautiful.”

10. robinson crusoe is the story of a man’s adventures on a desert island.

137

4 - Commas in a Series

Based on “How Perseus Vowed a Rash Vow” by Charles Kingsley

in The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales For My Children Illustrations by Howard Davie

Directions: 1. Replace the missing commas. 2. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” “DO”).

1. And Perseus and the good Dictys and his wife came to visit his mother every

day at the temple of Athene.

2. Instead of falling Perseus floated and stood and ran along the sky.

3. Next Polydectes proclaimed a great feast and invited to it all the chiefs and

landowners and the young men of the island and among them Perseus.

4. He was not a righteous man, like Dictys; but greedy and cunning and cruel.

5. So Danae was made a slave and had to fetch water from the well and grind in the

mill and perhaps was beaten and wore a heavy chain, because she would not

marry that cruel king.

6. Through doubt and need danger and battle, I drive them.

7. And Perseus was brave and truthful gentle and courteous.

8. He was the most skillful of all in running and wrestling and boxing and in

throwing the quoit and the javelin and in rowing with the oar and in playing on

the harp.

9. Perseus’s face grew very red as they pointed at him and smiled and whispered,

“What has that foundling to give?”

10. Down to the cliffs he went and looked across the broad blue sea; and he

wondered if his dream were true and prayed in the bitterness of his soul.

138

5 - Commas in Addresses and Dates



Maria Teresa of Vallabriga on Horseback

1783 Francisco de

Goya (1746-1828)

Directions: 1. Replace the missing commas. 2. Put parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 3. Underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, and label complements (“PN,” “PA,” “IO,” “DO”).

A comma is used to separate parts of an address or of a date.

1. Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27 1858.

2. Galveston Texas is a large cotton market.

3. Our ship docked at Montreal Canada on November 16 1964.

4. July 4 1776 is an important date.

5. On November 11 1918 the First World War came to an end.

6. The Pilgrims reached Cape Cod Massachusetts on November 11 1620.

7. Atlantic City New Jersey is a noted pleasure resort.

8. I have never been in Denver Colorado.

9. Name a product manufactured in Grand Rapids Michigan.

10. Samuel F. B. Morse sent the first telegraphic message on May 27 1844.

139

6 - Apostrophes to Show Possession


Directions: 1. Fix the apostrophe problem in each sentence. 2. After each sentence, rewrite the phrases with apostrophes as phrases with prepositional phrases. For

example, “my brother’s dog” would be “the dog of my brother.” 3. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 4. Underline every verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. During this conversation the grandfathers eyes had been twinkling. ______________________________________________________________

2. The old man prepared a meal which amply satisfied Peters appetite. ______________________________________________________________

3. Heidis tale was interrupted suddenly by a great thumping on the door. ______________________________________________________________

4. She is my only sisters child. ______________________________________________________________

5. Miss Claras companion would have to be twelve years old. ______________________________________________________________

6. Clara, on the contrary, enjoyed her companions society. ______________________________________________________________

7. Mrs. Sesemann had noticed the childs unhappiness. ______________________________________________________________

8. The old ladys heart was filled with pity. ______________________________________________________________

9. The grandmamas book was carefully packed. ______________________________________________________________

10. Claras rapture in her new life grew greater every day, and she could not write enough of the grandfathers kindly care and of Heidis entertaining stories. ______________________________________________________________

140

7 - Apostrophes in Contractions


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. Fix the apostrophe problem in each sentence. 2. After each sentence, rewrite the phrases with apostrophes as phrases. For example, “He’ll be

here soon” would be “He will be.” 3. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 4. Underline every verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or

“DO”).

1. Ill come next Sunday, if I may. ______________________________________________________________ 2. “I dont know if he did, but I dont think so. She probably doesnt know.” ______________________________________________________________ 3. Well do it tomorrow! ______________________________________________________________ 4. Didnt you get the teachers warning? ______________________________________________________________ 5. He wont be cross long. ______________________________________________________________ 6. I dont remember that any more. ______________________________________________________________ 7. I cant read and Peter cant do it either. ______________________________________________________________ 8. Thats right. ______________________________________________________________ 9. Now you wont have to eat hard black bread any more for a little while. ______________________________________________________________ 10. Now well go to grandfather. ______________________________________________________________

141

Young Woman Reading

1876 by

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)

8 - Quotation MarksAdapted from


and Sister Mary Donatus MacNickleDirections: In the following sentences, identify the words that were said by placing them in quotation

marks “ ”.

1. This, remarked Gertrude, is for you.

2. Francis whispered, Be quiet.

3. Come with me, called Charles.

4. Yes, replied John, this road leads to the highway.

5. I have found my pen, remarked Robert.

6. Hawaii, answered Ruth, is located in the Pacific Ocean.

7. The ice is thin, warned the policeman.

8. She repeated, I am sorry!

9. Give me. said the teacher, your name and address.

10. We won the game! shouted the boys.

142

9 - Replacing Lost Punctuation & Capitalization


Directions: Goats will eat anything, and they ate the capital letters and punctuation in the following passage. Please fix the passage.

when deta saw the little party of climbers she cried out shrilly heidi what have

you done what a sight you are where are your dresses and your shawl are the new

shoes gone that i just bought for you and the new stockings that i made myself

where are they all heidi

the child quietly pointed down and said there

the aunt followed the direction of her finger and descried a little heap with a

small red dot in the middle which she recognized as the shawl

unlucky child deta said excitedly what does all this mean why have you taken

your things all off

because i do not need them said the child not seeming in the least repentant of

her deed

how can you be so stupid heidi have you lost your senses the aunt went on in a

tone of mingled vexation and reproach who do you think will go way down there

to fetch those things up again it is half-an-hours walk please peter, run down and

get them do not stand and stare at me as if you were glued to the spot

10 - Creating an Exercise

Select a short passage from a book. Remove all the capitalization and

punctuation to make a punctuation exercise for your classmates. Do at least one of

your classmates’ exercises.

143

KISS Level 1.8. - Vocabulary and LogicKISS Level 1.8. - Vocabulary and Logic

1 - Abstract and Concrete Words

Abstract and Concrete WordsAbstract and Concrete Words

We need to begin with a question—Why is it important for you to learn the difference between

abstract and concrete words? To answer that question, we need to go to a more basic one—what is the

purpose of talking or writing? I think that you will agree that the primary purpose of either is to get what

is in your head (what you are trying to say) into the head or heads of readers or listeners.

Abstract words do not do this very effectively. If, at the dinner table, you want more mashed

potatoes, but you ask for more “food,” you may end up getting broccoli sprouts. “Food” is an abstract

word; “mashed potatoes” is much more concrete.

“Food” and “mashed potatoes” is a simple example of the distinction, and we should note at the

beginning that all the most important words in our lives are probably abstract—“love,” “virtue,”

“patriotism,” “money,” “good,” “evil,” and “religion” are just a few of the important abstract words. In

other words, we cannot simplify life by abandoning all abstract words and using only the concrete. Good

communication actually involves an up and down movement from abstraction down to concrete words,

and then back up to an abstraction, followed by downward explanation using concrete examples.

Learning how to do this effectively is not always easy because those people on the right in the image

above don’t usually see the world in the same way that you do. If you ask for a “short” stick, one of them

might bring you a six-inch one, whereas another may give you a stick that is six feet long. If you want

144

them to meet you in the “evening,” two of them might show up at 4 p.m., and three might not appear

before midnight. But if you used a concrete word, and told them to meet you at 8, they would probably all

arrive close to that time, and those who were early or late would know that they were so.

This brings us to the basic distinction between abstract and concrete words. Abstract words are

words that people will interpret differently. When you use concrete words, what ends up in their

heads will be much closer to what you wanted them to understand. (Note, by the way, that we are

looking at phrases as well as words—“mashed potatoes” is a phrase.)

Two Major Perspectives on Abstract WordsSome abstract words can easily be broken down into smaller groups; others cannot.

Abstract Words That Can Easily Be Broken into Smaller Groups

Thing

Animal

Mammal

Cat

House Cat

Mysha

Consider the list on the left. “Thing” is the most abstract word

we have—it can refer to anything and everything. But “animal” is

more concrete—it excludes rocks and plants. “Mammal” is even

more concrete. Ducks are animals, but they are not mammals. If we

move down to “cat,” dogs and horses are now excluded, and

“House Cat” excludes lions and tigers. At the bottom of the list,

“Mysha” is the name of one specific cat. A word that refers to one,

and only one thing, is as concrete (specific) as we can get.

Note that “abstract” and “concrete” are not two boxes into

which words can be separated. As the list on the left shows, words

can be more, or less, “concrete.” In other words, the “abstract” /

“concrete” distinction is a continuum. To name a “continuum,” by

the way, we use fairly abstract words—“hot” or “cold”; “soft” or

“hard,” “short” or “tall.”

In writing, it is important to use concrete words so that your

readers will know what you really mean. When your teachers tell

you to use more examples and details, one of the things that they

mean is that you should use more concrete words.

145

Abstract Words That often Can Not Be Broken into Smaller Groups

What is “beauty?” What is “happiness”? Unlike the words discussed above, “beauty” and

“happiness” cannot be broken into smaller and smaller groups of words. But clearly “beauty”

and “happiness” are abstract words. (Think of the many “Happiness is . . . .” statements that

people make, almost all of which are different.) The extent to which you may want to clarify

your meaning of these words depends on your purpose.

When people show someone a picture of their new baby, a typical response is, “She’s

beautiful.” Occasionally, the statement will be clarified to a small extent—“Her eyes are so

bright.” Often, the statement is not clarified at all. In this context, “She’s beautiful” is simply a

polite response. (Hopefully, no one would ever respond with “She’s ugly.”) There are, however,

many cases in which people would (or should or could) clarify what they mean by “beautiful.”

“That picture is beautiful,” for example, is essentially meaningless unless whoever says it goes

on to add details about the subject, the composition, the coloring, etc. of the picture.

Clarifying words in this way is not easy. It requires some thought. But these words are often

very important. What do you mean by words such as “responsibility,” “honor,” “loyalty,”

“liberal,” “conservative,” “virtue,” or “patriotic”?

Using Abstract and Concrete WordsUnderstanding these two perspectives on abstract and concrete words can help you in

writing and thinking in several ways. For words that fall into a continuum, always try to pick the

most concrete word that fits your meaning. As suggested above, that will help your audience

understand you more easily. Also, if you can choose your topic for a paper, always go for

something as concrete as you can. It is much easier for me, for example, to write about our cat

Mysha than it is to write about cats in general:

I can’t remember when or where we got our cat Mysha, but he added joy to

our lives. We named him “Mysha” because in Russian “Mysha” means “armpit.”

When he was small, he would climb into the chair I was in, and snuggle himself

into my armpit. When he grew older, he was allowed to put his front paws, but

only his front paws, on the kitchen table. At breakfast, I would shove a piece of

bacon in his direction and he would stretch out, swat the bacon onto the floor, and

146

jump down to get it. Like most cats, he loved to play with things. Once, he got

hold of the toilet paper in the bathroom, pulled on it, made a left turn out the

bathroom door, went ten feet down the hallway, turned right, scrambled across the

living room, made another right, and ended at the door to the apartment. He did

this without breaking the toilet paper.

I could easily triple the size of what I just wrote, but the point is that it is much easier to write

about something specific (concrete) than it is to write about general topics like “cats.”

Words that fall into a continuum also make it easy to develop examples. Note how the

following moves from the relatively abstract “birds” to specific species of birds, and then to

specific species of animals.

Birdseed invites more than just birds. It does, of course, invite birds. Our

birdfeeder attracted a lot of sparrows and chickadees that sat on the edges of it to

eat. But many birds simply came for the seeds that fall to ground. The usual

robins came, but so did a pair of doves (always together). A pair of cardinals

came, sometimes individually, but sometimes together. When they came together,

it seemed as if the male would pick up a beakfull of seeds and then feed them to

his mate. My wife’s favorite visitor was a oriole that she named Cal. (She’s a Cal

Ripkin fan.)

The squirrels, however, kept destroying the feeders. One way or another they

would get to them, hang on them, and tear them apart. We almost gave up feeding

them, but we loved the birds, and we also loved “Alvin,” a tiny little chipmunk

who was always alone. My wife saved his life once. Like the squirrels, he would

get into the magnolia tree in which we hung the birdfeeder. He jumped off once

and fell into a tub of water in which I had been collecting rain water from a

downspout. He had no way out. We don’t know how long he was in it, but

fortunately, my wife saw him and managed to get him out alive. The tub has been

moved far from the tree, and we now simply sprinkle seeds on the ground.

The way in which Alvin stands up on his little legs and stares down the birds

and even the much bigger squirrels is cute, so we continue to put out seeds for

him and the birds. We tolerate the squirrels, but the seeds do attract less welcome

147

visitors—possums, raccoons, and even an occasional fox. The real pains are the

skunks, but they only come at night. We’ve lowered the rations so that most of the

seeds are eaten before nightfall.

I have heard people complain that students who write “more” get better grades. What these

people do not understand is that good writing gets its “more” from the use of numerous concrete

words. Concrete words give examples that make what is written both clearer and more

interesting.

As for abstract words that do not easily fall into smaller groups, it is important that you

recognize them to improve your thinking, reading, and writing skills. When Tom says that Bill is

“brave” or “patriotic,” what does Tom mean? If you yourself say that Bill is “brave” or

“patriotic,” what would you mean? As noted above, sometimes you will not need examples, but

other times you probably should include some. As a good writer, that is your job.

148

Abstract and Concrete Words (and Phrases)

Adapted from Child-Story Readers: Wonder Stories

New York: Lyons and Carnahan, 1927. p. 241-2

The Guitar Player

by Pablo Ruiz y

Picasso (1881-1973)

Directions: 1. The words in the “Word List” are more concrete than the abstract words in the table. Put each of the

words in the “Word List” in their proper place in the table.

Word Listchurch vest mill sapphires sawmill gloves boots

breeches storehouse castle inn wagons sharks mittens

cap barn jacket slippers train shirt guppy

diamonds automobile silo truck ships trout bass

Buildings Fishes Jewels Clothing Ways of Travel

2. Add as many concrete words as you can to each of the abstract categories. 3. Remember that the abstract/concrete distinction is not two boxes into which words can be put. Words

can be more or less abstract or concrete. Select one of the concrete words on your list (or in the exercise above) and list five words that are more concrete examples of that word. For example, how many types of trucks can you name?

4. To explain some abstract words, it is better to give and explain examples of it. Pick one word from the following list and write a paragraph that explains what it means to you. Use as many concrete examples as you can. Your teacher may have everyone read their paragraphs in class to see the different ways in which the word is defined.

worker, entertainment, relaxation, fame

149

2 - Common and Proper Nouns

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

A proper noun is a name that belongs only to some particular person, place, or

thing.

Henry, Boston, Monday, April

Begin every proper noun with a capital letter.

Note that common nouns tend to be abstract. Proper nouns are very concrete

because they name one specific person, place, or thing.

150

Lady Sewing 1879 by

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

(1841-1919)

Common and Proper Nouns



Directions: In the following sentences, underline each common noun and put a box around each proper noun.

1. Weeds grow rapidly.

2. The United States built the Panama Canal.

3. Gertrude plays the piano.

4. 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. The ring contains a rare stone.

10. The deer runs swiftly.

11. Warren Earl Burger was the 14th chief justice of the Supreme Court.

12. The noise stopped when John entered the room.

13. Halloween is in October.

14. My father bought a new suit for my sister Roxanne’s wedding.

15. In March, the snow melted rapidly.

16. The students learned about Mary Cassatt, a famous American painter.

17. This summer, they went to the New York Museum of Art.

18. Eddie Rickenbacker was a World War I flying ace.

19. Francis Xavier Cabrini founded Columbus Hospital in New York.

20. Benjamin Franklin was the U. S. Ambassador to France during the American

Revolution.

151

3 Synonyms

Adapted from Child-Story Readers:Wonder Stories

New York: Lyons and Carnahan, 1927. p. 113-4

La BaronneDe Krundener

Et Son Fils by

AngelicaKauffmann (1741-1807)

A synonym is a word that means the same,or almost the same, as another word.

Directions: 1. Number the lines of a piece of paper from 1 to 20. 2. In each line find the synonym of the first word in that line. Write this word on your paper by the right

number. 1. silly foolish wise rich2. shivered shook gentle thoughtful3. torches lightning lights thunder4. room chamber hall table5. deer troop wand stag6. slippers wise shoes sword7. linger wait kind purred8. city country town truck9. village street farm town

10. pony goat horse cow11. entrance roof edges door12. neat empty tidy space13. humans fairies beasts people14. daylight morn sunset noon15. blank well-known empty noted16. modern new angry fair17. close up dry near18. seldom often rarely never19. show exhibit complete believe20. fierce weak sloppy ferocious

152

American Gothic

1930 by

Grant Wood ( 1891-1942)

4 - AntonymsAdapted from



Antonyms are words that mean the opposite or almost the opposite of another word.

Directions: Number your paper from one to fifteen. After each number, write the antonym

from the right column for the word in the left column.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

proud

absent

export

hope

sad

immigrant

distant

assist

ugly

hungry

forget

guilty

admit

old

rude

emigrant

despair

import

polite

happy

hinder

deny

near

new

humble

beautiful

innocent

present

satisfied

remember

153

5 - Fill in the Blanks with Interesting WordsAdapted from



The Mute Woman

1508? by

Raphael(1483-1520)

Directions: 1. Fill in the blanks with interesting verbs, nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. 2. Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from each preposition to the word

that the phrase modifies. 3. Underline subjects once, verbs twice, and label complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

1. The _____adj._____ train _____verb_____ _____adv._____ into the _____adj._____

station.

2. Rita and I _____verb_____ _____adv._____ about the _____adj._____ incidents of

our trip to _____noun_____.

3. An _____adj._____ man _____verb_____ _____adv._____ up the _____adj._____

steps of the _____adj._____ church.

4. Robert _____verb_____ from the _____adj._____ roof and _____adv._____

_____verb_____ his _____adj._____ arm.

5. The _____adj._____ roar _____adv._____ _____verb_____ the approach of a

_____adj._____ storm.

6. The _____adj._____ _____adj._____ carriage _____adv._____ _____verb_____ along

the _____adj._____ _____noun_____.

7. The _____adj._____ doctor _____verb_____ _____adv._____ to the _____adj._____

child.

8. _____adj._____ skyscrapers _____adv._____ _____verb_____ both sides of the

_____adj._____ street.

9. The _____adj._____ _____adj._____ foliage _____verb_____ _____adv._____ in the

_____adj._____ _____adj._____ breeze.

10. A _____adj._____ fireman _____verb_____ _____adv._____ into the

_____adj._____ building.

154

6 - The Logic of Words and Phrases

Where Does Each Belong?

Directions: Arrange neatly on a large sheet of paper any two of the following headings: Who, When, Where, What, How. Underneath each of the two headings which you have chosen write all the groups of words given below which properly belong under that heading. Write your name near the bottom of your paper.

1an Indian squaw that first winter too late in the season a piece of raccoon outside of the wigwam suddenly in Connecticut

2along the street when snowflakes fall a single doughnut noisily all his friends Rose Fyleman a terrible pirate

3some wicked pirates anxiously above the undergrowth some famous people on a Virginia plantation a little Polish princess patiently

4sassafras teaa real Christmasthese Indian neighborsat Thanksgiving Timeterriblyin front of the fireplacea smart red feather

5in the cold twilightsthe little boy's uncleafter the snowfallfrom the northtwo tiny nuthatchesin a minuteblindly

6the gossipy porpoisesAnthony Overhigh in the aira red-headed manimmediatelyacross the rose-plotafter many trials

From The Pathway to Reading: Fourth Reader, by Bessie Blackstone Coleman,Willis L. Uhl, and James Fleming Hosic. N.Y.: Silver, Burdett and Company, 1926, p. 213.

155

Word Families (Small and Big)Word Families (Small and Big)

Just like people, words are born, live, and die. (They just live a lot longer.) Over the centuries, in other words, our ancestors developed new words, changed them in different ways to express different things, and then, for one reason or another, stopped using some words. Our interest here is in how words have changed. Understanding that can help you improve your vocabulary -- and your writing.

Some words are very simple -- man, friend, draw. Other words, however, are formed from these simple words: man -- manly, manfully; friend -- friendly, friendship, unfriendly; draw -- drawing, withdraw. The parts that form such words are called roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

The Root of a word is usually a simple English word without a prefix or a suffix, such as move, see, hold, press. Prefixes and suffixes can be added to these words to make new words -- pressure, impression, suppress. Some roots are not English words. For example, from the Latin, we have the roots vert and duce from which English gets words like convert and introduce.

A Prefix is a significant syllable or word placed before the root. In mistake, undertake; mis and under are prefixes.

A Suffix is a significant letter or syllable placed after the root. In amused, amusement, amusing; d, ment, and ing are suffixes.

All words formed from the same root are said to belong to the same family of words; thus, betake, mistake, retake, partake. overtake, undertake, etc., belong to a family of words. The following words belong to another family: Divert, convert, avert, pervert, controvert, invert, subvert, revert, perversion, diversity, introverted, uncontroverted, etc.

Like all families, word-families can be viewed as “small” or “big.” With people, a “small” family consists of parents and their children. A “big” family extends to aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and beyond to include everyone related by blood. A “small” word family consists of one basic word and variations that change how it can be used (noun, adjective, verb, adverb). Within these variations of part of speech, other variations can change the meaning from naming an act (“describing”) to the result of the act (“description”) or to the doer of the act (“describer”) or to the quality of the act (“descriptiveness”).

156

The “Small” Word-Family of “Describe”

V- describe Parents describe their children in glowing terms.

N- describing Describing a person is not easy.

description My descriptions are not always clear.

describer As a describer, I probably leave much to be desired.

descriptiveness The writer’s descriptiveness tempts the imagination.

Adj.- describing He wrote a book describing his experience.

described The accident described in the paper occurred here.

descriptive She wrote a very descriptive essay.

describable But then, the scene she chose was very describable.

Adv.- descriptively Still, she writes very descriptively.

“Big” word families are usually created by prefixes that fundamentally change the meaning. For example, the “big” family of the root motion includes words such as emotion, promotion, commotion, and demotion.

157

The Prisoner 1907 by

Evelyn DeMorgan

(British, 1850-1919)

7 - Suffixes

7 A - Suffixes That Create Nouns:(State of Being, Condition, Quality)

Based on Lessons in English: Higher Course Pupil's Edition. New York: William H. Sadlier, 1893

Suffixes that denote the state of being, or the condition, the quality, are:

-ness Happiness, the state of being happy.-ity, -ty, -ety Scarcity, frailty, the state of being scarce, frail.-th Health, the state of being healthy.-tude Promptitude, the state of being prompt.-ice Justice, the state of being just.-ce Silence, the state of being silent.-cy, -acy Accuracy, the state of being accurate.-y Honesty, the state of being honest.-mony Acrimony, the state of being acrid or sour.-hood Childhood, the state of a child.-ship Friendship, the state of a friend.-dom Kingdom, the state of a king.-ry, -y Beggary, the state of a beggar.

Form nouns by means of the above suffixes.

true truth loyal loyaltyfree _______________ hard _______________deep _______________ obstinate _______________green _______________ strong _______________anxious _______________ apt _______________vain _______________ merry _______________special _______________ boy _______________quiet _______________ modest _______________gay _______________ young _______________false _______________ warm _______________noisy _______________ wise _______________brave _______________ equal _______________solid _______________ coward _______________benefit _______________ delicate _______________ample _______________ prudent _______________

158

Self Portrait 1940 by

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

Mexican

B - Suffixes That Denote People

Based on Lessons in English: Higher Course

Pupil's Edition. New York: William H. Sadlier, 1893

Suffixes that indicate the author of an action, the person who is devoted to a profession or skilled in it, are:

-er, -yer Reader, Sawyer, one who reads, saws.-eer, -ier Auctioneer, one who sells by auction.-ar, -ard Beggar, Dotard, one who begs, dotes.-or Creator, one who creates.-ant, -ent President, Student, one who presides. studies.-an, -ian Musician, one skilled in music.-ster Spinster, one who spins.-ist Artist, one skilled in an art.-ive Fugitive, one who flees.-ary Missionary, one sent on a mission.-ate Delegate, one who is sent.-ee Trustee, one to whom something is entrusted.

Directions: 1. Give the name of the person.

law lawyer combat combatantrefer _______________ mutiny _______________school _______________ adverse _______________refuge _______________ compete _______________dull _______________ assail _______________conspire _______________ adhere _______________violin _______________ preside _______________library _______________ natural _______________journal _______________ assist _______________oppose _______________ capture _______________trick _______________ chariot _______________

2. Replace the italicized words with nouns that refer to people.

a. Religious missions in pagan lands have often to encounter obstacles raised by the greed of European traffic.

b. Without the telescope, astronomy would know nothing of innumerable worlds that lie beyond the range of the human eye.

c. The structure, classification, growth, and use of plants is the study of botany. d. Skillful arts can transform the coarsest materials into objects of luxury.

159

Vampire 1893 by

Edvard Munch

7 C - Suffixes That Create Nouns

(Office, Place, Collection)



Suffixes that denote office, jurisdiction, or character, are:

-ate Patriarchate, the jurisdiction of a patriarch.-dom Kingdom, the dominions of a king,-ship Professorship, the office of a professor.-hood Priesthood, the office of a priest.-cy, -acy, -y Presidency, the office of a president.

Suffixes which denote place or a collection of objects are:

-ary Library, a collection of books, a place to keep books.-ery Fishery, a place for fishing,-ory Armory, a place to keep arms.-ry, -y Vestry, a place to keep vestments.-ing Clothing, a collection of clothes.-age Plumage, a collection of feathers.

Directions: Give the nouns formed with the above suffixes.

clerk clerkship grain granary

widow _______________ peasant _______________

knight _______________ monarch _______________

protector _______________ consul _______________

hermit _______________ dispense _______________

observe _______________ deposit _______________

baron _______________ infirm _______________

bound _______________ mile _______________

160

Circe by

Dosso Dossi(1479-1542)

7 D - Suffixes That Create Nouns

(Art, Science, Practice)



Suffixes which denote art, science, practice, are: -ery, -ry, -y Cookery, the art or practice of a cook.-ism Criticism, the art or practice of a critic.-ics, -ic Mechanics, the science of motion.-ing Surveying, the art of measuring lands.-ure Sculpture, the art of carving.

The suffix -ism indicates a doctrine, a particular manner of acting, of being, or an idiom peculiar to a language; as, Calvinism, the doctrine of Calvin; parallelism, the state of being parallel; Latinism, an idiom peculiar to the Latin language.

Form nouns by means of the above suffixes. chemist chemistry garden gardening

poet _______________ despot _______________

architect _______________ paint _______________

photograph _______________ witch _______________

emboss _______________ letter _______________

engrave _______________ patriot _______________

cone _______________ carve _______________

Catholic _______________ pagan _______________

surgeon _______________ barbarian _______________

III. Change the noun in italics to one that denotes the art, science, or practice:

1. The practices of the heathen are either superstitious or cruel. 2. The chemist requires an extensive knowledge of physics and geometry. 3. A new country like Canada affords a vast field for the engineer. 4. Since the discovery of Galvani the science of electricity has advanced with rapid strides. 5. The skeptics of the reign of Louis XV. were followed by the terrorists of the French

Revolution. 6. The anatomist examines the structure of the human body.

161

Alone 1896 by

Toulouse- Lautrec

(1864-1901)

7 E - Suffixes That Create Adjectives

(Quality)



Suffixes that express the quality of a thing, of what it is made, or what it contains, are:

-ine Saline, having the qualities of a salt-ous, -eous, -ious, -uous Glorious, having the quality of glory

-en Wooden, made of wood-ed Bigoted, having the qualities of a bigot-ory Declamatory, containing declamation-ive Defective, containing defects-id Candid, having the quality of candor-ate Compassionate, having the quality of compassion

Directions: Form adjectives with the above suffixes.

fervor fervid male masculine

brass _______________ promise _______________

splendor _______________ malice _______________

wool _______________ age _______________

alkali _______________ plenty _______________

beauty _______________ lead _______________

divinity _______________ abuse _______________

conceit _______________ talent _______________

crystal _______________ fame _______________

pomp _______________ ambition _______________

162

Majas on aBalcony

by Francisco de Goya

(1746-1828)

7 F - Suffixes That Create Adjectives

(Power, Potential)



Suffixes that express the power to do, causing, or producing, are:-ive Productive, having the power to produce-ant, -ent Pleasant, producing pleasure-ory Compulsory, having the power to compel-ing Amusing, producing amusement-fic Terrific, Causing terror-iferous Floriferous, producing flowers-ite Definite, having bounds

Suffixes that express that may be, are:-able Tamable, that may be tamed-ible Resistible, that may be resisted-ile Docile, easily taught

Directions: Form adjectives by means of the above suffixes.buoy buoyant create creativeimitate _______________ abhor _______________metal _______________ pend _______________progress _______________ divert _______________change _______________ odor _______________dolor _______________ tense _______________peace _______________ corrode _______________divide _______________ soothe _______________luxury _______________ utter _______________satisfy _______________ oppose _______________serve _______________ species _______________heal _______________ sense _______________decide _______________ prevail _______________detest _______________ assist _______________repel _______________ admit _______________solve _______________ forgive _______________access _______________ cone _______________depend _______________ eat _______________

163

Near Perugiain Spring

1879by

George Inness (1825-1894)

7 G - Suffixes That Create Adjectives

(Relationship)



Suffixes which denote relation to a thing, are:-aI, -ial Provincial, relating to a province-ar Polar, relating to the poles-ary Planetary, relating to a planet-an, -ian Collegian, relating to a college-ile Infantile, pertaining to an infant-ic, -ical Romantic, pertaining to romance

Suffixes which denote abounding in, full of, are: -ful Fruitful, abounding with fruit-ose, -ous Verbose, abounding in words-some Troublesome, full of trouble-y, -ey Hilly, abounding in hills

The suffix that expresses without, destitute of, is -less; as, Hopeless, without hope.

Directions: Form adjectives by means of the suffixes. circle circular patriot patrioticyouth _______________ botany _______________spirit _______________ peril _______________nature _______________ mourn _______________honor _______________ essence _______________giant _______________ home _______________globe _______________ feast _______________single _______________ autumn _______________joke _______________ toil _______________quarrel _______________ insect _______________life _______________ flower _______________truth _______________ suburbs _______________science _______________ frolic _______________cloud _______________ emblem _______________peace _______________ clergy _______________muscle _______________ pore _______________friend _______________ herb _______________humor _______________ play _______________

164

Rosie the Riveter (cover Saturday

Evening Post May 29 1943)

by Norman Rockwell

(1894-1978)

H - Suffixes That Create Adjectives (Likeness)



Suffixes that express likeness, similarity, are: -ish, -ly Childish, like a child; fatherly, like a father

The suffix -ly added to words expressing periods of time, signifies every; as, daily, every day; monthly, every month,. hourly, every hour.

Suffixes which, joined to a proper name, form proper adjectives, are: -ch, -ish, -ic France, French; Spain, Spanish; Plato, Platonic-ian, -n, -ean Newton, Newtonian; Russia, Russian; Pyrenees, Pyrenean-ese, -ine,-ote, -ite China, Chinese; Alp, Alpine; Morea, Moreote

Suffixes which, joined to an adjective, express diminution, are:-ish, -some Red, reddish: glad, gladsome.

Form adjectives by means of the above suffixes.mother motherly Genoa GenoeseCicero _______________ clown _______________Ireland _______________ Socrates _______________coward _______________ Greece _______________prince _______________ Ptolemy _______________heathen _______________ Levant _______________Asia _______________ Wales _______________Heaven _______________ Corfu _______________white _______________ Portugal _______________brother _______________ purple _______________Goth _______________ drone _______________Africa _______________ Flanders _______________whole _______________ blithe _______________matron _______________ Scotland _______________thief _______________ yellow _______________

165

7 I - Suffixes for Making Verbs



Woman Reading in a Café

1879 by

Edouard Manet (1832-1883)

The following suffixes usually turn adjectives or nouns into verbs.-en Darken, to make dark-ate Domesticate, to render domestic-fy, -ify Simplify, to render simple-ish Publish, to make public-ite Unite, to make one-e Breathe, to make or draw breath-se Cleanse, to make clean-le Crumble, to reduce to crumbs-ise, -ize Solemnize, to keep or render solemn

Form a verb from the noun or the adjective.

scribe scribble bath bathedrinker _______________ liquid _______________critic _______________ instructive _______________ample _______________ throat _______________peace _______________ terminus _______________nest _______________ migratory _______________fabric _______________ colony _______________electric _______________ sufficient _______________glad _______________ grain _______________writer _______________ prevalent _______________

Deflating Inflated Balloons

Forms of the verb “to be” make wordy sentences—inflated balloons. Directions: Change the predicate adjective or predicate noun into a verb and rewrite the sentence using

that verb instead of the S/V/PA (or PN) pattern. Example: He is not the owner of any books. = He does not own any books.

1. He is a writer and lecturer. 2. The sons are all drinkers. 3. These birds are migratory. 4. That is sufficient for me. 5. Allergies are prevalent in the spring. 6. His lectures were instructive for everybody.

166

7 J - Suffixes That Create Verbs

from Nouns and Adjectives



The Laundress c. 1860-61

by Honoré

Daumier (1808-1879)

Verbs can be formed from nouns, or adjectives. 1. Without change; as, smoke, to smoke; warm, to warm. 2. By giving a flat sound to some letters, without altering the spelling of the

word; as, mouth, mouth; close, close. 3. By changing a sharp consonant to a corresponding flat one; as, grass, to

graze; half, to halve. 4. By changing the position of the accent; as, ob'ject, to object'; fre'quent, to

frequent'. 5. By adding a suffix; as, sign, signify; sweet, sweeten. 6. In a few instances, by adding a prefix; as, dim, bedim; power, overpower.

Find the verb corresponding to the given word.

brass braze rebel rebel'

grief _______________ excuse _______________

advice _______________ prophecy _______________

proof _______________ belief _______________

convert _______________ attribute _______________

perfume _______________ rise _______________

conflict _______________ glass _______________

relief _______________ smooth _______________

grease _______________ device _______________

strife _______________ price _______________

reproof _______________ thief _______________

project _______________ practice _______________

167

The Sisters 1885by

Mary Cassatt(1844-1926)

7 K - Suffixes That Create Adverbs



Many adverbs end in the suffix -ly. (But not every word that ends in -ly is an

adverb. Think of friendly.)

The suffixes -ward, -ern, -erly, denote direction; as, north, northward, northern,

northerly. Note that -ern creates adjectives, and “-ward” creates words that can

function as either adjectives or adverbs: They sailed northward. They sailed into a

northward wind.

Give an adverb related to each of the following: wind windward bright brightly

sole______________

_straight

______________

_

artful______________

_heaven

______________

_

back______________

_pale

______________

_

studiou

s

______________

_west

______________

_

side______________

_notable

______________

_

civil______________

_noble

______________

_

after ______________ awkwar ______________

168

_ d _

169

8 - Prefixes

Woman in BlueReading a Letter

c.1662-1664by

Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)

Some Common Prefixes(for Level 1.8)



The following are common prefixes:

Re- signifies back, again; as, reenter, to enter again

Sub, suc, suf,

sup, sus-signify under, after; as suffix, to fix after

Super- sur- signify over, above, beyond; as, surmount, to mount above

Trans- tra- signify across, otherwise; as, transpose, to place otherwise

Directions: Use the prefixes above to make other words from the following words and roots. Indicate the part of speech of the words that you make.

port transport (N or V) -vert reversion (N)

edit _______________ structure _______________

-fer _______________ lease _______________

position _______________ action _______________

charge _______________ -tain _______________

fix _______________ -late _______________

-vive _______________ -mit _______________

name _______________ division _______________

vision _______________ plant _______________

-cess _______________ -vise _______________

170

9 - Roots

Reading 1911 by

John Singer Sargent

(1856-1925)

Word Families:

Identifying RootsBased on

Lessons in English: Higher Course Pupil's Edition. New York: William H. Sadlier, 1893

Root: Write the root of the word. Reform

European

Kingdom

Pressure

Entomb

Bravery

Overload

Uncrown

Hillock

Disbelief

Form

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

Armament

Songster

Inaction

Adverb

Teacher

Nonsense

Forenoon

Lambkin

Slavery

Withdraw

Arm

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

Beggar

Redo

Beautiful

Childhood

Prefix

Duckling

Spaniard

Misdeed

Reclaim

Westward

Beg

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

kissgrammar.orgkissgrammar.org/kiss/wb/PBooks/G6_L1.doc · Web viewFillette au Grand Chapeau 1908...

Documents

Transcript of kissgrammar.orgkissgrammar.org/kiss/wb/PBooks/G6_L1.doc · Web viewFillette au Grand Chapeau 1908...