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EXAMPLE
prep. n. adj. adj. n. v. prep. adj. n. conj. v.
In 1811 the first steamboat sailed down the Mississippi and inaugurated
adj. adj. n. prep. n.
a new era in navigation.
STEAMBOATS ON THE MISSISSIPPI
A.1. The New Orleans left an enthusiastic crowd in Pittsburgh and headed into the Ohio River.
2. The boat stopped frequently along the way and received the congratulations of settlers along the river.
3. Most people still doubted the practicality of the steamboat.
4. After a suspenseful delay the boat successfully sailed through the dangerous rapids in the river at Louisville.
5. After this success the crew endured severe earthquakes and pursuit by warlike Indians.
6. Roots, stumps, and channels shifted during the turbulent quakes.
7. A fire destroyed part of the forward cabin.
8. Despite the setbacks, the New Orleans finally reached Natchez.
B. 1. The New Orleans later foundered on a stump.
2. Other steamboats soon appeared and dominated river traffic.
3. Great expense was lavished on cabins and fittings.
4. Captains took pride in the speed of their vessels.
5. Steamboat races were officially discouraged but were unofficially encouraged.
6. Boiler explosions plagued operations from the earliest days.
7. In early years the boats were constructed without plans.
8. The famous Robert E. Lee was built by this rule-of-thumb method.
SUGGESTION FOR STYLE IMPROVEMENT
SPECIFIC NOUNS Use vigorous, specific nouns.
We surprised a bird and an animal near the pond.
2. Avoid lazy, vague, «thingy» substitutes for clear thinking.
Indefinite: in the old trunk we discovered three things.
Definite: In the old trunk we discovered a bettered canteen, a letter from a Georgia lieutenant, and a Confederate bank note.
POWERFUL VERBS Seek colorful, exact verbs.
Nouns and verbs provide the sinews of the sentence.
Freddie made a face when he tasted the cough medicine.
CONTROLLED ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS. Use adjectives and adverbs for specific effects. Do not pile unnecessary detail upon detail by overusing these helpful words.
Ordinarily use a colorful noun (miser) instead of a weak adjective plus a general noun (greedy person). Ordinarily use a vigorous verb (scamper) instead of a weak adverb plus general verb (run hastily).
WORD FOR PHRASE Use a phrase only when the single word will add neither additional information nor desired emphasis
Ordinarily say speedily, not with great speed; the red-brick house, not the house of red brick.
PRACTICE 8 Improving sentences.
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For each general underlined noun substitute a more specific noun.
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For dessert we had fruit and cake.
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In the drawer there were four things
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At the nursery Dad bought a tree, a shrub, and a flower
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My brother has three unusual pets.
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During gym one squad played one game; the second squad played an other
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Using the suggestions for improving style, make the following sentences more vigorous and concise.
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The puppy with the brown fur walked unsteadily along the hall
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During our vacation in Arizona we enjoyed skies of blue and days with sun.
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Mel was not a cowardly person, but he was very much afraid of injections.
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In Holland the shoes of wood protect against the fields of mud
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Modern very tall buildings often look like peaks of glass.
WORD WITH DOUBLE ROLES Some words perform two jobs at the same time.
Have you ever seen my cousin’s collection of seashells?
Cousin’s plays a double role. It modifies collection like an adjective. It is modified by my like a noun. It performs both jobs at the same time. There are six common groups of words that play double roles.
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The possessive noun acts like a noun and an adjective. It is diagramed like an adjective.
My young brother’s laughter is a happy sound in our house. (Brother `s modifies laughter: my and young modify brother’s.).
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The possessive pronoun acts like a pronoun and an adjective. It is diagramed like an adjective. These are common possessive pronouns: my, our, ours, his-before a noun-her, its, and their.
The old soldiers took off their hats as the flag went by. (Their modifies hats like an adjective; it has an antecedent, soldiers, like a pronoun)
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The adverbial noun acts like a noun and an adverb. It is a diagramed like an adverbial prepositional phrase.
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The participle acts like a verb and an adjective.
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The gerund acts like a verb and a noun.
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The infinitive acts like a verb and a noun, a verb and an adjective, or a verb and an adverb.
PRACTICE 9 Studying words of Double Function.
Which words in the following sentences play a double role? Explain.
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My dad waited two years for his present job.
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An old dog’s loyalty is a priceless gift.
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His father worked in a manufacturing plant.
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On a quiet Saturday Mr. Parker can match two average days’ output of work.
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Ted fell seven feet from the top of the ladder but was unhurt.
OTHER PARTS OF THE SENTENCE
Every sentence has a back a backbone–the simple subject and the predicate verb. It may also have, as part of the backbone, a complement or completer of the verb. Five complements are the predicate adjective, the predicate noun, the predicate pronoun, the direct object, and the indirect object.
2.2 Subject Verb, Predicate Nominative
PREDICATE NOUN AND PREDICATE PRONOUN A predicate noun or predicate pronoun answer the question «Who?» or «What?» after a linking verb.
The predicate noun or predicate pronoun, except after a negative, means the same as the subject. (Predicate nouns and predicate pronouns are also called «predicate nominatives.»)
The area within five hundred miles of Kansas City is the tornado incubator of the United States. (Area=incubator)
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other. – Samuel Johnson (fishing rod=stick)
Four of our first five Presidents were Virginians.
Virginians, the predicate noun, answers the question «What?» after the verb and means the same as the subject. The line slants toward the subject.
Certain verbs in the passive voice become linking verbs and may take predicate nouns or predicate pronouns.
Examples: are appoint, call, choose, consider, elect, name, and vote.
The Spanish colonies have been called the head quarters for a treasure hunt.
2.3 Subject, Verb, Predicate Adjective
PREDICATE ADJECTIVE A predicate adjective completes a linking verb and describes the subject.
Predicate adjectives are frequently used after forms of the verb be, become, grow, taste, seem, appear, look, feel, smell and sound.
The Zuni Indians of the New Mexico are famous for their rain dances. Because of the Indian drums the settlers grew more and more uneasy.
The predicate adjective uneasy completes the predicate and describes the subject. The conjunction and joins the two adverbs more and more.
Not every adjective in the predicate is a predicate adjective.
Our coach is a keen student of baseball (Keen modifies the predicate noun student and is not a predicate adjective.)
ADJECTIVE POSITION Most adjectives readily fit into three common positions in the sentence.
Normal position: An English chemist provided the first funds for the Smithsonian Institution. (The italicized adjectives precede the nouns they modify.)
Predicate position: The Smithsonian Institution is unique in the diversity of its collections (the italicized adjective follows the linking verb see)
Appositive position: Its American gold-coin collection, outstanding for its completeness, fascinates many visitors.
PRACTICE 10 Using Complements in Sentences.
Put each of the following verbs into a sentence with a predicate adjective, a predicate noun, or a predicate pronoun, Label each complement p.a., p.n., or p.pr.
am became looks tasted were elected
is felt smells has been appointed was named
will be grew sounded are considered were voted
2.4 Subject, Verb, Object
The direct object answers the question «Who?» or «What?» after an action verb.
Samuel Slater introduced the cotton mill to the United States. (Introduced what? Cotton mill.)
Like the English mill owners, Slater employed children in his factory. (Employed whom? Children.)
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For his workers he built the first Sunday school in New England.
Sunday School, the direct object, is separated from the verb by a short vertical line.
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The course of study included reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
Notice the compound direct object on horizontal lines.
PRACTICE 11 Recognizing Other Parts of the Sentence.
Diagram the following sentences.
OR Copy following sentences, skipping every other line. Underline the simple or compound subject once and every predicate verb twice. Put parentheses around prepositional phrases. Write p.a. (predicate adjective), p, n.) Predicate noun), d.o. (direct object) above every word used in one of these ways.
(In 1900) an obscure writer created a work (of lasting fame).
THE WIZARD OF OZ
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1. (After failures in several different fields,) L. Frank Baum wrote. The Wizard of Oz.
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1. Twice Baum announced the end (of the series)
2.5 Subject Verb, Indirect Object, Direct Object
When a direct object (answering the question «What?» or «Whom?») is used, an indirect object is sometimes used also, answering the question «To whom?» or «For whom?».
The indirect object usually comes between the verb and the direct object. Placing to or for before an indirect object does not usually change the sense.
The Scarecrow gave Dorothy directions. (Gave to whom? Dorothy.)
Dad built me a pigeon coop. (Build for? Me)
At the statue of Emmeline Labiche, Aunt Sally told Shirley and me the legend of Evangeline.
Shirley and me, the compound indirect object of told, are diagramed like the compound object of a preposition. Shirley and me answer the question «Told to whom?»
PRACTICE 12. Picking Out Direct and Indirect Objects
Read each sentence aloud. Identify direct and indirect objects.
WHAT'S IN NAME?
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After an accident, John Smith dutifully offered the policeman his services as a witness.
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«Tell me your name.»
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Smith gave the officer his name.
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The officer groaned. «Do me a favor. Give me your real name.
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«I’ve told you the truth.»
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After three futile tries Smith told the officer, Napoleon Bonaparte.»
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«That’s better,» said the policeman. «People have given me that Smith nonsense too often.»
PRACTICE 13 Using Direct and Indirect Objects Effectively
By using indirect objects and eliminating useless words, combine each pair of sentences into one good sentence.
Example: Yankee peddlers sold tin ware, pins, gingham, and ribbons. They sold these to housewives.
Yankee peddlers sold housewives tin ware pins, gingham, and ribbons.
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Uncle Ted sent a carved chess set from the Black Forest. He sent it to me.
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In shop I am making bookcase. I am making it for my brother.
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Aunt Pauline wanted me to have a seed necklace. She sent it to me from Puerto Rico.
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Send the directions. Please let me have them before Saturday.
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Dad built three new birdhouses. He built them for the wrens.
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Can you make a poster? Will you make one for us for Book Week?
PRACTICE 14. Using Direct and Indirect Objects in Sentences W
Select five of the following and in good sentences use each as a direct object and as an indirect object
Example: Sally and him
We invited Sally and him to the Bob Cummings Play at the summer playhouse. (Direct object)
We sent Sally and him tickets for the third row. (Indirect object)
him them her and her friend
her him and Sandy my sister and him
us her and him her and Alice
me Mother and me her and me
APPOSITIVE An appositive is a word or expression which explains the noun or pronoun it follows and names the same person, place, or thing.
Baseball, a popular American game, developed from One Old Cat, a favorite in colonial times. (Baseball= game; One Old Cat=Favorite)
An appositive and a predicate noun are similar. The difference is that a verb connects the subject and the predicate noun, while an appositive follows a word directly and is generally set off by commas.
Appositive: The Homestake, this country’s largest gold mine, is in Lead, South Dakota.
Predicate noun: The Homestake is this country’s largest gold mine.
Bloody Basin, the locate of several Zane Grey novels, is still a primitive area.
Locale is in apposition with Bloody Basin. An appositive is placed after the word it explains and is enclosed in parentheses. The and of several Zane Grey novels modify locale.
ADVERBIAL NOUN Nouns which indicate distance, time, weight, or value are often used as adverbs.
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