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A KISS GrammarA KISS Grammar

Third Grade WorkbookThird Grade Workbook

Free, from the KISS Grammar Web Sitehttp://home.pct.edu/~evavra/kiss.htm

© Edward A. VavraNovember 14, 2007

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A KISS Grammar Third Grade WorkbookA KISS Grammar Third Grade Workbook[Note that the Introduction to this book is at the beginning of Part Two.]

Contents

Part One – The KISS Grammar Third Grade WorkbookPart One – The KISS Grammar Third Grade Workbook..................................................................................................................77Section 1 – An Initial Review..........................................................................................................................8

Exercise 1.1 Identifying Subjects and Verbs.......................................................................................8Exercise 1.2 Identifying Subjects and Verbs.......................................................................................9Exercise 1.3 A Punctuation Exercise..................................................................................................10Exercise 1.4 A Focus on Indirect Objects..........................................................................................11Exercise 1.5 A Focus on Indirect Objects..........................................................................................12Exercise 1.6 Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects....................................................................13Exercise 1.7 “You” Understood..........................................................................................................14Exercise 1.8 How Much I Can Understand.......................................................................................15Exercise 1.9 The Tarts.........................................................................................................................16Exercise 1.10 Just for Fun – Quotations about Cats........................................................................17Exercise 1.11 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster:........................................................................17

Section 2 – Adding Three Simple Constructions.........................................................................................18Nouns Used as Adverbs.....................................................................................................................18

Exercise 2.1. Nouns Used as Adverbs.................................................................................................19Interjections........................................................................................................................................20

Exercise 2.2. Interjections...................................................................................................................21Direct Address....................................................................................................................................22

Exercise 2.3. Direct Address...............................................................................................................23Exercise 2.4. Rain, rain, go away........................................................................................................24Exercise 2.5. Little Boy Blue...............................................................................................................25Exercise 2.6 Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, and Direct Address......................................26Exercise 2.7 Just for Fun: Q & A Puns..............................................................................................27Exercise 2.8 Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters........................................................................27

Two Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and Chunking...............................................28Section 3 – Practice /Application..................................................................................................................30

Exercise 3.1. Sentence-Building with Adjectives...............................................................................30Exercise 3.2. Sentence-Building with Adverbs..................................................................................31

Syntax & Logic – What Prepositional Phrases Can Add to a Text...............................................32Exercise 3.3. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #1)........................................................................................33Exercise 3.4. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #2)........................................................................................34Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)..............................................35Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives...........................................................36Exercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation..........................................................38Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters...................................................................................39

Section 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb Phrase.........................................................................................40Exercise 4.1. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter..............................................40Exercise 4.2. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. Andersen.............................................................41Exercise 4.3. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. Andersen.............................................................42

Section 5 – Verb Tenses.................................................................................................................................43The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?.......................................................................................................43

Exercise 5.1. What Tense Is It?..........................................................................................................44Exercise 5.2. What Tense Is It?..........................................................................................................45Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?.........................................................................................................46Exercise 5. 4. The Clever Hen.............................................................................................................47Exercise 5. 5. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters:.....................................................................47

3Section 6 – Expletives – An Optional Explanation......................................................................................48

Expletives............................................................................................................................................48Exercise 6. 1. From The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter.......................................................49Exercise 6. 2. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter.............................................50Exercise 6. 3. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter.............................................51Exercise 6. 4. The Crooked Sixpence.................................................................................................52

Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”.............................................................53Coordinating Conjunctions and Compounding..............................................................................53

Exercise 7. 1. Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse, by Beatrix Potter.................................54Exercise 7. 2. Based on Mr. Jeremy Fisher, by Beatrix Potter.........................................................55Exercise 7. 3. Based on Mr. Jeremy Fisher, by Beatrix Potter.........................................................56Exercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with Conjunctions........................................................................57Exercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting Verbs..................................................................58Exercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with Adjectives.........................................................................61Exercise 7. 7. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters......................................................................61

Section 8 – Compound Main Clauses...........................................................................................................62Joining Main Clauses.........................................................................................................................62

Exercise 8. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter....................................64Exercise 8. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by Beatrix Potter................................65Exercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,” by Johnny Gruelle.......................................66Exercise 8. 4. from "Two Dogs".........................................................................................................67Exercise 8. 5. from "Two Dogs".........................................................................................................68Exercise 8. 6. Recipe Rosters based on “Two Dogs”.........................................................................68Exercise 8. 7. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster.........................................................................68

Section 9 – Practice/Application...................................................................................................................69Exercise 9. 1. Sentence-Building with Adverbs.................................................................................69Exercise 9. 2. Sentence-Building with Adjectives..............................................................................69Exercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific Ideas (Syntax & Logic)................70Exercise 9. 4. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #1)..................................................71Exercise 9. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #2)..................................................72Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”.......................................................73Exercise 9. 7. Using Apostrophes to Show Possession......................................................................73Exercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb Tenses.............................................................................................74Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”.............................................75Exercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue Twisters.................................................................................76

Section 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects..................................................................................77Subordinate Clauses..........................................................................................................................77Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects............................................................................................78

Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”.....................................................79Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”..........................................................................80Exercise 10. 3. Based on “The Fairy Ring”.......................................................................................81Exercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough Stone and the Gnarled Tree”......................................82Exercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects...............................83Exercise 10. 6. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster.......................................................................83

Section 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” Problem.............................................................................84The “To” Problem..............................................................................................................................84

Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?.........................................................................................85Exercise 11. 2. Based on “The Fairy Ring”.......................................................................................86Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”...............................................................................................................87Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”........................................................88Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”.....................................................................................89Exercise 11. 6 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster........................................................................89

Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)..............................................................90

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Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?...................................................................................90Exercise 12. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.................................................................92Exercise 12. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,.............................................................93Exercise 12. 3. Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers,....................................................................94

Section 13 – Practice/Application.................................................................................................................95Exercise 13. 1. Compound Main Clauses...........................................................................................95Exercise 13. 2. Sentence-Building with Adverbs...............................................................................96Exercise 13. 3. Sentence-Building with Adjectives............................................................................97

The Questions That Modifiers Answer............................................................................................98Exercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers Answer....................................................................99Exercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause.........................................................................100Exercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis Stevenson.....................101Exercise 13. 7. A Punctuation Exercise – The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies....................................102Exercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses...............................................................................103Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”.............................................104Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”............................................106Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”..................................107Exercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learn..............................................108

Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?...........................................................................109Is it a Preposition?............................................................................................................................109

Exercise 14. 1 Is it a preposition?.....................................................................................................110Exercise 14. 2 Is it a preposition?.....................................................................................................111Exercise 14. 3 Writing Sentences – Is it a preposition?..................................................................112Exercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny Gruelle......................................................113

Section 15 – Embedded Prepositional Phrases..........................................................................................114Embedded Prepositional Phrases...................................................................................................114

Exercise 15. 1 Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck.............................................................115Exercise 15. 2 Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse..............................................................116Exercise 15. 3 Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.................................................................117Exercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.........................................................................118Exercise 15.5 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster.......................................................................118

Section 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and Case................................................................................119Pronouns – Person, Number, and Case..........................................................................................119

Exercise 16. 1 Wise Men of Gotham................................................................................................120Exercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the Crocodile................................................................................122Exercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story.........................................................................124Exercise 16. 4 Treasure Hunt (and/or Recipe Roster)....................................................................126

Section 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from Verbals............................................................................1271. The Noun Test..............................................................................................................................1272. The “To” Test...............................................................................................................................1283. The Sentence Test.........................................................................................................................129

Exercise 17. 1 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 1)........................................................130Exercise 17. 2 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 2)........................................................131Exercise 17. 3 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 3)........................................................132Exercise 17. 4 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 4)........................................................133Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)..........................................134Exercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”).......................135Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)...............................................................................136Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives).............................................137Exercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 1)............................................138Exercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 2)..........................................139Exercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 1)...............................................140Exercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 2)...............................................141

5Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?..................................................................................................142

Section 18 – Practice/Application...............................................................................................................143Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”.....................................143Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”......................................................144Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”......................................145Exercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining Exercise.................................................146Exercise 18. 5 How Much I Can Explain (From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”).................147Exercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation......................................................148Exercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers Answer...................................................................149Exercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses................................................................................151Exercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters...............................................................................152

Part Two – For Parents and TeachersPart Two – For Parents and Teachers............................................................................................................................................................153153Introduction......................................................................................................................................153

Section 1 – An Initial Review......................................................................................................................162Exercise 1. 1 – Identifying Subjects and Verbs...............................................................................162Exercise 1. 2 – Identifying Subjects and Verbs...............................................................................163Exercise 1. 3 – A Punctuation Exercise............................................................................................164Exercise 1. 4 – A Focus on Indirect Objects....................................................................................165Exercise 1. 5 – A Focus on Indirect Objects....................................................................................166Exercise 1. 6 – Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects..............................................................167Exercise 1. 7 – “You” Understood....................................................................................................168Exercise 1. 8 – How Much I Can Explain........................................................................................168Exercise 1. 9 – The Tarts...................................................................................................................169Exercise 1. 10 – Just for Fun – Quotations about Cats..................................................................170Exercise 1. 11 – Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster...................................................................171

Section 2 – Adding Three Simple Constructions.......................................................................................171Exercise 2.1. – Nouns Used as Adverbs............................................................................................171Exercise 2.2. – Interjections..............................................................................................................172Exercise 2.3. – Direct Address..........................................................................................................173Exercise 2.4. – Rain, rain, go away...................................................................................................174Exercise 2.5. – Little Boy Blue..........................................................................................................174Exercise 2.6 – Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, and Direct Address.................................175Exercise 2.7 – Just for Fun: Q & A Puns.........................................................................................175Exercise 2.8 – Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters...................................................................176

Two Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and Chunking.............................................176Section 3 – Practice /Application................................................................................................................177

Exercise 3.3. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #1)......................................................................................177Exercise 3.4. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #2)......................................................................................178Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)............................................181Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives.........................................................181Exercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation........................................................183Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters.................................................................................184

Section 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb Phrase (Passive Voice)............................................................184Exercise 4.1. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter............................................185Exercise 4.2. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. Andersen...........................................................185Exercise 4.3. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. Andersen...........................................................186

Section 5 – Verb Tenses...............................................................................................................................187Exercise 5.1. What Tense Is It?........................................................................................................188Exercise 5.2. What Tense Is It?........................................................................................................189Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?.......................................................................................................190Exercise 5. 4. The Clever Hen...........................................................................................................191Exercise 5. 5. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters....................................................................192

Section 6 – Expletives – An Optional Explanation....................................................................................192

6Exercise 6. 1. From The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter.....................................................193Exercise 6. 2. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter...........................................193Exercise 6. 3. From The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter...........................................194Exercise 6. 4. The Crooked Sixpence...............................................................................................195

Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”...........................................................195Exercise 7. 1. Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse, by Beatrix Potter...............................195Exercise 7. 2. Based on Mr. Jeremy Fisher, by Beatrix Potter.......................................................196Exercise 7. 3. Based on Mr. Jeremy Fisher, by Beatrix Potter.......................................................197Exercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with Conjunctions......................................................................199Exercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting Verbs................................................................199Exercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with Adjectives.......................................................................201Exercise 7. 7. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters....................................................................201

Section 8 – Compound Main Clauses.........................................................................................................201Exercise 8. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter..................................203Exercise 8. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by Beatrix Potter..............................204Exercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,” by Johnny Gruelle.....................................205Exercise 8. 4. from "Two Dogs".......................................................................................................205Exercise 8. 5. from "Two Dogs".......................................................................................................206

Section 9 – Practice/Application.................................................................................................................207Exercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific Ideas............................................207Exercise 9. 4. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #1)................................................208Exercise 9. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #2)................................................209Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”.....................................................210Exercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb Tenses...........................................................................................211Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”...........................................212Exercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue Twisters...............................................................................213

Section 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects................................................................................213Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”...................................................214Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”........................................................................215Exercise 10. 3. Based on “The Fairy Ring”.....................................................................................216Exercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough Stone and the Gnarled Tree”....................................216Exercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects.............................217

Section 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” Problem...........................................................................218Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?.......................................................................................218Exercise 11. 2. Based on “The Fairy Ring”.....................................................................................219Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”.............................................................................................................220Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”......................................................221Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”...................................................................................222

Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)............................................................222Exercise 12. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies...............................................................223Exercise 12. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck..........................................................223Exercise 12. 3. Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers...................................................................224

Section 13 – Practice/Application...............................................................................................................224Exercise 13. 1. Compound Main Clauses.........................................................................................224Exercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers Answer..................................................................225Exercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause.........................................................................226Exercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis Stevenson.....................228Exercise 13. 7. A Punctuation Exercise............................................................................................229Exercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses...............................................................................230Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”.............................................231Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”............................................232Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”..................................232Exercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learn..............................................234

Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?...........................................................................234

7Exercise 14. 1 Is it a preposition?.....................................................................................................234Exercise 14. 2 Is it a preposition?.....................................................................................................235Exercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny Gruelle......................................................237

Section 15 – Embedded Prepositional Phrases..........................................................................................238Exercise 15. 1 Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck...........................................................238Exercise 15. 2 Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse............................................................239Exercise 15. 3 Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher.................................................................240Exercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.........................................................................240

Section 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and Case................................................................................241Exercise 16. 1 Wise Men of Gotham................................................................................................242Exercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the Crocodile................................................................................242Exercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story.........................................................................243

Section 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from Verbals (Optional).........................................................244Exercise 17. 1 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 1)........................................................246Exercise 17. 2 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 2)........................................................247Exercise 17. 3 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 3)........................................................247Exercise 17. 4 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 4)........................................................247Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)..........................................248Exercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”).......................249Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)...............................................................................249Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives).............................................251Exercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 1)............................................253Exercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 2)..........................................254Exercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 1)...............................................255Exercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 2)...............................................256Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?..................................................................................................257

Section 18 – Practice/Application...............................................................................................................258Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”.....................................258Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”......................................................259Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”......................................260Exercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining Exercise.................................................261Exercise 18. 5 How Much I Can Explain (From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”).................262Exercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation......................................................263Exercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers Answer...................................................................265Exercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses................................................................................265Exercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters...............................................................................266

Graph Sheet for Statistical Analysis Assignments.............................................................................267

Part One – The KISS Grammar Third Grade WorkbookPart One – The KISS Grammar Third Grade Workbook

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Section 1 – An Initial ReviewSection 1 – An Initial Review

Exercise 1.1 Identifying Subjects and VerbsExercise 1.1 Identifying Subjects and Verbs

Based on The Story of Miss Moppet, by Beatrix Potter

Directions: 1. Underline 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, and above the phrase write “Adj” for “adjective” or “Adv” for “adverb.”

1. Miss Moppet ties up her head in a duster, and sits before the fire.

2. The Mouse comes a little nearer.

3. Miss Moppet jumps upon the Mouse!

4. Miss Moppet is jumping just too late.

5. But she forgot about that hole in the duster.

6. He has wriggled out and run away.

7. Miss Moppet is looking very ill.

8. The Mouse is dancing a jig on the top of the cupboard!

9. The Mouse is peeping out behind the cupboard.

10. Miss Moppet looks at him through a hole in the duster.

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Exercise 1.2 Identifying Subjects and VerbsExercise 1.2 Identifying Subjects and Verbs


Directions: 1. Underline 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


1. She has heard a mouse!

2. It is a very hard cupboard!

3. He is not afraid of a kitten.

4. The Mouse has teased Miss Moppet.

5. She misses the Mouse.

6. She hits her own head.

7. Miss Moppet holds her poor head in her paws.

8. She tosses the duster about like a ball.

9. That is not at all nice of Miss Moppet.

10. The Mouse watches Miss Moppet from the top of the cupboard.

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Exercise 1.3 A Punctuation ExerciseExercise 1.3 A Punctuation Exercise


Directions: The punctuation and capitalization in the following text was lost. Please fix it (right on this page).

the mouse watches miss moppet from the top of the cupboard

miss moppet ties up her head in a duster and sits before the fire

the mouse thinks she is looking very ill he comes sliding down the bell-pull

miss moppet looks worse and worse the mouse comes a little nearer

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Exercise 1.4 A Focus on Indirect ObjectsExercise 1.4 A Focus on Indirect Objects

Based on Child-Story Readers: Wonder Stories 3, by Frank N. Freeman, Grace E. Storm, Eleanor M. Johnson, & W. C.

French.



1. The king gave the big man rich gifts.

2. Hok Lee paid the doctor a lot of money.

3. Hok Lee told the dwarfs all his troubles.

4. They brought him fine new clothes.

5. The White Cat gave the Prince an acorn.

6. He showed them his acorn.

7. They will cook me my food.

8. The people in the country gave the ogre and Jagar many presents.

9. She brought me to this place and gave me a troop of cats.

Part Two:

On separate paper, rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the indirect objects with prepositional phrases with "to" or "for."

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Exercise 1.5 A Focus on Indirect ObjectsExercise 1.5 A Focus on Indirect Objects

Based on Child-Story Readers: Wonder Stories 3, by Frank N. Freeman, Grace E. Storm, Eleanor M. Johnson, & W. C. French.

Part One:



1. The Prince had to bring the King a fine piece of cloth.

2. The Hands gave him a princely suit of clothes.

3. The oldest of the little lions gave his father and mother a great deal of trouble.

4. I will also give you a wooden horse.

5. She told him the whole story.

6. He gave me a picture of himself.

7. They owed him his freedom.

8. Omar fed Jumbo twenty-five pounds of cooked rice and four hundred pounds

of grasses.

9. So the men unhitched their horses and fed them.

Part Two:

On separate paper, rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the indirect objects with prepositional phrases with "to" or "for."

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Exercise 1.6 Prepositional Phrases as Indirect ObjectsExercise 1.6 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:



3. Write "IO" above phrases that can be explained either as an indirect object and/or as an adverb.

1. The crane sends greetings to Akka, the wild goose, and her flock.

2. He gave a bag of money to the big man.

3. Often Tom caught flies and gave them to the trout.

4. A few days later a king from a far country marched upon the city and sent a

message to its king.

5. Jagar paid no attention to him.

6. The beautiful princess sent away all the people, and then told the story of her life

to the Prince.

Part Two:

On separate paper, rewrite each of the sentences, but replace the prepositional phrases with normal indirect objects.

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Exercise 1.7 “You” UnderstoodExercise 1.7 “You” Understood

Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by Beatrix PotterDirections: 1. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).

If the subject is understood, write it in and underline it.2. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the preposition to

the word that the phrase modifies Above the phrase write “Adj” for “adjective” or “Adv” for “adverb.”

1. Listen to the story of Jemima Puddle-duck.

2. Let us have a dinner-party all to ourselves!

3. Come into the house.

4. Give me the herbs for the omelette.

5. Be sharp!

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Exercise 1.8 How Much I Can UnderstandExercise 1.8 How Much I Can Understand

Based on "The Story of the First Moles"from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook



A rich man and a poor man once owned a field together. The rich man owned

the northern half, and the poor man owned the southern half. Each man sowed his

ground with seed. The warm days came, the gentle rain fell, and the seed in the

poor man's half of the field sprang up and put forth leaves. The seed in the rich

man's half all died in the ground.

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Exercise 1.9 The TartsExercise 1.9 The Tarts



3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of direct address ("DirA").

Note that there are several words in the poem that you are not expected to be able to explain.

The Queen of Hearts,

She made some tarts,

All on a summer's day;

The Knave of Hearts,

He stole the tarts,

And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts

Called for the tarts,

And beat the Knave full sore;

The Knave of Hearts

Brought back the tarts,

And vowed he'd steal no more.

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Exercise 1.10 Just for Fun – Quotations about CatsExercise 1.10 Just for Fun – Quotations about Cats

Sentence six includes something that you have not seen before.

See if you can figure out what it going on in that sentence.



1. In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats. - English proverb

2. One cat just leads to another. - Ernest Hemingway

3. I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic. - Unknown

4. I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats isinfinitely

superior. - Hippolyte Taine

5. Cats aren't clean, they're just covered with cat spit. - Unknown

6. Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God. - Unknown

Exercise 1.11 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster:Exercise 1.11 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster:

Find and bring to class (or write) four sentences, one with a zero complement, one with a predicate adjective, one with a predicate noun, and one with an indirect and a direct object.

18

Section 2 – Adding Three Simple ConstructionsSection 2 – Adding Three Simple Constructions

Nouns Used as AdverbsNouns Used as Adverbs

Nouns often function as adverbs to answer questions such as: "When?" "How long?" "How far?" "How much?" "Where?"

Peter is six months old.

Tuesday, the cat was in the garden.

Peter stopped five feet from her.

The cat looked two feet tall.

It happened a week ago.

Peter ran home.

He was ill five weeks.

The watering can cost five dollars.

The fish are worth twenty dollars.

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Exercise 2.1. Nouns Used as AdverbsExercise 2.1. Nouns Used as Adverbs

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Label each noun used as an adverb ("NuA").

1. One day my dad was cooking and splashed grease up on his hand.

2. I stayed three days after Christmas.

3. Then we would come home and watch some basketball.

4. I was going to try to escape that night.

5. We walked a mile down the road.

6. That happened years ago.

7. She really likes her teacher a whole lot!

8. Cathy has been to Florida two times in her life!

9. Some of the time she would even take us to her house.

10. She weighs 120 pounds.

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InterjectionsInterjections

“Interjection” comes from the Latin words

for “throw” (“ject”) and “among” (“inter”). An

interjection is thus a word or construction that

is “thrown among” the words in a sentence.

Unlike all the other words, interjections DO

NOT chunk to the rest of the sentence. Instead,

they usually indicate an attitude about the

entire sentence.

In speech, short interjections are common:

Golly, Peter looks sick!

Uhm, do you think supper is ready?

Interjections such as those above are not considered proper in formal

writing, but the following, which consist of prepositional phrases, are common

to both writing and speech:

In fact, Peter was lucky.

He was, in my opinion, brave.

Of course Freddie won.

"In fact" here simply emphasizes the writer's belief that the sentence is

factual, whereas "in my opinion" suggests that the sentence may not be. "Of

course" suggests that the statement is obviously true. (But sometimes it may

not be.)

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Exercise 2.2. InterjectionsExercise 2.2. Interjections

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of

direct address ("DirA").

1. Oh, I am going to go to the new mall this week for new clothes.

2. Ouch! That hurt.

3. Oh, I almost forgot lunch.

4. Hey, what are you doing?

5. Well, my friends and I were in different groups for the daily schedule.

6. Then I had to take care of Mack. Boy!! Was he heavy.

7. GOSH! I hope he and I do go together.

8. Whoo! I thought we were going to get hurt.

9. Well, I guess I should tell some of the bad things.

10. Hello! Let me tell you about my family.

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Direct AddressDirect Address

Nouns sometimes function to get the attention of someone to whom a

person wants to speak. This function is called "Direct Address" because

the speaker is directly addressing the person. Note that the name of the

person is set off by a comma or commas.

Peter, where are you going?

Mother, can I have the basket?

Dear Flopsy, you can have the basket.

Mommy, can I stay home?

No, Mopsy, you have to go.

Can you tell me, children, that you will

be good?

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Exercise 2.3. Direct AddressExercise 2.3. Direct Address

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Label each example of direct address ("DirA").

1. Tom, where are you going?

2. Can I have a cookie, mother?

3. Sam, stop that!

4. Uncle Bill, are you going to the store?

5. How many mice have you caught today, Cat?

6. Silly person, what were you thinking?

7. Oh, children, my strength is coming back to me.

8. Oh, Aslan, don't go near the river!

9. Here we are, Mrs. Beaver!

10. But how could it be true, Sir?

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Exercise 2.4. Rain, rain, go awayExercise 2.4. Rain, rain, go away

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


Rain, rain, go away,

Come again another day;

Little Johnny wants to play.

25

Exercise 2.5. Little Boy BlueExercise 2.5. Little Boy Blue

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,

The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.

Where is the boy that looks after the sheep?

He's under the hay-cock, fast asleep.

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Exercise 2.6 Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, andExercise 2.6 Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, and

Direct AddressDirect Address

Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,

by Beatrix Potter

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. No, my dear madam, you will be in nobody's way.

2. She came back again next day.

3. Madam, have you lost your way?

4. Where do you go every afternoon by yourself, Jemima Puddle-duck?

5. "Ah! indeed!" said the gentleman with sandy whiskers.

6. Jemima Puddle-duck came every afternoon.

7. Jemima Puddle-duck was escorted home in tears on account of those eggs.

27

Exercise 2.7 Just for Fun: Q & A PunsExercise 2.7 Just for Fun: Q & A Puns


direct address ("DirA"). 1.

Q. Why did Cinderella get thrown out of the football team?

A. She kept running away from the ball!!

2.

Q. Why can't two elephants go swimming?

A. They only have one pair of trunks!!

3.

Q. Why are clocks dirty?

A. They work 24 hours a day, and never wash their hands or face!!

4.

Q. Why do golf players wear two pairs of trousers?

A. They might get a hole in one!!

5.

Q. What do clouds wear under their clothes?

A. They wear thunderwear.

Exercise 2.8 Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe RostersExercise 2.8 Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters

a. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has a noun used as an adverb in it. b. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has an interjection in it. c. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has an example of direct address in it.d. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has a noun used as an adverb, two prepositional phrases, and a direct object.

28

Two Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and ChunkingTwo Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and Chunking

What is Modification?

The core of a sentence is a subject / verb / complement pattern. (Remember that the

complement can be a zero complement.) The words that describe the words in the subject,

verb, and complement slots are usually called “modifiers.” Consider the sentence:

Image courtesy of Shelagh Manton (in Australia)

“The” tells us that we are speaking of specific children that the writer and listener (or

reader) both can identify. (Compare that to “a little child.”) “Little” describes (modifies)

“children” by indicating they were not big. Similarly, “a” tells us that they were playing

one, unidentified game. The prepositional phrase “in the park” modifies “were playing,”

because it limits their playing to the park. Similarly, the phrase “on Sunday” modifies

“were playing” because it indicates that they were playing on Sunday and not at some

other time. Modifiers, in other words, affect the meaning of the words they modify.

Modification is one way of looking at the words in any sentence.

So What Is Chunking?The purpose of a sentence is to convey information from one person to one or more

other people. Our brains create sentences by selecting words (to stand for ideas). Those

words then have to be arranged into sentences in specific ways (according to the rules of

sentence structure). Consider the following. It contains all the words in our model sentence:

a children game in little on park playing Sunday The the were.

Even though it contains all the same words, it does not make much sense. Modifiers, and

the words they modify, have to be put into a sentence is specific ways so that the receiver of

the sentence can make sense of them. The words have to be arranged into phrases (chunks),

29

and the phrases have to clearly connect (chunk) to each other until every word in every

sentence is connected to a main subject / finite verb pattern.

There are only two exceptions to this rule, and you have just learned about

them. Interjections are called “interjections” because the word means “thrown into.”

Interjections are thrown into a sentence and therefore do not chunk to any of the words in

it:

Gee, the little children were playing a game in the park on Sunday.

The other exception is Direct Address. It is called “Direct Address” because it

“addresses” the sentence to the person or people for whom it is meant:

Dad, the little children were playing a game in the park on Sunday.

As your sentences naturally become longer, more and more words chunk to each other, and

sometimes the connections can become confusing. Most of what we will be doing with

grammar will involve studying how our brains chunk words into phrases and phrases into

sentences.

A Note on Punctuation

The primary purpose of punctuation is to tell readers what words chunk with which.

Consider the following:

The little children were playing a game in the park on Sunday their coach had

to work.

The missing punctuation makes this sentence unclear. Were they playing on Sunday, or

were they playing on some other day because their coach had to work on Sunday:

The little children were playing a game in the park. On Sunday their coach had to work.

30

Section 3 – Practice /ApplicationSection 3 – Practice /Application

Exercise 3.1. Sentence-Building with AdjectivesExercise 3.1. Sentence-Building with Adjectives

Based on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter

Directions: Fill in the blanks with three adjectives to modify each noun. Then use each modified noun as the subject of a sentence.

_______________ _______________ _______________ lettuces

_______________ _______________ _______________ family

_______________ _______________ _______________ mouse

_______________ _______________ _______________ rabbits

_______________ _______________ _______________ machine

31

Exercise 3.2. Sentence-Building with AdverbsExercise 3.2. Sentence-Building with Adverbs


Sentence-Building with AdverbsDirections: Rearrange the words in each row to build five sentences, each with a modified

subject and a modified verb. (Select the subject and verb first.)

# Nouns and Pronouns Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions

1 Flopsy Bunnies sun slept

little the the

warm

delightfully in

2mouse pots

rubbishpicked

a jam little old the the

over among

3 distance Flopsy Bunnies followed

a careful

safe the

slowly at

4 Mr. McGregor rabbits was

angry old the

too very at

5 Flopsy Bunny window-sill got

the the

youngest

quietly up upon

32

Syntax & Logic – What Prepositional Phrases Can Add to a TextSyntax & Logic – What 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.

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Exercise 3.3. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #1)Exercise 3.3. Syntax & Logic (Aladdin #1)

Based on “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp”

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

beginning of each phrase to the word it modifies. Above each phrase write the question (What?

Where? When?, etc.) that the phrase answers in relation to the word it modifies.

Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a long way

outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain and the magician pulled a cake

from his girdle. He divided it between them. Then they journeyed onwards and

almost reached the mountains. Aladdin was very tired. He begged to go back, but

the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories and led him on in spite of himself.

34


Based on “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp”

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

beginning of each phrase to the word it modifies. Above each phrase write the question (What?

Where? When?, etc.) that the phrase answers in relation to the word it modifies.

For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting. At last he

clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring, which the magician

had forgotten to take from him. Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose

out of the earth, saying, “What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring,

and will obey thee in all things.” Aladdin fearlessly replied, “Deliver me from this

place!” whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside.

35

Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)



[Note how many of the words in this poem you can already explain.]

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

36

Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives.Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives.

The Cat, the Monkey, and the Chestnuts– Aesop

Directions: Fill in the blanks with interesting adjectives. Your teacher may have you compare answers and then discuss what the adjectives add to the story.

It was a _______1_______ ______2________ night. Outside, the wind blew

hard. The _______3_______ snow of the season covered up the grass and leaves

with a _______4_______ _______5_______ blanket. Inside, a ________6______

________7______ fire sent its ________8______ and ________9______ flames

up the chimney and made the room ________10_____ and ________11_____ and

_______12______.

Some _______13______ _______14______ chestnuts were roasting in the

______15_______ ashes on the hearth. A ______16_______ ______17_______

monkey and a ______18_______ ______19_______ cat sat in front of the fire

warming themselves.

After a while the heat of the fire made the chestnuts pop _______20______.

Then the monkey said, "The chestnuts are roasted and ______21_______ to eat.

_____22_________ pussy, your _______23______, ______24_______ paws were

made to pull chestnuts out of the fire. See whether you can reach them."

The ______25_______ cat was greatly pleased by what the ______26_______

monkey said. He grinned and stretched out his ______27_______,

37

_______28______ paw and pulled a chestnut out of the _____29________ ashes.

His paw was badly burned.

"Meow! Meow!" the cat cried in pain, as he jumped up and down and blew on

his paw.

"_______30______ pussy, ______31_______ pussy, let me blow on your

paw," said the monkey. He caught hold of the ______32_______ paw and blew on

it time and time again.

Then the ______33_______, ______34_______ monkey said in a

______35_______, ______36_______ voice, "Now, ______37_______ pussy, pull

the ______38_______ chestnuts out of the fire. Be quick, and the fire will not burn

you. Pull the chestnuts out of the ashes. Then we'll have supper."

The ______39_______ cat had not learned his lesson; He was more pleased

than ever with the _____40________ flattery. So he stretched out his paw and

pulled chestnut after chestnut out of the fire.

As the cat reached for the _______41______ one, he said, "Now,

_______42______ monkey, supper is ______43_______. We'll eat." Then the cat

blew the ashes off his paw and turned around to get some of the chestnuts which he

had pulled out of the fire, but the ______44_______, _______45______ monkey

had eaten every one. 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. 111-113.

38

Exercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and PunctuationExercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation

Elizabeth, Eliza, Betsy, and BessElizabeth, Eliza, Betsy, and Bess

Directions: Please fix the capitalization and punctuation.

elizabeth eliza betsy and bess

all went together to seek a birds nest

they found a birds nest with five eggs in it

they all took one and left four in it

39

Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters.Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters.

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. Which witch wished which wicked wish?

2. The blue bluebird blinks.

3. Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.

4. Cheerful Charles chose cherry chocolates for Cheri.

5. A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

6. Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

7. Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.

8. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

9. The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

10. Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar.

40

Section 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb PhraseSection 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb Phrase

Exercise 4.1. From Exercise 4.1. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter



Be sure that you underline the entire verb phrase.

1. The cupboard door was not locked.

2. He was tied up in very tight knots.

3. Yes, it is infested with rats.

4. He was quite exhausted.

5. We shall be obliged to leave this pudding.

6. The fire had only just been lighted.

7. Tom Kitten was left alone under the floor of the attic.

41

Exercise 4.2. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. AndersenExercise 4.2. From “The Nightingale,” by H. C. Andersen




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.

42





1. It could only be touched with the very greatest care.

2. Every little detail in the garden had been most carefully thought out.

3. The most beautiful flowers, all of the tinkling kind, were arranged in the

corridors.

4. The emperor's palace was made entirely of the finest porcelain.

5. But the nightingale declined with thanks; it had already been sufficiently

rewarded.

6. Every evening I am allowed to take broken meat to my poor sick mother.

7. One day a large parcel came for the emperor; outside was written the word

“Nightingale.”

8. The whole court was assembled, and the little kitchen-maid had been permitted

to stand behind the door.

9. The treatise was very long and written in all the most difficult Chinese

characters.

43

Section 5 – Verb TensesSection 5 – Verb Tenses

The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?The Tense of Verbs: What Is It?

Past Present Future

“Tense” simply 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.”

44

Exercise 5.1. What Tense Is It?Exercise 5.1. What Tense Is It?

Directions: On the line after each sentence, write the tense of the verbs in it (past, present, or future).

1. One day Billy was racing along in front of the children. _______________

2. I am very sorry, sir. _______________

3. At home, the children will teach Billy Jones many tricks. _______________

4. Billy Jones carries his lunch basket to a chair. _______________

5. They will teach the dog never to cross the street without them.

_______________

6. In doing so he runs bang into a big St. Bernard dog. _______________

7. People along the way were laughing and shouting to the dog. _______________

8. One day the cook left the door open only a wee bit. _______________

9. Billy will be surprised by all the funny games. _______________

10. The little dog throws back his funny little round face and whines and barks and

howls all in time to the music. _______________

45



1. They will stand on their hind legs and march up and down before the door of the

camp. _______________

2. The bears are surprised by the noise of the crashing tin plates.

_______________

3. The cook gives Snuff and Ruff two plates to take to the strangers.

_______________

4. The twins were bringing out the plates and pretending to take orders.

_______________

5. The boy will make them little white caps and short white aprons.

_______________

6. The guests can see the funny, sober faces of the twins. _______________

7. They saw a hairy paw and found a bear's head close to their own.

_______________

8. The bears will carry stick guns and wear paper soldier caps. _______________

9. The strangers are begging to have Snuff and Ruff wait on table again.

_______________

10. They had been found asleep and alone at the foot of a small fir tree on the

banks of the Sacramento River. _______________

46

Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?


1. I shall be nine years old next Saturday. _______________

2. What did I promise you, David? _______________

3. Mother is helping David to get ready to go to the city with Father.

_______________

4. The tide was flowing down the river to the sea. _______________

5. This Saturday morning David and his father will have a very interesting trip on

the ferry. _______________

6. A big ocean steamer was making its way slowly down the river.

_______________

7. Two short blasts of the whistle will be a signal to the small boat.

_______________

8. The ferry is slowly making its way across the river and coming to the shore.

_______________

9. Two men had been standing on either side of the ferry. _______________

10. The men will have opened the gates, and the people and cars will have gotten

off the ferry. _______________

47

Exercise 5. 4. The Clever HenExercise 5. 4. The Clever Hen

Directions: This poem is written in the past tense. Rewrite it in the present tense, and then

in future tense.

I had a little hen, the prettiest ever seen,

She washed me the dishes and kept the house clean;

She went to the mill to fetch me some flour,

She brought it home in less than an hour;

She baked me my bread, she brewed me my ale,

She sat by the fire and told many a fine tale.

This illustration and poem are from The Real Mother Goose. Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1916.

Exercise 5. 5. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters:Exercise 5. 5. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters:

1. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence in past tense.

2. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence in present tense.

3. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence in future tense.

48

Section 6 – Expletives – An Optional ExplanationSection 6 – Expletives – An Optional Explanation

ExpletivesExpletives

In some sentences, you will find the word "there" in the subject position. Some

grammarians consider this "there" to be an "expletive." They then identify a word that

appears later in the sentence as the subject.

We can, however, consider the "There" as the subject and the later word a predicate noun.

There are five people at the table. or

There are five people (PN) at the table.

Deep in the woods there was a small house. or

Deep in the woods there was a small house (PN).

There is a place for us. or

There is a place (PN) for us.

Waiter, there is a fly in my soup. or

Waiter, there is a fly (PN) in my soup.

There must be no mistake this time. or

There must be no mistake (PN) this time.

49

Exercise 6. 1. From Exercise 6. 1. From The Tale of Tom KittenThe Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. Once upon a time there were three little kittens.

2. There were several green smears!

3. There was a pit pat, paddle pat!

4. Somehow there were very extra--ordinary noises overhead.

5. There were no buttons.

50

Exercise 6. 2. From Exercise 6. 2. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers,,

by Beatrix Potterby Beatrix Potter



1. There was scarcely any light.

2. There was less smoke.

3. There is no end to them!

4. There used to be queer noises inside the walls.

5. There might be a little secret staircase.

6. Oh! Mother, Mother, there has been an old man rat in the dairy.

51

Exercise 6. 3. From Exercise 6. 3. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers,,




1. There are rats, and rats, and rats in his barn!

2. But there was a strong smell of rats.

3. So there was plenty of room for a little Tom Cat.

4. Sure enough there were marks of little scratching fingers.

5. After that, there were no more rats for a long time at Tabitha Twitchit's.

52

Exercise 6. 4. The Crooked SixpenceExercise 6. 4. The Crooked Sixpence



There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence beside a crooked stile;

He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house.


53

Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”

Coordinating Conjunctions and CompoundingCoordinating Conjunctions and Compounding

To "coordinate" means to work together as equals, and within grammar, three

words are often used to show that other words or constructions in a sentence are

working together. These words are “and,” “or,” and “but.” What you need to

remember is that:

“And,” “or,” and “but” join equal grammatical things.For example, they can join adjectives – “He likes sweet and sour pork.” Or they

can join subjects – “Bill or Bob will win.” Or they can join objects of prepositions

– “She went with Sally and Sue.”

“And” and “or” are nice little words because they almost always

act as coordinators. “But,” however, like Peter Rabbit, can be a

problem child. Sometimes it behaves like (and therefore is) a

preposition. Notice how, in the first example below, “but”

coordinates two simple sentences. In the second example,

however, it means “except” and functions as a preposition:

1. Peter likes carrots, but Benjamin prefers lettuce.

2. Everyone (but Peter) stayed out of Mr. McGregor’s garden.

Because “but” is so tricky, you are expected to have some problems with it. You

should, however, have little trouble with “and” and “or.”

Joining words or constructions with coordinating conjunctions is called “compounding,” and the words or constructions that are joined are called “compounds.” Any parts of speech, and any grammatical constructions can be compounded.

54

Exercise 7. 1. Based on Exercise 7. 1. Based on The Tale of Johnny Town MouseThe Tale of Johnny Town Mouse,,




1. I sit in my little sandy burrow and shell corn and seeds from my Autumn store.

2. He was very hungry, and very anxious to behave with company manners.

3. The winter passed; the sun came out again.

4. Johnny Town-mouse noticed it, and questioned him.

5. Johnny Town-mouse and his friends racketted about under the floors, and came

boldly out all over the house in the evening.

6. The back door banged, and the cart rumbled away.

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Exercise 7. 2. Based on Exercise 7. 2. Based on Mr. Jeremy FisherMr. Jeremy Fisher, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Circle the "and," "or" or "but" in each sentence. Then, in the space provided, write one of the

following to note what grammatical constructions are being joined. subjects, verbs, predicate adjectives, predicate nouns, direct objects, adjectives,adverbs, prepositional phrases, or whole sentences (S/V/C patterns).

1. The water was all slippy-sloppy in the larder and in the back passage.Joins:_____________________________

2. Nobody ever scolded him, and he never caught a cold!Joins:_____________________________

3. I have lost my basket; but it does not much matter. Joins:_____________________________

4. I will get some worms and go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my dinner. Joins:_____________________________

5. Mr. Jeremy put on a macintosh, and a pair of shiny goloshes. Joins:_____________________________

6. The boat was round and green, and very like the other lily-leaves. Joins:_____________________________

7. The rain trickled down his back, and for nearly an hour he stared at the float.Joins:_____________________________

8. Once or twice something moved about with a rustle amongst the rushes at the side of the pond.

Joins:_____________________________9. He was quite pleased when he looked out and saw large drops of rain.

Joins:_____________________________10. He could not offer them fish, but he had something else in his larder.

Joins:_____________________________

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Directions:1. Circle the "and," "or" or "but" in each sentence. Then, in the space provided, write one of the

following to note what grammatical constructions are being joined. subjects, verbs, predicate adjectives, predicate nouns, direct objects, adjectives,adverbs, prepositional phrases, or whole sentences (S/V/C patterns).

1. A GREAT big water-beetle came up underneath the lily leaf and tweaked the toe of one

of his goloshes.

Joins:_____________________________

2. MR. JEREMY shoved the boat out again a little way, and dropped in the bait.

Joins:_____________________________

3. MR. JEREMY stuck his pole into the mud and fastened his boat to it.

Joins:_____________________________

4. SIR ISAAC NEWTON wore his black and gold waistcoat.

Joins:_____________________________

5. Then he settled himself cross-legged and arranged his fishing tackle.

Joins:_____________________________

6. His line was a fine long white horse-hair, and he tied a little wriggling worm at the end.

Joins:_____________________________7. He took his rod and basket.

Joins:_____________________________8. Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise were coming to dinner.

Joins:_____________________________9. The trout turned and dived down to the bottom of the pond!

Joins:_____________________________10. I will invite Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise and Sir Isaac Newton.

Joins:_____________________________

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Exercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with ConjunctionsExercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with Conjunctions

Directions:

1. Write a sentence with two or more subjects joined by “and.”2. Write a sentence with two or more finite verbs joined by “and.”3. Write a sentence with two or more predicate adjectives joined by “and.”4. Write a sentence with two or more predicate nouns joined by “and.”5. Write a sentence with two or more direct objects joined by “and.”6. Write a sentence with two or more adjectives joined by “and.”7. Write a sentence with two or more adverbs joined by “and.”8. Write a sentence with two or more prepositional phrases joined by “and.”9. Write a sentence with two or more objects of prepositions joined by “and.”

Repeat the exercise, but use “or” instead of “and.”

Try to repeat the exercise, but use “but” instead of “and,” and see what happens.

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Exercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting VerbsExercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting Verbs

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter

Directions: The verbs in the following text have been replaced by blanks. Fill in the blanks with verbs that make sense. Try to use interesting, descriptive verbs – instead of went," try "trotted," "bounced," "skipped," etc.

ONCE upon a time there __________ a frog called Mr. Jeremy Fisher; he __________

in a little damp house amongst the buttercups at the edge of a pond.

THE water __________ all slippy-sloppy in the larder and in the back passage.

But Mr. Jeremy __________ getting his feet wet; nobody ever __________ him, and he

never __________ a cold!

HE __________ quite __________ when he __________ out and __________ large

drops of rain, splashing in the pond—

“I __________ __________ some worms and __________ fishing and __________ a dish

of minnows for my dinner,” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher. “If I __________ more than

five fish, I __________ __________ my friends Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise and Sir

Isaac Newton. The Alderman, however, __________ salad.”

MR. JEREMY __________ on a macintosh, and a pair of shiny goloshes; he

__________ his rod and basket, and __________ off with enormous hops to the place where

he __________ his boat.

THE boat __________ round and green, and very like the other lily-leaves. It

__________ __________ to a water-plant in the middle of the pond.

MR. JEREMY __________ a reed pole, and __________ the boat out into open water.

“I __________ a good place for minnows,” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher.

MR. JEREMY __________ his pole into the mud and __________ his boat to it.

Then he __________ himself cross-legged and __________ his fishing tackle. He

__________ the dearest little red float. His rod __________ a tough stalk of grass, his line

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__________ a fine long white horse-hair, and he __________ a little wriggling worm at the

end.

THE rain __________ down his back, and for nearly an hour he __________ at the

float.

“This __________ __________ tiresome, I __________ I __________ __________ some

lunch,” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher.

HE __________ back again amongst the water-plants, and __________ some lunch out

of his basket.

“I __________ __________ a butterfly sandwich, and __________ till the shower

__________ over,” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher.

A GREAT big water-beetle __________ up underneath the lily leaf and __________ the

toe of one of his goloshes.

Mr. Jeremy __________ his legs up shorter, out of reach, and __________ on eating his

sandwich.

ONCE or twice something __________ about with a rustle and a splash amongst the

rushes at the side of the pond.

“I __________ that __________ not a rat,” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher; “I

__________ I had better __________ away from here.”

MR. JEREMY __________ the boat out again a little way, and __________ in the bait.

There __________ a bite almost directly; the float __________ a tremendous bobbit!

“A minnow! a minnow! I __________ him by the nose!” __________ Mr. Jeremy

Fisher, jerking up his rod.

BUT what a horrible surprise! Instead of a smooth fat minnow, Mr. Jeremy

__________ little Jack Sharp the stickleback, covered with spines!

THE stickleback __________ about the boat, pricking and snapping until he

__________ quite out of breath. Then he __________ back into the water.

AND a shoal of other little fishes __________ their heads out, and __________ at Mr.

Jeremy Fisher.

AND while Mr. Jeremy __________ disconsolately on the edge of his boat—sucking his

sore fingers and peering down into the water—a MUCH worse thing __________; a really

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FRIGHTFUL thing it __________ __________ __________, if Mr. Jeremy __________ not

__________ __________ a macintosh!

A GREAT big enormous trout __________ up—ker-pflop-p-p-p! with a splash—and it

__________ Mr. Jeremy with a snap, “Ow! Ow! Ow!”—and then it __________ and

__________ down to the bottom of the pond!

BUT the trout __________ so __________ with the taste of the macintosh, that in less

than half a minute it __________ him out again; and the only thing it __________ was Mr.

Jeremy’s goloshes.

MR. JEREMY __________ up to the surface of the water, like a cork and the bubbles

out of a soda water bottle; and he __________ with all his might to the edge of the pond.

HE __________ out on the first bank he __________ to, and he __________ home

across the meadow with his macintosh all in tatters.

“WHAT a mercy that __________ not a pike!” __________ Mr. Jeremy Fisher. “I

__________ __________ my rod and basket; but it __________ not much matter, for I

__________ sure I __________ never __________ __________ to go fishing again!”

HE __________ some sticking plaster on his fingers, and his friends both __________

to dinner. He __________ not __________ them fish, but he __________ something else in

his larder.

SIR ISAAC NEWTON __________ his black and gold waistcoat,

AND Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise __________ a salad with him in a string bag.

AND instead of a nice dish of minnows—they __________ a roasted grasshopper with

lady-bird sauce; which frogs __________ a beautiful treat; but I __________ it __________

__________ __________ nasty!

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Exercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with AdjectivesExercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with Adjectives

From The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter

Directions: Combine the sentences into one by deleting the subjects and verbs in the second (and third) sentences and then making the remaining information an adjective or prepositional phrase in the first sentence.

1. He had the dearest float. It was little. It was red.

2. He tied a worm at the end of the line. The worm was little. It was wriggling.

3. Sir Isaac Newton wore his waistcoat. It was black. And it was gold.

4. Mr. Jeremy Fisher lived in a house. The house was little. It was damp.

5. Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise brought a salad with him. It was in a string bag.

Exercise 7. 7. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe RostersExercise 7. 7. Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters

a. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has two or more subjects for the same verb.

b. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has two or more verbs for the same subject.

c. Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has two or more complements for the same

verb.

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Section 8 – Compound Main ClausesSection 8 – Compound Main Clauses

Joining Main ClausesJoining Main Clauses

What is a Clause?

A “clause” is a subject / verb / complement pattern and all the words that chunk to it. Thus far we have been working mainly with sentences that have one such pattern, or, in other words, one clause. Many sentences, however, have more than one clause – more than one subject / verb / complement pattern. There are two types of clauses, main and subordinate. Here, we will look at main clauses.

Joining Main Clauses

Just like subjects, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc., main clauses can be joined to each other by coordinating conjunctions (“and,” “or,” and “but”), but normally a comma goes before the conjunction:

Dad stayed home, and we watched television. We could play baseball, or we could play football. Mother went to the store, but Sally went to her friend's house.

Sometimes, if they are short, you will find main clauses joined just by a conjunction or just by a comma.

Three other punctuation marks can be used to join main clauses – a colon, semicolon, or a dash:

Dad stayed home: we watched television. We could play baseball; we could play football. Mother went to the store – Sally went to her friend’s house.

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Main Clauses and Chunking

Remember that, with the exception of interjections and direct address, every

word in every sentence will chunk to another word or construction until everything

is chunked to the S/V/C pattern of a main clause. In KISS, we identify main

clauses by separating them with a vertical line. All the words on one side of the

line chunk to the S/V/C pattern in that clause, and all the words on the other side

chunk to the S/V/C pattern in that clause:


64

Exercise 8. 1. Based on Exercise 8. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy BunniesThe Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies,,


Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. Presently a fly settled on one of them, and it moved.

2. The Flopsy Bunnies stirred a little in their sleep, but still they did not wake up.

3. Benjamin and Flopsy were in despair, they could not undo the string.

4. So Mr. McGregor did not get his tobacco, and Mrs. McGregor did not get her

rabbit skins.

5. Then the mouse came out of her jam pot, and Benjamin took the paper bag off

his head, and they told the doleful tale.

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Exercise 8. 2. Based on Exercise 8. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckThe Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,,




1. He had a bite on his ear and both the puppies were limping.

2. The shed was almost quite full of feathers – it was almost suffocating; but it was

comfortable and very soft.

3. This is my summer residence; you would not find my earth – my winter house.

4. She laid more eggs in June, and she was permitted to keep them herself: but only

four of them hatched.

5. It was built of faggots and turf, and there were two broken pails, one on top of

another, by way of a chimney.

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Exercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,”Exercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,”

by Johnny Gruelleby Johnny Gruelle



1. I took my little horn and followed them, but I soon lost their track.

2. We live happily here in the forest and our wants are simple.

3. Then the three little gnomes sat upon Fuzzy Fox’s back and he ran on through

the forest with them.

4. Long, long ago, the tree had stood strong and upright and its top branches

reached far above any of the other trees in the forest.

5. A silvery thread of smoke curled up over the trunk of the old tree and floated

away through the forest, and tiny voices came from beneath the trunk of the old

tree.

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Exercise 8. 4. from "Two Dogs"Exercise 8. 4. from "Two Dogs"

(McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader)

This exercise includes some clauses that you are not yet expected to be able to explain, but remember the definition of a clause, and try to determine where the main clauses end.


direct address ("DirA"). Part 1:

James White has two dogs. One is a Newfoundland dog, and the other is a

Scotch terrier. The Newfoundland is a large, noble fellow. His name is Sport.

Every night he guards the house while James and his father are asleep.

Part 2:

In the daytime, James often uses Sport for his horse. He has a little wagon, and

a set of small harness which just fits the dog. He hitches Sport to this wagon, and

drives over the country.

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(McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader)



The name of James's Scotch terrier is Dodger. He is called Dodger because he

jumps about so friskily. He is up on a chair, under the table, behind the door, down

cellar, and out in the yard, – all in a minute.

Dodger has very bright eyes, and he does many funny things. He likes to put

his paws up on the crib, and watch the baby.

The other day he took baby's red stocking, and had great fun with it; but he

spoiled it in his play, and James had to scold him.

Exercise 8. 6. Recipe Rosters based on “Two Dogs”Exercise 8. 6. Recipe Rosters based on “Two Dogs”

1. Write a sentence with one verb and five prepositional phrases, comparable to “He is up on a chair, under the table, behind the door, down cellar, and out in the yard, – all in a minute.” Instead of “is,” use a verb like “runs,” “crawls,” or “flies.”

2. Write a sentence with five prepositional phrases, but this time use five different verbs, one with each phrase – “He climbs up on a chair, slides under the table, peeks behind the door, snoops down cellar, and searches out in the yard.”

Exercise 8. 7. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe RosterExercise 8. 7. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster

Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has compound main clauses.

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Section 9 – Practice/ApplicationSection 9 – Practice/Application

Exercise 9. 1. Sentence-Building with AdverbsExercise 9. 1. Sentence-Building with Adverbs

Based on Beatrix Potter's The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

Directions: Write sentences using the following adverbs.

1. not

2. never

3. rarely

4. generally

5. always

6. too

7. very

8. well

9. quickly

10. sweetly

Exercise 9. 2. Sentence-Building with AdjectivesExercise 9. 2. Sentence-Building with Adjectives

Based on Beatrix Potter's The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

Directions: Write five sentences with modified subjects, using in each two or more of the following adjectives.

A, an, the, large, little, some, many, his, their, second, three, separate, brown, warm,

funny, paper, distant, safe, old, rubbish, empty, sad, youngest, happy, lucky, hungry

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Exercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific IdeasExercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific Ideas

(Syntax & Logic)(Syntax & Logic)

An Exercise in Logic and StyleBased on “Why The Hoofs of The Deer Are Split”

from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence HolbrookDirections: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.

Everything is good and happy. The green leaves are whispering merrily

together, the waves are lapping on the shore and laughing, the squirrels are

chattering and laying up their food for winter.

Note that the second sentence has three main clauses, each of which gives a specific

example of the idea in the first sentence. Write two sentences. In the first, state a general idea. In

the second, use compound main clauses to give specific examples of the idea in the first

sentence.

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Exercise 9. 4. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #1)Exercise 9. 4. Graphing Words per Main Clause (“Squeaky” #1)

Based on sentences from “Squeaky and the Scare Box”

I. Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. There was a father mouse, there was a mother mouse, and there were three little

baby mice.

2. One little mouse had sharp bright eyes, and he could see everything, even in the

darkest hole.

3. The little mice obeyed their mother, and they were happy in their home in the

pantry wall.

4. I could not tell you about all of these, but I am going to tell you about their

Christmas party.

5. The stockings hung by the chimney, and the tall tree was standing in the parlor.

6. The children were asleep, and the father and mother had gone upstairs to bed.

II. Using a graph sheet, make a graph of the number of words in each main clause. In the graph, each row equals one main clause. Each column (after the yellow column) equals one word. Unless your teacher gives you other directions, shade in one square for each word in each main clause. If the clause is a compound, put a “C” in the yellow column.

72



I. Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. The children have talked about the Christmas tree for days, and we have never

seen one.

2. I found a little popcorn on the pantry floor, and I want some more.

3. The cat is not near; come and see the tree.

4. They nibbled the popcorn; they nibbled the candy; they nibbled the nuts; and

they nibbled the cakes.

5. The door was opened, and the lights were turned on.

6. With a squeak, the mice scampered down from the tree; then they ran along the

hall, through the pantry, and back to their home.

7. I am in a trap, but there isn't even a bit of cheese in it.


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Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”

I. Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of direct

address ("DirA").

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the King's horses, and all the King's men

Cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Exercise 9. 7. Using Apostrophes to Show PossessionExercise 9. 7. Using Apostrophes to Show Possession

Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by Beatrix Potter

Directions: Rewrite each of the following sets of two sentences as one sentence by using an apostrophe to indicate possession.

1. This is a summer residence. It belongs to a gentleman.

2. She answered a question. The question was asked by Kep.

3. He went to look for two fox-hound puppies. They belonged to the butcher.

4. Jemima heard the barking. It was made by the dogs.

5. The eggs were always found and carried off. The eggs belonged to Jemima

Puddle-duck.

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Exercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb TensesExercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb Tenses

I. Directions: On the line after each sentence, write the tense of the verbs in it (past, present, or future).

1. The captain opens the box of jewels, and he shows Dick some of his riches.

_______________

2. An army of rats and mice ran into the room, and they ate from every dish.

_______________

3. It was a long walk for the little boy, but at last he came to London. _______________

4. The cat will see them, and in a few minutes she will have killed many of the rats and

mice. _______________

5. The ship with the cat on board had a long and stormy voyage, and it was at last driven to

a strange land. _______________

6. His bed is in an attic and at night many mice and rats come through the holes in the

walls. _______________

7. Dick hides his cat in the attic, and every day he carries a part of his dinner to her.

_______________

8. The captain will sell your cat to the king of a foreign land, and he will bring you in

return many riches. _______________

9. They are coming down to the shore in great crowds to see the sailors, and they are

buying fine things on the ship. _______________

10. The kind man will ask the cook to give Dick a good dinner, and then he will find some

work for him to do. _______________

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Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”

I. 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 that 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.

an Indian squaw that first winter too late in the season a piece of raccoon outside of the wigwam suddenly in Connecticut

along the street when snowflakes fall a single doughnut noisily all his friends Rose Fyleman a terrible pirate

some wicked pirates anxiously above the undergrowth some famous people on a Virginia plantation a little Polish princess patiently

sassafras tea a real Christmas these Indian neighbors at Thanksgiving Time terribly in front of the fireplace a smart red feather

in the cold twilights the little boy's uncle after the snowfall from the north two tiny nuthatches in a minute blindly

the gossipy porpoises Anthony Over high in the air a red-headed man immediately across the rose-plot after 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.

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Exercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue TwistersExercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue Twisters

I. Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of direct

address ("DirA").

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.

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Section 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct ObjectsSection 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects

Subordinate ClausesSubordinate Clauses

A clause, as you should remember, is “a subject / verb / complement pattern and all the words that chunk to it.” Subordinate clauses are always parts of main clauses – they can function in any way that nouns, adjectives, or adverbs do.

Noun – Direct Object: She thought [it would be a good idea]. | Noun – Indirect Object: Bill sent [whoever wanted one] a copy of his book. | Noun – Object of Preposition: They listened {to [what the teacher was saying]}. | Noun – Subject: [That mother knew] scared them. | Adverb: [After they won the game,] they had a big party. | Adjective: The man [who robbed the bank] is now in jail. |

Many (but not all) subordinate clauses begin with a subordinate conjunction:

after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before, if, how, lest, since, than, that, when, where, while, what, who, why, which, until, whenever, wherever, whatever, whoever, whichever, whether, for, so

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Subordinate Clauses as Direct ObjectsSubordinate Clauses as Direct Objects

Subordinate clauses that function as direct objects are easy to identify because

they are the complement of another verb:

Lucinda knew [DO she needed help (DO).] |Thus, when we ask, “Lucinda knew what?,” the answer is “she needed help.”

Additional examples:

Saul whispered, [DO “We have time (DO).”] |

[DO “It is getting late (PA),”] Hector said.|

We think [DO she will win the game (DO) on Monday.] |

Victor knew [DO when the game was lost.] |

We asked [DO if we could go.] |

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Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”

From FRIENDLY FAIRIESWritten & Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write

"DO" over the opening bracket. 4. Place a vertical line after each main clause. 5. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. I think it will be a good plan.

2. Another would say, “Pooh, that is nothing!”

3. I do not believe we should harm the hawk.

4. The catfish decided that they would follow their chief.

5. See how brave and fearless the mighty catfish are!

6. “What kind of a fish is that, Gran’pa Skeeterhawk?” he asked.

7. “That’s a catfish!” Gran’pa replied.

8. “Dear me! Are their heads flat?” Johnny Cricket asked.

9. They expected he would be the first to hide under the mud.

10. They thought that they were not only the most beautiful fish but the fiercest

fighters in the world.

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Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”

from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook




1. Mother, I have found that I have a wonderful sense of smell.

2. By its help I can find whatever is hidden away.

3. "That is a marvelous story," cried the sister.

4. Can you tell me what is in these jars?

5. I shall think you are really a magician.

6. Only think what a wonderful sense of smell my son has!

7. Oh, how I wish I had not tried to play tricks!

8. We saw that you knew us.

9. Oh, I wish I had not been a thief!

10. She thought his power was only a trick.

11. The man wished that no one would ever talk to him again of his sense of smell.

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Exercise 10. 3. Based on “The Fairy Ring”Exercise 10. 3. Based on “The Fairy Ring”

From FRIENDLY FAIRIES Written & Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle




1. His sister knew that he had met with disappointment.

2. Neither could say a word for a long time, then the little old man told her he had

been unable to make a single penny by playing.

3. He knew in a moment she was the one.

4. The little old man felt he should recognize her, but he could not remember

where he had seen her before.

5. “Let us not be downhearted, Brother!” said the sister.

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Exercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough StoneExercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough Stone

and the Gnarled Tree”and the Gnarled Tree”

From FRIENDLY FAIRIES Written & Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle




1. I wish the silly squirrel had gone some other place to eat the nuts!

2. Just see how he pushes me up in the air with his roots!

3. “Now I shall be all by myself again!” he said.

4. I wish the gnarled tree with its pretty rustling leaves were here again.

5. I wish another squirrel would come to eat nuts upon me!

6. The little nut took root and sent its tiny shoots up in the air, and the old, rough

Stone said, “There! I knew it!”

7. I wish the gnarled tree would come back and scatter his leaves about me.

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Exercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate ClausesExercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate Clauses

as Direct Objectsas Direct Objects





1. My father asked her what troubled her.

2. I will show him what kind of man I am.

3. I will tell you how you may get well.

4. Then the stork suddenly asked the geese if they had seen the gray rats.

5. Jonah then told the men what God had commanded him to do.

6. Tell me who you are and the story of your life.

7. Neither dared tell the king nor anyone else where he had been, nor what the ogre

had done to him.

8. George told the men that he had come to join the chase.

9. The queen of the fairies told the fairies that they must keep Tom safe from harm.

Exercise 10. 6. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe RosterExercise 10. 6. Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster

Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has a subordinate clause used as a direct object.

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Section 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” ProblemSection 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” Problem

The “To” ProblemThe “To” Problem

When the word that answers the question “To what?” is

a noun or pronoun, the construction is a prepositional

phrase. When that word is a verb, the construction is not a

prepositional phrase.(It is an infinitive, but you do not need to remember that now.)

Not Prepositional Phrases: Prepositional Phrases:

Do the mice want to talk? Pay attention {to their talk}.

To give is better than to receive. He gave some money {to an orphanage}.

It was a summer to remember. They traveled {from April} {to August}.

Sam went to see Bill. But Bill went {to sea}.

Carol wished to play. Carol went {to a play}.

Jerome wanted to object. Jennifer went close {to the object}.

Terri loves to shop. She'll go {from shop} {to shop} all day long.

Note that an “a,” “an,” or “the” before a word usually indicates that it is a noun.

Remember to pay attention to the meanings of the words:

Margaret remembered to bill the team. She gave the bill {to Bill}.

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Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?

Directions: Place parentheses around each prepositional phrase. Draw an arrow from the beginning of each phrase to the word it modifies.

1. Sam went to the park with his friends.

2. Ann loves to play basketball with the boys.

3. In the summer, Arnie goes to Florida with his family on vacation.

4. To whom did they give the prize for the contest?

5. Carol asked her sister to help her in the evening with her homework.

6. On Saturday, his father wanted Bill to wash their car.

7. He went to shelter his dog from the rain.

8. He went to shelter to get out of the rain.

9. Tom and Jim went to the lake to drown some worms.

10. Jack and Jill wanted to climb to the top of the hill.

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From FRIENDLY FAIRIES, Written & Illustrated by Johnny Gruelle

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write



1. Tears came to the poor little old man’s eyes; everyone was too busy to stop to

hear his music.

2. At the first street corner he stopped and placed his violin to his shoulder to play.

3. No one stopped to listen to his music, much less to drop anything in the tiny tin

cup.

4. He had to stop and rest at each flight of stairs and he fell to his knees just as he

reached the attic door.

5. Again he climbed the stairs to the attic but he felt too weary to say a thing.

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Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”

From The Real Mother Goose Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1916.

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write



To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,

Home again, home again, jiggety jog.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done.

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Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”

by Beatrix Potter




1. He used to turn the eggs over and count them.

2. He should be proud to see a fine nestful in his wood-shed.

3. He led the way to a very retired, dismal-looking house amongst the fox-gloves.

4. May I ask you to bring up some herbs from the farm-garden to make a savoury

omelette?

5. He seemed almost sorry to let Jemima go home for the night.

6. Jemima Puddle-duck was rather surprised to find such a vast quantity of

feathers.

7. Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rebeccah Puddle-duck, was perfectly willing to leave the

hatching to some one else.

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Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”

This illustration and poem are from In the Nursery of My Bookhouse, edited by Olive Beaupré Miller; (The Bookhouse for Children, 1920).




A robin and a robin's son

Once went to town to buy a bun.

They couldn't decide on plum or plain

And so they went back home again.

Exercise 11. 6 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe RosterExercise 11. 6 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster

Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence in which “to” is used both as a preposition

and not as a preposition.

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Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)

Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?Preposition? Adverb? Or Part of the Verb?

Elk

Many words that function as prepositions can also function as simple adverbs, or as a part of the verb itself. In order to tell how a word that looks like a preposition actually functions, you need to look at the meaning of the sentence. As you will see, in many cases, more than one explanation is acceptable. Deer

Adverbs That Look Like Prepositions

Consider, for example, the following sentence: They fly around hitting things.

If you say that “around” is a preposition here and that “around hitting things” is a prepositional phrase, then you are saying that they fly around things that hit. That is probably not what the writer meant. The writer probably meant that they fly around and hit things. The easiest way to explain “around” in this sentence is to consider it to be an adverb to “fly.” Note that in context, the “around” might be considered an ellipsed prepositional phrase:

There are a lot of bats around this place. They fly around *this place* hitting things . . . .

“Prepositions” That Are Part of the Verb

Sometimes words that look like prepositions are actually part of the verb:

He had to figure out the answer.

If you rely on your knowledge of what words mean, you will be able to see that “out the answer” is not a prepositional phrase here. The “out” goes with “figure.” Together, they mean “discover,” or “find,” etc. Whenever you can replace a verb plus what looks like a preposition with one verb, you can consider the “preposition” to be part of the verb. This combination is fairly frequent in English. The following are just a few examples.

cry out = scream go on = continue look like = resemble look out for = seek, guard, avoid, watch put up with = endure

think of = remember think up = invent went in = entered went up = approached

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Note that your final decision needs to be based on the meaning of the words in the sentence. In

She ran up the hill; he ran up the flag.

{“up the hill”} indicates where she ran, but he probably raised the flag up the flagpole. Note that sometimes you can tell because words that are not prepositions can be moved. We would say “He ran the flag up,” but “She ran the hill up” would not make any sense.

As another example, consider the difference between the following analyses:

1. Bill turned on the lights. 2. Bill turned {on the lights}.

If you analyze the sentence the first way, you are saying the sentence means Bill turned the lights on. (And you can consider the “on” as part of the verb even if it appears after “lights.” But if you analyze it the second way, you are saying that it means either that Bill was on top of the lights and he was turning, or that he was driving, as in a race, and he turned at a signal from the lights.

Sometimes, as with “Come on,” words that look like prepositions do not have any meaningful object. The question “On what?” simply does not make any sense here. In such cases, simply consider the word to be an adverb.

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Exercise 12. 1. Based on Exercise 12. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy BunniesThe Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

by Beatrix Potter




1. Mr. McGregor tied up the sack.

2. A little old mouse picked over the rubbish among the jam pots.

3. Mr. McGregor threw down the sack on the stone floor.

4. Mr. McGregor came back and picked up the sack, and carried it off.

5. Suddenly Mr. McGregor emptied out a sackful of lawn mowings right upon the

top of the sleeping Flopsy Bunnies!

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Exercise 12. 2. Based on Exercise 12. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,

by Beatrix Potter




1. He folded up the newspaper, and put it in his coat-tail pocket.

2. He was looking over the top of the newspaper.

3. You have looked at your eggs.

4. Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs.

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Exercise 12. 3. Based on Exercise 12. 3. Based on The Tale of Samuel Whiskers,The Tale of Samuel Whiskers,

by Beatrix Potter




1. The slanting slates kept out the rain.

2. They tipped up the jar.

3. Tom Kitten knocked down some soot into the fender.

4. She borrowed a small saucer, and scooped up the dough with her paws.

5. The rats eat up the chicken food, and steal the oats and bran, and make holes in

the meal bags.

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Exercise 13. 1. Compound Main ClausesExercise 13. 1. Compound Main Clauses





1. Presently a fly settled on one of them, and it moved.

2. The Flopsy Bunnies stirred a little in their sleep, but still they did not wake up.

3. Benjamin and Flopsy were in despair, they could not undo the string.

4. So Mr. McGregor did not get his tobacco, and Mrs. McGregor did not get her

rabbit skins.

5. Then the mouse came out of her jam pot, and Benjamin took the paper bag off

his head, and they told the doleful tale.

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Exercise 13. 2. Sentence-Building with AdverbsExercise 13. 2. Sentence-Building with Adverbs


Directions: Using the following subjects and verbs as foundations, build

two sentences with adverbs modifying adjectives, two sentences with adverbs modifying adverbs, and two sentences with adverbs modifying verbs.

1. _______________ mouse apologized ________________________ .

2. _______________ Mr. McGregor found ________________________ .

3. _______________ Flopsy Bunnies were eating ______________________ .

4. _______________ rabbits smiled ________________________ .

5. _______________ bluebottles buzzed ________________________ .

6. _______________ Thomasina was making ________________________ .

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Exercise 13. 3. Sentence-Building with AdjectivesExercise 13. 3. Sentence-Building with Adjectives


Directions: Write a sentence using the S/V/PA pattern to describe each of the following. (Fill in the blank before each with at least one adjective.)

1. The __________ Flopsy Bunnies

2. __________ Benjamin Bunny

3. __________ Peter Rabbit

4. __________ Mr. McGregor

5. __________Thomasina Tittlemouse

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The Questions That Modifiers AnswerThe Questions That Modifiers Answer

A clause is a subject / verb / complement pattern and all the words that chunk to it. But the words that chunk are called modifiers because they clarify or change the meaning of the words that they chunk to. Usually, they answer one of the following questions:

What kind of?Which? What? Whose? Whom?

Where? When? How long? How much?

Why? How? Under what conditions?

Study the sentence and table below to see 1.) how each word in the sentence chunks to a word in the S/V/C pattern, 2.) the part of speech of that word (or construction), and 3.) the question that the word answers.

The next day the young prince took his new bride to his father's palace.S/V/C Chunks to Part of Speech Question

The day adjective Which? next day adjective Which?day took NuA When? the prince adjective Which? young prince adjective What kind of?prince prince (subject) took took (verb) his bride adjective Whose?new bride adjective What kind of?bride bride (DO) to took Adv. (Prep P) Where? his palace adjective Whose?father's palace adjective Whose?palace. to Noun OP What?

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Exercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers AnswerExercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers Answer

A Sentence from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

Directions: In the table below, write 1.) how each word in the sentence chunks to a word in the S/V/C pattern, 2.) the part of speech of that word (or construction). 3.) Then use the following list to write the question that the modifier answers.

What kind of?Which? What? Whose? Whom?

Where? When? How long? How much?

Why? How? Under what conditions?

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

S/V/C Chunks to Part of Speech QuestionThey lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

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Exercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main ClauseExercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause

The Opening Paragraph of “The Sleeping Beauty”from The Child's World – Third Reader,

by Hetty S. Browne, Sarah Withers, and W. K. Tate

I. Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause. 4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


Note: Your teacher will tell you which version to analyze.

Adapted:

Once upon a time there lived a king and queen. They were very unhappy. They

had no children. But at last a little daughter was born, and their sorrow was turned

to joy. All the bells in the land were rung to tell the glad tidings.

The Original:

Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who were very unhappy

because they had no children. But at last a little daughter was born, and their

sorrow was turned to joy. All the bells in the land were rung to tell the glad tidings.


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Exercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis StevensonExercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis Stevenson

Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause. 4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each

example of direct address ("DirA").

Of speckled eggs the birdie sings

And nests among the trees;

The sailor sings of ropes and things

In ships upon the seas.

The children sing in far Japan,

The children sing in Spain;

The organ with the organ man

Is singing in the rain.

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Exercise 13. 7. A Punctuation Exercise – Exercise 13. 7. A Punctuation Exercise – The Tale of the Flopsy BunniesThe Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

A. Briefly explain why Beatrix Potter used quotation marks in each of the following sentences:

1. They were generally called the “Flopsy Bunnies.”

2. “One, two, three, four! five! six leetle rabbits!” said he.

3. She said that Mr. McGregor had “done it a purpose.” [Why isn't "Mr. McGregor" inside the quotation marks?]

B. Commas are used to separate items in a series. Why did Potter use a comma after “hood,” but not after “cloak,” or “muff”?

But next Christmas Thomasina Tittlemouse got a present of enough rabbit-

wool to make herself a cloak and a hood, and a handsome muff and a pair of

warm mittens.

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Exercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb TensesExercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses


1. A bee is humming about the flowers on the window sill. _______________

2. On the clean kitchen floor two little children were playing happily in the

sunshine. _______________

3. Mrs. Bradley will be very busy at work in her great kitchen. _______________

4. The potatoes are boiling in the kettle over the open fire. _______________

5. Then he dropped on his hands and knees and began creeping toward the house.

_______________

6. Mrs. Bradley is humming a little song and preparing the dinner.

_______________

7. The warm sun will stream in through the open windows. _______________

8. In each little village a blockhouse had been built. _______________

9. To this blockhouse all the people will flee in time of trouble. _______________

10. Then her eye caught sight of two huge brass kettles upside down in front of the

fireplace. _______________

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Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”

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. 214-215.

Directions: Fill in the blanks with interesting verbs. Your teacher may have you compare answers and then discuss what the verbs add to the story.

At a London fire station there _______1_______ a faithful and daring dog named

Bob. Bob ______2________ always on duty; he never _____3_________ the station

except to help at a fire. The instant the fire alarm _______4_______, Bob

________5______ to his seat on the huge engine, where he _______6_______ beside

the driver as they ______7________ _______8_______ through the streets.

Whenever the men ________9______ that lives _______10______ in danger in a

burning building, they ______11_______ a ladder and ______12_______ toward Bob.

They never ________13_____ to urge him. Before they ________14_____

_______15______, Bob _______16______ on the ladder. Up, up he ______17_______,

then _______18______ through a broken windowpane and ______19_______ about

from room to room. If he _______20______ anyone asleep, he _______21______ to tell

of danger. If he _______22______ anyone who _______23______ helpless, he

_______24______ back to the window and ______25_______ for help. In this way he

_____26________ _______27______ the lives of nearly a score of persons.

On one of these trips, Bob ______28_______ a very small child. He

_______29______ back to the window for help. As soon as a fireman

_______30______ the window, Bob _______31______ the way to the child. Back to the

window he then _______32______ but, instead of going down first, ________33_____

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until the fireman and child _______34______ safely on their way. Then

______35_______ Bob, the real and beloved hero of the fire.

Later, at another fire, Bob _______36________ an old lady who ________37_____

too feeble to rise from her chair. Again he ______38_______ for help and

_______39______ the fireman as he _____40________ when saving the child. This

time Bob _______41______ too long before starting down the ladder. Flames

_______42________ to ______43_______ out of the window so that he ______44_______

not _______45______ to it. He _____46________ ________47_____ _______48______ but

he _______49______ clever enough to know that barking _____50________

________51_____ no help. And he ________52_____ no time to lose.

The firemen ________53_____ more frantic than Bob himself. They

_______54______ that their faithful comrade's work ______55_______

_______56______. But just as they ______57_______ about to give him up, they

_______58______ toward another window. There they _______59______ Bob pawing

at the glass. The firemen quickly ______60_______ a large life-net, and Bob, without

waiting an instant, ________61_____ through the glass and down to safety.

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Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


A little boy went into a barn,

And lay down on some hay.

An owl came out, and flew about,

And the little boy ran away.


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Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”

Directions: Read the passage all the way through. You will notice that the sentences are short and choppy. Study the passage, and then rewrite it in better way. You may combine sentences, change the order of words, and omit words that are repeated too many times. But try not to leave out any of the information.

A Fox invited a Crane to supper. She provided one thing for his entertainment.

She provided some soup. The soup was made of peas. It was poured out into a

dish. The dish was broad. The dish was flat. The dish was made of stone. The soup

fell out of the long bill of the Crane. This happened at every mouthful. The Crane

was frustrated. He was not able to eat. This gave the Fox much amusement.

The Crane's turn was next. He asked the Fox to have supper with him. He set

before her a glass. The glass was tall. The glass had a long mouth. The mouth was

narrow. The Crane could insert his neck and into the glass. He could do this easily.

He could enjoy its contents. He could do this at his leisure. The Fox was unable

even to taste it. She met with a return. The return was fitting. It matched the

fashion of her own hospitality.

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Exercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learnExercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learn

Just for Fun



1. The bandage was wound around the wound.

2. We must polish the Polish furniture.

3. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

4. I did not object to the object.

5. They were too close to the door to close it.

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Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?

Is it a Preposition?Is it a Preposition?

If it looks like a duck,

and it quacks a duck, it's a duck.

Many words that function as prepositions also have other functions. You find a prepositional phrase by asking the question "What?" after a word that can function as a preposition. When the

word or words that answer that question form a sentence, the construction is not a prepositional phrase.

They are subordinate clauses, but you do not need to remember that now.Just remember not to put parentheses around them.

Examples:

Prepositional Phrase: We watched television {after dinner}.

Not a Prepositional Phrase: We watched television after we had dinner.

Prepositional Phrase: {Before sunrise}, the birds begin to chirp.

Not a Prepositional Phrase: Before the sun rises, the birds begin to chirp.

Prepositional Phrase: Billy can't swim {like her}.Not a Prepositional Phrase: Billy can't swim like she does.

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Exercise 14. 1 Is it a preposition?Exercise 14. 1 Is it a preposition?



1. They haven't eaten since breakfast.

2. They have had nothing to eat since they had breakfast.

3. Karen was late because of her brother.

4. Roberta won the race because she practiced a lot.

5. My mother made supper after she returned from where she works.

6. My brother played baseball with us when he got home from work.

7. After they read the story, they wrote about it.

8. They took a nap after dinner.

9. They talked about Sam.

10. They talked about what they wanted to do.

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1. Amy lives right across the street from me.

2. Amy lives right across the street from where I do.

3. Annie has been my very best friend since I moved here.

4. I met Annie in 1964. Since then she has been my very best friend.

5. Some people are afraid of my dog because she looks mean.

6. My dog looks mean. Some people are afraid of her because of that.

7. My dog won't eat anything except Alpo.

8. She won't eat anything except what I give her.

9. My mom doesn't like my dad to tell me about life because she's afraid he might

tell me something I shouldn't know.

10. My mom doesn't like my dad to tell me about what life is like because she's

afraid he might tell me something I shouldn't know.

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Exercise 14. 3 Writing Sentences – Is it a preposition?Exercise 14. 3 Writing Sentences – Is it a preposition?

Directions: Write two sentences using each of the following words. In one sentence in each pair, use the word as a preposition. In the other, use it so that it is not a preposition.

after,since,before,

because (of),about,except

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Exercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny GruelleExercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny Gruelle

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write



1. A little old man with a violin tucked under his arm shuffled down the attic steps

and the many flights of stairs until finally he reached the streets.

2. The little old man was quiet for a long time and then he arose and again drew his

bow across the violin strings.

3. He stumbled towards her chair, fell to his knees before her, and buried his face

in her lap.

4. Before he had finished the old woman leaned over and dropped something into

his little tin cup.

5. The old lady sat very still and dreamed, for her brother was playing one of their

childhood songs.

6. He had never looked upon her until now.

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Section 15 – Embedded Prepositional PhrasesSection 15 – Embedded Prepositional Phrases

Embedded Prepositional PhrasesEmbedded Prepositional Phrases

When a prepositional phrase modifies a word that is inside another phrase, it is said to be “embedded” in the first phrase. [Think of it as being planted in the flower bed of the first phrase.] Other phrases “jump over” phrases to modify a word that is separated from them.

Embedded: They went {to the store} {on the corner}.

Here, “on the corner” describes the store.

Not Embedded: They went {to the store} {on Monday}.

In this case, “on Monday” explains when they “went.” The phrase thus “jumps over” the “to the store phrase” and modifies “went.”

The chunking of embedded prepositional phrases:


115

Exercise 15. 1 Based on Exercise 15. 1 Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckThe Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

by Beatrix Potter

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase, and draw an arrow from each

preposition to the word that its phrase modifies. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause. 4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb ("NuA"), and each example of


1. I have a sackful of feathers in my wood-shed.

2. The collie listened, with his wise head on one side.

3. Jemima Puddle-duck went up the cart-road for the last time, on a sunny

afternoon.

4. She flew over the wood, and alighted opposite the house of the bushy long-tailed

gentleman.

5. She was rather burdened with bunches of herbs and two onions in a bag.

6. He asked several questions about the wood, and about the exact position of the

house and shed.

7. She rather fancied a tree-stump amongst some tall fox-gloves.

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Exercise 15. 2 Based on Exercise 15. 2 Based on The Tale of Johnny Town MouseThe Tale of Johnny Town Mouse

by Beatrix Potter




1. Timmy Willie went to town by mistake in a hamper.

2. The gardener sent vegetables to town once a week by carrier.

3. Timmy Willie crept in through a hole in the wicker-work.

4. With the utmost politeness he introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice.

5. But after the first exclamation of surprise he instantly recovered his manners.

6. So Timmy Willie said good-bye to his new friends, and hid in the hamper with a

crumb of cake and a withered cabbage leaf.

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Exercise 15. 3 Based on Exercise 15. 3 Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy FisherThe Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

by Beatrix Potter




1. Mr. Jeremy Fisher lived in a little damp house amongst the buttercups at the

edge of a pond.

2. His boat was tied to a water-plant in the middle of the pond.

3. MR. JEREMY bounced up to the surface of the water, like a cork and the

bubbles out of a soda water bottle.

4. He hopped home across the meadow with his macintosh all in tatters.

5. Instead of a nice dish of minnows – they had a roasted grasshopper with lady-

bird sauce.

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Exercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the FlagExercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

Directions:1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase, and

draw an arrow from each preposition to the word that its phrase modifies.

2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).

3. Place a vertical line after each main clause. 4. Label each interjection ("Inj"), each noun used as an adverb

("NuA"), and each example of direct address ("DirA").

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States

of America and to the republic for which it stands: one

nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice

for all.

Exercise 15.5 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe RosterExercise 15.5 Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster

Find and bring to class (or write) a sentence that has an embedded prepositional phrase in it. Underline the embedded phrase and the phrase that it is embedded in.

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Section 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and CaseSection 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and Case

Pronouns – Person, Number, and CasePronouns – Person, Number, and Case

There are three categories of “personal pronouns.” First person pronouns include the speaker or writer – “I,” “we,” “us,” etc. Second person pronouns refer to the person spoken to – “you.” Third person pronouns refer to the people or things talked about – “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” etc.

“Number” refers to the number of people or things the pronoun represents – one person or thing (singular) or more than one (plural).

Person Singular Pluralfirst I we

second you youthird he, she, it they

The pronouns in the table are in “nominative case.” They are pronouns that function as subjects or predicate nouns.

“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, ithimself, herself, itself

themthemselves

Pronouns in “possessive case” can function as subjects, predicate nouns, or objects. Person Singular Plural

first mine ourssecond 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, and it has an objective case form – “whom.”

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Exercise 16. 1 Wise Men of GothamExercise 16. 1 Wise Men of Gotham

from The Child's World --Third Reader, by Hetty S. Browne, Sarah Withers, and W. K. Tate

Directions: In the story below, twenty pronouns are numbered and in bold. In the following table, write the person, number, and case of each numbered pronoun.

Once upon a time there were some wise men who lived in Gotham. Listen and you (1) will

hear how wise they (2) were.

Twelve of these wise men went fishing one day. Some went into the stream and some stayed

on dry ground. They caught many fish and had a good time.

As they came home, one of the men said, "We (3) have risked much wading in that stream. I

(4) pray God no one of us is drowned."

"Why, one of us (5) might be! Who (6) knows?" cried another. "Let's see about it. Twelve

of us went fishing this morning. We must count and see if twelve are returning."

So one man counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven." And

he did not count himself (7)!

"Alas! One of us is drowned!" he cried.

"Woe be unto us! Let me (8) count," said another. And he did not count himself.

"Alas! alas!" he wailed; "truly one of us is drowned!"

Then every man counted, and each one failed to count himself.

"Alas! alas!" they all cried; "one of us is drowned! Which one is it?"

They went back to the shore, and they looked up and down for him (9) that was drowned.

All the time they (10) were lamenting loudly.

A courtier came riding by. "What are you seeking?" he asked, "and why are you (11) so

sorrowful?"

"Oh," said they, "this day we (12) came to fish in the stream. There were twelve of us (13),

but one is drowned."

"Why," said the courtier, "count yourselves (14) and see how many there be."

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Again they (15) counted, and again each man failed to count himself (16).

"Well, this is sad," said the courtier, who saw how the mistake had been made. "What will

you give me (17) if I find the twelfth man?"

"Sir," cried all together, "you (18) may have all the money we own."

"Give me the money," said the courtier.

Then he began to count. He gave the first man a whack over the shoulders and said, "There

is one."

He gave the next a whack and said, "There is two." And so he (19) counted until he came to

the last man. He gave this one a sounding blow, saying, "And here is the twelfth."

"God bless you (20)!" cried all the company. "You have found our neighbor."

OLD ENGLISH STORY

Person Number Case1. you 2. they 3. We 4. I 5. us 6. Who 7. himself 8. me 9. him 10. they 11. you 12. we 13. us 14. yourselves 15. they 16. himself 17. me 18. you 19. he 20. you

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Exercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the CrocodileExercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the Crocodile

The Children's Own Readers - Book Three by Mary E. Pennell and Alice M. Cusack,

Illustrated by Maurice Day and Harold SichelBoston: Ginn and Company 1929, 197-202.


Once upon a time in far-away India there lived a huge monkey. His home was in a great tree on the bank of the river Ganges.

Now in that same river there lived many crocodiles. An old crocodile had watched the huge monkey for many weeks and longed for his heart to eat. One day she (1) said to a young crocodile, “I want to eat the heart of that King of the Monkeys. Catch him (2) for me (3).”

“How can I (4) catch a monkey?” said the young crocodile. “Crocodiles live in the water and monkeys live on dry land.”

“I do not know,” said the old crocodile, “but catch him you must.” So the young crocodile thought and thought. At last one day he (5) saw the monkey on the bank of the river Ganges taking a drink of

water. The crocodile swam near him and said, “Oh, King of the Monkeys, why do you (6) live on the poor fruit which grows on this side of the river? On the other side of the Ganges there are many trees loaded with ripe fruit. Why do you not cross over and eat of the fruit on the other side of the river?”

“Ah, Clever One!” said the monkey, “deep and wide is the Ganges. How can I cross to the other side?”

“I (7) will carry you (8) there on my back,” said the crocodile. The monkey wanted to cross the river to get the ripe fruit, and so he (9)

jumped upon the crocodile’s back. The crocodile swam along with the monkey on his back. “This is a fine ride

you (10) are giving me (11),” said the monkey. Just then the crocodile dived down under the water. As the monkey could

not swim he did not dare to let go. When the crocodile came up the monkey choked and said, “Why did you (12) take me under the water, crocodile?”

“Because I am going to kill you that way,” answered the crocodile. “An old crocodile wants your heart to eat, and I have promised to get it for her (13).”

“I wish you had told me you wanted my heart,” said the monkey. “Then I would have brought it (14) with me.”

“How queer!” said the crocodile. “Do you mean that you haven’t your heart with you (15)?” “That is what I mean,” said the monkey. “If we (16) kept our hearts inside us (17) when we

go jumping from one tree to another, they (18) would be all knocked to pieces.” “Well, where do you keep your heart?” said the crocodile.

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The monkey pointed to a fig tree loaded with fruit. “See,” said he, “there are our hearts hanging on that fig tree. If you want my heart we must go back to the tree and get it. But we are so near the other bank where the ripe fruit is, please take me there first.”

“No, monkey,” said the crocodile, “I’ll take you straight back to your tree. Get your heart and bring it to me at once. Then we shall see about getting the ripe fruit.”

“Very well,” said the monkey. But no sooner had the crocodile reached the bank than the monkey

jumped off his back and – whisk! up he ran into the tree. Then he called down to the crocodile below, “Oh, Clever One! my heart is away up here. If you (19) want it (20), come and get it.”

–A Tale from India

Person Number Case1. she 2. him 3. me 4. I 5. he 6. you 7. I 8. you 9. he 10. you 11. me 12. you 13. her 14. it 15. you 16. we 17. us 18. they 19. you 20. it

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Exercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s StoryExercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story

From FRIENDLY FAIRIES Written & Illustrated by JOHNNY GRUELLE, 1919


It was a beautiful day in the late summer. Tommy Grasshopper, Johnny Cricket and Willy Ladybug were playing on a high bank of the river, and watching the little fish jumping after tiny flies and bugs that fell upon the surface of the stream.

“Let’s go up higher so that we can see them (1) better,” Willy Ladybug said. “Yes, let’s climb up on the tall reeds so that we (2) can look right down in the water,”

Johnny Cricket said. “But we must be very careful and not fall, for the fish would soon swallow us (3), and that would not be very much fun!” he laughed.

So Tommy Grasshopper and Johnny Cricket caught hold of Willy Ladybug’s four little hands and helped him to climb up the tall reeds, for Willy was not as old as the other Bug Boys, and might fall in the water if they (4) did not help him.

From the tall reeds the three Bug Boys could look down in the water and see the pretty little sun fish and the long slim pickerel darting around and turning their shiny sides so that the sun would reflect its rays on them, just as if they were looking glasses.

The Bug Boys watched the fish until they grew tired, and they were just starting down the tall reed when a great big dragon fly flew upon the top of the reed and called to them.

Of course all the Bug Boys knew old Gran’pa Skeeterhawk–for it (5) was he (6) –so the three returned to the reed and sat down again to pass the time of day with Gran’pa.

Presently Willy Ladybug saw a strange fish in the water. “What kind of a fish is that, Gran’pa Skeeterhawk?” he asked. “That’s a catfish!” Gran’pa replied. “Queer looking fish, the catfish are; they do most of

their feeding at night since Omasko, the elk, flattened their heads.” “Dear me! Are their heads flat?” Johnny Cricket asked. “Flat as a pancake!” Gran’pa Skeeterhawk

replied, and then told them (7) this story: “I’ve heard my Gran’pa tell that once the

catfish had heads that were shaped like sunfish,” Gran’pa Skeeterhawk said, “and they thought that they were not only the most beautiful fish but the fiercest fighters in the world, although they would always swim away as fast as they could whenever anything came near them. You (8) see, they really were not even a teeney, weeney bit brave.

“But when the catfish got by themselves (9) and they thought there was no one else to overhear them, they would make up fairy tales of wonderful adventures they had gone through,

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and fierce monsters they had destroyed. One would say ‘I wish I (10) were large enough to drag home the enormous giant eel I killed today. He was sixteen feet long, and weighed five hundred pounds.’ Another would say, ‘Pooh, that is nothing! Why, you ought to see an Indian who (11) tried to catch me (12) in a net! Why, I not only pulled him in the water and dragged him all over the bottom, but I made him (13) promise he would never disturb any of the catfish tribe after this!’

“Just then a little bird flew over the water and his shadow so startled the boastful catfish, they buried themselves in the mud at the bottom of the stream.

“After a while,” Grand’pa Skeeterhawk continued, “They got up courage to peek out of the mud, and as they saw nothing to frighten them, they (14) formed in a circle and told more tales of their fighting qualities.

“One old catfish who had been the leader because he could tell the biggest tales and hide under the mud quicker than any of the others finally said: ‘We are the best fish in the water, as you (15) all know, so I think it will be a good plan to fight everything that comes near the water from the land!’

“’Shall we fight the big hawk who wades in the water and catches some of us (16)?’ asked a little kitten fish.

“’Kitten fish should be seen and not heard!’ the old chief catfish answered quickly. I do not believe we should harm the hawk. He is not large enough. I was thinking of the large beast who comes wading along the shores and eats the grasses that grow beneath the surface. You know he has to raise his head every once-in-a-while in order to breathe, so if we (17) should all hang on to him we could pull him under the water.’

“So the catfish, although they were so frightened that their fins grew stiff, decided that they (18) would follow their chief, for they expected he would be the first to hide under the mud when the big beast came.

“Finally old Omasko, the elk, came down to the river to feed, and the old chief catfish swam out and pulled on Omasko’s whiskers, and all the other catfish cried: ‘See how brave and fearless the mighty catfish are!’ and they all swam out and pulled Omasko’s whiskers, too. This made Omasko very angry, for he never harmed any fish in his life.

“He began jumping and pawing with his heavy hoofs, and smashed all the catfish down in the mud and when they finally came out again, which was not until two or three days later, their heads were as flat as they are now!

“That is why all catfish have flat heads,” Grandfather Skeeterhawk finished. “It served them (19) right for being so boastful!” Johnny Cricket said. “It served them right for trying to harm someone who (20) never harmed them!” Gran’pa

Skeeterhawk replied, as he darted up in the air and flew over the tall cat-tails.

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Person Number Case1. them 2. we 3. us 4. they 5. it 6. he 7. them 8. You 9. themselves 10. I 11. who 12. me 13. him 14. they 15. you 16. us 17. we 18. they 19. them 20. who

Exercise 16. 4 Treasure Hunt (and/or Recipe Roster)Exercise 16. 4 Treasure Hunt (and/or Recipe Roster)

Find and bring to class (and/or write): a. a sentence with a first person, plural pronoun used in the objective case. b. a sentence with a second person, singular pronoun used in the nominative case. c. a sentence with a third person, plural pronoun used in the objective case.

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Section 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from VerbalsSection 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from Verbals

Thus far we have been looking at the verbs that form clauses and sentences. Some verbs,

however, function as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. The verbs that form sentences are called

“finite.” These are the verbs that you should underline twice. The verbs that function as nouns,

adjectives, or adverbs are called “verbals.” You should not underline these verbs twice. The

objective of this section is to help you understand which verbs to underline and which not to.

Three tests will help you with this.

1. The Noun Test1. The Noun Test

A verb that functions as a noun (a subject, a complement, or the object of a preposition) is not a finite verb. (Do not underline them twice.)

Subject: Swimming is good exercise (PN).

Direct Object: They like playing (DO) baseball.

Predicate Noun: Theresa's favorite exercise is hiking (PN).

Object of Preposition: Mikie was thinking {of taking a walk}.

Note that verbals, like all verbs, can have complements. Thus “baseball” is the direct object of “playing,” and “walk” is the direct object of “taking.”

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2. The “To” Test2. The “To” Test

A finite verb phrase cannot begin with “to.” Thus in “Bob went to his room to do his homework,” “to do” is not a finite verb. (Do not underline it twice.)

Bob went {to his room} to do his homework.

One can, however, consider “to” plus a verb as part of a verb phrase if the phrase begins with a helping verb:

Sam had to leave early.Sandra ought to go {to the game}.

Technically, a verb phrase that begins with “to” is an infinitive. You will study infinitives in detail in later. For now, your primary objective is not to underline them twice. You might note, however, that infinitives function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

As Nouns:Subject: To play {at the beach} is fun (PN).Direct Object: We like to play (DO) {at the beach}.Predicate Noun: The best thing is to run (PN).

As Adjectives:That was a day (PN) to remember.

As Adverbs:They went {to the mall} to shop.

Like all verbs, infinitives can have subjects and complements. In sentences like “To play at the beach is fun,” the subject of “To play” is understood to be anyone. In sentences such as “We like to play at the beach,” the subject is understood to be the same as the main subject – “We like *us* to play at the beach.” If the subject of the infinitive is someone or something else, it must be included in the sentence – “We like Bill to play with us at the beach.” In sentences like this, “Bill” is the subject of the infinitive “to play,” and the entire infinitive phrase is the direct object of “like.”

After some verbs, the “to” is not used – “Dad made me clean my room.” In this sentence, “me” is the subject of the infinitive “clean,” and “room” is the direct object of “clean.” Here again, the entire infinitive phrase is the direct object of “made.” Note that the subjects of infinitives are in objective case.

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3. The Sentence Test3. The Sentence Test

The last way to distinguish finite verbs from verbals is the simple sentence test. If you

are not sure about whether or not to underline a verb twice:

1. Find the subject of that verb by making a question with “Who” or “What” before

the verb.

2. Make a simple sentence using that subject and verb – without adding any words,

and without changing the form or meaning of the verb.

3. If the result is not an acceptable sentence, the verb is not finite.

Examples

1. They let Bill keep the puppy. “Keep” is a verb. If we ask “Who or what keep?”, the answer is “Bill.” But “Bill keep the

puppy” is not an acceptable sentence, so “keep” is not a finite verb and should not be

underlined twice.

2. They saw Bill (DO) walking {by the river}. “Walking” is a verb. If we ask “Who or what was walking?”, the answer is “Bill.” Thus we

try the sentence – “Bill walking by the river.” That is not, however, an acceptable sentence.

To make it acceptable, we would have to add “was” – “Bill was walking by the river.” For

this test, however, we cannot add words, so “walking” is a verbal – it should not be

underlined twice.

3. Going {to school}, they saw an accident (DO). “Going” is a verb. If we ask “Who or what is going?”, the answer is “they.” But “they going

to school” is not an acceptable sentence, so “going” is not a finite verb and should not be

underlined twice.

Remember that the meaning of the verb cannot change in the sentence test. In the following

sentence, “told” does not mean that the story told something. Instead it means that the

story was told. Thus “told” is a verbal, and not a finite verb.

They liked the story (DO) told {by the teacher}.

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Exercise 17. 1 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 1)Exercise 17. 1 Verbs That Function as Nouns (Gerunds # 1)

Some verbs act as subjects, complements, or objects of prepositions. They are called

“verbals.” Like all verbs, verbals are modified by adverbs and they can have subjects and

complements. The most important thing you need to remember now is: “DO NOT UNDERLINE

THEM TWICE.” Instead, if they act as subjects, underline them once. Otherwise, label them as

you would any other word.


“DO” over the opening bracket.4. Place a vertical line after each main clause.5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of

direct address (“DirA”).

1. The boys and girls like racing against each other.

2. Playing baseball in the park is fun.

3. They thought about playing baseball with the girls.

4. George has the tools and wood for making a birdhouse.

5. Giving a talk to the class is not difficult.

6. My little brother enjoys watching T.V. in the evening.

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1. Jumping rope is good exercise.

2. There is no fun in washing dishes.

3. Uncle Bob bought the seeds for planting a garden.

4. In the morning, they started washing the car.

5. Having a good breakfast is good for your health.

6. The teacher explained to the children the benefits of saving money in a bank.

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1. My friends couldn't stop laughing at the joke.

2. The kids woke everyone up by making lots of noise.

3. You'd feel like saving the kittens.

4. Going to the movies is just wasting money.

5. My favorite activity is riding my bike.

6. Sand is used for making glass.

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1. Playing baseball is fun.

2. Back in the old days they thought it could stop you from getting sick.

3. My sister and I like going fishing with our father.

4. The dogs started running after the rabbits.

5. We do a lot of stuff together, like running and fighting, and making each other

laugh.

6. It's just like being a teacher.

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Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)

After verbs that are not helping verbs, “to” plus a verb is a complement.




1. I wish to hatch my own eggs.

2. She tried to hide her eggs.

3. He promised to take great care of her nest.

4. Mrs. Puddle-duck was trying to find a convenient dry nesting-place.

5. She began to waddle about in search of a convenient dry nesting-place.

6. Jemima intended to begin to sit next day.

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Exercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DOExercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO

(“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”)(“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”)

After verbs that are not helping verbs, “to” plus a verb is a complement.




1. Presently the cook opened the hamper and began to unpack the vegetables.

2. Timmy Willie preferred to spend a miserable night under the fender.

3. Timmy Willie longed to be at home in his peaceful nest in a sunny bank.

4. We have endeavoured to entertain you, Timothy William.

5. You will never want to live in town again.

6. For my part I prefer to live in the country, like Timmy Willie.

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Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)

Based on “The Snow Queen” From Stories from Hans Andersen with illustrations by Edmund Dulac

Sometimes the subject of a verbal is understood. “I want to go” means that I want me to go. If the subject of the verbal is not understood, it is probably in objective case – “I want her to go.”




1. It makes the dress look whiter.

2. “Just let her come,” said the boy.

3. There was something in the hymn about roses, and that made her think of her own.

4. That bit of glass in his heart made him tease little Gerda.

5. They had seen him tie his little sledge to a splendid big one.

6. The guards in silver and the lackeys in gold would never allow you to pass.

7. I don’t like you to whimper!

8. But the reindeer again implored her to give Gerda something.

9. Some of these bits of glass made them see everything that was amiss.

10. The Prince got up and allowed Gerda to sleep in his bed.

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Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)

Based on Child-Story Readers: Wonder Stories 3by Frank N. Freeman, Grace E. Storm, Eleanor M. Johnson, & W. C. French.

Illustrated by Vera Stone Norman. New York: Lyons and Carnahan, 1927-29-36.

Indirect objects can also function as the subjects of verbals (infinitives). Consider the sentence:

Bill asked Bob to leave.

“Bob” is the indirect object of “asked,” but if we ask who is to leave, the answer is also “Bob.” Thus the indirect object is also the subject of the verbal.



direct address (“DirA”). 6. Put an oval around each verbal.

1. Among other things they advised her to build a house beside the roadside..

2. The king told the big man to go and kill that buffalo.

3. The stork begged Thumbietot to forgive him.

4. The White Cat told him not to be afraid.

5. He did not ask the White Cat to explain this.

6. She told the twins to climb to the first branches of a tall fir tree.

7. The White Cat soon came and asked the Prince to join their sport.

8. I begged the fairies to bring me some cord and needles.

9. Jack and Jane like to help Uncle Jim do many things on the farm.

10. Omar taught the elephant to stand on his hind feet, to kneel, to march, to raise his

trunk and salute like a soldier, and to sit down at the table.

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Exercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as AdjectivesExercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as Adjectives

(Gerundives # 1)(Gerundives # 1)

Some verbals act as adjectives. Like all verbs, verbals are modified by adverbs and can have and complements. For example,

They saw Billy playing baseball.If we ask “Who or what was playing,” the answer is “Billy,” but “Billy playing baseball” fails the sentence test. Therefore, “playing” is a verbal and not a finite verb. Note that “baseball” is the direct object of “playing.” The most important thing you need to remember now is: DO NOT UNDERLINE THEM TWICE.




1. My cat was sitting there watching me.

2. Once there was a boy named Tommy.

3. I got up and looked out of my window, wondering when the noise would stop.

4. We heard a voice saying, “Go away!”

5. This story is about a girl named Sue.

6. They saw the snake moving on the ground.

7. At school, they know a girl called Sally.

8. I heard my mom calling me for breakfast.

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Exercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as AdjectivesExercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as Adjectives

(Gerundives # 2)(Gerundives # 2)




1. He and a girl named Rose were friends forever.

2. In the afternoon, my sister was working outside planting flowers.

3. The next day we sat there looking very silly.

4. We had problems looking for a place to stay.

5. There were cameras hidden around the place.

6. The squirrel found a nut lying on the ground.

7. Jerry said that his puppy comes running to see him.

8. We had fun playing with the puppies.

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Exercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or AdverbsExercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs

(Infinitives # 1)(Infinitives # 1)

Some verbals act as adjectives or as adverbs. Like all verbs, verbals are modified by adverbs and can have and complements. These verbals usually begin with “to,” and thus fail the “to test” – a finite verb phrase cannot begin with “to.” The most important thing you need to remember now is: DO NOT UNDERLINE THEM TWICE.Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write



1. Animals need room to run and play with their friends.

2. Kevin went out to find a newspaper.

3. The zoo is a place to take care of animals.

4. Read this book to find out more.

5. To be a teacher, you need to get your college degree.

6. I'm going to see if we can go to the park.

7. That’s the best way to learn.

8. I found out that children go to zoos to learn about animals.

9. You can use granite to make curbstones and layers to cover buildings.

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Exercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or AdverbsExercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs

(Infinitives # 2)(Infinitives # 2)




1. My brother is able to play with a computer.

2. One day I went to go get a souvenir to remember New York by.

3. They are very happy to be here.

4. They teach you how to feed and wash the animals.

5. My mother usually gave us something to eat.

6. That is a good book to read.

7. Umbert is trying to find something to free Louis from a spell.

8. Keep reading to find out what happens.

9. The animal appears to be sick.

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Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?

Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse, by Beatrix Potter




1. Sometimes on Saturdays he went to look at the hamper lying by the gate.

2. Several times they had come tumbling in, squeaking and laughing.

3. He knew better than to get in again.

4. An excellent breakfast was provided – for mice accustomed to eat bacon.

5. Timmy Willie sat by his burrow warming his little fur coat and sniffing the

smell of violets and spring grass.

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Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”

From FRIENDLY FAIRIES, written & illustrated by Johnny Gruelle, 1919

Remember:If whatever answers the question “What?” after “to” is a verb, the “to” is probably not

a preposition. If whatever answers the question “What?” after “for” can be a sentence by itself, the “for” is not a preposition.Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write “DO” over

the opening bracket.4. Place a vertical line after each main clause.5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct

address (“DirA”).

1. Of course Dickie knew that Granny was not a witch, for Granny was very good and

kind.

2. Dickie went to the box to get some ice cream and candy.

3. So Dickie drove around to everybody’s house in his pony cart and invited everybody to

come to the party.

4. It was a tiny little house, but it was large enough for Granny, for Granny was only two

feet high.

5. Granny watched him for a few moments with her eyes full of twinkles, then she told him

to run along to the tree.

6. Dickie swallowed the purple fluid, for he was very anxious to return to the big oak tree

and listen to the crows.

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Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”


Directions: 1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO).3. Place brackets [ ] around each subordinate clause that functions as a direct object and write “DO” over

the opening bracket.4. Place a vertical line after each main clause.5. Label each interjection (“Inj”), each noun used as an adverb (“NuA”), and each example of direct

address (“DirA”).

1. The second old crow plumed his feathers and screwed his head around to get a

better view of the little boy lying under the tree.

2. Then Daddy Dorn took two large handfuls of golden pennies from the golden

penny box and they watched the box fill up with pennies again.

3. There is always someone out in front of Dickie Dorn’s house eating from the

candy and the ice cream box and filling their pockets with golden pennies.

4. Dickie cried and he took a pencil stub from his pocket and, with much twisting

of mouth and thinking, he printed his name upon the box.

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Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”


Directions: Read the passage all the way through. You will notice that the sentences are short and choppy. Study the passage, and then rewrite it in a better way. You may combine sentences, change the order of words, and omit words that are repeated too many times. But try not to leave out any of the information.

So Dickie took two handfuls of the golden pennies. He took them downtown.

The pennies were golden. He bought a fine pony. The pony was little. It had a little

stomach. Its stomach was round. Dickie bought a pony cart. The cart was pretty.

And he bought a harness. Then Dickie drove the pony back home.

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Exercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining ExerciseExercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining Exercise

Based on Aesop's “The Flies and the Honey-Pot”

Directions: 1. Replace the missing punctuation marks and capital letters. 2. Then rewrite the story by combining some of the sentences so that the story sounds better.

a number of flies were attracted to a jar the jar had honey in it it had been

overturned it was in a housekeepers room the flies placed their feet in it they ate

greedily their feet became smeared with the honey the flies could not use their

wings they could not free themselves they were suffocated they were dying they

shouted o how foolish we are for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed

ourselves

pleasure bought with pains hurts

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Exercise 18. 5 How Much I Can ExplainExercise 18. 5 How Much I Can Explain

(From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”)(From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”)

From Old Mother West Wind, by Thornton W. Burgess

Directions: First:

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase. 2. Underline verbs twice, their subjects once, and label complements (PA, PN, IO, or DO). 3. Place a vertical line after each main clause.

Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink had been playing together around the Smiling

Pool all one sunshiny morning. They had been fishing and had taken home a fine

dinner of Trout for old Grandfather Mink and blind old Granny Otter. They had

played tag with the Merry Little Breezes. They had been in all kinds of mischief

and now they just didn't know what to do.

Second: The selection has 66 words.1. Count the number of words that are in prepositional phrases, and write the number here: _________2. Count the number of adjectives and adverbs that you did not count in # 1, and write the number here: _________3. Count the number of words that you identified as subjects, verbs, or complements, and write the number here: _________4. Count the number of coordinating conjunctions ("and," "or," and "but") and write the number here: _________5. Count the number of words that function as nouns used as adverbs, interjections, or direct address, and write the number here: _________6. List any other words you can explain, write the number of them.

_________7. List the words you can not explain, write the number of them.

_________Note the number of words you can explain compared to the number that you cannot.

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Exercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and PunctuationExercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation


Directions: The punctuation and capitalization in the following text was lost. Please fix it (right on this page). Then analyze the sentences as you normally would.

with the utmost politeness he introduced timmy willie to nine other mice all

with long tails and white neckties timmy willies own tail was insignificant johnny

town mouse and his friends noticed it but they were too well bred to make personal

remarks

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Exercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers AnswerExercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers Answer

A Sentence from “The Three Little Gnomes,” by Johnny Gruelle

(To review the instructional material, see Section 13.)

Directions: In the table on the next page, write:1.) how each modifier in the sentence at the top of that page chunks to a word in an S/V/C

pattern, and 2.) the part of speech of that modifier. 3.) Then use the following list to write the question that the modifier answers.

What kind of?Which?What?Whose?Whom?

Where?When?How long?How much?

Why?How?Under what conditions?

In that sentence, note how all the modifiers in one clause chunk to its S/V/C pattern, and all the modifiers in the other clause chunk to its S/V/C pattern.

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With each storm, the old tree shook more and more, and finally in one of the fiercest storms it tumbled to the earth with a great crash.

S/V/C Chunks to Part of Speech QuestionWith each storm, the old tree shook more and more, and finally in one of the fiercest storms it tumbled to the earth with a great crash.

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Exercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb TensesExercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses


1. Long, long ago in the little town of Atri, there ruled a good king.

_______________

2. A judge will go to the tower to hear the complaint. _______________

3. Messengers are going through all the land with news for the people.

_______________

4. His call for justice shall be heard. _______________

5. The soldier hung his head in shame and led the horse away. _______________

6. This horse will serve you for many years and often save your life.

_______________

7. The judge is putting on his rich robes and hurrying to the market place.

_______________

8. Many times the bell had been rung and justice had been done.

_______________

9. A great bell will be hung in a tower in the market place. _______________

10. It is the horse of the rich soldier who lives in the castle. _______________

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Exercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue TwistersExercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters




1. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.

2. Brad's big black bath brush broke.

3. She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter.

4. Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.

5. Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.

6. Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

7. Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

8. The soldiers shouldered shooters on their shoulders.

9. Strict strong stringy Stephen Stretch slickly snared six sickly silky snakes.

10. Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.

11. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

12. Betty better butter Brad's bread.

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Part Two – For Parents and TeachersPart Two – For Parents and Teachers

IntroductionIntroduction

A Special Note for this Printable EditionA Special Note for this Printable Edition

This book assumes that teachers and students have the KISS Second Grade book. Because

these books are all free, it seemed a waste of your ink to repeat the “Code and Color Key” and

the instructional material that are in that book. For a number of reasons that we need not go into

here, Sections 19 and 20 of this Third Grade book are in a separate document.

Some of the pictures in this book keep disappearing, perhaps because I’m using an old

version of Word on an old computer. (I tried moving the document to my new computer with a

new version of Word, but the document just kept crashing.) I’m sure that there are also many

other problems with this book. If they are serious, please let me know, but right now I need to

move on to the Fourth Grade book.

The second grade book includes a general introduction to KISS Grammar, so here we need

be concerned only with the objectives and format for third grade. Most of the concepts

(constructions) presented in the second grade book can be found in almost any grammar

textbook. This third grade book is where KISS really begins to differ from most textbooks. If we

want students to apply what they learn about grammar to what they read and write, we need to

teach them how to use that grammar to discuss sentences in whatever they may read or write.

Rarely do most textbooks even begin to do this.

Objectives

For practical purposes, almost all textbooks fail because they do not address some very basic

problems. The most important of these problems involve the identification of verbs and

prepositional phrases. For example, in the sentence "They were looking at the doggie in the

window," is the verb phrase "were looking," thereby making "at the doggie" a prepositional

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phrase? Or is the verb phrase "were looking at," thereby making "doggie" a direct object?

Grammarians disagree about sentences like this one, and students are going to be confused.

When is "to" a preposition, and when it is not? In the sentence "They were going to go to the

park," most grammarians would consider "were going to go" as the verb phrase, and "to the

park" as a prepositional phrase. But in the sentence "They wanted to go to the park," most

grammarians would consider "wanted" as the verb phrase, and "to go" as an infinitive that

functions as the direct object of "wanted." But in "They have to go to the park," grammarians

consider "have to go" as the verb phrase. A major objective of this book is to enable students to

explain such phrases intelligently, and, as you probably realize by now, KISS often allows

alternative explanations. Thus, within KISS, "look at the doggie" can be explained either way.

Words that can function as prepositions or as subordinate conjunctions pose another

problem:

They left after dinner.

They left after their family had dinner.

Subordinate clauses that function as adverbs (such as "after their family had dinner") are a focus

of fourth grade. But here in third, since we want students to begin analyzing their own writing,

we need to teach them where not to put parentheses. Otherwise, they will mark "after their

family" as a prepositional phrase. To adults, the rule ("instruction") for this is a mouthful, but

relatively simple if one thinks about it: if whatever answers the question "What?" after a

“preposition” is a sentence, then it is not a preposition. Mastering and applying that rule,

however, will take students some practice.

There are some relatively simple constructions (such as interjections, direct address, and

nouns used as adverbs) that can expand the ability of third graders to analyze real texts. These

constructions can be added to the students' analytical toolbox and thus be subject to review in

any exercises that students do thereafter.

This book also introduces the concepts of "clause," compound main clauses, and subordinate

clauses that function as direct objects. Students were introduced to compounding in the second

grade book, and in this book, a review section on compounding immediately precedes the section

that introduces compound main clauses. Thus the extension to compound sentences should be

relatively simple for students to grasp. Compound sentences are very frequent in what students

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read and write, so introducing them at this point greatly expands the students' ability to apply

what they are learning to their own writing. (And it significantly increases the pool of sentences

from real texts that can be used as exercises.)

Introducing subordinate clauses that function as direct objects should clarify rather than

confuse. Students were identifying direct objects in second grade. But if they were analyzing

texts other than those in the second grade book, they almost certainly ran into sentences such as

"Marie said she bought a book." The answer to the question "Marie said what?" is obviously "she

bought a book," but what kind of grammatical construction is that? Having been introduced to

the concept of "clause" in the context of compound sentences, students will now have an

explanation.

If we want students to analyze real texts, including their own writing, we have to help them

learn how to address these questions. Doing so does not involve lots of instruction; but it does

involve lots of practice – practice that is spread throughout the year.

The Format of this Book

The introduction to the book for second grade briefly discusses Lev Vygotsky's concept of

the "zone of proximal development." It is, you may

remember, visualized as two concentric circles. We can now

consider the center circle as the fundamental constructions of

English grammar. Subjects, (finite) verbs, complements,

adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases appear in

almost every sentence. Thus, in second grade, we could go

merrily on our sequential way because every exercise

included (usually) all the constructions that students had studied. Review was automatic.

Students who have mastered the second grade material are now ready to extend that center circle,

and move material in the zone into the center. But we have a problem.

In this book, we are dealing with constructions that do not appear in every – or even in most

sentences. And the area between the two circles is not homogenous – or concentric. If we want to

visualize it as a map, we might say that the outer "circle" is an irregular, bulging area. The "to"

problem is a huge bulge on the west. But it extends into another huge bulge – the verbal problem

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on the east. Another, easily mastered area, that of nouns used as adverbs, interjections, and direct

address lies on the north. The "there" problem (not yet mentioned, but also easily conquered, lies

on the south. There are other areas that we could place on the map, but the point is that you and

your students will be dealing with a number of constructions that are not automatically reviewed

in every exercise. And, in order to master these constructions, some students will need more

practice (and more review) than will other students.

Thus the format of this book is different. It includes Practice/Application Sections. These

sections not only provide students more opportunities to review and practice what they have

learned, but they also include exercises that relate what the students have learned to questions of

punctuation, logic, and style. As noted above, the primary objectives for this grade are to expand

the students' concepts of (finite) verbs and of prepositional phrases. And, as I have also noted,

these are not easy objectives to reach. As one of my college students recently told me, there are

more than 60 words that can function as prepositions. It is not easy to remember them all, and

even if one has done so, one needs to be able to tell when "but" is a preposition and when it is

not. KISS, by the way, includes the typical textbook maxim that when it means "except," "but" is

a preposition. But if you think about many sentences in which "but" is used as a conjunction, you

may conclude that it also often means "except" when it is used as a conjunction. Thus to tell

students that "but" is a preposition when it means "except" is not ultimately helpful. The only

way for students to master these objectives effectively is through frequent, short exercises. But

how many exercises should this book include?

Originally, its design included more than 180. That is far too many. I cut it down to just over

150, but in the process added some vocabulary, punctuation, and "Just for Fun" exercises. I

strongly suggest that you work through the sections in order (although you won't miss anything

new if you skip the "Practice/Application" exercises). In addition, you do not need to do all the

exercises in a section. If your students, for example, understand compound main clauses after

two exercises, you can skip the rest of the exercises in that section. I have included at least three

exercises in each section so that you can do the first one in class with the students, assign at least

one for homework, and use the third as a quick assessment quiz. If you want additional exercises,

check the Printable Books page, where you will find links to exercises by type of construction

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and also the supplemental books for third grade. (Eventually, these will be compiled into

separate printable books.)

Note also that many of the sections on new material include "Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe

Rosters." In a "hunt," you simply ask students to find and bring to class a sentence that includes

the relevant construction. In a roster, you ask students to use the construction in a sentence.

These exercises are extremely important because they integrate the grammar students are

studying with the things they are reading and writing. But they are also extremely valuable as

review material. In a class of twenty students, one such exercise could provide all the grammar

work for four weeks – every day, one student puts her or his sentence on the board and analyzes

it for the class. Obviously, there are not enough days in the year to do this with each

construction, but my point is that most students will need at least weekly practice with analysis,

and a "hunt" or "roster" provides plenty of material for quick exercises. (Of course, you can also

break the other exercises into parts and do one sentence a day.)

Determining Your Objectives

The primary KISS objective, of course, is to enable students to apply their newly learned,

conscious knowledge of grammatical constructions to their own writing. As their teacher,

however, you need to determine the specific objectives you want your students to reach. In part,

your objectives will be affected by how much your students already know, and by how much

time you want to give to grammar during this year. A primary decision that you need to make is:

1. Do you want your third-grade students just to master the new constructions

introduced in this book?

or

2. Do you want your third graders to work with randomly selected sentences,

including their own writing and that of their peers and of professional writers?

For the first option, you need only the first sixteen sections of this book. For the second, you will

probably want to use sections seventeen through twenty, and you may need to familiarize

yourself with the instructional material on clauses in the fourth grade book.

Most of the sentences in the first sixteen sections have been fairly carefully selected to avoid

constructions that third graders have not yet studied. Thus if you have students analyze randomly

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selected sentences, many students will be confused, especially by verbals and by subordinate

clauses that function as nouns, adjectives and adverbs.

The distinction between finite verbs and verbals will probably be the biggest problem.

"Finite verb" is extremely difficult to define, but learning to recognize them is not really difficult.

They are the verbs that students have been underlining twice. Verbals, on the other hand, are

verbs that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. What students need to learn therefore, is not

to underline these verbs twice. The KISS instructional material gives students three simple tests

to see if a verb is finite or a verbal. (There is no other possibility – every verb in any sentence has

to be either finite or a verbal.)

The distinction is crucial because a clause is a "subject / finite verb / complement" pattern

and all the words that chunk to it. If, in sentences such as "Watching a movie, he fell asleep,"

students underline "Watching" twice, they will have major problems with clauses. For some

students, however, this distinction will not be easily mastered. Thus the objective is to introduce

the concept, give the students some initial practice, and then note the verbals in the sentences that

students work with thereafter. (Reinforce the idea that students are expected to make mistakes.)

That most textbooks never address this distinction is, I would suggest, one of the major reasons

for their uselessness. The distinction is the first "new" material in the fourth grade book, simply

because an understanding of it enables students to identify the various types of clauses in more

real sentences.

In analyzing their own writing, third graders will find relatively few verbals, but they will

run across a fair number of subordinate clauses that function as adjectives or adverbs. They will

also encounter a few that function as objects of prepositions, and perhaps even one that functions

as a subject. Thus, if you want to have students work with their own writing, be prepared for the

confusion and expect students to make mistakes.

Some RemindersWhat Is KISS Grammar?

There are many different grammars of English, and they are based on different philosophies,

made for different purposes, and use different grammatical terms (for the same constructions).

These grammars are not wrong, but they can be confusing. KISS is a consistent set of

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grammatical concepts that enables students to get beyond the terminology and into meaningful

application of grammatical concepts.

Time Required

Students who have been working with the KISS Approach for a year or more should not

need more than five minutes to do most of the exercises. You do not need to collect and grade

most of the homework, but some exercises should be reviewed in class. Such reviews may take

anywhere from fifteen minutes to an entire class period, but my experience has been that many

students profit from such reviews. They especially enjoy using the KISS Grammar Game to

review exercises. (See An Introduction to KISS Grammar.)

Use It or Lose It

Students should analyze (and discuss in class) at least one sentence every week. KISS is

cumulative, and if you do not have the students regularly use what they have learned, you will

find that when you return to grammar, students will have lost much of what they knew.

The Importance of Method

Knowing how to find the answer is more important than knowing the answer. The directions

for KISS exercises, for example, give students a numbered sequence of steps. First, place

parentheses around prepositional phrases, then find a verb, its subject, and then its complement.

to determine the type of complement, follow a sequence: If the complement describes the

subject, the complement it is a predicate adjective. If it is not a predicate adjective, check for a

predicate noun (equal to the subject). If it is neither of these, it must be an indirect or direct

object. Students should have been learning this process in second grade, and once they learn it,

finding subjects, their verbs, and complements is relatively easy and fast. Finding the

prepositional phrases first insures that they will not mistake the object of a preposition for the

subject of a verb (which is, by the way, a common cause of subject/verb agreement errors).

Analytical method becomes even more important as sentences become longer and more

complicated. The KISS analysis keys do not reflect the analytical method because to do so

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becomes highly repetitive and requires huge amounts of space. For some examples, see

"Learning and Teaching the Analytical Process" which is available on the Printable Books page.

The KISS Approach to "Errors"

Some grammar textbooks aim specifically at the correction of errors. They fail because they

fail to teach students how sentences work in the first place. Having students select the right form

of a verb does not help the students learn to identify the verbs in their own writing. On the other

hand, requiring students to identify the subjects and verbs in their own writing often results in

students' automatically correcting agreement errors. Similarly, many apostrophe problems are

almost automatically dealt with in the KISS analytical process. Apostrophes that reflect

possession appear in adjectives; apostrophes used in contractions almost always appear in

subject/verb combinations. Thus, as they regularly underline it’s, students will see that the

apostrophe stands for the missing “i.” You may have noted, by the way, that KISS includes

numerous exercises, at almost every grade level, on compound sentences. There is a reason for

this. Most of the problems that students have with comma splices and run-ons result from

inadequate instruction on how to punctuate (and effectively use) compound main clauses. (For a

more complete discussion of the KISS approach to errors, see An Introduction to KISS

Grammar.)

The Analysis Keys

Originally, there were five KISS analysis keys for each exercise, one for each KISS level. In

printable format, that requires a lot of paper and ink. The old keys have been reduced to one that

explains how every word in every sentence connects to a main S/V/C pattern. Thus the keys give

you answers for the exercise directions and additional information that you can use to answer

any questions that students may have.

Alternative Explanations

The second grade book (and the example above – "look at the doggie") should have

demonstrated the importance of alternative explanations. If grammarians can disagree about

explanations, students should also have that right. Alternatives do not result in chaos. Usually it

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is a choice between two (sometimes three) explanations. (It is either "look at" as the verb, and

"doggie" as the direct object, or "look" as the verb and "at the doggie" as a prepositional phrase.)

The ultimate question is Do these explanations make sense to you and your students? When

a student proposes an alternative with which I am not comfortable, I ask the student to explain

his or her reasons to the class, and then I ask for a vote of hands. If the students think the

explanation is meaningful, I'll accept it, even if I do not like it. (Some grammarians are horrified

by this, but it is no big deal.) If the majority of the students don't think it is meaningful, then the

student who proposed it sees that it is not much of an explanation.

In analyzing real sentences, alternative explanations can pop up regularly. Some of them are

noted in the analysis keys, but the alternatives themselves are so regular that explaining each

case can become boring. If an alternative explanation that is not given makes more sense to you

and your students, then use it.

The Importance of Having Students Analyze their own Writing and That of their Peers

If they are not going to do this, why are they studying grammar? As noted above, for third

graders, this is a very ambitious objective, one that you may not been able to reach. You should

keep in mind, however, that this is a practical objective for fourth graders – if they have mastered

the basic constructions in these third grade materials.

KISS in Printable Format vs. KISS On-line

KISS was started as on-line instructional material. The members of the KISS list, however,

definitely made me aware of the importance of sequential, printable books. The two formats have

their advantages – and disadvantages. If you have not realized it yet, the basics of sentence

structure (and thus KISS instructional materials) are really very simple. There are only a dozen

or so constructions and concepts that need to be learned. The trick is in learning them, and then

figuring out which constructions are being used in a sentence and how. Thus, for example, over

and over again in the analysis keys there are references to the three types of verbals (gerunds,

gerundives, and infinitives). In the on-line analysis keys, these are all hyperlinked to the basic

instructional materials, but in the printed format such hyperlinks are not possible.

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Printable books definitely make instructional materials and exercises easier to access, but

they also have limitations of space. A primary advantage of KISS is that it directly relates

grammar to the sentences in real texts. Most exercises are based on sentences from such texts,

and the on-line version of this book includes links to most of the texts. But including the texts in

the printable book would almost double the size of the book. Thus, if you want a copy of the text,

you will have to go to the on-line version. (Note that the plan for the supplemental books, some

of which are already available on-line, includes the text in the printable version.)

Have fun!

Currently, most students (and teachers) hate the study of grammar. Given the senseless

nature of most currently available instructional materials, this is understandable. Third graders

have not yet built up an aversion to grammar, an aversion that makes teaching grammar at the

high school and college levels almost impossible. Because KISS grammar aims at making sense

of sentence structure, and because students will be able to explain so much of any text so soon,

you will probably find that both you and your students will enjoy it. The anxiety of teachers is a

particular problem, a problem that is not their fault. (Our colleges do a terrible job of preparing

teachers to teach grammar.) Thus you might want to read "Teaching Grammar with the KISS

Approach: 'I Don't Know'," which is also available in An Introduction to KISS Grammar. Take

the approach suggested in that essay, and not only will you have more fun, but your students will

also think that you know a lot more than you do. I'm sure of that because that is what my

students think.

Section 1 – An Initial ReviewSection 1 – An Initial Review

These are, in effect, "warm-up" exercises based on the assumption that over the summer some of the students will have forgotten some of what they learned in second grade. For additional review exercises, see the supplemental books on the Printable Books page.

Exercise 1. 1 – Identifying Subjects and VerbsExercise 1. 1 – Identifying Subjects and Verbs


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1. Miss Moppet ties up her head (DO) {in a duster} [Adv. to "ties"], and sits {before

the fire} [Adv. to "sits"]. | I can see a fair argument for explaining "in a duster" as an adjective to "head," so I would also accept that explanation.

2. The Mouse comes a little [NuA] nearer. |

3. Miss Moppet jumps {upon the Mouse} [Adv. to "jumps"]! |

4. Miss Moppet is jumping just too late. |

5. But she forgot {about that hole} [Adv. to "forgot"] {in the duster} [Adj. to "hole"] . | Alternatively, "forgot about" can be considered the verb and "hole" its direct object.

6. He has wriggled out and run away. |

7. Miss Moppet is looking very ill (PA). | 8. The Mouse is dancing a jig (DO) {on the top} [Adv. to "is dancing"] {of the

cupboard} [Adj. to "top"] ! |

9. The Mouse is peeping out {behind the cupboard} [Adv. to "is peeping out"]. | 10. Miss Moppet looks {at him} [Adv. to "looks"] {through a hole} [Adv. to "looks"]

{in the duster} [Adj. to "hole"] . |Exercise 1. 2 – Identifying Subjects and VerbsExercise 1. 2 – Identifying Subjects and Verbs


1. She has heard a mouse (DO)! |

2. It is a very hard cupboard (PN)! |

3. He is not afraid (PA) {of a kitten} [Adv. to “afraid”]. |

4. The Mouse has teased Miss Moppet (DO). |

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5. She misses the Mouse (DO). |

6. She hits her own head (DO). |

7. Miss Moppet holds her poor head (DO) {in her paws} [Adv. to "holds"]. |

8. She tosses the duster (DO) about {like a ball} [Adv. to "tosses"]. |

9. That is not {at all} [Adv. to "not"] nice (PA) {of Miss Moppet}. | Some people will see "of Miss Moppet" as an adverb to the adjective "nice"; others will take it to "is."

10. The Mouse watches Miss Moppet (DO) {from the top} [Adv. to "watches"] {of

the cupboard} [Adj. to "top"] . |

Exercise 1. 3 – A Punctuation ExerciseExercise 1. 3 – A Punctuation Exercise


The original text is: The Mouse watches Miss Moppet from the top of the cupboard.Miss Moppet ties up her head in a duster, and sits before the fire.The Mouse thinks she is looking very ill. He comes sliding down the bell-pull.Miss Moppet looks worse and worse. The Mouse comes a little nearer.

Why "Mouse" is capitalized can be an interesting point of discussion. The comma after "duster" is optional, but it does suggest that time passed between the time that she tied her hair and then sat.

FYI Analysis Key

The Mouse watches Miss Moppet (DO) {from the top} {of the cupboard} . |

Miss Moppet ties up her head (DO) {in a duster}, and sits {before the fire}. |

The Mouse thinks [DO she is looking very ill [#1] ]. | He comes sliding [#2] {down the

bell-pull}. |

Miss Moppet looks worse and worse [#3]. | The Mouse comes a little [#4] nearer. |Notes

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1. Some people will consider "ill" an adverb that explains "how" she looks. Others will consider it to be a predicate adjective. KISS allows the latter explanation in part by explaining this as a palimpsest pattern with "is looking" written over "is." In essence, either explanation is acceptable.

2. Here we have another palimpsest pattern with "comes" written over "is." (When I look for these patterns, I have trouble finding them; I'm making a punctuation exercise and stumble over two of them.) Alternatively, "sliding" can be explained as a gerundive that modifies "He."

3. Some people will consider "worse" an adverb that explains "how" she looks. Others will consider it to be a predicate adjective.

4. "Little" is a noun used as an adverb; "bit" is ellipsed. Note that "nearer" is a preposition with its object (her) ellipsed.

Exercise 1. 4 – A Focus on Indirect ObjectsExercise 1. 4 – A Focus on Indirect Objects


1. The king gave the big man (IO) rich gifts (DO). | The king gave rich gifts to the big man.

2. Hok Lee paid the doctor (IO) a lot (DO) {of money} [Adj. to "lot"]. | Hok Lee paid a lot of money to the doctor.

3. Hok Lee told the dwarfs (IO) all his troubles (DO). | Hok Lee told all his troubles to the dwarfs.

4. They brought him (IO) fine new clothes (DO). | They brought fine new clothes to him.

5. The White Cat gave the Prince (IO) an acorn (DO). | The White Cat gave an acorn to the Prince.

6. He showed them (IO) his acorn (DO). | He showed his acorn to them.

7. They will cook me (IO) my food (DO). | They will cook my food for me.

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8. The people {in the country} [Adj. to "people"] gave the ogre (IO) and Jagar (IO)

many presents (DO). | The people in the country gave many presents to the ogre and Jagar.

9. She brought me (DO) {to this place} [Adv. to "brought"] and gave me (IO) a

troop (DO) {of cats} [Adj. to "troop"]. | She brought me to this place and gave a troop of cats to me.

Watch some of the students mark the first "me" as an indirect object (as I did in first marking this key).

Exercise 1. 5 – A Focus on Indirect ObjectsExercise 1. 5 – A Focus on Indirect Objects


1. The Prince had to bring the King (IO) a fine piece (DO) {of cloth} [Adj. to

"piece"]. | The Prince had to bring a fine piece of cloth to the King.

2. The Hands gave him (IO) a princely suit (DO) {of clothes} [Adj. to "suit"]. | The Hands gave a princely suit of clothes to him.

3. The oldest {of the little lions} [Adj. to "oldest"] gave his father (IO) and mother

(IO) a great deal (DO) {of trouble} [Adj. to "deal"]. | The oldest of the little lions gave a great deal of trouble to his father and mother.

4. I will also give you (IO) a wooden horse (DO). | I will also give a wooden horse to you.

5. She told him (IO) the whole story (DO). | She told the whole story to him.

6. He gave me (IO) a picture (DO) {of himself} [Adj. to "picture"]. |

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He gave a picture of himself to me.

7. They owed him (IO) his freedom (DO). | They owed his freedom to him.

8. Omar fed Jumbo (IO) twenty-five pounds (DO) {of cooked rice} [Adj. to

"pounds"] and four hundred pounds (DO) {of grasses} [Adj. to "pounds"]. | Omar fed twenty-five pounds of cooked rice and four hundred pounds of grasses to Jumbo.

9. So the men unhitched their horses (DO) and fed them (IO). | By analogy to (8), "them" is still an indirect object, but when the direct object is not stated, the prepositional phrase "to them" is not an option.

Exercise 1. 6 – Prepositional Phrases as Indirect ObjectsExercise 1. 6 – Prepositional Phrases as Indirect Objects


1. The crane sends greetings (DO) {to Akka, the wild goose, and her flock} (IO

or Adv. to "sends"). | The crane sends Akka, the wild goose, and her flock greetings.

2. He gave a bag (DO) {of money} [Adj. to "bag"] {to the big man} (IO or Adv. to

"gave"). | He gave the big man a bag of money.

3. Often Tom caught flies (DO) and gave them (DO) {to the trout} (IO or Adv. to

"gave"). | This is the type of thing that linguists love to explore since most people would not consider "Tom gave the trout them" to be an acceptable sentence.

4. A few days [NuA] later a king {from a far country} [Adj. to "king"] marched {upon

the city} [Adv. to "marched"] and sent a message (DO) {to its king} (IO or Adv. to

"sent"). |

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A few days latter a king from a far country marched upon the city and sent its king a message.

5. Jagar paid no attention (DO) {to him} (IO or Adv. to "paid"). | Jagar paid him no attention.

6. The beautiful princess sent away all the people (DO), and then told the story (DO)

{of her life} [Adj. to "story"] {to the Prince} (IO or Adv. to "told"). | The beautiful princess sent away all the people, and then told the Prince the story of her life.

Exercise 1. 7 – “You” UnderstoodExercise 1. 7 – “You” Understood


1. *You* Listen {to the story} {of Jemima Puddle-duck} . |

2. *You* Let us have [#1] a dinner-party all {to ourselves}! |

3. *You* Come {into the house}. |

4. *You* Give me (IO) the herbs (DO) {for the omelette} [#2]. |

5. *You* Be sharp (PN)! | Note

1. At this KISS Level, I would expect students to mark "us" as the direct object of "Let," and I would simply accept that. Technically, "us" is the subject of the infinitive "have." "Dinner-party" is the direct object of the infinitive "have," and the infinitive phrase is the direct object of "Let."

2. This phrase can also be described as an adverb to "Give."

Exercise 1. 8 – How Much I Can ExplainExercise 1. 8 – How Much I Can Explain

Based on "The Story of the First Moles" from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook

A rich man and a poor man once owned a field (DO) together. | The rich man

owned the northern half (DO), | and the poor man owned the southern half (DO). |

Each man sowed his ground (DO) {with seed}. | The warm days came, | the gentle

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rain fell, | and the seed {in the poor man's half} {of the field} sprang up and put forth

leaves (DO). | The seed {in the rich man's half} all died {in the ground}. | This is the complete first paragraph of the story, and although it was specifically chosen for this type

of exercise, it is remarkable that third graders who have been studying grammar for just one year will probably be able to explain every one of the 71 words in it. The table below reflects the functions of the words within the sentences. Because some words can be explained in more than one way, your numbers may differ slightly. Thus "up" might be considered as part of the verb in "sprang up," and "forth" as part of the verb "put forth." And, although it would not affect the table, "all" can be explained as an adjective to "seed." But whichever way the students explain them, they count as explained.

How Much I Can ExplainTotal Words = 71 Words Total

Explained% of Text

Words in Prep Phrases 18 18 25 %+ Adjectives & Adverbs (not in prep phrases) 26 44 62 %+ Words in S / V / C patterns 25 69 97 %+ Coordinating Conjunctions [These are the two "and's" that join main clauses.] 2 71 100 %

Exercise 1. 9 – The TartsExercise 1. 9 – The Tarts

The Queen [#1] {of Hearts},

She made some tarts (DO),

All [#2] {on a summer's day}; |

The Knave [#1] {of Hearts},

He stole the tarts (DO),

And took them (DO) clean away. |

The King {of Hearts}

Called {for the tarts},

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And beat the Knave (DO) full sore [#3]; |

The Knave {of Hearts}

Brought back the tarts (DO),

And vowed [DO he'd steal no more [#4] ]. |

Notes

1. Depending on how one wants to look at it, "Queen" is an appositive to "She," or "She" is an appositive to "Queen." Whichever is not the appositive is the subject. Obviously you should expect students to be confused here, and I seriously doubt that you will find an explanation for this in any grammar textbook.

2. Note that "all" can be explained an appositive to "tarts," an adjective to "tarts," and/or as an adverb (meaning "completely") to "made."

3. When they get to infinitives (KISS Level Four), students may prefer to explain "sore" as a predicate adjective after an ellipsed infinitive "to be." That makes "knave" the subject of the infinitive and the infinitive phrase ("Knave to be ... sore") the direct object of "beat."

4. "More" can be explained as a pronoun that functions as an adverb [NuA], or as a pronoun that functions as the direct object of "would steal," depending on whether one reads it as referring to time, or to things.


Exercise 1. 10 – Just for Fun – Quotations about CatsExercise 1. 10 – Just for Fun – Quotations about Cats

1. {In a cat's eye}, all things belong {to cats}. |

2. One cat just leads {to another}. |

3. I got rid [#1] {of my husband}. | The cat was allergic (PA). |

4. I have studied many philosophers (DO) and many cats (DO). | The wisdom {of

cats} is infinitely superior (PA). |

5. Cats aren't clean (PA), [#2] | they're just covered (P) {with cat spit}. |

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6. Dogs believe [DO they are human (PA)] [#3]. | Cats believe [DO they are God

(PN)]. |Notes

1. Technically, one could explain "got rid" in much more detail. For example, "rid" can be considered a gerundive to "I," and thus can also be seen as a predicate adjective. This is one of those examples that grammarians love to discuss (forever), but "to get rid of" is idiomatic, so I would simply accept "got rid" as the finite verb here.

2. Technically, this is a comma-splice (two main clauses joined by a comma). The main clauses, however, are short, and most grammar books, and almost all teachers, will consider this splice to be acceptable.

3. If students figure out that these are "sentences" that function as direct objects, praise them highly. If they cannot figure it out, tell them what they are, and tell them that they will be studying them later this year.

Exercise 1. 11 – Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe RosterExercise 1. 11 – Treasure Hunt and/or Recipe Roster

Section 2 – Adding Three Simple ConstructionsSection 2 – Adding Three Simple Constructions

These are three relatively simple constructions that appear frequently in the reading and writing of third graders. Adding them at this point not only increases the number of sentences that students will be able to explain completely, but also provides more review of their work from second grade. If they were to discuss the functions of prepositional phrases, which they usually do not do, some grammarians would consider the prepositional phrases to be adverbs rather than interjections.

Within KISS, the concept of the interjection will be expanded to include prepositional phrases, clauses, and other constructions, but the instructional material given here describes the basic, simple interjections as they are described in most grammar textbooks. This is one of may applications within KISS of what Jerome Bruner calls the "Spiral Curriculum." (See "Jerome Bruner's Concept of the Spiral Curriculum," which also available in the printable An Introduction to KISS Grammar.)

Exercise 2.1. – Nouns Used as AdverbsExercise 2.1. – Nouns Used as Adverbs

1. One day [NuA] my dad was cooking and splashed grease (DO) up {on his hand}. |

2. I stayed three days [NuA] {after Christmas}. | "After Christmas" can be explained as an adverb to "stayed" and/or as an adjective to "days."

3. Then we would come home [NuA] and watch some basketball (DO). |

4. I was going to try to escape that night [NuA]. |

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Later students will learn that "to escape" is a verbal (an infinitive) that functions as the direct object of "was going to try."

5. We walked a mile [NuA] {down the road}. |

6. That happened years [NuA] ago. | This is a common idiomatic construction. "Years" can be explained as functioning as an adverb that modifies "ago," or "ago" can be considered as an adverb that modifies "years." Combined, they function as an adverb to "happened."

7. She really likes her teacher (DO) a whole lot [NuA]! |

8. Cathy has been {to Florida} two times [NuA] {in her life}! | Some people will explain "in her life" as an adjective to "times," and others will see it as an an adverb to "has been."

9. Some [NuA] {of the time} she would even take us (DO) {to her house}. |

10. She weighs 120 pounds [NuA]. |

Exercise 2.2. – InterjectionsExercise 2.2. – Interjections

These sentences were adapted from the writing of third graders. The last five include an infinitive and clause constructions that students have not yet learned about. Expect them to have problems with them (or just assign the first five).

1. Oh [Inj], I am going to go {to the new mall} this week [NuA] {for new clothes}. |

2. Ouch! [Inj] That hurt. |

3. Oh [Inj], I almost forgot lunch (DO). |

4. Hey [Inj], what (DO) are you doing? | Note how close "Hey" is to Direct Address.

5. Well [Inj], my friends and I were {in different groups} {for the daily schedule}. |

6. Then I had to take care (DO) {of Mack}. | Boy!! [Inj] Was he heavy (PA). |

7. GOSH! [Inj] I hope [DO he and I do go together]. |

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8. Whoo! [Inj] I thought [DO we were going to get hurt (PA)]. |

9. Well [Inj], I guess [DO I should tell some (DO) {of the bad things}]. |

10. Hello! [Inj] *You* Let me tell you (IO) {about my family}. | "Me" is the subject, and "you" is the indirect object of the infinitive "tell." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "Let." “About my family” can be explained as an adverb to “tell” or as an adjective to an ellipsed direct object (“something”).

Exercise 2.3. – Direct AddressExercise 2.3. – Direct Address

1. Tom [DirA], where are you going? |

2. Can I have a cookie (DO), mother [DirA]? |

3. Sam [DirA], *you* stop that (DO)! |

4. Uncle Bill [DirA], are you going {to the store}? | Although the California DoE considers "Bill" to be an appositive to "Uncle," a better explanation is to consider "Uncle" an adjective to "Bill."

5. How many mice (DO) have you caught today, Cat [DirA]? |

6. Silly person [DirA], what (DO) were you thinking? |

7. Oh [Inj], children [DirA], my strength is coming back {to me}. |

8. Oh [Inj], Aslan [DirA], *you* don't go {near the river}! |

9. Here we are, Mrs. Beaver [DirA]! |

10. But how could it be true (PA), Sir [DirA]? |

Exercise 2.4. – Rain, rain, go awayExercise 2.4. – Rain, rain, go away

Rain [DirA], rain [DirA], *you* go away, |

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*You* Come again another day [NuA]; |

Little Johnny wants to play [#1]. |

Notes

1. "To play" is an infinitive that functions as the direct object of "wants." At this KISS Level, however, the important thing is that students not mark it as a prepositional phrase. At this level, I would also simply accept it as a part of the finite verb.

This illustration and poem are from The Real Mother Goose. Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. Chicago:

Rand McNally & Co., 1916.

Exercise 2.5. – Little Boy BlueExercise 2.5. – Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue [#1], *You* come blow [#2] your horn (DO), |

The sheep's {in the meadow}, | the cow's {in the corn}. |

Where is the boy [Adj. to "boy" that looks after [#3] the sheep (DO)]? |

He's {under the hay-cock}, fast asleep. |Notes

1. Direct Address. (I'm considering "Blue" as part of his name. Otherwise, it can be explained as a post-positioned adjective.

2. "Come" is not normally a helping verb, so if students asked about it, I would suggest that there is an implied "and" in the line -- "come and blow."

3. "Looks after" means "tends," so the "after" can be considered as part of the verb. Because many third graders might have trouble seeing that, I would also accept "looks" as the finite verb and "after the sheep" as a prepositional phrase, even though that is not a good explanation.

This illustration and poem are from In the Nursery of My Bookhouse, edited by Olive Beaupré Miller; (The Bookhouse for Children, 1920).

Exercise 2.6 – Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, and Direct AddressExercise 2.6 – Interjections, Nouns Used as Adverbs, and Direct Address


1. No, my dear madam [DirA], you will be {in nobody's way}. |

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2. She came back again next day [NuA]. |

3. Madam [DirA], have you lost your way (DO)? |

4. Where do you go every afternoon [NuA] {by yourself}, Jemima Puddle-duck [DirA] ? |

5. "Ah! indeed! [#1]" said the gentleman {with sandy whiskers}. |

6. Jemima Puddle-duck came every afternoon [NuA]. | 7. Jemima Puddle-duck was escorted (P) home [NuA] {in tears} {on account} {of

those eggs} [#2]. | Notes

1. Within the quotation, "Ah!" and "indeed!" are interjections, but the quotation itself functions as the direct object of "said."

2. Some grammarians consider "on account of" and "in front of" as prepositions. That would, of course, make this one phrase and not two.

Exercise 2.7 – Just for Fun: Q & A PunsExercise 2.7 – Just for Fun: Q & A Puns

1.

Q. Why did Cinderella get thrown (P) {out of the football team}? |

A. She kept running away {from the ball}!! | 2.

Q. Why can't two elephants go swimming [#1]? |

A. They only have one pair (DO) {of trunks}!! | 3.

Q. Why are clocks dirty (PA)? | A. They work 24 hours [NuA] a day [NuA], and never wash their hands (DO) or face

(DO)!! |

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4.

Q. Why do golf players wear two pairs (DO) {of trousers}? |

A. They might get a hole (DO) {in one}!! | Note that some people may justifiably see "in one" as an adjective to "hole."

5.

Q. What (DO) do clouds wear {under their clothes}? |

A. They wear thunderwear (DO). | Note

1. "Swimming" is a gerund that functions as a Noun Used as an Adverb, but students won't study gerunds until KISS Level Four, so at earlier KISS levels I would also accept "swimming" as part of the finite verb.

Exercise 2.8 – Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe RostersExercise 2.8 – Treasure Hunts and/or Recipe Rosters

Note that option (d) suggests endless additional possibilities.

Two Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and ChunkingTwo Ways of Looking at a Sentence: Modification and Chunking

Section Two is followed by important instructional material that relates to almost all the

other instructional material and exercises. It has no exercises of its own, and is thus not

considered a separate section.

I was once asked if it would not be better to use the traditional term "modification" instead

of confusing things by also using the term "chunking." But the distinction is significant since it

delineates two major fields within linguistics. "Modification" deals with meaning, which is

studied in the linguistic field of semantics. "Chunking," on the other hand, is the central question

of syntax, the study of how words interrelate within sentences to convey meaning. In more

practical terms, looking at sentences from the perspective of chunking clarifies questions of

punctuation, errors, style, and logic. (Traditional grammars fail to do this because they explain

grammatical constructions only in the context of very simple sentences.)

The instructional material may too much for third graders, but the important thing is to focus

their attention on the idea that they are learning how words grammatically connect to each other;

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they should not just be learning to identify subjects, verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, etc.

As you might note, this material is placed here because the students have just been introduced to

the only two constructions that do not chunk – interjections and direct address.

Section 3 – Practice /ApplicationSection 3 – Practice /Application


Based on “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp”Note that some of the sentences in the original were modified. Analysis Key through KISS Level Two (S/V/C Patterns)

Next day [NuA] the magician led Aladdin (DO) {into some beautiful gardens}

[Adv. to "led" Where?] a long way [NuA] {outside the city gates} [#1]. They sat down {by a

fountain} [Adv. to "sat" Where?] and the magician pulled a cake (DO) {from his

girdle} [Adv. to "pulled" From where?]. He divided it (DO) {between them} [Adv. to

"divided" Where? and/or How?]. Then they journeyed onwards and almost reached the

mountains (DO). Aladdin was very tired (PA). He begged to go [#2] back, but the

magician beguiled him (DO) {with pleasant stories} [Adv. to "beguiled" How?] and

led him (DO) on {in spite} [Adv. to "led" Under what condition?] {of himself} [Adj. to

"spite" Whose?].Complete Analysis Key

Next day [NuA] the magician led Aladdin (DO) {into some beautiful gardens} a long

way [NuA] {outside the city gates}. | They sat down {by a fountain} | and the magician

pulled a cake (DO) {from his girdle}. | He divided it (DO) {between them}. | Then

they journeyed onwards and almost reached the mountains (DO). | Aladdin was

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very tired (PA). | He begged to go [#2] back, | but the magician beguiled him (DO)

{with pleasant stories} and led him (DO) on {in spite} {of himself} . | Notes

1. This phrase can be considered as adverbial to "led" (Where?) and/or as an adjective to "way" (What kind of?).

2. At this KISS level, I would also accept "begged to go" as the finite verb phrase here. Technically, grammarians will probably disagree on explanations of the infinitive "to go," but the easiest explanation, also probably the best, is to consider it as a direct object of "begged."


Based on “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp”Note that some of the sentences in the original were modified. Analysis Key through KISS Level Two (S/V/C Patterns)

{For two days} [Adverb to "remained" -- "How long?"] Aladdin remained {in the

dark} [Adverb to "remained" -- "Where?"], crying and lamenting. {At last} [Adverb to

"clasped" -- "When?"] he clasped his hands (DO) {in prayer} [Adverb to "clasped" --

"How?"], and {in so doing} [ #1] [Adverb to "rubbed" -- "How?"] rubbed the ring (DO),

which the magician had forgotten to take [#2] {from him} [Adverb to "to take" --

"Where?" [#3]]. Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose {out of the earth}

[Adverb to "rose" -- "Where?"], saying, "What (DO) [#4] wouldst thou {with me}

[Adverb to "wouldst" -- "How?" [#5]]? I am the Slave (PN) {of the Ring} [Adjective to

"Slave" -- "Whose?"], and will obey thee (DO) {in all things} [Adverb to "will obey" --

"Where?"]." Aladdin fearlessly replied, " *You* Deliver me (DO) {from this place}

[Adverb to "Deliver" -- "Where?"]!" whereupon the earth opened, and he found

himself (DO) outside. Complete Analysis Key

{For two days} Aladdin remained {in the dark}, crying [#6] and lamenting [#6]. | {At

last} he clasped his hands (DO) {in prayer}, and {in so doing}[ #1] rubbed the ring

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(DO), [Adj. to "ring" which [#2] the magician had forgotten to take [#2] {from him}]. | Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose {out of the earth}, saying [#7], [DO of

"saying" "What (DO) wouldst thou {with me}?] | [#8] I am the Slave (PN) {of the

Ring}, and will obey thee (DO) {in all things}." | Aladdin fearlessly replied, [DO

"*You* Deliver me (DO) {from this place}!"] [Adv. to "replied" whereupon [#9] the

earth opened], and [Adv. to "replied" he found himself (DO) outside]. | Notes

1. I would expect many students to be confused by this phrase. [For KISS Level Three + -- "Doing" is a gerund that functions as the object of the preposition "in." "So" here can be explained either as a pronoun, the direct object of "doing," or as an adverb to "doing."]

2. I would also accept "forgotten to take" as the finite verb here. [Technically, "to take" is an infinitive that functions as the direct object of "forgotten," but we cannot expect students to master everything at once. In case students ask, the direct object of "to take" here is "which," which, in this S/V/C pattern, stands for the ring. Note that the "which" also functions as a subordinating conjunction.]

3. Since we usually think of "Where?" in the sense of "to where" rather than "from where," some students may want to write "from where?" instead of just "where?" Such an answer should be accepted since it includes the important point -- the phrase presents spatial, not temporal or cause/effect information.

4. Lavish immense praise on any students who get this one. Note the implied (ellipsed) "What would thou *have* with me?"

5. This one will raise some discussion. At this KISS level, I would accept any answer a student gave, but I would also ask the student to explain why he or she thinks the answer is acceptable. One could easily argue that this is an example of Roberts' category of "Accompaniment." The example in the instructional material under "How?" (He walks to school with his sister.) might lead some students to the "How?" question. If I did want to push the point with students (which I probably would not), I would note that the sentence means How can I help you?

6. "Crying" and "lamenting" are gerundives to "Aladdin." 7. "Saying" is a gerundive to "genie." 8. One could easily argue that the entire quotation is the direct object of "saying." (This is a

question that I have never seen addressed in any grammar textbook.) In cases like this, if we consider the entire quotation to be the direct object, we will frequently find several sentences, sometimes entire paragraphs that are, in effect, direct objects of a word in a preceding sentence. Thus the KISS approach is to conclude the main clause at the first sensible spot.

9. Because it appears so rarely, "whereupon" is rarely included in lists of subordinate conjunctions. Thus I would expect even students who had started to study clauses to be

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confused by it. However, once students have basically mastered subordinate clauses, once they "feel" how such clauses work, "whereupon" will easily fall into place -- there's not much else that it could be here. Note too that it carries across the "and" and thus subordinates the following clause.

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Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)Exercise 3.5. “Fog,” by Carl Sandburg (How Much I Can Explain)

The fog comes

{on little cat feet}. |

It sits looking [#1] {over harbor and city}

{on silent haunches}

and then moves on. |Notes

1. "Sits looking" can be considered a palimpsest pattern with "sits" written over "is." This may confuse students, but you can still focus students' attention on the number of words that they can easily explain. I would certainly accept "sits looking" as the finite verb. However, I would also accept "sits" by itself, since "looking" can also be explained as a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "It."

How Much I Can ExplainTotal Words = 21 Words Total

Explained%

of TextWords in Prepositional Phrases 11 11 52 %+ Adj & Adverbs (not in prep phrases) 3 14 67 %+ Coordinating Conjunctions 1 15 71 %+ Words in S / V / C patterns 6 21 100 %

Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives.Exercise 3.6. Vocabulary – Fill in the blank with adjectives.

The Cat, the Monkey, and the Chestnuts – Aesop

The blanks are numbered so that you might be able to save paper and ink by having students write the numbers and words on separate paper. (You can then use an overhead of the assignment pages to review it in class.

Two things can happen with this type of exercise. First, the students learn something about, in this case, adjectives. You might want to create lists on the board of the words that students used for each blank. For some students, this exercise will add new words to their vocabulary, but it also suggests, in many cases, the range of words that can be used and how they affect meaning. The second thing that can happen is that some students take a particular stylistic slant to the story. They may consistently change the setting in interesting ways, or take a humorous tone. When this happens, you may want to share these versions with the class. For this reason, this is not a good exercise for small group work, but you might want to follow this exercise by having

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students work in small groups to select a short story (or passage) and make similar exercises. (They have to pick out the adjectives in order to do so.)

After the students share their adjectives, you might want to show them the original. Suggestions about the effect of some of the adjectives are in the notes below.

The original is:

It was a (1) cold (2) November night. Outside, the wind blew hard. The (3) first snow of the

season covered up the grass and leaves with a (4) beautiful (5) white blanket. Inside, a (6)

bright (7) log fire sent its (8) blue and (9) gold flames up the chimney and made the room (10)

warm and (11) light and (12) cozy.

Some (13) big (14) brown chestnuts were roasting in the (15) hot ashes on the hearth. A

(16) lively (17) little monkey and a (18) big (19) yellow cat sat in front of the fire warming

themselves.

After a while the heat of the fire made the chestnuts pop (20) open. Then the monkey said,

"The chestnuts are roasted and (21) ready to eat. (22) Pretty pussy, your (23) long, (24) lovely

paws were made to pull chestnuts out of the fire. See whether you can reach them."

The (25) foolish cat was greatly pleased by what the (26) clever monkey said. He grinned

and stretched out his (27) long, (28) yellow paw and pulled a chestnut out of the (29) hot ashes.

His paw was badly burned.

"Meow! Meow!" the cat cried in pain, as he jumped up and down and blew on his paw.

"(30) Poor pussy, (31) pretty pussy, let me blow on your paw," said the monkey. He caught

hold of the (32) cat's paw and blew on it time and time again.

Then the (33) cunning, (34) clever monkey said in a (35) soft, (36) sweet voice, "Now, (37)

dear pussy, pull the (38) other chestnuts out of the fire. Be quick, and the fire will not burn you.

Pull the chestnuts out of the ashes. Then we'll have supper."

The (39) foolish cat had not learned his lesson; He was more pleased than ever with the (40)

monkey's flattery. So he stretched out his paw and pulled chestnut after chestnut out of the fire.

As the cat reached for the (41) last one, he said, "Now, (42) friend monkey, supper is (43)

ready. We'll eat." Then the cat blew the ashes off his paw and turned around to get some of the

chestnuts which he had pulled out of the fire, but the (44) sly, (45) cunning monkey had eaten

every one.

Notes (by the numbers)

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4. "Beautiful" sets a tone that contrasts with the ugly acts of the monkey. The adjectives in the entire first paragraph set a pleasant tone that further sets up a pleasant tone.

8 & 9. How many students will select "blue" and "gold" for the colors of flames? Are blue and gold warmer colors than red and yellow?

10 - 11. Note the use of three adjectives. (Many third graders would stop at one.) 17 & 18. In a conflict between "little" and "big," doesn't "big" usually win? 22. Flattery, thy name is adjective? 23. Foreshadowing is a big concept for third graders, but they probably would understand the

idea that this use of "foolish" suggests that the cat is in for trouble, no sign of which has yet appeared.

32 & 40. This is an opportunity to point out that possessives (the apostrophe) function as adjectives.

39. Is it "foolish" to trust a "friend"? What is a "friend"? 42. This is the first (and only) use of "friend" in the story. How does it set up the moral of the

fable? In 26, we get "clever." In 33 and 34, we get "cunning, clever." In 44 and 45, we get "sly,

cunning." What are the differences among "clever," "cunning," and "sly"?

Exercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and PunctuationExercise 3.7. An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation

Elizabeth, Eliza, Betsy, and Bess

Elizabeth, Eliza, Betsy, and Bess,

All [#1] went together to seek a bird's nest [#2]. |

They found a bird's nest (DO) {with five eggs} {in it}. |

They all took one (DO), and left four (DO) {in it}. |

Notes1. At this KISS Level, the easiest way to explain "All" is simply as an adjective to the four

preceding names, as it is later after "They,". It can also be explained as an appositive to those names, but there is no reason to distract third graders with discussions of appositives.

2. "Nest" is the direct object of the infinitive "to seek." The infinitive functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "went."

Notes on PunctuationThe periods, of course, end sentences. The first three commas in the first line separate items

in a series. The comma after "Bess" is optional, but in the poem it effectively ends the line and separates the specific names from the generalizing "all." The comma after "one" in the last line is optional, and I would expect many students not to insert it. Note that it does have a function in

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terms of maintaining the metrical rhythm -- It ensures a mid-line break in the middle of the last line, comparable to the breaks in the preceding two lines. The apostrophe in "bird's," of course, indicates possession.

This illustration and poem are from Mother Goose Gems (McLoughlin Bros., 1904).

Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters.Exercise 3.8. Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters.

1. Which witch wished which wicked wish (DO)? |

2. The blue bluebird blinks. |

3. Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks (DO). |

4. Cheerful Charles chose cherry chocolates (DO) {for Cheri}. |

5. A noisy noise annoys an oyster (DO). |

6. Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks (DO). |

7. Vincent vowed vengeance (DO) very vehemently. |

8. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches (PN)? |

9. The crow flew {over the river} {with a lump} {of raw liver} . |

10. Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast (PA) {at Gertie's grammar}. |

Section 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb Phrase (Passive Voice)Section 4 – Recognizing the Whole Verb Phrase (Passive Voice)

The objective here is not to learn about passive voice, but rather to help students identify all the parts of passive verbs. In a sentence such as "The ball was dropped by the left fielder," many students will underline "was" as a verb and then label "dropped" as a predicate adjective. Passive voice does slide into S/V/PA patterns, so this is an interesting alternative explanation. But it avoids the important concept of passive voice. Passive voice – as passive voice – is a major focus of the KISS fifth grade workbook, and the concept is developed in following grades. In third and fourth grades, however, the focus should simply be on having the students underline the complete verb phrase rather than using the S/V/PA alternative. Note that you do not need instructional materials for this.

Although most textbooks say nothing about it, passive voice slides into the S/V/PA pattern. With primary school children, it is probably better, at KISS Levels One and Two, simply to teach the students to consider the "adjective" as part of the finite verb phrase -- At this KISS Level,

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students do not need to be taught that these verbs are in "passive voice." Once they get to passive voice, they can then consider the distinctions between the two. If you have not seen it yet, you should look at the material on passive verbs or predicate adjectives. Ultimately, many of these can be considered to be predicate adjectives.

Exercise 4.1. From Exercise 4.1. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. The cupboard door was not locked (P). | The status of the door is more important here than the action, so an argument can easily made that the S/V/PA pattern is actually better here.

2. He was tied (P) up {in very tight knots}. |

3. Yes, it is infested (P) {with rats}. | Technically, the S/V/PA pattern would be better here because the important point is the infested condition of "it," and not the action of infesting.

4. He was quite exhausted (P). |

5. We shall be obliged (P) to leave this pudding [#1]. |

6. The fire had only just been lighted (P). |

7. Tom Kitten was left (P) alone {under the floor} {of the attic} . | Notes

1. "Pudding" is the direct object of the infinitive "to leave." The infinitive phrase functions as a retained direct object after the passive verb, retained from the active form "Someone will oblige [require] us to leave this pudding."


1. The nightingale was always put (P) {above everything else}. |

2. It has never been presented (P) {at court}. |

3. The palace had been brightened (P) up {for the occasion}. |

4. They were all dressed (P) {in their best}. |

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5. The emperor was charmed (P). |

6. A ribbon was tied (P) {round its neck}. |

7. A new emperor was already chosen (P). |

8. The real nightingale was banished (P) {from the kingdom}. |

9. Everybody's eyes were turned (P) {towards the little grey bird}. |

10. Cloth had been laid (P) down {in all the rooms and corridors}. |


1. It could only be touched (P) {with the very greatest care}. |

2. Every little detail {in the garden} had been most carefully thought out [#1] (P). | 3. The most beautiful flowers, all [#2] {of the tinkling kind}, were arranged (P) {in the

corridors}. |

4. The emperor's palace was made (P) entirely {of the finest porcelain}. |

5. But the nightingale declined {with thanks}; | it had already been sufficiently

rewarded (P). |

6. Every evening [NuA] I am allowed (P) to take broken meat [#3] {to my poor sick mother}. |

7. One day [NuA] a large parcel came {for the emperor}; | outside was written (P) the word

“Nightingale.” [#4] |

8. The whole court was assembled (P), | and the little kitchen-maid had been

permitted (P) to stand [#5] {behind the door}. |

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9. The treatise was very long (PA) and written (P) [#6] {in all the most difficult Chinese

characters}. | Notes

1. Alternatively, "out" can be considered an adverb. 2. I'm considering "all" as an appositive to "flowers," but it can also be explained as an adjective

to "flowers" which would make the following prepositional phrase adverbial. 3. "Meat" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to take." The infinitive functions as a

retained direct object after the passive verb. (The active version would be: "They allowed me to take broken meat...."

4. "Nightingale" is an appositive to "word," but here I would also simply accept it as part of the subject.

5. The verbal (infinitive) "to stand" functions as a retained direct object after the passive verb. (The active version would be: "They permitted the kitchen-maid to stand...."

6. After the adjective "long," and joined to it by a comma, "written" can easily be explained as a predicate adjective.

Section 5 – Verb TensesSection 5 – Verb Tenses

Fundamental differences in definitions make grammatical “tense” a simple concept, an

almost impenetrably difficult concept, or anything in between. Paul Roberts explained the three

basic bases from which grammarians start. He calls them “formal,” “syntactic,” and “notional.”

“Formal” definitions start with the form (sound or spelling) of the words. Thus verbs have

different forms—“write,” “wrote,” “writing,” “written.” In discussing tense, grammarians who

base their definitions on form present students with all the forms, created by helping verbs, for

all the various verbs. The result is pages of tables for what are called the “conjugation” of verbs.

The tables are not very helpful, and they bore students. Other grammarians who base their

grammar on form claim that English does not have a future tense. They say this because there is

no single-word form for the future tense. We can say “He writes,” “She wrote,” but we have no

way of expressing the future tense with a one-word verb. But teaching students that English has

no future tense is probably harmful. The students will have teachers in other fields who will tell

them to express some ideas in the future tense.

“Syntactic” definitions start with how words relate to each other in sentences. Much of the

KISS Approach is “syntactically” based—if a word modifies a noun, it is an adjective, etc. But

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when it comes to the question of tense, the syntactic base does not get very far. By itself, it

cannot distinguish a tense difference between “He writes books” and “She wrote books.”

“Notional” definitions are based on meaning. Since all third graders understand the

differences in the meaning of “past,” “present,” and “future,” notional definitions are probably

the best way to approach the teaching of grammatical “tense.” But even here, there are problems.

Is “She is going to write a book” stated in the present tense? Or future? Questions like this,

however, belong in the grammarians’ playgrounds.

Native speakers have relatively few problems with verb tenses. The most frequent is

probably the shifting of tenses from present to past (or to future). For example, “We were

camping and Billy starts a fire.” Many teachers mark these as “tense shift” in students’ writing,

but students will not understand that comment unless they have been taught what “tense” means.

Thus the primary objective here is to help students understand the meaning of “past,” “present,”

and “future” tenses. Note that if students need more practice on S/V/C patterns and/or

prepositional phrases, you can have them analyze these sentences in that way also.

(For more on Roberts’ ideas, see “The Parts of Speech as Functions” which is available in

the printable An Introduction to KISS Grammar.)


Analysis Key (FYI)

1. One day [NuA] Billy was racing along {in front} {of the children} . | past

2. I am very sorry (PA), sir [DirA]. | present

3. {At home}, the children will teach Billy Jones (IO) many tricks (DO). | future

4. Billy Jones carries his lunch basket (DO) {to a chair}. | present

5. They will teach the dog (IO) never to cross the street [#1] {without them}. | future

6. {In doing so [#2]} he runs bang [NuA] {into a big St. Bernard dog}. | present

7. People {along the way} [#3] were laughing and shouting {to the dog}. | past

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8. One day [NuA] the cook left the door open [#4] only a wee bit [NuA]. | past

9. Billy will be surprised (P) {by all the funny games}. | future

10. The little dog throws back his funny little round face (DO) and whines and barks

and howls all {in time} {to the music}. | present

Notes1. At this point in their work, this will confuse students. "Street" is the direct object of the verbal

(infinitive) "to cross." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "will teach." 2. "So" is the direct object of the verbal (gerund) "doing" which functions as the object of the

preposition. 3. Alternatively, "along the way" can be described as adverbial to "were laughing" and

"shouting." 4. Within KISS, "open" is a predicate adjective after an ellipsed infinitive -- left the door *to be*

open. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "left."


Analysis Key (FYI)

1. They will stand {on their hind legs} and march up and down {before the door} {of the

camp}. | future

2. The bears are surprised (P) {by the noise} {of the crashing tin plates} . | present

3. The cook gives Snuff (IO) and Ruff (IO) two plates (DO) to take [#1] {to the

strangers}. | present

4. The twins were bringing out the plates (DO) and pretending to take orders [#2]. | past

5. The boy will make them (IO) little white caps (DO) and short white aprons (DO).

| future

6. The guests can see the funny, sober faces (DO) {of the twins}. | present

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7. They saw a hairy paw (DO) and found a bear's head (DO) close [#3] {to their own}. | past

8. The bears will carry stick guns (DO) and wear paper soldier caps (DO). | future

9. The strangers are begging to have Snuff and Ruff wait [#4] {on table} again. | present

10. They had been found (P) asleep and alone {at the foot} {of a small fir tree} {on the

banks} [ #5] {of the Sacramento River} . | past

Notes1. The verbal (infinitive) "to take" functions as an adjective to "plates." 2. At this point in their work, I would accept "pretending to take" as the finite verb and "orders"

as its direct object. Technically, "to take" is a verbal (infinitive) that functions as the direct object of "pretending."

3. "Close" is a post-positioned adjective to "head." 4. "Snuff" and "Ruff" are subjects of the verbal (infinitive) "wait." That infinitive phrase is the

direct object of the infinitive "to have." Some grammarians will see "to have" as the direct object of "are begging"; others will see it as an adverb to "are begging." Thus either explanation is acceptable. At this point in their work, I would accept "are begging to have" as the finite verb phrase.

5. The "on the banks" phrase could also be seen as describing the fir tree, and thus embedded in that phrase.

Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?Exercise 5. 3. What Tense Is It?

1. I shall be nine years [NuA] old (PA) next Saturday [NuA]. | future

2. What (DO) did I promise you (IO), David [DirA]? | past

3. Mother is helping David to get ready to go [#1] {to the city} {with Father}. | present

4. The tide was flowing {down the river} {to the sea}. | past

5. This Saturday morning [NuA] David and his father will have a very interesting trip

(DO) {on the ferry} [#2]. | future

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6. A big ocean steamer was making its way (DO) slowly {down the river}. | past

7. Two short blasts {of the whistle} will be a signal (PN) {to the small boat} [#3]. | future

8. The ferry is slowly making its way (DO) {across the river} and coming {to the

shore}. | present

9. Two men had been standing {on either side} {of the ferry} . | past

10. The men will have opened the gates (DO), | and the people and cars will have

gotten {off the ferry} [#4]. | future

Notes1. The verbal (infinitive) "to go" functions as an adverb to "ready." "Ready" functions as a

predicate adjective after the infinitive "to get" (become). "David" is the indirect object of "helping" and the subject of the infinitive "to get." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "helping."

2. Alternatively, adverbial to "will have" (where?) 3. Alternatively, adjectival to "signal" (what kind?) 4. Alternatively, "off" can be considered part of the finite verb phrase (gotten off = left). That

would make "ferry" a direct object.

Exercise 5. 4. The Clever HenExercise 5. 4. The Clever Hen

Note: If the students are already very comfortable with the analysis of passages such as this one, I would skip the analysis and simply have the students rewrite the text in the present and then in the future tense.

I had a little hen (DO), the prettiest ever seen [#1], |

She washed me (IO) the dishes (DO) and kept the house clean [#2]; |

She went {to the mill} to fetch me some flour [#3], |

She brought it (DO) home [NuA] {in less} {than an hour} ; |

She baked me (IO) my bread (DO), | she brewed me (IO) my ale (DO), |

She sat {by the fire} and told many a fine tale (DO). |

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Present Tense:

I have a little hen, the prettiest ever seen, She washes me the dishes and keeps the house clean; She goes to the mill to fetch me some flour, She brings it home in less than an hour; She bakes me my bread, she brews me my ale, She sits by the fire and tells many a fine tale.

Future Tense:

I will have a little hen, the prettiest ever seen, She will wash me the dishes and keep the house clean; She will go to the mill to fetch me some flour, She will bring it home in less than an hour; She will bake me my bread, she will brew me my ale, She will sit by the fire and tell many a fine tale.

Notes1. "The prettiest" is an appositive to "hen," in effect, a reduction of the subordinate clause "who

was the prettiest." "Seen" is a post-positioned adjective to "the prettiest." In effect it is also reduction of a subordinate clause -- "who was ever seen."

2. Expect students to be confused. The KISS explanation of this is that "house" is the subject, and "clean" is a predicate adjective, to an ellipsed infinitive "to be."

3. "Me" in the indirect, and "flour" is the direct object of the infinitive (of purpose) "to fetch." The infinitive is adverbial to "went."


Section 6 – Expletives – An Optional ExplanationSection 6 – Expletives – An Optional Explanation

The expletive is an acceptable explanation in KISS, but it adds a concept that is not really needed. Such sentences can almost always be easily explained as S/V/PN patterns with, for example, "There" being the subject and "people" being a predicate noun. (In essence, an "expletive" is simply a place-filler for the subject slot in a sentence.) Often, another alternative explanation can be used. Thus in "Once there came several monsters into Millerville," one can explain "there" as an adverb, "came" as the verb, and "monsters" as the subject.

In the analysis keys (for all grade levels), KISS explains all of these sentences as S/V/PN patterns or by using the adverb alternative. "There" as subject does need special focus at this point, however, first because third graders will find (and write) many sentences in which it functions as a subject, and second because KISS offers alternatives to the traditional explanation. Remember that there is no set standard of grammatical terminology that is used in testing students. Thus teachers and parents can opt for the expletive explanation, the S/V/PN explanation, or try to see if students can understand both.

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Exercise 6. 1. From Exercise 6. 1. From The Tale of Tom KittenThe Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. Once {upon a time} there were three little kittens (PN). |

Or: Once {upon a time} there [Expletive] were three little kittens. |

2. There were several green smears (PN)! |

Or: There [Expletive] were several green smears! |

3. There was a pit pat, paddle pat (PN)! |

Or: There [Expletive] was a pit pat, paddle pat! |

4. Somehow there were very extra--ordinary noises (PN) overhead. |

Or: Somehow there [Expletive] were very extra--ordinary noises overhead. |

5. There were no buttons (PN). |

Or: There [Expletive] were no buttons. |

Exercise 6. 2. From Exercise 6. 2. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. There was scarcely any light (PN). |

Or: There [Expletive] was scarcely any light. |

2. There was less smoke (PN). |

Or: There [Expletive] was less smoke. |

3. There is no end (PN) {to them}! |

Or: There [Expletive] is no end {to them}! |

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4. There used to be queer noises (PN) {inside the walls}. |

Or: There [Expletive] used to be queer noises {inside the walls}. |

5. There might be a little secret staircase (PN). |

Or: There [Expletive] might be a little secret staircase. |

6. Oh! [Inj] Mother [DirA], Mother [DirA], there has been an old man rat (PN) {in the dairy}.

| Or: Oh! [Inj] Mother [DirA], Mother [DirA], there [Expletive] has been an old man rat {in

the dairy}. |

Exercise 6. 3. From Exercise 6. 3. From The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. There are rats (PN), and rats (PN), and rats (PN) {in his barn}! |

Or: There [Expletive] are rats, and rats, and rats {in his barn}! |

2. But there was a strong smell (PN) {of rats}. |

Or: But there [Expletive] was a strong smell {of rats}. |

3. So there was plenty (PN) {of room} {for a little Tom Cat} [#1]. |

Or: So there [Expletive] was plenty {of room} {for a little Tom Cat}. |

4. Sure enough there were marks (PN) {of little scratching fingers}. |

Or: Sure enough there [Expletive] were marks {of little scratching fingers}. |

5. {After that}, there were no more rats (PN) {for a long time} {at Tabitha Twitchit's}. | Or: {After that}, there [Expletive] were no more rats {for a long time} {at Tabitha

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Twitchit's}. |

Note1. Alternatively, the "for" phrase could be considered as describing "room." Note that that would

not be the case if the sentence were "So for a little Tom Cat there was plenty of room."

Exercise 6. 4. The Crooked SixpenceExercise 6. 4. The Crooked Sixpence

There [Expletive] was a crooked man (PN), | and he went a crooked mile [#1], |

He found a crooked sixpence (DO) {beside a crooked stile} [#2]; | He bought a crooked cat (DO), [Adj. to "cat" which [#3] caught a crooked mouse

(DO)], |

And they all lived together {in a little crooked house}. | Notes

1. "Mile" is a Noun Used as an Adverb, and not a direct object because it answers the question "Went how far?" not "Went what?"

2. The "beside" can also be seen as an adjective to "sixpence." 3. At this point in their work, most students will have trouble identifying "which" as the subject

of "caught." [Many of my college Freshmen have the same problem.] Expect them to get it wrong, but then you can tell them the rule -- "The object of a preposition, or the complement of another verb, can never, ever be the subject of a verb. Once they learn this rule, they will almost always be forced, as they are here, to select the pronoun as the subject. There simply are no other options within the sentence.

Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”Section 7 – Review - Compounding with “and,” “or,” and “but”

Although it includes a vocabulary and a sentence-combining exercise based on Potter's "Jeremy Fisher," the primary purpose of this section is to focus students' attention on compounding in preparation for section eight, Compound Main Clauses.

Exercise 7. 1. Based on Exercise 7. 1. Based on The Tale of Johnny Town MouseThe Tale of Johnny Town Mouse, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. I sit {in my little sandy burrow} and shell corn (DO) and seeds (DO) {from my

Autumn store}. |

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2. He was very hungry (PA), and very anxious (PA) to behave [#1] {with company

manners}. |

3. The winter passed; [#2] | the sun came out again. |

4. Johnny Town-mouse noticed it (DO), and questioned him (DO). | 5. Johnny Town-mouse and his friends racketted [#3] about {under the floors}, and

came boldly out all {over the house} {in the evening}. |

6. The back door banged, | and the cart rumbled away. | Notes

1. The infinitive "to behave" explains, and thus modifies "anxious." 2. If students are getting to the point of boredom with the basic S/V/C patterns and prepositional

phrases, I would explore how this semicolon implies a contrast (winter/summer) between the ideas in the two "sentences." [Remember that some college professors tell students not to use semicolons, simply because the college students do not understand how to use them. Thus don't push this point, especially on students who are still having difficulty in identifying S/V/C patterns and prepositional phrases.]

3. The vividness of this verb is well worth comment. Ask the students to think of what they associate with "racket" -- noise (as a noun), but also a tennis racket. Those mice were bounding around like tennis balls.


1. The water was all slippy-sloppy (PA) {in the larder} and {in the back passage}. | Joins:______Prepositional phrases_____________

2. Nobody ever scolded him (DO), | and he never caught a cold (DO)! | Joins:__________Sentences___________________

3. I have lost my basket (DO); | but it does not much matter. | Joins:__________Sentences___________________

4. I will get some worms (DO) and go fishing [#1] and catch a dish (DO) {of

minnows} {for my dinner} [#2]. | Joins:__________Finite verbs_______________

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5. Mr. Jeremy put on [#3] a macintosh (DO), and a pair (DO) {of shiny goloshes}. | Joins:__________Direct Objects______________

6. The boat was round (PA) and green (PA), and very {like the other lily-leaves}

(PA). | Joins:__________Predicate Adjectives_________

7. The rain trickled {down his back}, | and {for nearly an hour} he stared {at the float}. | Joins:__________Sentences___________________

8. Once or twice something moved about {with a rustle} {amongst the rushes} {at the side}

{of the pond}. | Joins:___________Adverbs__________________

9. He was quite pleased [#4] [Adv. to "was pleased" when he looked out and saw large

drops (DO) {of rain}]. | Joins:__________Finite verbs_________________

10. He could not offer them (IO) fish (DO), | but he had something (DO) else {in

his larder}. | Joins:__________Sentences___________________

Notes1. "Fishing" is a gerund that functions as a noun used as an adverb. 2. Note that "for my dinner" can be explained as an adverb to "catch" and/or as an adjective to

"minnows." 3. Expect some students to mark "on a macintosh" as a prepositional phrase, but the sentence

means that he put them on his body. (There are KISS exercises that specifically address this problem, but students cannot master everything at once.)

4. I would also accept "predicate adjective" as an explanation for "pleased." This is another question that most grammar textbooks do not touch, but in KISS it is explored in the discussion of passive verbs. (See "Passive Voice or Predicate Adjective?" in the instructional materials for KISS Level Two.)


1. A GREAT big water-beetle came up [#1] {underneath the lily leaf} and tweaked the toe

(DO) {of one} {of his goloshes}. | Joins:____________Finite Verbs__________

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2. MR. JEREMY shoved the boat (DO) out again a little way [NuA], and dropped in [#2]

the bait (DO). | Joins:____________Finite Verbs__________

3. MR. JEREMY stuck his pole (DO) {into the mud} and fastened his boat (DO)

{to it}. | Joins:____________Finite Verbs__________

4. SIR ISAAC NEWTON wore his black and gold waistcoat (DO). | Joins:___________Adjectives_____________

5. Then he settled himself (DO) cross-legged and arranged his fishing tackle (DO). | Joins:____________Finite Verbs__________

6. His line was a fine long white horse-hair (DO), | and he tied a little wriggling worm

(DO) {at the end}. | Joins:___________Sentences_____________

7. He took his rod (DO) and basket (DO). | Joins:________Direct Objects________

8. Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise were coming {to

dinner}. | Joins:___________Subjects________________

9. The trout turned and dived down {to the bottom} {of the pond} ! | Joins:____________Finite Verbs__________

10. I will invite Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise (DO) and Sir Isaac Newton

(DO). | Joins:___________Direct Objects___________

Notes1. I would also accept "came up" ("rose" or "surfaced") as the verb. 2. "In" functions as an adverb because it is what remains of the prepositional phrase "in the

water," a phrase that would function as an adverb. [This is another of those things that most grammar textbooks rarely, if ever, discuss.]

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Exercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with ConjunctionsExercise 7. 4. Writing Sentences with Conjunctions

Exercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting VerbsExercise 7. 5. Fill-in-the-Blanks with Interesting Verbs

This is a long exercise, and I considered dropping it, but then perhaps some students will find it nicely challenging and perhaps even creative. You may, of course, have students do only a part of it.

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter

ONCE upon a time there was a frog called Mr. Jeremy Fisher; he lived in a little damp

house amongst the buttercups at the edge of a pond.

THE water was all slippy-sloppy in the larder and in the back passage.

But Mr. Jeremy liked getting his feet wet; nobody ever scolded him, and he never

caught a cold!

HE was quite pleased when he looked out and saw large drops of rain, splashing in the

pond—

“I WILL get some worms and go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my dinner,”

said Mr. Jeremy Fisher. “If I catch more than five fish, I will invite my friends Mr.

Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise and Sir Isaac Newton. The Alderman, however, eats salad.”

MR. JEREMY put on a macintosh, and a pair of shiny goloshes; he took his rod and

basket, and set off with enormous hops to the place where he kept his boat.

THE boat was round and green, and very like the other lily-leaves. It was tied to a

water-plant in the middle of the pond.

MR. JEREMY took a reed pole, and pushed the boat out into open water. “I know a

good place for minnows,” said Mr. Jeremy Fisher.

MR. JEREMY stuck his pole into the mud and fastened his boat to it.

Then he settled himself cross-legged and arranged his fishing tackle. He had the

dearest little red float. His rod was a tough stalk of grass, his line was a fine long white

horse-hair, and he tied a little wriggling worm at the end.

THE rain trickled down his back, and for nearly an hour he stared at the float.

“This is getting tiresome, I think I should like some lunch,” said Mr. Jeremy Fisher.

HE punted back again amongst the water-plants, and took some lunch out of his

basket.

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“I will eat a butterfly sandwich, and wait till the shower is over,” said Mr. Jeremy

Fisher.

A GREAT big water-beetle came up underneath the lily leaf and tweaked the toe of

one of his goloshes.

Mr. Jeremy crossed his legs up shorter, out of reach, and went on eating his sandwich.

ONCE or twice something moved about with a rustle and a splash amongst the rushes

at the side of the pond.

“I trust that is not a rat,” said Mr. Jeremy Fisher; “I think I had better get away from

here.”

MR. JEREMY shoved the boat out again a little way, and dropped in the bait. There

was a bite almost directly; the float gave a tremendous bobbit!

“A minnow! a minnow! I have him by the nose!” cried Mr. Jeremy Fisher, jerking up

his rod.

BUT what a horrible surprise! Instead of a smooth fat minnow, Mr. Jeremy landed

little Jack Sharp the stickleback, covered with spines!

THE stickleback floundered about the boat, pricking and snapping until he was quite

out of breath. Then he jumped back into the water.

AND a shoal of other little fishes put their heads out, and laughed at Mr. Jeremy

Fisher.

AND while Mr. Jeremy sat disconsolately on the edge of his boat—sucking his sore

fingers and peering down into the water—a MUCH worse thing happened; a really

FRIGHTFUL thing it would have been, if Mr. Jeremy had not been wearing a macintosh!

A GREAT big enormous trout came up—ker-pflop-p-p-p! with a splash—and it seized

Mr. Jeremy with a snap, “Ow! Ow! Ow!”—and then it turned and dived down to the

bottom of the pond!

BUT the trout was so displeased with the taste of the macintosh, that in less than half a

minute it spat him out again; and the only thing it swallowed was Mr. Jeremy’s goloshes.

MR. JEREMY bounced up to the surface of the water, like a cork and the bubbles out

of a soda water bottle; and he swam with all his might to the edge of the pond.

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HE scrambled out on the first bank he came to, and he hopped home across the

meadow with his macintosh all in tatters.

“WHAT a mercy that was not a pike!” said Mr. Jeremy Fisher. “I have lost my rod

and basket; but it does not much matter, for I am sure I should never have dared to go

fishing again!”

HE put some sticking plaster on his fingers, and his friends both came to dinner. He

could not offer them fish, but he had something else in his larder.

SIR ISAAC NEWTON wore his black and gold waistcoat,

AND Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise brought a salad with him in a string bag.

AND instead of a nice dish of minnows—they had a roasted grasshopper with lady-

bird sauce; which frogs consider a beautiful treat; but I think it must have been nasty!

Exercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with AdjectivesExercise 7. 6. Sentence-Combining with Adjectives


Section 8 – Compound Main ClausesSection 8 – Compound Main Clauses

Section Eight expands the concept of compounding to compound main clauses. Clauses are

the most important concept for students to master. The concept is introduced here because

simple compound sentences appear in many of the works that are used for exercises and also in

students’ own writing. In addition, many punctuation errors involve clause boundaries. Thus,

students who can understand clauses can understand, and learn to control, such errors. Finally,

the length and complexity of clauses are major aspects of style. (For more on this, see Section

19, “Analyzing the Writing of Third Graders.”) Introducing clauses here will thus give students

more time to practice and review the concept.

For students who can identify S/V/C patterns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases,

clauses are not difficult to master – if you have them memorize the definition: ‘a clause is a

subject / verb / complement pattern and all the words that chunk to it.’ (Actually, it is a ‘finite

verb,’ but in this design, the finite/verbal distinction has not yet been introduced. See Section

17.) Because a clause is an S / (finite) V / C pattern, there will always be one clause for every

pattern. (Remember that any element in the pattern can be compounded.) Thus students should

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be taught to work systematically, first identifying the prepositional phrases in a sentence, and

then all the S/V/C patterns. If there is only one S/V/C pattern in the sentence, all the students

have to do is to put a vertical line at the end of the sentence.

In sentences with more than one pattern, students will need to decide if all the clauses are

“main,” of if some are subordinate. Subordinate clauses always function as a noun, adjective,

adverb, or sometimes as an interjection, within a main clause. Because students can identify

S/V/C patterns, they can identify all the clauses, but it will take some practice before they can

easily distinguish the function of each clause.

There are two different strategies for teaching clauses. The first (the one that is being used in

this series of workbooks) is to introduce students to examples of each type of clause separately.

Thus section ten in this book introduces subordinate clauses that function as direct objects. The

fourth grade book then introduces adverbial, adjectival, and the other types of noun clauses.

Subordinate clauses that function as interjections are introduced in fifth grade. This is not my

preferred strategy, but some students seem to need specific examples (exercises) of each type of

clause.

You may prefer the other strategy, a strategy I would recommend to teachers who are trying

to start the KISS Approach in middle or high school. Simply have the students memorize that

“Subordinate clauses function as nouns, adjectives, adverbs (or interjections) within another

clause. Main clauses have no such function.” Give them the list of words that can function as

subordinate conjunctions:

after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before, if, how, lest, since, than, that, when,

where, while, what, who, why, which, until, whenever, wherever, whatever, whoever,

whichever, whether, for, so

“For” and “so” will cause a few problems because they can be either coordinating or

subordinating, but remember that students are expected to make mistakes. (You'll find exercises

devoted to “for” and “so” in the workbooks.)

This strategy presents students with more new material much faster, and will cause some

initial confusion, but consider four similar examples:

1. I remember the time when I was eight.2. I remember when I was eight.3. When I was eight, we went to Delaware.

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4. I was eight, and we went to Delaware.

In all four examples, there are two S/V/C patterns. In the first example, “time” is the direct object

of “remember.” The “when” clause modifies (chunks to) “time,” so it functions as an adjective.

In the second example, the “when” clause functions as the direct object of “remember.” Thus it is

a noun clause that functions as a direct object. In the third example, the “When” is a subordinate

conjunction, thereby making the first clause subordinate, but the clause functions as an adverb,

telling when they “went.” In the fourth example, the two clauses are joined by “and,” a

coordinating conjunction. Thus they are two main clauses. Note that in the first three examples,

the entire sentence is one main clause because the subordinate clauses chunk to the main S/V/C

pattern. (That definition of a clause is very important.)

Simply put, the type of a clause (main, noun, adjective, adverb) depends on how it functions

in the sentence. Since students who have been working within the KISS Approach can already

understand most of these functions, they can figure out the clauses by using what they have

already learned. Remember, however, that students are still expected to make mistakes – and

should be told that they are expected to make mistakes. There are subordinate clauses that

function as delayed subjects, as appositives, or as parts of noun absolutes, constructions that

students have not yet been introduced to. They are relatively rare, but in working with real texts,

students will run into them.

Exercise 8. 1. Based on Exercise 8. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy BunniesThe Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. Presently a fly settled {on one} {of them} , [#1] | and it moved. |

2. The Flopsy Bunnies stirred a little [NuA] {in their sleep}, | but still they did not wake

up. |

3. Benjamin and Flopsy were {in despair}, [#2] | they could not undo the string

(DO). |

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4. So Mr. McGregor did not get his tobacco (DO), | and Mrs. McGregor did not

get her rabbit skins (DO). |

5. Then the mouse came {out of her jam pot}, | and Benjamin took the paper bag (DO)

{off his head}, | and they told the doleful tale (DO). | Notes

1. There is no comma after "them" in the original, but I decided to edit so as not to begin with an exception to the general rule.

2. Note the comma-splice. Although I have not had the time to do a formal study, my sense from working with her tales is that Potter uses a comma to join main clauses that express cause/effect relationships. This raises an interesting question about the causes of comma splices that we teachers mark as errors in students' writing.

Exercise 8. 2. Based on Exercise 8. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckThe Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, by Beatrix Potter, by Beatrix Potter

1. He had a bite (DO) {on his ear} | and both the puppies were limping. |

2. The shed was almost quite full (PA) {of feathers} | – it was almost suffocating (PA);

| but it was comfortable (PA) and very soft (PA). |

3. This is my summer residence (PN); | you would not find my earth (DO) – my

winter house. [#1] |

4. She laid more eggs (DO) {in June}, | and she was permitted (P) to keep them [#2]

herself [#3]: | but only four {of them} hatched. |

5. It was built (P) {of faggots and turf}, | and there [Expletive] were two broken pails (PN),

one [#4] {on top} {of another}, {by way} {of a chimney} . | Notes

1. "House" is an appositive to "earth." 2. "Them" is the direct object of the infinitive "to keep." The function of the infinitive can be

explained in two ways -- 1) as an adverb to "was permitted," or 2) as a retained direct object after the passive "was permitted."

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3. “Herself” is an appositive to “she.”4. “One” here basically functions as a noun used as an adverb, but note that it is also an

appositive to “pails.”

Exercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,” by Johnny GruelleExercise 8. 3. Based on “The Three Little Gnomes,” by Johnny Gruelle

1. I took my little horn (DO) and followed them (DO), | but I soon lost their track

(DO). |

2. We live happily here {in the forest} | and our wants are simple (PA). |

3. Then the three little gnomes sat {upon Fuzzy Fox’s back} | and he ran on {through the

forest} {with them}. |

4. Long, long ago, the tree had stood strong and upright [#1] | and its top branches

reached far {above any} {of the other trees) {in the forest} . | 5. A silvery thread {of smoke} curled up {over the trunk} {of the old tree} and floated

away {through the forest}, | and tiny voices came {from beneath the trunk} {of the old

tree}. |Note

1. "Strong" and "upright" would generally be explained as adjectives, but here they could be considered adverbs. They can also be seen as predicate adjectives in a palimpsest pattern (in which "had stood" is written over "was." Or they can be explained as post-positioned adjectives. The question is not that important, so I would accept any of these explanations.


Expect students to be confused by the two subordinate clauses. Simply note that they are not joined by "and," "or," "but," a semicolon, colon, or a dash.

Part 1:

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James White has two dogs (DO). | One is a Newfoundland dog (PN), | and the

other is a Scotch terrier (PN). | The Newfoundland is a large, noble fellow (PN). |

His name is Sport (PN). | Every night [NuA] he guards the house (DO) [Adv. to

"guards" while James and his father are asleep.] | Part 2:

{In the daytime}, James often uses Sport (DO) {for his horse}. | He has a little

wagon (DO) , and a set (DO) {of small harness} [Adj. to "harness" and/or "set" which

just fits the dog (DO).] | He hitches Sport (DO) {to this wagon}, and drives {over the

country}. |


The name {of James's Scotch terrier} is Dodger (PN). | He is called (P) Dodger

(PN) [#1] [Adv. to "is called" because he jumps about so friskily]. | He is up [#2] {on a

chair}, {under the table}, {behind the door}, {down cellar}, and out [#2] {in the yard}, – all [#3]

{in a minute}. |

Dodger has very bright eyes (DO), | and he does many funny things (DO). | He

likes to put [#4] his paws (DO) up {on the crib}, and watch the baby (DO). | The other day [NuA] he took baby's red stocking (DO), and had great fun (DO) {with

it}; | but he spoiled it (DO) {in his play}, | and James had to scold him (DO). | Notes

1. Technically, "Dodger" is a retained predicate noun, after the passive "is called." The active voice version would be "James calls him Dodger." In the active voice version, "him" is the subject and "Dodger" is the predicate noun of an ellipsed infinitive ("to be"). The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "calls." As a result, I would not object if a student, at this KISS Level, considered "Dodger" to be a direct object.

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2. At this level, I would also simply accept "up on a chair" and "out in the yard" as prepositional phrases. Note that "down cellar" is the same basic construction, but with the preposition ellipsed – "down *in the* cellar."

3. "All" is an appositive that is rarely, if ever, discussed in grammar textbooks. Note that is simply brings together all of the things in the prepositional phrases.

4. Technically, "to put" is an infinitive that functions as the direct object of "likes," and "paws" is the direct object of the infinitive.


Exercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific IdeasExercise 9. 3. Compound Main Clauses and General/Specific Ideas

Based on “Why The Hoofs of The Deer Are Split”

from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook

Although many people usually do not think of it as such, the distinction between general and specific ideas is FUNDAMENTAL to logic. It is, after all, the basic premise of inductive logic. Getting students to see this distinction is, in addition, a primary task of writing teachers. Over and over teachers beg, push, and drag students into getting specific details into their writing. Anyone can make a general statement about anything, but pushed to offer specific examples, many people falter. Note, by the way, that this is also an exercise in parallel construction. I'm not sure that I would discuss parallel construction with third graders, but I think they would understand the basic idea, even without the term. In essence, each example has its own main clause. A non-parallel version would be something like,

The green leaves whispering merrily together, the waves lap on the shore and laugh while the squirrels are chattering and laying up their food for winter.

In this version, the first example is stated in a noun absolute; the second, in a main clause; and the third in a subordinate clause.

You might want to break this exercise into two assignments. Have the students do the analysis first. Then have them discuss examples of general and specific statements before you ask them to write the sentences of their own. You also might want to tuck this assignment aside for repeated use, later in the year, or in later years. (You'll be able to use the sentences written by your students as examples for later assignments.)

Everything is good (PA) and happy (PA). | The green leaves are whispering

merrily together, | the waves are lapping {on the shore} and laughing, | the squirrels

are chattering and laying up their food (DO) {for winter}. | Note

I would also simply accept "up" as an adverb in "laying up." Some grammarians will argue that "laying up" means "storing" and thus should be considered a "phrasal" verb, but telling

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students that they are wrong about a minor detail like this will detract from their attention to the main point of the exercise. Note that "for winter" can alternatively be explained as an adjective to "food."



I was going to include a copy of the same graph sheet after every exercise, but that might result in some very wasteful printing. Thus, it is on the final page of this book, and you can print as many copies as your students need.

1. There was a father mouse (PN), | there was a mother mouse (PN), | and there

were three little baby mice (PN). |

2. One little mouse had sharp bright eyes (DO), | and he could see everything (DO),

even {in the darkest holes}. |

3. The little mice obeyed their mother (DO), | and they were happy (PA) {in their

home} {in the pantry wall} . |

4. I could not tell you (IO) {about all} {of these} , | but I am going to tell you (IO)

{about their Christmas party}. |

5. The stockings hung {by the chimney}, | and the tall tree was standing {in the

parlor}. |

6. The children were asleep, | and the father and mother had gone upstairs {to

bed}. |

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II. The color version of the graph:

Note that this graphing exercise is preparation for the similar analysis of the writing of their peers -- and then of their own writing. For more on this and on the purpose of graphing, see the explanation in the third grade workbook.


Suggestion: Consider using the fourth sentence as a writing model -- four main clauses all based on the same verb. Expand vocabulary – see how many different verbs the students can find that will make sense in this exercise.

1. The children have talked {about the Christmas tree} {for days}, | and we have never

seen one (DO). |

2. I found a little [#1] popcorn (DO) {on the pantry floor}, | and I want some more

(DO). |

3. The cat is not near; | *You* come and see the tree (DO). |

4. They nibbled the popcorn (DO); | they nibbled the candy (DO); | they nibbled

the nuts (DO); | and they nibbled the cakes (DO). |

5. The door was opened (P), | and the lights were turned on (P). |

6. {With a squeak}, the mice scampered down {from the tree}; | then they ran {along the

hall}, {through the pantry}, and back {to their home}. |

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7. I am {in a trap}, | but there isn't even a bit (PN) {of cheese} {in it}. | Note

1. Note the ellipsis involved here – it does not mean that the popcorn was little. It means "a little *bit of* popcorn." But at the same time, it means "I found popcorn." Thus the ellipsis slides into the direct object.

II. The color version of the graph:

Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”Exercise 9. 6. How Much I Can Explain – “Humpty Dumpty”

Remember that the purpose of this short exercise is to remind students (and ourselves) of how much of real texts most students can already explain. Success motivates success.

Humpty Dumpty sat {on a wall}, | Humpty Dumpty had a great fall (DO); | All the King's horses, and all the King's men

Cannot put Humpty Dumpty (DO) together again. |How Much I Can Explain

Total Words = 27 Words Total Explained

% of Text

Words in Prepositional Phrases 3 3 11 %+ Adj & Adverbs (not in prep phrases) 10 13 48 %+ Words in S / V / C patterns (including conjunctions) 14 27 100 %

The illustration and poem are from The Real Mother Goose. Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright. Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1916.

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Exercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb TensesExercise 9. 8. Recognizing Verb Tenses

Note that these are all compound main clauses so this exercise can also be used to review them.

1. The captain opens the box (DO) {of jewels}, | and he shows Dick (IO) some

(DO) {of his riches}. | present

2. An army {of rats and mice} ran {into the room}, | and they ate {from every dish}. | past

3. It was a long walk (PN) {for the little boy}, | but {at last} he came {to London}. | past

4. The cat will see them (DO), | and {in a few minutes} she will have killed many

(DO) {of the rats and mice}. | future

5. The ship {with the cat} {on board} had a long and stormy voyage (DO), | and it was

{at last} driven (P) {to a strange land}. | past

6. His bed is {in an attic} | and {at night} many mice and rats come {through the holes}

{in the walls}. | present

7. Dick hides his cat (DO) {in the attic}, | and every day [NuA] he carries a part (DO)

{of his dinner} {to her}. | present

8. The captain will sell your cat (DO) {to the king} {of a foreign land} , | and he will

bring you (IO) {in return} many riches (DO). | future

9. They are coming down {to the shore} {in great crowds} to see the sailors [#1], | and

they are buying fine things (DO) {on the ship} [#2]. | present

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10. The kind man will ask the cook to give Dick a good dinner [#3], | and then he will

find some work (DO) {for him} to do [#4]. | future

Notes1. "Sailors" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to see." The infinitive phrase functions

as an adverb (of purpose) to "are coming." 2. Some people will see "on the ship" as adjectival to "things." 3. "Dinner" is the direct object, and "Dick" is the indirect object, of the verbal (infinitive) "to

give." "Cook" is the subject of that infinitive -- and simultaneously the indirect object of "will ask." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "will ask."

4. Grammarians would probably offer a variety of explanations for this verbal (infinitive) "to do." It could be explained as an adjective to "work." At this stage in their work, I would expect third graders to mark "for him" as a prepositional phrase, but note that that phrase could also be considered an adverb to "will find." The preferred KISS explanation is to consider "him" to be the subject of the infinitive "to do," and the infinitive phrase to be the object of the preposition -- {for him to do}. Explained in that way, the prepositional phrase is adjectival to "work."

Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”Exercise 9. 9. Vocabulary and Logic – “Where Does Each Belong?”

This type of exercise should be excellent for third graders as an introduction to basic logic. KISS is based on a fundamental concept from the logic of David Hume. He claims that every logical relationship falls into one of three categories – identity, extension (in time or space), or cause/effect. How these categories relate to the study of sentence structure is developed in much more detail in the upper grades, but here we might simply note that "Who? and "What?" are questions of identity. "When?" and "Where?" are questions of extension in time and space. Hume was assuming an Aristotelian concept of cause in which the manner in which something was done ("How?") was considered one of several causes for what was done.

The directions in the assignment are straight from the original, but you might want to modify them. First, this could be a good small group exercise. Assign each group one (not two) of the headings, but have at least five groups so that each heading is covered. Then have the groups report their results to the class.

You might also want to have the students identify the typical grammatical functions of the "groups" of words in their lists. For example, "an Indian squaw" is a noun phrase, "along the street" is a prepositional phrase, and "suddenly" is an adverb. (The subordinate clause "when snowflakes fall" will probably confuse them.) When they finish, don't forget to point out that the words and phrases in the "Who" and "What" lists tend to be nouns, whereas those in the "When," "Where," and "How" lists tend to be adverbs or prepositional phrases. Gently stress the importance of including "when," "where," and "how" words in their own writing.

Although this exercise does not directly address this, you might want to have students look (treasure hunt) for sentences that include both "where" and "when" words or phrases. They are fairly common in narratives – "In the park on Sunday, we played baseball." (In the 1980's there was a push to get students to increase the length of their sentences by having the them do

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sentence-combining exercises. Sentence-combining can be problematic, in part because the content in exercises is often meaningless. Adding prepositional phrases of place and time almost tripled the length of "we played baseball.")

Exercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue TwistersExercise 9. 10. Just for Fun - Tongue Twisters

1. Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos (DO). |

2. Sly Sam slurps Sally's soup (DO). |

3. The two-twenty-two train tore {through the tunnel}. |

4. Ed had edited it (DO). |

5. Crisp crusts crackle crunchily. |

6. Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs (DO). |

7. What time [#1] does the wristwatch strap shop shut? |

8. Are our oars oak (PA)? |

9. Chop shops stock chops (DO). |

10. The ochre ogre ogled the poker (DO). | Note

1. This can be explained as a Noun Used as an Adverb, but some people might feel more comfortable if they assume an ellipsed "At" here, thereby making it a prepositional phrase.

Section 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct ObjectsSection 10. – Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects

This is a logical extension of Section 8, the introduction of compound main clauses. The teaching of subordinate clauses is discussed in the preface to that section, so here we need only be concerned with a couple of pedagogical choices that you need to consider.

Obviously, the exercises in this section all focus on noun clauses that function as direct objects. But because verbals are not introduced until Section 17, the sentences in these exercises do not reflect the sentences in real texts. Most, if not all, verbals have been avoided or eliminated from these sentences. If you are having students analyze randomly selected texts before they do Section 17, this may cause some problems. Thus you may want to look at Section 17 before you do so.

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Second, although the focus of this section is subordinate clauses that function as direct objects, one page of general instructional material on all types of subordinate clauses is also included. You can use this briefly as general background information for students, or you can use it as primary instructional material, especially if you are having students analyze sentences from other sources, samples in which they will, for example, find adverbial clauses.

Finally, I would strongly suggest that teaching the KISS analytical method is not a choice, but a requirement. At this point, it may not seem very important, but students should find all the prepositional phrases in a sentence first, then all the S/V/C patterns, and only then should they look for clauses. Note, for example, what happens when they get to verbals. In a sentence such as "They asked Bill to play baseball." Since "to play" is not a finite verb, it will not be underlined twice. Thus, when students next look for clauses, there will be only one pattern in this sentence. They put a vertical line at the end, and they are done. If they have not first identified the S / (finite) verb / complement patterns, may students will be tempted to mark "Bill to play baseball" as a subordinate clause.

Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”Exercise 10. 1. Based on “Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story”

1. I think [DO it will be a good plan (PN)]. |

2. Another would say, [DO “Pooh [Inj.], that is nothing (PN)!”] |

3. I do not believe [DO we should harm the hawk (DO)]. |

4. The catfish decided [DO that they would follow their chief (DO)]. |

5. *You* See [DO how [#1] brave (PA) and fearless (PA) the mighty catfish are]! |

6. [DO “What kind {of a fish} is that (PN), Gran’pa Skeeterhawk [DirA]?”] he asked. |

7. [DO “That’s a catfish (PN)!”] Gran’pa replied. |

8. [DO “Dear me! [Inj.] Are their heads flat (PA)?”] Johnny Cricket asked. |

9. They expected [DO he would be the first (PN) to hide [#2] {under the mud}]. | 10. They thought [DO that they were not only the most beautiful fish (PN) but the

fiercest fighters (PN) {in the world} [#3]]. | Notes

1. "How" functions as both adverb and subordinate conjunction.

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2. "To hide" is a verbal (an infinitive, in this case) that functions as an adjective to "first." 3. Although the "in the world" phrase can be connected to the sentence in different ways, perhaps

the best is to see it as an adverb to "most," which, in turn, modifies "beautiful" and "fiercest."

Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”Exercise 10. 2. From “The Story of the First Ants”

1. Mother [DirA], I have found [DO that I have a wonderful sense (DO) {of smell}]. |

2. {By its help} I can find [DO whatever is hidden (P) away]. |

3. [DO "That is a marvelous story (PN),"] cried the sister. |

4. Can you tell me (IO) [DO what is {in these jars} [#1]]? |

5. I shall think [DO you are really a magician (PN)]. |

6. *You* Only think [DO what a wonderful sense (DO) {of smell} my son has]! |

7. Oh [Inj], how I wish [DO I had not tried to play tricks [#2]]! |

8. We saw [DO that you knew us (DO)]. |

9. Oh [Inj], I wish [DO I had not been a thief (PN)]! |

10. She thought [DO his power was only a trick (PN)]. | 11. The man wished [DO that no one would ever talk {to him} again {of his sense}

{of smell}]. | Notes

1. Alternatively, "in these jars" can be considered a prepositional phrase that functions as a predicate adjective, as in What the stuff in these jars is?

2. "Tricks" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to play," which functions as the direct object of "had tried." Depending on how much the students have been taught about distinguishing verbals, at this point in their work I might also accept "had tried to play" as the finite verb and "tricks" as its direct object.

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1. His sister knew [DO that he had met {with disappointment}]. |

2. Neither could say a word (DO) {for a long time}, | [#1] then the little old man told

her (IO) [DO he had been unable (PA) to make a single penny [#2] {by playing}].

|

3. He knew {in a moment} [DO she was the one (PN)]. |

4. The little old man felt [DO he should recognize her (DO)], | but he could not

remember [DO where he had seen her (DO) before [#3]]. |

5. [DO “ *You* Let us not be downhearted [#4], Brother [DirA]!”] said the sister. | Notes

1. Note the comma-splice -- just a comma to join two main clauses. 2. "Penny" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to make," which functions as an adverb

to "unable." ["Playing" is a verbal (a gerund) that functions as the object of "by."] 3. Note the connection between "before" as an adverb and the ellipsed prepositional phrase --

"before *this time*." 4. "Us" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "be," and "downhearted" is a predicate adjective to

"be." The verbal phrase is the direct object of "Let."

Exercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough Stone and the Gnarled Tree”Exercise 10. 4. Based on “The Old, Rough Stone and the Gnarled Tree”

1. I wish [DO the silly squirrel had gone some other place [NuA] to eat the nuts [#1]]! |

2. *You* Just see [DO how he pushes me (DO) up {in the air} {with his roots}]! |

3. [DO “Now I shall be all {by myself} again!”] he said. |

4. I wish [DO the gnarled tree {with its pretty rustling leaves} were [#2] here again]. |

5. I wish [DO another squirrel would come to eat nuts [#1] {upon me}! |

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6. The little nut took root (DO) and sent its tiny shoots (DO) up {in the air}, | and the

old, rough Stone said, [DO “There! [#3] I knew it (DO)!”] | 7. I wish [DO the gnarled tree would come back and scatter his leaves (DO) {about

me}]. | Notes

1. "Nuts" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to eat." The verbal functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "had gone." At this point in their work, expect many students to mark "to eat" or "to eat the nuts" as a prepositional phrase. The "To" problem is a focus of later exercises in third grade.

2. "Were" is in the subjunctive mood. 3. "There" is rarely, if ever, included among the examples of interjections in textbooks, but in

this case it functions as one.

Exercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate Clauses as Direct ObjectsExercise 10. 5. Indirect Objects with Subordinate Clauses as Direct Objects

1. My father asked her (IO) [DO what troubled her (DO)]. |

2. I will show him (IO) [DO what kind (PN) {of man} I am]. |

3. I will tell you (IO) [DO how you may get well (PA) [#1]]. | 4. Then the stork suddenly asked the geese (IO) [DO if they had seen the gray rats

(DO)]. | 5. Jonah then told the men (IO) [DO what [#2] God had commanded him to do [#2] ].

|

6. *You* Tell me (IO) [DO who [#3] you are] and the story (DO) {of your life}. | 7. Neither [#4] dared tell [#5] the king (IO) nor anyone else (IO) [DO where he had

been], nor [DO what [#2] the ogre had done {to him} [#6]]. |

8. George told the men (IO) [DO that he had come to join the chase [#7]]. |

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9. The queen {of the fairies} told the fairies (IO) [DO that they must keep Tom safe

[#8] {from harm}]. | Notes

1. Some people may feel uncomfortable explaining "well" as a predicate adjective here. There is really no problem with considering it to be an adverb that modifies "will get." (This is the type of discussion in which grammarians get so bogged down that they cannot effectively teach students how to analyze real sentences.)

2. "What" functions simultaneously as the subordinating conjunction and as the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to do." "Him" is the indirect object of "had commanded" and the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "had commanded."

3. "Who" functions simultaneously as the subordinating conjunction and as the predicate noun after "are."

4. "Neither" is generally considered to be part of the coordinating conjunction "Neither ... nor...," which is why "nor" appears later in the sentence. One could explain this through ellipsis "Neither *person* dared ...." This would make "person" the subject, leaving "Neither" as part of the conjunction.

5. Alternatively, "tell" can be considered an infinitive (verbal) that functions as the direct object of "dared."

6. The prepositional phrase "to him" can be explained either as an adverb to "had done" or as its indirect object.

7. "Chase" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to join." The phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "had come."

8. Traditional grammars explain "safe" as an "objective complement," a concept that is not used in KISS. KISS explains "safe" as a predicate adjective after an ellipsed infinitive "Tom *to be* safe." The infinitive (and everything that chunks to it) functions as the direct object of "must keep."

Section 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” ProblemSection 11 – Prepositional Phrases: The “To” Problem

Little words cause the biggest problems. If we wish to enable students to discuss real texts, students need to distinguish "to" as a preposition from "to" as the sign of an infinitive. (Note that the instructional material tells students that they are not expected to remember the term "infinitive." All they need to learn at this point is that if whatever answers the question "What?" after "to" is a noun or pronoun, they are dealing with a prepositional phrase and should put parentheses around it. If whatever answers the question is a verb, they should not.

Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?Exercise 11. 1. "To" – Is it a preposition?

1. Sam went {to the park} [Adverb to "went"] {with his friends} [Adverb to "went"].

2. Ann loves to play basketball {with the boys} [Adverb to "to play"].

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3. {In the summer} [Adverb to "goes"], Arnie goes {to Florida} [Adverb to "goes"] {with his

family} [Adverb to "goes"] {on vacation} [Adverb to "goes"].

4. {To whom} [Adverb to "did give"] did they give the prize {for the contest} [Adjective to

"prize"]?

5. Carol asked her sister to help her {in the evening} [Adverb to "to help"] {with her

homework} [Adverb to "to help"].

6. {On Saturday} [Adverb to "to wanted"], his father wanted Bill to wash their car.

7. He went to shelter his dog {from the rain} [Adverb to "to shelter"].

8. He went {to shelter} [Adverb to "went"] to get {out of the rain} [Adverb to "to get"].

9. Tom and Jim went {to the lake} [Adverb to "went"] to drown some worms.

10. Jack and Jill wanted to climb {to the top} [Adverb to "to climb"] {of the hill} [Adjective

to "top"].


1. Tears came {to the poor little old man’s eyes}; | everyone was too busy (PA) to stop

to hear his music [#1]. | 2. {At the first street corner} he stopped and placed his violin (DO) {to his shoulder} to

play [#2]. | 3. No one stopped to listen [#3] {to his music}, much less to drop anything [#4] {in the

tiny tin cup}. |

4. He had to stop and rest {at each flight} {of stairs} | and he fell {to his knees} just [ [#5]

as he reached the attic door (DO)]. |

5. Again he climbed the stairs (DO) {to the attic} | but he felt too weary (PA) to say

a thing [#6]. | Notes

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1. "Music" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to hear." "To hear" functions as an adverb of the verbal (infinitive) "to stop." "To stop" functions as an adverb to "too," which functions as an adverb to "busy."

2. The verbal (infinitive) "to play" functions as an adverb to "placed." 3. The verbal (infinitive) "to listen" functions here as an adverb (of purpose) to "stopped." From

third graders, however, I would also accept it as part of the verb phrase "stopped to listen." The important thing here is that students should not mark it as a prepositional phrase.

4. "Anything" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to drop," which functions in the same way that "to listen" does. I was tempted to change "much less" to "or" in this exercise, but I decided that at this point in their work, students should see more words that they are not expected to be able to explain. "Much less" will, I am sure, evoke a number of different explanations from grammarians. A KISS explanation of "much less" considers "much" as an adverb to "less," and "less" as an adverb to both "stopped" and "to drop" (thereby connecting them).

5. At this point in their work, students are not expected to identify this adverbial clause. It functions as an adverb to "fell." "Just" functions as an adverb to the adverbial clause. (Adverbs that modify entire clauses are rarely, if ever, explained in grammar textbooks.)

6. "Thing" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to say." The verbal functions as an adverb to "too," which functions as an adverb to "weary."

Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”Exercise 11. 3. “To Market”

{To market}, {to market} [#1], to buy a fat pig [#2]. |

Home [NuA] again, home [NuA] again, jiggety jig [NuA]. |

{To market}, {to market}, to buy a fat hog [#2], |

Home [NuA] again, home [NuA] again, jiggety jog [NuA]. |

{To market}, {to market}, to buy a plum bun [#2], |

Home [NuA] again, home [NuA] again, market is done (P). | Notes

1. Although the word "market" can function as a verb, here they are not going to sell (market), but rather to buy. Thus "to market" here is a prepositional phrase. Note that there is no verb in this sentence, but you might want to point out to students that it is a poem, and poems often break, or play on, grammatical rules.

2. "Pig," "hog," and "bun" are direct objects of the infinitive "to buy." The infinitive functions as an adverb to the implied "are going," as in "We are going to the market."

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Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”Exercise 11. 4. Based on “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck”

This is a very complex exercise for third graders. Remember that the objective is definitely not that the students learn to explain the infinitives, but rather that they learn not to underline them as finite verbs.

1. He used to turn [#1] the eggs (DO) over and count them (DO). |

2. He should be proud (PA) to see a fine nestful [#2] {in his wood-shed}. | 3. He led the way (DO) {to a very retired, dismal-looking house} {amongst the fox-gloves} .

[#3] | 4. May I ask you (IO) to bring up some herbs [#4] {from the farm-garden} to make a

savoury omelette [#4]? |

5. He seemed almost sorry (PA) to let Jemima go [#5] home [NuA] {for the night}. | 6. Jemima Puddle-duck was rather surprised (P) to find such a vast quantity [#6] {of

feathers}. | 7. Her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rebeccah Puddle-duck [#7], was perfectly willing (PA) to

leave the hatching [#8] {to some one else}. | Notes

1. Most grammarians seem to consider "used to" as a helping verb. Clearly "used" has a special meaning in this situation -- "to turn" does not answer the question "Used what?" Tell students that you expected them to have trouble with this one. Note that the "and" joins "to turn" and "count," so "count" functions however "to turn" does.

2. "Nestful" is the direct object of the infinitive "to see" which functions as an adverb explaining "proud." Note that the prepositional phrase "in his wood-shed" can be explained as an adjective to "nestful" and/or as an adverb to "to see."

3. In this context, this is a trick question for those students who, seeing that "to" phrases are generally ignored, fail to mark this one as a prepositional phrase.

4. "Herbs" is the direct object of the infinitive "to bring." "You" is both the indirect object of "may ask" and the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive phrase is the direct object of "may ask." "Omelette" is the direct object of the infinitive "to make." This infinitive phrase can be explained as an adjective to "herbs," or as an adverb to "to bring."

5. "Jemima" is the subject of the infinitive "go." That phrase functions as the direct object of the infinitive "to let" which functions as an adverb explaining "sorry."

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6. "Quantity" is the direct object of the infinitive "to find" which functions as an adverb to "was surprised."

7. "Mrs. Rebeccah Puddle-duck" is an appositive to "sister-in-law." 8. "Hatching" is the direct object of the infinitive "to leave" which functions as an adverb to

"willing." Some grammarians would consider "hatching" a gerund; others don't. Note, by the way, the spelling of "some one." I have remained faithful to the original, but you may want to use this as a starting point for a discussion of how language and spelling rules change over time.

Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”Exercise 11. 5 “A Robin and a Robin's Son”

A robin and a robin's son

Once went {to town} to buy a bun [#1]. |

They couldn't decide {on plum or plain} |

And so they went back home [NuA] again. |Notes

1. "Bun" is the direct object of the infinitive "to buy." The infinitive functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "went."

Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)Section 12 – Preposition? Or Part of the Verb? (Phrasal Verbs)

In sentences such as “They were looking at the boy in the boat,” some grammarians claim that “at” is part of the verb, whereas others claim that it is a preposition. The KISS principle of alternative explanations allows students to use either explanation in such cases, but students will be confused without some focused practice on how to handle these “prepositions” that may not be prepositions. KISS encourages students to start their analysis of a sentence by marking the prepositional phrases. Without some such practice, given a sentence such as “Put on your thinking cap,” many students will thoughtlessly mark “on your thinking cap” as a prepositional phrase. (Note that in cases like “put on,” students can explain “put on” as the verb, or they can consider “on” to be an adverb.)

Grammarians have a variety of other names for the construction involved here, but their explanations reflect the fact that they have given little thought to teaching young students how to handle them. Thus many teachers and grammarians define "phrasal verbs" as verbs plus "prepositions" that can be replaced by a single word. In the case of "put on," in the sentence above, they note that it means "don." But how many third or fourth graders have "don" in their vocabulary?

Remember that the objective here is not in learning a name ("phrasal verbs"), but rather that the students pay attention to the meaning and do not mark as prepositional phrases words that are not.

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Exercise 12. 1. Based on Exercise 12. 1. Based on The Tale of the Flopsy BunniesThe Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

1. Mr. McGregor tied up the sack (DO). |

Or: tied up (secured)

2. A little old mouse picked over the rubbish (DO) {among the jam pots} [#1]. |

Or: picked over (searched)

3. Mr. McGregor threw down the sack (DO) {on the stone floor}. | 4. Mr. McGregor came back and picked up the sack (DO), and carried it (DO) off.

| 5. Suddenly Mr. McGregor emptied out a sackful (DO) [#2] {of lawn mowings} right

(upon the top} {of the sleeping Flopsy Bunnies} ! | Note

1. Some people will consider "among the jam pots" as an adverb to "picked (over)"; others will see it as an adjective to "rubbish."

2. Some thoughtful students are going to note that "sackful" answers the question "How much?" as well as "What?" Thus they may justifiably want to consider "sackful" a noun used as an adverb.

Exercise 12. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckExercise 12. 2. Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

1. He folded up the newspaper (DO), and put it (DO) {in his coat-tail pocket}. | "Up the newspaper" is not a prepositional phrase.

2. He was looking {over the top} {of the newspaper} . | I have analyzed this one to fit the meaning in the story, but in another context "over" would be considered as part of the verb if "was looking over" meant "was examining."

3. You have looked {at your eggs}. | Alternatively, "at" could be considered as part of the verb ("looked at" = "seen").

4. Unfortunately the puppies rushed in and gobbled up all the eggs (DO). |

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"Up all the eggs" is not a prepositional phrase.

Exercise 12. 3. Based on Exercise 12. 3. Based on The Tale of Samuel WhiskersThe Tale of Samuel Whiskers

1. The slanting slates kept out the rain (DO). | The slates kept the rain out of the house.

2. They tipped up the jar (DO). | They tipped the jar upward.

3. Tom Kitten knocked down some soot (DO) {into the fender}. | Tom knocked some soot down.

4. She borrowed a small saucer (DO), and scooped up the dough (DO) {with her

paws}. | "Up the dough" does not make any sense here as a prepositional phrase. She scooped the dough upward.

5. The rats eat up the chicken food (DO), and steal the oats (DO) and bran (DO),

and make holes (DO) {in the meal bags}. | Or: "Eat up" ("consume"). The rats do not eat "up the food" and then "down it."


Exercise 13. 1. Compound Main ClausesExercise 13. 1. Compound Main ClausesBased on The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, by Beatrix Potter

1. Presently a fly settled {on one} {of them} , [#1] | and it moved. |

2. The Flopsy Bunnies stirred a little [NuA] {in their sleep}, | but still they did not wake

up. |

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3. Benjamin and Flopsy were {in despair}, [#2] | they could not undo the string

(DO). |

4. So Mr. McGregor did not get his tobacco (DO), | and Mrs. McGregor did not

get her rabbit skins (DO). |

5. Then the mouse came {out of her jam pot}, | and Benjamin took the paper bag (DO)

{off his head}, | and they told the doleful tale (DO). | Notes

1. There is no comma after "them" in the original, but I decided to edit so as not to begin with an exception to the general rule.

2. Note the comma-splice. Although I have not had the time to do a formal study, my sense from working with her tales is that Potter uses a comma to join main clauses that express cause/effect relationships. This raises an interesting question about the causes of comma-splices that we teachers mark as errors in students' writing.

Exercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers AnswerExercise 13. 4. The Questions That Modifiers AnswerA Sentence from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

In an exercise like this, the objective is not to get the "right" answer, but rather to get students thinking about the kinds of information that words add to sentences -- and how they do so. Thus, for example, the objects of prepositions are not "modifiers." The prepositions create phrases, and the phrases function as modifiers. It is probably safe to say that all modifiers function either as adjectives or as adverbs. Technically, in other words, the "Whom?" question is not a question that is answered by a modifier. You may want to see if your third graders can understand that, or you may simply accept object of prepositions as modifiers that answer the "Whom?" or "What?" questions in relation to prepositions.

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They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

S/V/C Chunks to Part of Speech QuestionThey They (subject)lived lived (verb)with lived Adv. (Prep P) Where?their Mother Adjective Whose?Mother with Noun OP Whom?in lived Adv. (Prep P) Where?a sand-bank Adjective Which? [#1]

sand-bank, in Noun OP What?underneath lived [#2] Adv. (Prep P) Where?the root Adjective Which? [#1]

root underneath Noun OP What?of root Adj. (Prep P) Which? / Whose?a fir-tree Adjective Which?very big Adverb How? / How much?big fir-tree Adjective What kind of?fir-tree. of Noun OP What?

Notes1. Many modern linguists consider "a," "an," and "the" to be members of a category called

"determiners." (Some consider determiners to be a separate pare of speech; others consider them to be a sub-category of adjectives.) You might want to use this exercise, in part, for a discussion of the difference in meaning of "a" ("an") and "the." Generally, "a" specifies one (possibly of several) that is not specifically known to the readers/listeners. "The," of course, can refer to one or to more than one (the root, the roots). Unlike "a," it is generally used to denote something that both the speaker/writer and the listener/reader can both specifically identify. The use of "the root," instead of "a root," in this sentence is interesting (and would be a source of major discussion for linguists). Does it imply that this root was the only root that was visible?

2. Because commas are often used to indicate the ends of "chunks," I'm taking the "underneath" phrase back to "lived" as an adverb. I would not, however, claim that anyone who chunked it to "sand-bank" would be wrong.

Exercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main ClauseExercise 13. 5. Graphing Words per Main Clause

The Opening Paragraph of "The Sleeping Beauty"Note: Because third graders have not yet studied adjectival and adverbial clauses, the

"adapted" version reduces these to main clauses. Thus you may want to have the students just do the adapted version, or you may want to present them the challenge of the original.

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Remember that the primary objectives of this type of assignment for third graders are to offer a change of pace (and a connection to math), to accustom them to the idea of graphing, and to prepare them for the analysis of the writing of their peers.

Adapted:

Once {upon a time} there [#1] lived a king (PN) and queen (PN). | They were very

unhappy (PA). | They had no children (DO). | But {at last} a little daughter was

born (P), | and their sorrow was turned (P) {to joy}. | All the bells {in the land} were

rung (P) to tell the glad tidings [#2]. | The Original:

Once {upon a time} there [#1] lived a king (PN) and queen (PN) [Adj. to "king" and

"queen" who were very unhappy (PA) [Adv. to "were" because they had no children

(DO)]]. | But {at last} a little daughter was born (P), | and their sorrow was turned (P)

{to joy}. | All the bells {in the land} were rung (P) to tell the glad tidings [#2]. | Notes

1. The normal KISS explanation here is to consider "There" the subject in a palimpsest pattern with "lived" written over "were." Alternatively, "There" can be explained as an adverb, or as an expletive.

2. "Tidings" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to tell." The infinitive functions as an adverb of purpose to "were rung."

II. The graphs:

Although third graders might not be able to see it (since they probably will not be doing both options), teachers might note the stylistic difference reflected in these two simple graphs. Our psycholinguistic model suggests that we chunk all the words in a main clause together in short-term memory and then dump to LTM at the end of main clauses. This dumping gives a basic rhythm to the text. In the original, the first main clause contains two subordinate clauses for a total of nineteen words. And it is not just a matter of words -- in that clause, the reader holds three S/V/C patterns in STM before dumping.

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Adapted:

Original:

Exercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis StevensonExercise 13. 6. How Much I Can Explain: “Singing,” by Robert Louis Stevenson

{Of speckled eggs} the birdie sings

And {*of* nests} {among the trees} ; | The sailor sings {of ropes and things}

{In ships} {upon the seas}. |

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The children sing {in far Japan}, |

The children sing {in Spain}; | The organ {with the organ man}

Is singing {in the rain}. |

How Much I Can ExplainThe only word(s) that I would not expect students to be able to explain at this

point in their work would be "nests," because they may not see that the "and" is connecting "eggs" and "nests."


% of Text

Words in Prep Phrases 27 27 60 %+ Adjectives & Adverbs (not in prep phrases) 5 32 71 %+ Coordinating Conjunctions 1 33 73 %+ Words in S / V / C patterns 11 44 98 %

Exercise 13. 7. A Punctuation ExerciseExercise 13. 7. A Punctuation ExerciseBased on Beatrix Potter's The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies

A. Briefly explain why Beatrix Potter used quotation marks in each of the following sentences:

1. They were generally called the "Flopsy Bunnies." This one is interesting because names are not normally put in quotation marks. They are

probably used here to indicate that "Flopsy" is not simply an adjective, but also the name that they were called.

2. "One, two, three, four! five! six leetle rabbits!" said he. The quotation marks indicate his exact words, including his pronunciation of "little" as "leetle."

3. She said that Mr. McGregor had "done it a purpose." [Why isn't "Mr. McGregor" inside the quotation marks?]

The words "done it a purpose" are her exact words, but "Mr. McGregor" may not be. She may have said "He done it a purpose."

B. Commas are used to separate items in a series. Why did Potter use a comma after "hood," but not after "cloak," or "muff"?

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But next Christmas Thomasina Tittlemouse got a present of enough rabbit-wool to make herself a cloak and a hood, and a handsome muff and a pair of warm mittens.

The "missing" commas connect things that go together. Thus the "cloak" and "hood" are a set for the body and head, whereas the "muff" and "mittens" are a set for the hands. The items are not four equal things, but two sets of two.

Exercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb TensesExercise 13. 8. Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses

1. A bee is humming {about the flowers} {on the window sill} . | present

2. {On the clean kitchen floor} two little children were playing happily {in the sunshine}. | past

3. Mrs. Bradley will be very busy (PA) {at work} {in her great kitchen}. | future

4. The potatoes are boiling {in the kettle} {over the open fire}. | present

5. Then he dropped {on his hands and knees} and began creeping [#1] {toward the

house}. | past

6. Mrs. Bradley is humming a little song (DO) and preparing the dinner (DO). | present

7. The warm sun will stream in {through the open windows}. | future

8. {In each little village} a blockhouse had been built (P). | past

9. {To this blockhouse} all the people will flee {in time} {of trouble} . | future

10. Then her eye caught sight (DO) {of two huge brass kettles} upside down [#2] {in front}

{of the fireplace}. | past

Notes1. From third graders, I would accept "began creeping" as the verb phrase here. More technically,

"creeping" is a verbal (gerund) that functions as the direct object of "began." 2. Two adverbs that appear to be modifying a noun? KISS explains this as a result of ellipsis,

similar to the post-positioned adjective. But in this case, we would have "kettles *which were* upside down...." Thus the adverbs modify the ellipsed "were."

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Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”Exercise 13. 9 Vocabulary - FiB with Verbs – “Bob, the Fire Dog”

The blanks are numbered so that you might be able to save paper and ink by having students write the numbers and words on separate paper. You can then use an overhead of the assignments pages to review it in class. On the other hand, you might want to do this as an in-class exercise using an overhead for the exercise and writing the students' suggestions on the board. Try to get students to suggest as many verbs as possible. Are there other verbs that mean almost the same thing (synonyms)? Would a verb that means just the opposite (antonym) make sense?

Remember that this exercise has a double function – to increase vocabulary and to learn to identify finite verbs.

At a London fire station there (1) lives a faithful and daring dog named Bob. Bob (2) is always on duty; he never (3) leaves the station except to help at a fire. The instant the fire alarm (4) sounds, Bob (5) bounds to his seat on the huge engine, where he (6) sits beside the driver as they (7) go (8) dashing through the streets.

Whenever the men (9) think that lives (10) are in danger in a burning building, they (11) place a ladder and (12) look toward Bob. They never (13) need to urge him. Before they (14) can (15) speak, Bob (16) is on the ladder. Up, up he (17) climbs, then (18) springs through a broken windowpane and (19) scurries about from room to room. If he (20) finds anyone asleep, he (21) barks to tell of danger. If he (22) finds anyone who (23) is helpless, he (24) goes back to the window and (25) barks for help. In this way he (26) has (27) saved the lives of nearly a score of persons.

On one of these trips, Bob (28) discovered a very small child. He (29) hurried back to the window for help. As soon as a fireman (30) reached the window, Bob (31) led the way to the child. Back to the window he then (32) darted but, instead of going down first, (33) waited until the fireman and child (34) were safely on their way. Then (35) came Bob, the real and beloved hero of the fire.

Later, at another fire, Bob (36) found an old lady who (37) was too feeble to rise from her chair. Again he (38) called for help and (39) led the fireman as he (40) had when saving the child. This time Bob (41) waited too long before starting down the ladder. Flames (42) began to (43) pour out of the window so that he (44) could not (45) get to it. He (46) would (47) have (48) barked but he (49) was clever enough to know that barking (50) would (51) bring no help. And he (52) had no time to lose.

The firemen (53) were more frantic than Bob himself. They (54) feared that their faithful comrade's work (55) was (56) finished. But just as they (57) were about to give him up, they (58) looked toward another window. There they (59) saw Bob pawing at the glass. The firemen quickly (60) spread a large life-net, and Bob, without waiting an instant, (61) plunged through the glass and down to safety.

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Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”Exercise 13. 10 How Much I Can Explain – “The Boy in the Barn”

Remember that, although third graders may not understand the statistics, the objective of this exercise is to remind students of how much of real texts they can already explain.

A little boy went {into a barn},

And lay down {on some hay}. |

An owl came out, and flew about, |

And the little boy ran away. |

How Much I Can Explain


% of Text

Words in Prepositional Phrases 6 6 23 %+ Adj & Adverbs (not in prep phrases) 9 15 58 %+ Coordinating Conjunctions 2 17 65 %+ Words in S / V / C patterns 8 25 96 %+ “And” that joins main clauses 1 26 100 %

Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”Exercise 13. 11 Sentence Combining – Aesop’s “The Fox and the Crane”

The original text is:

A Fox invited a Crane to supper and provided nothing for his entertainment but some

soup made of pulse, which was poured out into a broad flat stone dish. The soup fell out of

the long bill of the Crane at every mouthful, and his vexation at not being able to eat

afforded the Fox much amusement. The Crane, in his turn, asked the Fox to sup with him,

and set before her a flagon with a long narrow mouth, so that he could easily insert his

neck and enjoy its contents at his leisure. The Fox, unable even to taste it, met with a fitting

requital, after the fashion of her own hospitality. -- Translated by George Fyler Townsend

Analysis (FYI)

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A Fox invited a Crane (DO) {to supper} [Adverb to "invited"] and provided

nothing (DO) {for his entertainment} [Adverb to "provided" and/or Adjective to

"nothing"] {but [#1] some soup} [Adjective to "nothing"] made [#2] {of pulse} [Adverb to

"made"], [Adj. to "pulse" which was poured (P) out {into a broad flat stone dish}

[Adverb to "poured"]]. | The soup fell {out of the long bill} [Adverb to "fell"] { of the

Crane} [Adjective to "bill"] {at every mouthful} [Adverb to "fell"], | and his vexation

{at not being [#3] able to eat} [Adjective to "vexation"] afforded the Fox (IO) much

amusement (DO). | The Crane, {in his turn} [Adverb to "asked"], asked the Fox (IO)

to sup [#4] {with him} [Adverb to "sup"], and set {before her} [Adverb to "set"] a flagon

(DO) {with a long narrow mouth} [Adjective to "flagon"], [Adv. to "set" so that he

could easily insert his neck (DO) and enjoy its contents (DO) {at his leisure}

[Adverb to "enjoy"] ]. | The Fox, unable even to taste [#4] it, met {with a fitting

requital} [Adverb to "met"] , {after the fashion} [Adjective to "requital"] {of her own

hospitality} [Adjective to "fashion"] . | Notes

1. This is an example of "but" meaning "except" and functioning as a preposition -- "The fox provided nothing except some soup. . . ."

2. Gerundive to "soup" 3. Expect to get a variety of acceptable answers here -- "at not being," "at not being able," or "at

not being able to eat." On a quiz, I would ignore whatever students gave me here because the phrase is composed of a gerund ("being"), modified by the adverb "not," with a predicate adjective ("able") and an infinitive ("to eat") that modifies the predicate adjective. Students will learn these constructions in later KISS levels.

4. "Sup" is a verb so "to sup" is not a prepositional phrase. It is an infinitive (verbal) that functions as the direct object of "asked"; "Fox" is the indirect object of "asked" and the subject of the infinitive.

5. "Taste" is a verb, so "to taste" is not a prepositional phrase. It is an infinitive that functions as an adverb to "unable" which is a post-positioned adjective to "Fox." [Note that a post-positioned adjective is basically a reduction of a subordinate clause based on an S/V/PA pattern -- "The fox, *who was* unable even to taste it...."] "It" is the direct object of the infinitive.

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Exercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learnExercise 13. 12 JfF– Why the English language is so hard to learn

1. The bandage was wound (P) {around the wound}. |

2. We must polish the Polish furniture (DO). |

3. The soldier decided to desert (DO) his dessert [#1] {in the desert}. |

4. I did not object {to the object}. |

5. They were too close (PA) {to the door} to close it [#2]. | Notes

1. "Dessert" is the direct object of the infinitive "to desert." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "decided."

2. "It" is the direct object of the infinitive "to close." The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb, some people would say to "were"; others would say to "too"; some might say to "close"; and some might say to all three of the preceding.

Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?Section 14. Preposition (or Subordinate Conjunction)?

Most grammar textbooks give students sanitized, simplistic sentences for exercises. Thus in an exercise on prepositional phrases (if they ever get to prepositional phrases), these textbooks will not include in an exercise a sentence in which "after" is used as a subordinate conjunction. Similarly, in an exercise on subordinate clauses, they will not use "after" as a preposition. In learning to deal with real texts, however, students need to learn to make the distinction. At this level, students need simply learn that if whatever answers the question "What?" after a "preposition" is a sentence, then the construction is not a prepositional phrase. You can tell them that it is a subordinate clause, and that they will learn more about subordinate clauses in fourth grade, but the focus at this point should be on their ability to identify the prepositional phrases.


This is a very challenging exercise for third graders. Make sure that your students know that, and if they do well, praise them plentifully. (To make this exercise easier, change the directions and simply have the students identify the prepositional phrases.

1. They haven't eaten {since breakfast} [Adverb to "haven't eaten"]. | 2. They have had nothing (DO) to eat [#1] [Adv. (time) to "have had" since they had

breakfast (DO)]. |

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3. Karen was late [#2] {because of her brother} [Adverb to "was"]. | 4. Roberta won the race (DO) [Adv. (cause) to "won" because she practiced a lot

[NuA]]. | 5. My mother made supper (DO) [Adv. (time) to "made" after she returned {from [

[#3] where she works]}]. | 6. My brother played baseball (DO) {with us} [Adverb to "played"] [Adv. (time) to

"played" when he got home [NuA] {from work} [Adverb to "got"]]. | 7. [Adv. (time) to "wrote" After they read the story (DO)], they wrote {about it}

[Adverb to "wrote"]. |

8. They took a nap (DO) {after dinner} [Adverb to "took"]. |

9. They talked {about Sam} [Adverb to "talked"]. |

10. They talked {about [ [#3] what they wanted to do [#4] ]}. | Note

1. The verbal (infinitive) "to eat" functions as an adjective limiting the meaning of "nothing." 2. Some people will see "late" as a predicate adjective, and others will see it as an adverb to

"was." Either explanation should be accepted. 3. Two of these sentences include prepositional phrases which, if they follow the directions,

students are expected to miss. These are phrases that have noun clauses as the object of a preposition. I decided to include them here as a reminder that students are expected to be confused and/or make mistakes, especially if they are analyzing randomly selected texts.

4. The verbal (infinitive) "to do" functions as the direct object of "wanted." Note that the direct object of "to do" is "what," which also functions as the subordinating conjunction.


This is a another very challenging exercise for third graders. Make sure that your students know that, and if they do well, praise them plentifully. (To make this exercise easier, change the directions and simply have the students identify the prepositional phrases.

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1. Amy lives right [#1] {across the street} [Adverb to "lives"] {from me} [Adverb to

"across the street"]. |

2. Amy lives right {across the street} [Adverb to "lives"] {from [#2] [OP where I do]}. | 3. Annie has been my very best friend (PN) [Adv. (time) to "has been" since I moved

here]. |

4. I met Annie (DO) {in 1964}. | {Since then} [Adverb to "has been"] she has been my

very best friend (PN). | 5. Some people are afraid (PA) {of my dog} [Adverb to "afraid"] [Adv. (cause) to "has

been" because she looks mean (PA) ]. |

6. My dog looks mean (PA). | Some people are afraid (PA) {of her} [Adverb to

"afraid"] {because of that} [Adverb to "are"]. |

7. My dog won't eat anything (DO) {except Alpo} [Adjective to "anything"]. |

8. She won't eat anything (DO) {except [#2] [OP what I give her (IO) [#3] ]}. | 9. My mom doesn't like my dad to tell me [#4] {about life} [Adverb to "to tell"] [Adv.

(cause) to "doesn't like" because she's afraid (PA) [Adv. to "afraid" he might tell

me (IO) something (DO) [Adj. to "something" I shouldn't know]]]. | 10. My mom doesn't like my dad to tell me [#4] {about [#2] [OP what life is like [#5] ]}

[Adv. (cause) to "doesn't like" because she's afraid (PA) [Adv. to "afraid" he might

tell me (IO) something (DO) [Adj. to "something" I shouldn't know]]]. | Note

1. "Right" modifies the prepositional phrase and thus functions as an adverb. [An adverb modifying a prepositional phrase is something that is rarely, if ever, discussed in traditional grammar textbooks, but it is fairly common. Similarly, I have never seen a textbook explain that a prepositional phrase can modify another entire prepositional phrase, but "from me"

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does not modify "street" or "lives." One could argue that it modifies the preposition "across," but that is as unusual as claiming that it modifies the entire prepositional phrase "across the street," and it makes less sense.]

2. Three of these sentences include prepositional phrases which, if they follow the directions, students are expected to miss. These are phrases that have noun clauses as the object of the preposition.

3. The direct object of "give" is the "what," which also functions as the subordinating conjunction.

4. "Dad" is the subject, and "me" is the indirect object of the verbal (infinitive) "to tell." The infinitive functions as the direct object of "doesn't like."

5. Grammarians would have differing explanations for this "like." Some would consider "is like" a phrasal verb because it means "resembles." Others would consider it a preposition, the object of which is "what," (which also functions as the subordinate conjunction). Having considered it a preposition, some would consider the prepositional phrase to be functioning as an adverb to "is," whereas others would describe the phrase as a predicate adjective. Thus, within KISS, any and all of these explanations are acceptable.

Exercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny GruelleExercise 14. 4 Based on “The Fairy Ring” by Johnny Gruelle

Note that this exercise focuses on "until," "for," and "before," each of which function as a preposition in one sentence, and not a preposition in another. {Some of the sentences have been slightly modified from the original.)

1. A little old man {with a violin} tucked [#1] {under his arm} shuffled {down the attic steps

and the many flights} {of stairs} [ [#2] until finally he reached the streets (DO)]. |

2. The little old man was quiet (PA) {for a long time} | and then he arose and again

drew his bow (DO) {across the violin strings}. | 3. He stumbled {towards her chair}, fell {to his knees} {before her}, and buried his face

(DO) {in her lap}. | 4. [ [#3] Before he had finished] the old woman leaned over and dropped something

(DO) {into his little tin cup}. | 5. The old lady sat very still and dreamed, [ [#4] for her brother was playing one

(DO) {of their childhood songs}]. |

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6. He had never looked {upon her} {until now}. | Notes

1. "Tucked" is a verbal (a gerundive) that functions as an adjective to "violin." Note, by the way, that although I have marked "with a violin" in green (as an adjective to "man"), it can also be explained as an adverb to "shuffled."

2. The purpose of this exercise is to help students learn not to mark "until" as a preposition. Students should not yet be expected to recognize this adverbial subordinate clause that functions as an adverb to "shuffled."

3. This subordinate clause functions as an adverb to "leaned" and "dropped." 4. Again the purpose here is to teach the students to look at the complete answer to the question

"for what?" and thus not mark "for her brother" as a prepositional phrase. Within KISS grammar, this "for" clause functions as an adverb to "sat" and "dreamed." (See also "So" and "For" as Conjunctions.)

Section 15 – Embedded Prepositional PhrasesSection 15 – Embedded Prepositional Phrases

“Embedding” is a concept, not a construction, but it is an extremely important concept. It simply means that a grammatical construction has been put into the “bed” of another S/V/C pattern. Any modifier can be viewed as embedded. Consider the sentences

They live in a big house. It is brown.They live in a big brown house.

In the second version, “brown” has been taken from its separate pattern, the “It is” has been deleted, and “brown” has been embedded in the first sentence. Similarly, a subordinate clause that functions as the direct object in another clause is embedded in that clause. We do not usually talk about embedding in these simple sentences, but English sentence structure is actually based on a very limited number of constructions. The complexity of our sentences results from the embedding of one construction within another. Although it is not essential to teach the concept of embedding to third graders, it will help them understand how all the words in a “sentence” chunk to the main S/V/C pattern. For example, in the sentence

MR. JEREMY bounced up {to the surface} {of the water} , {like a cork and the bubbles} {out of a soda water bottle} .

the concept of embedding lets students see that “out of a soda water bottle” modifies “cork” and “bubbles” and is thus embedded in the “like” phrase. The “like” phrase then connects to “bounced” as an adverb. Similarly, “of the water” modifies “surface,” so it is embedded in the “to the surface” phrase which modifies “bounced.” [Note that in the analysis keys, embedded phrases, and the phrases they are embedded in, are denoted by underlining.]

Exercise 15. 1 Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckExercise 15. 1 Based on The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

1. I have a sackful (DO) {of feathers} {in my wood-shed}. |

2. The collie listened, {with his wise head} {on one side} . |

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3. Jemima Puddle-duck went {up the cart-road} {for the last time}, {on a sunny

afternoon}. | 4. She flew {over the wood}, and alighted {opposite the house} {of the bushy long-tailed

gentleman}. | 5. She was rather burdened (P) {with bunches} {of herbs} and {*with* two onions} {in a

bag} [#1] . | 6. He asked several questions (DO) {about the wood}, and {about the exact position} {of

the house and shed}. |

7. She rather fancied a tree-stump (DO) {amongst some tall fox-gloves}. | Note

1. Note the ambiguity – Are the "bunches of herbs" in the bag?

Exercise 15. 2 Based on The Tale of Johnny Town MouseExercise 15. 2 Based on The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse

1. Timmy Willie went {to town} {by mistake} {in a hamper}. |

2. The gardener sent vegetables (DO) {to town} once a week [NuA] {by carrier}. |

3. Timmy Willie crept in {through a hole} {in the wicker-work} . | 4. {With the utmost politeness} he introduced Timmy Willie (DO) {to nine other mice}.

| 5. But {after the first exclamation} {of surprise} he instantly recovered his manners

(DO). | 6. So Timmy Willie said good-bye (DO) {to his new friends}, and hid {in the hamper}

{with a crumb} {of cake} and {*with* a withered cabbage leaf}. |

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Exercise 15. 3 Based on Exercise 15. 3 Based on The Tale of Mr. Jeremy FisherThe Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

1. Mr. Jeremy Fisher lived {in a little damp house} {amongst the buttercups} {at the

edge} {of a pond} . |

Note that whether or not a phrase is embedded is often a matter of perception, and thus there are often alternative explanations. Some people will see "amongst the buttercups" as modifying "house," and thus embedded in that phrase. Others, however, will see it at modifying "lived," and thus not embedded within the previous phrase. The same is true of "at the edge" in relation to "buttercups." "Of a pond," however, clearly completes the meaning of "edge," and is thus embedded in "at the edge." Not all alternatives are explained in the rest of this key.

2. His boat was tied (P) {to a water-plant} {in the middle} {of the pond} . |

Or: {to a water-plant} {in the middle} {of the pond} . |

3. MR. JEREMY bounced up {to the surface} {of the water} , {like a cork and the

bubbles} {out of a soda water bottle} . |

4. He hopped home [NuA] {across the meadow} {with his macintosh} all {in tatters}. | 5. {Instead of a nice dish} {of minnows} – they had a roasted grasshopper (DO) {with

lady-bird sauce}. |

Exercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the FlagExercise 15.4 The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

I pledge allegiance (DO) {to the flag} [Adverb to "pledge" or adjective to

"allegiance"] {of the United States} [Adjective to "flag"] {of America} [Adjective to

"United States"] and {to the republic} [Adverb to "pledge" or adjective to "allegiance"]

[Adj. to "republic" {for which} [Adverb to "stands"] it stands]: one nation [#1] {under

God} [Adjective to "nation"], indivisible [#2], {with liberty and justice} [Adjective to

"nation"] {for all} [Adjective to "liberty" and "justice"]. |

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Notes1. Appositive to "republic" 2. Post-positioned adjective to "nation," and thus also to "republic."

Section 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and CaseSection 16 – Pronouns – Person, Number, and Case

Perhaps the first thing we should consider here is the relative importance, for students, of studying pronouns. In working with college students in composition courses, the only thing I have time to discuss is "person" – first, second, and third. I had not even been doing that – but students reported that they were having problems in other courses. Instructors told them not to use first person in their papers; they did not know what "first person" means; and they were getting lower grades (or having to rewrite papers) as a result.

Some aspects of "case" are very simple, but the question can become very complex. As Paul Roberts noted,

Grammarians disagree about the number of cases in Modern English. Some writers name two (common case and genitive case); some three (nominative, genitive, and objective ...); some four (nominative, genitive, dative, and accusative). Some name more than four. This disagreement is more than a superficial dispute about terminology. It reflects a deep cleavage between two main schools of grammatical thought -- between those who put most emphasis on form and those who put most emphasis on function. This cleavage shows itself throughout the grammar, but it is especially manifest in the treatment of case. (Understanding Grammar. N.Y. Harper & Row, 1954, 39.)

The grammarians' disagreements leave us with the practical questions of what students really need to know about pronouns and how we should help them learn it. First, second, and third person is not that difficult to understand, and (in addition to instructions not to use first person) it can help students learn to avoid shifts from one person to another without reason. "Number" is important, among other reasons, to help students avoid subject/verb agreement problems. Likewise, "case" can help students understand why some things are considered errors, as in "Bill and me had a good time."

But with so much else to be covered in third grade, it was tempting to leave pronouns until fourth. I decided to include them, however, primarily for those of you who intend to go beyond the basics in discussing verbals. From that perspective, your primary focus should be on case. As you will see, the subjects of gerunds are in possessive case – Tom's playing surprised us. Thus, in His playing surprised us," "his" can be considered a possessive pronoun. The subjects of infinitives are in the objective case – They let him win. Even if, in working with verbals, your objective is simply to have students distinguish them from finite verbs, recognition of case can make the objective easier to teach. Clearly "him win" is not a sentence. And, in a few cases, knowledge of pronouns can be very helpful, since they can be substituted for nouns. In a sentence such as "They let the Murphys play," "The Murphys play" would, for many students, pass the sentence test for verbals. But if we substitute a pronoun, we get They let them play.

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Exercise 16. 1 Wise Men of GothamExercise 16. 1 Wise Men of Gotham

Person Number Case1. you second plural [#1] nominative2. they third plural nominative3. We first plural nominative4. I first singular nominative5. us first plural objective6. Who - [#2] singular [#2] nominative7. himself third singular objective8. me first singular objective9. him third singular objective10. they third plural nominative11. you second plural nominative12. we first plural nominative13. us first plural objective14. yourselves second plural objective15. they third plural nominative16. himself third singular objective17. me first singular objective18. you second singular nominative19. he third singular nominative20. you second singular objective

1. This could be singular if we assume that the story is being told to just one person. 2. Out of context, "who" can be first, second, or third person, either singular or plural. For

example, "We who have read this...." (first person plural). You who have heard ...." (second person plural). "She who has seen...." (third person singular) We know that it is singular in this case because the verb is singular -- "Who knows?" Compare this to "The people who know don't tell."

Exercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the CrocodileExercise 16. 2 The Monkey and the Crocodile

Person Number Case1. she third singular nominative2. him third singular objective3. me first singular objective4. I first singular nominative5. he third singular nominative6. you second singular nominative7. I first singular nominative8. you second singular objective9. he third singular nominative

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10. you second singular nominative11. me first singular objective12. you second singular nominative13. her third singular objective14. it third singular objective15. you second singular objective16. we first plural nominative17. us first plural objective18. they third plural nominative19. you second singular nominative20. it third singular objective

Exercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s StoryExercise 16. 3 Grandfather Skeeter Hawk’s Story

Person Number Case1. them third plural objective2. we first plural nominative3. us first plural objective4. they third plural nominative5. it third singular nominative6. he third singular nominative7. them third plural objective8. You second plural nominative9. themselves third plural objective10. I first singular nominative11. who - [#1] singular nominative12. me first singular objective13. him third singular objective14. they third plural nominative15. you second plural nominative16. us first plural objective17. we first plural nominative18. they third plural nominative19. them third plural objective20. who - [#1] singular nominative

Note

1. "Who" is not a personal pronoun.

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Section 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from Verbals (Optional)Section 17 – Distinguishing Finite Verbs from Verbals (Optional)

The primary KISS objective is to enable students to analyze and discuss the structure of any

sentence that they read or write. To reach that objective with third graders, we need to enable the

students to distinguish finite verbs from verbals. To understand why a basic ability to recognize

verbals is necessary, we need to look at what the students have learned thus far. Most

importantly, they have studied the concept of clauses, including compound main clauses and

subordinate clauses that function as direct objects. They have been taught that a clause is a

subject / verb / complement pattern and all the words that chunk to the words in the pattern. The

exercises they were given, however, were carefully chosen to avoid verbals.

A verbal is simply a verb that functions as a noun, adjective or adverb. In sentences, any

verb is either "finite" (the verbs that we underline twice) or a "verbal." There are no other

options. There are three types of verbals gerunds, gerundives, and infinitives. A gerund is a

participial form of a verb that functions as a noun:

Swimming is good exercise.

Barb likes playing baseball.

They were thinking about going to New York.

A gerundive is a participial form of a verb that functions as an adjective:

Running down the street, Sal was almost hit by a car.

We watched the children swimming in the pool.

She found a book written by Shakespeare.

An infinitive is the form of a verb that is normally found in the dictionary. In sentences,

however, infinitives are often, but not always, preceded by "to." Infinitives can function in any

way that a noun, adjective, or adverb can:

To write a poem is not easy. [Noun, Subject]

They love to go to the movies. [Noun, Direct Object]

The time to speak up is now. [Adjective to "time]

Jenny went to the store to buy some candy. [Adverb to "went"]

In analyzing randomly selected texts, and in analyzing their own or their peers' writing (See

Sections 19 and 20.), students will run into sentences that include verbals, sentences such as "We

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watched the children swimming in the pool." Unless they have been given at least a basic

introduction to verbals, most students will underline "swimming" as a finite verb. The result will

be serious frustration on their part, and such frustration we really want to avoid. To do so, give

the students the basic introduction in this section, and then tell the students that you expect them

to make mistakes. Note that although many third graders use verbals in their writing, they use

relatively few of them. If, on the other hand, you have them analyze passages from stories, they

may run into a fairly large number of verbals, and the sheer number may confuse them.

You may or may not want to teach third graders the three types of verbals; you may want to

just call them all "verbals." In third, fourth, and perhaps even fifth grade, the focus should be on

helping students distinguish when they should underline a verb twice, and when they should not.

In essence, students need to learn that in a sentence such as "We watched the children swimming

in the pool," "swimming" is a verb, but it should not be underlined. This is very important

because, as noted above, if they do not learn it, they will have major problems in identifying

clauses in real texts.

The differences among, and details about, verbals are the focus of KISS Level Four.

Originally, KISS Level Four was intended for eighth graders! Before students get to that level,

teachers have two options. The minimal objective is simply to teach students not to underline

these verbs twice. Beyond that, third graders can simply ignore the verbals. The more ambitious

objective is to teach students to recognize the functions of verbals and their complements.

Verbals have the same types of complements as do finite verbs, and like verbs, they are modified

by adverbs. Thus if students are taught to identify verbals (as verbals) and their complements and

functions, they will significantly increase the number of words that they can explain in sentences.

Consider, for example, the following sentence, which is common in the reading and writing of

third graders:

Jenny went to the store to buy some candy.

Adding verbals enables the third grader to explain every word in this sentence – "candy" is the

direct object of "to buy," and "to buy" is a verbal that functions as an adverb to "went."

Although this has already been said, the types and functions of verbals are an extremely

ambitious objective for third grade. The exercises in this section are organized according to the

types and functions of verbals (gerunds, gerundives, infinitives) primarily to be sure that students

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can be exposed to each type and function so that they can more easily learn not to underline them

twice. If you are working with the students' own writing, or with randomly selected texts, you are

almost certain to find examples that will raise questions. As noted elsewhere in these materials,

most grammar books do not deal with real texts, and thus there are no "guidelines" for explaining

some examples. Consider, for example, the sentence

The teacher was at the door laughing.

Some grammarians will probably consider "laughing" as part of the finite verb phrase ("was

laughing") whereas other grammarians will consider it a "participle." (Most grammarians do not

accept the KISS term "gerundive," but that raises a question that is addressed in the instructional

materials for KISS Level Four.) Again, the point here is that if you intend to have students

analyze their own writing (or other randomly selected texts), you should introduce the students to

verbals. Give them the basic instructional materials for distinguishing finite verbs from verbals,

expect the students to make mistakes, and tell the students that they are expected to have some

problems in distinguishing finite verbs from verbals.


1. The boys and girls like racing (DO) {against each other}. |

2. Playing baseball (DO of "playing") {in the park} is fun (PA). |

3. They thought {about playing baseball (DO of "playing")} {with the girls}. | 4. George has the tools (DO) and wood (DO) {for making a birdhouse (DO of

"making")}. |

5. Giving a talk (DO of "giving") {to the class} is not difficult (PA). |

6. My little brother enjoys watching (DO) T.V. (DO of "watching") {in the evening}. |

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1. Jumping rope (DO of "Jumping") is good exercise (PN). |

2. There is no fun (PN) {in washing dishes (DO of "washing")}. |

3. Uncle Bob bought the seeds (DO) {for planting a garden (DO of "planting")}. |

4. {In the morning}, they started washing (DO) the car (DO of "washing"). |

5. Having a good breakfast (DO of "Having") is good (PA) {for your health}. | 6. The teacher explained {to the children} the benefits (DO) {of saving money (DO

of "saving")} {in a bank}. |


Note: These sentences are adapted from the writing of third graders.

1. My friends couldn't stop laughing (DO) {at the joke}. | 2. The kids woke everyone (DO) up {by making (OP) lots (DO of "making") } {of

noise}. |

3. You'd feel {like saving (OP) the kittens (DO of "saving"). } |

4. Going {to the movies} is just wasting (PN) money (DO of "wasting"). |

5. My favorite activity is riding (PN) my bike (DO of "riding"). |

6. Sand is used (P) {for making (OP) glass (DO of "making") }. |


Note: These sentences are adapted from the writing of third graders.

1. Playing baseball (DO of "Playing") is fun (PA). |

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2. Back {in the old days} they thought [DO it could stop you (DO) {from getting

(OP) sick (PA of "getting") }]. |

3. My sister and I like going (DO) fishing [#1] {with our father}. |

4. The dogs started running (DO) {after the rabbits}. | 5. We do a lot (DO) {of stuff} together, {like running (OP) and fighting (OP), and

making (OP) each other laugh [#2] }. |

6. It's just {like being (OP) a teacher (PN after "being") }. [#3] | Notes

1. First of all, note that "fishing" fails the sentence test since "My sister and I ...fishing" is not a sentence. Technically, "fishing" is a gerund that functions as a Noun Used as an Adverb because it tells where they are "going." The important point for students at this level is that they should not underline either "going" or "fishing" twice.

2. "Laugh" fails the sentence test -- "each other laugh" is not a sentence. Thus students should not underline it twice. Technically, "laugh" is an infinitive, and "each other" is a combined subject in an ellipsed construction --each *makes* the other laugh.

3. Note that the "like" prepositional phrase functions as a predicate adjective that describes the subject "it." Some people may prefer to explain "is like" as the verb -- "It just resembles being a teacher." That would make "being" a gerund that functions as a predicate noun.

Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)Exercise 17. 5 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“Jemima Puddle-Duck”)

1. I wish to hatch (DO) my own eggs [#1]. |

2. She tried to hide (DO) her eggs [#2]. |

3. He promised to take (DO) great care [#3] {of her nest}. |

4. Mrs. Puddle-duck was trying to find (DO) a convenient dry nesting-place [#4]. |

5. She began to waddle (DO) [#5] about {in search} {of a convenient dry nesting-place} . |

6. Jemima intended to begin (DO) to sit (DO) [#6] next day [NuA]. | Notes

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1. "Eggs" is the direct object of the infinitive "to hatch." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "wish."

2. "Eggs" is the direct object of the infinitive "to hide." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "tried."

3. "Care" is the direct object of the infinitive "to take." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "promised."

4. "Nesting-place" is the direct object of the infinitive "to find." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "was trying."

5. The infinitive phrase based on "to waddle" is the direct object of "began." 6. The infinitive "to sit" is the direct object of the infinitive "to begin." The infinitive phrase

based on "to begin" is the direct object of "intended,"

Exercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”)Exercise 17. 6 Verbals (Infinitives) as DO (“The Tale of Johnny Town Mouse”)

1. Presently the cook opened the hamper (DO) and began to unpack (DO) the

vegetables [#1]. |

2. Timmy Willie preferred to spend (DO) a miserable night [#2] {under the fender}. |

3. Timmy Willie longed to be (DO) {at home} {in his peaceful nest} {in a sunny bank} . |

4. We have endeavoured to entertain (DO) you [#3], Timothy William [DirA]. |

5. You will never want to live (DO) {in town} again. |

6. {For my part} I prefer to live (DO) {in the country}, {like Timmy Willie}. | Notes

1. "Vegetables" is the direct object of the infinitive "to unpack." 2. "Night" is the direct object of the infinitive "to spend." 3. "You" is the direct object of the infinitive "to entertain."

Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)Exercise 17. 7 Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)

If you are working with third or fourth graders, your primary objective should be to teach the students not to underline verbals twice. You may want to change the directions for this exercise and simply have students underline subjects once, finite verbs twice, label complements, and circle any verb that is not finite.

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1. It makes the dress look whiter. | "The dress look whiter" does not pass the sentence test so "look" is not a finite verb. ["Whiter" is a predicate adjective that describes "dress." Thus it is a predicate adjective, and "dress" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "look." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "makes."]

2. [DO of "said" “*You* Just let her come,”] said the boy. | "Her come" does not pass the sentence test, so "come" is not a finite verb. ["Her" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "come." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "let."]

3. There was something (PN) {in the hymn} [#1] {about roses}, | and that made her

think {of her own} [#2]. | "Her think of her own" does not pass the sentence test, so "think" is not a finite verb. ["Her" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "think." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "made."]

4. That bit {of glass} {in his heart} made him tease little Gerda. | "Him tease little Gerda" does not pass the sentence test, so "tease" is not a finite verb. ["Him" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "tease," and "Gerda" is its direct object. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "made."]

5. They had seen him tie his little sledge {to a splendid big one}. | "Him tie his little sledge" does not pass the sentence test, so "tie" is not a finite verb. ["Him" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "tie," and "sledge" is its direct object. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "had seen."]

6. The guards {in silver} and the lackeys {in gold} would never allow you to pass. | "To pass" does not pass the "To" test, and "You to pass" does not pass the sentence test, so "pass" is not a finite verb. ["You" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "pass." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "would allow."]

7. I don’t like you to whimper! |

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"To whimper" does not pass the "To" test, and "You to whimper" does not pass the sentence test, so "whimper" is not a finite verb. ["You" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "whimper." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "don't like."]

8. But the reindeer again implored her to give Gerda something. | "To give" does not pass the "To" test, and "Her to give Gerda something" does not pass the sentence test, so "give" is not a finite verb. ["Her" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "to give." "Gerda" is the indirect, and "something" is the direct object of the infinitive. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "implored."]

9. Some {of these bits} {of glass} made them see everything [Adj. to "everything" that

was amiss (PA)] [#3]. | "Them see everything" does not pass the sentence test, so "see" is not a finite verb. ["Them" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "see," and "everything" is the direct object. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "made."]

10. The Prince got up and allowed Gerda to sleep {in his bed}. | "To sleep" does not pass the "To" test, and "Gerda to sleep in his bed" does not pass the sentence test, so "sleep" is not a finite verb. ["Gerda" is the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "to sleep." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "allowed."]

Notes1. Some people will see "in the hymn" as describing (modifying) "something," and others will

see it as indicating where that something was, and thus take "in the hymn" to "was" as an adverb.

2. Alternatively, "think of" can be considered the verb ("remember"), and "own" as its direct object.

3. Since they have not yet studied adjectival clauses, I would expect most third graders to be confused by the clause, but they should be able to identify the subject and verb. "Amiss" will probably confuse them.

Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)Exercise 17. 8 Indirect Objects as Subjects of Verbals (Infinitives)

1. {Among other things} they advised her (IO) [#1] to build a house [#1] {beside the

roadside}. |

2. The king told the big man (IO) to go and kill that buffalo [#2]. |

3. The stork begged Thumbietot (IO) to forgive him [#3]. |

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4. The White Cat told him (IO) not to be afraid [#4]. |

5. He did not ask the White Cat (IO) to explain this [#5]. |

6. She told the twins (IO) to climb [#6] {to the first branches} {of a tall fir tree} . |

7. The White Cat soon came and asked the Prince (IO) to join their sport [#7]. |

8. I begged the fairies (IO) to bring me some cord and needles [#8]. |

9. Jack and Jane like to help Uncle Jim do many things [#9] {on the farm}. | 10. Omar taught the elephant (IO) to stand [#10] {on his hind feet}, to kneel [#10], to

march [#10], to raise [#10] his trunk and salute [#10] {like a soldier}, and to sit [#10] down

{at the table}. | Notes

1. "Advised" raises an interesting question that is not discussed in grammar textbooks. No regular noun would function as the direct object after "advised her." Thus some grammarians will consider "her" to be the subject of the verbal (infinitive) "to build," and the entire verbal phrase to be the direct object of "advised." "House" is the direct object of the verbal "to build." (Most grammar textbooks pay little, if any, attention to the complements of verbals.)

2. "Buffalo" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitives) "to kill." The verbals "to go" and "kill" are the direct objects of "told."

3. In analyzing real texts, indirect objects slide into direct objects. Is "him" the indirect or the direct object of "forgive"? Considering something such as "to forgive him his sins," I would say that "him" in this case could be considered the indirect object of "forgive," but when no direct object is given, I would accept "him" as the direct object. The verbal (infinitive) phrase functions as the direct object of "begged."

4. "Afraid" is a predicate adjective after the verbal (infinitive) "to be." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "told."

5. "This" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to explain." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "did ask."

6. The verbal (infinitive) "to climb" functions as the direct object of "told." 7. "Sport" is the direct object of the infinitive "to join." The infinitive phrase functions as the

direct object of "asked." 8. "Cord" and "needles" are direct objects of the infinitive "to bring"; "me" is an indirect object

of "to bring," and the verbal phrase based on the infinitive functions as the direct object of "begged."

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9. "Things" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "do." "Uncle Jim" is the indirect object of the infinitive "to help" (and the subject of "do"). The "to help" phrase is the direct object of "like."

10. These infinitives (verbals) all function as direct objects of "taught." Their subject is "elephant." "Trunk" is the direct object of "to raise.

Exercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 1)Exercise 17. 9 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 1)

These sentences are adapted from the writing of third graders.

1. My cat was sitting there watching me. | "My cat watching me" fails the sentence test. Note that if there were an "and" before "watching," "watching" would be a compound finite verb, but there is no "and." Thus "watching" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "cat." "Me" is the direct object of "watching."

2. Once there was a boy (PN) named Tommy. | "A boy named Tommy" fails the sentence test, so "named" should not be underlined twice. (It is a gerundive that modifies "boy." "Tommy" is a retained predicate noun after the passive "named.")

3. I got up and looked {out of my window}, wondering [DO when the noise would

stop]. | "I wondering" fails the sentence test, so "wondering" should not be underlined twice. It functions as an adjective to "I."

4. We heard a voice (DO) saying, [DO "*You* Go away!"] | "A voice saying ...." fails the sentence test. Thus "saying" is a verbal (a gerundive) that modifies "voice."

5. This story is {about a girl} named Sue. | "A girl named Sue" fails the sentence test. Thus "named" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "girl." "Sue" is a retained predicate noun after the passive "named."

6. They saw the snake (DO) moving {on the ground}. | "The snake moving on the ground" fails the sentence test. Thus "moving" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "snake."

7. {At school}, they know a girl (DO) called Sally. | "A girl called Sally" fails the sentence test. Thus "called" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "girl." "Sally" is a retained predicate noun after the passive "called."

8. I heard my mom (DO) calling me {for breakfast}. |

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"My mom calling me" fails the sentence test, so "calling" is a verbal (a gerundive) that modifies "mom." "Me" is the direct object of "calling."

Exercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 2)Exercise 17. 10 Verbs That Function as Adjectives (Gerundives # 2)

These sentences were adapted from the writing of third graders.

1. He and a girl named Rose were friends (PN) forever. | "A girl named Rose" fails the sentence test, so "named" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "girl." "Rose" is a retained predicate adjective after the passive "named." (Note that the sentence means "a girl *who was* named Rose.")

2. {In the afternoon}, my sister was working outside planting flowers. | "My sister planting flowers" fails the sentence test. Note that an "and" before "planting" would make planting a compound finite verb, but there is no "and." Thus "planting" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "sister" and should not be underlined twice. "Flowers" is the direct object of "planting."

3. The next day [NuA] we sat there looking very silly. | "We looking very silly" fails the sentence test. Thus "looking" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "we." "Silly" is a predicate adjective after "looking," as in "we looked silly."

4. We had problems (DO) looking {for a place} to stay. | "We looking for a place ..." fails the sentence test. Thus "looking" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies [Alternatively, "looking" can be explained as a gerund that functions as a Noun Used as an Adverb.] "We." "To stay" fails the "to" test, and is thus also a verbal. (It is an infinitive that functions as an adjective to "place.")

5. There were cameras (PN) hidden {around the place}. | "Cameras hidden around the place" fails the sentence test. Thus "hidden" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "cameras."

6. The squirrel found a nut (DO) lying {on the ground}. | "A nut lying on the ground" fails the sentence test, so "lying" is a verbal (gerundive) that functions as an adjective to "nut."

7. Jerry said [DO that his puppy comes running to see him]. | Within KISS, "comes running" can be considered the finite verb phrase here, a variant of the palimpsest pattern with "puppy comes" written over "puppy runs." But "puppy running" would fail the sentence test, so "running" can also be explained as a verbal, a gerundive that modifies "puppy." "To see him" fails the "to" test," so "to see" is not a

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finite verb. [It is an infinitive (of purpose) that functions as an adverb to "comes."] "Him" is the direct object of "to see."

8. We had fun (DO) playing {with the puppies}. | "We playing with the puppies" fails the sentence test, so "playing" is a verbal (gerundive) that modifies "We."

Exercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 1)Exercise 17. 11 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 1)

These sentences are adapted from the writing of third graders. Note that all the verbals in this exercise are infinitives that fail the "to" test.

1. Animals need room (DO) to run and play {with their friends}. | We start right off with an example of alternative explanations. Some people will see "to run" and "play" as adjectives that describe "room," whereas others will see them as adverbs (answering "Why?") to "need."

2. Kevin went out to find a newspaper. | "Newspaper" is the direct object of "to find," and the infinitive phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "went."

3. The zoo is a place (PN) to take care {of animals}. | "Care" is the direct object of "to take," and the infinitive phrase functions as an adjective to "place."

4. *You* Read this book (DO) to find out more. | "More" is the direct object of the infinitive "to find out" (= "to learn") or "to find" (with "out" as an adverb). The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "Read."

5. To be a teacher, you need to get (DO) your college degree. | Some grammarians consider "need" a helping verb, so the finite verb here can be either "need to get" or "need," with "to get" as a verbal (infinitive) that functions as a direct object. "Degree" is the direct object of "to get." "Teacher" is a predicate noun after the infinitive "To be." That infinitive phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "need."

6. I'm going to see [DO if we can go {to the park}]. | This is a trick question. Most grammarians consider "going to" among the helping verbs, and "to the park" is a prepositional phrase.

7. That's the best way (PN) to learn. | The infinitive "to learn" functions as an adjective that explains what "way" is meant.

8. I found out [DO that children go {to zoos} to learn {about animals}]. |

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The infinitive phrase based on "to learn" functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "go."

9. You can use granite (DO) to make curbstones and layers to cover buildings. | "Buildings" is the direct object of the infinitive "to cover." That infinitive phrase functions as an adjective to "layers" which is one of the two direct objects of the infinitive "to make." (The other is "curbstones.") The "to make" phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "can use."

Exercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 2)Exercise 17. 12 Verbals as Adjectives or Adverbs (Infinitives # 2)

These sentences are adapted from the writing of third graders. Unless otherwise explained, all of the verbals in this exercise are infinitives that fail the "to" test.

1. My brother is able (PA) to play {with a computer}. | The infinitive "to play" functions as an adverb that describes "able."

2. One day [NuA] I went to go get a souvenir to remember New York by. | "New York" is the direct object of the infinitive "to remember" which functions as an adjective to "souvenir," the direct object of the infinitive "get," the "to" of which is ellipsed. The "get" phrase functions as an adverb (of purpose) to the infinitive "to go," which functions as an adverb to "went." The "by" raises interesting questions for the grammarian. Within KISS, I would suggest that it is an idiomatic remnant of a prepositional phrase that emphasizes means ("by") as opposed to purpose -- a souvenir by *which* to remember New York. I'm sure that grammarians will have other explanations of "by," but my experience suggests that students will not be bothered by it.

3. They are very happy (PA) to be here. | The infinitive "to be" functions as an adverb to the adjective "happy."

4. They teach you (IO) how (DO) to feed and wash the animals. | "Animals" is the direct object of the infinitives "to feed" and "wash" which function as adjectives to "how."

5. My mother usually gave us (IO) something (DO) to eat. | The infinitive "to eat" describes (defines) "something."

6. That is a good book (PN) to read. | Some people will see the infinitive "to read" as an adjective to "book," and others will see it as an adverb to "good."

7. Umbert is trying to find something to free Louis {from a spell}. |

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"Louis" is the direct object of the infinitive "to free." That infinitive phrase functions as an adjective to "something" which is the direct objective of the infinitive "to find." The "to find" phrase functions as the direct object of "is trying."

8. *You* Keep reading to find out [DO what happens]. | The infinitive "to find out" functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "keep" or "keep reading." Some grammarians would consider "keep" as a helping verb here, thereby making "reading" part of the finite verb phrase. Alternatively, "reading" can be explained as a verbal (a gerund) that functions as the direct object of "Keep."

9. The animal appears to be sick. | "Sick" is a predicate adjective after the infinitive "to be." The infinitive phrase is an adverb to "appears." (I would not argue with anyone who explains "appears to be" as the finite verb phrase and "sick" as its predicate adjective.)

Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?Exercise 17. 13 Is It a Finite Verb?

This is probably an extremely difficult exercise for primary school children. Remember that the objective of this exercise is not to teach students about verbals, but rather to help them realize what is, and what is not, a finite verb. Verbals themselves are the subject of KISS Level Four.

1. Sometimes {on Saturdays} he went to look {at the hamper} lying {by the gate}. | Since "to look" immediately follows "went," at this KISS Level, I would accept "went to look" as a finite verb, but technically "to look" is an infinitive that functions as an adverb of purpose to "went." If we ask "What was lying by the gate?", the answer is "hamper, but "hamper lying by the gate" is not an acceptable sentence, and thus "lying" is not a finite verb. [It is a gerundive that modifies "hamper."]

2. Several times [NuA] they had come tumbling in, squeaking and laughing. | Some grammarians will probably consider "tumbling" as part of the finite verb; others won't. [Try finding this in most grammar books.] If one considers "tumbling" to be part of the finite verb, then an argument can be made that "squeaking" and "laughing" are also, but they (as well as "tumbling") can also be explained as gerundives that modify "they."

3. He knew better (DO) than to get in again. | This is another one that is rarely, if ever, discussed in most grammar textbooks. "Better" sounds strange as a noun, but it certainly functions as one here. "To get" cannot be a finite verb since it begins with "to." [It is an infinitive that functions as the object of the preposition "than," and the prepositional phrase modifies "better."]

4. An excellent breakfast was provided (P) – {for mice} accustomed to eat bacon. |

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The subject of "accustomed" is "mice" and "mice accustomed to eat bacon" is not an acceptable sentence. Thus "accustomed to eat" should not be underlined twice. ["Accustomed" is a gerundive that modifies "mice," and "to eat" is an infinitive that modifies "accustomed." "Bacon" is the direct object of "to eat.]

5. Timmy Willie sat {by his burrow} warming his little fur coat and sniffing the smell

{of violets and spring grass}. | "Timmy Willie warming .. and sniffing ...." is not an acceptable sentence so, from this perspective, "warming" and "sniffing" are not finite verbs. [They are gerundives that modify "Timmy Willie." An argument can be made that "sat warming... and sniffing ...." is a palimpsest pattern, but this is an advanced explanation.] "Coat" is the direct object of "warming," and "smell" is the direct object of "sniffing."


Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 1 “To” and “For” as Prepositions? Based on “Crow Talk”

Note that students should not be expected to put brackets around "for" clauses at this point in their work, but they should be expected not to mark them as prepositional phrases.

1. {Of course} [#1] Dickie knew [DO that Granny was not a witch (PN)], [ [#2] for

Granny was very good (PA) and kind (PA)]. |

2. Dickie went {to the box} to get some ice cream and candy [#3]. | 3. So Dickie drove around {to everybody’s house} {in his pony cart} and invited

everybody (DO) to come [#4] {to the party}. |

4. It was a tiny little house (PN), | but it was large (PA) enough {for Granny}, [Adv. to

"was" for Granny was only two feet [NuA] high (PA)]. | 5. Granny watched him (DO) {for a few moments} {with her eyes} full [#5] {of

twinkles}, [#6] | then she told him (IO) to run [#7] along {to the tree}. |

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6. Dickie swallowed the purple fluid (DO), [Adv. to "swallowed" for he was very

anxious (PA) to return [#8] {to the big oak tree} and listen [#8] {to the crows}]. | Notes

1. Although "Of Course" can be seen as functioning as an adverb to "knew," KISS allows the alternative of explaining it as an interjection since it expressed the speaker's attitude toward Dickie's knowing, rather than modifying the knowing itself.

2. Some students will incorrectly mark "for Granny" as a prepositional phrase. Note that this clause does not tell why Granny was not a witch. Thus it modifies "knew," but like many "for" clauses, it can be seen as presenting the writer's (speaker's) reason for stating that he knew.

3. The directions for this exercise do not tell students to do anything with "to get" other than to ignore it (and thus not to mark it as a prepositional phrase). It is a verbal (an infinitive of purpose) that functions as an adverb to "went." "Ice cream" and "candy" are direct objects of "to get."

4. Perhaps the best (and easiest) explanation of the verbal (infinitive) "to come" is to consider it an adverb to "invited."

5. In later work, students will learn that "full" can be explained in either of two ways. For one, it can be considered a post-positioned adjective, a reduction of "eyes *which were* full...." Alternatively, it can be explained as a predicate adjective in a noun absolute, a reduction of "with her eyes *being* full...." The noun absolute functions as the object of "with."

6. Many teachers would consider this to be a comma-splice--two main clauses joined (spliced) just by a comma.

7. In this exercise, students are simply expected not to mark "to run" as a prepositional phrase. (It is a verbal (an infinitive) that functions as the direct object of "told.")

8. "To return" and "listen" are verbals (infinitives) that function as adverbs to "anxious."

Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 2 Finite Verb or Verbal? Based on “Crow Talk”

Note: The primary objective of this exercise is to teach students (using the three tests in the instructional materials) not to underline verbals twice. The notes include information for teachers on the types of the verbals.

1. The second old crow plumed his feathers (DO) and screwed his head (DO) around

to get a better view [#1] {of the little boy} lying [#2] {under the tree}. | "To get" does not pass the "to" test. "Lying" does not pass the sentence text because "boy lying under the tree" is not an acceptable sentence.

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2. Then Daddy Dorn took two large handfuls (DO) {of golden pennies} {from the

golden penny box} | and they watched the box (DO) fill [#3] up {with pennies} again.

| "The box fill up with pennies" does not pass the sentence test.

3. There [#4] is always someone (PN) {out in front} {of Dickie Dorn’s house} eating [#5]

{from the candy and the ice cream box} and filling their pockets [#6] {with golden

pennies}. | Neither "someone eating" nor "someone filling their pockets" passes the sentence test. Thus "eating" and "filling" are not finite verbs.

4. Dickie cried | and he took a pencil stub (DO) {from his pocket} | and, {with much

twisting [#7]} {of mouth} and {*with much* thinking [#7]}, he printed his name (DO)

{upon the box}. | "Twisting" and "thinking" both function as objects of "with" and are thus not finite verbs.

Notes1. "View" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to get." The verbal functions as an adverb

(of purpose) to "screwed." 2. "Lying" is a verbal (a gerundive) that functions as an adjective to "boy." 3. "Fill" is a verbal (an infinitive). When they get to infinitives, students will see that "box" is the

subject of the infinitive and that the entire infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "watched."

4. Alternatively, "There" can be explained as an expletive. 5. "Eating" is a verbal (a gerundive) that modifies "someone." 6. "Pockets" is the direct object of the verbal (gerundive) "filling," that also modifies "someone." 7. "Twisting" and "thinking" are verbals (gerunds) that function as the objects of the preposition

"with." The sentence is somewhat awkward in that it can easily be read as meaning "...twisting (of mouth and thinking. I would expect third graders to be confused here because they have not yet had much instruction in ellipsis.

Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”Exercise 18. 3 A Sentence-Combining Exercise Based on “Crow Talk”

The original passage is:

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So Dickie took two handfuls of the golden pennies downtown and bought a fine little pony with a little round stomach, and he bought a pretty pony cart and harness. Then Dickie drove the pony back home.

Although you might want to show students the original after they discuss their own versions,

don't expect third graders to come anywhere near the complexity of the original.

Do try to get the students to discuss what they did in grammatical terms. For example, the

opening sentences are:

So Dickie took two handfuls of the golden pennies. He took them downtown. The pennies were golden.

If a student changed this to "So Dickie took two handfuls of the golden pennies downtown," the student could explain it by saying that she took the adverb "downtown" from its own sentence and put it into the first to avoid repeating "took."

Exercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining ExerciseExercise 18. 4 A Punctuation and Sentence-Combining Exercise

The original text is:

A number of flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been overturned in a

housekeeper's room, and placing their feet in it, ate greedily. Their feet, however, became

so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and

were suffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, "O foolish creatures that we

are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have destroyed ourselves."

Pleasure bought with pains, hurts.Aesop's Fables, Translated by George F. Townsend

The following is an analysis of the original, in case you want to use it as an analysis exercise:

A number {of flies} were attracted (P) {to a jar} {of honey} [Adj. to "jar" which had

been overturned (P) {in a housekeeper's room}], and placing their feet [#3] {in it}, ate

greedily. | Their feet, however, became so smeared [#2] {with the honey} [Adv. to "so"

that they could not use their wings (DO), nor release themselves (DO), and were

suffocated (P).] | Just [Adv. to "exclaimed" as they were expiring,] they exclaimed,

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[DO of "exclaimed" "O [Inj] foolish creatures [#1] [Adj. to "creatures" that we are,] {for the

sake} {of a little pleasure} we have destroyed ourselves (DO)."] |

Pleasure bought [#4] {with pains}, hurts. | Notes

1. I don't remember seeing this in any grammar textbook, but it looks to me like Direct Address in which they address themselves.

2. Note how "smeared" can be explained as a predicate adjective, more technically a gerundive that functions as a predicate adjective, or as part of a passive finite verb phrase. Again this is a case that is rarely, if ever, discussed in a grammar textbook.

3. "Feet" is the direct object of "placing" which is a gerundive that modifies "flies." 4. "Bought" is a gerundive that modifies "pleasure."

Exercise 18. 5 How Much I Can Explain (From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”)Exercise 18. 5 How Much I Can Explain (From “Little Joe Otter's Slippery Slide”)

Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink had been playing together {around the Smiling

Pool} [#1] all one sunshiny morning [NuA]. | They had been fishing and had taken home [NuA] a fine dinner (DO) {of Trout} [#2] {for old Grandfather Mink and blind old Granny Otter}

[#3]. | They had played tag (DO) {with the Merry Little Breezes} [#4]. | They had been

{in all kinds} {of mischief} [#5] | and now they just did n't know what to do (DO) [#6]. | Notes

1. Adverbial to "had been playing." 2. Adjectival to "dinner." 3. Adjectival to "dinner" or "Trout," and/or adverbial to "had taken." 4. Adverbial to "had played." 5. The second phrase modifies "kinds" and thus is embedded in the first. The first is adverbial to

"had been." 6. Some students might mark just "what" as the direct object here, but I would expect most

students to consider the entire "what to do" as the direct object, and I would accept that. When they get to Level Four and infinitives, they can explore "to do" as an infinitive that functions as an adjective to "what."

Analysis Key for "How Much I Can Explain"

For the color codes, see the table below.

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Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink had been playing together around the Smiling

Pool all one sunshiny morning. They had been fishing and had taken home a fine

dinner of Trout for old Grandfather Mink and blind old Granny Otter. They had

played tag with the Merry Little Breezes. They had been in all kinds of mischief

and now they just didn't know what to do. 1. Count the number of words that are in prepositional phrases, and write the number here: 25 25/66 = 38 %2. Count the number of adjectives and adverbs that you did not count in # 1, and write the number here: 8 33/66 = 50 %3. Count the number of words that you identified as subjects, verbs, or complements, and write the number here: 26 59/66 = 89 %4. Count the number of coordinating conjunctions ("and," "or," and "but") and write the number here: 3 62/66 = 94 %5. Count the number of words that function as nouns used as adverbs, interjections, or direct address, and write the number here: 2 64/66 = 97 %6. List any other words you can explain, write the number of them. 07. List the words you can not explain, write the number of them. to do 2 66/66 = 100 %

Exercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and PunctuationExercise 18. 6 An Exercise in Capitalization and Punctuation


In the Gutenberg edition, the passage appears as:

With the utmost politeness he introduced Timmy Willie to nine other mice, all with long tails and white neckties. Timmy Willie's own tail was insignificant. Johnny Town-mouse and his friends noticed it; but they were too well bred to make personal remarks.

The only exception is that a semicolon follows “remarks,” and that is followed by a main clause that includes a subordinate clause. I have been trying to keep subordinate clauses out of the third grade exercises, so I dropped the final main clause. Some students will probably capitalize “mouse” in “Town-mouse,” and I would expect most of the students to leave out the hyphen. For third graders, these are not things to worry about. I would expect the students to get all the other capital letters correct.

As for punctuation, some students may put a comma after “politeness.” That is totally acceptable. The comma after “mice” is optional, but probably preferred since it is a nonrestrictive modifier. The students should get the apostrophe in “Willie’s,” and if they don’t, this exercise serves as a reminder. Potter used a semicolon after “it.” Current usage would

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probably opt for a comma before the “but.” However a period and capital “B” are also acceptable.

Analysis:

{With the utmost politeness} he introduced Timmy Willie (DO) {to nine other

mice}, all [#1] {with long tails and white neckties}. | Timmy Willie's own tail was

insignificant (PA). | Johnny Town-mouse and his friends noticed it (DO); | but

they were too well bred [#2] to make personal remarks [#3]. | Notes

1. Depending on whether one wants to consider it to be a pronoun or an adjective, "all" can be explained as an appositive to "mice" or as a post-positioned adjective to "mice."

2. An argument could be made that "bred" is part of a passive verb, but most grammarians will probably consider it to be a predicate adjective.

3. "Remarks" is the direct object of the infinitive "to make." The infinitive functions as an adverb to "too" (which modifies "well" which modifies "bred"). [Note that if the "too" is dropped, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly -- "they were well bred to make personal remarks."

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Exercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers AnswerExercise 18. 7 The Questions That Modifiers Answer

S/V/C Chunks to Part of Speech QuestionWith shook Adv (Prep P) When? (and Why?)each storm Adjective Which?storm, With Noun OP What?the tree Adjective Which?old tree Adjective What kind of?tree tree (subject)shook shook (verb)more shook Adverb How much?and not a modifier - chunks "more" to "more"more, shook Adverb How much?

and not a modifier - chunks main clause to main clausefinally tumbled Adverb When?in tumbled Adv (Prep P) Where?one in Noun OP What?

of one Adj (Prep P) What kind of?Which? What?

the storms Adjective Which?fiercest storms Adjective What kind of?storms of Noun OP What?it it (subject)tumbled tumbled (verb)to tumbled Adv (Prep P) Where?the earth Adjective Which?earth to Noun OP What?with tumbled Adv (Prep P) How?a crash Adjective Which?great crash Adjective What kind of?crash. with Noun OP What?

Exercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb TensesExercise 18. 8 Recognizing Basic Verb Tenses

Note: The analysis key is FYI, should you want to use the text as an analysis key, or simply answer some students’ questions about it.

1. Long, long ago {in the little town} {of Atri} , there [#1] ruled a good king. | past

2. A judge will go {to the tower} to hear the complaint [#2]. | future

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3. Messengers are going {through all the land} {with news} {for the people} . | present

4. His call {for justice} shall be heard (P). | future

5. The soldier hung his head (DO) {in shame} and led the horse (DO) away. | past

6. This horse will serve you (DO) {for many years} and often save your life (DO). | future

7. The judge is putting on [#3] his rich robes (DO) and hurrying {to the market place}.

| present

8. Many times [NuA] the bell had been rung (P) | and justice had been done (P). | past

9. A great bell will be hung (P) {in a tower} {in the market place} [#4]. | future

10. It is the horse (PN) {of the rich soldier} [Adj. to "soldier" [#5] who lives {in the

castle}]. | present

Notes1. I've marked this "there" as an adverb, but alternatively it could be described as an expletive.

Still another alternative would be to consider this a palimpsest pattern, with "ruled" written over "was" in the S/V/PN pattern, "There was a good king."

2. "Complaint" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive) "to hear." The infinitive functions as an adverb (of purpose) to "will go." [Remember that for third graders here, the important thing is that they do not mark "to hear" as a prepositional phrase.

3. Alternatively, "on" can be explained as an adverb. 4. Alternatively, the "in" phrase can be seen as an adverb to "will be hung." 5. Adjectival clauses are not introduced until fourth grade, but third graders should be able to

identify the tense of the verbs. They may be confused by "who" as a subject, but remind them that they are expected to be. If you simply explain that this is a clause that functions as an adjective, and that they will be studying them later, you may be surprised by how many students will remember that idea and find adjectival clauses easier to master.

Exercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue TwistersExercise 18. 9 Just for Fun – Tongue Twisters

1. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward. |

2. Brad's big black bath brush broke. |

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3. She sifted thistles (DO) {through her thistle-sifter}. |

4. Cedar shingles should be shaved (P) and saved (P). |

5. Kris Kringle carefully crunched {on candy canes}. |

6. Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons (DO) {from the big bazaar}. |

7. *You* Give papa (IO) a cup (DO) {of proper coffee} {in a copper coffee cup}. |

8. The soldiers shouldered shooters (DO) {on their shoulders}. |

9. Strict strong stringy Stephen Stretch slickly snared six sickly silky snakes (DO). |

10. Sure the ship's shipshape (PA), sir [DirA]. |

11. Fred fed Ted (IO) bread (DO), | and Ted fed Fred (IO) bread (DO). |

12. Betty better butter Brad's bread (DO). | "Better" here is idiomatic for "needs to" or "should."

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