Download Appositives - KISS Grammar

Advanced Appositives
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A Level Five KISS Grammar Workbook
© Dr. Ed Vavra
May 23, 2005
Rev. July, 2007
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IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn..............................................................................................................................................................................................33
A
Appppoossiittiivveess ..............................................................................................................................................................................................55
Simple Appositives ......................................................................................................... 5
Finite Verbs as Appositives ........................................................................................... 5
Gerunds as Appositives ................................................................................................. 5
Prepositional Phrases as Appositives .......................................................................... 6
Mixed Construction Appositives ................................................................................... 6
Appositive, or Subject? .................................................................................................. 7
California "Appositives" ................................................................................................ 8
E
Exxeerrcciisseess......................................................................................................................................................................................................99
Sentence Combining Exercise #1 .................................................................................... 10
Advanced Appositives #1 ................................................................................................. 11
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 12
Sentence Combining Exercise #2 .................................................................................... 13
Advanced Appositives #2 ................................................................................................. 14
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 15
Sentence Combining Exercise #3 .................................................................................... 16
Advanced Appositives #3 ................................................................................................. 17
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 18
Sentence Combining Exercise #4 .................................................................................... 19
Advanced Appositives #4 ................................................................................................. 20
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 21
Sentence Combining Exercise #5 .................................................................................... 22
Advanced Appositives #5 ................................................................................................. 23
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 24
Sentence Combining Exercise #6 .................................................................................... 25
Advanced Appositives #6 ................................................................................................. 26
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 27
Sentence Combining Exercise #7 .................................................................................... 28
Advanced Appositives #7 ................................................................................................. 29
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 30
Sentence Combining Exercise #8 .................................................................................... 31
Advanced Appositives #8 ................................................................................................. 32
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 33
Sentence Combining Exercise #9 .................................................................................... 34
Advanced Appositives #9 ................................................................................................. 35
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 36
Sentence Combining Exercise #10 .................................................................................. 37
Advanced Appositives #10 ............................................................................................... 38
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 39
Sentence Combining Exercise #11 .................................................................................. 40
Advanced Appositives #11 ............................................................................................... 41
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 42
Sentence Combining Exercise #12 .................................................................................. 44
Advanced Appositives #12 ............................................................................................... 45
Analysis Key .................................................................................................................. 46
3
Introduction
Lest the title turn one's stomach, perhaps I should note that on the title page of the novella,
"maggot" is defined as "A nonsensical or perverse fancy; a crotchet." I found this story about a
missionary's loss of faith in The Woollcott Reader: Bypaths in the Realms of Gold, edited by
Alexander Wollcott (New York, The Viking Press, 1935, pp. 329-462). I had thought that the text
is now in the public domain, but apparently it is not. As I write this, it is available at
Amazon.com. It provides some excellent examples of a wide range of appositives that make
excellent review and style exercises for eleventh graders. Each exercise includes at least one
appositive. Not all the appositives are "advanced," but most of them are. The exercises are
relatively short, but I have put each one on a separate page so that teachers can easily print an
overhead of any exercise and let the students do it in class.
Each passage has also been made into a sentence-combining exercises, so another way to
use them would be to select an exercise and have the students, for one day's work, do the
sentence-combining version. If possible, have at least three or four students put their versions
on the board (or on overhead transparencies) and discuss them, noting in particular how the
various versions reflect differences in style. Then show the students Warner's original text and
have students analyze it for a later class. Using an overhead of Warner's version, have the
students, as a group, review this analysis assignment in class. Then, for still another
assignment, you can have the students write a sentence by using the structure of Warner's
sentence as a syntactic model.
Although the instructional materials for KISS workbooks will generally be provided in
separate books, those books are not ready as this one is prepared, so I have included the
current instructional materials on appositives. The KISS site also has a "Code and Color Key"
for the analysis key notations.
Exercise #1 is an example of appositives that consist of the same word ("idols") as that to
which they stand in apposition ("idols"). It also has some interesting gerundives and noun
absolutes.
Exercise # 2 is short and sweet, with one simple appositive that is itself modified by a
gerundive.
Exercise # 3 is much longer and more complex. It may be difficult to understand outside the
context of the novel. Within that context, however, the numerous appositives are very clear
because they form a list of Mr. Fortune's previous failures. If students can make sense of these
appositives without reading the novella, this selection makes an excellent review exercise for
eleventh graders. In addition to the numerous appositives, there are a noun used as an adverb,
noun absolutes, passive voice, gerundives, post-positioned adjectives, an almost totally ellipsed
clause, and a clause that functions as a delayed subject. It is also neat because it has
appositives to appositives.
Exercise # 4 begins with a relatively rare construction -- an appositive that precedes the
word to which it stands in apposition. And that appositive is itself modified by three gerundive
phrases, one of which includes two post-positioned adjectives.
Exercise # 5 has a somewhat challenging appositive in the word "advance," which stands in
apposition to "oncoming." Unlike most of the other exercises in this set, it consists of three
clauses, and it also has a gerundive, an infinitive construction, and a post-positioned adjective.
In Exercise # 6, the two appositives are rather simple, but the clause structure is very
complicated.
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Exercise # 7 has four appositives, one of which is an appositive within an appositive
phrase. Gerundives and post-positioned adjectives add to the complexity of this single-clause
sentence.
Exercise # 8 illustrates a mixed-construction appositive, with the noun "pleasure" standing
in apposition to the verbal "pleased." A gerundive and the third-level embedding of a
subordinate clause add to the interest of this sentence.
Exercise # 9 illustrates prepositional phrases used as appositives. It also raises interesting
questions about clause boundaries.
Exercise # 10 suggests how finite verbs might also be considered to be functioning as
appositives.
Exercise # 11 is very complex. Among other things, it includes a noun fragment that can be
explained as an appositive to a finite verb in the preceding paragraph. Several noun absolutes
add to the complexity.
Like exercise 11, Exercise # 12 raises interesting questions about clause boundaries -- is
"surface," for example, an appositive to "rock" or to "slab"? The answer to that question affects
the explanation of where clauses end.
5
Appositives
Simple Appositives
Most definitions of "appositive" limit the concept to nouns, i.e., two nouns joined by
their referring to the same thing with no preposition or conjunction joining them.
They are in Williamsport, a city in Pennsylvania.
Mary, a biologist, studies plants.
In analyzing texts, however (instead of studying the grammar textbooks), you will soon
realized that other parts of speech and various constructions can also function as
appositives.
Finite Verbs as Appositives
In the following sentence from the first paragraph of Jane Austen's Northanger
Abbey, the second "lived" is clearly an appositive to the first:
She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing
the latter into the world, as anybody might expect, she still lived on – lived to
have six children more – to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy
excellent health herself.
But verbs that function as appositives do note have to be limited only to those that
repeat the exact words. Consider the following sentence:
She struggled, kicked and bit, until her attacker let her go.
The three finite verbs do not denote three distinct acts: "struggled" denotes a general
concept that is made more specific in "kicked" and "bit." Can we not then say that the
last two finite verbs function in apposition?
Gerunds as Appositives
As you probably know by the time you look at this, gerunds are verbs that function
as nouns. They usually function as subjects (Swimming is good exercise.) as direct
objects (Tom likes swimming.) or as objects of prepositions (They were talking about
swimming.) Occasionally you may find them functioning as predicate nouns (The best
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exercise is swimming.) They can, however, function in any way that a noun can, and
thus, sooner or later, you will find a few that function as appositives.
Consider the following examples:
1. I brought off a new trick (DO), jumping [Gerund, Appositive to "trick"]
{off Herakles} {with a standing back-somersault}, and landing [Gerund,
Appositive to "trick"] {on my feet}. /
[from The King Must Die, by Mary Renault. N.Y.:
Pantheon, 1958, p. 254.]
2. Hepzibah was good (PA) {at most things} [Adj. to "things" she did],
making [Gerund, Appositive to "things"] pastry [DO of "making"] and
telling [Gerund, Appositive to "things"] stories [DO of "telling"] and
keeping[Gerund, Appositive to "things"] poultry [DO of "telling"]. /
[from
Carrie's War by Nina Bawden 1973 Victor Gollancz London pages 124 - 125. Contributed by Celia
from Wollongong, Australia.]
Prepositional Phrases as Appositives
A sentence from an essay by George Orwell illustrates how constructions, in this
case, prepositional phrases, can also function appositionally:
In Gandhi’s case the questions one feels inclined to ask are: to what extent was
Gandhi moved by vanity--by the consciousness of himself as a humble, naked
old man, sitting on a praying mat and shaking empires by sheer spiritual power-and to what extent did he compromise his own principles by entering politics,
which of their nature are inseparable from coercion and fraud?
Is there a better, simpler way of explaining "by the consciousness" and the phrases
dependent on it than to say that the phrase is an appositive to "by vanity"?
Mixed Construction Appositives
The concept of the appositive grows still more once we realize that not all
appositives have to be composed of identical parts of speech, i.e., noun and noun, verb
and verb. etc. The following sentence was written by a mother who had returned to
college:
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Heavy feet followed me on up the attic stairs -- treasure-filled attic, hiding place
for Mother’s Day cards, carefully printed on pasty colored paper, yellowed
packets of letters, saved since World War II.
The identity here is not of meaning, but of the word itself: the adjective "attic" turns into
the noun. But is there an easier way of explaining this than as an appositive? In the
following sentence, also written by a student, the apposition is between an infinitive
phrase and a noun:
Left alone, and needled by that nagging sense of guilt, she busies herself
cleaning house and lets the "coffee pot boil over," an effective image to describe
her anger, which is short lived, as night softens her memory of the harsh morning
light and she falls prey to her lust again.
Appositive, or Subject?
The following sentence is from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend
Warner:
A socket of molten stone rent and deserted by its ancient fires and garlanded
round with a vegetation as wild as fire and more inexhaustible, the whole island
breathes the peculiar romance of a being with a stormy past.
The psycholinguistic model suggests that most readers will process "socket" as a
subject and look for its verb. But they will not find one. They may be tempted to read
"rent" as a finite verb, but the following "and" joins it to "deserted," thereby indicating
that these are two gerundives that modify "socket" but do not function as its finite verb.
"Garlanded," the next "verb," is likewise a gerundive. Thus the reader continues to
process the words in the sentence, but instead of finding a verb for "socket," they run
into "the whole island." Although this is not an easy construction to decipher, it
becomes apparent that the "socket" is the "island." Thus we have an appositive that
precedes the noun to which it is in apposition. One could, of course, argue that "island"
is the appositive to "socket," but this would simply be an argument about terminology.
Appositives that precede the noun to which they are in apposition are relatively rare, but
they do exist.
For an example of a noun absolute that functions in this way, consider the following
sentence from Nina Bawden's Carrie's War:
So many thoughts twisting round, it made her quite giddy.
In this sentence, the subject of "made" is clearly the "it," but the "it" clearly means the
words that are expressed in the noun absolute, "so many thought twisting round."
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California "Appositives"
None of the preceding applies to students and teachers in California. The 1997
California state standards include a "Glossary" which defines the word "Appositive":
A word or phrase that restates or modifies an immediately preceding noun.
Note: An appositive is often useful as a context clue for determining or refining
the meaning of the word or words to which it refers.
Example: My son Enrico (appositive) is twelve years old.
This is a very interesting and juvenile definition and example. At the time I read it, I
happened to be preparing a KISS analysis, by levels, of Shakespeare's "That time of
year." It contains two appositives:
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
And
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
I wondered if most people would consider "boughs" as "immediately preceding" "choirs,"
and "night" as immediately preceding "self." Because there is no noun, in either case,
between the appositive and its antecedent, I decided to give the California State Board
the benefit of the doubt here, but, my curiosity aroused, I also decided to look for some
other examples.
I found an interesting one in the opening of "Daisy Miller," by Henry James:
But at the "Trois Couronnes," it must be added, there are other features that
are much at variance with these suggestions: neat German waiters, who look like
secretaries of legation; Russian princesses sitting in the garden; little Polish boys
walking about held by the hand, with their governors; a view of the sunny crest of
the Dent du Midi and the picturesque towers of the Castle of Chillon.
If we apply the California definition to this, instead of all being appositives to "features,"
"waiters" is an appositive to "suggestions"; "princesses," to "legation"; "boys," to
"garden"; and "view," to "governors." Defenders of the California definition might object
that the semicolons in James' sentence separate these words from each other such that
one cannot be the antecedent for the other. Nothing in the definition states this, but if we
allow the objection, then each of the appositives ends up being in apposition to
"suggestions."
Because the California definition is so simplistic, we need to look at the example,
"My son Enrico. Such kinship appositives (Uncle Bob, sister Sue, cousin Sam) are in all
probability examples of O'Donnell's "formulas." Fourth graders are past-masters of
them. If this is what the standard means, then we have another example of state
standards setting as an objective something that the students already know. We need to
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remember, moreover, that the standard states "Combine short, related sentences with
appositives, participial phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases." Fourth
graders do not need to be able to identify appositives and participial phrases," they just
need to "combine" them.
Because California has such a limited definition of the appositive, and because
fourth graders have already mastered the kinship appositives as formulas, teachers in
California can abide by the standards without violating what we know about natural
syntactic development. All they have to do is to limit the exercises to kinship
appositives:
My uncle's name is Bob. He is a fisherman. (My uncle Bob is a
fisherman.)
These will be very easy to teach because the students will very quickly "learn" them.
And the California Department of Education should be happy.
Unfortunately, California's simplistic standards created a problem for the rest of
the country. The textbook publishers read the word "appositive" and included exercises
such as "Mary is a biologist. She studies animals." The research, as well as my own
experience, suggests that such exercises confuse some fourth graders, but what
California wants, California usually gets. The rest of us, however, should probably
ignore California.
Exercises
10
Sentence Combining Exercise #1
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
He found himself surrounded. Around him were ranks of idols. The
idols were of all sizes. They were of all fashions. There were idols of
wood. There were idols of stone. They were all very old. They were
subdued with weather. They were moss-grown. The grass tangled
round their bases.
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Advanced Appositives #1
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
He found himself surrounded by ranks of idols, idols of all sizes and all
fashions, idols of wood and stone, all very old, subdued with weather,
moss-grown, with the grass tangling round their bases.
12
Advanced Appositives #1
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
He found himself (DO) surrounded [#1] {by ranks} {of idols}, idols
[Appositive to "idols"] {of all sizes and all fashions}, idols [Appositive to "idols"]
{of wood and stone}, all very old, subdued {with weather}, moss-grown
{with the grass} tangling
[#3]
{round their bases}.
[#2]
,
/
Notes
1. Grammarians and linguists explain "surrounded" in different ways. Some consider it to be a
participle (the KISS gerundive) modifying "himself"; others consider it to be an objective or
subjective complement. Within the KISS framework, students can consider it to be a
gerundive modifying "himself." Personally, I prefer to see "himself surrounded" as a noun
absolute that functions as the direct object of "found."
2. One way of explaining this is to consider "all" as an appositive to "idols." "Old" can then be
considered as a post-positioned adjective, or, if one prefers, one can consider the gerundive
"being" as being ellipsed. The latter explanation would result in "old" being a predicate
adjective after it. "Subdued" and "moss-grown" would then be gerundives modifying the
appositive "all." An alternative explanation is to consider the entire phrase as an extended
noun absolute -- "all *being* very old, subdued ..., moss-grown . . ." The noun absolute would
then function as a noun, an appositive to "idols."
3. At Level Four, students would explain "tangling" as a gerundive to "grass." At Level Five,
some students may prefer to explain it as part of the noun absolute "grass tangling," with the
entire noun absolute functioning as the object of the preposition "with." The "with" phrase
itself modifies "old," "subdued," and "moss-grown."
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Sentence Combining Exercise #2
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
Mr. Fortune stole into the hut. He listened for a while to Lueli's quiet
breathing. His breathing had a slight human rhythm. It had been
recovered that day from the rhythm of the sea.
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Advanced Appositives #2
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Mr. Fortune stole into the hut and listened for a while to Lueli's quiet
breathing, a slight human rhythm recovered that day from the rhythm
of the sea.
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Advanced Appositives #2
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
Mr. Fortune stole {into the hut} and listened {for a while} {to Lueli's quiet
breathing [Gerund, Object of "to"]}, a slight human rhythm [Appositive to
"breathing"] recovered [Gerundive to "rhythm"] that day [NuA] {from the rhythm}
{of the sea}.
/
16
Sentence Combining Exercise #3
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
He sat down and began to rough out the image. He had the image in
his mind. It was a man with a bird. The bird was perched on his wrist.
The man's head was a little inclined towards the bird. It was as though
the bird were telling him something. A plain smooth dog was seated
at his feet. The dog also was looking at the bird. But it was looking
quite kindly. He had failed so many times. Some of the failures were
great. Some were small. He had failed with the trousers. He had failed
with the introduction to mathematics. He had failed with all his very
indifferent attempts at cookery. He had boiled bad eggs. He had made
clammy coco-nut buns. He had failed with the conversion of the
islanders. He had failed with the domestication of the parrots. It might
have been expected of Mr. Fortune. He would put forth on sculpture
with diffidence.
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Advanced Appositives #3
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
He sat down and began to rough out the image he had in his mind: a
man with a bird perched on his wrist, his head a little inclined towards
the bird as though it were telling him something; and seated at his
feet a plain smooth dog, also looking at the bird, but quite kindly.
After so many failures, great and small: the trousers, the introduction
to mathematics, all his very indifferent attempts at cookery, boiled
bad eggs and clammy coco-nut buns, the conversion of the islanders
and the domestication of the parrots, it might have been expected of
Mr. Fortune that he would put forth on sculpture with diffidence.
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Advanced Appositives #3
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
He sat down and began to rough out the image (DO) [Adj. to "image"
he had {in his mind}]: a man [Appositive to "image"] {with a bird} perched
[Gerundive to "bird" [#1]] {on his wrist}, his head [#2] a little [NuA] inclined [#2]
{towards the bird} [Adv. to "inclined" as though it were telling
[#3]
him (IO)
something (DO)]; and [#4] seated [Gerundive to "dog"] {at his feet} a plain
smooth dog [Appositive to "image"], also looking [Gerundive to "dog"] {at the
bird}, but
[#5]
quite kindly.
/ {After so many failures}, great [PPA] and small [PPA]: the
trousers [Appositive to "failures"], the introduction [Appositive to "failures"]
{to mathematics}, all his very indifferent attempts [Appositive to "failures"] {at
cookery}, boiled bad eggs [Appositive to "attempts"
[#6]
] and clammy coco-nut
buns [Appositive to "attempts" [#6]], the conversion [Appositive to "failures"]
{of the islanders} and the domestication [Appositive to "failures"] {of the
parrots}, it might have been expected
(P)
{of Mr. Fortune} [
[#7]
that he would
put forth {on sculpture} {with diffidence}.] /
Notes
1. "Bird perched" could also be explained as a noun absolute that functions as the object of the
preposition "with."
2. "Head . . . inclined" is the core of a noun absolute that functions as an adverb to "perched."
3. "Were telling" is in the subjunctive mood.
4. This "and" joins "man" and "dog," the two appositives to "image." Warner probably used a
semicolon before the "and" because the two appositives are separated by three prepositional
phrases, a gerundive, a comma, a noun absolute, and a subordinate clause. [You will not
find sentences like this one in any grammar textbook.]
5. Perhaps the easiest way to explain this "but" is to consider it as a coordinating conjunction
joining an almost totally ellipsed clause -- "but *as though it were looking at the bird* quite
kindly."
6. Note the appositives ("eggs" and "buns") to an appositive ("attempts at cookery") within the
string of appositives.
7. This clause functions as a delayed subject -- "That he would put forth ... might have been
expected...."
19
Sentence Combining Exercise #4
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
The island is a socket of molten stone. It is rent and deserted by its
ancient fires. It is garlanded round with vegetation. The vegetation is
wild. It is as wild as fire. And it is more inexhaustible. The whole
island breathes romance. It is the peculiar romance of a being with a
stormy past.
20
Advanced Appositives #4
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
A socket of molten stone rent and deserted by its ancient fires and
garlanded round with a vegetation as wild as fire and more
inexhaustible, the whole island breathes the peculiar romance of a
being with a stormy past.
21
Advanced Appositives #4
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
A socket
[#1]
{of molten stone} rent [Gerundive to "socket" or "stone"]
and deserted [Gerundive to "socket" or "stone"] {by its ancient fires} and
garlanded [Gerundive to "socket" or "stone"] round {with a vegetation} as wild
[PPA]
{as fire} [#2] and more inexhaustible [PPA], the whole island breathes the
peculiar romance (DO) {of a being}{with a stormy past}.
/
Note
1. This is a relatively unusual case of an appositive that precedes the noun ("island") to which it
is in apposition.
2. At KISS Level Two, students should be expected to explain "as fire" as a prepositional
phrase. At Level Three (clauses), they may opt to explain it as an ellipsed subordinate clause
-- "as fire *is wild*." In either explanation, it chunks to (modifies) the preceding "as" which
functions as an adverb to "wild."
22
Sentence Combining Exercise #5
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
Mr. Fortune would lie on his stomach. He would watch a cloud.
The cloud would come up from the horizon. It would approach. He
would feel almost afraid at its silent oncoming. It was enormous. It
was a towering being. Its advance was silent. It was like the advance
of its vast shadow on the sea.
23
Advanced Appositives #5
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Lying on his stomach Mr. Fortune would watch a cloud come up
from the horizon, and as it approached he would feel almost afraid at
the silent oncoming of this enormous and towering being, an advance
silent as the advance of its vast shadow on the sea.
24
Advanced Appositives #5
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
Lying [Gerundive to "Mr. Fortune"] {on his stomach} Mr. Fortune
would watch a cloud come [#1] up {from the horizon}, / and [Adv. to "would feel"
as it approached] he would feel almost afraid (PA) {at the silent oncoming} {of
this enormous and towering being}, an advance [Appositive to "oncoming"]
silent [PPA] {as the advance [#2]} {of its vast shadow} {on the sea}. /
Note
1. "Come" is an infinitive; "cloud" is its subject. The infinitive phrase functions as the direct
object of "would watch."
2. At KISS Level Three (Clauses), students have the option of considering "as the advance" as
an ellipsed adverbial clause -- "as the advance . . . *is silent." See "Adverbs / Ellipsed
Prepositional Phrases / Ellipsed Clauses?"
25
Sentence Combining Exercise #6
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
There was no doubt. The ownership of a rain-gauge accounted for
much. But there was more to it than that. There was a secret core of
delight. There was a sense of truancy. There was a sense of freedom.
Now for the first time in his life he was walking in the rain entirely of
his own accord. He was not walking because it was his duty. He was
not walking because it was what public opinion conceived to be his
duty.
26
Advanced Appositives #6
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
No doubt the ownership of a rain-gauge accounted for much; but
there was more to it than that – a secret core of delight, a sense of
truancy, of freedom, because now for the first time in his life he was
walking in the rain entirely of his own accord, and not because it was
his duty, or what public opinion conceived to be so.
27
Advanced Appositives #6
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
No doubt
[#1]
the ownership {of a rain-gauge} accounted {for much};
/
but there was more (PN) {to it} {than that} – a secret core [Appositive to
"more"] {of delight}, a sense [Appositive to "more"] {of truancy}, {of freedom} [#2],
[Adv. to "was" because now {for the first time} {in his life} he was walking {in the
rain} entirely [#3] {of his own accord}], and not [Adv. to "was" *because he was
walking {in the rain}* [because it was his duty (DO), or [ what [#4] public
opinion conceived to be so (PN).]]] /
Notes
1. There are at least two ways of analyzing this. Some people may prefer to consider it an
ellipsed clause -- "*There was* no doubt *that* the ownership ...." This would make
everything from "the" to "much" a subordinate clause modifying "doubt." The phrase is,
however, idiomatic, and thus other people may prefer to consider "doubt" as a noun used as
an adverb.
2. Because there is no "and" joining the two prepositional phrases, and because of their
proximity in meaning, one could argue that "of freedom" functions as an appositive to "of
truancy." See the advanced discussion of appositives.
3. The adverb "entirely" modifies the prepositional phrase "of his own accord."
4. The "what" here functions as both a subordinate conjunction, introducing the clause, and as
the subject of the infinitive "to be." This will give students working at Level Three major
problems because they have not yet studied infinitives. Note, however, that the infinitive
needs a subject -- the public conceived <something to be his duty. Within the subordinate
clause, the "what" thus functions as this "something." "So" here functions as a pronoun for
"his duty."
28
Sentence Combining Exercise #7
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
The former things were passed away. The bank had passed away.
It had had a façade. The façade was trimmed with slabs. The slabs
were of rusticated stone. They were a sort of mural tripe. His bedsitting-room had passed away. It had been at "Marmion," 239
Lyttleton Road, N.E. It had been so encumbered and subfusk*. And
the horrible disappointment of St. Fabien had passed away.
* dusty, rusty brown
29
Advanced Appositives #7
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
The former things were passed away – the bank with its façade
trimmed with slabs of rusticated stone – a sort of mural tripe; his bedsitting-room at "Marmion," 239 Lyttleton Road, N.E., so encumbered
and subfusk, and the horrible disappointment of St. Fabien.
30
Advanced Appositives #7
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
The former things
[#1]
were passed away [#2] – the bank [Appositive to
"things"] {with its façade} trimmed [Gerundive to "bank"] {with slabs} {of
rusticated stone} – a sort [Appositive to "façade"] {of mural tripe}; his bed-
sitting-room [Appositive to "things"] {at "Marmion," 239 Lyttleton Road, N.E.} [#3],
so encumbered [Gerundive; PPA] and subfusk [PPA], and the horrible
disappointment [Appositive to "things"] {of St. Fabien}. /
Notes
1. There are three appositives to "things" -- "bank," "bed-sitting-room," and "disappointment."
The first two are separated by a semicolon because the first is extended at such length, even
including the appositive "sort" within it. "Subfusk" means a rusty, dusty brown.
2. Since "passed away" means "gone" or "dead," some people prefer to consider "away" as part
of the finite verb phrase.
3. If one has the time and the desire, one could break this phrase down into "at "Marmion,
*which was located at* 239 Lyttleton Road, N.E."
31
Sentence Combining Exercise #8
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
In an odd way he was feeling rather pleased with himself. It was a
pleasure that was perhaps the independent pleasure of his flesh. His
flesh had waited patiently around his motionless thinking. His flesh
had been like a dog that waits at the feet of its master while the
master is absorbed in writing.
32
Advanced Appositives #8
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
In an odd way he was feeling rather pleased with himself, a
pleasure that was perhaps the independent pleasure of his flesh
which had waited patiently around his motionless thinking as a dog
waits at the feet of its master absorbed in writing.
33
Advanced Appositives #8
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
{In an odd way} he was feeling rather pleased
[#1]
{with himself}, a
pleasure [#2] [Adj. to "pleasure" that was perhaps the independent pleasure (PN)
{of his flesh} [Adj. to "flesh" which had waited patiently {around his motionless
thinking} [Adv. to "had waited" as a dog waits {at the feet} {of its master}
absorbed [Gerundive to "master"] {in writing}.]]] /
Note that "thinking" and "writing" are gerunds that function as the objects of
prepositions.
1. This "pleased" is a nice illustration of how gerundives are both adjectival and adverbial. It
clearly modifies "he," and thus can be seen as functioning as a predicate adjective, and it
also explains how he was feeling.
2. "Pleasure" clearly stands in apposition to "was feeling rather pleased." Thus we have a noun
that functions as an appositive to a finite verb phrase. I have never seen this discussed in a
grammar textbook.
34
Sentence Combining Exercise #9
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
It shone as though with a kindness. It shone upon everything that
was dear to him. It shone upon his books. It shone upon the
harmonium. It shone upon the bowls, and it shone upon the dishes,
and it shone upon woven mats. The bowls, dishes, and mats were
dear in themselves. They were tokens of the islanders' good-will. They
were also endeared by use. It shone upon the wakeful shine of the
tea-pot. It shone upon the black tin box. It shone upon Lueli's sleepy
head.
35
Advanced Appositives #9
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
It shone as though with a kindness upon everything that was dear
to him: upon his books, and the harmonium; upon the bowls and
dishes and woven mats that were both dear in themselves as tokens
of the islanders' good-will, and endeared by use; upon the wakeful
shine of the tea-pot and the black tin box, and upon Lueli's sleepy
head.
36
Advanced Appositives #9
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
It shone [Adv. to "shone" as though *it shone* {with a kindness}] [#1]
{upon everything} [Adj. to "everything" that was dear (PA) {to him}]: {upon
[#2]
his books, and the harmonium}; {upon [#2] the bowls and dishes and
woven mats} [Adj. to "bowls," "dishes," and "mats" that were both dear (PA)
{in themselves} {as tokens} {of the islanders' good-will}, and endeared (PA) {by
use}]; {upon
[#2]
the wakeful shine} {of the tea-pot and the black tin box},
and {upon [#2] Lueli's sleepy head}. /
Notes
1. I have marked this clause as ending here simply because it makes the brackets easier to
follow. Note that the "upon everything" can be considered as modifying either the original
"shone," or the ellipsed "shone" in the "as though" clause. Thus this clause can be seen as
continuing to the end of the entire sentence.
2. These prepositional phrases all function as appositives to the initial "upon everything."
37
Sentence Combining Exercise #10
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
For leagues around the rain was falling. It was falling upon the
quenched ashes of his homestead. There were mingled and quenched
too the ashes of Lueli's god. It was falling upon the motionless forest.
It was falling upon the moving ocean. It was falling on that vast watery
and indivisible web of tides and currents. It was falling everywhere
with an equal and unstaying pressure.
38
Advanced Appositives #10
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
For leagues around the rain was falling, falling upon the quenched
ashes of his homestead where were mingled and quenched too the
ashes of Lueli's god, falling upon the motionless forest, falling upon
the moving ocean, on that vast watery and indivisible web of tides
and currents, falling everywhere with an equal and unstaying
pressure.
39
Advanced Appositives #10
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
{For leagues} around
[#1]
the rain was falling, falling [#2] {upon the quenched
ashes} {of his homestead} [Adj. to "homestead" where were mingled
(P)
and
quenched (P) too the ashes {of Lueli's god}], falling [#2] {upon the motionless
forest}, falling [#2] {upon the moving ocean}, {on that vast watery and indivisible web}
{of tides and currents}, falling [#2] everywhere {with an equal and unstaying pressure}.
/
Notes
1. Although "around" can be explained as an adverb, it can also be explained as an ellipsed
prepositional phrase -- "around *him*." See "Sliding Constructions."
2. These repetitions of "falling" could be explained simply as gerundives to "rain," but they are
really much more than that -- they function as appositives to the "falling" in the finite verb,
filling out, as appositives do, the meaning of that original "falling."
40
Sentence Combining Exercise #11
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
Mr. Fortune was looking between the trees. Presently, he saw Lueli
reappear on the rock. The rock was above the deep part of the pool.
He was going to dive. Very slowly and methodically he took off
everything that was on him. He even took off his earrings. Then he
stretched his arms in a curve above his head. He leapt in.
It was a beautiful dive. Mr. Fortune found himself thinking. He
thought of the arc of a stretched bow. He thought of the curve and
flash of a scimitar. He thought of the jet of a harpoon. These are all
instruments of death. They all display the same austere and efficient
kind of beauty. That kind of beauty is the swiftness to shed blood.
41
Advanced Appositives #11
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Presently, looking between the trees, Mr. Fortune saw him
reappear on the rock above the deep part of the pool. He was going to
dive. Very slowly and methodically he took off everything that was on
him, he even took off his earrings. Then he stretched his arms in a
curve above his head and leapt in.
A beautiful dive – Mr. Fortune found himself thinking of the arc of
a stretched bow, the curve and flash of a scimitar, the jet of a harpoon
– all instruments of death, all displaying the same austere and
efficient kind of beauty, the swiftness to shed blood.
42
Advanced Appositives #11
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
Presently, looking [Gerundive to "Mr. Fortune"] {between the trees}, Mr.
Fortune saw him reappear [#1] {on the rock} {above the deep part} {of the pool}. /
He was going to dive. / Very slowly and methodically he took off everything
(DO) [Adj. to "everything" that was {on him}], [#2] / he even took off his
earrings (DO). / Then he stretched his arms (DO) {in a curve} {above his
head} and leapt in.
/
A beautiful dive
[#3]
/ – Mr. Fortune found himself thinking [#4] {of the arc}
{of a stretched bow}, {*of* the curve and flash} {of a scimitar}, {*of* the jet} {of a
harpoon} – all
[#5]
instruments [#5] {of death}, all [#6] displaying [#6] the same austere
and efficient kind [#6] {of beauty}, the swiftness to shed blood.
[#7]
/
Notes
1. "Reappear" is an infinitive. With its subject "him," it functions as the direct object of "saw."
2. This is a comma-splice -- two main clauses joined only by a comma. Some teachers consider
all comma-splices to be errors, but they are not. In this case the sentences are not only
short, but also parallel in structure and even use the same subject and verb. One might even
say that the second main clause functions as an appositive to the first since they are identical
in almost everything except "everything" / "earrings."
3. As with comma-splices, some teachers think that all fragments are errors, but this one is not
only correct, but also stylistically neat. No one would misunderstand what is meant here. One
could supply "It was," and thus consider this as an ellipsed main clause, but my guess is that
most readers will process "A beautiful dive" as an appositive to the "dive" (and the
description that follows it) in the preceding paragraph.
4. Although "thinking" can be explained simply as a gerundive to "himself," many students will
prefer to explain "himself thinking" as a noun absolute that functions as the direct object of
"found." The sentence, after all, does not mean that he found himself (with "thinking" as
some sort of afterthought modifier). Thus the noun absolute explanation creates a better
alignment between the sentence structure and the meaning. Traditional grammarians and
modern linguists who have seen this explanation using the noun absolute do not seem to like
it, but then their grammars usually are based on grammatical form rather than on meaning.
(For more on this, See "What Is 'Grammar'?")
43
5. The psycholinguistic model suggests that most readers will perceive "all" after the dash as an
appositive that, we might say, collects the preceding "bow," "scimitar," and "harpoon." It is
thus, not an adjective to "instruments, but rather becomes a subject since it means "all are
instruments." We could therefore explain this as an ellipsed clause, but the "all instruments"
is followed by a noun absolute, "all displaying . . ." Thus it is probably more consistent to say
that the ellipsed form of "to be" is not "all *are* instruments" but rather "all *being*
instruments." Thus we have an appositive ("all") that slides into a noun absolute "all *being*
instruments," with "all" as the subject and "instruments" being the predicate noun to the
ellipsed "being."
6. This "all" functions in the same way that the preceding one does, but in this case the
gerundive "displaying" results in an easier slide into a noun absolute. "Kind" is the direct
object of "displaying."
7. "Swiftness" is an appositive to "kind," but "kind," of course, entails its modifiers -- "the same
austere and efficient kind of beauty." "To shed" is an infinitive that functions as an adjective
modifying "swiftness," and "blood" is the direct object of the infinitive. The appositive phrase
grinds, so to speak, because the shedding of blood, even if it is swift, is not usually
considered to be beautiful. One could argue that this dive, this sentence, is the climax of the
novella. It is the dive in which Lueli attempts suicide as a result of the loss of his god and of
his feeling abandoned by Mr. Fortune. The "instruments of death" and "the swiftness to shed
blood" thus suggest Mr. Fortune's sense of his own responsibility for the double tragedy of
the novella. Mr. Fortune has killed Lueli's god, and, in the process, he has lost his own.
44
Sentence Combining Exercise #12
(adapted from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
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.
A slab of lava was stretching away down the mountain side. It was
was long and serpentining. It was a thickly burning torrent. It had torn
apart the flanks of the mountain. It did that on the night of the
eruption. It had wallowed downward with an ever more heavy and
glutted motion. Now it was solidifying into rock. It was a brutal
surface. It had formless hummocks. And it had soppy and still-oozing
fissures.
45
Advanced Appositives #12
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Stretching away down the mountain side was a long, serpentining
slab of lava – the thickly burning torrent which had torn apart the
flanks of the mountain on the night of the eruption, wallowing
downward with an ever more heavy and glutted motion until now it
was solidifying into rock; a brutal surface of formless hummocks and
soppy and still-oozing fissures.
46
Advanced Appositives #12
(from Mr. Fortune's Maggot by Sylvia Townsend Warner)
Analysis Key
Stretching away {down the mountain side} was a long, serpentining slab {of
lava} – the thickly burning torrent [Appositive to "slab"] [Adj. to "torrent" which
had torn apart the flanks (DO) {of the mountain} {on the night} {of the eruption}]
[#1]
, wallowing [#1] downward {with an ever more heavy and glutted motion} [Adv. to
"wallowing" until now it was solidifying {into rock}]; a brutal surface
formless hummocks and soppy and still-oozing fissures}.
[#2]
{of
/
Notes
1. Although I have marked this clause as ending here, an equally valid argument could be made
for extending it all the way to "rock" or even to the end of the sentence. It is simply a question
of whether one considers the gerundive "wallowing" as modifying "torrent" directly, as I have
here, or whether one considers "wallowing" to modify the "which" in "which had torn apart."
2. The semicolon suggests a strong break, and thus the semicolon that precedes "surface"
makes me want to explain "surface" as an appositive that goes all the way back to "slab."
Overall, however, conventions regarding the use of the semicolon are weak, and thus I have
no justification for telling a student who considers "surface" to be an appositive to "rock" that
he or she is wrong. The latter explanation would, of course, extend the preceding
subordinate clause all the way to the end of the sentence.