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Advanced Appositives ffoom mM Mrr.. FFoorrttuunnee''ss M Maaggggoott bbyy S Syyllvviiaa TToow wnnsseenndd W Waarrnneerr A Level Five KISS Grammar Workbook © Dr. Ed Vavra May 23, 2005 Rev. July, 2007 2 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. 4 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 6 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: 7 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." 8 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 9 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. 11 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." 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 17 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. 18 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.