Download Vocabulary Quiz Sentences

Vocabulary Quiz Sentences
Here are two examples of the type of sentence you could be asked to write on a
vocabulary quiz. Try these on your own, and then scroll down to see a sample answer
and explanation for each sentence.
1. Write a compound sentence that contains an intro participial phrase, a direct
object, and a prepositional phrase that is used as an adjective.
2. Write a complex sentence that contains an adverb clause, a gerund that is a
predicate nominative, and an adverbial prepositional phrase.
Samples and explanations:
1. Sample: Broken in the storm, the window in the kitchen shattered into many
IPP
prep phrase
pieces, and we swept them up quickly.
DO
Explanation:
An intro participial phrase has to come at the beginning of the sentence. This
means that the first word in the sentence must be a participle, and that the participle
must be modified by a short group of words. Regular participles end in –ing, -ed, -en.
That is why I began with broken in the storm.
All adjectives modify nouns, so my prepositional phrase must come after a noun
and describe it. There are a few nouns required in the sentence: subjects for each
independent clause and the direct object. Logically, it would be easiest to place the
prep phrase after one of those. I chose the first subject to get it out of the way.
The direct object must come after an action verb. I couldn’t figure out how to
give window a verb that received action, so I saved that for the second independent
clause.
Compound sentences contain only independent clauses, so I was careful not to
include any subordinate clauses in the sentence.
2. Sample: When the lion roars with fury, the noise is a warning to his prey.
adv clause
prep phrase
gerund as pn
Explanation:
First it’s important to remember that adverbs answer certain questions: when,
where, why, how, under what condition, to what extent. Also, adverb clauses
ALWAYS begin with a subordinating conjunction. This is because they are subordinate
clauses. Thus, your subordinating conjunction should answer one of the key adverbial
questions. Because answers why. After and before answer when. If answers under what
condition. Then the conjunction must be followed with a subject and verb because all
clauses contain subjects and verbs. I chose to place my adverb clause first, but it could
just as easily have come at the end of the sentence.
An adverb prep phrase must answer the same adverbial questions, but it starts
with a preposition instead of a conjunction, and it does not contain a subject or verb.
Also, since adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, it’s best to put the prep
phrase after one of those parts of speech. I placed mine after the verb.
A predicate nominative must follow am, is, are, was, or were, and it must rename
the subject. A simple example of a predicate nominative would be, “My mother is a
teacher.” Teacher renames mother. To provide a gerund as the predicate nominative,
you must use a word ending in –ing to rename the subject. Be careful not to write
something like, “Jim Bob is walking to the park.” In this sentence, walking is a verb; it is
what Jim Bob is doing, and it does not rename the subject.