Part 3 of Prepositional Phrases Please take notes in your composition books.

Helping verbs and verb phrase Every sentence must have a verb. - To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. - To describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs. Sometimes an action or condition occurs just once—pow!—and it's over. Read these two short sentences and tell me whether they are action verbs or linking verbs: Offering her license and registration, Selena sobbed in the driver's seat. Action verb Officer Carson was unmoved. Linking verb

Auxiliary or helping verbs Other times, the activity or condition continues over a long stretch of time, happens predictably, or occurs in relationship to other events. In these instances, a single- word verb like sobbed or was cannot accurately describe what happened, so writers use multipart verb phrases to communicate what they mean. As many as four words can comprise a verb phrase. A main or base verb indicates the type of action or condition, and auxiliary—or helping—verbs convey the other nuances that writers want to express. Read these three examples: The tires screeched as Selena mashed the accelerator. No helping (auxiliary) verbs; they are both main verbs Selena is always disobeying the speed limit. Helping (auxiliary) verb: is Main verb: disobeying Selena should have been driving with more care, for then she would not have gotten her third ticket this year. 1st verb phrase: Helping (auxiliary) verbs: should have been Main verb: driving 2nd verb phrase: Helping (auxiliary) verbs: would have Main verb: gotten

Adverbs are not part of a verb phrase Since a verb phrase might use up to four words, a short adverb—such as also, never, or not—might try to sneak in between the parts. When you find an adverb snuggled in a verb phrase, it is still an adverb, not part of the verb. Read these examples: For her birthday, Selena would also like a radar detector. Would like = verb phrase; also = adverb. To avoid another speeding ticket, Selena will never again take her eyes off the road to fiddle with the radio. Will take = verb phrase; never, again = adverbs. Despite the stern warning from Officer Carson, Selena has not lightened her foot on the accelerator. Has lightened = verb phrase; not = adverb.

Infinitives- the confusing “to” to + noun = preposition (i.e. to home, to the park, to the game) to + verb = infinitive (i.e. to dance, to sing, to yell, to leave, to be) “ To be, or not to be, that is the question:” – Hamlet, William Shakespeare “…..to boldly go where no man has gone before.” - Star Trek, Gene Rodenberry (the adverb “boldly” splits the infinitive “to go”- we call these split infinitives and the are a no-no in English grammar)

Types of sentences There are four (4) kinds of sentences: declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory. A declarative sentence makes a statement. Example: The assignment is due tomorrow. Rachel attends Dixie State. The New England Patriots won another Super Bowl. 2. An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request. Examples: Hand it in now. Run. Bring the groceries in to the house out of the car. 3. An interrogative sentence asks a question. Example: Do you know the man? 4. An exclamatory sentence shows strong feeling. Declarative, imperative, or interrogative sentences can be made into exclamatory sentences by punctuating them with an exclamation point. Examples: The assignment is due tomorrow! Stop! Do you know the man!

In an Imperative sentence, the subject is (You) An imperative sentence gives a command (You) is termed YOU UNDERSTOOD – it is written at the beginning of the sentence, underlined, and placed in parenthesis. What is the subject in each of the sentence examples below: Go down the street. (You) Go down the street. Please look at me. (You) Please look at me. Put the scissor in the drawer. (You) Put the scissors in the drawer.

Class worksheet Directions: Do the Prepositions worksheet for pages 29, 33, 37, and 39. Read the directions carefully for each worksheet. Special instructions for page 29: When underlining the verb phrases (i.e. the helping [auxiliary] verbs and main verb) remember to not underline any adverbs. They are not part of the verb phrase. Look out for contractions too, like can’t. It is a contraction for can (verb) not (adverb), so underline the part that is part of the verb phrase.