DGP: Daily Grammar Practice Tuesday Sentence Parts and Phrases Anatomy of a Sentence

DGP marks appear in red, like this. Helpful Hints DGP marks appear in red, like this. Definitions are listed in the text box below the header, like this.  You’ll want to memorize the information in green with a heart, like this. The purple text with the key provides you with great stuff to know and apply. See if you can mark part of the sentence correctly before you advance! An example of this grammatical thought appears in a box like this.

Sentences A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. A sentence is made up of a complete subject and a complete predicate. (If one or the other is missing, it’s a frag ) A sentence can have numerous subjects and predicates as long as they all relate to one another.

Subject 1 of 3 The part of the sentence which tells who or what the sentence is about. Identify two components in each subject, the simple subject and the complete subject. There may be other parts and phrases in the subject, but there are always these two! (Otherwise it’s a frag )

Complete Subject 2 of 3 The complete subject consists of the simple subject plus its modifiers. __________ (single underline)  To find the subject, ask “who or what is doing/being?” dependent clauses modifying the subject are part of the complete subject. The student that learns grammar will be successful. ___________

Simple Subject 3 of 3 The simple subject is the fewest words or word within the complete subject that tells “who” or “what” the sentence is about. S (Upper case) Simple subjects must be a: noun, pronoun, gerund or infinitive. Simple subjects cannot be in a prepositional phrase.

Predicate 1 of 6 The predicate is the part of the sentence which tells that the subject does, has or is like. The predicate includes the simple predicate, also known as the verb plus its modifiers.

Complete Predicate 2 of 6 The complete predicate includes verb plus its modifiers. __________ (double underline)  To find the predicate, ask “what is the subject doing or being?” dependent clauses modifying the verb are part of the complete predicate. The students like to talk when I am working at my computer. __________________________________________________________________________________

Simple Predicate/Verb 3 of 6 The simple predicate is the action or linking verb. Helping verbs are not simple predicates because they simply add information to action and linking verbs. There are two types of simple predicates: transitive verbs and intransitive verbs .

Simple Predicate/Verb 4 of 6 A transitive verbs takes a direct object. vt  Ask the question, “subject, verb, what?” If there is an object in the predicate that answers that question, the verb is transitive. The noun or pronoun that answers the what question is the direct object. If the verb is transitive, there must be a direct object, and there may be an indirect object.

Simple Predicate/Verb 5 of 6 A direct object is a noun or pronoun that follows an action verb and receives the action from that verb. do do  It answers the question, “whom or what?” after the transitive verb. A direct object can never be in a prepositional phrase. An indirect object may precede a direct object; look for one.

Simple Predicate/Verb 6 of 6 An intransitive verb does not take a direct object. vi vi  Ask the question, “subject, verb, what?” If no answer is found in the predicate, the verb is intransitive.  All linking verbs are intransitive.  All passive voice verbs are intransitive.

More Sentence Parts Words and groups of words may be added to subjects and predicates to add or modify them. These parts are modifiers with specific labels and purposes. Look for these modifiers in sentences: indirect object prepositional phrase predicate nominative appositive predicate adjective appositive phrase infinitive phrase gerund phrase participial phrase noun of direct address

Indirect Object An indirect object completes the meaning of a subject and a transitive verb. io  To find the indirect object, say “subject, action verb, direct object, to or for what or whom?” An indirect objects is a noun or pronoun and is never in a prepositional phrase.

Predicate Nominative pn A predicate nominative completes the meaning of a subject and linking verb. pn A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that renames the subject.  To find the predicate nominative, say “subject, linking verb, what or who?”

Predicate Adjective pa A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject. The predicate adjective is an adjective.  To find the predicate adjective, say “subject, linking verb, what?” pa

Prepositional Phrase 1 of 2 A prepositional phrase is a group of words beginning with the preposition and ending with a noun or pronoun. adj prep ph or adv prep ph A prepositional phrase can act as an adjective or adverb. A prepositional phrase must be next to the noun or pronoun it modifies.

Prepositional Phrase 2 of 2 To be completely correct, each prepositional phrase must have three marks: 1. ( ) where the prep ph starts and stops 2. op over the object(s) of the preposition 3. adj prep ph or adv prep ph

Appositive/Appositive Phrase An appositive is a noun or pronoun that follows and renames another noun or pronoun. app  Other words can come between the n/pn and the app. An appositive phrase is the noun or pronoun and any modifiers that follows and renames another noun or pronoun. app ph  Just because you have an app doesn’t mean you always have an app ph. ----------app ph--------- app Jessica and Jennifer, our twin daughters, are juniors at Samford University.

Gerund Phrase ger ph obj ger A gerund phrase includes the gerund plus its modifiers and objects. The object of the gerund follows the gerund and tells “what?” obj ger  Just because you have a ger doesn’t mean you always have a ger ph or an obj ger. You may have more than one obj ger. -------------ger ph------------ obj ger Writing long essays strengthens and disciplines your mind.

Participial Phrase part ph The participial phrase includes the participle plus its modifiers and objects. part ph ---------part ph-------- Texting during Axis, she wondered why she didn’t hear from God.

Infinitive Phrase inf ph obj inf The infinitive phrase is the infinitive plus its modifiers and objects. inf ph The object of the infinitive follows the infinitive and tells “what?” obj inf  Just because you have a part doesn’t mean you always have an obj inf. You may have more than one obj inf. -----------------------inf ph-------------------- obj inf obj inf Mr. Latimer likes to run both his feet and his mouth.

Noun of Direct Address nda The noun of address is the person or people being spoken to in a sentence. -------nda-------- Dr. Chapman, we’re thankful for the Washington DC trip.

Works Cited Burdett, Dawn. Daily Grammar Practice. 2nd ed. Blairsville, Georgia: DGP Publishing Inc., 2010. Chapman, James A. Grammar and Composition II. Pensacola, Florida: A Beka Book, 1992. Grammar and Language Workbook, Grade 8. New York: Glencoe McGraw Hill, 1976. Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 1999.