1. Excerpts, sentences, clauses, subject-verb combinations, verb forms
What do you notice?

2. Excerpt #1
This slideshow is a series of six excerpts, which are passages from books. Each excerpt has a citation and the full references appear on the last slide.

3. Excerpt #1 Read this excerpt closely. Questions follow.
Judge devoured his bowl of spaghetti, but Theo hardly touched his. He put the dishes in the dishwasher, locked the house, and went to his room, where he changed into his pajamas, grabbed his laptop, and crawled into bed. He found April online and they chatted for a few minutes. She, too, was in bed, but her door was locked, as always. (Grisham, 2010, p. 167)

4. Clauses?
Where are the independent clauses and the dependent clauses in this excerpt?
Judge devoured his bowl of spaghetti, but Theo hardly touched his. He put the dishes in the dishwasher, locked the house, and went to his room, where he changed into his pajamas, grabbed his laptop, and crawled into bed. He found April online and they chatted for a few minutes. She, too, was in bed, but her door was locked, as always. (Grisham, 2010, p. 167)

5. Clauses…
Judge devoured his bowl of spaghetti, but Theo hardly touched his. He put the dishes in the dishwasher, locked the house, and went to his room, where he changed into his pajamas, grabbed his laptop, and crawled into bed. He found April online and they chatted for a few minutes. She, too, was in bed, but her door was locked, as always. (Grisham, 2010, p. 167)

6. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Judge devoured his bowl of spaghetti, but Theo hardly touched his. He put the dishes in the dishwasher, locked the house, and went to his room, where he changed into his pajamas, grabbed his laptop, and crawled into bed. He found April online and they chatted for a few minutes. She, too, was in bed, but her door was locked, as always. (Grisham, 2010, p. 167)

7. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Judge devoured his bowl of spaghetti, but Theo hardly touched his. He put the dishes in the dishwasher, locked the house, and went to his room, where he changed into his pajamas, grabbed his laptop, and crawled into bed. He found April online and they chatted for a few minutes. She, too, was in bed, but her door was locked, as always. (Grisham, 2010, p. 167)

8. Subject-verb combinations
clause
verb form
Judge
devoured
IND
one-word
Theo
touched He
put
locked
went he
changed
DEP
grabbed
crawled
found
they
chatted
She
was
door

9. Do you notice…?
…that every verb form in this excerpt is a one-word verb form?
…that two subjects in this excerpt have multiple verbs?
…that every sentence in this excerpt has precisely two clauses?
…that only one dependent clause appears in this excerpt?
…that only two sentence types appear in this excerpt?

10. Excerpt #2

11. Excerpt #2 Read this excerpt closely. Questions follow.
Ike was still doing tax work, but of a lesser variety. He was not a lawyer and not an accountant. But since he had to do something for a living, he prepared tax returns for working people and small businesses. His office was on the second floor of an old building downtown. A Greek couple ran a deli on the first floor. He did their tax work and was paid in part with a free lunch five days a week. (Grisham, 2010, p. 50)

12. Clauses?
Where are the independent clauses and the dependent clauses in this excerpt?
Ike was still doing tax work, but of a lesser variety. He was not a lawyer and not an accountant. But since he had to do something for a living, he prepared tax returns for working people and small businesses. His office was on the second floor of an old building downtown. A Greek couple ran a deli on the first floor. He did their tax work and was paid in part with a free lunch five days a week. (Grisham, 2010, p. 50)

13. Clauses…
Ike was still doing tax work, but of a lesser variety. He was not a lawyer and not an accountant. But since he had to do something for a living, he prepared tax returns for working people and small businesses. His office was on the second floor of an old building downtown. A Greek couple ran a deli on the first floor. He did their tax work and was paid in part with a free lunch five days a week. (Grisham, 2010, p. 50)

14. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Ike was still doing tax work, but of a lesser variety. He was not a lawyer and not an accountant. But since he had to do something for a living, he prepared tax returns for working people and small businesses. His office was on the second floor of an old building downtown. A Greek couple ran a deli on the first floor. He did their tax work and was paid in part with a free lunch five days a week. (Grisham, 2010, p. 50)

15. Subject-verb combinations…
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this paragraph?
Ike was still doing tax work, but of a lesser variety. He was not a lawyer and not an accountant. But since he had to do something for a living, he prepared tax returns for working people and small businesses. His office was on the second floor of an old building downtown. A Greek couple ran a deli on the first floor. He did their tax work and was paid in part with a free lunch five days a week. (Grisham, 2010, p. 50)

16. Subject-verb combinations
clause
verb form
Ike
was doing
IND
two-word He
was
one-word he
had
DEP
prepared
office
couple
ran
did
was paid

17. Do you notice…?
…that six of the verb forms in this excerpt are one-word verb forms?
…that two of the verb forms in this excerpt are two-word verb forms?
…the primary differences between the two two-word verb forms in this excerpt?
…the time reference of each verb form in this excerpt?
…that only one sentence in this excerpt has more than one clause?
…that only one dependent clause appears in this excerpt?

18. Excerpt #3

19. Excerpt #3 Read this excerpt closely. Questions follow.
Theo’s task was to help with the homework. The shelter had several families that were allowed to stay there for up to twelve months—that was the limit at Highland Street. After a year, they had to move on. While they were in the shelter, they were treated like other residents of Strattenburg. They were fed and clothed and treated for medical problems. They were either employed or looking for work. They were invited to churches for worship. (Grisham, 2010, pp )

20. Clauses?
Where are the independent clauses and the dependent clauses in this excerpt?
Theo’s task was to help with the homework. The shelter had several families that were allowed to stay there for up to twelve months—that was the limit at Highland Street. After a year, they had to move on. While they were in the shelter, they were treated like other residents of Strattenburg. They were fed and clothed and treated for medical problems. They were either employed or looking for work. They were invited to churches for worship. (Grisham, 2010, pp )

21. Clauses…
Theo’s task was to help with the homework. The shelter had several families that were allowed to stay there for up to twelve months—that was the limit at Highland Street. After a year, they had to move on. While they were in the shelter, they were treated like other residents of Strattenburg. They were fed and clothed and treated for medical problems. They were either employed or looking for work. They were invited to churches for worship. (Grisham, 2010, pp )

22. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Theo’s task was to help with the homework. The shelter had several families that were allowed to stay there for up to twelve months—that was the limit at Highland Street. After a year, they had to move on. While they were in the shelter, they were treated like other residents of Strattenburg. They were fed and clothed and treated for medical problems. They were either employed or looking for work. They were invited to churches for worship. (Grisham, 2010, pp )

23. Subject-verb combinations…
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Theo’s task was to help with the homework. The shelter had several families that were allowed to stay there for up to twelve months—that was the limit at Highland Street. After a year, they had to move on. While they were in the shelter, they were treated like other residents of Strattenburg. They were fed and clothed and treated for medical problems. They were either employed or looking for work. They were invited to churches for worship. (Grisham, 2010, pp )

24. Subject-verb combinations
clause
verb form
task
was
IND
one-word
shelter
had
that
were allowed
DEP
two-word
they
were
were treated

25. Subject-verb combinations (2)
clause
verb form
They
were fed
IND
two-word
[were] clothed
[were] treated
were employed
one-word
[were] looking
were invited

26. Do you notice…?
…that fewer than half of the verb forms in this excerpt are one-word verb forms?
…that more than half of the verb forms in this excerpt are two-word verb forms?
…how one two-word verb form differs from the other two-word verb forms?
…how many sentence types are represented in this excerpt?
…how many sentences are not represented in this excerpt?

27. Excerpt #4

28. Excerpt #4 Read this excerpt closely. Questions follow.
Throughout the day at school, the boys had argued and bickered about how a proper manhunt should be conducted. None had ever taken part in such a search, but this lack of experience was not mentioned or acknowledged. Instead, several of them, including Theo, spoke as if they knew precisely what to do. Another strong voice belonged to Woody, who, because he owned the iPad, felt as though more weight should be given to his ideas. (Grisham, 2011, pp )

29. Clauses?
Where are the independent clauses and the dependent clauses in this excerpt?
Throughout the day at school, the boys had argued and bickered about how a proper manhunt should be conducted. None had ever taken part in such a search, but this lack of experience was not mentioned or acknowledged. Instead, several of them, including Theo, spoke as if they knew precisely what to do. Another strong voice belonged to Woody, who, because he owned the iPad, felt as though more weight should be given to his ideas. (Grisham, 2011, pp )

30. Clauses…
Throughout the day at school, the boys had argued and bickered about how a proper manhunt should be conducted. None had ever taken part in such a search, but this lack of experience was not mentioned or acknowledged. Instead, several of them, including Theo, spoke as if they knew precisely what to do. Another strong voice belonged to Woody, who, because he owned the iPad, felt as though more weight should be given to his ideas. (Grisham, 2011, pp )

31. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Throughout the day at school, the boys had argued and bickered about how a proper manhunt should be conducted. None had ever taken part in such a search, but this lack of experience was not mentioned or acknowledged. Instead, several of them, including Theo, spoke as if they knew precisely what to do. Another strong voice belonged to Woody, who, because he owned the iPad, felt as though more weight should be given to his ideas. (Grisham, 2011, pp )

32. Subject-verb combinations?
Where are the subject-verb combinations in this excerpt?
Throughout the day at school, the boys had argued and bickered about how a proper manhunt should be conducted. None had ever taken part in such a search, but this lack of experience was not mentioned or acknowledged. Instead, several of them, including Theo, spoke as if they knew precisely what to do. Another strong voice belonged to Woody, who, because he owned the iPad, felt as though more weight should be given to his ideas. (Grisham, 2011, pp )

33. Subject-verb combinations
clause
verb form
boys
had argued
IND
two-word
[had] bickered
manhunt
should be conducted
DEP
three-word
None
had…taken part
two-word*
lack
was…mentioned
[was] acknowledged
several
spoke
one-word
they
knew

34. Subject-verb combinations
clause
verb form
voice
belonged
IND
one-word
who
felt
DEP he
owned
weight
should be given
three-word

35. Do you notice…?
…that five of the verb forms in this excerpt are one-word verb forms?
…that five of the verb forms in this excerpt are two-word verb forms?
…that two of the verb forms in this excerpt are three-word verb forms?
…which sentence types are represented in the sentences in this excerpt?
…which sentence types are not represented in the sentences in this excerpt?

36. References
Grisham, J. (2010) Theodore Boone: Kid lawyer. New York: Puffin Books.
Grisham, J. (2011) Theodore Boone: The abduction. New York: Puffin Books.
Snyder, T.D., and Dillow, S.A. (2015). Digest of Education Statistics 2013 (NCES ). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.