English Language, Analysis and Grammar Exercises Part 3

I went through part 3 of Elliot’s English Language, Analysis & Grammar article:

fallibleideas.com/grammar

I made a video of me reading through part 3 of the article and doing the questions:

My answers to the questions from Part 3 are below. The answers below have a couple of edits from the video which I’ve noted with “EDIT”.

Conclusion of Part 3 Example Sentences

Running fast isn’t fun.

Linking verb: is
Subject: Running
Complement: fun
“not” is an adverb modifying “is.”
“fast” is an adjective modifying “Running.”

I don’t want to stand on my porch when it’s wet.

Action verb: want
Auxiliary verb: do. Enables the negation of “want” by adverb “not.”
Subject: I.
Object: to stand (infinitive).
“not” is an adverb modifying “want.”

“on my porch” is an adverbial prepositional phrase describing the location where the person does not want to stand.
preposition: on.
object of preposition: porch.
“my” modifies “porch.”

“when” is a conjunction. It tells us the situation under which the person does not want to stand on their porch: when it’s wet.

Subordinate clause: it’s wet.
Linking verb: Is.
Subject: It
Complement: wet.

Conclusions: I don’t want to stand in a particular location under a particular condition. The location is my porch. The condition is when it is wet.

Swimming after work is too tiring.

Linking verb: is.
Subject: swimming (gerund).
Complement: tiring.

“after work” is an adverbial prepositional phrase describing when the swimming takes place.
Preposition: after.
Object of preposition: work.

“too” is an adverb modifying “tiring.”

John gets sweaty when he does his exercise routine.

Action verb: gets
Subject: John
Complement: sweaty

“when” is a conjunction describing the situation under which John gets sweaty.

Subordinate clause: he does his exercise routine.
Action verb: does.
Subject: he (refers to John).
Object: routine.
“his” and “exercise” modify routine. “His” is referring to “John’s.”

Conclusions: John gets sweaty in a particular situation. That situation is when he does his exercise routine.

I gave him gifts.

Action verb: gave.
Subject: I.
Object: gifts.
Indirect object (standing for “to him”): him.

I love to throw boomerangs to myself.

Action verb: love.
Subject: I.
Object: to throw boomerangs. Infinitive phrase with the object “boomerangs.”

“to myself” is a prepositional phrase describing the recipient of the object of the infinitive.

What word is the prepositional phrase modifying?

EDIT: It modifies throw. It’s not modifying “I” or “love” or “boomerangs.”

What sort of prepositional phrase is it?

EDIT: Adverbial phrase.

Conclusions: I love to engage in an activity. The activity is throwing boomerangs to myself.

When a movie is boring, I stop watching.

Action verb: stop.
Subject: I.
Object: watching (gerund).

conjunction: when.

subordinate clause: a movie is boring
Linking verb: is.
Subject: movie
complement: boring. EDIT: present participle, adjective.
“a” modifies “movie.”

Conclusions: I stop watching a movie under a particular condition. That condition is when the movie is boring.

I like reading non-fiction books out of order.

Action verb: like.
Subject: I.
object: reading books (gerund phrase with an object, with the whole phrase serving as an object in the sentence).
“non-fiction” is an adjective modifying “books”
“out” is an adverb modifying “reading.”

“of order” is an adverbial prepositional phrase describing what we’re out of.
preposition: of.
object: order.

My broken speakers don’t work for making sound.

Action verb: work.
Subject: speakers.
Auxiliary verb: do. support word for “not.”
“not” is an adverb modifying “work.”
“my” is an adjective modifying “speakers”
“broken” is a past participle adjective modifying speakers.

“for making sound” is an adverbial prepositional phrase describing what the speakers do not work for.
Preposition: for
object: sound
“making” is a present participle adjective modifying sound?

Conclusions: My speakers are broken. They don’t work for making sound.

EDIT: I think maybe “making sound” works better as a gerund object of a preposition which has its own object.

EDIT: This is a decent short quiz I found specifically on distinguishing between gerunds and participles.

FYI, working at the CIA is cooler than the FBI.

Implied words rewrite: FYI, working at the CIA is cooler than [working at] the FBI.

Action verb: is.
Subject: Working (gerund).
Complement: Cooler.

Adverbial prepositional phrase: than [working at] the FBI
preposition: than
object: working

Adjective prepositional phrase: at the FBI
preposition: at
Object: FBI
“the” modifies “FBI”

FYI is an abbreviation for “For your information.”

Conclusions: The following information is for your information: working at the CIA is cooler than working at the FBI.

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