Курсовая работа: Teaching sentence structure

OR Copy every participle and explain its use in the sentence.

THE GREATES SHOWMAN

1. Born in1810, P.T. Barnum held a variety of jobs in his early years.

2. Having studied people carefully, he soon discovered the power of curiosity.

3. Barnum’s museum was a display of oddities collected from various places on earth.

4. Some of the oddities were fakes manufactured by Barnum.

5. Having joined the body of a monkey and the tail of a fish, Barnum exhibited a «mermaid.»

6. He once exhibited a pickpocket caught by the police.

A.1. General Tom Thump and the «Woolly Horse» were two other famous oddities exhibited by Barnum.

2. Barnum, having directed a parade of ten elephants on Broadway, kept one elephants for publicity purposes.

3. Visitors to Bridgeport could watch this elephant plowing a field.

4. Having brought the great singer Jenny Lind here, Barnum actually furthered the cause of music in America.

5. Mark Twain thoroughly enjoyed the autobiography first written by Barnum in 1855.

6. Having joined forces with J.A. Bailey, Barnum formed one of the greatest circuses in the world.

GERUND A verb form ending in ing may be used as a noun. This verbal noun is called a «gerund.»

Subject: Catching and taming a wild pony was an Indian horseman’s first concern. (Catching and taming is the compound subject of the verb was.).

The Plains Indians enjoyed racing horses for sport.

OBJECT OF PREPOSITION

The Indians trained a horse for a race by tying the animal to a stake or tree.

1. Crossing the Niagara gorge on a tightrope was first accomplished by the Frenchman known professionally as Blondin.

As a noun the gerund crossing is the subject of the verb was accomplished. As a verb it is modified by the adverb phrase on a tightrope and takes the object gorge. Known is a participle modifying Frenchman. When the subject, the direct object, or the predicate noun is a gerund phrase, it is placed on a platform as indicated in the diagram.

2. One of his spectacular feats was carrying a man on his back during a crossing.

Carrying is used as a predicate noun. Crossing, in the sense used here, is defined as a noun.

3. Blondin often thrilled spectators by turning somersaults on the swaying rope.

The gerund turning is the object of the preposition by and takes the object somersaults.

GERUND PHRASE A ground and the word which modify it or complete its meaning form a gerund phrase.

At the age of fine Blondin began experimenting on the tightrope.

PRACTICE 21 Explaining Gerunds

Diagram the following sentences.