Homer A week 16 and 17

[ninnasue59]

Hi!

First set of questions:
In our co-op class we attempt to diagram everything we can as is, or "simplified". The second parsing sentence for Week 16, Boston Tea Party, seemed harmless as is, until my class became split over what the prepositional phrase "towards liberty" modifies. Half the class insists it is the verb; the other half insists the direct object, "step". Both sides were so persuasive that I became confused! Which one is it?

Also, how are dates diagrammed (Dec. 16, 1773)?


Second set of questions:
diagramming the first parsing sentence for week 17, The Tale of Circe. Is "roamed round" a verb phrase? I consulted the dictionary and it does list transitive verb as one of the many roles for "round". Therefor, "that house" is the direct object of the action of encircling. I can also see how "round" could function as an adverb to "roam". If that is the case, what becomes of "that house"?

In diagramming the second parsing sentence, "which" is a relative pronoun joining the two clauses, and is also the object of the preposition, right? If so, then I use a dotted line to join the two clauses from the 1st to the object of the preposition in the 2nd. Is "which" written on the dotted line and an "x" stands in for it as the op (which modifies the verb "had cast"), or is the dotted line left blank and joined to the word "which" in the diagram of the prepositional phrase? Or am I way off base???

Could I make that any more convoluted? I sure hope you understand my questions!

Thanks for your help. Peace, Linda

[Carolyn]

"The Americans had taken one great step towards liberty..."

The prepositional phrase best modifies the step, telling what kind of step was taken (adjectival modifier). You could argue that it tells 'where' and thus is an adverbial modifier, but since liberty is not a 'place where' (except in Missouri and other states, and then it would be capitalized), I'd go for the adjectival.

Diagram dates according to their function in the sentence. In 'the evening of Dec 16, 1773', the date is the object of the preposition.

Roamed round is not a verb phrase. Roam is the action, and round (short for 'around') tells where. If you try to replace 'round' with 'encircle', you'll see the verb meaning of 'round' doesn't work here.

As to the diagramming of 'which' in "... wine, into which she had cast...' -- you've just about got it. It is a relative pronoun, and also the object of the preposition. Do use a dotted line as you have indicated. Do not use an x, neither write 'which' on the dotted line. Put 'which' as the OP, and you'll be set.

Excellent questions!

[ninnasue59]

Thank you, Carolyn -- I see it now! "around" is a prepostion to the IV "roam" - "house" is the OP! Wow.

As for the first sentence, those are exactly the arguments my class used! Thanks for the clear reasoning as to why it modifies "step".

Peace, Linda