Sintax and Teaching Grammar.

By: Beln Correa

Exercises
1. Consider the modifiers of the verbs in the following
sentences. (For the purposes of this exercise, exclude the
grammatical subjects.) Which of the modifiers are obligatory
and which are optional? Which of the
modifiers are complements and which are adjuncts?
1. Sir Thomas agreed with Edmund.
Sir Thomas is a complement and obligatory
Agreed is a complement and obligatory
With Edmund is an adjunct and optional
2. Mr Elton delivered a charade to Emma for a friend.
Mr Elton is a complement and obligatory
Delivered is a complement and obligatory
A charade is a complement and obligatory
For Emma is an adjunt and optional
For a friend is an adjunt and optional
3. She thrust the documents into her briefcase.
She is a complement and obligatory
Trust is a complement and obligatory
The documents is a complement and obligatory
Into her briefcase is a complement and obligatory
4. Raskolnikov killed the old woman with an axe.
Raskolnkov is a complement and obligatory
Killed is a complement and obligatory
The old woman is a complement and obligatory
With an Axe is an adjunt and optional
5. Mr DArcy met the Gardiners at Pemberley in the
summer.
Mr Darcy is a complement and obligatory
Met is a complement and obligatory
The Gardinersd is a complement and obligatory
At Permberley in an adjunt and optional
In the summer is an adjunt and optional
6. Frank sent a piano to Jane Fairfax.
Frank is a complement and obligatory
Sent is a complement and obligatory
A piano is a complement and obligatory
To Jane Fairfax is a complement and obligatory

7. The porter placed the letter on the secretarys desk.

The porter is a complement and obligatory
Placed is a complement and obligatory
The letter is a complement and obligatory
On the secretarys desk is a complement and obligatory
8. Harriet imagined that Mr Elton would propose to her.
Harriet is a complement and obligatory
Imagined is a complement and obligatory
That Mr Elton would propose to her is a complement and
obligatory
9. The picnic was held at Box Hill in the summer.[Treat
was held as a single verb.]
The picnic is a complement and obligatory
Was is an adjunt and obligatory
Held is a complement and obligatory
At Box Hill is a complement and obligatory
In the summer is an adjunt and optional
10. He executed great vengeance upon them with
furious rebukes.
He is a complement and obligatory
Executed is a complement and obligatory
Great vengeance is a complement and obligatory
Upon them is a complement and obligatory
Furious rebukes is an adjunt and optional
11. We were expecting the worst that day in 1968.
We is a complement and obligatory
Were is a adjunt and obligatory
Expecting is a complement and obligatory
The worst that day is a complement and obligatory
In 1968 is an adjunt and optional
12. The report details the proposals for the chief executive.
The report is a complement and obligatory
Details is a complement and obligatory
The Proposals is a complement and obligatory
For the chief exetutive is an adjunt and optional.

2. Pick out four examples of heads and modifiers in each of

the following sentences (which are from William Dalrymples
book From the Holy Mountain(Flamingo, 1998). You will notice
that modifiers may themselves contain heads. Thus in the
phrase sitting at her desk the head sitting is modified by at
her desk. The phrase at her desk has as its head the Word at,
which has as its modifier the phrase her desk. The head of the
latter phrase is desk, which has her as its modifier.

I ate breakfast in a vast Viennese ballroom with a sprung

wooden floor and dadoes dripping with recently
Head: I, ate, breakfast, vast
Modifier: ballroom, with, daddoes, with
The lift is a giant baroque birdcage, entered through a
rainforest of potted palms.
Head: baroquee, giant, is, potted.
Modifier: the, lift, birdcage, rainforest.
On the wall nearby, newly dusted, is a framed diploma
from the 1932 Ideal Homes Exhibition, signed by the
mayor of East Ham
Head: newly, framed, east, ideal.
Modifier: on, the, wall, nearby.